 "Photo: Kelly Joeffe")
If gloomy, gothic and mysterious literature is not your cup of tea, steer clear of Carlos Zafon. His new novel "The Angel's Game" brings readers to the dark heart of Barcelona in the 1930's.
The hero and narrator of the story, David Martin, resides in the town’s darkest quarter and lives in a gloomy, cold mansion where he writes what he calls "penny dreadfuls." His life has been dedicated to writing installments of a series of stories called "the City of the Damned."
Martin, who has no friends and barely a life, meets a man named Andreas Corelli, a suave publisher with an intriguing offer. He offers Martin 100,000 francs to write a story, or more specifically, a religion that will change people’s lives. The lurky character of Corelli proves to be the devil in disguise, and Martin has sold him his soul.
In an attempt to find out what happened to the original owner of old mansion Martin lives in, he discovers some disturbing truths. These new discoveries all lead back to Corelli, and Martin flees Barcelona to escape the real city of the damned.
The book is filled with twists and turns, love and lust, hate and greed, murder and vengeance, and ultimately, happiness and peace. Zafon's dark, elegant writing style makes the book almost impossible to put down after the first chapter.
"The Angel's Game" follows Zafon's first novel called, "The Shadow of the Wind." Both stories take place in Barcelona. The stories are loosely connected; however they both incorporate a place called the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a labyrinth of book shelves line with books that have been saved from being destroyed.
Any reader who loves a good mystery, love story, or magic will enjoy reading "The Angel's Game".
Be the first to comment on this article!