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The Library of the Unwritten (A Novel from Hell's Library) Paperback – October 1, 2019
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Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing-- a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.
But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil's Bible. The text of the Devil's Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell….and Earth.
- Print length384 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherAce
- Publication dateOctober 1, 2019
- Dimensions5.4 x 0.86 x 8 inches
- ISBN-101984806378
- ISBN-13978-1984806376
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Clever, charming, full of intricate worldbuilding and delightful characters, The Library of the Unwritten is the first book in your new favorite series.”—Christina Henry, author of The Girl in Red
“The Library of the Unwrittenis a tiered dark chocolate cake of a book. The read is rich and robust, the prose has layers upon layers, and the characters melt like ganache upon the tongue.”—Meg Elison, Philip K. Dick Award Winner
"A delightful romp through heaven, hell, and everything in between which reveals itself in layers."—Caitlin Starling, author of The Luminous Dead
"A muse, an undead librarian, a demon, and a ghost walk into Valhalla... what follows is a delightful and poignant fantasy adventure that delivers a metric ton of found family feels, and reminds us that the hardest stories to face can be the ones we tell about ourselves." –New York Times bestselling author Kit Rocha
"Hackwith has artfully penned a love letter to books and readers alike and filled it with lush, gorgeous prose, delightfully real characters, a nonstop, twisty, and heart-wrenching plot, and an explosive ending that gave me chills.”-- K. A. Doore, author of The Perfect Assassin
“A wry, high-flying, heartfelt fantasy, told with sublime prose and sheer joy even at its darkest moments (and there are many). I want this entire series on my shelf yesterday.”—Tyler Hayes, author of The Imaginary Corpse
“The only book I’ve ever read that made the writing process look like fun. A delight for readers and writers alike!”—Hugo Award Finalist Elsa Sjunneson-Henry
"Elaborate worldbuilding, poignant and smart characters, and a layered plot...An ode to books, writing, and found families."—Library Journal (starred review)
"Hackwith writes a fast-paced, suspenseful story set in an intriguing world where storytellers can duel with words and souls are not what they seem."—Booklist
"Wow! A.J. Hackwith puts a whole new spin on libraries and librarians in The Library of the Unwritten! The imaginative plotline coupled with lots of phenomenal action and a solid dose of humor keep the reader engaged even as we wonder what twisted turn of events will happen next.”--Fresh Fiction
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Hackwith / THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN
1
CLAIRE
Stories want to change, and it is a librarian’s job to preserve them; that’s the natural order of things. The Unwritten Wing of the Library, for all its infinite magic and mystery, is in some ways a futile project. No story, written or unwritten, is static. Left abandoned too long and given the right stimulation, a book goes wrong in the head. It is a story’s natural ambition to wake up and start telling itself to the world.
This, of course, is a buggered pain in the arse.
Librarian Fleur Michel, 1782 CE, Unwritten Wing, Librarian’s Log entry, Personal Ephemera and Errata
Books ran when they grew restless, when they grew unruly, or when they grew real. Regardless of the reason, when books ran, it was a librarian’s duty to catch them.
The twisty annex of Assyrian romances, full of jagged words and shadowed hearts broken on unforgiving clay tablets, had a tendency to turn around even experienced curators. The librarian, Claire, cornered the book there. The book had chosen to take form as the character of a pale, coltish girl, and her breathing was nearly as ragged as Claire’s was from the run. Claire forced her shaking hands still as she approached. The book was young, and so was its character, back pressed into the bookcase, dandelion-fluff hair fluttering around thin shoulders. Muddy jeans, superhero tee, a whimper like dried reeds. “Please. I can’t—I don’t want to go back.”
Damn. Claire preferred them angry. Angry was simpler. “The Library has rules.”
A flicker of color swung around the corner. Her assistant, Brevity, skidded to a stop just short of the book. Her apple-round cheeks, usually a shade of robin’s-egg blue, were tinged purple from the run. Seafoam green bangs puffed above her eyes, and she mumbled an apology as she handed Claire a slender bit of steel wrapped in cloth.
