The Angel's Game

By Carlos Ruiz Zafón

From master storyteller Carlos Ruiz Zafon, author of the international phenomenon The Shadow of the Wind, comes The Angel’s Game — a dazzling new page-turner about the perilous nature of obsession, in literature and in love.


The whole of Barcelona stretched out at my feet and I wanted to believe that when I opened those windows — my new windows — each evening its streets would whisper stories to me, secrets in my ear, that I could catch on paper and narrate to whomever cared to listen…

In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man, David Martin, makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city’s underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house lie photographs and letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner.

Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love. Close to despair, David receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book unlike anything that has ever existed — a book with the power to change hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, and perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realizes that there is a connection between his haunting book and the shadows that surround his home.

Once again, Zafon takes us into a dark, gothic universe first seen in The Shadow of the Wind and creates a breathtaking adventure of intrigue, romance, and tragedy. Through a dizzyingly constructed labyrinth of secrets, the magic of books, passion, and friendship blend into a masterful story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Aug 11, 2009
• ISBN: 9780307373731

Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Carlos Ruiz Zafón is the author of eight novels, including the internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed Cemetery of Forgotten Books series: The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel’s Game, The Prisoner of Heaven, and The Labyrinth of the Spirits. His work, which also includes prizewinning young adult novels, has been translated into more than fifty languages and published around the world, garnering numerous awards and reaching millions of readers. He lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews for The Angel's Game

[thursbest · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was incredibly detailed in writing, every page was something I can see in my head like a movie. The storyline never lost its pace, the characters were beautifully written, though the story had me confused with some of the characters at times, but easily found my way back.

[sjaananigans · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm halfway, and not looking forward to finishing it: what a book! I have to put it down sometimes (reluctantly) and can't wait to pick it up again.Dark, witty, exciting.

[schufman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not an easy read, but I definitely get the sense that with multiple readings I'd follow some of the many layers quite a bit better. Something I'll pick up to read again, hopefully in the near future. Spanish, dark, mysterious and fun (although occasionally the philosophic lecture would overtake the plot, which led to some dry passages of dialogue).

[waldhaus1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There is a lot of underlying complexity and references. I am not sure I recognized all of them. There is the main story arc which seems to be the writer who like Dr. Faustus sells his soul to the Devil - the angel of the title. There is also the reference to Dickens and great expectations. There are a couple of love triangles or seemingly so. There is also the question of how many of the events transpired as told by the protagonist or whether he in fact was delusional and even guilty of crimes. The cemetery of forgotten books makes its appearance but it seems more symbolic a restatement of the relationship between books souls, readers and writers.I found myself keeping a list of all of the characters, even including locations in Barcelona as characters. If being puzzled or uncertain at the end of a book bothers you them you may be disappointed by this book. On the other hand you can enjoy being tantalized by unsolved puzzles then you will find this read satisfying. It is both a prequel and sequel to the author’s Shadow of The Wind.

[karenduff · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book which surprised me as I didn't particularly like The Shadow Of The Wind. I found that one disappointing. I thought this one was very well written and as such I might need to give The Shadow Of The Wind another chance as I find it hard to believe that there could be such a difference in the quality of the writing, think it might just have been my mood when I was reading it.

While I didn't find the main character David particularly likeable I did find myself caring about what happened to him, although I do think it would be hazardous to your health to have had any contact with him.

I liked that the writer showed Barcelona's darkside, the parts of the city that the locals would be familiar with but that tourists usually don't see for me that makes a story more real.

[thoughtsofjoylibrary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First off, I have to say that I love this author's writing style. In The Angel's Game, I loved his word choice, the atmosphere he created in my mind, the sentence structure -- virtually all the dynamics of writing, except for the plot. There were some interesting and exciting parts that truly kept my attention, but it also contained parts that were extremely dry and dull. Also, at times the magical realism went a bit too far for me. Even with all that said, I am thankful to have had the experience of Zafon's storytelling. It's that ability that compelled me to read until the very end of the 544 page hardcover (470 page ARC), even though I wasn't enjoying it as much as I would have liked. (2.75/5)Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy

