In the first book in a brilliant new fantasy series, books that aren’t finished by their authors reside in the Library of the Unwritten in Hell, and it is up to the Librarian to track down any restless characters who emerge from those unfinished stories.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 … 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.
more
This book launched itself to the top of my favorite reads this year. One of the most original takes I’ve read on mythos, and the world-building blows my mind. Magical libraries! Stories that come to life! Demons! Angels! Muses! I’m just going to keep yelling until everyone reads this book. It was amazing, and if you enjoy fantasy with a loose connection to our world, you’ll want this one for sure!
It’s like The Good Place meets Law & Order: Bibliophile Crime Unit. Highly recommended. This book is so much fun, and you should be reading it. Trust me. Stories about story are some of my favorite kinds. This book definitely makes the list. I am so glad I read this.
A great supernatural adventure with a terrific cast of characters
This book is very well written, and has everything I am coming to love in the fantasy genre. It has a wonderful adventure with twists and turns and unpredictable events. It has spectacular characters that are fully developed and none of them turn out to be what they first appear to be. It has an awesomely refreshing and original storyline with plenty of humor, suspense, mystery and stumbling blocks put in the way. There all sorts of supernatural happenings, it is crazy that so many different things are in one book but it all fits so perfectly together.
The library of the unwritten it a library located in Hell. Though it is not technically part of Hell’s domain, it just resides there. This is due to the fact that it contains all the books that are unwritten form authors living, dead and some yet to live. These works are potential, not actual.
“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
Claire Hadley is the current librarian and takes her job very seriously, she keeps the library in tip top shape, repairing old books and making sure stories stay in their pages. When a book grows restless it can try to escape in the form of one of the characters and she is in charge of corralling them and making sure they get back in their books before any damage is done. One day Claire and her assistant, a former muse named Brevity get a visit from a teenage demon named Leto, who gives them a message that a book has is missing.
When books escapes the library they generally go to meet their author in order to try to get the author to write the story, but that can be detrimental and damaging to the book. So the Claire, Brevity and Leto go off to Earth to find the character/book. In this case it is a Hero and they find him with the author. They end up taking him, but as they are leaving they cross paths with an Angel named Ramiel, looking for the Devil’s Bible. He thinks they are on Earth to retrieve it.
Ramiel had a piece of the Devils Bible (Codex), and in a struggle Leto gets it before they return to the library. When Claire figures out what it is, they realize they have to get it before heaven doe or there will be a war between Heaven and Hell. So along with Claire’s former mentor Andras who was once a Hell Duke of Hell, but now is in charge of another wing of the library, they all set out to find the missing pages of the Codex.
As the journey begins, we have a ragtag group, with Claire being a very prim and proper rule follower, Hero is the handsome romantic fantasy hero from a book, Brevity is a young happy-go-lucky assistant who defers to Claire for everything, Leto is a new demon and a teenager who is more human than demon and is afraid of almost everything, and Andras who is basically a mentor that Claire trusts.
They have to find the pages within a certain timeframe and they have Angels on their tails who are also looking for the same thing. Plus they are doing it on the sly, because Lucifer probably wouldn’t like the embarrassment of knowing this is out there. They get into some very complicated and interesting situations, the book is both fun and impressive. I recommend it to anyone who likes an adventure story especially a paranormal one.
There are Angels, Demons, Humans, Hellhounds, Gargoyles, Hero’s and Damsels from books, Viking warriors, and other monsters from Hell. Somehow it all fits together without being tacky. Like I said earlier, just about every one of the main characters, including the Angels ends up being different than the original impression, or maybe if not difficult, then along the way we find out things about them or we see them act in ways that are surprising. It is nice that not everything is as you think and people or souls can be unpredictable and step up when it counts.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN by A.J. Hackwith: This is a book every die-hard reading fan MUST read. Unfinished books? Stories never told? It’s an idea whose time has come!
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.
Just finished this wonderful book and it was amazing. Wonderful characters and suspenseful.
The Library of the Unwritten
By A.J. Hackwith
On my gosh! This book is so good! I must have told myself a dozen times while reading it that I was so lucky to find it! Definitely going in my favorite folder!
The book is about a library in Hell that has Unwritten books. Sometimes the characters walk out of their books and sometimes they try to run away, usually to find their author. The Librarian keeps them from doing this or retrieves the runaways.
It’s so clever and witty! The character is really the book, so they carry their book around. The Librarian stamps the arm of the character if they are going out! Lol!
The dialogue is so funny and clever. 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!
