The Library of Shadows

I read this book in its original language and it captivated me from the start. It's incredibly well written, the subject matter original and interesting, the characters well thought out and presented. As you read each page, you can feel the author's passion for reading, as well as writing. I would love to give this five stars, but the ending was quite a disappointment and very cliché. However I do still recommend this book as it's 80% entirely enjoyable!

`Imagine that some people have the power to affect your thoughts and feelings when you read, or they read a book to you. People with such powers can seduce you with amazing stories, or manipulate you into thinking exactly what they want.' When Luca Campelli dies a sudden and violent death, his son Jon inherits his second hand bookstore, the Libri di Luca, in Copenhagen. Jon has not seen his father for 20 years since the mysterious death of his mother. Jon to forced to explore his family's past when an arson attack damages the store and injures a staff member. At the same time, he is being pressured to sell the Libri di Luca by an important client of the law firm he works for. The bookshop is the meeting place of a society of booklovers and readers who have maintained a tradition passed down from the days of the Great Library of Ancient Alexandria. Many of these people have paranormal powers as either transmitters or receivers of reading. Each group suspects the other of being involved in the attack on the Libri de Luca. All readers know the power of the written word and most readers would have experienced the joy of being immersed in an imaginary world. In this novel, readers can be manipulated - even to death - by misused powers. This is an entertaining first novel. In some ways, the ending felt a little rushed but it was completely congruent with the rest of the novel. If you've ever wondered about the power of books and can accept the paranormal, you may well enjoy this novel. I certainly did. Jennifer Cameron-Smith