[xicanti_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A pulp author with literary aspirations finds himself drawn into a web of secrets and lies that threatens to engulf everything he holds dear.I'm one of approximately three people who didn't love THE SHADOW OF THE WIND to little tiny bits - but I did like it well enough that I was looking forward to THE ANGEL'S GAME. I was hoping to see some of my complaints with the first book smoothed over, and I'm pleased to report that the biggest one was. But alas, another important complaint still stands, and it brought the book crashing right down for me.Let's start off with the good stuff, though. I really liked how Zafon dealt with the mystery behind Corelli. My biggest beef with TSotW was the 100-page Big Reveal, in which the author told me, in plain language, everything I had already figured out for myself. No twists, surprises or shocking revelations. It was boring with a side of zonk, and I consider it one of my biggest literary disappointments. Thankfully, Zafon resists the urge to do the same here, and I applaud him for it. He hints at Corelli's origins in such a way that the reader needs to make up her own mind as to who, or what, he is. I'm convinced I know, but I can't be sure. I love that. It added a nice dimension to the story.I also loved Isabella. I was always thrilled to see her, and I really appreciated how Zafon dealt with her friendship with Martín. It felt natural and dynamic, and I couldn't wait to see where it would take them. I really think Zafon's supporting characters are his biggest strength as a storyteller. Isabella was my favourite part of TAG, just as Fermin was my favourite part of TSotW.And then there's the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, which Zafon brings vividly to life. I would like to go there, please. I would like to go there yesterday.So the book has three strong things going for it, but they just aren't enough to offset the story's biggest problem: Martín himself. I couldn't believe in or connect with him. Zafon makes much of Martín's love of literature and his passion for Cristina, but I didn't feel like either association was set up in such a way that I could share in it. Zafon never lets us feel what Martín feels, and since what Martín feels defines his character... well, his character's a bit of a dud. Terrible things happen to him, but I just shrugged 'em all off because I couldn't believe in what he felt. Ditto for the exciting parts, which I'm sure I would have found impossible to put down if I'd cared about the guy they were happening to. I mean, Zafon sure knows how to dish out the crazy plot twists. (The good crazy plot twists, I might add; the ones that make the story more fun). If only I'd cared about Martín.The prose is decent, though, and you hardcore SHADOW OF THE WIND fans will certainly appreciate the ties between this book and that one. (If you haven't read TSotW, don't worry; this one works perfectly on its own). But me, I feel fine passing this along to someone else.(Review copy provided by the publisher via the LibraryThing EarlyReviewers program. A slightly different version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).

[ma_washigeri · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Plus a half star which might be credited to the translator Lucia Graves for a fabulous job. The tale is told in the first person but the voice is anything but straightforward; petty and weak willed and unreliable as seen from the inside, yet attracting strong friendships from clearly insightful people. The more I think back over the book, the more I see in it and the more I like it. Full of lots of different sorts of angels.

[john_warner-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

David Martin is a young aspiring writer in post WWI Barcelona writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. After a mysterious benefactor hires him to write a novel under his own name, his financial future is looking up. He leases a sprawling, gloomy house; moves in; and soon discovers a locked room containing photographs and papers of the previous owner who died under suspicious circumstances. Being inquisitive, he begins to investigates his death. Soon, individuals who knew him and interviewed by David are murdered and the local police begin to suspect him.

This Gothic historical mystery is not a fast read since it moves at a glacial pace. However, the author keeps you entertained with his beautiful prose, such as:

"I saw the ghost of a huge black storm spreading it's wings over the city. A gust of white light split the skies and a mantle woven with raindrops cascaded down like a shower of glass daggers."

If the reader sticks with it will be rewarded with a suspenseful climax.

[writeslikeagirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Even in translation the language in this book is beautiful and powerful. The story is intriguing and consuming. An excellent read.

[etxgardener · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second in Carlos Ruiz Zafron's series of mysteries/thrillers set in Barcelona. This book takes place prior to his first volume, The shadow of the Wind and centers around a young writer named David Martin who makes his living writing sensationalist novels about the city. The product of a troubled childhood, he has managed to make a success of himself through his writings. An encounter with a mysterious stranger, a Psarish publisher named Andreas Corelli, culminates in an offer of a lifetime. He is to write as book about a new religion that will change people's hearts and minds and in exchange collect a fortune.His advance allows him to move into a long-abandoned house know as the Tower house. The house, however, seems to harbor deep and sinister secrets; secrets that become more frightening when he finds photographs and letters hinting at the mysterious death of the former owner of the house.Combining a labyrinth of a plot with magical realism, we wonder what is real and what is imagined and whether or not David has made a pact with the Devil. This is a question the reader will keep asking himself right up to the last page of the novel. Zafron has turned in a tour de force with this novel.