Claire stowed the tool in her pocket, where it would stay, she hoped. She considered the cowering figure in front of her.
There were two parts to any unwritten book. Its words—the twisting, changing text on the page—and its story. Most of the time, the two parts were united in the books filling the Unwritten Wing’s stacks, but now and then a book woke up. Felt it had a purpose beyond words on a page. Then the story made itself into one of its characters and went walking.
As the head librarian of Hell’s Unwritten Wing, Claire had the job of keeping stories on their pages.
The girl—No, the character, the book, Claire corrected herself—tried again. “You don’t get it. In the woods—I saw what it did. . . .”
Claire glanced down at the book in her hands and read the gold stamp on the spine. The font was blocky and modern, clearly signaling this was a younger book despite the thick leather hide of the cover. It read: dead hot summer. Her stomach soured; this job had ruined her taste for the horror genre entirely. “Be that as it may, you have nothing to worry about. It’s just a story—you are just a story, and until you’re written—”
“I won’t make trouble,” the character said. “I just—”
“You’re not human.” The words snapped out before Claire could censor them. The girl reacted as if she’d been slapped, and curled into the shelves.
Claire took a measured breath between gritted teeth. “You can’t be scared. You’re not human—let’s not pretend otherwise. You’re a very cunning approximation, but you’re simply a manifestation, a character. A book playing at human . . . But you’re not. And books belong on shelves.”
Brevity cleared her throat. “She is scared, boss. If you want me to, I can sit with her. Maybe we can put her in the damsel suite—”
“Absolutely not. Her author is still alive.”
The character zeroed in on the more sympathetic target. She took a step toward Brevity. “I just don’t want to die in there.”
“Stop.” Claire flipped open the leather cover and thrust it toward the character. “This is only wasting time. Back to the pages.”
She looked uncertainly at her book. “I don’t know how.”
“Touch the pages. Remember where your story starts. ‘Once upon a time . . . ’ or what have you.” Claire slid a hand into her pocket, fingers finding metal. “Alternately, stories always return to their pages when damaged. If you require assistance?”
The scalpel was cool in her palm. It was normally used in repairing and rebinding old books, but a practiced hand could send a rogue character back to its pages.
Claire had plenty of practice.
“I’ll try.” The girl’s hand trembled as she flattened a small palm against the open pages. Her brow wrinkled.
A chill of quiet ticked over Claire’s skin. The books weighing down nearby shelves twitched sleepily. A muffled murmur drifted in the air. The wooden shelves towering overhead pulsed with movement, old leather spines shuffling against the bronze rails. Dust shivered in a spill of lamplight.
Brevity shifted uneasily next to her. An awake book was a noisy thing. Returning it, even noisier.
They couldn’t waste time. The girl startled when Claire took a quiet step toward her. “I’ve almost got it!”
“It’s all right.” Claire spoke through a tight throat, but her tone was gentle. She could be gentle when it was efficient. “Try again.”
The unwritten girl turned her attention back to the pages. It was an act of contemplation, and Claire could sense the weaving of realities. The girl was a character; she was a story, a book. She might feel like something even more, but Claire couldn’t afford to consider that. She placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Then she slid the scalpel between the character’s ribs.
Brevity swallowed a squeak. Claire stepped back as the unwritten girl fell. She made small, shocked gulps for air, twisted on the carpet, then began to fade. Within a minute, nothing was left but a small smudge of ink on the floor.
Only books died in Hell. Everyone else had to live with their choices.
“Couldn’t we have given her another minute? It’s awfully hard to feel like the good guys when we do that.” Brevity took the book after Claire snapped it closed.
“There’s no good or bad, Brev. There’s just the Library. The story is back where it belongs.” Claire couldn’t keep the resignation from her voice. She cleaned off and stashed the scalpel back in her many-pocketed skirts.
“Yeah, but she seemed so scared. She was just—”
“Characters aren’t human, Brev. You always should remember that as a librarian. They’ll convince themselves they’re people, but if you allow them to convince you, then . . .” Claire trailed off, dismissing the rest of that thought with a twitch of her shoulders. “Shelve her and make a note to check her status next inventory. What kept you so long, anyway?”
