Exotic, Evocative and Spellbinding

These two marvelous literate books, The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafo︠n written in the gothic genre, took me through a labyrinth of wonderment, tragedy and romance. Zafo︠n’s writing is exotic, evocative and spellbinding; his characters are heroic in an epic tale of doomed love, betrayal and intrigue. I read first The Shadow of the Wind, a fast paced mystery, then The Angel’s Game, a more mature and deeper exploration of characters, which actually takes place before the events in the The Shadow of the Wind. A skilled and true craftsman of words, Carlos Ruiz Zafo︠n, makes sensible the grotesque, mysterious and desolate landscape of the gothic novel. A truly magnificent feast of words and a wholly satisfying meal of two tales.