I was truly uncertain if I'd like this book. I do enjoy fantasy but this seemed like a bit of a stretch for me. Extremely well written and an immersive story that certainly drags you in and leaves you wanting more. Did I mention the cover is gorgeous it's actually what initially drew me to it. If you like fantasy and smart and sassy teens this is a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me the electronic copy of The Library of the Dead! The book seemed so intriguing that I decided to purchase the print copy and the audiobook to do a buddy read with my mom.

This book is creative and unique! Ropa lives in what seems to be a future Edinburgh after its resistance to English rule. Many people live in camps or rundown homes on local farmer's land and officers patrol the streets on foot, rather than in cars. Ropa lives with her Gran and little sister and carries on her family's work of carrying messages for the dead as well as helping them move on⏤for a fee, of course.

The description paints Ropa as pragmatic, but I wasn't expecting such depth of personality within a relatively short fantasy book. Her emotional maturity from past trauma and current circumstances blend realistically with her teenage mind as she finds herself in dangerous positions despite her planning. Huchu perfectly captures this voice and brings the atmosphere to life.

Something I really love about the spiritual element of this book is how closely it resembles my Caribbean culture's spiritual beliefs in helping souls cross over and communicating with the dead. I know this isn't just a Caribbean thing, but it has always been present in conversations I listened to while growing up.

Despite the book's name, the main characters don't actually spend much time in the Library of the Dead. That threw me off a bit but I am willing to disregard that because Huchu managed to deliver twists and turns that I couldn't predict time and again. My rating is a reflection of that and my hope that this book is just the beginning of a series because it left me with more questions than answers.

Verdict:
I'd recommend this book to anyone ages 13 and up who enjoys ghost stories, fantasy, and adventure. Please note that Ropa uses profanity throughout the book and there are multiple references to sex and a red light district.

I was hopeful. Eerie Edinburgh setting, dystopian future, a library of the dead, ghosttalkers, and missing children. The Library of the Dead hit many of my jams.

It started off alright. Ropa is our rather young protagonist of 14. She's a ghosttalker. Though she is no longer in school, needing to provide for her Gran and younger sister Izwi, she still fills her brain with knowledge by reading and listening to podcasts all the time.

Ropa takes messages from the dead, and relays them to their loved ones. For a price of course. Being a ghosttalker means you need to be licensed.

However, she helps Nicola find her missing son, Ollie, as a favour to her Gran.

We also have her BFF Jomo, and new bestie Priya, whom we meet where Ropa was not supposed to even know about, The Library of the Dead. A place of science and Magicians.

While the goings-on with Ropa were somewhat fast paced, it still took nearly half the book before the plot came into the picture. But, at least the pace didn't slow down.

The Big Bad was creepy enough. And it was interesting to see Ropa use her paranormal abilities, and a touch of the Zimbabwean magic that runs through her veins.

While I wasn't as thrilled as I was hoping to be, I did like reading about Ropa and her interesting life. I would still recommend this to those who find it their jam.

Trigger Warnings for; child abduction and torture, violence against teens, drug use, bawdy markets, ghosts, evil Fae, etc...

The Library of the Dead is a fast-paced story about a future Edinburgh in almost a post-apocalyptic world. We’re aware bad stuff has happened in the UK, and Edinburgh isn’t quite the Edinburgh of old (with parts of it underwater) but generally, there isn’t enough that’s jarring to someone who’s only visited the city to feel adrift.

The author doesn’t spend a great deal of time delving into the specifics of what happened and exactly how things look. Instead, they give us just enough to get a sense of the atmosphere and make sure we know the essentials for this particular story.

The Library of the Dead has a 14-year-old narrator who is fearless and responsible. She’s brilliant, which puts her in a position to talk about subject matter typical 14-year-olds wouldn’t discuss. She’s street smart and responsible for her grandmother and younger sister, and often seems wiser than her years would suggest.

Other than her grandmother and younger sister, she mainly interacts with adults and ghosts. See ghosts are her clients, and in exchange for payment from their living relations or friends, she delivers messages from the dead to the people still in this world. But when one ghost pesters her about finding her missing son, Ropa blows her off because she can’t pay.

