[BOOK] The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I wanted to start a new thread for this book instead of lumping it in the "What are you reading" thread.

This for me is the book release of the year. 2004's Shadow of the Wind remains one of the best novels I have ever read. I couldn't put it down the first time I read it and stayed up all night to finish it. Last week I picked it up to give it a second read, and my respect for that book had not dimmed in the slightest. If anything, a second read was more illuminating now that I knew where a lot of the plot turns were. Zafon's writing is lush and beautiful, and the whole ambiance of the novel is dark and haunting. Fermín Romero de Torres is one my favorite characters in literature. Barcelona is Zafon's hometown, and I have an overwhelming need to visit it as the author paints a vivid picture of the city.

On June 16, the long awaited prequel, The Angel's Game , hit the US. It's been out for a year in Spain, but the translation was finally completed recently for US publication. At this point, I know it's a prequel set 30 years before Shadow of the Wind and is a standalone story, although characters and locations will make an appearance (Please, please show a younger Fermin).

Now that I'm a father of one and about to be a father of two, I don't have quite the constitution to stay up all night reading books, but I have read the first few chapters of The Angel's Game and am hooked. I'll post again later with my final thoughts about the book after I've read it.

I cannot recommend Shadow of the Wind enough. Pick this book up if you're looking for a good read, and if you enjoy it, you have a sequel waiting for you at the book store. I have a feeling that sequel will be just as outstanding as the first novel.

 

I haven't finished the new book, but I would say Shadow of the Wind first. I don't think it's necessary to read them in order, but I imagine The Angel's Game will foreshadow a few events that take place in Shadow of the Wind.