---
product_id: 69014131
title: "The Labyrinth of the Spirits: A Novel (Cemetery of Forgotten Books)"
price: "43.92 DT"
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reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/69014131-the-labyrinth-of-the-spirits-a-novel-cemetery-of-forgotten
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---

# The Labyrinth of the Spirits: A Novel (Cemetery of Forgotten Books)

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## Description

New York Times Bestseller "Packed with suspense. . . a gripping edge-of-your-seat thriller.” — Washington Book Review The internationally acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author returns to the magnificent universe he constructed in his bestselling novels The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel’s Game, and The Prisoner of Heaven in this riveting series finale—a heart-pounding thriller and nail-biting work of suspense which introduces a sexy, seductive new heroine whose investigation shines a light on the dark history of Franco’s Spain. In this unforgettable final volume of Ruiz Zafón’s cycle of novels set in the universe of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, beautiful and enigmatic Alicia Gris, with the help of the Sempere family, uncovers one of the most shocking conspiracies in all Spanish history. Nine-year-old Alicia lost her parents during the Spanish Civil War when the Nacionales (the fascists) savagely bombed Barcelona in 1938. Twenty years later, she still carries the emotional and physical scars of that violent and terrifying time. Weary of her work as an investigator for Spain’s secret police in Madrid, a job she has held for more than a decade, the twenty-nine-year old plans to move on. At the insistence of her boss, Leandro Montalvo, she remains to solve one last case: the mysterious disappearance of Spain’s Minister of Culture, Mauricio Valls. With her partner, the intimidating policeman Juan Manuel Vargas, Alicia discovers a possible clue—a rare book by the author Victor Mataix hidden in Valls’ office in his Madrid mansion. Valls was the director of the notorious Montjuic Prison in Barcelona during World War II where several writers were imprisoned, including David Martín and Victor Mataix. Traveling to Barcelona on the trail of these writers, Alicia and Vargas meet with several booksellers, including Juan Sempere, who knew her parents. As Alicia and Vargas come closer to finding Valls, they uncover a tangled web of kidnappings and murders tied to the Franco regime, whose corruption is more widespread and horrifying than anyone imagined. Alicia’s courageous and uncompromising search for the truth puts her life in peril. Only with the help of a circle of devoted friends will she emerge from the dark labyrinths of Barcelona and its history into the light of the future. In this haunting novel, Carlos Ruiz Zafón proves yet again that he is a masterful storyteller and pays homage to the world of books, to his ingenious creation of the Cemetery of Forgotten, and to that magical bridge between literature and our lives.

