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A review by bickleyhouse
The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Set in Edinburgh, at some point in the distant future (I think?), The Library of the Dead starts out as a kind of paranormal fantasy, urban fantasy, but at some point along the way, turns that dark corner into horror. And when it goes horror, it goes full-on.
Ropa, our main character, is a 14-almost-15-year-old girl, who dropped out of school to pursue her talent/occupation as a "ghostalker" full-time. She communicates with the dead, taking messages from them to their living relatives/friends. Sometimes, this helps the dead to cross over into the "land of the tall grass."
In my opinion, this is a beautiful story. Definitely, there are parts that are not "beautiful," especially during the horror moments, but overall, the story is crafted beautifully. This author definitely has a talent of weaving a tale.
It was a little challenging at first, because the entire story is in first person POV from the perspective of Ropa, and we get her dialect in the telling. So that takes a little getting used to, but is accessible.
Ropa, her Gran, and her little sister Izwi, live in a large field, in a "cara," which appears to be one of those tiny, one-roomed rvs. There is barely enough foom for the three of them to sleep, and if all three of them are up at the same time, it's crowded. They pay "rent" to the owner of the field, for allowing them to park their cara there.
There are remnants of days past, when things were different, and society lived well. Ropa has a pet named River, who lives outside. We eventually learn that River is a fox, which made me very happy, because I have always wanted a pet fox.
The story begins with Ropa helping a family with a paranormal need, and she gets quite a bit of money for it. But on her way home from the job, she is accosted by the local law enforcement, which extorts the newly-made cash from her.
At one point, she is approached by the spirit of a woman who is the mother of a living boy who has disappeared. She begs Ropa to help her, and Ropa initially refuses, because the woman cannot afford to pay. But Gran talks Ropa into helping her, and thus begins the meat of the plot. A deeper, darker secret is uncovered as Ropa investigates Ollie's disappearance, and discovers that he is not the only one.
Oddly, the titular library only seems to play a minor role in this story (at least in my opinion), so the title surprises me a little. Ropa's best friend Jomo is the one who introduces her to the library, a secret stash of books on magic and related arts deep below Edinburgh. In fact, Jomo's father works at the library. And when Jomo sneaks Ropa in, they get caught, which almost results in Ropa being "hanged by the neck until expired." Fortunately, one of the other "librarians," who sees something deeper in Ropa, rescues her and starts to give her some training.
There are many little subplots in this story, which make it seem to move along well. Ropa uses a little thumb-piano called a mbira, to communicate with the dead. When they first approach her, all that can be heard is "Booga-wooga-wooga," until she begins to play the mbira and create the right tune to help them communicate with her.
The blurb calls this book "The Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things." I don't know that I quite agree with that. There are definitely "Stranger Things" aspects to it, and I suppose Ropa does, in fact, "see dead people," but that's about as close as it gets to "Sixth Sense." The world that this author has created is vastly different from anything that I have ever experienced, and I absolutely loved it. I can't wait for the next one, as this appears to be a series, since this one is called "Edinburgh Nights #1."
A couple other interesting things: Whenever people meet, one always says, "God save the king," and the other responds with "Long may he reign." Something that is said concerning the evil house (where the tale turns into horror): "It's not a window. It's a mirror of your innermost desire." A quote that I found very interesting: "You can't erase what's written in blood. Ever." And lastly, a quote that really illustrates the author's wordcrafting skill: "I know that's Ballake Sissoko playing because the sound of the music is now falling cherry blossoms blowing in the wind through a courtyard, curved multi-layered pagodas, and courtiers scurrying about in silken garments."
Strongly recommended for fans of paranormal fantasy who aren't afraid of some horror mixed in.
Ropa, our main character, is a 14-almost-15-year-old girl, who dropped out of school to pursue her talent/occupation as a "ghostalker" full-time. She communicates with the dead, taking messages from them to their living relatives/friends. Sometimes, this helps the dead to cross over into the "land of the tall grass."
In my opinion, this is a beautiful story. Definitely, there are parts that are not "beautiful," especially during the horror moments, but overall, the story is crafted beautifully. This author definitely has a talent of weaving a tale.
It was a little challenging at first, because the entire story is in first person POV from the perspective of Ropa, and we get her dialect in the telling. So that takes a little getting used to, but is accessible.
Ropa, her Gran, and her little sister Izwi, live in a large field, in a "cara," which appears to be one of those tiny, one-roomed rvs. There is barely enough foom for the three of them to sleep, and if all three of them are up at the same time, it's crowded. They pay "rent" to the owner of the field, for allowing them to park their cara there.
There are remnants of days past, when things were different, and society lived well. Ropa has a pet named River, who lives outside. We eventually learn that River is a fox, which made me very happy, because I have always wanted a pet fox.
The story begins with Ropa helping a family with a paranormal need, and she gets quite a bit of money for it. But on her way home from the job, she is accosted by the local law enforcement, which extorts the newly-made cash from her.
At one point, she is approached by the spirit of a woman who is the mother of a living boy who has disappeared. She begs Ropa to help her, and Ropa initially refuses, because the woman cannot afford to pay. But Gran talks Ropa into helping her, and thus begins the meat of the plot. A deeper, darker secret is uncovered as Ropa investigates Ollie's disappearance, and discovers that he is not the only one.
Oddly, the titular library only seems to play a minor role in this story (at least in my opinion), so the title surprises me a little. Ropa's best friend Jomo is the one who introduces her to the library, a secret stash of books on magic and related arts deep below Edinburgh. In fact, Jomo's father works at the library. And when Jomo sneaks Ropa in, they get caught, which almost results in Ropa being "hanged by the neck until expired." Fortunately, one of the other "librarians," who sees something deeper in Ropa, rescues her and starts to give her some training.
There are many little subplots in this story, which make it seem to move along well. Ropa uses a little thumb-piano called a mbira, to communicate with the dead. When they first approach her, all that can be heard is "Booga-wooga-wooga," until she begins to play the mbira and create the right tune to help them communicate with her.
The blurb calls this book "The Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things." I don't know that I quite agree with that. There are definitely "Stranger Things" aspects to it, and I suppose Ropa does, in fact, "see dead people," but that's about as close as it gets to "Sixth Sense." The world that this author has created is vastly different from anything that I have ever experienced, and I absolutely loved it. I can't wait for the next one, as this appears to be a series, since this one is called "Edinburgh Nights #1."
A couple other interesting things: Whenever people meet, one always says, "God save the king," and the other responds with "Long may he reign." Something that is said concerning the evil house (where the tale turns into horror): "It's not a window. It's a mirror of your innermost desire." A quote that I found very interesting: "You can't erase what's written in blood. Ever." And lastly, a quote that really illustrates the author's wordcrafting skill: "I know that's Ballake Sissoko playing because the sound of the music is now falling cherry blossoms blowing in the wind through a courtyard, curved multi-layered pagodas, and courtiers scurrying about in silken garments."
Strongly recommended for fans of paranormal fantasy who aren't afraid of some horror mixed in.