I am a fan of the first in this series, so I requested this one as soon as I saw it. It doesn't disappoint. All of the great characters are back and their relationship dynamic is wonderful. Cant wait for the next one!

Archive of the Forgotten takes a second dip into the world of the Library of the Unwritten, but this time it’s not the demons we deal with—but muses. This revisit to the Library was quite different from the first, and had a very different overall feel. The characters seemed to get more developed, but lost their charm with that development. In the end, I found it hard to keep wanting to go on and risk ruining what I had already come to love in the first installment. Eventually, I finished the book and found it pretty lackluster overall.

I loved the first book, so I was so excited to jump right in. I felt some of the 'sequel syndrome' in where the prompt of the first book dulled down in the second. It definitely did expand the word-building, and I felt a deeper understanding of the characters as they developed. It was an intriguing book that kept me hooked. The book had a unique voice, and the idea for this series is amazing. Well done.

Thank you to NetGalley for granting me an e-arc for a fair and honest review.

This book is a sequel to the Library of the Unwritten. The first time I tried picking up the first book, I could not get into it. The tone was more whimsical than I was expecting. I thought it was going to be a more realistic world (or maybe a darker world). Think of this as Supernatural compared to the Haunting of Hill house; those are two different ways of approaching the same genre. I came back to it several months later hoping that, knowing what to expect, I would enjoy it more. Sadly, that was not the case.

Nevertheless, I was really intrigued by the concept and I loved the queerness, so I decided to give the series a second chance when I saw it on NetGalley. That was a bad idea. I've heard great praise for this series from other readers, but my feelings of book two were the same as book one. Honestly, the plot was probably less interesting the second go around. In book one, I didn’t love the tone, but the plot was still compelling and the world extremely interesting. Book two felt like it was trying to continue in a world that didn't have much more story to tell.

Two weeks after I've read it, I could barely recite to you the finer details of the actual plot. It just wasn't interesting. The fact that I wasn’t engaged is probably because I don’t mesh with this authors mode of storytelling. It likely isn’t a bad book; it just isn’t the book for me. Which is unfortunate because these covers are absolutely stellar.

I don't want to spoil anything about this book or the series. But, what I will say is that these books are full of excitement, wonderful characters and an interesting atmousphere. There is never a dull moment, with something always going awry. 

The characters are so loveable and I was at the edge of my seat needing to know how things were going to turn out. It is also refreshing that there are many diverse characters. This story breaks the mold on many levels and really makes you think about things. The writing not only tells such a fantastic fantasy adventure, but it is so insightful. It's a rare treat to find such a book. I shall assume that it because we are in The Library of the Unwritten where a story can blossom and grow into whatever it needs to be.

I look forward to reading the next book if and when we get one and any other books the author should come out with.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

It started off a bit slower than the first book, but I was happy to dive back in and expand more on the characters. It was nice to see them learn, grow, and adapt. The writing is consistent to the first book, so if you did or didn't like it, the second is not going to be any different. Four out of five stars.

This is the second book in the Hell's Library series. After the Library of the Unwritten, was narrowly saved, Claire lost her position as the Head librarian and has become the Head Archivist in The Archive of the Forgotten. her former aide, and muse, Brevity, has become the new Head Librarian.
However, the damage to both wings have created an ink that neither are sure how to deal with. The two clash over the problem as they attempt to stop more damage.
This book continues the series with the same fantastic characters that are fascinating. The world building is incredible and its' so easy to get completely lost in the world.
I can't wait for the continuation of this series.

I looked forward to the further adventures of Hell's librarian, and AJ Hackwith did not disappoint.  The writing is exciting and involving, the characters continue to be be interesting and sympathetic. I think that when an author can show me character growth both within a book and in a series, I rejoice. The world building does not disappoint, and Hackwith skillfully picks it up where she left off in book one, without leaving new readers in the dark.

Although less action-packed than its predecessor, The Archive of the Forgotten explores the nature of books, humanity, and the soul of creation. Even moreso than the first book, I really enjoyed the character arcs in this sequel, especially Hero's. Uncertainty is an inherent part of change, and when one's identity is comprised of what we are in relation to other people, it can be difficult to know who you are when you're alone. The cast of The Archive of the Forgotten learn this lesson the hard way, but luckily, they have people in their corners who refuse to give up on them. Recommended!

