FREE FICTION | Carlos Ruiz Zafon's origin story of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books

"Rose of Fire" is a short story by Carlos Ruiz Zafon translated by Lucia Graves set in the world of the much beloved The Shadow of the Wind. It tells the origins of Cemetery of Forgotten Books in the fifteenth century. I have just made your day as I know it made mine.

The story is being released for promotion of Zafon's The Prisoner of Heaven, which is just a few short weeks away. You can find the story for free at nearly every major e-book vendor including Nook, Amazon, Kobo, etc.

Go forth and enjoy!

You Might Also Like:
Cover Unveiled for The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
REVIEW | The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Cover Unveiled for Charles Yu's Sorry Please Thank You: Stories
REVIEW | Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway

Cover Unveiled for The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Behold the cover for Zafon's The Prisoner of Heaven. As with many of Zafon's covers we can't escape an  ornate street light. Somehow that has become the symbol of Gothic Barcelona. But what is with the duck head at the top?

The Prisoner of Heaven is the third book in Carlos Ruiz Zafon's mosaic series that started with The Shadow of the Wind, followed by The Angel's Game. Shadow is one of my favorite books and while The Angel's Game doesn't hit nearly as a high mark it isn't too shabby either.  With The Prisoner of Heaven we're going back to spend more time with Sempere and Sons and what looks to be an extended visit to The Cemetery of Forgotten Books compared to the first two novels. Both these reasons have stuck a grin on my face every time I think about this book. Here's the blurb:

The Prisoner of Heaven returns to the world of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books and the Sempere & Sons bookshop, where Daniel, and his old friend Fermín Romero de Torres, are tending shop. Daniel is now married with a son, and Fermín is soon to follow. Both men lead relatively happy and quiet lives. Enter an enigmatic visitor--a grim old man with a piercing gaze--who inquires about Fermín’s whereabouts. When told he is not in, the old man proceeds to buy the most expensive item in the store, a first edition of The Count of Monte Cristo, adds a dedication and leaves it as a present for Fermín. When Daniel reveals the details of this unsettling encounter to his friend, Fermín reads the dedication, turns pale, and at Daniel’s insistence, decides to open up about a past that has come back to haunt him…a story that will leave Daniel questioning his very existence.

The Prisoner of Heaven will be released June 19th (just in time for my birthday) from Harper.

You Might Also Like:
REVIEW | The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
NEWS | New Carlos Ruiz Zafon and More Gail Carriger Steampunk Goodness
Cover Unveiled for Charles Yu's Sorry Please Thank You: Stories
Cover Unveiled for Seed by Rob Ziegler

NEWS | New Carlos Ruiz Zafon and More Gail Carriger Steampunk Goodness

Thanks to Dark Wolf for the news of a new Carlos Ruiz Zafon novel being released this fall in Spanish, which is part of the world he started with The Shadow of the Wind, one of my all-time favorite books. The new book is titled El Prisionero del Cielo, which translates to The Prisoner of Heaven. The Prisoner of Heaven again plays with the time period a bit and takes place during the 40's and 50's. Although the novel will be released in Spain in November nothing is firm on a US release. Judging by the release schedule for Zafon's last effort, The Angel's Game, we may see the US Spanish edition a couple months after the release in Spain and the English translation 4 to 6 months after that. So hopefully by Summer 2012 we'll all be lost in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books once again and back in the Gothic Barcelona that has no end of intrigue and romance.

Gail Carriger is also keeping her writing schedule quite full.  Even though February 2012 will mark the fifth and final Alexia Tarrabotti novel with Timeless, it won't be the end of the Alternative past she created. A while back I learned Carriger would be venturing into the YA field with a Steampunk series tentatively titled The Finishing School. The first book will be titled Etiquette and Espionage is placed about 20 years before the events of Soulless and should be out in Fall 2012. But there is even more afoot. Here is a bit from Orbit's official announcement:

Orbit US will publish Gail Carriger’s next adult series, The Parasol Protectorate Abroad. The series is tentatively scheduled to launch in 2013 with book one, Prudence, to be followed by Imprudence (naturally).

So it looks like we have plenty of Carriger to look forward to over the next few years. And don't forget the manga adaptation of Soulless is on track for a March 2012 release.

You Might Also Like:
REVIEW | The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
REVIEW | Soulless by Gail Carriger
CHARACTER INTERVIEW | Alexia and Lord Maccon from Gail Carriger's Soulless
CHARACTER INTERVIEW | Lord Akeldama from Gail Carriger's Soulless
NEWS | Gail Carriger's Alexia Tarabotti to Become Graphic Novels

Limited Edition Cover to The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Art by Vincent Chong

The Angel's Game was one of my favorite books last year.  While not as memorable as The Shadow of the Wind it held up to the standard I now expect from Zafon.  Subterranean Press is coming out with a limited edition of The Angel's Game and the cover is quite an eye catcher. Love the colors, atmosphere, and imagery created by Vincent Chong. If you're a big Zafon fan than get on over to Sub Press to pre-order as it is likely to sell out as did their edition of Shadow.

