THIS BOOK IS SMOKING HOT BECAUSE IT’S ABOUT LIBRARY FROM HELL! So giving my four hellish, hot-tish, racks of book-ish and damsel in distress-ish stars coming up with a cup of white tea (more sugar, more milk please)

Well, I thanked my lucky stars and I was about to write a long thank you letter to NetGalley to not reject me this time and send this book ( I possibly thought to barter my jean collection to have this book or sale my soul but thankfully I didn’t need to do that! Who buys 57 jeans a year? Me! Who lost her soul for more Chardonnay? Yeah, again me!)

Think about a library in hell, full of characters trapped in because of their unfinished books, being called “damsel in distress”! Same library has a strict, tough librarian ( forget about the bespectacled, sexy, intellectual models fantasized by horny men population!), once upon a time is also a writer, left her unfinished books, fell in love with one of her characters and lost everything she had, convicted herself to be guardian of the books in hell forever.

Now the bible of hell is out there and she needed to find it before the fallen angel of Ramiel. Her team members to achieve this goal: a hero, who escaped from the library to find his own writer and convinced her to finish the book (they had a small romantic interaction) , a clever, skillful muse Brevity and demon courier ( but some parts of him are still human) Leto and hot but shady arcanist Andras.

I enjoyed the authors’ imagination and I visualized this book as a perfect limited series. Think about it! With the art director of Fantastic Beasts and where to find them, you may see a beautiful world of books and its characters had some many unfinished business. A long and dangerous journey from Valhalla to the hells’ gates, never ending battle of angels and demons! This time you have to chant for the hell raisers because interestingly they are the good ones!

I already made my dream cast for this project:
Claire/Librarian of hell: Claire Foy
Brevity/ muse: Jodie Comer ( all time favorite villanelle could show her inspirational side)
Andras/ arcanist: Go back and forth between Michael Fassbender and Tom Ellis
Hero: Henry Cavill ( you couldn’t find better hero than superman!)
Leto: Nick Jonas no no kidding, Harry Styles, okay no more teasing, my best candidate is Asa Butterfield!
Beatrice: Rachel Weisz (if 007 let his wife join my visualized brain series)
Ramiel: David Tennant ( Same man could be Crowley, Doctor Who, Killgrave and killed all those performances! Yes this man is not real human, he could only be a watcher!)
Uriel: Are you kidding me? Of course EMMA THOMPSON!

I had some hard times to connect with the characters because they were so tough, a little merciless and selfish so their lack of compassion (except librarian’s protectiveness about Leto) a little irritated me. But at least my visual cast solves this problem and stop me punch them.

As a summary, strong plot, fast paced, well-rounded development, vivid characters and this book is about books so how could I not like it?

So much special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing to send me this wonderful ARC COPY in exchange my honest review and make me sing “Walking on Sunshine”!

THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN by A.J. Hackwith: This is a book every die-hard reading fan MUST read. Unfinished books? Stories never told? It’s an idea whose time has come!

I didn’t finish this one. I really liked the idea of it, but there was something missing for me. I got a little over halfway and realized if I didn’t care about the characters by now, we probably weren’t going to be a match.

I was very excited by the concept of the Library of the Unwritten and was eager to read it. We learn that in this library, an unwritten book can wake up, manifest as one of its character and escape from the book. It was the Librarian’s responsibility to track down the escapee and return him or her to its pages. The worst thing that can happen is for the character to make contact with the author and influence them and their writing, thereby potentially changing the book and it’s direction, which may not bode well for the character’s return to its pages. Furthermore, the longer the character experiences life outside the book, the more he or she could change and as a result, no longer fit in the book.