Misunderstandings are part of life. Especially when you are dealing with family. And like most urban fantasies, Hell's Library involves a chosen family, centred around the former librarian, Claire. But Claire is now the Arcanist in charge of Hell's archives, the Muse Brevity has been promoted to Librarian, and each has an assistant: the former book character Hero in the Library and fallen angel Ramiel in the Archives.

All of these changes happened during a turbulent period (see book one) and it is the supernatural Library that chooses these things. Claire is hurt to be shifted from her librarian position and isolates herself. How many families do you know where this happens? Someone's feelings are hurt and they withdraw from family gatherings and communication. It's difficult for everyone, there's a lot of anger, and nothing gets resolved.

So when a huge pool of Ink appears in the Archives, a result of destruction of books (see book one), it would make sense to collaborate. However Claire still isn't willing to talk. She was proud of her work and still isn't ready to admit to her mistakes. Pride cometh before a fall, and Claire gets infected with this magical ink. Brevity is having her own issues, as her sister Muse Probity has come to “support" her. Or is that Probity's true purpose?

I'm rating this as 4 stars, the same as book 1, but it's maybe truly 3.8 stars. I liked it just a titch less, but it was still very good. The first installment had the excellent tag line, “Raise Hell. Join the Library.” That's pretty hard to beat.

The Archive of the Forgotten by A. J. Hackwith is the second installment of the Hell's Library series. As one would expect of a sequel, there are a few answers, more questions, and a new crisis our heroes must resolve. This time around, we not only learn more about the Library, but we also get some time with Brevity and Hero as well as Claire.

As The Archive of the Forgotten starts out a few months after the end of The Library of the Unwritten, there is always a danger that an author will either not recap the previous story or will spend too much time doing so, to the detriment of the current one. Thankfully, Ms. Hackwith does an excellent job balancing the refresher with building the mystery for this new adventure.

In fact, one of the main plot points of The Archive of the Forgotten is the aftermath of that first story. For Hero, Brevity, and Claire, there is no such thing as moving on with their lives (or afterlives). The emotional and psychological traumas of the battle among all of the characters play a significant role in the sequel, as it should. It shows that Ms. Hackwith intends for each story within the series to build upon the other one, which is always something you want in any series.

Within The Archive of the Forgotten, we get to see yet another afterlife dimension even though Heaven does not make an appearance this time. We do learn more about the Library, especially its importance within the universe. However, Ms. Hackwith is careful to leave certain questions about the Library without answers to give us something to anticipate in future novels.

The Archive of the Forgotten is the second novel in an enjoyable series that focuses less on the comical and more on the poignant. Ms. Hackwith seeks to redefine what a story is in a way that will strike an avid reader as profound. In addition, she makes you ruminate on the relationship between an author and his or her story. With many a sentence that hits you with all the emotions, I am most definitely a fan and cannot wait to see what happens next!

The Archive of the Forgotten takes up where the Library of the Unwritten ended. Everyone is dealing with the aftermath of the assault to protect the library. Our characters are all dealing with their choices that lead them to here. The book deals with another threat to the library. We focus more on characters, so the book is definitely a character driven fantasy read. I also really liked how we got to see more worlds besides the Hell’s Library and all the more secrets that the library holds. Overall, The Archive of the Forgotten is a great sequel to a promising series.

i feel like the rug was pulled out from under me. the things i thought was building up to something from book one, were just completely dropped, somewhere between the end of the first book and the start of this one. instead something else dropped in its place out of nowhere. its was just there and didn't feel satisfying. where the first book felt so complex in the characters interactions and relationships, this one feels...well after the trauma? of the first book, they just dont talk, hold things in and it leads to hurt feelings and things going wrong.
realistic, sure i guess, but that what the full problem of the book. because they are hurt and dont talk, it leaves room for mistakes and makes events worse.
i feel let down.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. Just like the first book this book took me on a wild ride...at least in the second half. The first half had me worried in the first half where I thought it was gonna suffer with "the middle book" syndrome, but A.J. Hackwith didn't let me down. At this point, I'm biting my nails for the last book.

