The Angel's Game: A Psychological Thriller

I read the shadow of the wind right before this, and that is my current favorite book of all time. Carlos Ruiz Zafon is just an INCREDIBLE author and you have to read this series to see it. The way he can talk about stories inside a story. This book is a lot more mysterious than the shadow of the wind, but wow. I don’t know how to explain it just read it. A lot of your questions will go unsolved and that’s the beauty of it.

The Zafòn cemetery series is beautiful. I wish this “Very Good” copy I ordered was as lovely as the story.

Another page turner by Mr. Zafon. I think I like this one better than The Shadow of the Wind.

The Angel's Game is set in the same gothic Barcelona that The Shadow of the Wind is, but earlier in time. A couple of the characters from Shadow are in this book. But this Barcelona is even darker than that of Shadow; where Daniel Sempere had his father and a few friends he could trust, David Martin, orphaned as a boy, has no one. David hopes to be a writer. He gets his chance, and his writing is good, but he is not making much money and is a virtual slave to the publishers who hold his contract. When the mysterious publisher Andreas Corelli asks him to write a book for a huge sum, David accepts. The book is to be unlike any other- it's to help create a new religion. And then people start dying around David. Soon David finds himself in a Kafka-esque situation, beset on all sides, with no one being who or what they seem to be. You keep thinking things couldn't get any worse for this character, and then it does. David Martin's world is grim and ugly and bloody. But despite it's darkness, this is a very compelling book. One can't wait to see what happens to this man next. There are a couple of characters who, despite being flawed, shine like beacons, lightening the mix. The complexity of the plot takes full concentration. I eagerly wait for Zafon's next installment in his Barcelona series.

This is the macabre and sinister tale of David Martín, a journalist who turns to writing books. Initially, these are regularly churned out, trashy stories, written purely for income. I won't tell where he progresses to, or describe any of the weird events that ensue, for fear of spoiling this wonderfully intriguing story for you. Suffice to say that this book is packed with action and mystery. If you build an affinity with a strongly crafted character, then you are in danger of becoming quite depressed as you follow the exploits of unfortunate David Martín. He lives out his life in dull sepia. If anything could ever go wrong for the poor chap, it did. If he went to Heaven, St Peter would show him to the worst suite in the place and show him a bed of nails on which he may rest. Despite all this, Martín's tale is so compelling that you cannot leave it until you have read to the last sentence of the book. Although the events described in The Angel's Game precede those of Shadow of the Wind, there are clear connections between the characters and places which are featured in both books. The magical writing of Zafón is, once more, captivating. However, if I were to rank the two books against each other, I would say that Shadow would slightly edge it. There were times in this book when a discomforting feeling of boredom started to impinge on my enjoyment. Overall. It is a wonderful book and deserves five stars.

Una vez empiezas esta novela, es difícil parar de leer. El libro está escrito en un lenguaje sencillo y de acción rápida - de una sorpresa a la otra. La descripción de Barcelona y sus alrededores pone al lector en el centro de la acción. El lector sigue el personaje principal a través de sus desventuras e intrigas para culminar en un final que, lejos de explicar el misterio, deja muchas de las historias sujetas a la interpretación del lector. Este libro lo deja pensando y atando sus propios cabos. Merece una segunda lectura.

This is the parallel story of 'La sombra del viento' or The Shadow of the Wind. David Martin, a writer is given a task to write a book about a new religion. The 'boss' Andreas Corelli, offers a fortune for the task. Just like in the first book, the words that are written turn into a web that mixes reality with the imaginary. The Sempere character is also in the book and again there is a love triangle which includes the 'Cemetery of the forgotten books.' Mr. Zafon creates a great adventure of intrigue, romance, and tragedy through a labyrinth of treason and secrets, where the mystery of the written word, the passion and friendship create a wonderful masterpiece.

This is quite possibly one of the best books I have EVER read. Very well written, and very moving with every scene that attempted to invoke it. His style is fantastic, and this book made Zafón one of my favorite authors of all time, adding so much flavor to our current literary scene. Don't get me wrong, I loved La Sombra del Viento also. This one was incredible to say the least. Someone else mentioned on here that this is a sequel. This is actually a PREQUEL to La Sombra del Viento, as according to the Epilogue, Daniel Sempere is born, and someone important to him dies a little later (I won't spoil it).