This is a great book for fans of urban fantasy/sci-fi. Ropa is a fun main character. She is bold, quick witted, sarcastic, smart but also kind hearted, generous. The world in this book is so creative and the paranormal aspects are so fun! It didn't take long for me to get hooked. I am eager to buy a copy of the US edition for my own collection and I will be picking up the sequel.

Sadly I just couldn't get into this book. Nothing really gripped me even though I felt like the author had such potential. I may come back to this and give it a second try.

I am not typically a sci-fi or fantasy reader but I really enjoyed this. It was very spooky magical realism to me and that was so fun. I loved the sleuth and ghosts and this book would be so fun to read in October!

We are introduced to Ropa Moyo, a girl who acts as a messenger for ghosts so she can support her grandma and younger sister. She is very street smart, and is fully capable of taking care of herself. Her friend Jomo takes her to his new job at the Library of the Dead, where she learns more about herself than she was expecting to. Ropa must use everything she has at her disposal when she learns about multiple kids disappearing, and then turning up aged way before their time.

Overall, this book was enjoyable. I liked Ropa as the protagonist. She is very practical and pragmatic, while also having a dash of sass. Near the beginning, there were several switches from perfect grammar and normal English to odd regional words and improper grammar, so much so that it felt jarring. The switches I noticed occurred in Ropa's mind, so it felt inconsistent, so instead of Ropa purposefully correcting herself, it seemed like she was switching back and forth on a whim. Later on, everything becomes more consistent, which made it easier for me to read.

I liked how all of the different plotlines were introduced, as it could have gotten confusing very easily. Ropa's backstory and her special talent, the Library, and the mystery are all very interesting threads separately, and T. L. Huchu does a wonderful job weaving them together to create a great beginning to a series!

There were several very interesting ideas here! I enjoyed this mystery of the missing child and how Ropa then gets involved with a larger scheme. However, I think the plot was meandering at times, and I am a bit confused about the worldbuilding. I think this is an alternate Edinburgh? I'm also not sure what time period this is supposed to take place. I could have used more information about the world, especially because it seems like these ghost-related professions are commonly accepted. I certainly want to know just how the world got to this point!

Ropa, our main character, is 14, but I think she reads much older than that. She's pretty snarky and foul-mouthed, but I enjoyed her overall. Ropa can be pretty ruthless with making sure she gets paid at her job conveying messages from the dead to their loved ones, but her motivations for this make a lot of sense. She also does have a good heart! I particularly loved her relationships with her grandmother and her sister. She's doing everything she can to keep them alive, and she makes sure that her sister is still going to school and not dropping out like she did. Her grandmother seems particularly lovely, and I do hope to see more of her in the next book! She seems very kind and has some sort of powerful magic, so I'd love to see her train Ropa more.

The Library itself seems rather interesting. It's certainly not as present as I expected in the book given that it's in the title. However, I do want to learn more about it and its members. I liked following Ropa learning how to do magic. Something I particularly enjoyed here was that she reads a textbook that has an equation to measure a mage's potential. Being in a math profession myself, I thought this was a fun idea.

This book is very British with some of the words and phrases used. Some of these are ones I'm familiar with or could guess with context clues. This does help with feeling immersed in the setting. I also liked that this took place in Edinburgh and enjoyed the times when I recognized various locations.

Overall, while this wasn't a perfect book for me, I'm still interested enough to continue the series.

I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.

My video review can be seen on my channel (around minutes 0:25-4:06 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpg4xPzfEN4

The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu is a superb read with a well defined plot and characters. Well worth the read!

Solid book all around, quick read with loveable characters. The premise is phenomenal, and the story delivers the entire way. I really liked the relationship the MC has with her younger sister, and I love the fox animal companion. Little quirky details throughout make the story come to life, and I'm really glad I read this. Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review!

Give me more of this! I loved this terrific book--part ghost story, part thriller, all fun. In a post-apocalyptic Scotland, a young woman named Ropa works as a ghostalker, carrying messages to and from the dead before their spirits move on to another plane, trying to earn enough to keep her grandmother and sister fed and warm in their tiny caravan. But when a ghost asks Ropa to locate her missing son--who is still alive--Ropa's usual job becomes dangerous. Ropa takes on lecherous men, thieves, sorcerers, drug dealers, and a very badly haunted house while acquiring a new friend, access to a very unique library, and new abilities as she searches and finally rescues not just the missing boy but other stolen children besides. The magic and characters and city were all fabulously detailed, and I can't wait for a follow-up.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for this early copy. This will be available June 1st.

