The follow-up to The Shadow of the Wind, this is the second book of the spanish author's masterful Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. While not as strong as the first, it evokes the same sense of nostalgia for a Spain and Barcelona of days past, of a time when danger lurked behind every gothic balustrade and overarching narrow cobbled street.
The words of Zafón, almost poetic in their construction, lure you into this world, and make you want to wander with the characters, through their streets and through their lives.
The story meanders like the calles and avenidas, branching out and around you like vines which surround the mansions and houses of the story. Barcelona and her streets and houses are as much characters as David and his elegant and mysterious boss, coming to life with a purpose and agency that defies their being.
As with the first, a book about books, this novel gives books a power rarely felt, how a strength within the pages of a well crafted story can consume the reader and twist their beliefs to the author's will. The power this imbues throughout the novel simmers at the heart of it, creating an unforgettable story.
More complex than its predecessor, it suffers from its overcomplicated plot ever so slightly but its still a magnificent book, by an immensely skilled writer.
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