This book was something different. It was also much better than the first. I am still a little unclear about some of the logistics behind how the library and the museum work but the story was so engaging I didn't really care. I need the third book. I need to know what happens to Hero and how claire and the rest survive

Thank you for the opportunity to read this title. I loved the first book of this series, which is why I requested this one, but I just couldn't get into it. Probably more my problem than the author's writing, to be honest.

Sequel to Library of the Unwritten features virtually all of the same characters but suffers from way to much exposition and introspection by the main characters and I found it extremely difficult to keep my interest for much of the novel. It starts out somewhat interesting and finishes well, but the majority of the story was a slog. Nowhere near as good or enjoyable as the first book.

i'm DNFing this at 45% because i'm just not as interested as i hoped i would be. it's taking me so long to try and force myself to get through it and i'm just not enjoying it. there's nothing inherently wrong about this series, so i'm giving this book 3 stars since i have to give a rating to give feedback. i think this is just not quite for me, or i'm reading it at the wrong time or something else, but i know there are readers out there who will love this incredibly unique series.

After finishing The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith back in July, I figured I’d have to wait for my library to get a copy of its sequel, The Archive of the Forgotten when it came out in October. To my surprise and delight, I was able to secure an advance reader copy in September… but what I was unable to secure was the time to read it before it hit shelves (the worst thing about busy season at work is how it cuts into my reading time and energy). Though it took me longer to get to it than I’d hoped, The Archive of the Forgotten proved to be as thoroughly engaging a follow-up novel as I’d anticipated… just not in the directions I had expected (which actually made it that much better). 
Some time has passed since Andras’ attack on the library and things should be settling into a new normal with Claire in her new position as Arcanist and her former apprentice Brevity stepping up as the Librarian of the Unwritten Wing. But even with Hero recovered from his injuries (and working as Brevity’s new apprentice) and Ramiel adjusting nicely to his new place as Claire’s assistant, things between them all are a little… off. Continuing to ignore the imbalance or whatever it is ceases to be an option when two things appear: first, one of Brevity’s sister muses, Probity, visits from the Muse Corps to see how the former muse is managing her position as Librarian and second, a mysterious pool of ink has appeared in the Arcane Wing – a pool of ink that appears to be attracting damsels from the Unwritten Wing. As Claire and Brevity clash over what the pool of ink is and what should be done about it and the tension in their relationship begins to bubble over into their relationships with the others around them. Is it a difference of opinion and philosophy or something deeper, more fundamental and dangerous?
After the way The Library of the Unwritten ended, I fully expected the sequel to be an escalation of the larger external threats to the Library. Instead, The Archive of the Forgotten delves deeply into the internal recoveries of the characters, which was so much more satisfying since so many series have a tendency to brush over those elements or sprinkle them into plots that overshadow them. Here, they were the breathing room they deserved. There were still plenty of revelations that serve to advance the larger arc of the world and story Hackwith has created, but it’s been handled in a beautifully character-driven way. And the revelations about the nature of stories also tie back meticulously to elements of the first novel – and it’s done in a way that makes me want to go back and re-read to pick up on the hints I’m sure were there, but that I blew right past as I strove to keep pace with the story. 
The Archive of the Forgotten also shows a remarkable contrast to the first book in the origins of the threats the library faces. Where the threat and violence of The Library of the Unwritten ultimately comes from greed and deception of someone Claire had trusted, in Archive the threat derives more from the desire to fix things, to right wrongs. It shows that while the motivation can be completely different and can be nobler, it can lead to the same kind of devastation.
Given how the novel ends, I’m sure there are more books in the Hell’s Library series to look forward to but I’m not looking forward to how much longer I’ll have to wait for the next one. At least it should provide me with plenty of time to re-read both ahead of whatever comes next.

This was such a guilty pleasure! The author had me in awe with the first novel and it is hard to beat a second but I loved this one just as much! We meet with Claire and the gang again and a few new people too. This is a great premise and I’m so happy Hackwith came up with it because it is unique story! All the stars!