The Labyrinth of the Spirits (El cementerio de los libros olvidados #4)

If you adored Shadow of the Wind, this novel will not disappoint. If you\’re new to the series, welcome. I\’m jealous of the first time reading experience you\’re about to have. One of the wonderful things about these books (this is the 4th and supposedly final) is that they can be read in any order and while they\’re all standalone stories, each adds a layer of context and insight into the others. It is truly a labyrinth of storytelling and masterfully done. Having said that, knowing the first three books added to my experience reading The Labyrinth of the Spirits. It\’s not mandatory to begin with The Shadow of the Wind, but I would recommend it. Atmosphere abounds in this genre-defying book. I felt like I was right there with the characters, twisting through the streets of Barcelona, hiding in the shadows, breathing in gunpowder, living off of caffeine and adrenaline, and pushing through too-little sleep to uncover the next piece of the puzzle. The Semperes and Fermin Romero de Torres return, as do other friends and enemies from the previous books, but the main protagonist in this story is Alicia Gris, a bold and alluring woman assigned to investigate a missing person (a returning character who I\’ll let you discover). The pacing is fantastic. It starts with short snippets into various POVs and story lines as a sort of appetizer before slowly building on the main mystery of the book. You gradually uncover more as the plot builds and you delve deeper into the heart of the city and characters. About halfway through the pieces begin to fall together with increasing speed and for the next 200 pages or so it\’s non-stop, unputdownable thrills. Yes, there are a few twists, one of which actually made me close my book in disbelief for several minutes before I felt capable of continuing. Nothing felt contrived. Everything felt fitting. I didn\’t feel cheated or misled. The pace slows down again at the end of the book to ease you back to normal and fill in the gaps. In the end you also get quite a bit of insight into what Ruiz Zafon values in the craftsmanship of writing, which is woven in along with acknowledgments of sorts in a clever way that not everyone may not love, but I quite enjoyed. It is one satisfying, gorgeous read. Like the other books in the series this installment is a wonderful mix of genres: mystery, historical fiction, police procedural, political thriller, romance, fantasy… If you\’re looking for a fun, light mystery this isn\’t for you. It\’s over 800 pages, with multiple characters and sub-plots to keep track of, and, while not gratuitous, it has some torture and squeamish bits to make you uncomfortable if you\’re highly sensitive. However, if you enjoy modern Gothic tales dripping with atmosphere or detailed mysteries with complex histories to sink your teeth into, this book is fantastic. The series is truly a gift to book lovers, not only for its gorgeous storytelling and compelling characters, but also because it\’s a series about books, featuring the most fantastic library imaginable, a charming bookstore, lovable booksellers, mysterious authors, the process of writing, the magic of storytelling, and the powerful, undeniable hold that a treasured book can have on a reader. I was a fan of all previous books, but if readers of the series were disappointed in The Angel\’s Game or The Prisoner of Heaven, fear not. The Labyrinth of the Spirits is Carlos Ruiz Zafon as his masterful best. Despite its length, the story flew by and every page felt necessary and engaging. I will be returning to this book, and the series, many times in the future. The atmosphere and level of storytelling are unparalleled.

Another great read from my personal favorite author. C.R. Zafon weaves such intricate and addictive stories with a unique aura of suspense I was, for months, eagerly awaiting this latest offering. The world he has created in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and it\’s characters is just magical. The odd feel in the air of post Spanish Civil War Barcelona makes it feel as if not only are the strangest occurrences possible, they are terrifyingly likely. Zombies, gratuitous violence and blood and guts are crutches for lesser writers. C.R. Will scare and inspire the reader with his masterful storytelling alone. Thank you so…….much Carlos!

Highly recommended, even if you are not a Zafon fan. Just need to love books and reading about them. Liking gothic stories helps.

It isn\’t often that a novel has the power to stay with me for days, even weeks after I put the book down. Perhaps it is because I read the CFB in order, or perhaps because Labyrinth was the best, but I found myself wanting to go back to the beginning of the series, like visiting old, familiar friends. To Google things like \”map of Barcelona, 1939\”; track down the sparse illustrations to see more of what their authors had created, and to learn more about the Spain of Hemmingway\’s time and before. There\’s a part of my mind that doesn\’t want to believe that these people aren\’t real, that this isn\’t a work of fiction, and I suppose that\’s the best review I can offer. For those who are just starting this book or any in the series, I envy you. Although they all stand alone, my advice is to get all four, start at the beginning. You will be rewarded with some of the greatest storytelling of this age and, like me, will be crestfallen when someday you realize there is no more.

Ruiz Zafon finished his \”Labyrinth\” series with a very powerful book. There are multiple story lines that were all somehow connected; and through those we reconnected with many of the characters that we met in earlier books. It is not a book that can be read in one day, and the reader needs to pay attention to the time that each chapter takes place. The history of Spain in the 1930s until the 1950s was sometimes a bit too much, and I found myself skipping over paragraphs for that reason. The end of the book and the series is overall very satisfying. The only character that remained a mystery to me was Alicia; who sometimes came across as overbearing and annoying. I won\’t describe details because I don\’t want to give anything away in respect of the ending and twists and turns. Overall, I am sad to say goodbye to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books… Wouldn\’t we all love to find such a treasure?

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