“Oh!” Brevity fluttered a hand, and Claire was struck by the eerie similarities between her assistant and the book they’d just put to rest. Brevity was shorter than the character had been, and her riot of cornflower blue skin and bright eyes was vibrant with life—not scared, not pleading—but her gaze kept drifting back to the dull leather cover in her hands. “There’s a messenger for you.”
“Messenger?”
Brevity shrugged. “From the big guy. I tried to get more, but he’s wound pretty tight. Swore he can’t leave until he talks to you.”
“How . . . unorthodox.” Claire turned down the row of towering shelves. “Let’s see what His Crankiness wants.”
When they emerged from the depths of the Unwritten Wing’s stacks, Claire found the demon sweating holes into her rug. It was a particularly fine rug, peacock blue and intricately dreamed by an artist of the Ottoman Empire. Dreamed but never made, which made it all the more irreplaceable.
The scent of rotten eggs curdled the Library’s pleasant smell of sleeping books and tea, scalding her nose. A bead of sweat fell from the nervous demon’s cuff and hit the carpet with a hiss. Claire closed her eyes for a count of five. She cleared her throat. “Can I help you?”
The demon jumped and twisted around. He was scrawny, all bones and amber skin in a cheap oversized suit. He appeared human, or at least human adjacent, as most demons did, save for the pinpricks of ears that poked up through an oil slick of springy black curls. He bit his lip, managing to look skeletal and innocent at the same time, and he held a thin purple folder in front of him like a shield. “Ms. Claire, of the . . . Is this the Library?”
“That generally is where librarians are found.” Claire sat down at her desk. She eyed the repair work she’d started, while Brevity returned to sorting books on a cart. “You’re in the Unwritten Wing. You may read, or you may leave.”
“Oh, I’m not here to—” The demon twitched. Claire tracked his movements out of the corner of her eye, giving the text in front of her only cursory attention. The books stacked on the corner of the desk gave a lazy growl, and the demon sidestepped quickly away. His nervous gaze landed on her hands. “Is . . . is that blood?”
Claire glanced down at the hand that had held the scalpel. She wiped her fingers on her skirts and returned to her work. “Ink.”
The book open on the desk was one of the young ones, one that still had a chance of being written by its author someday. Brevity had misfiled it with a particularly crotchety series of old unwritten novels. Whaling stories, if Claire remembered right. The impressionable young book now had all sorts of rubbish jumbled in its still-sprouting narrative. Five-paragraph descriptions of food, meditations on masculinity and the sea, complete nonsense for an unwritten tale about teenage witches in love. If its author began to write while it was in this state, she would never attempt another book. It was Claire’s job to keep the books ready for their authors in the best possible state. Tidy. Stories were never tidy, but it was important to keep up appearances.
When she didn’t look up again, the demon coughed and shook loose another bead of sweat. It hit the rug with a dull hiss.
Claire winced. She pressed her scalpel flat against the book. “You’re damaging my rug.”
The demon looked down at his feet. He stepped off the rug awkwardly, found himself on an even more complex rug, and shuffled again.
He’d be at that all day, and Claire would be at repairs all night. She reluctantly turned from the book she was working on, pressing one elbow on it to keep it from creeping off. A slow, deep frown pulled on her face as she gave him a better once-over.
Young, Claire assessed—the young seemed determined to plague her today. A junior demon, though young demons didn’t venture to the Library often. Most of Hell’s residents got reading privileges only after decades of clawing for power. He fidgeted under her scrutiny and combed through his wiry, ragged hair. It made her want to find him a brush. Suspicion tinged with familiarity tugged at her. No demon felt quite right, but there was something exceptionally off about hellspawn with anxiety. Claire raised a brow at Brevity, but her assistant just shrugged.
“You’re . . . unexpected. I understand you were sent by His Grinchiness?”