[snukes-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Okay, I confess. I'm not one of those people who tries to outwit the author, figuring out where the story is heading and what the surprise ending will look like before the book is half over. I like to be surprised. I love letting the author hold my hand and take me along at their own pace, to rip the blindfold away at the very and and say "OH! That's what's going on!"

Angel's Game, unfortunately, left me waiting for the blindfold to go all the way to the end of the very last page. Perhaps I should have been trying harder to sort out the clues along the way, but I finished this story and said, "huh?" Part of the fault may be that I listened to it in audio format, and thus missed some of the visual clues that might have put me on the write track (Daniel needing to write 6.66 pages per day to keep up his page count, for example.)

I had to go look up some reviews online to find out what I was missing, and when the light dawned and I realized Corelli was essentially the Devil, the whole story made much more sense. The confusing bits cleared a bit, the strange actions that didn't make sense felt more satisfying.

But that being the case, I still felt this novel was not as strong as Shadow of the Wind. There were loose ends and questions left unanswered. The whole story was much darker and violent, which is less my cup of tea. In any case, I did enjoy it very much, and look forward to any future installments.

[eas_13 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite finding it rather confusing and stretching to the imagination at times. David's story was good but the atmosphere and descriptions of old Barcelona were more than great.

[chndlrs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating prequel to The Shadow of the Wind.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I listened to this book. I've heard lots of good things about The Shadow of the Wind so I thought this was a good opportunity to check Zafon out.Although magical realism isn't a favourite of mine, this book could be classified as that. David Martin is a young ambitious writer in Barcelona. He contracts to write a series of stories under a pseudonym and the stories are a success. But he becomes ill and he wants to write a book under his own name. He comes to the attention of Andreas Corelli who wants him to write a type of myth and offers him a huge sum of money. Corelli also cures him of his brain tumour (that's some of the magical realism). However, this contract is the start of horrible things that happen to Martin's friends. Martin wants out but somehow Corelli always manages to find him.I really enjoyed the descriptions of places. I could almost see them. The characters were also vibrant. However, this is a pretty dark novel. Don't read it if you are not prepared to plunge into the depths.

[romonko · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very dark story about life, love, loss, faith and human nature. Mr. Zafon is a master storyteller, and "Shadow of the Wind" remains one of my favourite books. This book was very good, but it didn't give me the magic that Shadow did. It is a complicated labyrinth mystery with books and the writing of books at the core. David's 1930's Barcelona comes alive in these pages. David and his friends and enemies are so well-portrayed that, to me, they seemed real. I felt that I knew the beautiful and changeable Isabella, and I sensed the darkness in the room everytime the "boss" was in the room. Only a tremendous author can write like this. At times, though, I felt that the story went a bit over-the-top with the conspiracy theories. But the mystery was a good one, and David's trials and tribulations while trying to sort out the many mysteries in his life left me quickly turning pages. I will warn people though, don't read this book to get a feel-good feeling. Stick with much lighter fare for this. The book is far too dark and twisted for that. But if you're looking for stellar writing and a twisted and unexpected plot, this is the book for you, especially if you like labyrinth thrillers.

[emmabtate · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this, the atmosphere and the story are excellent. But the ending did confuse me a little, it suddenly went from being threatening and making you wonder if David Martin is going crazy or not, to him being immortal and stuff that happened earlier popping up again! I am sure it is a very clever plot twist and being the mother of 2 young kids my tired brain didn't get it! I do love Carlos Ruiz Zafon's writing, it is so atmospheric and you do feel your heart racing in the scary bits!

[5hrdrive · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another surreal masterpiece by my favorite living author. Now I have to read The Shadow of the Wind all over again!

[lupita_garza6grande · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Angel's Game", it kept me on the edge of my seat. It provided a lot of twists and turns, and although I liked the ending--and how it ties in to the plot of "The Shadow of the Wind", I was left with many unanswered questions. All in all, I highly recommend it to everyone who enjoy a good suspense-thriller book, especially fans of "The Shadow of the Wind" and books by Arturo Perez-Reverte. I was anticipating this book, and I wasn't disappointed, although I liked "The Shadow of the Wind" better.