The idea of escaped characters from unwritten books is very imaginative and my favorite part of The Library of the Unwritten was following the escapee named Hero. But I found the reading of this book to be a major chore. It took very little for me to be distracted from reading it and putting off picking it back up again. For me, the plot meandered and never fully pulled me in. I do enjoy science fiction/fantasy novels but this one just did not satisfy me. I am not exactly sure why I had so much trouble reading The Library of the Unwritten but overall, the execution of this appealing premise did not work for me.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group/Ace and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

My feelings towards this novel are honestly hard to explain. I gasped, I was left in awe, I laughed. Never in my life I’ve read anything so unique and so original. The way the author portrayed hell and heaven and their long time relationship (in not a religious way) was so incredible. Every single detail given, was just enough to run your imagination wild. The realms, the scary demons, the library itself....My gosh! Pre order this book and then send me a message so we can cry, talk and rave about it together please! 😂
Needless to say 5 full stars. Definitely one of the best this year.

Disclaimer:

I am not a writer. Ok. I started one novel a year ago that got through the prologue and a couple chapters, then stopped and it has gone nowhere since. Point being, any comments I make to the relationship between the premise of the book which and authors is based on sympathy that I have from an outside perspective. One that has been cultivated from things observed.

Should I write anything wrong from this perception, I would ask for correction and guidance as I ABSOLUTELY mean no harm and have the utmost respect, and reverence for the craft in which you endeavor. I am more grateful than you will ever know for ALL that authors do and suffer through for the gifts you bestow upon the world.


The Library of the Unwritten (A Novel From Hell's Library #1) by A.J. Hackwith (Q and A) was not what I expected. When I read the synopsis:

Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing—a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.

But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil's Bible. The text of the Devil's Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell ... and Earth.

I automatically knew two things.

1) I had to have this book.
2) I didn’t think I had… well a chance in hell of getting said book.

I now know two things.

1) I was right about point 1 stated above.
2) I was wrong about #2 and I am SO happy to have been wrong.

I expected a fantasy bending into almost horror story. I expected a thriller, suspenseful book. And I expected a book that from an author’s point of view paid homage to the plight of authors who started, stopped, started, stopped again, started and even when having finished a novel; having gone through SO MANY levels of revisions, neither they, the story and characters reflected the original draft. Hell, they were lucky if they reflected themselves.

On the latter Hackwith does this, I believe, from the sidekick being named brevity to the explanation of how living authors sometimes will, or at least could, come back to the stories of the unwritten and the authors who die before finishing works, obviously could not. Claire, the head librarian of the Unwritten Wing, even has some locked up works of her own that might hold a secret or two. But for those newly inventoried books that are still ready for their authors to return to their drafts, Claire keeps them carefully together and ready for their creator’s return.

"The book on the desk was one of the young ones, one that still had a chance of being written by its author someday… The impressionable young book now had all sorts of rubbish jumbled in its still-sprouting narrative… complete nonsense for an unwritten tale about teenage witches in love."


It is through the characters (both those written and unwritten) that Hackwith has created with a spectrum of emotional depth, that easily demonstrate both how the story is a homage to authors and not quite the former point I will get to in a bit. My heart was stolen by a story that had convinced itself it had a purpose. It was, of course, not yet finished but it had seen something in what was completed. So, it took the form of a girl, no, a character Claire had to remind Brevity. And Brevity, still the young apprentice has a harder time accepting the difference between what is a character that looks, acts and feels so much like a human than actually being a human.

“Yeah, but she seemed so scared. She was just-

“Characters aren’t human, Brev. You always should remember that as a librarian. They’ll convince themselves they’re people, but if you allow them to convince you, then…” Claire trailed off, dismissing the rest of that thought with a twitch of her shoulders."


It is in the former point that I was wrong about the style of the story and once I understood where it was going, I was all in. The Library of the Unwritten is sci-fi/fantasy, as you would expect. But it doesn’t bend into the horrific or thriller area. Yes, of course it has suspenseful parts. There is, of course, an archangel (Ramiel) attempting to get back into heaven by chasing down, what he believes is the Devil’s Bible.

