A. J. Hackwith

Age range 14+ 'Elaborate world-building, poignant and smart characters, and a layered plot...An ode to books, writing, and found families.' -- Library Journal, Starred Review '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.' -- Booklist Join the library and raise hell in the first book of a stunning new fantasy series, where books unfinished by their authors reside within the Unwritten Wing of the devil's own library, and restless characters will emerge from out of their pages... Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing -- a neural space in hell where all stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organising books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materialising 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. 'Clever, charming, full of intricate word-building and delightful characters, The Library of Unwritten is the first book in your new favorite series.' -- Christina Henry, author of The Girl in Red 'A muse, an undead librarian, a demon, and a ghost walk into Valhalla...what follows is a delightful and poignant fantasy adventure that delivers a metric ton of found-family feels and reminds us taht the hardest stories to face can be the ones we tell about ourselves.' -- New York Times best-selling author Kit Rocha 'A baroquely imagined and totally unexpected original take on such well-worn topics as Hell, libraries, and the difference between what never was and what never will be.' -- Meg Elison, author of the The Road to Nowhere series 'A wry, high-flying, heartfelt fantasy, told with sublime prose and sheer joy even at its darkest moments (and there are many). I want this entire series on my shelf yesterday.' -- Tyler Hayes, author of The Imaginary Corpse

Hell's Library Book 1

The Library of the Unwritten

Jo Kelly

Sophia 

Books ran when they grew restless, when they grew unruly, or when they grew real. Regardless of the reason, when books ran, it was a librarian's duty to catch them.

Stay out of politics? Ridiculous! When has a writer ever managed to avoid politics? Every story is political. Tell a soul a story they want to believe, and you can change the world. 

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. 

The Library of the Unwritten quotes

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