Review: The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

When I picked up Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Angel's Game ARC from work, I hadn't heard of his previous novel Shadow of the Wind and really didn't know what to expect. I surely never expected to be just as impressed as I was. If there's one book I've read this year worth recommending, then The Angel's Game is that book.

Title: The Angel's Game Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafón Format: ARC Available Formats: TC, Kindle, Audio CD, Sony eBook Page Count: 470 Genre: Literary Fiction/Suspense Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: June 16, 2009 ISBN-13: 9780385528702

I think a serious mistake for any reader is to expect an author to perpetually release the same book. Just because a book is different from previous works does not make the new work "bad". I've seen this to be the case with several authors and suspect that a few readers will feel the same about The Angel's Game if they hold Shadow of the Wind close to their hearts. With that being said, The Angel's Game is, apparently, a sort of prequel to Shadow of the Wind without taking on the tone and ideas of the first novel.

David Martín is an aspiring author with several major figures in his life: David's mentor, who leads him down the path of writing, Pedro Vidal; Christine, the woman they both love; Andreas Corelli, the mysterious publisher; Sempere, the gentleman who guides David in his love for books and offers a slight sanctuary; Isabella, David's stubborn assistant. This incredibly likable cast of characters all play significantly into David's journey, though the story begins with the conflict between Vidal and David over Christine...and the mysterious offer from Corelli for David to invite a "religion"...

What develops is a mix between a novel of suspense, gothic themes, and a literary love story. Not only do the genres blend in a wonderful way, but the prose, dialogue, and characters are utterly perfect. Just read an excerpt of dialogue between David and the ailing Sempere:

'What does the docto say about the effects of caffeine on the heart?' I asked. 'That man can't even find his backside with an anatomy book. What could he know about the heart?' 'More than you, I'm sure,' I replied, snatching the cup from him. 'I'm as strong as an ox, Martín.' 'You're a mule, that's what you are. Please go back upstairs and get into bed.' 'It's only worth staying in bed if you're young and in good company.' 'If you want company, I'll find someone for you, but I don't think your heart is up to it right now.' 'Martín, at my age, eroticism is reduced to enjoying caramel custard and looking at widow's necks...'

Snappy dialogue, wonderfully drawn characters, intrigue, and mystery...my heart is completely lost to this book. The only negative that I can imagine (other than comparing it to the previous book by Zafón) is the change in the English edition cover. The official cover has changed from this to the cover above. Though both covers are not very attractive (truly, this book deserved better than either of those brown, dull covers), but at least the cover that is not being used (which is the cover of my ARC edition) gives lovely, subtle hints to the story. Most of these hints have been taken out of the final cover.

Quick and Dirty: Crazy in Love.
Like I said, if you read one book this year, make it this one. It comes out this Tuesday in English and is already available in Spanish, so be on the lookout!