Her grandmother gently rebukes her and Ropa takes on the mission, which puts her in great danger and links to some other cases unfolding in the city.

The protagonist may be 14, but this doesn’t read like a YA, particularly because most of Ropa’s interactions are with people who are dead or older than she is. Her best friend in the story is an adult who’s in a wheelchair, and they make a fierce duo.

Ropa’s learning about magic, and really just discovering what she’s capable of, and that’s one of the intriguing aspects of the book. As the first in the series, it’s clear Ropa’s going to develop and as her abilities increase, her stories could change shape and delve into different subjects and themes.

If I had a niggle, it’s that Ropa never references her parents or what happened to them. She doesn’t dwell on her absent family at all. But when she thinks she sees her mother, she loses all sense and reason, despite knowing the risks involved under the circumstances (avoiding specific because it could be considered a bit spoilery) and charges in without thinking. Maybe it’s fair for her age, but I didn’t feel her motives under the circumstances were established prior to that event in the book. Maybe I missed it. It’s also hard to know how to feel about it because she’s 14 … but in most of the book, she acts far older than 14. In a way, I consider that a realistic inconsistency, because mature teens can still sometimes do dumb things.

There’s a lot of good stuff here, and the book sets the stage for intriguing future paranormal adventures. I’m excited to see how the series progresses. ⅘ stars.

I’m apparently in the minority when it comes to the enjoyment of this book as it is repeatedly receiving 4 stars.

For me, the title is completely misleading. The Library of the dead was barely mentioned in this book and was not at all enough of a focus to even be listed as the title.

The dead? I suppose they are part of the story, but again, not a focus.

There is a mystery to be solved which is talked about early on in the book, then left. Then picked back up and with little effort, resolved.

The majority of this story focused on the MC. If you were entertained by this protagonist then I suppose you would enjoy the book. I wasn’t. I just didn’t connect and therefore most of the story just felt boring to me. I really wish that I would have enjoyed it more.

Thank you to #Tor and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really had such a fun time reading this start to a fascinating new series! Narrator Ropa is young to have the weight of the world on her shoulders. But she's responsible for keeping a roof over not only her own head, but that of her grandmother and younger sister as well. She makes a living talking to ghosts and passing along their messages in this dystopian Scotland where this is a feasible and legally binding possibility. But when a ghost continues to seek her out for help finding her missing son, Ropa soon finds herself abandoning paying jobs to investigate - white opens up new parts of the city to her along with some new magics.

Ropa's narrative presence is absolutely terrific - she is witty, funny and makes this such a pleasure to read. The book moves along at a fast-pace, too. The plot may not take some readers by surprise - but there are enough unexpected exciting moments to compensate for the overall storyline being a bit predictable. And as far as a first installment to a new series goes - this works very well! The world-building is top-notch and brings a more familiar Edinburgh into an otherworldly one. There are modern references, too, and it doesn't end on a cliffhanger - but there are some things that I think will be addressed more in future volumes. Teasers, if you will - and they certainly work - I absolutely can't wait to see what the sequel is all about! I had so much fun reading this one that I can't wait to see what will be next!

DNF at 25%

The concept of this book is amazing - a main character who can walk among the dead and talk to them? Incredible! This is something I would typically love in a book, but I found the beginning to be rather slow, and I'm not quite sure where the plot is heading. I really wanted to love this book, but at 25% there still isn't much action or events to pull me in and keep me flipping pages.

I will not be posting a review or thoughts on this book elsewhere, as I did not fully finish reading it.

Released June 1, 2021

The Library of the Dead
By. T.L. Huchu
Tor Books
P. 336
Format: eArc
Rating: *****
**********************
I received an e-arc from @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
**********************

I love a good Urban Fantasy story, and The Library of the Dead is an excellent start to a new series. The main character, Ropa, is a teenager who dropped out of school to take care of her grandmother and her sister. It wasn’t much of a loss, as school was boring for her anyway. To pay the rent Ropa delivers messages for ghosts. It may not be glamorous, but it pays the bills.

