It centers on two accomplished wizards, Prospero ("and not the one you're thinking of") and Roger Bacon, tracking down the source of a great magical evil. The subject matter prompted Ursula K. Le Guin to say of the novel, "The Face in the Frost takes us into pure nightmare before we know it—and out the other side."
The story revolves around two accomplished wizards, Prospero ("not the one you're thinking of") and Roger Bacon, who are on a quest to uncover the source of a powerful evil. Ursula K. Le Guin praised the novel for its ability to take readers into a terrifying nightmare before leading them out the other side.