[raven9167 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First off, the translator of this book did a masterful job. I found that the prose was simply magnificent, and that's a credit to both the author and the translator...there were many turns of phrases that were exceptional. Perhaps it's because it was written in a different language, but the analogies in particular struck me as perfect and never cliched.

I also really enjoyed the David Martin character. I felt as if I really was inside his head for about 4/5 of this book. His conversations with Isabella were likewise priceless and often hilarious. I remember thinking around page 100 or so that I felt a connection with the character, and I often don't feel that way when I'm reading a book. I also really enjoyed the plot for again about 4/5 of the book, and I was looking forward to where it was headed.

But the reason this gets 3 stars from me is the last 100 pages. The rest of this book was so strong that I'm going to chalk up my dislike of the ending and general confusion at those last 100 pages to me not understanding Zafon's genius. Even after I read the epilogue I simply did not get it. Was Martin Correlli? Did Correlli exist at all? Whose soul, exactly, did Marlasca steal, and why was he so intent on having one in the first place? I understand the witch had told him that death would pass him by if he offered a soul in exchange, but why did Marlasca want to escape death? As I understood it, he missed his dead son, and it would seem he would want to bring him back, rather than live forever. And what was going on with Correlli bringing Cristina back to Martin in the end? I just didn't understand, and I said, I assume this is my failure, not Zafon's. Nevertheless, it can't get a higher rating from me as a result.

I really did enjoy the first 430 or so pages, and I probably will try Shadow of the Wind at some point, as others have said they liked that better. But my enjoyment was tempered by my disappointment in those last 100 pages.

[johngrant1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Though I bought this a few months ago I decided not to plunge into it immediately but, rather, to wait until the moment was just right -- yes, that same phenomenon I've mentioned before. Then, after a while, I realized that the "just right moment" would be the holiday break between Christmas and New Year -- i.e., that The Angel's Game would be my Christmas present to myself. And so it proved.

I read Zafon's previously translated book, The Shadow of the Wind, a few years ago, when it was relatively recently published here in the US, and enjoyed it beyond all measure: it's certainly among my favourite novels of all time, and I may well have pinned you to the wall at some time or another to insist that you read it not next month, not next week, but right now. So you can imagine my eagerness for The Angel's Game.

And I haven't been disappointed. Don't get the idea at all that this is simply a retread of The Shadow of the Wind, despite being set in Barcelona in the years leading up to 1930, and despite the reappearance of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books: the tone here is less one of magic-realism-meets-gothic-fantasy, although there's plenty of that if you want to wallow in it (which, obviously, I did), more one of a dark fantasy whose secrets are, with exquisite timing, unfolded in front of you, the storyteller all the while drawing you into the confidence -- which you gleefully agree to share -- that the exposure of each new secret is merely his excuse to offer you tantalizing peeks at the hastily vanishing coat-tails of a whole crowd of further secrets whose bringing into the light he will deliberately, almost sadistically, delay until later. As I say, you're made to be complicit in this whole business; if you can read this whole book without a happy grin of bamboozlement on your face much of the time, then you're not the same reader that I am.

Whatever:

Young David Martin, orphaned at an early age, wants to be a writer and is given his big break writing Grand Guignol fiction for the back of a Barcelona newspaper. After a while, an entirely dishonest Barcelona book-publishing partnership steps in, giving him a six-year contract to churn out pseudonymous penny dreadfuls several times a year. The novels are a huge success, but keeping up the word-count is surely killing David . . . and then, encased in a slice of his life that is also an ingenious ghost story, there comes an invitation from a mysterious Paris publisher, Andreas Corelli, to duck out of his contract with the Barcelona crooks and instead write a single book for a fee that's far beyond whatever ransom a prince might think himself worth. The solitary catch is that David won't be told the subject of the book until after he's signed the contract and accepted the cash.

There's a problem. The crooks want to hold David to his contract with them. That little difficulty disappears when the two principals are horrifically murdered and their offices burnt to the ground. But this is only the beginning of the series of grisly murders that surround David's engagement in the book commission, which is in effect to write the testament of an invented religion that's even more destructive (takes some doing) than the established ones. David tries desperately to steer a course that will allow him to keep "the boss", Corelli, placated while at the same time preserving the lives and well being of the woman he loves, the bookseller he loves, and the breezy young assistant he's either too stupid or too ethical to love.