I was sold as soon as I saw the word library in the title! I liked that Ropa truly came across as a teenager. She’s rude, rash and a bit of a know-it-all, but she’s also deeply devoted to her family. There’s also a character named Priya, who is an absolute bad ass in a wheelchair and I want to be friends with her in real life!

I also really liked the magic in this book. A lot of it is sort of science based, which was different. There’s also music based magic that is used to talk to ghosts. Unfortunately, the book overall didn’t work for me. It’s mentioned fairly frequently that this is a dystopian Edinburgh, but it’s never actually explained what happened. Also, the book uses a lot of slang. Generally I pick up on that after a few chapters with books, but I never picked up the slang for this one and it left me feeling confused and frustrated throughout. I gave it ⭐️⭐️, but this book has been getting a ton of really positive reviews. So if you’re looking for a dark, paranormal, urban fantasy this might be the book for you

I was surprised at the turn of the story. It is well thought out and the characters are likable. I look forward to more from this author.

This story was tough to read. The beginning of the book was confusing to me. I didn't know what era I'm in, whether it is present or a long time ago. There wasn't a hook that kept my attention. The characters are bland. Ropa has an interesting present to her, but the way the story was written even she didn't hold my attention. Her power seems lost in the story, instead of being something magnificent.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A jam-packed riff on urban fantasy, set in a post-climate-event future where Edinburgh is partly under water, where the world has just mostly gotten worse, and oh yeah ghosts are real (as is entropic-based magic). It takes a moment to get into the voice and at times the novel feels overstuffed where it could've benefitted from some leaner moments -- but a definite hook for anyone who enjoys stories as disparate as RIVERS OF LONDON and CITY OF BOHANE.

The Library of the Dead intrigued me but left me wanting. The things I liked: the characters, the vibe, and the eeriness of the whole story.
Things I hope to see in the next book: more explanation of the world and the magic.

Sometimes for no particular reason I fail to connect with a book; The Library of the Dead and I had suffered this disconnect.

I’ve been trying to figure out what went wrong: it wasn’t poorly written; the premise was unique. I’m at a bit of a loss. I think in the end The Library of the Dead was a bit too young for this old man. At times I found that there were things going on that had no bearing on the story; perhaps they will have more of a bearing on the future stories, but you’ve got to get your hooks into me with book one before we set things up for the rest of the series.

I can appreciate the fact that Huchu has written a YA book without any romantic inklings, going against the grain is admirable. However, I’ve always said, even though I don’t read romance, most books need a little romantic interest; if the protagonist can’t be loved, how can I love them? Perhaps this was an influencing factor for my enjoyment of The Library of the Dead.

I’m sure that there is an audience for The Library of the Dead, unfortunately, I’m just not it.

*3 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and TOR Books for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Library of the Dead is a paranormal fantasy mixed with horror and mystery set in post-apocalyptic Scotland. Beyond the cover (which is absolutely stunning), I found the world fascinating and wanted to learn more about it (even if overall it’s pretty bleak). I also enjoyed the idea of ghostalking and loved Ropa’s sarcastic narration and her use of music to ghostalk. I felt Ropa, Priya, and Jomo’s friendship was set up well to continue on in a series.

Unfortunately, though, this book had so much potential but ultimately didn’t deliver on its promise for me. I was less interested in the mystery and more interested in discovering more about this world and spending more time with ghosts and the library, but perhaps each of these will be explored more in other books in the series. However, I know there is a right audience for this book and I look forward to seeing this series progress.

Thank you again to NetGalley and TOR Books for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!
This book was incredible. For being based in Edinburgh, the amount of world building is amazing.
Ropa is a ghost talker living in post-calamity-of-epic-proportions Scotland. She makes her money delivering messages from the dead to their living relatives. After one ghost asks for Ropa to check on her missing son, though, she finds herself caught up in a more dangerous part of the paranormal world.

Ropa is an incredibly smart protagonist, who often wavers on being pragmatic vs empathetic- but always in a relatable way. Her voice was the only part that seemed reminiscent of another book- when Dani is the narrator in the Fever Series- but the plot is unlike anything I’ve ever read. There were constant twists and turns, and I never knew where the book was headed (when I thought I had it figured out, it headed in a completely different direction!). Great read, but definitely not something I could keep on a middle school shelf.

