The Archive of the Forgotten by A. J. Hackwith

The Archive of the Forgotten (Novel from Hell's Library, #2)

by A. J. Hackwith

In the second installment of this richly imagined fantasy adventure series, a new threat from within the Library could destroy those who depend upon it the most.

The Library of the Unwritten in Hell was saved from total devastation, but hundreds of potential books were destroyed. Former librarian Claire and Brevity the muse feel the loss of those stories, and are trying to adjust to their new roles within the Arcane Wing and Library, respectively. But when the remains of those books begin to leak a strange ink, Claire realizes that the Library has kept secrets from Hell--and from its own librarians.

Claire and Brevity are immediately at odds in their approach to the ink, and the potential power that it represents has not gone unnoticed. When a representative from the Muses Corps arrives at the Library to advise Brevity, the angel Rami and the erstwhile Hero hunt for answers in other realms. The true nature of the ink could fundamentally alter the afterlife for good or ill, but it entirely depends on who is left to hold the pen.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

4 of 5 stars

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Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Archive of the Forgotten is the second novel in the Hell's Library trilogy by A.J. Hackwith. Due out 6th October 2020 from Penguin Random House on their Berkley Ace imprint, it's 336 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a very intricately crafted book, told in 3rd person alternating PoV from the 4 main characters. There has been a shakeup in the academic library structure of Hell. Interdepartmental strife is starting to settle down and the library is establishing a new status quo when a mysterious ink begins leaking out of the books damaged in the aforementioned contretemps. Several of the secondary characters along with the main characters have theories about what is happening, if it's dangerous, and if so, how to fix it.

For anyone who's spent much time in academia, the interdepartmental interplay will be instantly recognizable. I found it delightfully, sharply, wryly imagined and depicted. The narrative arc felt somewhat slow to me because the book is heavily character driven and ponderous - there's a lot going on. I also don't think it works well as a standalone; pick up and read the first book in the series before tackling this one.

I adore bibliomysteries; it's probably my favorite fantasy subgenre. This is definitely a beautifully well written example. For fans of Fforde's Thursday Next series, this is much more serious and somewhat darker in style and content. I would say it compares more favorably with a long story from Gaiman's Sandman - Lucien from the Dreaming's library would fit right in in this story.

Four stars - but not a standalone read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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  • Started reading
  • 1 October, 2020: Finished reading
  • 1 October, 2020: Reviewed