When a young demon named Leto (and man does he hate being referred to as young) comes to let Claire know that a book has escaped to find his author, a very dangerous prospect that Claire and Brevity must rectify at once. It becomes quite clear that this is going to be a riot. And it is. Much like the movie Dogma (but definitely not R-rated), it is all at once, hysterical, poignant, heartfelt and quite unexpected.


The chemistry between Claire and Leto is instantaneous with brilliant banter and a complicated (but not ever romantic) relationship arc. Her constant assault and commanding of Leto were unyielding, from her list of insulting nicknames for Lucifer that made Leto’s blood boil to ordering him around like an errand boy. The unlikely trio of Brevity, Claire and Leto were a perfect mismatch of personality traits. Brevity, the constant loyal assistant, Leto the constant thorn in the side, questioning everything and anything – including paying for a taxi ride in a story.


“A story.” Claire watched the cab pull away. “I paid him in a story, his story. It’s all most souls want, really, so it’s easy for them to accept.”

It didn’t sit right with Leto. “But we cheated him. It’s a lie.”


Each chapter is told from their points of view (including Ramiel) makes the Library of the Unwritten jump off the page by showing how easily we are all triggered by love, guilt, desire, needs, wants and sometimes just to be seen, to be validated… as people. Sometimes it is easy to look around and see the world as a book and we as characters in the story, driven by these emotions. Add Hackwith’s ability to demonstrate them through a mix of people, angels and characters is truly a credit to her craft.

Without giving away too much about the plot that would spoil the fun, there are a host of side characters and realms that are explored. Although I haven’t talked a ton about Hackwith’s world building because I believe some of it will playout more in the second book and this was a bit hard to write without spoiling things- know that from Seattle to hell and back again- the world building was as well done as the characters. These pieces combined with very sketchy details of how Claire came to lead her wing of the Devil’s library, why Brevity is no longer an official Muse, and what I found to be a pretty gut-punching reveal towards the end, does well to set-up book two.

When I first read the synopsis of this book I was immediately intrigued and believe me, Hackwith doesn’t disappoint! The entire storyline isn’t like anything I’ve ever read before. The plot itself is so intricate and detailed and I loved weaving my way through the different realms that this author has created. Everything about The Library of the Unwritten captivated me and I just couldn’t get enough.

“Claire lived by the firm moral philosophy that one could never have too many pockets, too many books, or too much tea.”

Claire is easily relatable in the sense that she’s hard on the outside but a big softie for the ones she truly cares about. She’s been hardened by her experiences and being hell’s librarian isn’t a walk in the park either. I loved her snarkiness, her ability to compartmentalize under pressure, and the utter faith she has in all of the unwritten stories in her care. The side characters were intriguing and gave the book more depth because through those relationships, we see Claire’s true character shine.

The plot, as I’ve mentioned, is utterly fascinating and so, so creative. A library…in hell…filled with books that have been left unfinished…that sometimes “wake up” and cause havoc to not just hell, but earth too. A sidekick muse (yes, you read that right) and an unwilling hero (yes, hero like in an actual fairytale) with an honest to goodness angel chasing after all of them. I’ll be honest and say the first 30-ish percent of the book were hard to get into, but I think it was because I kept feeling as if I were thrown into the middle of a story instead of at the beginning. Once I got my bearings and the story started picking up I was hooked and kept wondering what would happen next.

Overall, I really enjoyed this title. From one chapter to the next, Hackwith kept surprising me with her imagination and it was so detailed to the point I could picture everything beautifully in my mind. The Library of the Unwritten was a breath of fresh air for me, and I can’t wait to see where this series goes. The story ends on a good note and I’m having trouble seeing how this could be a series, but I’m excited to see where Hackwith takes us!

***Thank you Netgalley, Ace Books (Berkley Publishing Group), and A.J. Hackwith for the free e-title and the opportunity to review it. The views and opinions I have expressed here are solely my own and are in no way a representation of the author, publisher, and/or distributor. The quotes posted here are taken from the advanced readers copy. Please check finished copy of book for final quotes.***

What I've learned is that I'm a sucker for a good book written about a librarian. I don't think that's unique for every little girl who grew up with her nose in a book. This story took so many elements that I love and threw them together, and I had a hard time putting it down.

