The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Stories have no beginning and no end, only doors through which we may enter them. Internationally acclaimed author Carlos Ruiz Zafón has presented us with many dark and dazzling doors in his Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. In the grand finale of this saga, The Labyrinth of the Spirits (Harper) Ruiz Zafón deftly ties together the many winding plots of his other stories and gives long-awaited closure on past mysteries.
As with Ruiz Zafón’s bittersweet writing style, fans will be fully satisfied with his grand hulking conclusion (around 800 pages), and yet saddened to see their favorite characters join on page for the last time.
The novel is set in the late 1950s Barcelona when Franco is in power, and follows the alluring Alicia Gris as she goes about her duties as an investigator for Spain’s secret police. Hardened by losing her parents in a bombing during the Spanish Civil War and still bearing the physical and emotional scars from her past, Alicia is a complicated character used to working alone with a spotless track record that secures her right to do so.
Previous readers who longed for a strong female character to take a lead role in the story will fall for Alicia as hard as any man who comes in her path. Although her beauty captivates all on page, her clever mind will be the aspect that wins the hearts of readers. No case is too grim or complicated for Alicia and her precision for solving cases is one unparalleled on the force.
On the brink of her retirement from her dark investigating career, Spain’s Minister of Culture, Mauricio Valls goes missing and she accepts to take one last case. At first reluctant to take any partner, Alicia grows to enjoy having the gruff yet endearing Juan Vargas by her side as they dive deep into the underbelly of Barcelona crime.
Their detective work leads them to a rare book by the author Víctor Mataix made famous previously in the series, and a bloody trail of gruesome kidnappings and murders orchestrated by a mastermind.
As enthralling as Alicia’s adventures are, no tale in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series is complete without members of the Sempere Family. All of your favorites play important roles in this final installment and readers will find comfort in the familiar characters of Fermín, Daniel, and the whole gang as they plunge into fresh adventures.
Destiny is usually just around the corner. Like a thief, a hooker, or a lottery vendor: its three most common personifications. But what destiny does not do is home visits. You have to go for it.
When destiny allows the paths of Alicia and the Sempere family to intersect, the well-meaning inspector brings a whole host of fresh knowledge, trouble, and finally answers to some of the most perplexing aspects of previous books. The circumstances of Isabella, David Martín, and Julián Carax are just some of the mysteries previously shrouded in speculation that unfurl meticulously in full light. As these secrets come crawling to exposure, the members of the Sempere family must choose their own paths in response.
Ruiz Zafón lays out an intricate tale both beautiful and haunting. As when leaving an actual cemetery, tumultuous emotions and powerful passages will linger long after you close the book. His love for books and their vitality in the lives of his most beloved characters remains as clear in this story as previous ones.
Just as the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books is passed on from one family member to another, you will want to pass on this tale to those who carry the same love for storytelling. As Ruiz Zafón says, “a story is an endless labyrinth of words, images, and spirits, conjured up to show us the invisible truth about ourselves.”
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