This book makes it a plot point that every book has its own unique voice or song. Well, unfortunately I have to say that this book's voice and me did not vibe at all. I was super excited by the premise of the book - a library of unwritten books that is part of Hell! What a lot of potential! But sadly, I found myself reading page upon page of this book and I was just not in it, my mind kept wandering. This may be due to the, in my opinion, mediocre writing. I think a large problem stems from the fact that conversations are frequently interrupted by entire paragraphs of bloat. This book felt to me like 80% white noise, and somewhere in there was supposed to be a plot, which I honestly couldn't really follow. I'm sad to say that I will not read the other two books in the series, fighting my way through this one was enough for me.

"Books have songs, songs have stories, and then there're humans st the heart of the jumbled mess. I've come to the conclusion that you can't substract a human from the story, no matter how hard you try. Even death doesn't do that. " -A.J Hackwitch, The Library of The Unwritten. It is rare for me nowadays to stay up late while reading books. But this one I spend until 1AM to finish because it is so good. The intricate worldbuilding, the unique concept, the gentle note of heroism and villians and characters.... So, what is the book about? It's about a library in Hell, attended by a librarian name Claire Hadley Juniper. Claire is a librarian of an Unwritten wing, where books unwritten, or haven't finished by their authors, kept. One day she tracked down a missing protagonist from the book, and from there, all Hell got loose (quite literally lol) I love this book so much. The intricate worldbuilding is top-notch. The library settings. The concept of Hell, Paradise, and in-between realms. It's all so good. The symbolism and the metaphors on every and each realm? Chef's kiss. The epithet from each chapter? DOUBLE CHEFF KISS. And the characters....everyone is fleshed out and very flawed. This book justapoxes positions about villain, heroes, damsels, mentors....because honestly, nothing is ever clear, is it? In life, and especially in stories. I just...love this one so much. As a reader. As someone who writes. As someone who adores libraries and words and book and book about words and libraries and stories. THIS IS GOOD SOUP. And and and. This book is. Very Queer. So if you want Queer found family in the library of Hell. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

I really really REALLY wanted to enjoy this book. Unfortunately, it ended up being painfully mediocre. I dragged myself kicking and screaming through most of it. The premise was interesting and I really liked some of the characters but it was just so boring for me. None of the plot twists or shock factor moments really got me, and the pacing was just abysmally slow. I'm really disappointed I didn't like it, especially because of how much bibliography was imbued in it, and I won't be reading the other books in the series.

2.5 Stars *An serviceable story that just didn’t connect with me* The Library of the Unwritten caught my eye when it first came out. But I read The Starless Sea first. And I didn’t want to read two books about magical libraries back to back. Plus The Starless Sea sets a high bar. So I waited a few months. I figured that was long enough to avoid undue comparison. This story has some interesting ideas. I liked the idea of all unfinished stories being stuck in a magical library equivalent of purgatory. The ideas about creativity, purpose, and the stereotypes of heroes, damsels, and villains should have given this book some gravitas. At first I thought my disappointment was due to the unintentional comparison to The Starless Sea. But The Library of the Unwritten had an overall air of fluffiness. It felt like a light Urban Fantasy. That isn’t bad, but it was not what I expected at all. And by the time the story tried to add some emotional impact, I was long since bored. The bottom line is that The Library of the Unwritten tries waaaaay too hard. It tries to be genre defying. It tries to be mind-blowing. It tries to be symbolic and insightful. It tries to be inclusive in every possible way. It tries to be humorous and deep at the same time. And all of that combines into something muddled and lacking cohesion. The unfocused intent led to a noticeable lack of power to the story. The Library of the Unwritten just didn’t have that spark. I got the feeling throughout this book that Hackwith was trying for a Good Omens vibe. But the humor was flimsy, and there simply wasn’t any spark to this story. Despite the setup with the interesting Library of the Unwritten, the Quest plotline felt fairly generic and predictable. On top of that, I didn’t care about any of the characters. Claire was particularly lackluster. It was clear what Hackwith was trying to do with her character, but if you are going to have an emotionally unavailable, stiff character with a tough exterior then you need to give the reader something to make that character likeable. And the only thing in that arena was the aforementioned overdue emotional moment that fell utterly flat. This isn’t a bad book by any means. It was just too disappointing to me. There were some nice quotes, but they all felt overly-strategic and blatantly placed to be profound. It took me well over a month to finish this book, because it just couldn’t hold my interest. I won’t be continuing with the series. RATING FACTORS: Ease of Reading: 3 Stars Writing Style: 2 Stars Characters and Character Development: 2 Stars Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars Level of Captivation: 2 Stars Originality: 2 Stars

* 4.5

It's a book about librarians in hell. I was always gonna love this. But it is also a very smart book, about expectations and personhood and duty and friendship. About home and regrets. Definitely gonna keep reading this series.

