I am getting into some spooky reads and kicking the month off with The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith. 

The Library of the Unwritten is the first book in a three-book series in which unfinished books from Earth find themselves placed on the shelves in the Unwritten Wing of Hell’s library.

The story follows the experiences of Claire, the Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing, as she navigates her responsibilities as Head Librarian in a library where characters from unwritten books become alive and attempt to escape the library. 

In the first book of the series, a Hero escapes from his book and goes searching for his author, which forces Claire to leave the Unwritten Wing in search of him. So, with the assistance of her assistant and Muse, Brevity, and a demon, Leto, they head out to Hell and even Earth in search of this crazed character. 

“No story, written or unwritten, is static. Left abandoned too long and given the right stimulation, a book goes wrong in the head. It is a story’s natural ambition to wake up and start telling itself to the world.
This, of course, is a buggered pain in the arse.”

Amid the search for Hero, Hackwith introduces a secondary action plot in which Claire and the others are in a race against Ramiel, a fallen angel who wishes to return to Heaven, and Uriel, an angel, in search of Lucifer’s Bible. As it turns out, within Lucifer’s Bible is the secret that could end the power struggle between Heaven and Hell. 

Hackwith writes each chapter from a different character’s perspective, which offers a 360° view of the fantasy world where the story takes place. She gives each character a chance to comment on the larger plot, the Hero who has escaped the library, and shed light on their background. Hackwith also does not fail to be inclusive in this series. During a conversation between Claire and Leto while on a mission to locate Lucifer’s Bible:

“Leto felt his chest unwinding and said, “So. You like girls?”
A smile tipped onto Claire’s face and she chuckled. “I like … interesting people. Everyone has their charms. The details never mattered much to me.”
“So you’re pan?”
“Pan?”
“Pansexual,” Leto explained.”

Not only is Hackwith inclusive, but she also comments on the power of books indirectly and directly throughout the entire series. One of my favorite moments:

“War has always followed libraries, my apprentice. History has made no effort to hide that truth from us. Look at Rome; look at the Crusades. Vanquishing an enemy and taking his books was just as strategic as taking his cannons. Books are knowledge weaponized. And what weapons you cannot steal, you must burn.” 

If you are a fan of Paradise Lost, Law & Order, or the power of books and libraries, this series will definitely spark your interest. I look forward to reading the next two books in the series.

Thank you for reading,

Iyesha Ferguson, M.A.

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