I hope she writes a book #2! This was so good! It has so much going for it. Best book I have read so far this year!
I enjoyed the book. It didn’t have me binging it, but I’m always a sucker about books about books. This one delivered greatly by showing appreciation to stories of all kinds, even if the focus is on books. Which makes sense, one of the main characters is the Librarian of a Library of unfinished stories, reasons ranging from an author losing interest or the author dying. Still, there is appreciation of other kinds of artworks, such as paintings and weaponry. Which makes me wonder how dances are incorporated.
In the beginning, I found the story intriguing but not much to ride home about. The character Hero annoyed me in particular. It was only halfway through the book that I began picking up a lot more interest, even having me grow on Hero. By the end, I was surprised to find myself fully accepting him as an enjoyable character. Similarly, I found some of the character development wonky. It became noticeable to me by one line that felt like a big jump in relationship improvement between characters.
Otherwise, I’m happy to see another book I picked up that has diverse characters, from Claire being described as being dark-skinned and has braids to Hero being bisexual. The author leaves no room to assume that you’re interpretation the words wrong. Additionally, I loved how the author avoided only describing the skin tone of dark-skinned characters. Nothing frustrates me more than only character with dark skin and abnormal skin tones being described, leaving the reader to assume everyone else is the “default” of white. Different skin tones are described, from tan to olive to pale. I was also pleased to see commentary on the sexualization of women in stories as being rewards, which got incorporated into the plot.
So, in conclusion, good book, was worried I’d need to drop it or ignore the sequels, and by the end, I was hooked enough to purchase the sequel (for a discounted price, but I would’ve gotten it from the library otherwise).
P.S. Brevity is adorable 10/10 would hug again.
This book delighted me from start to finish. It’s not only well written, it has a unique concept and, wonder of wonders, captures the heart of a book’s life, especially one yet to be completed. As a writer, I smiled to myself the whole way through. (And flinched at times.)
There is mystery and thrills and the unexpected as we are challenged to open our minds to preconceived ideas about ‘good’ and ‘evil’. That’s where the magic lies.
I loved it so much, I am planning to read it again, and soon.
5/5 stars for every reason under the sun, or under the world..
I have received this book for free from Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.
In The Library of the Unwritten, every book left unfinished by its author is filed away in the Unwritten Wing, a neutral space in Hell presided over by Claire, its head librarian. Along with repairing and organizing books, her job consists of keeping an eye on restless stories whose characters risk materialising 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, in a chase that threatens to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell… and Earth.
This book was absolutely incredible, not gonna lie there. It took me a ridiculously long time to finish it, but that was absolutely not the book’s fault. The writing is so immersive, that even though the story didn’t pick up as fast as I am used to in other books, I just kept reading and kept wanting to know what came next.
The story is really unique and dynamic. I’d describe it as The Archived meets Lucifer meets The Good Place, but still a completely new thing. If you love any of the above, or fantasy about Heaven and Hell in general, this is for you. It’s an adult fantasy, though, so keep that in mind as it isn’t as light as YA, but I think that the more adult-tones of this book really bring it to live.
The characters in this book are a really good mix between all kinds of different personalities and they work so well together. The interactions are so realistic and most of the book is really character driven. I especially love Claire, the main character. She doesn’t take any shit from anyone and she just is herself. She also cares a lot about the others, even when she doesn’t show it. It’s hard to be a human soul in the neutral zone in Hell for over three decades already, and the author really shows that to the reader. Claire feels like a person, not just a character, and I love that. Also, important note to add, Claire is pansexual! There are way too little pansexual characters in fiction, so I am always so happy to see one and Claire is just an amazing character to provide that representation.
I gave this book four stars as it was pretty much perfect, but once in a while the pacing just dropped, making it harder to do longer sittings reading this book. This is the only reason it wasn’t a five-star read for me.
I absolutely recommend this book as it has an amazing story, immersive writing and characters you grow attached to easily. I really look forward to the sequel, this book was just too good and the ending just leaves you wanting more of everything in it.
Densely written with beautiful language, amazing characters, and impactful world building this book is perfect for people who love to read and write, especially in Urban Fantasy.
If you’re a writer, or have ever thought about being a writer, or heck, even just enjoy the hell (pardon the pun) out of books this novel is for you. I absolutely love the premise of unwritten books residing in a library in hell. Sadly, I think a few of mine are on those shelves.
This book blew me away. It took the legends and myths we all knew and turned them sideways. It was so incredibly original and I had no idea of what was coming. I’m recommending it to EVERYONE!