Amazing book from Hell's Library. I constantly fell in love with the head Librarian Claire, her muse assistant and her unusual story.

Badass queer librarian lady, spunky assistant, tall dark handsome man with mysterious motives, confused but soft young boy. This book has everything. Also, I love Hero a whole lot. All of these characters are really special, but he was just...*chef’s kiss*

4,25⭐️

I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher (Ace) for providing me with a complementary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. “No story is insignificant.” Books are one of the most magical of mankind’s creations. Our ability to tell ourselves stories, to reshape reality and craft worlds of our own using nothing more than ink and page and the random scribblings we’ve agreed on as an alphabet, is in my opinion one of our most human capacities. Every life is a story, and those who write have been gifted with the rare talent for immortalizing the tales that live inside their minds. But what about the rest of us? What about those of us whose minds are filled with stories that we never find time to jot down, or authors who pass away with a multitude of tales still living inside them that never made their way onto shelves next to their kin? Where do those stories go? Do they die along with us, or does the world find a way to keep them? According to Hackwith, it’s the latter. “Stories are, at the most basic level, how we make sense of the world.” Imagine if you will a library of sheer potential. Unwritten tales from the inception of human language all the way through the nebulous future, tales whose authors died centuries ago and have yet to be born. Stories that will be written and those that have lost their chance forever. All of that potential under one roof would assuredly need a guardian. That’s where Claire comes in. “We think stories are contained things, but they’re not. Ask the muses. Humans, stories, tragedies, and wishes—everything leaves ripples in the world. Nothing we do is not felt; that’s a comfort. Nothing we do is not felt; that’s a curse.” Claire is the current Librarian in charge of the Library of the Unwritten, located in Hell but not technically part of Hell. She is an unauthor, one who had countless stories to tell yet never penned a single one. She died with regrets, and will be in charge of the Library until she can make peace with herself. Her assistant, Brevity, is a former muse, cast out for keeping her inspiration to herself instead of doling it out to mankind. Rounding out the cast of perspective characters is Leto, a fledgling demon who isn’t who he thinks he is, and Ramiel, a fallen angel trying to find his way back into heaven. “Stories can die. Of course they can. Ask any author who’s had an idea wither in their head, fail to thrive and bear fruit. Or a book that spoke to you as a child but upon revisiting it was silent and empty. Stories can die from neglect, from abuse, from rot… Honor the stories that speak to you, that give you something you need to keep going. Cherish stories while they are here. There’s a reason the unwritten live on something as fragile as paper.” We also meet other angels and demons, along with gatekeepers and residents of Valhalla, psychopomps of dead realms and unwritten books made flesh. The compendium of characters is almost as varied as the Library that Claire has sworn to protect. But a quest to locate and protect scattered pages of an insanely powerful text might find the realms, including the Library, falling down around them. If they don’t sabotage themselves first. “Mark my words, souls are made of tougher stuff. You can wear one down, tear one apart, unspool all the thread, shave a piece off even, but destroy one? I imagine there’s an end, somewhere… But even an end is just where you run out of book. Stories change, and stories go on. Maybe souls do too.” There was more action in the story than I expected. Not only was there a constant sense of frantically striving to stay a step ahead of pursuers, there were also duels and rituals that could end in death and a pretty epic battle scene towards the end. My favorite of these elements was a duel between librarians, where words were wielded as actual weapons. Tossing appropriate quotations at your opponent’s head like missiles is one of the best visuals I’ve come across. “Books are knowledge weaponized.” I love the concept of this book. A library of stories that never found their way into books, of that have yet to be written? That sounds like paradise to me. Which is why the thought of said Library existing inside Hell threw me off a bit. But once I got past that, I found Claire and her biblio-charges and comrades in arms very intriguing. Hackwith wrote a plethora of snappy, memorable lines about books and stories and authors that I believe will really stick with me. I highlighted and annotated like a madwoman. “Books have songs, songs have stories, and then there’re humans at the heart of the jumbled mess… you just can’t subtract a human from the story, no matter how hard you try. Even death doesn’t do that.” There were times when I felt that the author was almost trying too hard to be both utterly original and completely inclusive, and that the two elements were fighting for dominance. This made for some muddy passages that were more difficult to get through than they should have been. However, this could also be due to the fact that I had a lot going on in my life and was unable to find the time to read this more quickly. Overall, Hackwith created something special and new in the form of The Library of the Unwritten, and I’ll be very interested to see where the story goes from here. It’s a series that I will most certainly continue. “Go. Be good. No—be better than good: be happy.” You can find this review and more at Novel Notions.

