A solid sequel and perfect series for the month of October!

The Archive of the Forgotten picks up where the Unwritten Library left off after Claire and her “crew” save the Unwritten Library, which is housed in Hell, from destruction. However, after finding a pool of what looks to be ink which then attacks Claire, they discover that things may not be settled after all.

I really enjoyed The Unwritten Library and this sequel did not disappoint. Now I didn’t love it as much as I loved the first, but I think that just has to do with the novelty of such a creative storyline wearing off. I was more intrigued by the mystery this time around and loved the conclusion and where the series is going next. The writing again was deep and meaningful with an imaginative plot and I loved the descriptions of the different realms and libraries they visit the best. You really get to know the characters in this book on an even deeper level and they are probably my favorite characters I have met in a series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Last month I read and reviewed book #1 in this series, and I was blown away. (If you haven’t read book #1, check my review out.) In The Library of the Unwritten we found a library full of unfinished stories, characters leaving their books, and an epic quest for an ancient codex, what more could there be? Oh friends, here in book #2, A.J. Hackwith poured out so much more upon the pages!

After the devastating fire that destroyed many of the unwritten books, former librarian Claire has been reassigned to the Arcane Wing. Brevity, the Muse and Claire’s former assistant, is now the Unwritten Library’s head librarian. Probity, a representative from the Muses Corp, suddenly arrives, claiming she missed Brevity, but she has some strong opinions and she seems to have a grudge against Claire.

Claire, ever curious, stumbles across a pool of ink. It appears the ink may be residual from the books that were burned in the library fire. Claire and Brevity disagree on how to handle the power, the possible lifeblood this ink contains.

Hero, Brevity’s assistant, and the character Claire once saved, along with Rami, the fallen angel who is Claire’s assistant, decides to do some inter-realm investigation. They discover that not all players involved have good intentions. The Archive of the Forgotten has the gang traveling to a dark, terrifying place that no book would ever wish to be found.

Hackwith not only has a way with words, but she understands the connections between the writer and the written, and that characters really do live within the reader’s mind. It was so difficult seeing Claire and Brevity at odds in this book, but as for Hero, I think he finally found his true story! Please let there be a book three.

Thank you to @netgalley @penguinrandomhouse for this digital copy for review. Grab your copy today!

The Archive of the Forgotten is the second installment in author A.J. Hackwith's Hell's Library series. This story actually revolves around (4) key characters: Claire Hadley, the disgraced former librarian of the Unwritten Wing, who is now overseeing the Arcane Wing of Hell; Ramiel, fallen Angel, Guardian, shepherd of souls, and assistant to Claire; Hero, the character that broke his own book, and assistant to Brevity; Brevity, former Muse who was kicked out for breaking Muse law, now library of the Unwritten Wing after replacing Claire.

For Claire, it has been 6 months since she and her friends stopped a demonic coup by her mentor and supposed friend Andras but was removed as the Unwritten Library's librarian by Malphas after 30 years for not doing enough to protect the books. She is now Arcanist of the Arcane Wing. The Arcane Wing is a cabinet of curiosities. Libraries have a tradition of maintaining a curio, a house of mathoms, oddities, trinkets, artifacts of inquiry. As curators of obscure and sometimes undervalued things, librarians attract the unusual and misplaced. Hell’s Library was no different.

The Unwritten Wing hums with unstarted beginnings, while the Arcane Wing was sepulchral with artifacts of untold ends. There are things in the Arcane Wing that should never see the light of day again. Things here are dangerous, and if let out, could create massive chaos. Claire has pretty much withdrawn from having anything to do with her former assistant Brevity. Trouble for Claire begins right out of the gate when she is “infected” with a strange leaking ink which was left over from the books that were destroyed in the fire. She soon realizes that there are many secrets within the Library that have been hidden from its librarians and even Hell may not know.

