Review|The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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.

What do you get when you have a sassy librarian, a muse, a hero, Arcanist and a demon walk into Valhalla?  Well a whole heap of action, hilarity and a story that just wont quit.  The story is literally on fire.  The pages sear your fingers and your eyes, it’s too hot to handle.  With the first chapter you just know you are going to fall in love with the sublime writing style and the characterisation that literally smacks you in the genitals – it is that vivid in its fantastical realism.   The story dances in front of your vision threatening to consume itself into your very soul. 

I was very excited to discover that this is the first book in a brand-new series.  Oh, my giddy aunt, this book is was beyond every expectation.  My mind was conjuring up an evil darkness that hell threatens but so absolutely delivers.  I could almost feel the heat within the library, getting me hot under the collar, my blood boiling, the sweat dripping down my spine.  It’s a heady mix somewhere between the realms of fear and anticipation.  This book gave me chills!  It was fully immersive, and I loved team HELL! 

The library of the Unwritten is immersed in the pits of hell.  It contains the unwritten books, the characters of which trapped in their unfinished works.  They are desperate to become reconnected with their authors, to the point that they have often tried to escape.  In charge of this wing of the library is Claire.  The non-stereotypical sexy, prim and proper type.  What we have instead is a badass, no bowing down to Lucifer and she is tough as old boots!  She has a tragic backstory which made me fall in love with her even more.  The POV’s were split into Claire, Leto our friendly demon and Ramiel the fallen angel.  Each one offered more emotion, more insight and blasted me with such an extreme sense of urgency that I kept willing myself to read more…I was never fast enough, and my appetite was well and truly whetted. 

Now the book of hell is on the loose and it is a race against time to recover it before the fallen angel Ramiel catches up with it and takes it to his divine leader.  Will the book take the highway to hell or the stairway to heaven?  Only time will tell.  The sense of foreboding is magnificent and the trials and tribulations that the team encounter is out of this world.  This story was quite simply addictive, I found myself reading the pages faster and faster, nothing was stopping me finding out the ending to this story. 

I loved the compassion, the ruthlessness, the take no prisoners aspect of some characters.  It all just moulded into a titanium structured plot.  I await with baited breath for the next instalment.  Ah Angels Vs. Demons the oldest battle of all time.  It couldn’t have been sweeter. 

The Library of the Unwritten will hook you in with its atmospheric storytelling.  The author ratchets up the tension with its palpable heat.  A.J. Hackwith writes with great power and the book pumps with a great power force that draws you in, time and time again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amanda is a magpie of plots, bad ideas, and spite. She is a queer speculative fiction writer who writes contemporary fantasy as A. J. Hackwith and sci-fi romance as Ada Harper.  Her writing has appeared in Uncanny Magazine and various anthologies, and she’s an alumni of Viable Paradise workshop. She’s represented by Caitlin McDonald of Donald Maass Literary Agency.

Amanda lives in Seattle, WA with her husband and her ghosts. She’s a Slytherin girl, a Ravenclaw nerd, and she always takes the renegade interrupts. And really, isn’t that the important things to know?

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