Except one ghost will not leave her alone. Her son is missing and she wants Ropa to find him, one problem, she cannot pay. But Ropa is too nice for her own good and finally decides to find the missing kid. So, of course that means she needs to go to the super secret library that her friend works at - the one she shouldn’t even knows exists.

The tale gets even more fantastical from there. What you are left with is an urban fantasy story that you do not want to put down. I flew through the book enjoying every second of it. While the MC is young, The Library of the Dead is not a young adult book. However, the characters are still true to their age - even if they had to grow up fast in this new world. There also were not any explicit scenes. So, why it isn’t a young adult novel it would be suitable for younger audiences. I also loved the disability rep, one of Ropa’s new friends is in a wheelchair.

I am already anticipating the release of the next novel in the series.

The Library of the Dead by T. L. Huchu is the first book in the new contemporary fantasy series Edinburgh Nights. Ropa is a ghost talker, and she carries messages from the dead to the living, for a price. One night she talks to a dead mother, who convinces her to find her lost child. Ropa gets caught up in this very dangerous case. This book includes a lot of Zimbabwean and Scottish magic and culture, which I really enjoyed learning about. The Library of the Dead is very dark and intense at times, which I did not enjoy as much, but that's just personal preference. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was good! A bit hard to follow and I don’t really feel like a lot happened, but good. I loved the characters and loved rooting for them. Some interesting fantasy-ish concepts. Loved that the author just assumed we all believe magic is real. Definitely worth a try if you’re wanting a little YA magic in your reading life!

The Library of the Dead is the first of the Edinburgh Nights series by author T.L Huchu. The protagonist is the 14-year-old ghostalker named Ropa. She uses her skills to work as a messenger between dimensions passing messages for loved ones to assist in closure so a spirit can move on. She also does some banishing of the more dangerous creatures from our plane of existence.

It is a lot to expect from a 14-year-old kid. But what is remarkable about Ropa as a protagonist is that, yes, she is 14. However, she is tempered in the struggles of poverty and the seedier side of Edinburgh; this gives her an air of being 14 and so much older and wiser. She takes care of her blood and found family as best as she can while trying to right wrongs that you would think are above her paygrade.

The story starts with Ropa living in a caravan with her sister, Izwe, and her grandmother. She cares for her grandmother by helping pay bills so that her grandmother can get her monthly medicine. She also has a distant companionship with a fox named River. Although Ropa has dropped out of school, she still thirsts for knowledge, often quoting Sun Tzu as the story progresses. As I said, Ropa is no ordinary protagonist.

The Library of the Dead is stylized as The Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things. I think that is an apt description. Ropa can see dead things, hear them with the help of a mbira tuned to the spirit's frequencies. Ropa comes upon a spirit that needs help to find their missing son. This is where the investigative aspect of the story comes into play. Ropa sets out on a quest of a sort to find the missing boy taking her through all kinds of adventures, including tangling with a milkman and an occult library set on her enslavement.

“Something smells off in the barns. Even in this city of olfactory tragedy, this scent’s more pungent and desperate than anything I’ve encountered before.”

The Library of the Dead is written in the first person with Ropa's voice. This can be offputting, I don't tend to connect well with stories told in the first person, but in the case of Ropa, author T.L Huchu gave Ropa such a strong voice that she did not get lost amongst the characters. She is highly likable, and you want her to win, plus the addition of Scottish slang and dialect added dimension to the character.

The setting is the streets of Edinburgh. It was strange as the story had a futuristic vibe, floating cars, but the roughness of poverty and extreme violence. It reminded me a bit of the setting of Blade Runner minus the robots.

"That's the thing about this learning stuff. No sooner have you picked one thing up before you're sent off after another book. Sometimes the guys I listen to say contradictory things and I have to choose for myself who's right and who's wrong. Other times they're both right and it makes no sense to pick one over the other, so you just have to be pragmatic: pick what works now and discard it for something else when the time comes. That's how I like to operate. Can't afford to put myself in some sort of ideological straitjacket. That's for losers."