He licked his lips. “Yes, but . . . you can’t . . . you can’t call him that. His Highness, I mean. There’s a message. I got the brief here.” The demon held it out, eager to be rid of it. Claire didn’t move, so he added, “It says a book is missing. I’m supposed to tell you . . . it’s . . . ah, one of yours.”
Claire stilled. “In what way?”
“Because it’s unwritten? Early twenty-first-century unauthor, still living.”
Ah. The tension crept off Claire’s shoulders. “Stolen or lost?”
The demon pawed through the folder before withdrawing a small stack of printouts. “They suspect runaway. No recent checkouts or invocation alarms . . . whatever that means.”
She grunted. “It means my day is shot. A runaway.”
A bewildered look spread across the demon’s face. “Is that . . . ?”
Claire waved a vague hand. “It means an unwritten book woke up, manifested as a character, and somehow slipped the Library’s wards. A neat trick that I will be keen to interrogate out of it later. It is likely headed to Earth. There’s nothing stronger than an unwritten book’s fascination with its author. But a book that finds its author often comes back damaged, and the author comes out . . . worse.”
“I’ll pack the scalpels,” Brevity said, and received a dark look. Claire rubbed her temple, a fruitless gesture to forestall the coming headache, then shot out her hand.
“Just give the report here.” She released her hold on the open book, and it happily snapped shut, barely missing her fingertips.
The demon deposited the paperwork in her palm and quickly hopped out of reach. The books stacked on her desk complained with growls that ruffled their pages.
“The author’s alive? Where?” Brevity asked.
He shrugged. “A place called Seattle.”
Claire groaned as she squinted at the paperwork. “It’s always the Americans.”
Names were a necessary nicety even Claire had to tolerate. The demon introduced himself with a very clumsy bow; this small bit of etiquette helped him to relax and stop sweating acid everywhere. Claire frowned at his name. “Leto. Like the Greek myth?”
The skinny demon ducked his head. “Like from the sci-fi novel.”
“So, you’re a demon of . . . ?”
“Entropy.”
“They sent a demon of entropy to a library wing full of irreplaceable artifacts?” Claire stared at Leto and then shook her head, muttering, “I will kill him. Positively kill him.”
Leto twitched. “If you don’t mind my asking . . . how, ah, how can you talk about His Highness like that?”
“Simple,” Claire said. “The Library exists in Hell; it doesn’t serve it. He’s not my Highness.”
Leto paled, and she dismissed it with a wave. “It’s a long story. Don’t worry yourself. I still follow orders. This is Brevity, muse and my assistant in the Unwritten Wing.”
“Former muse. I flunked out.” Brevity made a face and offered her hand.
If Leto was a scarecrow teenager in appearance, Brevity was of the sprite variety. Her hair was spiky and short and a dainty shade of sea glass. Beneath the cuffs of a multicolored jumper, propane blue tattoos flowed over paler cornflower skin in a shifting series of script that almost appeared readable, at least until one tried to focus on it.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Leto shook her hand shyly, taking care to keep his fingers back from the ripple of tattoo.
“Hey! A demon with manners. I like this one,” Brevity said.
“Many demons are perfectly polite to me,” Claire pointed out.
“No, many demons are intimidated by the Library, boss. There’s a difference,” Brevity said as Claire pulled out a drawer in search of tools.
The mundane tools of a librarian’s trade included notebooks and writing implements, and the less usual: inks that glimmered, stamps that bit, wriggling wax, and twine. All of them went into a bag that Claire slung across her chest. Pen and paper went into the hidden pockets of her muddled, many-tiered skirts. She’d been buried in some frippery that was dour even for her time, all buttons and layers. She’d chopped the skirt at the knee long ago for easy movement, but Claire lived by the firm moral philosophy that one could never have too many pockets, too many books, or too much tea.
It wasn’t as if she had proper hours to maintain. Claire squinted at a squat copper sundial, fueled by a steady if entirely unnatural light all its own, and scribbled a new line in the Library’s logbook. It was thick and ancient, crusted with age and the oils of a hundred librarian fingerprints. It also never ran out of paper. Claire flipped from her personal notes to the “Library Status” log and ended an entry with a flourish, and the lights in the hall began to flutter.
