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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Angel’s Game — A Fever Dream I Didn’t Want to Wake From
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Sometimes I read a book not just to follow a story, but to feel myself slip into a darker, older version of the world — one where rain-slicked streets hide secrets under their cobblestones, where books breathe like living creatures, and where the act of writing feels like summoning ghosts. That’s what The Angel’s Game did to me.
I’ve always been drawn to tales about writers — maybe because they remind me that stories are dangerous things, beautiful things, necessary things. David Martín is a man I both pitied and envied: a writer so consumed by the stories he spins that he can’t see the thin line between reality and fiction until it’s too late. There were moments when I saw pieces of myself in him — the loneliness, the stubborn hope that maybe words can rescue you from your own shadows.
Zafón’s Barcelona feels like a memory I’ve never had but wish I did — rain-soaked alleyways, ruined mansions with secrets buried in their walls, bookshops that smell of old pages and second chances. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books — what a cruel, exquisite idea. I wanted to live there for a while, and this book let me.
The plot, if I’m honest, lost me at times — I found myself rereading passages, half frustrated, half enchanted. But I didn’t mind being lost. The confusion felt like wandering through a dream that keeps changing shape just as you think you understand it. Sometimes I wanted more answers — I wanted the locked doors to swing open. But I think Zafón knew that it’s the locked doors that stay with us long after the book is closed.
What I loved most, though, was the atmosphere — that constant sense that something terrible and beautiful was waiting in the next chapter. I fell in love with Isabella’s fierce, clumsy bravery, with Sempere’s quiet kindness, with the heartbreaking idea that words can ruin or redeem you depending on who’s whispering in your ear. And Corelli — I still don’t know exactly what he is, and maybe that’s the point. Maybe every writer bargains with a version of him when they dare to put their soul on paper.
I closed The Angel’s Game feeling heavy with its shadows, but also oddly comforted. Zafón reminded me why I love books that bruise me a little — books that don’t tie every thread neatly, books that make me question who’s really telling the story: the author, the characters, or something older and darker whispering through the ink.
Four stars because it wasn’t perfect — but maybe perfection would have ruined it. I don’t think I wanted this story to be tidy. I wanted it to feel exactly like it did: like a confession, a curse, a love letter to all of us who keep playing with angels and devils every time we pick up a pen — or turn a page.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Sometimes I read a book not just to follow a story, but to feel myself slip into a darker, older version of the world — one where rain-slicked streets hide secrets under their cobblestones, where books breathe like living creatures, and where the act of writing feels like summoning ghosts. That’s what The Angel’s Game did to me.
I’ve always been drawn to tales about writers — maybe because they remind me that stories are dangerous things, beautiful things, necessary things. David Martín is a man I both pitied and envied: a writer so consumed by the stories he spins that he can’t see the thin line between reality and fiction until it’s too late. There were moments when I saw pieces of myself in him — the loneliness, the stubborn hope that maybe words can rescue you from your own shadows.
Zafón’s Barcelona feels like a memory I’ve never had but wish I did — rain-soaked alleyways, ruined mansions with secrets buried in their walls, bookshops that smell of old pages and second chances. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books — what a cruel, exquisite idea. I wanted to live there for a while, and this book let me.
The plot, if I’m honest, lost me at times — I found myself rereading passages, half frustrated, half enchanted. But I didn’t mind being lost. The confusion felt like wandering through a dream that keeps changing shape just as you think you understand it. Sometimes I wanted more answers — I wanted the locked doors to swing open. But I think Zafón knew that it’s the locked doors that stay with us long after the book is closed.
What I loved most, though, was the atmosphere — that constant sense that something terrible and beautiful was waiting in the next chapter. I fell in love with Isabella’s fierce, clumsy bravery, with Sempere’s quiet kindness, with the heartbreaking idea that words can ruin or redeem you depending on who’s whispering in your ear. And Corelli — I still don’t know exactly what he is, and maybe that’s the point. Maybe every writer bargains with a version of him when they dare to put their soul on paper.
I closed The Angel’s Game feeling heavy with its shadows, but also oddly comforted. Zafón reminded me why I love books that bruise me a little — books that don’t tie every thread neatly, books that make me question who’s really telling the story: the author, the characters, or something older and darker whispering through the ink.
Four stars because it wasn’t perfect — but maybe perfection would have ruined it. I don’t think I wanted this story to be tidy. I wanted it to feel exactly like it did: like a confession, a curse, a love letter to all of us who keep playing with angels and devils every time we pick up a pen — or turn a page.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A good story, but I found myself frustratingly confused about how it fit into the first book in the series. There were things that seemed almost the same but weren't. Not sure if it's an issue with my memory or understanding, or if they were not supposed to work like that!
Too much has gone on in my life since I began this book, that I did not give it the attention it deserved. I listened to this book, but I know that it will have to be one that I read later on, when life isn't so damn overwhelming.
Carlos Ruiz Zafon has become one of my favorite authors.
Carlos Ruiz Zafon has become one of my favorite authors.
The overall idea of the story is great . . . I'm not sure where it fell a little flat for me. Parts of the writing are beautiful. Other parts perhaps got a little lost in translation. It may be that I am just not the best person to review this book, because it was truly too scary for me, and it is definitely an entertaining read. But if you're going to read just one of the author's books, go for Shadow of the Wind.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Solid continuation of the series
Okay, let me begin to talk about this book. This is one of a kind of masterpiece ever made. The prose and the lines are well written. However, I only give this book a 4 stars because there are still unanswered questions in my mind. There are still mystery unsolved in this book. I think I need to buy the book 3&4 to understand the mystery behind about the boss. I'm still confused about him.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have questions. This book didn’t make sense even if I couldn’t put it down. 10/10 dark academia vibes. I give this book 4 impertinent assistants, 3 angel brooch pins, 7 haunted mansions, and 9 cable cars over a misty ancient city.
I’m really loving the cementerio de los libros olvidados series. This is a darker book compared to the previous one. Loved how still connects to the first book. I was expecting to know more at the end about Diego Marlesca and how everything came to happen. I enjoyed this book a lot. Can’t wait to begin with the 3rd one!