The Library of the Unwritten (A Novel from Hell's Library)
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 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.
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 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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Community Reviews
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
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.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
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.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
A library that holds unwritten books with characters who have the ability to escape, interesting idea and quite creative. Not sure why this library is in hell, but other than that I found this to be a fun read. A troupe of unlikely characters thrust together go on an adventure from literal hell to Earth to Valhalla and everywhere else. Book #59 in 2024
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