The Angel's Game is the second novel in Zafon's superb The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series and, while I don't think I was quite so blown away by this book as I was by both The Shadow Of The Wind and The Labyrinth Of The Spirits, it is still an amazing piece of writing. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books is undoubtedly my favourite book series and I still have one of the quartet left to read!
The Angel's Game is wonderfully gothic with the history and architecture of Barcelona once again providing a stunning backdrop for its dark mystery. This story predates The Shadow Of The Wind by a generation so I gained valuable insights into characters who will take centre stage as well as being totally swept up in the haunting madness consuming David. Another brilliant Zafon novel that I should have got around to reading years ago!
Carlos Ruiz Zafón takes up back to the gothic universe of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books with the prequel to The Shadow of the Wind; The Angel’s Game. I for one am glad to be thrown back into this world; with the beautiful backdrop of Barcelona (even if there is no mention of my favourite building). Carlos Ruiz Zafón always seems t know how to give the reader a taste of everything with this series; the adventure, romance, tragedy, and the secrets and magic of books. The Angel’s Game tells the story of young writer who is approached by a mysterious man to write a book.
For anyone that’s read The Shadow of the Wind you’ll be pleased to know this prequel will see the return of the backdrops you’ve come to know and love; including The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, Barcelona's Raval district, and the Sempere & Sons bookshop. …
Carlos Ruiz Zafón takes up back to the gothic universe of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books with the prequel to The Shadow of the Wind; The Angel’s Game. I for one am glad to be thrown back into this world; with the beautiful backdrop of Barcelona (even if there is no mention of my favourite building). Carlos Ruiz Zafón always seems t know how to give the reader a taste of everything with this series; the adventure, romance, tragedy, and the secrets and magic of books. The Angel’s Game tells the story of young writer who is approached by a mysterious man to write a book.
For anyone that’s read The Shadow of the Wind you’ll be pleased to know this prequel will see the return of the backdrops you’ve come to know and love; including The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, Barcelona's Raval district, and the Sempere & Sons bookshop. Also Zafón continues to blend gothic and modern storytelling to make yet again another thrilling read. If I’m comparing it to The Shadow of the Wind, sure it doesn’t hold a candle to its predecessor, but the idea to be thrown back into the same universe with a completely different story makes this book worth reading.
I love what Carlos Ruiz Zafón does with his characters; only revealing so much of these complex people and keeping so much hidden from the reader. A mystery that helps the reader continue reading in the hope of grabbing a bit more information about this brilliant characters. The Writer; David Martin was an interesting character, I really felt the struggle we went through while trying to become a literary sensation. But his love interest Cristina was the biggest downfall in this book, she was completely annoying and I hated David for showing an interest in a woman like her. My highlight character was David’s assistance Isabella; she was a troubled girl with such a complexity and air of mystery about her that she stole the show (or book).
Overall I loved this book, it will never be The Shadow of the Wind but it was still a book that every book lover should read and it was such a joy to be back in historical Barcelona again. This was a slower paced book to its predecessor but the struggles of writing made this book for me. I did start to worry that this wasn’t going to be a true prequel but you’ll be pleased to know that Daniel; the protagonist from The Shadow of the Wind does have a role in this novel and it will all make sense in the end. Book three in this series; The Prisoner of Heaven is out now and while I’m disappointed it’s so short, I’m looking forward to reading this book too.
