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toc's review against another edition
3.0
Now this is magical realism! I can't say much without revealing too much but this is certainly a laudable addition to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. I eagerly anticipate #4. (seeing that Rose of Fire was 2.5...)
bi4ncvx's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
ellenmpeters's review against another edition
3.0
An intriguing, dark story. However there were plot points, mostly concerning Christina, where I had difficulty suspending disbelief. I'm glad I read it, but I preferred The Shadow of the Wind.
maristel13's review against another edition
4.0
Of course I was in love with "the shadow of wind" and it felt weird to read about the same city, the same places without my favourite heroes. However, I enjoyed it. Still having a lot of questions after finishing it.. Ready for the 3rd one!
lexa_007's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
craalm's review against another edition
5.0
I have just surfaced from the covers of this book, where I have spent the last 5 hours finishing it. Now I have to find a way to get my thoughts down clearly - somehow.
I guess I will start with the easy bit. I've been reading the reviews for this book and it seems to me that there are many people who do not seem to think that highly of it. I think, personally, that that is because so many people are comparing it to 'The Shadow of the Wind' which is the first book in 'The Cemetery of Forgotten Books' although the events of that book take place after this one. I think that too many people are reading this one after having read 'The Shadow of the Wind' first - whether that was when it came out or just before they read this one, and because of that, they are expecting 'The Angel's Game' to be something similar, when it really isn't. I read a review from someone on here who hated 'The Angel's Game' on the first read, re-read it and then thought much higher of it - even saying that it should not have been compared to what came before. 'The Shadow of the Wind' is a great story, I loved it, and I would recommend it to anyone. But the plot is a lot more simpler than 'The Angel's Game' - and I never expected to say anything like that, since I thought the plot of 'The Shadow of the Wind' was pretty complex! That book had the comedy of Fermin thrown in to give it a lightness that is not provided in 'The Angel's Game' and at the end, everything was resolved and became clear. 'The Angel's Game' is so much darker, and as for everything being resolved at the end - well, without wanting to give away spoilers, I guess that depends on which angle you take when approaching the plots and sub-plots throughout this book. The first book follows rules, this one invites YOU to take your own opinion, your own view on what happened and how it all fits together. And that's not as easy as it sounds.
The main character, David Martin, is not as likeable as Daniel Sempere from the first book in this series, but so much more intriguing, and in a way, THAT made me like him, simply because I couldn't figure him out. There are so many layers to his personality, and maybe even more depending on how you view the character of Andreas Corelli.
But then, this approach does not explain why Marlasca also had a contract with Andreas Corelli and why he wanted to get the manuscript from David to give it to Corelli on his behalf. How could Marlasca have a contract with him too if he was just another personality of David's? Also, the role of Marlasca is then greatly reduced - if he's not the one killing everyone then what was he doing? Did he really just fake his death to wait until someone else wrote a book that he could use to get his son back with?
Yet, the view that Corelli was real (even as a devil or angel?) also has it's faults - what was he trying to do with a manuscript? Try and get more followers? If he was the devil with such powers, wouldn't he have known about Marlasca's faked death and made him finish the manuscript or killed him rather than waiting 25 years and getting David to do it? As a creature of power, couldn't he have done it himself? And David let him down in the end and broke the agreement - why not bring back the tumour that was growing that he took away (with his powers I expect?) instead of 'resurrecting' a new Cristina for him? And then, why was Marlasca running around killing everyone just seconds after David was with them? And the whole thing about Grandes always seeing that angel on David's lapel?