Library of the Unwritten's unique setting of hell, and more specifically the section of the eternal library that are books that were never written or have not been written yet is an absolutely fascinating and unique concept. As an aspiring author, and a writer it made my heart sing.<

I've heard the line that you must ask your readers to believe one extreme idea for them to believe a story. Well, I don't think that's quite correct in this novel but somehow it all seemed believable.

How Hackwith structured the afterlife, and belief systems had the gears turning in my head. I'm a huge afterlife and belief / religion system junkie. In addition, for something that was set in and around libraries, you get to visit so many different realms and quite a bit of action takes place.

For all those strong points of world building and action, character creation and development wasn't lacking in the slightest. Truthfully it was probably one of the strongest points. From determined and self-righteous angels, to quirky muses, obnoxious stories, and stubborn humans (including our main protagonist, Claire, the Head Librarian of Hell) Hackwith's understanding of what makes a person tick, how love, desire, and guilt factor into our psyche was beautifully written.

I will state that not all of the character are likable. Some are resolutely unlikable, though I think that's for a reason. Even holding us at a distance, Claire seemed to charm me. While I definitely identify more with Brevity, the adorable librarian in training, I understand that the reason these characters are here is for a reason. However, I understand not everyone will like that. My tidbit is to remember, most of the characters we run into aren't human, and don't have to behave as such.

I devoured this book while on vacation and it was incredibly hard to put down. I was caught unawares by one of her big twists, and the ending left me floored. It's been a while since I was so unprepared for a surprise like that. I can only hope that Hackwith comes back to write more in this world, as she has fully captured my interest.

Thanks to Ace Books, A.J. Hackwith, and Netgalley for this advanced readers copy in return for an honest review. Make sure to go grab this book when it comes out October 1st!

This is like The Good Place meets Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next. It was a little slow to get started—a lot of characters and a lot of backstory to build, but it eventually got there and then rolled delightfully along.

INCREDIBLE! The Library of the Unwritten has made it into my list of few 5 star books chosen this year. The world created is described in depth, and molds around present day Earth. I need more!

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.
It took me longer than normal to get through this but work and travel has gotten in the way. It’s definitely a solid four which is a pretty good rating in my eyes.
The premise pulls you in immediately: multiple afterlives, a library in Hell full of “Unwritten” books, demons, angels, characters that literally come alive from books, grumpy Hell librarians. It was so interesting you couldn’t help but continue to read more! It was also very reminiscent of a book I wrote when I was about 15 (took place in Hell, demons and angels, quite dramatic, the good old days) so it felt near and dear to me.
There are multiple POV’s: the grumpy librarian, the bubbly muse, the timid demon, the fallen angel. Usually I’m not a fan of POV swaps (looking at you, SoC and CK) but this was done in a way that surprisingly didn’t bog and drag the pacing down (as they wont to do) but added much needed clarity as characters went their separate ways between realms.
The conflict was believable and took a surprising turn, so I have no issues with it, and I believe Goodreads says this is the first book in a series so I would definitely be interested in continuing this!

I liked this book, but I didn’t end up loving it. The premise is fantastic - the Head Librarian of Hell’s Unwritten Wing of the library has to go on a retrieval mission with her muse assistant and a demon courier to get a book’s wandering hero back - but the pacing wasn’t great. The beginning sucked me right in and then the middle dragged with what felt like a lot of unnecessary scenes. Things picked back up for the ending though, so that hooked me again. Supposedly this is the first book in a series but it read very much like a standalone so I’ll be interested to see what the second one is eventually like. Recommended for library lovers and fans of interesting takes on the afterlife!

This book was a great read! The concept of book characters escaping their books was what drew me to this book, but I stayed for the excellent writing, compelling story, and likable characters. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for book two in this series!

