The Angel's Game

Tell me a story... about the power of books

The Angel's Game (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #2) by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Publication date: April 17, 2008

Date read: May 28, 2021 (re-read)

David Martin makes his living writing cheap thrillers under a pseudonym, but wants to someday write a masterpiece that will carry his name forever. But when a mysterious benefactor makes him an offer he literally can't refuse, he finds himself drawn into a real murder mystery that could end up costing him everything. 

This is the follow-up to The Shadow of the Wind, but could be read either before or after that one, since the carry over between the two stories is minor in this one. But if you have the option, Shadow is probably the best place to start with these books. 

I find this book really difficult to explain or recommend to people. I absolutely recommend reading it, but if I tried to recommend it and the person asks me what it's about, my response would be "It's uh... about a writer.... It's creepy and gothic. Just read it." Not exactly helpful. But I find all of Zafon's books to be this way - hard to articulate a plot or just what makes them great, but books that I will continue to come back to time and again.

I actually like this book a little more than The Shadow of the Wind, although I might be in the minority with this. The characters in this book are less likable and more unreliable, but there is just something about the mystery that I find incredibly compelling. I also love the relationship between David and Isabella. This book as a whole is darker than Shadow (which is saying something), because while there is a lot of dry humor, especially between David and Isabella, there is very little in the way of uplifting content. And while I'm not going to spoil the ending, I can definitely see that it's not for everyone, as it is both more vague and more depressing than the ending in his previous book. 

All that being said, I think the majority of people will prefer The Shadow of the Wind to this one, but I still highly recommend reading this one after you finish. The writing is just as beautiful and the story, while a definite slow build, is one worth reading.

Also, if you're into audiobooks, I highly recommend this one in the audio format. It's read by Dan Stevens (of Downton Abbey fame) and he is amazing. I often forgot that I was listening to one person reading multiple characters. He got the vibe of the book perfectly. 

Rating: 5/5 stars

Stay tuned later this year for a review on the rest of the series: The Prisoner of Heaven and The Labyrinth of Spirits.