I fear all of the above is explained so unclearly and is just my ramdbing! So i try again to explain my view this time, and do it a little simpler. I think that Andreas Corelli was invented in Daniel's mind as someone initially who praised his work. David wanted that praise. Then he was writing as I. B. Sampson. Then, he invented this illness that would stop him writing because of what Isabella was saying about his work as I. B Sampson and how he felt about it deep inside. But he didn't REALLY want to stop writing, just didn't want to write under I. B Sampson anymore, so Andreas Corelli was then used to encourage his writing, take away the imaginary illness that he had created for himself, and let him write the weird stuff he had in his head - his manuscript. I think David killed all those people, AS Corelli, another personality of David's. That also explains why the money was not in David's account and why the lawyer had some of that money when David thought Corelli hired him, and also why it was David's money that paid for that big angel structure and the coffin with David's name on when David thought that was Marlasca. I think Marlasca was clearly a real person and as described by his family, was not right in the head too. I think he was convinced that if he wrote this book for this person, that person will bring him his son back, as he believes that books contain the souls of their authors. That witch person had also told him that. I think he needed to believe that so much that he invented a 'Corelli' like figure too - though not the same as David, so that he had some hope left on getting his son back. When he sees that David is writing a book and knows that he's writing it for someone, he assumes it's the same person. And I don't think it is - Corelli never mentions Marlasca - at least, I think so - and makes no reference to the fact that he tried to get someone to do this project before. That further suggests to me that Corelli isn't real. So, Marlasca, who framed his own death maybe to get away from this person in his head, sees David's book as a chance to get his son back.
So the spoiler bit is just my views on making sense of the plot, it doesn't give away details on what actually HAPPENED and may not make sense to those who haven't read the book (maybe it won't make sense to those who HAVE read it either!) but just simply is my way of trying to understand the different ways of explaining the events in this book. Because the truth is, the author doesn't tell us. It is left to your own imagination - your own way of viewing the events and fitting them into the jigsaw that is this book. I have a game called Tri-Ominos at home, it's like dominoes but with triangles, and every single time you play the game, there is a completely different shape of pieces on the table in front of you. And if you don't play it properly and just arrange the pieces as you go along in an effort to use all the pieces, you end up with a few pieces that you can't fit anywhere. I view this book like one of those games where the pieces don't all fit. There are many ways to look at it and many ways to arrange the pieces, but i'm still getting those games where one or two pieces don't fit. And i'm still searching for the picture where every piece has a place that fits perfectly. Maybe there isn't one with this book. Maybe i need to read it again to find it. Who knows. All i know is that i can't get this book out of my mind - and i love that.
Oh, and i loved the relationship between David and Isabella. NOT romance, but friendship and it was so lovely to read!
I cannot wait to read the third one - and to see if this sheds some light on the events of this book :) Part of me wishes it does. The other part of me likes the mystery here!
EDIT: I just read this from the author's website:
'The Angel's Game has many games inside, one of them with the reader. It is a book designed to make you step into the storytelling process and become a part of it. In other words, the wicked, gothic chick [part of the family of books that is 'The Cemetery of Forgotten Books'] wants your blood. Beware. Maybe, without realizing, I ended up writing a monster book after all...Don't say I didn't warn you, courageous reader. I'll see you on the other side.'
This is so true! And this is what makes me love this book so much! Usually I don't like not understanding a book that well - but with this book, I feel like the point of it IS that you don't really understand it, and because I recognise that, I kind of DO understand it :)
I guess I will start with the easy bit. I've been reading the reviews for this book and it seems to me that there are many people who do not seem to think that highly of it. I think, personally, that that is because so many people are comparing it to 'The Shadow of the Wind' which is the first book in 'The Cemetery of Forgotten Books' although the events of that book take place after this one. I think that too many people are reading this one after having read 'The Shadow of the Wind' first - whether that was when it came out or just before they read this one, and because of that, they are expecting 'The Angel's Game' to be something similar, when it really isn't. I read a review from someone on here who hated 'The Angel's Game' on the first read, re-read it and then thought much higher of it - even saying that it should not have been compared to what came before. 'The Shadow of the Wind' is a great story, I loved it, and I would recommend it to anyone. But the plot is a lot more simpler than 'The Angel's Game' - and I never expected to say anything like that, since I thought the plot of 'The Shadow of the Wind' was pretty complex! That book had the comedy of Fermin thrown in to give it a lightness that is not provided in 'The Angel's Game' and at the end, everything was resolved and became clear. 'The Angel's Game' is so much darker, and as for everything being resolved at the end - well, without wanting to give away spoilers, I guess that depends on which angle you take when approaching the plots and sub-plots throughout this book. The first book follows rules, this one invites YOU to take your own opinion, your own view on what happened and how it all fits together. And that's not as easy as it sounds.