Meanwhile, Brevity has changed the overall appearance of the Library she is now in charge of. She's visited by one of her sister muses, Probity, who shows up claiming to want to help her and blames Claire for every single problem that ever happened to the Unwritten Library. Let's remember that Claire was pretty much dumped into her position after her mentor up and disappeared. Claire, at least, spent time teaching Brevity the ins and outs. But there are secrets that are revealed in this book that will shatter the very fiber of Claire's soul and I am not sure what will happen next. Brevity’s relationship with Probity is the key to this story. Probity claims to want to help, but does she really? Or is there something bigger happening? Brevity has always been closer to the books than Claire, but even she has no clue what secrets have been hidden from the librarians for an exceptionally long time.

The story itself deals with the consequences of the battle to protect the library from Andras, while also facing a new threat. While the two books both contain their own main plot, this book moves past the events of the previous book and focuses on the new relationships between the characters, and what the changes mean for them. You will see that Hero and Remi go on their own adventure which means you will get to several other areas of Hell, including Elysium looking for a former librarian named Poppaea who rebelled against the library and lost, the Unsaid Wing where words were formed but never shared, and the Dust Wing where forgotten books go to die. Humans have burned almost as many books as they have written. Sad.

This is a crazy world where Hero’s can break their own book and become something more. Where a fallen angel finds people among and happiness with people he didn’t know before he was assigned to the library. Hell is filled with compelling cast of personalities, demons, muses, jinni, spirits, ancestral spirits, and writers who end up becoming librarians after dying.

"The Archive of the Forgotten" is the sequel to A.J. Hackwith's brilliant "The Library of the Unwritten". Following the same 4 characters from the first book, "The Archive" takes the reader to explore other realms outside of Hell in search of a solution to a particularly inky problem that has stained the Library.
I had enjoyed "The Library of the Unwritten" and anticipated more exciting adventures in the sequel. "The Archive" certainly doesn't fail on that note. There are a lot of thrilling explorations to other realms belonging to different belief systems.
At the same time, these various explorations can feel a little bit confusing as they provide very little clue on the answer to the problem. For most of the book, I felt like I didn't know where the story was going. Only at around 75-80% mark, we get some clarity. In the end though, I think this book is still worth the read, especially if you really enjoyed the previous book.

The Archive of the Forgotten (Hell's Library #2) by A.J. Hackwith is an outstanding follow up to The Library of the Unwritten. I adored the first book in the trilogy and I couldn't wait to give it a try. I can't believe I got approved for this ARC via NetGalley. Luckily for me, I loved this sequel just as much as the first installment in this planned trilogy. It's easily one of my favorite reads of the year. It's so good to see Claire, Hero, and the rest of the cast again. It doesn't waste any time in getting going as it begins right after the events of the previous book. It can be a bit slow burn at times, but the payoff is amazing. We get to see some more of Hell's Library and other worlds besides which I also quite enjoyed. It's a mysterious place with a lot of dark corners and Claire gets to see first hand that they're hiding things from the librarian, dangerous things. Overall, both the world-building and character development are fantastic, but the characters especially hold hold a special place in my heart. I can't resist bookish fantasy and this just hit all the right notes for me. If you haven't started this series, I can't recommend it enough. It's a real gem. I can't wait to see where this series is going. One day I hope we'll even get a collection of log entries, which are delightful little tidbits that make me want to know so much more about previous librarians and their adventures. Thank you, NetGalley. The Archive of the Forgotten was exactly what I needed.

An excellent sequel, The Archive of the Forgotten delves deeper into the mysteries of Hells Library.

A Good Story Fueled by Excellent Characters
The Archive of the Forgotten takes place shortly after The Library of the Unwritten and the demon Andras’ failed coup. Still reeling from the events and consequences of their adventures in the previous novel, the character dynamics have changed. Brevity, the muse who stole inspiration and Claire’s former apprentice, is now the Head Librarian while Claire has been removed and made the Arcanist.

Hackwith jumps right into her storytelling as she picks up the pieces of the previous novel and explores the tension between them. Hero, formerly of a book, is now Brevity’s assistant, and the fallen angel Ramiel who had been working to earn his place in Heaven, is now Claire’s assistant in Hell. This shows the reader just how much the previous novel changed them and how they continue to grow in this novel.

The tension between the characters leaks off the pages and into the reader, much like the novel’s ink. It pulls the reader in, allowing the reader to connect to the characters. There are times when the characters, notably Brevity and Claire, are unlikeable, but the reader understands them. There is a struggle between the characters and pain between them as they try to understand this new balance between them and their new situation.

