Prequel to the bestselling The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel's Game takes us to the turbulent Barcelona of the 1920s and the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. It's a spellbinding love story about the power of storytelling.

In an abandoned mansion in Barcelona a young man named David Martin makes a living by writing steamy melodramas under a pseudonym. When his own novel receives scathing reviews, it seems his publishers are plotting against him and David is destined to literary obscurity.

In a locked room deep within the house he finds letters and photographs hinting at the death of the previous owner. Like a slow poison the history of the place seeps into his bones as David struggles with an impossible love.

Then he receives an extraordinary proposal from the French editor Andreas Corelli—a proposal that could make David rich and famous. And a bookseller called Sempere introduces him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books…

The Angel’s Game is a tale of lost souls and haunting shadows set amid the winding alleyways of Barcelona during the turbulent 1920s. It is a masterful tale and spellbinding love story about the magic of books and the darkest corners of the heart.

Carlos Ruiz Zafón was born in Barcelona in 1964 and attended university there. He worked as a screenwriter in Los Angeles for ten years before the publication of his fifth book, The Shadow of the Wind, in 2001. It has been translated into over 40 languages and was a finalist for the Premio Fernando Lara. Ruiz Zafón is now a full-time novelist and regular contributor to the newspapers El Pais, La Vanguardia and El Mundo. He lives in Barcelona.

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‘The prose is intelligent but unpretentious, and the author is clear in his intentions to provide a rollicking, fun read…the novel’s themes address the power of narrative, and many sharp lines pertain to storytelling…hugely enjoyable.’ Lionel Shriver, Daily Telegraph

‘The tale is rich, evocative and literate…Zafon is a great describer, with a cinematic flair for murders and sexual encounters.’ Evening Standard

‘It’s got the lot: good setting (Barcelona noir), old fashioned chunky plot, a dash of horror and the merest shaving of raciness…The mysteries within mysteries will be enough to keep you turning pages even after a couple of cervezas.’ Herald (UK)

‘A thrilling labyrinthine plot packed with murder, mystery and an obsessive love affair.’ Woman and Home

‘Fans of The Shadow of the Wind and new readers alike will be delighted with this gothic semiprequel. Zafón’s novel is detailed and vivid, and David’s narration is charming and funny, but suspect. Villain or victim, he is the hero of and the guide to this dark labyrinth that, by masterful design, remains thrilling and bewildering.’ Publishers Weekly