The main character, David Martin, is not as likeable as Daniel Sempere from the first book in this series, but so much more intriguing, and in a way, THAT made me like him, simply because I couldn't figure him out. There are so many layers to his personality, and maybe even more depending on how you view the character of Andreas Corelli.
Spoiler
On one hand, it is possible to take the view that he is a figment of David's imagination, or another side of his personality. On the other hand, it is possible to view him as a real figure - the devil? An angel? The the first is backed up by the fact that Inspector Grandes was unable to verify many aspects of David's tale, suggesting that David is not always of sound mind - maybe? And that Grandes said that the angel lapel has always been worn by David? Also those two men that attacked Isabelle - David let them go without hurting them. Then he got home and there was dried blood on his face, and later, Isabelle's father told him that two thugs got beaten up within an inch of their lives the night before - all of which suggests that maybe David had done it to them and erased the memory from his mind? And that this may have happened with the other people that were killed? Also that the terminal illness that Daniel had could also have been created in his head - maybe as a result of the fact that he felt so worthless writing as I. B. Sampson that he created an illness in his head that would have made him stop writing. But in his head, this other personality, Andreas Corelli, the one person who had always approved of his writing - his first fan (also a coincidence?) - gives him a chance to write something totally different and get away from those books he had to write before, so he allowed Corelli to heal him (even though all of this was taking place in his mind.)May also explain the ending too - all of that with Corelli forgiving him and giving him a reward but also a punishment in the form of a 'new' Cristina - maybe that was also in his head, a way of punishing himself in his madness for what he knows he did (the murders?) even though he keeps trying to forget that he did it.But then, this approach does not explain why Marlasca also had a contract with Andreas Corelli and why he wanted to get the manuscript from David to give it to Corelli on his behalf. How could Marlasca have a contract with him too if he was just another personality of David's? Also, the role of Marlasca is then greatly reduced - if he's not the one killing everyone then what was he doing? Did he really just fake his death to wait until someone else wrote a book that he could use to get his son back with?
Yet, the view that Corelli was real (even as a devil or angel?) also has it's faults - what was he trying to do with a manuscript? Try and get more followers? If he was the devil with such powers, wouldn't he have known about Marlasca's faked death and made him finish the manuscript or killed him rather than waiting 25 years and getting David to do it? As a creature of power, couldn't he have done it himself? And David let him down in the end and broke the agreement - why not bring back the tumour that was growing that he took away (with his powers I expect?) instead of 'resurrecting' a new Cristina for him? And then, why was Marlasca running around killing everyone just seconds after David was with them? And the whole thing about Grandes always seeing that angel on David's lapel?
I fear all of the above is explained so unclearly and is just my ramdbing! So i try again to explain my view this time, and do it a little simpler. I think that Andreas Corelli was invented in Daniel's mind as someone initially who praised his work. David wanted that praise. Then he was writing as I. B. Sampson. Then, he invented this illness that would stop him writing because of what Isabella was saying about his work as I. B Sampson and how he felt about it deep inside. But he didn't REALLY want to stop writing, just didn't want to write under I. B Sampson anymore, so Andreas Corelli was then used to encourage his writing, take away the imaginary illness that he had created for himself, and let him write the weird stuff he had in his head - his manuscript. I think David killed all those people, AS Corelli, another personality of David's. That also explains why the money was not in David's account and why the lawyer had some of that money when David thought Corelli hired him, and also why it was David's money that paid for that big angel structure and the coffin with David's name on when David thought that was Marlasca. I think Marlasca was clearly a real person and as described by his family, was not right in the head too. I think he was convinced that if he wrote this book for this person, that person will bring him his son back, as he believes that books contain the souls of their authors. That witch person had also told him that. I think he needed to believe that so much that he invented a 'Corelli' like figure too - though not the same as David, so that he had some hope left on getting his son back. When he sees that David is writing a book and knows that he's writing it for someone, he assumes it's the same person. And I don't think it is - Corelli never mentions Marlasca - at least, I think so - and makes no reference to the fact that he tried to get someone to do this project before. That further suggests to me that Corelli isn't real. So, Marlasca, who framed his own death maybe to get away from this person in his head, sees David's book as a chance to get his son back.