Hackwith does an excellent job of bringing these characters to life because the reader feels their pain, guilt, rage, sorrow, and compassion. The emotions flow from the story and into the reader beautifully.

Excellent Expansion
Much like its predecessor, The Archive of the Forgotten continues to take readers on a magical journey. In the first novel, these characters go to Earth and Valhalla. Now they are on their way to Elysium, another expansion of the library.

It is incredible how Hackwith has expanded the scope of the library in Hell. There is the Dust Wing, and the Unsaid Wing heralded by Echo. Following these characters as they embark on a journey to discover the secrets of unwritten books and ink gives the story more range and more magic. Bringing in characters from Greek Mythology gives the story even more dimension as it builds up this library in Hell and its purpose there.

Final Thoughts
Indeed a brilliant sequel, The Archive of the Forgotten, is a captivating novel. It explores the characters’ depth and emotional range, evolving them as their journey continues and gives the reader a story to match its ending. It is both magical and emotional and will make the reader hunger for another.

As if the adventures of THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN weren't heartwringing and electrifying enough, with the subsequent permanent personnel changes--Brevity from Muse to Librarian; Claire from Librarian to Arcane Archivist--there's even more danger. Hell itself may not be sufficient to contain it.


THE ARCHIVE OF THE FORGOTTEN is the second in A. J. Hackwith's HELL'S LIBRARY Series.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2020/10/02/the-archive-of-the-forgotten-by-aj-hackwith/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
&nbsp;

<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

<strong>The Library of the Unwritten</strong>  was a struggle initially to get into the world and characters in this <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/260943-hell-s-library" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Hell's Library</strong></em></a> series.  This can happen with the first book in a new series.  I did become attached to the characters and enjoy their adventures.

<strong>The Archive of the Forgotten</strong> was a different style of story with less traveling, and more a mystery with mostly existing characters.  Brevity is now the librarian for the Unwritten Library and Claire is the Arcanist. But there is a sad rift between them as Brevity has Claire's old position.   Hero is assisting Brevity and Rami is assistant to Claire.

There are some very clever concepts here with souls and creative spirit and books.   The writing is poetic in feeling.  While it is pleasant, I find its layer of complexity to be a distraction to solving the mystery.

Brevity has a fellow muse she mentored come to visit, Probity.  I didn't like her at all. She seemed to dislike Claire and was perhaps jealous of the relationship Claire and Brevity have, even though it is tattered now.  Claire and Brevity take separate paths to solve the issue.  This leads to some great dangers.  Brevity is pushed beyond her comfort zone by Probity but wants to do something to solve things. I am just most attached to Claire so it hurts me to see her damaged and sacrificing herself to save others.   She feels it is the right thing to do especially since she has made mistakes in her past.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly October New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached).

The Archive of the Forgotten is the second novel in the Hell's Library trilogy by A.J. Hackwith. Due out 6th October 2020 from Penguin Random House on their Berkley Ace imprint, it's 336 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a very intricately crafted book, told in 3rd person alternating PoV from the 4 main characters. There has been a shakeup in the academic library structure of Hell. Interdepartmental strife is starting to settle down and the library is establishing a new status quo when a mysterious ink begins leaking out of the books damaged in the aforementioned contretemps. Several of the secondary characters along with the main characters have theories about what is happening, if it's dangerous, and if so, how to fix it.

For anyone who's spent much time in academia, the interdepartmental interplay will be instantly recognizable. I found it delightfully, sharply, wryly imagined and depicted. The narrative arc felt somewhat slow to me because the book is heavily character driven and ponderous - there's a lot going on. I also don't think it works well as a standalone; pick up and read the first book in the series before tackling this one.

I adore bibliomysteries; it's probably my favorite fantasy subgenre. This is definitely a beautifully well written example. For fans of Fforde's Thursday Next series, this is much more serious and somewhat darker in style and content. I would say it compares more favorably with a long story from Gaiman's Sandman - Lucien from the Dreaming's library would fit right in in this story.

