"In the turbulent and mysterious Barcelona of the 1920s, David Martin, a young novelist obsessed with a forbidden love, receives an offer from an enigmatic publisher to write a book like no other before — a book for which “people will live and die.” In return, he is promised a fortune and, perhaps, much more."

SO excited to receive this one through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers!!!

Like so many others, I was highly anticipating the English translation of Zafon's follow-up to "Shadow of the Wind", as that book remains one of my favorites of all time. So did this one live up to its predecessor? Well...possibly, but ultimately I think probably not. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Perhaps Shadow was just so good that nothing will ever top it. But that's not to say I didn't enjoy this book. I did. It kept me captivated throughout & I continue to immensely enjoy Zafon's writing style. As other readers have said, this tale has a somewhat darker backdrop & if you're looking for a happy & uplifting book, don't look here. But that darker side is what makes it interesting. I think what I liked best about this one was the way Zafon subtly incorporated aspects of his former book into this one. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books plays a role, although not as distinctly as last time. And to my delight, the reader is able to gain an earlier look at the Sempere family, the booksellers from Shadow, but it's all weaved in smoothly & somewhat subtly, making it a stand-alone book in its own right.
This novel had all of the same elements as Shadow had, although I think I was waiting for a bigger climax -- something to really surprise me, and I was a bit disappointed in that respect. I'm not sure I was completely satisfied with the ending. Regardless, I'm still a big fan of Carlos Ruiz Zafon & eagerly await whatever comes next!

Part of me wants to hold onto this one, but I'm going to let it go for someone else to enjoy. Putting it in my Best of BC(3) box!

Picked out from Indygo88's Best of BC (#3) Bookbox