“The Library of the Unwritten”

By: A.J. Hackwich


I started writing this review after the first chapter! This is my note: “LOVED, LOVED the first chapter! Great characters and setting. A library that keeps all unfinished works of authors (dead or alive) protected as if they were living things has me hooked” .

I am also afraid to write this review for fear of being literally and grammatically judged by the author....ha....but seriously, the writing, scene setting, character building and storyline in exemplary. I was in awe and that is reserved for very few book I read.

Just a couple short sample excerpts:

“No story is insignificant. That’s what the existence of the Unwritten Wing teaches us. No escapist fantasy, no far-off dream, no remembered suffering. Every story has meaning, has power. Every story has the power to sustain, the power to destroy, the power to create.”

“The trouble with reading is it goes to your head. Read too many books and you get savvy. You begin to think you know which kind of story you’re in. Then some stupid git with a cosmic quill fucks you over.”

Now, these samples are just chapter introductions relevant to the characters. The story is located in one of Hell’s libraries. Books might take on their own characteristics and if loved enough by their author’s might birth one of their characters into reality. That’s where problems arise and the librarians through the beginning of time have lived to prevent this occurrence from changing the story itself.

So much subtext, human emotions, thought provoking prose that it is hard to adequately describe how this author seems to have an uncanny ability to see inside the psych of authors, readers and stories. It still includes great characters, suspense, danger, attraction and heartbreak all the while doling out some life lessons.

Run as fast as you can and catch this story! True readers and wanna be authors will be delighted they did for “No story, written or unwritten, is static”.

Jeanie G

5 “story changing” sheep for me!

After reading A.J. Hackwith’s utterly enjoyable novel The Library of the Unwritten, I want to revise my afterlife plans. Previously, I wanted to find myself in a pleasant room, with mountains of books, always hot cups of tea, and a couple of cats. I would have eternity to finish my never-ending to-read list. In Hackwith’s version of the afterlife, not only are there more options than heaven and hell (Valhalla makes a fantastic appearance), but there is also a library that holds all of the world’s unwritten literature. And there is a librarian who takes care of these books, rousts demon readers, and makes sure that characters stay in their stories. Reading forever would be a dream, but I would want to get up and stretch my legs every now and then.

Claire Hardy has been the librarian of the Unwritten Library for about thirty years. (Not that time really matters in the afterlife.) For the most part, her work is routine. She repairs books, maintains order in the Library, and occasionally interworld loans books back and forth from the other afterlifes (afterlives?). The most excitement she gets is tracking down characters who’ve escaped from their books to go find and bother their authors. But on her latest trip topside, at the beginning of The Library of the Unwritten, Claire, her ex-muse assistant, and a demonic messenger are confronted by an angel, who has also been dispatched to earth to find something very dangerous. The Devil’s Bible has resurfaced after centuries. Whoever has it would hold enough power to remake the entire afterlife. Lifes.

Claire’s trip to earth and her distinctly un-heavenly encounter with an angel is just the first battle between heaven and hell over the Devil’s Bible. This bible is a bit of a MacGuffin. I didn’t mind, really, because there is just so much going on in this book. The characters are the real magic in this story. I thought, at the beginning, that this book would be a mostly-silly romp through the afterlife. But the characters end up stealing the show from each other as they confront their pasts, try to become real heroes, and wrestle with their sworn obligations. Sure this book has its silly moments (many Viking-related), but there are parts that really tug the heartstrings.

I inhaled this book. There are places where characters over-explain, but then one of them is a librarian. We have a hard time not over-explaining. Aside from this quibble, I adored everything Hackwith did in this book. I loved the characters, especially Claire and Hero (a fugitive character who was rejected by his book after his escape). And I loved the way the different afterlives have treaties and reciprocal borrowing agreements. I would strongly recommend this adventurous, often funny journey to stop the afterlives from dying themselves, especially if you’re a fan of Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series or Jonathan Howard’s Johannes Cabal series.

