Format: E-Galley, 384 pages
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Publisher: Ace Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy
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.
The
Library of the Unwritten, by author A.J. Hackwith, is the first installment in the
authors Hell's Library series. Every book that isn’t finished
resides in the Library of the Unwritten in Hell, and it’s up to the Librarian
and her crew to protect it. Claire Hadley is the head librarian of the
Unwritten Wing. She has been doing her job for three decades ever since her
predecessor disappeared. It is a place that exists in neutral space in Hell
where all the stories unfinished by the authors reside. She takes her job very
seriously.
She along with her
assistant Brevity (a former Muse) keeps the library in tip top shape, repairing
old books and making sure stories stay in their pages. Every now and then, a
character from an unwritten book awakens and tries to find their way back to
the author of the unwritten book. Claire is in charge of corralling them and
making sure they get back in their books before any damage is done. One day,
Claire and Brevity get a visit from a teenage demon named Leto who gives them a
message from his Grouchiness (Satan) that a book has gone missing.
When books escape 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. Arriving in Seattle, Claire, Brevity, and Leto discover that the missing
character is a Hero. Thus, we as readers will call him Hero from this point on.
But, things aren't easy. Especially with Hero's attitude, and the arrival of
Ramiel. When Claire learns what the pages really are, she realizes that it is
up to her to investigate before a full out war rages between Heaven and Hell.
She even asks for help from her former mentor, Andras, who now oversees a
bizarre place called the Arcane.
Meanwhile in Heaven,
Ramiel, one of the Fallen Watchers of Heaven who were exiled by God along with
Satan, is given a page to a particular book that shocks and surprises the
Archangel Uriel. Uriel orders Rami to hunt down the rest of the pages from the
Devil's Bible no matter the cost. If he succeeds, he will have a chance of
returning to Grace. The book is quite dangerous and must not fall into the
wrong hands. His journey takes him to Seattle where he loses is one lead to the
book to Leto. Little does Rami know that he is right in the middle of a war
that is brewing between Heaven and Hell.
The journey takes
Claire & crew on an impressive world jumping journey from Seattle to
Valhalla, to Hell itself in order to fight and protect the library, as well as
stopping a war that looks like it's going to happen unless Claire and her
motley crew wins. This is a new twist on the idea of Hell. It is a place where
humans themselves choose to create heir own punishments. There is a Heaven, but
we won't go further than that since it really isn't necessary to enjoy the
story.
Although I really
liked Claire, the author doesn't fully explain why or how Claire ended up in
Hell, or why she was really chosen to become Librarian over others. Maybe in
the next installment? Readers do understand that Claire isn't just a character
who knows nothing about books. The fact that she has a pretty interesting
background that crosses paths with one of HER characters, was pretty twisted.
This book has Angels, Demons, Humans, Hellhounds, Gargoyles, Hero’s and Damsels
from books, Viking warriors, and other monsters from Hell.
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