The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Angel's Game
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This story is a prelude of sorts to the first novel (The Shadow of the Wind), and follows David Martin, an aspiring author who writes penny dreadfuls for the newspaper that employs him. He has a dream of being a world-renowned novelist and when one day he gets fired from the newspaper, he devotes himself to writing the novel of his dreams. Shortly after he moves into a decrepit (and believed haunted) house, he finds himself slowly wasting away and is concurrently told of a tumor growing in his brain. David reluctantly accepts his oncoming death and gives up his dreams of authorship until one day he is approached by a supposedly famous French publisher. This publisher promises David that he will grant his wishes and give him an unimaginable sum of money if only he will complete one project over the course of one year's time - a religious text that will impact Barcelona's culture for the rest of time. There is a lot more to this synopsis, but I would spend the next three days explaining it! Set in 1920/30's Barcelona, The Angel's Game is a mixture of historical fiction, dark academia, fantasy, and love story. 

The Shadow of the Wind is one of my favorite books. It's enchanting, magical, and so beautiful in every way. The Angel's Game is just the same. From beginning to end, I was hooked to this story - I never wanted to put it down, and by the end, I was so emotionally attached to the world of David Martin that I really missed him after finishing this book. Martin's story is much darker than the story of Daniel Sempere in the first book, but still there were moments of love, warmth, and humor, although my heart was breaking all throughout this tale. Not only did I fall in love with David, but I fell in love all over again with the character of Sempere and his son Daniel. We also have an utterly amazing strong female supporting character in this novel and she is just wonderful and hilarious. 

As can be expected from Carlos Ruiz Zafon, the lyricism, prose, imagery, and atmosphere of this novel is breathtaking and unlike any other. I will always recommend this series. It is pure magic and one of my forever favorites!