The Library is now closed. All materials must be returned to the shelves. A disembodied voice, clipped and dull, echoed through the hall. Claire tapped her foot as the voice continued. The Library is now closed. Patrons are reminded that any curses, charms, or dreams left behind are considered forfeit to the stacks. The Library is now closed.
There were not many patrons lounging around the reading area, but the few imps that were reading put down their books reluctantly, and began to make their way to the exit, much to Leto’s slack-jawed amazement. Creatures of Hell, on general principle, took to following orders as well as one might expect. Which is to say, not at all and with liberal interpretation. Most of the Library’s regulars were powerless imps and bored foot soldiers, but one beefy incubus with horns, clad in little more than chitin and scar tissue, handed his book directly to Claire with a grunt.
Claire clucked her tongue. “No sulking. You know we don’t do lending. It’ll be here for you tomorrow, Furcas. Go on now.”
Leto managed to close his mouth before his sputter could ruin another rug. “That— Was that . . .”
“Intimidated. Told you,” Brevity said.
Once the remaining patrons disappeared out the great doors, Claire closed the log and swept toward the far wall. Leto clung to her heels, and Claire bit back a smile. The Library was fickle, eerie terrain, especially to demons.
From the main desk, the cavernous space ran back into shadows in all directions, and every available surface was layered with wood or parchment of varying ages. Rows of shelves filled with books ran high over their heads, and larger tomes crouched at the end of each row in quivering packs. Plush rugs of riotous color muffled the floor. Every visible wall space carried an oil canvas, with images in various states of completion. They governed themselves with their own regular rotation and changes. More paintings hung on a monstrous series of pivoting racks at the far back, draped in shadow like a leafy thicket.
Claire’s target was the far wall, a large section of buttery pale yellow drawers. Endless rows of drawers that hadn’t been there a moment ago. The Library functioned on requirement, shifting and flowing to the needs of the books and librarians. Leto eyed it with anxiety, but Claire shoved the folder back into his hands. She began to scale a ladder clipped to a rail. “Author name and story title?”
“Ah . . .” Leto opened the file. “Author, McGowan. Amber Guinevere McGowan.”
Her foot stabbed out at the wooden wall, and the ladder coasted a few feet down the row of drawers. “McGowan. Right. God, middle name Guinevere? What were her parents thinking? No wonder she never became a writer.” Claire yanked a drawer open. “Title?”
“Uh, the missing title just says ‘Nightfall.’ ” Leto looked up as Claire let out a snort. “Something wrong?”
“I think every writer, written or unwritten, has some glorified adventure titled ‘Nightfall’ stuck in their head. Half the residents here were a ‘Nightfall’ at one point. Even unwritten stories eventually migrate to something more original.” Claire danced her fingers over the drawer before snapping up a card. She slid the drawer closed and descended.
Her sneaker-clad feet hit the ground, and Claire headed for the exit. “Calling card says it’s definitely still in Seattle. Brev, you up for a field trip?”
Brevity’s gold eyes grew to saucers, and she stumbled forward in a little dance. Her voice wasn’t quite a squeal but flirted with the idea. “You mean upstairs?” she said breathily. “Always and forever, boss.”
Product details
- Publisher : Ace (October 1, 2019)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 384 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1984806378
- ISBN-13 : 978-1984806376
- Item Weight : 12.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.4 x 0.86 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #265,602 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,064 in Contemporary Fantasy (Books)
- #3,485 in Action & Adventure Fantasy (Books)
- #5,565 in Paranormal Fantasy Books
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
A. J. Hackwith is almost certainly not an ink witch in a hoodie. She’s a queer writer of fantasy and science fiction living in the Pacific Northwest, and also writes sci-fi romance as Ada Harper. She is a graduate of the Viable Paradise writer’s workshop and her work appears in Uncanny Magazine and assorted anthologies. Summon A.J. at your own peril with an arcane circle of fountain pens and classic RPGs, or you can find her on Twitter and other dark corners of the Internet.
