The Library of the Unwritten

By: A. J. Hackwith

Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan

In the first book in a brilliant new fantasy series, books that aren't finished by their authors reside in the Library of the Unwritten in Hell, and it is up to the Librarian to track down any restless characters who emerge from those unfinished stories.

Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing—a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.

But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil's Bible. The text of the Devil's Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell…and Earth.

Critic reviews

"It's like The Good Place meets Law & Order: Bibliophile Crime Unit. Highly recommended. This book is so much fun, and you should be reading it. Trust me. Stories about story are some of my favorite kinds. This book definitely makes the list. I am so glad I read this."—Seanan McGuire, author of In an Absent Dream

“Clever, charming, full of intricate worldbuilding and delightful characters, The Library of the Unwritten is the first book in your new favorite series.”—Christina Henry, author of The Girl in Red

“The Library of the Unwritten is a tiered dark chocolate cake of a book. The read is rich and robust, the prose has layers upon layers, and the characters melt like ganache upon the tongue.”—Meg Elison, Philip K. Dick Award Winner

"A delightful romp through heaven, hell, and everything in between which reveals itself in layers."—Caitlin Starling, author of The Luminous Dead

"A muse, an undead librarian, a demon, and a ghost walk into Valhalla... what follows is a delightful and poignant fantasy adventure that delivers a metric ton of found family feels, and reminds us that the hardest stories to face can be the ones we tell about ourselves." –New York Times bestselling author Kit Rocha

"Hackwith has artfully penned a love letter to books and readers alike and filled it with lush, gorgeous prose, delightfully real characters, a nonstop, twisty, and heart-wrenching plot, and an explosive ending that gave me chills.”-- K. A. Doore, author of The Perfect Assassin

“A wry, high-flying, heartfelt fantasy, told with sublime prose and sheer joy even at its darkest moments (and there are many). I want this entire series on my shelf yesterday.”—Tyler Hayes, author of The Imaginary Corpse

“The only book I’ve ever read that made the writing process look like fun. A delight for readers and writers alike!”—Hugo Award Finalist Elsa Sjunneson-Henry

"Elaborate worldbuilding, poignant and smart characters, and a layered plot...An ode to books, writing, and found families."—Library Journal (starred review)

"Hackwith writes a fast-paced, suspenseful story set in an intriguing world where storytellers can duel with words and souls are not what they seem."—Booklist

"Wow! A.J. Hackwith puts a whole new spin on libraries and librarians in The Library of the Unwritten! The imaginative plotline coupled with lots of phenomenal action and a solid dose of humor keep the reader engaged even as we wonder what twisted turn of events will happen next.”--Fresh Fiction

Awesome fantasy!

The characters are well developed. It does leave me wanting the next in the series

I can’t quite put my finger on it…

I should have loved this book. The concept is awesome. I love the unwritten books and how their characters can escape from their pages. I love that the protagonist is a librarian. I love books about the war between heaven and hell. The writing wasn’t awful. It wasn’t repetitive, and the author had a good vocabulary. And yet this book was an incredible disappointment to me. I can’t just tell you one reason why. It’s a mix of things. For one this book feels very childish, while the subject is very dark. It’s the way it’s written. It feels a bit like an after school special, but with curse words and blood. The target audience should be 8-10 year olds. It has that ‘peppiness’. There’s some really interesting ideas in this book, but most of them were ‘show’ instead of ‘tell’. I found myself zoning out on a regular basis. The whole book lacked a serious note. I can understand how some may like this. It’s not a terrible book. I think that’s why I’m so saddened by it. It doesn’t live up to the potential it has. It feels all over the place and the characters are too silly for me. And this unabridged version was too long. It just went on and on

Wonderful world building and characters

This is a delightful and well written fantasy in a beautifully envisioned world.
Hell’s Librarian, Claire, and her assistant muse, Brevity, take on escaped unwritten characters, dangerous magical texts, demons, fallen angels —and worse, angels— and betrayal as they visit alternate realms of the afterlife in their quest.
Authors, you don’t want to meet your unwritten characters — write faster.
The audible production is great.

Absolutely Fabulous Story & Narration!

So very glad I gave this author & novel a chance. A wonderfully woven tale & a unique take (& original vantage point) on the realms of the afterlife. But of chief importance? Outstanding characters & their stories. So glad this is a series & equally happy that it did’nt end with a major cliffhanger.
Lisa Flanagan did a magnificent job with the narration & I will absolutely look for her work in the future!

Soooo good!

It totally reminded me of the show/ book- Good Omen but with its own flavor. I know I will be re listening to it in the future! Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for an adventure story.