Ropa is a ghost talker. She delivers messages from Edinburgh's dead to its living. She works to help her family scrape by in a city ravaged by wealth inequality and political upheaval, and she thinks she knows every corner of the city. When her best friend brings her to a secret library in underground Edinburgh she gets far more than she bargained for. Fun, fast-paced, and fantastical, this novel takes the reader on a ride they won't soon forget.

"The Library of the Dead" is set in a world much like ours except that that it's in the near future after some kind of cataclysm, there is magic, everyone is aware ghosts are present, and some people can hear their messages and pass them on. For a fee, of course, late-LATE stage capitalism being what it is. Themes of poverty and corruption are both powerful and heavy here.

This title's absolute strongest point is its commitment to the world it's building. It genuinely feels like a run-down, dystopian version of our world, and Huchu has clearly spent a lot of time figuring out every part of Edinburgh, what it looks like in this setting, where people have gone and what's happened to things as a result. It's near enough to the present that characters remember things we take for granted, and far enough to dismiss these things as a pipe dream. It's often bitter and cynical, but not ever enough to lose a thread of human kindness.

Ropa is an incredible character, savvy and smart and bitter, but with a deep thread of empathy. She's a powerful protagonist and one that I hope a lot of kids reading will get to relate to. She feels like an important character to have available to readers in so many ways. I also absolutely adored Priya, who was equally important -- I love that our action girl is in a wheelchair here.

I occasionally struggled to see why events were happening from a motivational standpoint -- it felt like we got interiority into Ropa at places and not at others, especially at key moments, but this applied to other characters and other motivations as well. For example, given what we'd seen of her by the point it happened, I'm not quite sure I bought Ropa's abrupt decision to take on the charity case of the missing boy -- especially we see her interiority in everything BUT that decision. Maybe she's not acknowledging her desire to help to herself, but it feels like a bit of a lynchpin missing from the story. Similar things are in Callendar's intervention, the gift of the scarf, why Rob did what he did at the end of the story. I can buy that they DID all happen and roll with it, but I wanted more worked in to convince me that this was a most reasonable thing to happen here, especially because all these points are absolutely vital to continuing or resolving specific plot points.

This book occasionally feels like three different books with different overall moods -- the ghosttalking part and missing children part is cynical and capitalism-focused; the library of the dead part is whimsical and quaint; the house section is a deep, sucking horror. I've spent a while trying to figure out why this feels so disparate to me instead of simply a flow between sections with mood matching them, and I think it's because they feel so segmented rather than interwoven. We don't have bits of whimsy anywhere BUT the library and we don't know why the library has the whimsy vibe. Until we get to the house, we don't know that there is anything but humans (alive or dead) in this setting, so it comes out of nowhere.

Between this and a somewhat predictable plot (I guessed the main villain by their second mention in the book, because otherwise too much attention was being drawn to them when there wasn't any other attention pointed at other random-seeming people) I was left feeling like The Library of the Dead gave me a lot of things I liked and had a strong core, but perhaps needed a bit more time in development to fully tie all its concepts together and smooth off the rough edges. I'd still definitely recommend this to a young adult audience and I'm curious about the dangling thread leading into book 2.

I love books about libraries. Especially ones about paranormal libraries and this book was one of my most anticipated books of the year. However, this book however was a GIANT let down.
The ideas presented in the book are interesting and unique however this book struggled because it was like it didn't know what it wanted to be. It was a paranormal post apocalyptic mystery with elements of horror that read like a middle grade but was filled with unnecessary swearing. It had three major plot points but it didn't feature enough about any of them and it was like all three of them could have been their own book. In fact, I would read all three of those books. But together they were just a mess.
I'm not entirely sure what age range this book was aimed at either. It started off reading like a Middle Grade paranormal, then evolved into a YA horror. The language used by the main character was unnecessary and crude. I wouldn't let my kids read this because of it.
Overall I just couldn't enjoy this book because it was all over the place with to many plot points and too many genres.

First off, not available on Netgalley on kindle, but I got a copy on Edelweiss Plus on kindle. Not sure what's up there, but just FYI.

This is the first in a new series and it has great potential. Much fun in this magical, distopian(ish) book set in Edinburgh. I am a sucker for any book with a library mentioned in it's title. And, to be honest, there's not enough of the library in this one. But, it's a fun start to a new series. The main character shines here and while there's a lot going on and a few things that could be smoothed out, I'll absolutely pick up the next in the series when it comes out.