Customer reviews
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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book engaging and worth reading. They describe the story as intriguing and original. The characters are likable and well-developed with their own voices. Readers praise the clever, poetic writing style and creative ideas. The religious content is described as philosophical and moral, blending mythology and religion.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging and worth reading. They appreciate the clever writing style and adventure. The world-building leaves room for their imagination, and the work is described as interesting, philosophical, and distressing. Readers mention it's a favorite among book nerds.
"...Each one is well developed and interesting with their own voices that you get to hear through the duel narratives- the book is broken up so that..." Read more
"The world building here is outstanding, and the heroine’s struggles and growth are very well done. Worth picking up." Read more
"...Queer under (and over)tones and such a fascinating mythology worth exploring. Worth reading and recommending over and over." Read more
"...This well-written book is clever, sometimes humorous, and filled with religious and mythological references...." Read more
Customers enjoy the story. They find the world the author has created intriguing and original. The book offers fun, mystery, intrigue, and fantasy. Readers are swept into the story with unexpected twists. The mix of high fantasy in heaven and hell is enjoyable.
"...A library filled with half developed stories, characters beloved but never realized, all stored together itching to be free- to be told...." Read more
"The title was what got me immediately and for the first 100 pages I was captivated by the plot. But after a point, I was getting bored...." Read more
"...and tried to just appreciate the storytelling for what it is: a good story. And it was...." Read more
"...This one grabs you with the first chapter and just keeps pulling you further and further in until you're like me...impatiently awaiting the release..." Read more
Customers enjoy the character development in the book. They find the characters likable, flawed, and interesting with their own voices. The heroine's struggles and growth are well-done.
"...Each one is well developed and interesting with their own voices that you get to hear through the duel narratives- the book is broken up so that..." Read more
"The world building here is outstanding, and the heroine’s struggles and growth are very well done. Worth picking up." Read more
"...SUPERB. WONDEROUS. HEART-WRENCHING. Equal parts character and action and chefs kiss perfection. Love this book and this brilliant author." Read more
"...I giggled so many times! The plot, the characters, the world building is all excellent! I can't say enough wonderful things about this book!..." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book. They find it clever, witty, and well-written with poetic turns of phrase. The book is described as an author's love letter to stories in general with believable characters and plots that can be read in one sitting.
"...The writing style is really great too- it has a good flow and is easy to follow even though there are four narrators..." Read more
"...this series entirely on accident but I fell in love with the writing immediately...." Read more
"...The pacing is fairly fast, but it did not seem like a quick read because I was having to pay such close attention in order to understand what was..." Read more
"...It's well-written and compelling, and when I abandoned it, it was just warming up. I had to take a star off because I don't know how it ends...." Read more
Customers find the book creative and imaginative. They describe it as a unique idea with an interesting concept and clever characters. The book is described as imaginative, creative, and original.
"...I was enthralled by all the adventure, and the mad-cap plans...." Read more
"...Nevertheless, it is a very creative story. Claire is the librarian in Hell, in charge of the Unwritten Wing of the Library...." Read more
"...Lol! The dialogue is so funny and clever. I giggled so many times! The plot, the characters, the world building is all excellent!..." Read more
"...A. J. Hackwith has artfully created a library - Hell's Library - filled with books that have been started, but never finished, by their authors...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's religious content. They find it philosophical, with an interesting blend of myths and religion. The characters are flawed, but the story is filled with religious and mythological references. It's described as a morality tale, with Gods, demons, angels, ancient religion, and judgement in forgotten realms. Readers mention it's exciting, poignant, funny, and heart wrenching.
"...-written book is clever, sometimes humorous, and filled with religious and mythological references...." Read more
"...The work ascends from interesting, even philosophical, to distressing, and fully engaging...." Read more
"...This book has everything (Stefon voice): demons, angels, ancient religion and judgement in forgotten realms, minoroty/inclusion and LGBT props! #..." Read more
"...Her creative idea about after-life blends myths and religion following characters that are interestingly flawed and likable...." Read more
Customers find the book gripping and emotional. They say it's heart-wrenching, funny, and sad. The story and characters draw readers in, with scary parts and ancient religion.
