Labyrinth of the Spirits - 5 stars; Carlos Ruiz Zafon

[Amy]

Its difficult to write a review a few days later. But I'll try.

Labyrinth of the Spirits is the fourth installment of the Shadow of the Wind series by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. These stories are intended to be independent, but do intertwine. Each has the component of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, where there is a mystical and ethereal connection to individuals who find buried books that are quite intended for them. There is the backdrop of Barcelona, its architecture, its history, its scars of war. And of quirky characters, including the Sempere Family, booksellers and book lovers, and Fermin, whose identity we never quite know, although his loyalty is unquestionable. a quickly book lover imprisoned and tortured in the war. There are writers and fighters, and spunky youth, There are ghosts, and scarred people, disfigured people. There are secrets and cover ups. And always, books and writing that tell the story. And always, love prevailing, at least most of the time. Sometimes not.

This fourth book is the one meant to tie the other three, three and a half up with a ribbon. Two new characters are introduced, Alicia and Vargus, and their tale, her tale, takes us way back, and also helps understand all the mysteries of the previous three books and tie them together in a way we can appreciate in its beauty and intricacy. And always, there is the Cemetery of Forgotten books. The question is asked. Who holds, who narrates the story? Who truly are the authors and the characters?

I loved this series and I actually really loved this book. All 805 pages of it. Finishing it felt like saying goodbye to an old friend. The end of an era. It was mystical, eerie, haunting, interesting, well developed, fast paced, and deeply gratifying. I wondered if these four might have made a good mini-series, because I can completely picture it. And our hero, Daniel Sempere, grows through the four novels, and he holds, his family holds the story. I think the entire thing was brilliantly done, and i am better for having read and enjoyed this series in my life. Highly recommended as an entire experience.