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 This library is also Claire’s purgatory since she is also an unpublished author, an author who did not complete a book.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.

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Product Details:

Pub Date: October 1, 2019	Page Count: 384pp	Age Range: 16 & Over
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0637-6	Publisher: Ace	List Price: $17.00