Four stars - but not a standalone read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This series is absolutely carried by its characters. I was pleasantly surprised by how dynamic they all were in the first book and that same dimension carries through to this newest installment. Like the first, this novel is told in 3rd person with chapters centering around the perspective of each of the 4 main characters. Though they still play a major role, Claire and Brevity seemed to take a bit of a backseat in this story, giving Hero and Rami a chance to shine. As a result, Hero absolutely steals the show.

I’ve said it a hundred times and I’ll say it again, I am a complete sucker for the anti-hero. All it takes is a little bit of charm, a lot of attitude, and an intense personal struggle to have me falling head over heels for a character. So, obviously I adore Hero. His chapters were hands down my favorite. He’s grumpy, witty, and his dialogue is always hilarious. He’s also the most dynamic character in this novel and I loved seeing his growth throughout. Also, no spoilers, but he strikes up a little bit of a flame with someone towards the end of the novel and it’s adorable. There are so many more things I want to say about it, but I don’t want to spoil the slow-burn for you.

The pacing of The Archive of the Forgotten is a bit slow, which isn’t uncommon for the second novel of a trilogy. It took me a bit longer to get re-invested in the overall story, but the characters kept my attention during the slower plot points. Most of the action takes place in the last 30% of the book, which seemed a bit rushed, but also gives the reader a sense of urgency that made the last chapters fly by.

Like The Library of the Unwritten, this novel poses some very poignant questions to the reader. Questions such as, “Who has the power to create?” “Who has control over their story?” “What does it mean to change and grow, both as an individual and a family?” It also opens up some interesting questions about the world Hackwith has created and the overall nature of the stories in Hell’s Library. I have my own ideas about the answers to these questions, but like all good books, it’s ultimately up to the reader to find their own meaning. There’s a lot of power contained within these ideas, and I’ll be anxiously waiting to see how things wrap up for this wonderful found family in the final installment of the Hell’s Library trilogy.

The Archive of the Forgotten by A.J. Hackwith
Claire, Hero and Brevity are back with another mystery set in the Library of the Unwritten in Hell. After a mysterious flood of ink threatens the Arcane Wing, Former Librarian Claire must discover it's source and it's possible implications for the rest of the Library. With Brevity as the new Librarian, Claire is struggling to balance their friendship with their new job titles and responsibilities. Probity, another Muse, joins the Library to assist Brevity in the investigation but her appearance sets everyone on edge. Meanwhile, Hero is on his own mission to discover the secrets of the ink and the truth about the characters by traveling to other realms with the help of Rami.
The deeper the unconventional Library staff digs to find the truth behind the ink, the more secrets they discover within the depths of the Library.
I absolutely love this series from A.J. Hackwith and I truly hope there will be more adventures set in the Library of the Unwritten. The world of the Library of the Unwritten is so interesting and unique in the way that it handles it's place in the world. All the characters seem like genuinely nice people who are loyal to their friends-as loyal as they can be-that the small off-hand remarks about it being in Hell makes it that much more enjoyable. It seems to operate exactly like a large Library just with a slightly different collection. The curios are filled with arcane treasures such as finger bones and magical rings. Claire's interaction with the ink places her life in danger and the race to save her keeps the story moving quickly. Adding to that tension, Claire is no longer Brevity's boss, but instead her colleague and the two struggle to find their place within their new working relationship. Neither Claire nor Brevity were given the amount of training necessary for their positions and the journal entries from former Librarians at the beginning of each chapter really highlight the amount of time each Librarian spent in that role. The relationships between all of the characters are explored far more in depth in this book and the sequel feels more focused on characters than plot. I thoroughly enjoyed how we get to see new parts of the Library and how those areas interact with each other. The Library is full of secrets that I'm hoping will be explored in further novels.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

A library in Hell. That was the concept that hooked me last year with Hackwith's The Library of the Unwritten, which I liked a lot. So to say I was eager to return to this world (eager to return to Hell?) is an understatement.

After the damage to books from the battle to save the library, our Librarian Claire is stripped of her title and shifted over to the Arcane Wing with her former apprentice, the muse Brevity, taking over her old role. The adjustment does not go well for anyone involved.