I liked this story. The vibes, the protagonist, and the setting had me interested from the start. Edinburgh is a place described as having many types of magic; some of it shows up in the novel, and some of it is because Edinburgh is an old city steeped in history. The alternative worlds that Hench describes are also engaging, places that are gravityless and full of demons. Library of the Dead is a dark and fast-paced novel that had me in the opening chapters. I can't wait for the next addition to the story.

If rude and crass teenagers who curse more than sailors bothers you then this book will most definitely not be for you. That being said, The Library of the Dead follows 14 year old (Zimbabwean Scottish) Ropa who is just trying to survive in Edinburgh with her sister and Gran. Ropa is gifted with the ability to see ghosts, but it doesn't stop there. She actually communicates with them and provides services since she's got bills to pay...mainly the caravan that her family lives in.

Ropa quickly learns that the dead are talking about children that have been disappearing from her area, and she can't just sit by and do nothing. Along with an a fantastic cast of side characters, Ropa and her friends are determined to solve this mystery with a little magic as well as an occult library that is packing a lot of secrets.

Let's talk about Ropa. She's spunky, independent, fierce, street smart, brash, and most definitely not a pushover. Ropa rocks green dreadlocks and black lipstick, and honestly doesn't give a damn about other people's perception of her. Since this story is told through Ropa's lens, it's definitely an adjustment to get used to her crass, Scottish slang, but if you know Scottish teenagers, its wholly accurate.

The plot is immersive and fast paced. While I enjoyed Ropa's encounters with the ghosts, I definitely loved the library the most...I mean, duh. For an introduction to this series, I thought Huchu did a great job, and I can't wait for book two.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

The Library of the Dead is basically what I am always looking for in the first installment of a series. It sets up the world fantastically (magic, the rules!, really interesting cast). And it solves the primary mystery put in front of me while still leaving me with enough questions that I want the next one right away. Rope is interesting, charismatic, and just acerbic enough to be someone I want to hang out with. The pacing is solid, moving at a reasonable clip to keep things interesting. Bonus points to an author who actually let's their characters sleep instead of trying to pull three-dayers with not even a yawn. If you have normally go for magic with a side of spooky, this is for you. It reminds me most of Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book" in tone, which I mean fully as a compliment.

This was a good book and the concept was interesting. It took me a while to get into the book but once I did it was a quick read.

T.L. Huchu did a great job of weaving in some mystery at the end and leaving you hanging. I want to read the next book in the series to find out what happens to Ropa.

Looking forward to book #2.

In this debut novel and first of a new urban fantasy series (titled Edinburgh Nights), T.L. Huchu has imagined a near futuristic dystopian Edinburgh. An unspecified catastrophe has occurred, plunging the world into anarchy, chaos and disease. Recognisable remnants of civilisation remain including electricity in places, TV showing re-runs of old shows and mobile phones, but magic has also appeared. The wealthy have deserted the cities, forming enclaves on the coast, leaving the poor and homeless to fend for themselves.

With both her parents dead, fourteen year old Ropafazdo (Ropa) Moya, of Zimbabwean descent, has dropped out of school to care for her blind grandmother and younger sister. To pay the rent for their tiny caravan in the slums, she works hard as a licensed ghoststalker, carrying messages between newly dead ghosts and their loved ones using Zimbabwean music to communicate with the dead. She can also banish unruly ghosts who overstay their welcome. When a ghost tells her children are disappearing and some have returned as husks of themselves, she resolves to find out who is taking them.

With her feisty, cynical attitude Ropa makes for an excellent lead character. She has had to grow up fast and seems much older and more streetwise than her fourteen years. Her unquenchable thirst for knowledge drives her to convince old school friend Jomo to sneak her into the fabulous secret underground library of the dead, where he has a job. There she discovers an amazing repository of books on science and magic and unexpectedly finds herself a mentor. She also makes a new friend in clever, wheelchair bound Priya, who is prepared to help her search for the Midnight Milkman, who Ropa believes is at the heart of what is happening to the missing children.