"...SUPERB. WONDEROUS. HEART-WRENCHING. Equal parts character and action and chefs kiss perfection. Love this book and this brilliant author." Read more
"...The work ascends from interesting, even philosophical, to distressing, and fully engaging...." Read more
"...This book has everything (Stefon voice): demons, angels, ancient religion and judgement in forgotten realms, minoroty/inclusion and LGBT props! #..." Read more
"...I laughed, mused, grimaced, and felt sad; all good emotions when reading an absorbing book!..." Read more
Customers praise the author's writing. They find the book about a respected librarian and her misfits group engaging. The book also mentions the passion and love librarians have for books.
"...Love this book and this brilliant author." Read more
"...This is an excellent author if they can accidentally traumatize me enough to abandon their book...." Read more
"...one of my favorite books about books and the passion and love librarians have for them." Read more
"...SF/F writer myself, and I was entertained and extremely impressed by the author's skill...." Read more
Reviews with images
“A lie. A dream. Good stories are both.”
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2019'Stories want to change, and it is a librarian's job to preserve them; that's the natural order of things. The Unwritten Wing of the Library, for all its infinite magic and mystery, is in some ways a futile project. No story, written or unwritten, is static. Left abandoned too long and given the right stimulation, a book goes wrong in the head. It is a story's natural ambition to wake up and start telling itself to the world.
This, of course, is a buggered pain in the arse.'
Welcome to the Library of the Unwritten, nestled inside (but not a part of) Hell. Here, the current librarian Claire Hadley keeps track of the books begun, but never finished. Demon patrons have to be kept in line, rogue characters brought back top their books, clean and tidy. Orderly. That's the way of things here while she works off her soul debt. When Heaven comes knocking, far too interested in her charges, she and her assistant Brevity must gear up to protect the Library from Heaven and Hell. Who can she trust to help her? The anxious, overly polite demon-currier Leto, her failed-muse-turned-assistant Brevity, Hero- a character rejected by his own story? Andreas, the arcanist demon who helped her stand on her own thirty years ago? It's not much of a team when put against agents of Heaven, but she won't go down without a fight.
I will admit it; I am 100% obsessed with the premise of this book. A library filled with half developed stories, characters beloved but never realized, all stored together itching to be free- to be told. I could live here, in this library. 13 year old me would have died just thinking about such treasure.
I loved the characters here, each with their own regrets and issues. Leto, the amnesiac demon who's afraid of everything and only wants to get things right. Claire, damaged from her past, closed off.... yet can't help herself from collecting strays to take care of. Brevity, the muse discharged for the sin of wanting something for herself. Hero, who only wanted to escape his book to find his author and get her to write, left apart, unacknowledged by his own book and unable to get back. Then there's Ramiel, one of the fallen angels- the Watchers, tossed from Heaven at the same time as Lucifer for giving God's creations forbidden knowledge. Still too caring, too determined to do the right thing, looking in on Heaven- the only home he ever knew- and unable to go back. Each one is well developed and interesting with their own voices that you get to hear through the duel narratives- the book is broken up so that each character gets a chapter.
The mission- to find the remaining pages of the Devil's Bible, without letting the Devil know, before Heaven can get it- is really interesting. I was enthralled by all the adventure, and the mad-cap plans. You can't help but root for this snarky band of misfits (let's face it; none of these guys are exactly merry, are they?). I liked that there was more than Heaven and Hell, there was Valhalla and regions so old as to be forgotten.
The writing style is really great too- it has a good flow and is easy to follow even though there are four narrators ( I had forgotten that Hero was not given his own chapter). Each chapter starts with the name of the narrator and an exert from the journal that The Library's workers kept. Everything melded together perfectly. It started strong, catching my attention with the exert I quoted in my summary. I feel like it was a very fast paced book that will appeal to bibliophiles ages 13 to 100. For me, this is a five star book with an extra star for creativity.