What a positively fantastic novel. The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith is a unique tale about authors, books, and the characters within, creating an engaging read from beginning to end.
The Story
The Library of the Unwritten takes place in Hell, a neutral space where all authors’ unwritten books go. This library is also Claire’s purgatory since she is also an unpublished author, an author who did not complete a book.
The story follows Claire as she embarks on a task to retrieve a restless character, a Hero who has escaped his book looking for his author. However, things take a drastic turn when she finds herself face to face with an angel demanding they give up the Devil’s Bible.
It is quite the adventure for Claire because she has to now embark on this journey to keep the Devil’s Bible out of Angels and Demons’ hands and secure it in the library to safekeeping. Not only does the story go between realms, but it also acknowledges other faiths. Claire goes from Hell to Valhalla, to Earth, and more in her quest to grab the pages of the Bible and keep it out of the hands of people who would use it to conquer the world and realms beyond.
The Library of the Unwritten also highlights the power of storytelling. Hackwith shows readers their love of reading, how characters shine throughout the story, how they came to life with the imagination and vitality of a loving reader.
It was a brilliant way to bring characters to life and explore the magic and wonder of reading.
The Characters
What Hackwith also did well, beyond just creating an imaginative and creative story, was give the reader strong characters.
Claire has a beautiful voice to her, and throughout the novel, she grows and changes. She sounds every bit like a reader would imagine a librarian in Hell would sound like; stoic, realistic, compelling. Her voice jumps off the pages, and she connects to the reader as she struggles to remember her mortal life.
However, Claire is not the only character to go on quite the journey. The former muse, Brevity, Hero, Leto, and even the angel Ramiel, all go through a transformative journey. Their dynamics shift, change, and grow throughout the novel, giving the story the tension and depth to make the story compelling and steady.
Final Thoughts
The Library of the Unwritten is a compelling narrative, full of life and brimming with imagination.
Great book!
Unique, imaginative premises with amazing characters that I fell in love with completely. I am so glad this is the first of a series, I am not ready to give up the story or its characters. highly recommend!
Are they hiring at Hell’s Unwritten Wing? If yes, tell me what I have to do. Do I need to sell my soul to the Devil? Where do I have to sign?
It’s official now, this is my favourite book this year. It’s a good thing the next book in the series will come out this year too.
I loved everything about this book. I just have one teeny tiny not problem really… it would’ve been fun if the Devil showed up.
This was a real fun read, with twists and turns and angels who are not so good and demons who are even worse. And the librarian in the middle of all.
I just can’t wait what will happen next.
This was a great novel! I tend to enjoy books about books and libraries so when I saw this book, I knew that I had to read it. I have read a lot of books that involve libraries but never a library located in Hell. Once I started reading, I was hooked. This was a rather exciting story filled with fantastic characters and I had a fabulous time reading it.
Claire is the Head Librarian in the Unwritten Wing in Hell’s Library. Her job is to take care of all of the unwritten works that have yet to be completed. She not only must repair books but sometimes has to track down any characters who may have escaped their stories. Claire, along with her assistant, Brevity, and demon courier, Leto, must retrieve one such character who has not only escaped but has gone off to meet their author. They are able to catch up with the character, Hero, but things quickly get more complicated when they encounter the angel, Ramiel, who believes that they have the Devil’s Bible.
This was a book that I liked more and more as I read. The characters are interesting from the beginning but as I really got to know them over the course of the story, I grew to care about them. I think that all of the key characters in this book showed a lot of growth. The story itself was really exciting. There was no limit as to what could happen and I found the entire premise to be incredibly imaginative. The story had a lot of layers and I loved how a character’s backstory or a small piece of information could suddenly change everything.
I would recommend this story to others. I thought that this was a very well done and unique fantasy. I fell in love with this group of characters and found the book to be very exciting. I thought it told a very complete story and I was quite satisfied by how everything worked out. This is the first book in the Hell’s Library series and I look forward to reading more of the adventures of this group of characters as they protect the books in Hell’s Library.
I received a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group – Ace.
“Claire lived by the firm moral philosophy that one could never have too many pockets, too many books, or too much tea.”
Such an unique story. A library wing in Hell where authors unfinished books and the restless characters within them reside. The librarian, Claire, maintains the books and closely guards the frustrated characters. This novel takes you on a fantastical journey when a character escapes the library in search of it’s author. Cleverly written and thoroughly engrossing. An entertaining journey into other realms! I am looking forward to book #2!
This was such a fun book. I loved everything about how unique this book was. The characters were great, it felt like it was a book created for me.