Tensions increase as a mysterious ink infects Claire and the Arcane Wing and there are disagreements on how to save everyone. Add in the disgraced angel Rami, the book villain Hero, and a whole new section of the library and this series just gets better and better.

I also adore the cover art and the way the author has crafted what it means to be a book in the world. Highly recommended!

This ended up being a solid 3 for me as it dragged so much but i was intrigued to find out what the mysterious ink was and how the librarian and the no longer librarian where going to make things work. Then we got to visit new part of the realm like the forgotten wing where books that have been forgotten due to being the last copy, no longer published or the author has died. Then you have Hero trying to figure out what he is without his book and the mystery inks seeps into Claire arm. So there was a lot to suck me in but just seems like it was mixed into a confuluated narrative but the ending got me enough that I want to know how it all ends. Not as solid or as enjoyable as the first book.

When a puddle of ink mysteriously appears in the Arcane Wing, Arcanist Claire, Librarian Brevity, book character Hero, and fallen angel Ramiel attempt to solve the puzzle separately only to discover they might actually need each other.

I loved the first book, The Library of the Unwritten, so much and really couldn't wait to dive into the next book. I was approved for this months ago, but had so many other books to read it was almost like sitting on pins and needles every time I saw it on my Kindle. All the little quibbles I had with the first book, with how it started off kind of slow and the characters felt a little too living, were gone. The Archive of the Forgotten kind of just dumps you into the story and, since most of it takes place in Hell, it's easier to remember the human Claire is, in fact, dead. Overall, a worthy follow up to the first book, and I now can't wait for the third book.

The Plot: The Puzzling Ink

Since the events of The Library of the Unwritten, Claire has been installed as the new curator of the Arcane Wing and Brevity has become the librarian in the Unwritten Wing. But their relationship has been tenuous at best, with both women avoiding the other. The same doesn't hold true for their assistants Rami and Hero, respectively. Nor for one damsel from the Unwritten Wing.

When Claire discovers damsel Rosia, yet again, in the Arcane Wing, it brings Claire and Brevity back together, but on shaky ground that doesn't improve when Rosia vanishes and a well of ink forms in the Arcane Wing. The Arcanist believes it's her problem to solve since it's in her Wing, but the Librarian argues it's the blood of the books that were burned during Andras's coup attempt. As they stubbornly diverge to do their own testing, it's up to Ramiel and Hero to leave Hell and ask questions. Only for things to get a lot worse and potentially leave the Library in terrible danger.

Where The Library of the Unwritten felt massive and far flung as the characters tumbled from one death realm to another, The Archive of the Forgotten shrinks the world down almost to a dot. After a crazy journey in the first book, the second book feels almost grounded and focused, allowing the characters to breathe, grow, and find their footing with each other now that their roles have shifted. As much as I loved exploring all the death realms in the first book, it also made me want to just sit still and enjoy a quieter story. The Archive of the Forgotten absolutely delivered on that front, though there was a point where I felt like it would be more of the same.

The Archive of the Forgotten is a beautiful follow-up to the first book. The problem starts very early on and the story goes on to brilliantly explore the natures of Claire and Brevity as they work independently. It's not really plot heavy, but the problem is absolutely a wonderful device to help the characters along their paths. The story is simple, but the characters are not, and that's where all the fun is.

The Characters: An Unlikely Family

The Archive of the Forgotten focuses on the characters instead of the story and world building. After a crazy journey in the first book that beautifully set up the world, I like that the second book focused on the characters and more fully explored them as individuals and as a strange and unlikely family.

Claire, Brevity, Hero, and Rami were all wonderful in the first book and somehow became even better in the second book. Claire is still unbending and unyielding. Brevity is still a little too bright and hopeful, and maybe even a little too nice, for Hell. Hero is still smug and annoying as a hero-villain. Rami is still the lost angel who sticks to right and wrong. But, as the story progressed, they lost a little bit of their outer coatings. They started to grow in different ways, but somehow also closer together. It hurt a little to see them crack, but it made them stronger together. They became something of a family as they tried to solve their problem in their own ways and avoid each other. They became softly blurred from the rigidity they bore in the first book and their relationships changed and were further defined while also leaving room for more growth and closer bonds. It was beautiful watching them snip at each other while also genuinely caring about each other.

