About the Book

The long-awaited new novel from the author of the international bestseller and modern classic The Shadow of the Wind.

AS A CHILD, Daniel Sempere discovered among the passageways of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books an extraordinary novel that would change the course of his life. Now a young man, Daniel runs the Sempere & Sons bookshop and shares what should be a fulfilling life with his loving wife and son. Yet the mystery surrounding the death of his mother plagues him, despite the efforts of his wife, Bea, and his faithful friend Fermín to save him.

Just when Daniel believes he is close to an answer, a new plot is uncovered, more sinister than he could ever have imagined. That is when the beautiful and enigmatic Alicia Gris appears, a soul born of the nightmare of war. It is she who will lead Daniel to the edge of the abyss and reveal the secret history of his family, though at a terrifying price.

The Labyrinth of the Spirits is an electrifying tale of passion, intrigue and adventure, set in the Barcelona of the late 1950s. Within its haunting pages Carlos Ruiz Zafón masterfully weaves together plot and subplot in an intricate and intensely imagined homage to the art of storytelling-that magical bridge between literature and our lives.

‘The Shadow of the Wind is a triumph of the storyteller’s art. I couldn’t put it down. Enchanting, hilarious and heartbreaking, this book will change your life. Carlos Ruiz Zafón has done that exceedingly rare thing—he has produced, in his first novel, a popular masterpiece, an instant classic.’ Daily Telegraph