3.5 stars i think i would have enjoyed this more if my head wasn't a mess. i love books about libraries and books and i liked a lot of the concepts in this book, i was just very checked out for the majority of it. but for what it's worth, i am really looking forward to book 2.

I enjoyed the journey this book took me on, and I loved the characters!

I’ve been so excited to read this book since the day I first heard about it and I’ve been waiting for its release since then. Multiple rejections for the ARC didn’t deter me and I think I’m glad to have read it on my own time without any deadlines looming. And it was such a fun adventurous read. I have to say, I’m amazed at how ingenious this world is and how fascinating is the author’s imagination. A Library located in Hell which contains unwritten books (which are incomplete) is wonderful in itself, but this world has so much more. I loved how it’s inclusive of different religions’ concept of Heaven and Hell, and the trip to Valhalla was a lot of fun. I was delighted to see a mention of Indralok and hope we get to explore all these other dimensions in the future books. We also encounter a lot of mythical creatures which is fun but the best part is that they don’t conform to their typical roles we are aware of, and subversion of all the usual tropes is the most amazing part of this book. This book was fast paced right from the get go, and I was delighted to be in on this roller coaster adventure. There is a lot of wit and sarcasm and banter in the dialogue, which made the story seem lighter despite the high stakes. There are also quests and puzzles and mazes and action sequences, making us all feel like a part of the adventure and I had such a gala time following along with the characters. And of course, I particularly loved the discussion about stories and characters, and how much authors are attached to their books. I think this book is a love letter to authors and stories and definitely why I was so attracted to it in the first place, and I am so happy that reading it made me feel all the more affection for books and book lovers. After the wonderful world building, it’s the characters who steal the show. Claire is the Hell’s Librarian who is very prim and proper, a strict rule follower, who treats books and characters who escape from them like things without feelings. While this might make us feel a bit put off, getting to know her backstory and the way she develops through the story is awesome to read. Leto is a demon courier who seems more like a mortal teenager, a little scared soul who has his own tragic past but is very innocent and sweet and curious. The way these two come to care for each other is beautiful and there are some amazing heart wrenching scenes featuring them. Brevity is a muse who is also Claire’s assistant, a tiny little spitfire, always ready to help Claire in her tasks. She can have bouts of anxiety, but ultimately she draws inspiration from those around her and is brave and a true defender of the Library. She is also very compassionate, cares a lot for the books and characters and will do anything to keep them safe. Hero on the other hand is a character who escapes from his book and is snarky, vain and pretty selfish initially. He is also the one through whom we (and the other characters) learn about the unwritten books and their feelings and how the characters within them are just not abstract words. I absolutely loved how he is written in a way that subverts the standard “perfect hero” trope and every scene with him is a lot of fun. We also have Ramiel who is a fallen angel who is feeling lost and just wants to find a home to which he can finally belong, and his character development is probably the best in the book which I don’t wanna spoil by giving away any other details. To conclude, I have to mention that while my above review might seem like an incoherent mess, it’s probably because I’m not feeling well and it’s absolutely not the fault of the book. This was a delightful adventure novel which combines a lot of myths and legends, with some amazing characters whom we slowly come to love. If you love the “Books about books and book lovers” genre, or have previously enjoyed books like Sorcery of Thorns or The Invisible Library series, then this book is perfect for you and I promise you will have a lot of fun.