I'm a bit torn on getting this edition.  I do have the Sub Press edition of The Shadow of the Wind so having a matching set would certainly be nice, but I already have the signed and numbered edition from Random House.  It was the same as their normal hardcover edition except with a few little extras.  Plus I'll be buying a paperback copy of The Angel's Game at some point to have one on hand to lend out.  I've bought at least 7 copies of Shadow over the years to give to friends knowing they'll never return. In fact I've got to grab one for a birthday next month.

You Might Also Like:
REVIEW | The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
June 2010 Recent Read Run-Down
RECOMMENDATIONS | Best Books of 2009 (That I've read)

Recent Read Run-Down

Well I've been reading a lot even if I haven't had time to review everything. I wanted to share my thoughts and continue a log of sorts of what I've been reading. I especially wanted to get this down as I'll be on vacation next week and didn't want these to fade from memory too much. Don't worry about my absence as I have plenty of posts scheduled for my time away, which includes an author guest post.  As you'll see below I'm still avoiding books over 500 pages at the moment. I've definitely been in the mood for lighter reading fair and that will probably continue for the next couple of weeks.

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - This is the first book Zafon ever wrote, which also happens to be a YA book.  You can definitely see how The Shadow of the Wind developed from here.  The prose isn't nearly as beautiful, but accomplishing that would be difficult given the intended audience.  YA books just don't stretch your vocabulary as an adult book intends to do.  Still it was a very fine read that I recommend all Zafon fans seek out.  The ending was a bit off, but the first two thirds built up well. I'd love to hear thoughts about this one from someone who hasn't read The Shadow of the Wind to see what an outsider without the high expectations gets from it.   Zafon's publisher Little Brown is planning on releasing his other two YA books a year apart.

The Mirrored Heavens by David J. Williams - Recommended.  Full review to come.

Divine Misfortune by A. Lee Martinez - Yet another great comic romp.  Martinez is solidifying his place as one of American's best Speculative Humorists. The ending was a bit predictable, but I can overlook that for the entertainment value as Martinez's baggage-laden gods show how truly gone wild they are, especially after being invited into someone's home. In some ways this is a humorous version of Gaiman's American Gods that doesn't take it self too seriously, but using gods little used in literature elsewhere.  Highly recommend for those looking to laugh.

Strata by Terry Pratchett - An okay read that I was expecting more out of.  Definitely not the Pratchett we've come to know and love.  This was him striving for more of a hard Sci-Fi story.  While it does the science part fine the characters were difficult to care for and a section at the beginning of the main journey bothered me in its execution.  It is a good read to see the evolution of the idea of a disc world, but I prefer other early Pratchett such as The Carpet People and The Bromeliad Trilogy.

A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr - I thought I had read this years ago, but I think I might be mistaken.  Either way I doubt I would have appreciated it as much in the past.  This is a classic not to be missed by anyone.  The third section lost me a little as it feels a little dated, but the first two are timeless and amazing in their style and execution.  This story is a forbearer to so much Apocalyptic fiction it is scary to think where that subgenre would be if it had never been published.

The Goon Vol. 1 through 5 and The Goon: Noir by Eric Powell and others - I am officially addicted to this truly awesome graphic novel series.  I'd rank it close to Hellboy in terms of quality of art with the cover paintings being especially grabbing.  The stories are pretty darn good as well as the mob muscle/anti-hero known as The Goon battles a Zombie Priest and his hordes.  With each passing chapter The Goon gains unexpected complexity, but it is the all out fights you'll stick around for.  He combats a mad scientist, werewolves, mutants, and a host of other creatures.  All in all it is a great mix of 30's Noir and the paranormal with a deep humor bent that can border on the inappropriate. Highly recommended.

Swords and Dark Magic edited by Lou Anders and Jonathan Strahan - Highly recommended. Full review to come.

Stalking the Vampire by Mike Resnick - The second in the John Justin Mallory series of uber hard-boiled Detective stories in an alternative Manhattan infested with creatures of myth and legend. The story moves along at a quick pace, but some of the repetitive dialogue between certain characters was tiring. This mostly had to do with Mallory and his cat-girl protector Felina arguing about what she is going to eat.  Still I like Mallory and his no nonsense attitude plus their are loads of funny lines between other characters. Recommend for those looking for a light read with some laughs.

You Might Also Like:
REVIEW | Monster by A. Lee Martinez
REVIEW | The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Recent Read Run-Down, March 2010
Recent Read Run-Down, April 2010

LOOKING FORWARD | 3 YA Books (Zafon, Bacigalupi, & van Eekhout)

Examining my "Looking Forward" posts for 2010 releases it seems I neglected to mention any YA books except for Neil Gaiman's The Tales of Odd. That's not too surprising considering I'm far from an expert on YA releases as it would be too much to keep up with both those and adult releases, but I always read a few every year and for the most part they are every bit as enjoyable as adult fiction. In fact many so called adult books would probably fit just as well in the YA category such as Boneshaker by Cherie Priest and Joe Haldeman's Marsbound. Now the books mentioned below may not be me thinking too far outside the box, but they are all books worth pointing out from accomplished and imaginative authors who are for the first time working in the YA arena.


