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.
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A.J. Hackwith ambitiously launches her new Hell’s Library series with The Library of the Unwritten. Although the novel is a genuinely fun read, there are so many different fantasy themes and tropes included that it becomes difficult to envision the coherent world she is attempting to convey. It may be that the book’s role as the opening of a series is an attempt to lay the groundwork for limitless plot pathways, but the result is just confusing enough that it could risk turning away some potential readers. Claire is a deceased human who is the latest in a long line of librarians conscripted with caring for and guarding a collection of unwritten books stored in Hell. The books are described as restless and prone to awakening-occasionally incorporating themselves into the form of a character and managing to escape the library. As the novel begins, a young demon is sent to alert Claire and her apprentice that one of their charges has absconded back to Earth and needs to be retrieved before causing harm to its author. Meanwhile, in Heaven, a soul arrives for judgement at the gates holding a piece of a manuscript that may have been penned by the devil himself. Soon Claire also is induced to track down this work as well, interceding before heaven and hell get a chance to claim it (and its intrinsic power) for their own dubious purposes. The Library of the Unwritten incorporates Judeo-Christian, Greek, Viking, pagan, and other myths with Hackwith’s new concept of unwritten books and the potential of unrealized dreams. The action takes place during Claire’s quest through various realms and states of existence borrowed from many traditions and beliefs. Hackwith also explores the conception of life as an incomplete story with all its concomitant decisions and regrets carried beyond mortal existence. Hackwith does a nice job with building characters that are intriguing and layered, and her novel has some truly fascinating plot twists. It will be interesting to see where Hackwith takes her imagination in future episodes, since the The Library of the Unwritten opens many potential doors. Hopefully, the next Hell’s Library novel will be more cohesive and focused. The author certainly seems to have an encompassing vision for the series and some wonderfully original ideas- but perhaps a bit too much of both.
A delightful romp through heaven, hell, and everything in between which reveals itself in layers.
Clever, charming, full of intricate worldbuilding and delightful characters, The Library of the Unwritten is the first book in your new favorite series.
The Library of the Unwritten is 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.
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.
I’ve never read a book by this author before, and I was intrigued by the premise of this one. I was afraid, though, that it might be a little hard to understand, but my fears were for naught. The concept of unwritten books was clear and easy to understand for the most part. I really liked the characters in this one, and quite enjoyed the plot. I did find it hard sometimes to connect to the characters, especially Claire, and TBH, I’m not completely sure why. However, don’t get me wrong, I really did enjoy this very well-written book, and I do intend to read the next. I was really happy to see an extremely unique premise of the book in a genre that’s filled with the same tropes and universes, which I don’t mind, but it’s nice to see something different. All in all, this was a great book urban fantasy readers would find entertaining. Recommend! I was provided a copy and voluntarily wrote a review.