This was just as good as everyone has been making it sound and I loved it a lot!

I'm not sure how to feel about this book. I liked the beginning with the library and the characters being introduced, and the conflict seemed interesting. However, the story felt dragged and relied too much on the ending for excitement and expectation. Full Review: The following review and other bookish content can be found in my blog, Luie's Digital Bookshelf and also on my Instagram @luies_digital_bookshelf •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Rating: 3☆ Age-range; Genre: Adult; Paranormal Fantasy/LGBT+ Fiction Trigger warnings: Suicide, Suicidal Thoughts, Death, Bullying, Mental Illness, Grief, Religious Bigotry, Fire/Fire Injury, Toxic Friendship. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• “Claire lived by the firm moral philosophy that one could never have too many pockets, too many books, or too much tea.” In Hell, there is a place where all the dreamed-of and unfinished stories sleep: the Library of the Unwritten. Claire's job as the head librarian of the Unwritten Wing is to organize and maintain the books held there. Both in their rightful shelves and their inked pages, as from time to time, these stories get restless and manifest as one of their characters, when Claire has to find them and send them back into their books before they can cause damage. In what was supposed to be a simple recovery, Claire, her assistant Brevity, and the teenage-like demon Leto get accosted by the terrifying angel Ramiel, sent to retrieve the remaining pieces of The Devil's Bible, a powerful and old manuscript he believes the librarian has. “Forgiven doesn't mean no regret. We'll always regret the wrongs we've done. It just means you're not punishing yourself for it.” Although I enjoyed this book at first, I quickly realized it was missing something vital. It had some of my favorite tropes and character archetypes, but I frankly couldn't bring myself to care about any of it. The novel was plot-focused, a fun book with a solid adventure, but the story itself felt dragged and predictable. The Library of the Unwritten was a book about books, and the library was extremely well-written, so I had very high expectations for it. I tried hard to love this book, but I couldn't, I had to force myself through most of it, and I probably won't be reading the sequel. Despite having some of my favorite character archetypes as protagonists, I couldn't understand or relate to their motivations. They didn't seem to have any beyond duty and responsibility, making them just overall bleak and flat characters. They didn't invite me to keep reading, and there was no build-up for their backstories, no mystery, just rushed explanations in less than one page. This aspect of the writing translated into the descriptions of the angels and demons inside the story as well. “How much easier it would be if everyone knew their role: the hero, the sidekick, the villain. Our books would be neater and our souls less frayed. But whether you have blood or ink, no one's story is that simple.” While some of them were well-written, like the gatekeeper, Walter, and the beings from forgotten religions, most otherwordly creatures from Heaven and Hell had borderline tedious roles and descriptions. They looked almost human. And because the author had all the creative liberty to imagine them, that felt almost like lazy writing. They were supposed to inspire fear and reverence from the other characters, but they didn't, and their descriptions didn't even allow for it. It was all nearly balanced by the remarkable world-building, with a grounded and compelling interpretation of the different afterlives as functional realms, as well as breathtaking descriptions of the library and its various wings. It might not sound like it, but I didn't hate the book. The premise was intriguing and, despite disappointing me, I know many people will and have enjoyed it a lot. The Library of the Unwritten is a good book with a satisfying ending and would have certainly worked as a standalone. It simply failed to catch my attention or thrill me with either its characters or its plot but enthralled me with its world-building and magic system. “The trouble with reading is it goes to your head. Read too many books and you get savvy. You begin to think you know which kind of story you’re in. Then some stupid git with a cosmic quill fucks you over.”