Wow, I really enjoyed reading this book! It sounded really fantastic, and the idea of the world, of a library of the unwritten (which of course is in Hell) yeah, it's just so fascinating! I couldn't wait to read this book! It was such a great read!

First off, can we talk about that cover? It's so creepy, and is a good look about what this book is about! There's the page of a book, torn in the middle, where it's pitch black with some gray smoke drifting out. And then there's the arm sticking out. With books that have their characters literally jumping off of the pages, this cover is amazing and I can't wait to have it on my shelves!

We were in 3 different heads in this book. Claire, head librarian with a secret. Leto, who was more than he seemed. And Ramiel, the fallen angel who could get back in Heaven's graces if he finds the Devil's Bible. Oh, we were in Brevity's head a time or two when she was apart from the other characters, and we only got 3 or 4 chapters of that.

I really enjoyed their adventure looking for the read of the Devil's Bible. It takes them across a number of different afterlives, like the Norse Valhalla, as well as on Earth. There was a bit of a mystery of why the book had popped up now, and I really enjoyed the reveal there!

Loved reading this book, it was a really fantastic read, and I can't wait to see where this series is going to go from here!

I think that this book has a niche. I loved the premise and read the book through the night. However I was a bit annoyed by the execution, there was a heavy amount of the usage of "spun like a dervish" to describe battles, reading, sewing, eating, anything... interesting choice of words but come on everyone is spinning like a dervish??
MEH

The Library of the Unwritten
by A. J. Hackwith

With all the hate and fear around us, the wars and bombings, the mass shootings, the political name-callings and machinations, it is so refreshing to read a book that is shear fun from cover to cover. The Library of the Unwritten by A. J. Hackwith, while it has its suspenseful moments, is pure pleasure to read. I am very grateful to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for sharing an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Library of the Unwritten is home to books that aren't finished by their authors. It is overseen by a Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing (Claire ) and her assistant. Oh, and it is in Hell, albeit a neutral space in Hell. The Librarian's job is easy - repairing and organizing books, and keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library.  Of course, that what happens. A character named as Hero, runs away in search of his author (which is quite dangerous) and the plot is dizzily afoot. Throw is a terrifying and powerful demon and the Devil's Bible (which is capable of reshaping the boundaries between Heaven, Hell….and Earth), and readers are in for a wild ride and a lot of laughs. Sheer and unadulterated fun. Best of all, this is the first book in a new series!

This book was brilliant! A clever storyline, intriguing and interesting characters, wonderful, descriptive prose and charming,y, witty dialogue. The idea that characters can escape from their books to find their authors and encourage them to finish their books is glorious. I loved how the characters weren't bogged down with love and inner feelings, they got in with what needed to be done with wit and courage. The back stories that made them who they were, came out in trickles and then a rush which made them more poignant. I liked how the shadows between good and evil were exposed, with all characters displaying levels of both.
I really hope this becomes a word of mouth bestseller and it would make a fantastic film. I will be encouraging all my friends to read it.

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😈🗒The Library of the Unwritten by A. J. Hackwith🗒😈⁣
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I’ve been on a bit of romance burnout lately and didn’t read anything for an entire week (this is very unusual if you know me!). So I decided to switch genre tracks and go into a non-romantic SFF novel. I’m so glad I did because I thoroughly enjoyed THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN. The premise is as charming as it seems, and it’s just the latest in a slew of library-themed SFF (go read Margaret Rogerson’s SORCERY OF THORNS if you haven’t already). It appeals to my exact sense of humor and has an extremely large heart with found family feels. Even during the scenes that I didn’t quite see the point of (e. g., why is this here, it’s not advancing the plot?), I still enjoyed because this book is so much damn fun. There are a lot of loose ends and lingering questions, but I’m not too bothered by that as I know it’s the first in a series. I tried to think of a suitable comp for this, and the only thing that comes to mind is “for fans of Good Omens.” So if that sounds like your jam, then you should definitely add this to your tbr.