Explore the latest books of this year!
Bookbot

Carlos Ruiz Zafón

    September 25, 1964 – June 19, 2020

    Carlos Ruiz Zafón masterfully weaves dark mysteries with the secrets of the past, setting his narratives within the captivating cityscape of Barcelona. His prose is imbued with a gothic atmosphere and a melancholic beauty, often exploring themes of memory, loss, and the search for identity. Zafón's novels draw readers into labyrinths of intrigue and emotion, where reality intertwines with the fantastical. His unique style and profound understanding of the human psyche make him one of contemporary world literature's most distinctive voices.

    Carlos Ruiz Zafón
    The Angel´s Game
    The City of Mist
    Marina
    The Prisoner of Heaven
    The Shadow of The Wind
    The labyrinth of the spirits
    • The internationally bestselling new novel from the author of the modern classic, The Shadow of the Wind

      The labyrinth of the spirits
      4.6
    • The New York Times bestseller “The Shadow of the Wind is ultimately a love letter to literature, intended for readers as passionate about storytelling as its young hero.” —Entertainment Weekly (Editor's Choice) “One gorgeous read.” —Stephen King Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets--an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

      The Shadow of The Wind
      4.5
    • The Prisoner of Heaven

      • 336 pages
      • 12 hours of reading

      THE PRISONER OF HEAVEN returns to the world of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and the Sempere & Sons bookshop. It begins just before Christmas in Barcelona in 1957, one year after Daniel and Bea from THE SHADOW OF THE WIND have married. They now have a son, Julian, and are living with Daniel's father at Sempere & Sons. Fermin still works with them and is busy preparing for his wedding to Bernarda in the New Year. However something appears to be bothering him. Daniel is alone in the shop one morning when a mysterious figure with a pronounced limp enters. He spots one of their most precious volumes that is kept locked in a glass cabinet, a beautiful and unique illustrated edition of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. Despite the fact that the stranger seems to care little for books, he wants to buy this expensive edition. Then, to Daniel's surprise, the man inscribes the book with the words 'To Fermin Romero de Torres, who came back from the dead and who holds the key to the future'. This visit leads back to a story of imprisonment, betrayal and the return of a deadly rival ...

      The Prisoner of Heaven
      4.3
    • Marina

      • 320 pages
      • 12 hours of reading

      "In May 1980, 15-year-old Oscar Drai suddenly vanishes from his boarding school in the old quarter of Barcelona. For seven days and nights no one knows his whereabouts ... His story begins in the heart of old Barcelona, when he meets Marina and her father German Blau, a portrait painter. Marina takes Oscar to a cemetery to watch a macabre ritual that occurs on the fourth Sunday of each month. At 10 a.m. precisely a coach pulled by black horses appears. From it descends a woman dressed in black, her face shrouded, wearing gloves, holding a single rose. She walks over to a gravestone that bears no name, only the mysterious emblem of a black butterfly with open wings. When Oscar and Marina decide to follow her they begin a journey that will take them to the heights of a forgotten, post-war Barcelona, a world of aristocrats and actresses, inventors and tycoons; and a dark secret that lies waiting in the mysterious labyrinth beneath the city streets"--Publisher's website.

      Marina
      4.2
    • The echo of the novels of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series resonates in the stories of Carlos Ruiz Zafón: gathered here for the first time - and some never before published in English - these stories are a celebration of one of the world's great storytellers A boy decides to become a writer when he discovers that his creative gifts capture the attentions of an aloof young beauty who has stolen his heart. A labyrinth maker flees Constantinople to a plague ridden Barcelona, with plans for building a library impervious to the destruction of time. A strange gentleman tempts Cervantes to write a book like no other, each page of which could prolong the life of the woman he loves. And a brilliant Catalan architect named Antoni Gaudí reluctantly agrees to cross the ocean to New York, a voyage that will determine the fate of an unfinished masterpiece. A celebration of a master storyteller, beloved by fans around the world: 'The real deal: one gorgeous read' Stephen King 'This book will change your life. An instant classic' Daily Telegraph 'A book lover's dream' The Times 'A hymn of praise to all the joys of reading' Independent 'Gripping and instantly atmospheric' Mail on Sunday 'Irresistibly readable' Guardian 'Diabolically good' Elle

      The City of Mist
      4.1
    • The Angel´s Game

      • 441 pages
      • 16 hours of reading

      The stunning new novel from the author of THE SHADOW OF THE WIND.

      The Angel´s Game
      4.0
    • The Watcher in the Shadows

      • 246 pages
      • 9 hours of reading

      Bestselling author Carlos Ruiz Zafón's tale of one magical summer that turns into a nightmare when a young girl discovers the secrets locked into a reclusive toymaker's mansion. A mysterious toymaker who lives as a recluse in an old mansion, surrounded by the mechanical beings he has created... an enigma surrounding strange lights that shine through the mists that envelop the small island on which the old lighthouse stands... a shadowy creature that hides deep in the woods... these are the elements of a mystery that bind 14-year-old Irene to Ismael during one magical summer spent in the Blue Bay. Irene's mother has taken a job as a housekeeper for the toymaker, Lazarus, but his house contains more secrets than Irene and Ishmael have bargained for.

      The Watcher in the Shadows
      3.9
    • Max Carver's father, a watchmaker & inventor, decides to move his family to a small town on the coast, to an old house that once belonged to a prestigious surgeon, Dr Richard Fleischmann. But the house holds many secrets & stories of its own.

      The Prince of Mist
      3.7
    • From the author of THE SHADOW OF THE WIND, the haunting story of a secret society and a labyrinthine railway station with a dark past. 1916, Calcutta. A man pauses for breath outside the ruins of Jheeter's Gate station knowing he has only hours to live. Pursued by assassins, he must ensure the safety of two newborn twins, before disappearing into the night to meet his fate. 1932. Ben and his friends are due to leave the orphanage which has been their home for sixteen years. Tonight will be the final meeting of their secret club, in the old ruin they christened The Midnight Palace. Then Ben discovers he has a sister - and together they learn the tragic story of their past, as a shadowy figures lures them to a terrifying showdown in the ruins of Jheeter's Gate station.

      The Midnight Palace
      3.6
    • The internationally acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author returns to the universe he created in his previous novels with a gripping series finale that introduces a captivating new heroine. In this final volume, Alicia Gris, beautiful and enigmatic, teams up with the Sempere family to uncover a shocking conspiracy from Franco’s Spain. Having lost her parents during the Spanish Civil War, Alicia bears the emotional and physical scars of that traumatic period. After over a decade as an investigator for Spain’s secret police, she plans to leave her job but is compelled by her boss to solve one last case: the disappearance of Spain’s Minister of Culture, Mauricio Valls. Alongside her partner, the intimidating Juan Manuel Vargas, Alicia discovers a clue—a rare book by Victor Mataix hidden in Valls’ office. Valls, who directed the infamous Montjuic Prison during World War II, is tied to several imprisoned writers, including David Martín and Mataix. As they delve deeper into the investigation, Alicia and Vargas encounter a disturbing web of kidnappings and murders linked to the Franco regime. Alicia’s relentless pursuit of the truth puts her life at risk, but with the support of loyal friends, she navigates the dark history of Barcelona in search of a brighter future. This haunting tale showcases the author’s storytelling mastery and pays tribute to the world of books and the Cemetery of Forgotten Books.

      Cemetery of Forgotten Books: The Labyrinth of the Spirits