2.5

I'm a junkie for books that focus on storytelling and books with layered narratives tend to provide plenty of opportunities to allow the storytelling aspect to shine. Having enjoyed several novels with layered subplots, A.J. Hackwith's The Library of the Unwritten is definitely one of the titles that I wanted to pick up reading. I think The Library of the Unwritten is an adventurous & intricate story about storytelling and musings. Bestowed with detailed worldbuilding that intrigued me and poetic prose that managed to convey the hard to express processes of how stories form, I overall had quite an immersive experience reading this! It feels like the mythical creatures and the different storylines come into life while I was reading it. And thanks to the eloquent prose, the writing certainly gave me plenty of food for thoughts. One thing that I've noticed in books focusing on storytelling is that it tend to enhance character arcs. The storytelling aspect in The Library of the Unwritten is no exception. Through this journey of musings, supernatural adventures, and self-discovery I quite enjoyed Claire's character development as she interacted with the characters from the Unwritten Wing. Similarly, I also liked Claire's relationship with Brevity: on how they perceived each other and have slightly different thoughts on how stories form. While I really enjoyed the writing itself, I personally wasn't completely sold into the execution of the multiple perspectives. While I think Claire, Brevity, and Leto's POV's connect quite well I felt a small degree of disconnect with Ramiel's and how his POV fits to the rest of the story. So while I have a lot of good things to say about the prose alone, Ramiel's POV mildly derailed my experience (hence the 3.5 stars). Another big disclaimer about The Library of the Unwritten is that the writing is very dense, containing layered storytellling. It took me quite a few days to crunch through the entire novel & I tend to block out a good few hours each session to fully immerse in the story. This is by no means an easy read that one could easily skim through in a matter of an hour or 2. So this is something to be aware of if you're looking for a quick read or if layered narratives isn't your cup of tea. A few shortcomings aside, A.J. Hackwith's The Library of the Unwritten is an intricate novel about storytelling that takes you through an adventurous and supernatural journey of self-discovery and how stories are created. It has the storytelling that reminds me of some of my fave books (e.g. The Starless Sea, Piranesi, and The Ten Thousand Doors of January) but it also has its own unique plot driven streak that stands out from the rest of the pack. If you enjoy layered narratives and books that excel at storytelling, definitely check out this book! N.B. This book contains following content warnings: violence, blood mention, weapons, corpse, and death (3.5 stars out of 5)

This book was tough to get through. I feel like the characters/the world wasn’t developed enough? So when action happened I was never really connected to the characters and thus didn’t care abt the story. Idk it was aight

Full review to follow soon!

I just happened to be standing in front of the Fantasy section, as I waited for my husband to come and help me be decisive [too many books, waaaaah], and I just happened to look down and see The Library of The Unwritten out in the section display. The title was intriguing, so I picked it up. The story sounded epic, so I bought it. I tell you, I am so glad the book was actually being displayed, so that I could see the cover. Otherwise, I’d never have noticed it, as I don’t really bother with the Fantasy section. I love it when a book shoves my face in my own prejudices and tells me I was being an absolute dick for judging by genre, and this book definitely did that. The premise itself was right up my alley. It was a slower read, but worth the time. My geeky self was happy. I'm eager to finish the trilogy.

I was instantly drawn in by the unique premise of this book and I was so glad to find out the execution of this brilliant idea was nothing short of amazing. The adventure this book takes you on is a masterpiece! I loved the diverse selection of characters and personalities, it made this such a fun and fast paced read! It’s equal parts character and plot driven and I can’t decide which I enjoyed more. I’m so excited to continue on with the series as soon as the next book is released. If you like Lucifer or Good Omens you will without a doubt love this book! Highly recommend! Rating: 4.5 Stars —- A library in hell, where all the unwritten books live? Now this is a synopsis after my heart! 😈 Thank you to Titan Books for inviting me to take part in the Instagram tour (6th Feb 2020 @sophieelaina) for this book and for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

**I received a copy of this via the publisher in exchange for an honest review** Full review here I thoroughly enjoyed this. The entire premise was so solid and so well done. The characters are fully formed, interesting, and work well separately and together. Claire was headstrong and resilient, and watching her journey through literal Hell, was so fascinating. I also loved how there were twists I didn't expect, and even though the battle between Heaven and Hell can get a little heavy, there's a lightness and humor woven throughout that makes for the perfect balance. This was a clever, fast-paced adventure and a definite read for any book lover.

I did not finish because it couldn’t keep my attention in the first bit of the book. I think I would’ve enjoyed the idea more when I was younger. May try to read again

Such a great book! I will say, this book isn't quite what I was expecting. I went into it thinking it was going to be a dark, quirky story about an escaped book. Instead it was a much sinister serious story about an escaped book, a dangerous artifact, and learning a lot about yourself along the way. The atmosphere and plot of this book are good, don't get me wrong, but the pacing wasn't perfect. However, this book really shines in character development. I loved learning each character's backstory and how they grew along the way. I will definitely be reading more!