The Library of the Dead

Such a splendid story takes place in dreamy Edinburgh, take you to an action packed, mind spinning, riveting journey as magic and spiritual entities waltz at the streets and an occult library with dark secret passages!

Ropa who leaves her life, last chance of getting proper education behind to be a ghosttalker: when they whisper to her, she can hear them to help their unfinished businesses.

She’s handsomely paid by the families who recently lost the loved ones to connect with them which helps her to make ends meet.

She has every trait as a badass heroine, bold, quick witted, sarcastic, smart but also kind hearted, generous. Her lovely grandma and her sweet, independent, stubborn sister, her clever and intimidating bestie Priya are remarkable supporting character and reading the relationship dynamics between them is also quite fun!

Complex world building makes you questioning your whereabouts: post apocalyptic future or sometime in the past Scotland chose to be at the wrong side of the war and the kingdom is struggling to gather its power to rise from its ashes!

So far I had amazing time with creative world building, layered, well crafted characters, impressive concoction of magic and spirits’ universe at the underground life of Edinburg and the blood freezing, claustrophobic atmosphere were hooking elements make you addicted to the story!
The conclusion is foreseeable from miles away but the result is still satisfying!

I’m giving my four paranormal, surprising, entertaining, magical, fast pacing, Scottish stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/ Tor- Forge for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

The cover of this book is eye-catching. I like the contrast of the colors between the title and cover art.
The characters are well-developed and easy to relate to and/or like.
The storyline was easy to follow and pretty unique. I personally have never read something like it.
I honestly couldn't put the book down!


I'd definitely purchase a copy and check out other books by the author.

In short: WOWOWOWOW!!!

Slightly longer: If you're a fan of sharp urban fantasy, ghosts, and secret societies? You won't want to miss THE LIBRARY OF THE DEAD.

I don't think I've read anything like this before, and I'm so excited to recommend it to all my friends who read SFF/urban fantasy. Ropa is smart, funny, and so believably a cynical teen. Huchu offers just enough of history and structure to this other-Edinburgh that you can't help wanting to know more. There's mentions of a great catastrophe, and a blend of "old" and "new" tech that signals this is not the Edinburgh you may know, but Huchu does offer just enough to help pull you along. Others have mentioned that unfamiliar slang was a huge barrier to reading, but I think it really shows that Ropa is a fully shaped character in a world that is fundamentally different than our own.

It's interesting to see some people are shelving this as YA - even though Ropa is "almost 15," I imagine that younger YA readers would struggle to keep up with the narrative, and some of the imagery might be a little intense for them. I would have loved this around 14/15, though, so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to readers who are looking for an inventive urban fantasy read.

Excellent start to a series

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Character development and world-building are excellent. I don't normally enjoy reading dystopian fiction, but in this book it was incorporated into the setting creating the mood but not overwhelming the story. The magic system is also excellent, having at least a scientific veneer. I am generally not fond of mixing science with magic, but this story did it very well. It is at least as good as the blending in the Prospero's War series by Jaye Wells. I found the book hard to put down, because I loved the characters and wanted to know what happened to them. I recommend this book for anyone who likes urban fantasy. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for the advance reader copy.

A unique take on ghosts and mediums a bit of a mystery with an angry young girl. Fast paced and hard to put down, great world building.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

WOW, what a WINNER! Favorite book so far of 2021, I'm calling it. Spiritual successor to Sabriel by Garth Nix.

Post-catastrophe Edinburgh feels so fully realized, even though it happens somewhat in the background, and Ropa has an authentic, unique voice--I thought I wouldn't like a younger teen protagonist, and she would come off as over-the-top, but her attitude and smarts are just so endearing and believable. The author's writing is really well-controlled, I think, so Ropa's personality shines through with her quippy, cynical language, but it's not rambling or childish or gimmicky. The setting is perfect and the magic is interesting and fully-formed, super compelling and just fun to get absorbed in.

The plot was actually my least favorite part of the book, but as the first entry of a series (that I hope will continue indefinitely, thank u), I was just excited to root for Ropa. I can't wait to read more. Write more, please.

Fun read, grand story, entertaining characters, and pure joy. I loved it and will be gifting several copies this year.

Very fast paced novel. Intetesting characters and world dealing with ghostalking. Loved the setting of exploring underworld Edinburgh. Loved the main character and the situations she was put in. Highly recommend