Elaborate worldbuilding, poignant and smart characters, and a layered plot make this first in a fantasy series from Hackwith (also writing as sf romance author Ada Harper) is an ode to books, writing, and found families.
... an engaging fantasy ... Hackwith writes a fast-paced, suspenseful story set in an intriguing world where storytellers can duel with words and souls are not what they seem. Bookworms will love the creative spin of a library system rooted in imagination, of interworld book loans flying out to places like Valhalla, and of characters rising off the pages. Readers will eagerly await the sequel.
There are similarities to J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, in which there's the quest for a ring which could bring destruction, the battle between good and evil forces, friendship and betrayal. It would have been helpful if the author had included some illustrations or a map of Claire's journey. Although, at times, the story becomes a little far-fetched, it's still a must read for fans of fantasy and science fiction thrillers.
My experience of The Library of the Unwritten was one of disappointment ... As much as I dislike Claire, the other characters are endearing, and the atmosphere of Seattle was rendered with accuracy and humor. I also enjoyed an interlude in Valhalla, what with duelling and the ravens and the mead and all. It was nice when these characters got to just sit around and chit chat ... while the start of the book suggested a light-hearted meta-romp with a focus on Brevity and Leto, the actuality was a complicated and angsty book about Claire and religious drama ... I was not invested in the plot or in Claire, the stakes seemed much too artificial to give a rip about, and I kept getting confused. I also found that while the book does wrap up (it’s not a cliffhanger) there’s not much payoff (due to it being the first in a series) ... This book wasn’t a good fit for me, but for those who like epic fantasy with morally ambiguous characters, the book would probably qualify as a good read (and a short one by epic fantasy standards) ... In short – this book did nothing for me, but it is skillfully enough written and could do a great deal for the right reader. Thus ends this conflicted review.
... excellent ... Hackwith builds her world and characters with loving detail, creating a delightful addition to the corpus of library-based and heaven vs. hell fantasies. This novel and its promised sequels will find a wide audience.
There’s a lot going on here, and the first in any new series has plenty of worldbuilding to cover, but it would have been nice if this sprawling first installment had been a bit more contained. The scenes with Ramiel and the other angels are particularly interesting, as are hints of political tensions between the demons of hell. Hackwith is a strong writer, and there’s plenty to build a series on here, so hopefully future novels will have a narrower focus ... A somewhat overstuffed first entry in a promising new series.