The Archive of the Forgotten also introduces one major new character. Probity is one of Brevity's sister muses, someone who grew up alongside Brevity and who has her own ideas of what the muses can and should be capable of doing. Her ideas aren't too different from Brevity's, but it's her manner and the way she so steadfastly believes she's right that sets her off. I liked and hated her in turns, but she pushed Brevity to really come into her own, so it's also hard to not like her just for that.

The Setting: It's Hell

Unlike the first book, The Archive of the Forgotten is set mostly in Hell. After exploring so many different death realms, I wasn't sure what to expect in this book: more death realms or something more settled. I was pleased that it presented a delightful blend of both. There's some death realm exploring, which was fun and very different while also exploring other mythologies a bit, but most of the story is grounded in Hell.

It was lovely to return to the Unwritten Wing and have the opportunity to explore the Arcane Wing, which, frankly, scares me a bit. We also get to explore a new part of the Library, which was mostly unsettling, but leaves me curious to know more about it. As well as what else the Library has been hiding. I loved that this book hinted at further questions about what the Library is, so I'm hoping there's even more world building as the series progresses. I love how Hackwith balanced the development of the story, world, and characters so it's never too much and only helps drive the story forward.

Overall: A Worthy Sequel, Albeit a Bit Different

The Archive of the Forgotten is a lovely follow up to the first book. I loved how different it was in that the characters weren't tumbling around between Earth and the death realms, but were able to catch their breath, so to speak, and learn more about each other and themselves. It felt like a nice respite both for them and the reader, one where the focus can shift a little and add an anchor to the overall story. A wonderful contrast. I do wonder if the next book will be just as breathlessly active as the first or if it'll strike a nice balance, but I really loved how grounded this novel felt. The characters were just as wonderful, and then became even better. I loved watching them pull and push at each other and can't wait to see them again.


Thank you to Netgalley and Ace-Berkley Publishing Group for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved the first and this one follows just as well. Through a delightful and ridiculous band of characters on literary disasters in protection of hells Library.

An absolute must read

The Archive of The Forgotten is the second instalment in AJ Hackwith's Hell's Library trilogy. If you haven't read the first, The Library of The Unwritten, then you'll want to read that one first! If you have a love of books, and enjoy fantasies, myths, the underworld, and thoughtful stories, then I highly recommend this imaginative new series.

The Archive of The Forgotten picks up where The Library of The Unwritten ended. It deals with the consequences of the battle to protect the library, whilst facing a new threat. Whilst the two books both contain their own main plot, The Archive of The Forgotten moves past the events of the previous book and it focuses on the new balance of relationships between the characters, and what the changes mean for them. I think I found the first part of the book slower than its predecessor because I spent some time picking up the pieces, but it soon ramped up. It was really good to spend more time with the characters that I'd come to know, and A.J Hackwith's writing is just as beautiful as before. The Archive of The Forgotten still has the inventive worlds and wonderful prose that make it just as captivating as before.

“They burn them first, the stories. Humans always come for the stories first. It’s their warm-up, before they start burning other humans. It’s their first form of control, to burn the libraries, to burn the books, to burn the archives of a culture. Humans are the stories they tell."

After the battle saw books destroyed and burnt, Claire is no longer the librarian in charge of the unwritten wing with all of its potential stories. Instead, she is moved to the arcane wing, and takes the title of the arcanist, in charge of objects that represent humanities darker side. This means the role of Librarian lies with former muse Brevity, and Hero is now her assistant. One of the remaining books starts to leak a mysterious ink, and Brevity and Claire have different ideas of how best to approach this. The book sees the two wings experimenting, researching, and trying to understand what this ink means, and the reader learns along with them. A muse from Brevity's past named Probity arrives, and she has her own motive. She believes she has found a way for muses to create their own stories without a need for humans - a big no no!

"Humans were ridiculous creatures, in Hero’s expert opinion. They always saw what they wanted to see and ignored the rest. No creature edited its own reality so viciously as a human."

