This is the review of a book I didn't finish. And I feel really bad about that, because I got this as a publicity copy that I asked for and was so excited about it, but here I am, unable to finish it. I just reached this point where I wasn't able to finish it properly. There's only one thing I can think of to do when that happens, and that is to write a review so the people who will finish this book and love it will find it.
Lets started with the good, then?
I was so excited to get a hold of The Library Of The Unwritten because the conceit about this idea is fantastic. The big idea is that there's a library in Hell called the Unwritten Wing where every book left unfinished by its author rests, and that characters from these books can materialise and escape. I shudder to think how many shelves I have there. Nobody's ever constructed a genre name for those stories about little pockets of reality just off the world where myths are real, mixes of whimsy and adventure and horror, but when there's a name, this idea would be considered a prime example of it. And no, its not really Urban Fantasy, even if its lumped in with it often enough.
Needless to say, a character, and that's where we start - with a small team chasing after this character. And equally needless to say, things go south very quickly when they discover more than they wanted. It's an enjoyable read at first, with smooth prose, a lively but not numbingly fast pace, and some fun little twists. Hackwith is a talented writer who is particularly good at knowing when to keep the plot moving and giving a character their own individual voices. She comes recommended.
But where me and her ideas started to part company were the characters. The team chasing after the big secret are forced together by circumstances and frequently bicker and snap at each other. The result was many of them were constantly shown at their petty worst. I found it wearing. Boring. Witty repartee and enmity rock but I don't care for a constant diet. It is, after reading much of this book, a concept I might steer clear of in future. Or maybe it is just Hackwith's choices here with Hero in particular finding his way high up on my list of "characters I'd like to see fall down the staircase with a loud snapping sound and never be mentioned again." Some characters we love to hate, some we find fascinating in their awfulness... and some, we just find unbearable.
And as my dissatisfaction with the characters grew, the more I nitpicked. The more I tried to plough through it and get to the other side of the character dynamics. Didn't work. And today I gave up.
Hopefully many readers at this point are saying "but I like fast moving books with bickering characters and the concept is awesome" and are now going to try it. Good. Or they are nodding at what I said about the character dynamics and know to concentrate on something more down to their tastes. Also good. But what if someone is on the fence? Let me share three more thoughts/observations about The Library of the Unwritten and see if it sways people.
1) Most of the plot up to the halfway plot has the characters haring across the world to exotic locales in good old fashioned Quest mode. Having flicked to the back to see if I was missing anything (honestly, I suspect I am), I think we spend a lot more time in the Unwritten Wing in the second half, but anyone who's really in it for the location has a long wait. Anyone who's in it for a motley crew of supernatural types chasing dangerous book-things is in the right place.
2) There's also a considerable Heaven vs Hell arc involved, with one (kinda) of Heaven's host acting as a secondary character. It's a tad reminiscent of Gaiman's work there, possibly a tad too reminiscent given Good Omens' recent TV series. Some people might be chomping at the bit for more of it, others may have had their fill, or prefer a kinder interpretation of Heaven such as that found in the Dresden Files.
3) Finally, Hackwith is engaged in a bit of a conversation with storytelling in general, poking fun at stereotypes and what not. It reminds me a bit of Abercrombie's The First Law in that sense. If you're down with that and enjoy the stereotypes she's cutting down, you're in for a treat. If you found The First Law a little preachy in its view on stereotypes, and maybe a little lacking in situations where the conversation was meant to be the hook and it didn't work for you, and maybe tilting a bit at windmills... I think that's where it lost me too.
To sum up, A.J. Hackwith has written a very good book with a distinct flavour that will endear it to many and not work for others. Just because I am with the others doesn't mean people should ignore it.
As mentioned, I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review from Lydia Gittins and Titan Books, and I am very grateful they did so. And wish I liked it better.
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