This creative, atmospheric urban fantasy is quite dark but kept light by Ropa’s snarky wit, comments about old movies and humour in the situations she finds herself in. Edinburgh with its landmark buildings will be recognisable to those who know it, even as it gradually declines into urban decay. With its interesting characters, and fast paced plot, the novel will appeal to both YA and older readers. I can’t wait to revisit this series and find out more about the fascinating library of the dead and the system of magic in this new but familiar world.

The premise of this book was interesting, but I found the execution to be supremely lackluster. I was often left wondering when the plot would pick up, and while the main protagonist is funny and entertaining, it was not enough for me to enjoy the plot.

Actual rating 3.5

While there quite a few things that I really enjoyed (how quick the story was to read and get into, our main character of Ropa and her snark, the fact that there are ghosts and it seems that this is a norm in the world) there were also a few things that took me out of the story.

I want more world-building. It could be that this is the first book in a series, but the author teased us with some world-building, but never exactly explained why the world is the way it is. In this world, ghosts and magic seem to be a known quantity. There was also some sort of war that changed it from the Edinburgh that we know today. I was unable to tell if this is a future or alternate reality to ours. And besides some vague hints that it is different, we don't get told why.

I did like that magic is common knowledge, although not everyone can do it, but I didn't like that Ropa reads multiple texts that basically amount to learning the theories behind magic. I wasn't too sure what it was trying to say, and I didn't feel like it moved the story forward.

And that is the last thing I wanted to mention. I didn't feel any urgency to the story. Ropa is trying to help a ghost by finding her missing son, but most of the book it felt like she didn't care and wasn't trying. Also, the climax at the end felt a bit flat to me.

I am very curious about more of this series since I do think it has a lot of potential. And I'm sure that this book has set up the series well.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this mostly because the premise reminded me of City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab (which is a MG book) and I'm happy that I did! Ghosts, Edinburgh, talking to the paranormal and dystopian fiction are all things that I like, so I enjoyed this quite a lot. I believe I would have loved the audiobook more and since the Kindle version was not available, I had a hard time reading this on my laptop/mobile.

The Library of the Dead is a lush urban fantasy adventure and an exciting start to Huchu’s Edinburgh Nights series. Fourteen-year-old Ropa is a ghostalker, and she uses her ability to communicate with the dead to hire herself out as a messenger between the deceased and the living. Jaded and already carrying too much responsibility on her young shoulders, Ropa still agrees to do pro bono work for a ghost whose young son has gone missing. Ropa’s investigation leads her to a surprisingly uptight occult library, deep into Edinburgh’s underbelly, and to a nefarious conspiracy much larger and more dangerous than she ever bargained for.

Ropa is an incredible protagonist with a strong and distinct voice. She’s courageous, warm, and whip smart — though she often often hides her big heart under her sarcastic humor and tough exterior. Huchu does an incredible job of letting readers into Ropa's clever problem-solving tactics, giving readers an intimate glimpse into why Ropa makes the choices she does and how she’s able to leverage all of her talents to survive in this post-catastrophe Edinburgh.

The Library of the Dead does get off to a slightly slow start, once it hits its groove it’s tough to put down. The central mystery's big reveal is fairly predictable, but the joy of watching Ropa hunt down clues and grapple with immortal beasts is more than satisfying enough. Huchu weaves between humor, action, and pathos effortlessly, while building an immersive world readers will want to return to again and again.

I wanted to read this book because I liked the title and I was curious about what this kind of library would look like. The book was everything I hoped it would be and I loved that you don't figure out it is part dystopian until you are swept up in it. It's referred to as the "Catastrophe" and Ropa (the main character) for lack of a better word, trips out when her grandmother tells her what life use to be like before.

Ropa reminds of every teen who thinks they know what they're doing and once they are in a bind they realize they should have listened to their elders. I've been guilty of it. She also reminds me of myself who looks to books to learn things. I definitely would be like her, learning magic from a book.

The novel had excellent pacing and who Ropa is comes through in the writing.

I was so happy my request to read it was approved and I can't wait to read the next one.