On the adult content scale, there is a lot of violence. Some language, drinking and a lot of bawdy talk/ sexual innuendo. It's not the worst I have ever seen on the YA book section.... but it's something to think about. I would still give it to a thirteen year old. Let's give it a four.
The book is out! I cannot recommend it enough. In fact, I had borrowed this book from the library and found myself unable to part with it. My copy will be in tomorrow- I bought a paperback so I could pass it around, but I don't know if I can let it go long enough.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2024The world building here is outstanding, and the heroine’s struggles and growth are very well done.
Worth picking up.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2024Encountered this series entirely on accident but I fell in love with the writing immediately. Queer under (and over)tones and such a fascinating mythology worth exploring. Worth reading and recommending over and over.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2024The title was what got me immediately and for the first 100 pages I was captivated by the plot. But after a point, I was getting bored. I think that if the book was trimmed a little bit here and there, it would have been better. For example: Beatrice.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2020This book may make you uncomfortable because of the respective roles of Hell and Heaven. There is no doubt that the twists in those roles had a negative impact on me as a reader. Nevertheless, it is a very creative story. Claire is the librarian in Hell, in charge of the Unwritten Wing of the Library. Unwritten books are an unruly bunch. When ignored too long or when disturbed, the books want to wake up and write their own stories. The story begins with a character who has escaped his book and fled to the mortal world. Claire’s staff in the library consists of a muse and they are joined by a young man (who may be a minor demon or may not). From there, things get more complicated as a new quest is added to Claire’s responsibility. The quest leads through other afterlife worlds (from other religions) and other parts of the mortal realm. This well-written book is clever, sometimes humorous, and filled with religious and mythological references. The pacing is fairly fast, but it did not seem like a quick read because I was having to pay such close attention in order to understand what was happening. I could see by the Amazon listing that it is part of a planned trilogy, but the story reads as if it were a stand-alone novel. While this book was reasonably entertaining because it was so creative, I am not certain that I will continue with the series.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2024This book is so clever, and different. I read a lot, it is my hobby and pleasure. This was a well spun beginning. I am looking forward to the next in the series
- Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2024Someone has finally put into harsh and eloquent words what an Unwritten story feels like to a writer. I shamelessly teared up many times while reading this book because someone finally pulled the feeling of a story out of my soul and wrote it down. And then to expand that feeling into an entire LIBRARY!! IN HELL!
This book will forever be re-read by me and lauded to every Unwritten author too scared or lazy or depressed to write.
SUPERB. WONDEROUS. HEART-WRENCHING. Equal parts character and action and chefs kiss perfection. Love this book and this brilliant author.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2024I liked the world building left stuff for your own imagination to fill in the blanks Heaven hell other realms and how unwritten books and their characters become stuck in a library Claire was good character but I think Hero was the best overall enjoyed the concept and looking forward to next book in series
Top reviews from other countries
- HarvinderReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars What a fantastic book
This book had been sitting on my bookshelf for almost 2 years. I feel terrible I didn’t read it before. Took it on holiday and couldn’t put the book down.
Ordered books 2 and 3 as soon as I got back from my holiday.
A totally different story line to anything I’ve ever read before.
Amazing!
- Book NutReviewed in Canada on February 9, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful and unique
Never read anything quite like this book and I loved it. Captivated me from the first word. The characters just leap off the page. So unique and new, and well-written adventure. Recommend to anyone who loves books and loves reading about people/creatures who love books.
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ColadiaReviewed in Germany on January 18, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Superschnell
Die Lieferung kam sehr schnell an. Das Buch soll ein Geschenk sein, also von daher, alles top. Gerne wieder!
- Client d'AmazonReviewed in France on October 22, 2021
4.0 out of 5 stars You won't read books in the same way !
The characters are full of life even if they mostly live in Hell.
I liked the writing style and the story in itself. Even if there are sequels to this book, the ending isn't a cliffhanger.
- MedhaReviewed in India on October 8, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book about books!
I loved this book! I loved the Unwritten library and the characters. It was such a fun read. Can't wait to read the next in the series.