I finally got through this book. And by that I mean I skipped huge chunks of the middle and read the last ten chapters. Honestly, I don't think I missed anything. I think anyone who picked this book up at the last ten chapters wouldn't miss anything.

But seriously - Molasses on a cold day moves faster than this book did. 

I need to finish the two books I'm currently reading before I can start on my summer reading challenge or BL-opoly. This is one of them. It's going to be a struggle.

For starters, I have the attention span of an ant right now. This book is not great for people with no attention span. Walking around in an actual labyrinth would be easier than trying to navigate the constantly increasing cast of characters in this book.

Secondly, I don't speak French. There is a lot of French in this book. I knew that there would be. The author makes it perfectly clear in her preface. However, the author also states she included a glossary. She did. That glossary is nowhere near inclusive enough. I'm constantly stopping to translate words or phrases. Not a fan. It's doing wonders for that attention span issue I'm having. 

by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

This is part of The Cemetery Of Forgotten Books universe, along with Shadow of the Wind, The Angel's Game and The Prisoner of Heaven. They are stand alone stories but are connected through a common setting in Barcelona and some characters that appear in all of the stories. They are Literary, Gothic, Mystical Mystery stories that have helped define the Magical Realism category of fiction.

The book description tells us, "As a child, Daniel Sempere discovered among the passageways of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books an extraordinary novel that would change the course of his life. Now a young man in the Barcelona of the late 1950s, Daniel runs the Sempere & Sons bookshop and enjoys a seemingly fulfilling life with his loving wife and son. Yet the mystery surrounding the death of his mother continues to plague his soul despite the moving efforts of his wife Bea and his faithful friend Fermín to save him."

They say you can read this series in any order and this was my first Zafón. I found it very slow in the beginning and with the characters changing in different segments, found it very difficult to find a linear plot line to follow. The second half was much easier as the various elements start coming together. The writing itself was undeniably good and there were definitely some exciting passages, but I think I might have to read it again with more familiarity with the characters and how they relate to each other. Hopefully the other books in the series will be easier as a result.

I think I would advise first time readers to start with Shadow of the Wind first.

by Christina Lay

Ghosts, Fae, magic, Alchemy and a monster from out of the catacombs bringing death to the city. It's all here! The story reads like a very well written Fantasy novel and got my interest right away.

Remy is an Alchemist's apprentice and with the Alchemist away, he is left to discover what is coming out of the catacombs to kill people. He encounters ghosts and other creatures in the world of darkness, effectively an underworld journey.

Despite being treated like a lowly ratboy by the local hoity-toity, he gets on with the job and seeks to discover why one of their class got buried with commoners. Remy is a likeable character who lets the class insults roll off and applies his own wits and knowledge to untangling some confusing clues to what's really going on.

The story is fast moving and leads into a dark journey beneath the city that brings out some of our most primal fears. At times it reminded me of the surreal worlds of Roger Zelazny or The Deathgate Cycle by Weis and Hickman, though not in as much intricate detail. It was an interesting read and I think a new author to watch.

Finished this a couple days ago ..... I really love the series and you can tell the next one will be the last in the series  

Full review to come