So the spoiler bit is just my views on making sense of the plot, it doesn't give away details on what actually HAPPENED and may not make sense to those who haven't read the book (maybe it won't make sense to those who HAVE read it either!) but just simply is my way of trying to understand the different ways of explaining the events in this book. Because the truth is, the author doesn't tell us. It is left to your own imagination - your own way of viewing the events and fitting them into the jigsaw that is this book. I have a game called Tri-Ominos at home, it's like dominoes but with triangles, and every single time you play the game, there is a completely different shape of pieces on the table in front of you. And if you don't play it properly and just arrange the pieces as you go along in an effort to use all the pieces, you end up with a few pieces that you can't fit anywhere. I view this book like one of those games where the pieces don't all fit. There are many ways to look at it and many ways to arrange the pieces, but i'm still getting those games where one or two pieces don't fit. And i'm still searching for the picture where every piece has a place that fits perfectly. Maybe there isn't one with this book. Maybe i need to read it again to find it. Who knows. All i know is that i can't get this book out of my mind - and i love that.
Oh, and i loved the relationship between David and Isabella. NOT romance, but friendship and it was so lovely to read!
I cannot wait to read the third one - and to see if this sheds some light on the events of this book :) Part of me wishes it does. The other part of me likes the mystery here!
EDIT: I just read this from the author's website:
'The Angel's Game has many games inside, one of them with the reader. It is a book designed to make you step into the storytelling process and become a part of it. In other words, the wicked, gothic chick [part of the family of books that is 'The Cemetery of Forgotten Books'] wants your blood. Beware. Maybe, without realizing, I ended up writing a monster book after all...Don't say I didn't warn you, courageous reader. I'll see you on the other side.'
This is so true! And this is what makes me love this book so much! Usually I don't like not understanding a book that well - but with this book, I feel like the point of it IS that you don't really understand it, and because I recognise that, I kind of DO understand it :)
richa700's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
siren224's review against another edition
2.0
ف الحقيقة النهاية فصلتني
بعد ده كله نهاية عجيبة
لحد دلوقتي مفهمتش ايه علاقة السكان الاصليين قبل ديبعو ب اللعنة
كمان هو قتل كل الابطال !
افتكرت مسرحية عادل امام ومات المشاهدون ايضا
شويه ملل في النص ووصف مكرر ل برشلونه مفيش جديد في الوصف
الرواية ف البداية كانت حلوة جدا بعد كدة ابتدت تتوه منه فعمل نهاية اي كلام
معجبتنيش الصراحة
انا فضلت اكملها عشان اجيب اخره
بس ظل الريح احلي لو قارنا
ف تعليق قريته لمجلة عن الرواية ف ظهر الغلاف ان الرواية دب بتعرفك علي هذيان الكتابه
اعتقد ان ده صحً!
بعد ده كله نهاية عجيبة
لحد دلوقتي مفهمتش ايه علاقة السكان الاصليين قبل ديبعو ب اللعنة
كمان هو قتل كل الابطال !
افتكرت مسرحية عادل امام ومات المشاهدون ايضا
شويه ملل في النص ووصف مكرر ل برشلونه مفيش جديد في الوصف
الرواية ف البداية كانت حلوة جدا بعد كدة ابتدت تتوه منه فعمل نهاية اي كلام
معجبتنيش الصراحة
انا فضلت اكملها عشان اجيب اخره
بس ظل الريح احلي لو قارنا
ف تعليق قريته لمجلة عن الرواية ف ظهر الغلاف ان الرواية دب بتعرفك علي هذيان الكتابه
اعتقد ان ده صحً!