The reader also gets to see more of Hell's Library, such as the Dust Wing, where the books that humanity has forgotten end up, and the Unsaid Wing, full of letters and confessions that were never sent. I think the idea of these different wings are so imaginative, and it makes me excited to see where else we might get to explore in the next book. Through exploring the different wings of the Library, and seeing them through Hero's eyes, we go on a journey with him. Remember, Hero is a character out of his own book, he is trying to find out where he fits in. There are a number of wonderful quotes about humanity in both of these books.

Like The Library of The Unwritten, this book has multiple points of view but it is written in the third person, and the chapters are from either Claire, Hero, Rami, or Brevity's perspective. There is a distinction between them and I found Hero's chapters more fun to read as they held his humour, whereas Claire's chapters had a more serious feel to them. Rami might have to be my favourite character though. He's lived for hundreds (thousands?) of years and blesses us with pearls of wisdom like this: "I think the weight of a man’s life lies in what he does with it. Reasons and heart are important, but it’s your actions that have long-reaching effects.”

The guy might be a fallen angel, but he has the patience of a saint to try and crack Claire's tough exterior and put up with Hero's flighty character. He is finding his family and I am HERE FOR IT.

"Ramiel kept Claire standing, and Hero kept her on her toes."

Ah, relationships. Throughout The Archive of The Forgotten, I felt like one of the characters was maybe starting to feel a little more than feelings of friendship towards another. There were also a few hints of attraction between characters too. There is a kiss! However, I will not reveal who it was between. I do feel curious as to where Hackwith is going to take the romantic direction of this pairing. I feel the dynamic between Rami, Claire, and Hero has more to meet the eye, perhaps we may even see the start of a poly relationship? I might be wrong, but I would like to see where the three will go, as I think feelings are going to start getting complicated.

The Archive of The Forgotten is a strong sequel, whilst it addresses events of the previous book (the damage to the library), it also has its own storyline which does get more or less resolved, but also leaves points to be addressed in the next book. The characters get plenty of development too, for example, we can see this in Claire's attitude towards those around her, caring for others and showing vulnerability and asking for help. Brevity starts to gain more confidence working within the library and speaking for herself too. By the end of The Archive of The Forgotten, I definitely felt much more connected with the characters and invested in their relationships with each other. I am very keen to see what journey  A.J  Hackwith decides to take us on next!

"In the second installment of this richly imagined fantasy adventure series, a new threat from within the Library could destroy those who depend upon it the most.

The Library of the Unwritten in Hell was saved from total devastation, but hundreds of potential books were destroyed. Former librarian Claire and Brevity the muse feel the loss of those stories, and are trying to adjust to their new roles within the Arcane Wing and Library, respectively. But when the remains of those books begin to leak a strange ink, Claire realizes that the Library has kept secrets from Hell - and from its own librarians.

Claire and Brevity are immediately at odds in their approach to the ink, and the potential power that it represents has not gone unnoticed. When a representative from the Muses Corps arrives at the Library to advise Brevity, the angel Rami and the erstwhile Hero hunt for answers in other realms. The true nature of the ink could fundamentally alter the afterlife for good or ill, but it entirely depends on who is left to hold the pen."

A slightly more literary Thursday Next.

Is this a trilogy? Because this book felt like the second book in a trilogy.

There is a mystical ink that appears in the Arcane Wing. No one can agree with how to handle the ink. It doesn't help that Brevity's sister Muse arrives to judge Claire's work as a librarian.

Nothing really happens. It has a lot of characters being thick headed and constantly not communicating with each other. Yet, I found this book compelling. The characters do finally grow. A villain is introduced at the end. There is a better understand of why the library exists. We might be getting a polyamorous couple. Maybe. I'm basing that one on the author's tweet about love triangles.. Even if we're not, I'm still looking forward to the next book.

This review is based on an advanced copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

Pitch perfect sequel to The Library of the Unwritten. We pick up where we left off with Claire and while it's a bit slow, I loved how Hackwith eased us back into the world while also opening it up. I thought I loved Claire and Brevity before but this book made me also fall in love with Hero and Rami, who definitely got more screen time. All in all, a great follow up and continuation of the story. I can't wait for the third book!