The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Publisher: Little Brown | Release Date: May 4th

Zafon's name is enough to put this on the top of my list unequivocally. He also has a couple other YA books that will be seeing English publication over the next few years.

A mysterious house harbors an unimaginable secret . . . It’s wartime, and the Carver family decides to leave the capital where they live and move to a small coastal village where they’ve recently bought a home. But from the minute they cross the threshold, strange things begin to happen. In that mysterious house there still lurks the spirit of Jacob, the previous owners’ son, who died by drowning.

With the help of their new friend Roland, Max and Alicia Carver begin to explore the suspicious circumstances of that death and discover the existence of a mysterious being called The Prince of Mist—a diabolical character who has returned from the shadows to collect on a debt from the past. Soon the three friends will find themselves caught up in an adventure of sunken ships and an enchanted stone garden, which will change their lives forever.


Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Publisher: Little Brown | Release Date: May 5th

Ship Breaker is Bacigalupi's YA debut, but this is also the start to a series. As with The Windup Girl this is set in a dystopian future where resources are scarce and everyday is a challenge.  I love the cover art as it sets the tone for a work by Bacigalupi well.

In a shanty town in America’s Gulf Coast region, 100 years in the future, where grounded oil tankers are dissembled for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, searches for copper wiring to make quota and live another day. But out on the blue ocean, Nailer can see the new hightechnology clipper ships sailing the open waves, and he dreams of a better life, if only he can figure out a way to get there.

When an accident leads Nailer to discover an exquisite clipper ship and its lone survivor beached during a recent hurricane, he must choose between his dreams and doing the right thing. The decision will lead him on an adventure that could cost him his life—or end up saving it.


Kid Vs. Squid by Greg van Eekhout
Publisher: Bloomsbury  | Release Date: May 11th

van Eekhout's shorts certainly lend themselves to a YA audience.  In fact this story has its impetuous from a piece of flash fiction he wrote a few years back.  Plus I'm a sucker for Atlantis related ficton.  This must stem from all the In Search of episodes I watched as a child narrated by Leonard Nimoy.

The citizens of Atlantis are stuck selling cotton candy on the boardwalk, and only our hero can help

Thatcher Hill is bored stiff of his summer job dusting the fake mermaids and shrunken heads at his uncle’s seaside Museum of Curiosities. But when a mysterious girl steals an artifact from the museum, Thatcher’s summer becomes an adventure that takes him from the top of the ferris wheel to the depths of the sea. Following the thief, he learns that she is a princess of the lost Atlantis. Her people have been cursed by an evil witch to drift at sea all winter and wash up on shore each summer to an even more terrible fate—working the midway games and food stands on the boardwalk. Can Thatcher help save them before he, too, succumbs to the witch’s curse?

With sharp, witty writing that reads like a middle-grade Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Greg van Eekhout’s first book for young readers is a wild ride packed with as many laughs as it has thrills.

Are there any other YA books we should be looking out for?


You Might Also Like:
REVIEW | The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
REVIEW | The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
REVIEW | Norse Code by Greg van Eekhout

REVIEW | The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Doubleday)

Ever since the moment I first finished Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind I was left wanting for more of his beautiful Barcelona and never have I wanted to visit a time and place as much. Now with The Angel's Game we finally get another look. The translation is impeccable and beautiful while never feeling overly verbose as some translations are wont to do. The Angel's Game is one to savour. I found myself re-reading whole chapters again and again as I was entranced by not only the story but the sumptuous language. Zafon has once again proven he is one of if not the brightest voices in literature today. The Angel's Game has easily become my favorite book of the year and it will be tough to knock it from that perch. However, do not expect Angel and Shadow to be similar. The Angel's Game is a much darker and much more melancholy Faustian tale with stronger supernatural themes running throughout. The themes of love taken away, unreciprocated love, and filling of voids are still are here along with memorable characters, dialogue, and love of the written word. Quite a few characters from TSOTW show up in younger forms, but I won't ruin it by telling who. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books plays a central and even more important role as well. We are also gifted with a little more history of the Cemetery, which I have been salivating for since the opening pages of TSOTW.

Zafon has truly conceived a rich mosaic city where every character and the city itself has a heart and lost soul all its own. With the main character, David Martin, he managed to create someone with a deep sardonic humor and no matter their foibles you want to see him somehow best his creepy publisher Andreas. The discussions between Andreas and David are something out of a good philosophy debate. Zafon takes the no happy ends to an entirely different realm with this as he twists and turns the written word to his incredible will. The biggest let down was the character of Cristina who needed a few more scenes earlier on to grab me a bit more, maybe even in their childhood. In the end I felt she was very short shifted. There are also a few plot lines that aren't answered very well or at all that may nag some, but it was done with the intent of perpetuating the mysterious and any explanation may have ruined the narrative.

The ending was quite unexpected as it leaves you more perplexed than anything else, which will probably turn a few readers off, but you are left with a sense of wonder that will stay with you. I give The Angel's Game 9.75 out of 10 Hats. This is a book no one should miss. The Angel's Game can be thoroughly enjoyed without have read The Shadow of the Wind, but I highly recommend you read Shadow first.

Book Link: US Canada Europe