I'm not going to go any further into the copious plots of this marvelously plot-rich reinvention of the Faust myth than that: read it for yourself, please do. My sole carp is that the translation seems for some reason far less assured than that of The Shadow of the Wind: there were plenty of occasions when, had I not been so swept up by all the rest (there were late nights involved, and long sessions in the bathroom), I might have taken notes to send to Ansible for the Thog's Masterclass collection. The importance of this cavil can be inferred from the fact that I didn't stop to make those notes: the book moves like a rocket all the way through from the start to page 531. I think it's perfectly possible I read the endpapers and the back cover before able to slow down enough to stop.

Recommended? Oh, yes, I think so.

[spyderella · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A guided tour through obsession, teetering on the knife-edge of sanity, plunged into the heart of self-destruction. In other words, a love story.

[mbklibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this one. Our main character, David, is not someone you will fall in love with, but the drama surrounding him, and the circumstances of his deal with the dark side make for a very interesting read.

[thecriticaltimes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes a story needs to go beyond our base reality and travel into a strange and bizarre alternative that nonetheless can exist all around us in our daily lives. In The Angel's Game we are tempted to expect a down to earth heart-wrenching story of one man's struggle with his existence and his destiny. Perhaps we can call it a unfulfilled love story and even a parable. Clearly we also have a new incarnation of a Faustian tale but most of all we have a good gripping story that will seduce you and not let go until you have read the final page.Daniel Martin is a writer from a poor family. His father is abusive and he barely remembers his mother who disappears very early in his life. Books are his only escape and fantasy becomes his flight and fight. Through reading and later telling the unfortunate protagonist attempts to maintain some sort of tangible relation with reality. This all changes when mysterious events and an even more mysterious stranger catch him in a series of events he can not escape from and the more he tries the more he gets caught.A vague man by the name of Corelli asks the writer to pen a book, a complicated nearly impossible book. In return every unspoken wish appears to be fulfilled. A deadly and pending lethal illness disappears, a lovely young assistant turns up on his doorstep and money flows in by the thousands. As this book progresses and as the results of this deal with the devil become ever more apparent and it becomes clear that he was not the only one caught in this self fulfilling trap.Zafon wrote a smooth first novel when he published The Shadow of the Wind and clearly that first book created great confidence. A confidence definitely earned. In his second novel a certain hastiness slips in between the paragraphs. Characters too often lose their appetite at critical points, and many more such plot devices reveal themselves the further in you get. Clearly the author enjoyed writing this book tremendously and the depth and smoothness of the text is evidence of this pleasure. However at some point the string of unexplained events, endless trail of deaths and lost loves become ever slightly tedious.Nevertheless this is a great read and a wonderful sequel to the first book.

[poindextrix · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great and intriguing read, but it left me with a lot of unanswered questions.

[jenngv · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am reading this a second time because I don't think I got enough from the first go around. After reading a Prisoner in Heaven, I felt like a few things connected for me and I needed to re-read this book. I am so glad I picked it up again, it is so far earning it's fifth star.
Ok, now I get it. This is a very good book. Dark and twisty.
Zafon remains one of my very favorite authors.

[klburnside · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed the first three quarters of this book. It was a well setup story, and I was really excited to see where it was going. The setting of this book was the same as Zafon's other book I read, The Shadow of the Wind. The two books had a really similar feel: dark, and full of intrigue and suspense. They both had themes of the magic and power of books and scenes taking place in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and the Sempere and Sons bookstore. However, unlike The Shadow of the Wind, with The Angel's Game, I lost my interest before the mystery was solved. By the time the story was finished building, I just didn't care anymore about the characters or the plot. It didn't make sense, and was quite disappointing. After finishing the book I was left thinking, "All the buildup for this?!"

[mile_mitrov-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

when i read this i was a bit ,well disappointed isn't the right word , but i didn't particularly like one of the plots, it was a bit too much like something from david lynch . but non the less zafon certainly doesn't disappoint whit his writing style , it is another beautifully written book. and all my concerns were appeased with the third book in the series.

[hera_7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a beautiful book to read, so evocative I felt like I was dreaming. The first book I have read in a long time that made me mourn when I'd finished it; I loved it.

[booklovers2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent! Engaging and so eloquently written. I loved reading this book, such a beautiful way of writing. The story was interesting, however, I didn't care for the ending. I would however, definitely read another by Zafon.