The God of Lost Words by A. J. Hackwith

The God of Lost Words (Novel from Hell's Library, #3)

by A. J. Hackwith

"Hackwith's poignant, imaginative series sends readers on an amazing journey, with profound prose that will capture hearts and minds."*

To save the Library of the Unwritten in Hell, former librarian Claire and her allies may have to destroy it first.


Claire, rakish Hero, angel Rami, and muse-turned-librarian Brevity have accomplished the impossible by discovering the true nature of unwritten books. But now that the secret is out, in its quest for power Hell will be coming for every wing of the Library.

To protect the Unwritten Wing and stave off the insidious reach of Malphas, one of Hell’s most bloodthirsty generals, Claire and her friends will have to decide how much they’re willing to sacrifice to keep their vulnerable corner of the afterlife. Succeeding would mean rewriting the nature of the Library, but losing would mean obliteration. Their only chance at survival lies in outwitting Hell and writing a new chapter for the Library. Luckily, Claire and her friends know how the right story, told well, can start a revolution.

*Library Journal (starred review)

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

5 of 5 stars

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The God of Lost Words is the third, and unfortunately final, novel in A.J. Hackwith's Hell's Library Series. I say unfortunately here because I'm not ready to say goodbye to the series. Oh well, at least I can always reread it, right?

The Library of Unwritten has not been the same since Hero's adventure kicked off a series of unexpected events. Unsurprisingly, this means that the Library is in danger once again, and its librarians and wards must work together to find a resolution.

This time, the threat is all too real and likely to destroy them all, should they not find a solution to all the threats that keep popping up.

“Listen. That's the part of the librarian's job that everyone forgets. Listen. Listen to your books, listen to your patrons. Listen to your enemies, even; when they're maddest is when you know you're doing something right. A librarian's job is to listen. A library's job is to be a place where the hopeless can feel seen and heard too.”

Wow. A.J. Hackwith has done it again! The God of Lost Words ripped out my heart, stuffed it in a book, and then proudly showed me the results. But seriously, this book is fantastic. It's a love song for readers, with many references and heart-wrenching moments strewn about for good measure.

In other words, it's perfect. Again, my only regret is that it's the conclusion. But all good things must come to an end. Now, I'm going to stop whining about this fact and move on to my actual review, sound good?

The concept of the Library of Unwritten has fascinated me from the start. This fascination grew as we learned that there's more than one library, each focused on another forgotten branch of lore and tales. It's a beautiful idea if a bit melancholy.

The God of Lost Words brings all of these elements into a single place, providing readers with ample opportunity to learn more. It also puts our favorite characters (Claire, Hero, Rami, and Brevity) back into the forefront, which I greatly appreciated.

In truth, the ending was...perfect. I wouldn't have expected things to end this way, but I can't deny the logic behind everything that happened. It's the natural conclusion to this tale, with everything settling in a way that feels right. I'll be sad to see the series go, but I will have to look forward to what A.J. Hackwith writes next!

Thanks to Ace and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 1 July, 2022: Finished reading
  • 1 July, 2022: Reviewed