The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith (Fantasy fiction

All unfinished works of art, whether it’s a sword, book, or painting, are cataloged and kept in the library of the unwritten, located in Hell. The librarian’s job is to ensure that no unfinished books seek out their authors and attempt to persuade his or her author to finish the story. The current librarian, and the protagonist of the book, is a woman named Claire Hadley. In this story, one’s soul decides his or her fate (whether they are admitted to heaven or sent to wait in purgatory or become a demon). In Claire’s case, her soul decided that she was to be the librarian of the unwritten wing for an unknown period of time. She and the assistant librarian, a muse named Brevity, keep track of all the objects and stories in the unwritten wing. Things have been quiet during Claire’s stay as the librarian, until a routine trip to Earth to catch an incomplete book results in not only the capture of the book but a scrap of paper from a book that is powerful enough to cause war between the realms. Claire, Brevity and their new acquaintances (a demon named Leto, and the character from the aforementioned escaped book who calls himself “Hero”) travel the realms looking for answers, while at the same time fighting off the power-hungry people who want to claim the power of the book for themselves.

This book had ideas that I hadn’t seen explored before. I really liked the concept of an archive for unfinished works of art- If there is an actual museum or library like that, I will definitely have to pay it a visit. While some of the character may seem cliché at first glance, the author combats this by making fun of and actively embracing tropes. The general storyline progressed like most fantasy storylines, but the way the story was told and the interesting ideas being used combated feelings of boredom. While there are themes of religion, they are in no way over-the-top and it never feels like the author is trying to convince you that one belief system is better or more accurate than another. Religion is used in the story, but it is not the focus of the story. There is also positive LGBT+ representation, which is naturally used to both include a group of people who are often left out of novels and progress the story. This book is one that most people could enjoy, regardless of beliefs. I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up. This book is a good read for someone who is looking for a well-executed, unique idea. I would not recommend this book for someone looking for a romance or for a realistic fiction book, as both of these ideas show up very little and are not the focus of this book.

Reviewed by Maggie P., 10^th Grade