Review: Fantastic conclusion to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series - If you adored Shadow of the Wind, this novel will not disappoint. If you're new to the series, welcome. I'm jealous of the first time reading experience you're about to have. One of the wonderful things about these books (this is the 4th and supposedly final) is that they can be read in any order and while they're all standalone stories, each adds a layer of context and insight into the others. It is truly a labyrinth of storytelling and masterfully done. Having said that, knowing the first three books added to my experience reading The Labyrinth of the Spirits. It's not mandatory to begin with The Shadow of the Wind, but I would recommend it. Atmosphere abounds in this genre-defying book. I felt like I was right there with the characters, twisting through the streets of Barcelona, hiding in the shadows, breathing in gunpowder, living off of caffeine and adrenaline, and pushing through too-little sleep to uncover the next piece of the puzzle. The Semperes and Fermin Romero de Torres return, as do other friends and enemies from the previous books, but the main protagonist in this story is Alicia Gris, a bold and alluring woman assigned to investigate a missing person (a returning character who I'll let you discover). The pacing is fantastic. It starts with short snippets into various POVs and story lines as a sort of appetizer before slowly building on the main mystery of the book. You gradually uncover more as the plot builds and you delve deeper into the heart of the city and characters. About halfway through the pieces begin to fall together with increasing speed and for the next 200 pages or so it's non-stop, unputdownable thrills. Yes, there are a few twists, one of which actually made me close my book in disbelief for several minutes before I felt capable of continuing. Nothing felt contrived. Everything felt fitting. I didn't feel cheated or misled. The pace slows down again at the end of the book to ease you back to normal and fill in the gaps. In the end you also get quite a bit of insight into what Ruiz Zafon values in the craftsmanship of writing, which is woven in along with acknowledgments of sorts in a clever way that not everyone may not love, but I quite enjoyed. It is one satisfying, gorgeous read. Like the other books in the series this installment is a wonderful mix of genres: mystery, historical fiction, police procedural, political thriller, romance, fantasy... If you're looking for a fun, light mystery this isn't for you. It's over 800 pages, with multiple characters and sub-plots to keep track of, and, while not gratuitous, it has some torture and squeamish bits to make you uncomfortable if you're highly sensitive. However, if you enjoy modern Gothic tales dripping with atmosphere or detailed mysteries with complex histories to sink your teeth into, this book is fantastic. The series is truly a gift to book lovers, not only for its gorgeous storytelling and compelling characters, but also because it's a series about books, featuring the most fantastic library imaginable, a charming bookstore, lovable booksellers, mysterious authors, the process of writing, the magic of storytelling, and the powerful, undeniable hold that a treasured book can have on a reader. I was a fan of all previous books, but if readers of the series were disappointed in The Angel's Game or The Prisoner of Heaven, fear not. The Labyrinth of the Spirits is Carlos Ruiz Zafon as his masterful best. Despite its length, the story flew by and every page felt necessary and engaging. I will be returning to this book, and the series, many times in the future. The atmosphere and level of storytelling are unparalleled.
Review: "a symphony of words ..." - In his forward to his fourth (and final) book about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, Zafon writes, "Each individual installment in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series can be read in any order, or separately, enabling the reader to explore the labyrinth of stories along different paths that, when woven together, lead to the heart of the narrative." I think there is some truth in this, although I recommend beginning at the beginning (_The Shadow of the Wind_), as the characters and of course the Cemetery itself, are easier to follow, and events from previous books might be spoiled by starting here. That said, Zafon is a writer of breathtaking beauty and his words and the world of Barcelona in the 50s and 60s is - like his books - magical. _The Labyrinth of the Spirits_ begins at the end of the story in 1992, before jumping back to the spring of 1938 when Spain was in the throes of its brutal civil war, jumping ahead again to the late 1950s and early 1960s dealing the brutality and ugliness of Franco's Spain and the tragedies that many Spaniards experienced, and which were buried and hidden for decades. Early in the book, Daniel Sempere asks his old friend Fermin "Is this a story or love, or war?" to which Fermin answers, "What's the difference?" This, I think, gets to the heart of the story - and wanting to avoid spoilers, I can only talk about the plot in the broadest terms. On the surface it is missing details of the Sempere family, but mostly it is about censorship and the atrocities and crimes the Fascists perpetuated against families like the Semperes. Alicia Gris, a agent of the state, is asked to find a kidnapped Minister who has old ties to the Sempere family dating back to the civil war; as Gris begins her search, she gradually discovers many secrets the Franco government would prefer to be forgotten. Her dogged investigation endangers both her life as well as the Semperes who are unaware of the threat. But as with his previous books, Zafon writes with many layers to his story. Issues of justice, of complicity and a burning accusation of the Franco regime (which Spain is still struggling with, even after 40 years since the dictator's death). As Zafon explains it, "meritocracy and the Mediterranean climate are by necessity incompatible." The story is compelling, but for me its the writing (and magnificent translation by Lucia Graves) that warrants such an enthusiastic recommendation. Perhaps its because I am a bibliophile that I am so smitten with his books, but Zafon writes with breathtaking beauty - a lost book Gris stumbles across captures my reaction to reading his work: "Every paragraph, every sentence, seemed written in a musical key. The narrative drew her through a cadence of timbres and colors that sketched a theater of shadows in her mind. ... relishing every sentence and dreading the moment when she would reach the end. When, upon turning the last page, she came across the illustration of a curtain crashing down on a stage and making the text evaporate into shadowy dust, Alicia closed the book over her chest and lay down in the dark, her gaze still lost in the adventures of Adriana in her labyrinth." There are many authors of whom I recommend for a variety of reasons. Zafon earns my highest and most enthusiastic recommendation - not only for the complexity of plot and honesty of character, but especially for the lyric, almost poetic rhythm of his prose. If you have not read his earlier books in the series, do. If you are familiar with the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, you will especially enjoy the conclusion to the narrative here.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,057,266 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #738 in Science Fiction Crime & Mystery #788 in Magical Realism #974 in Historical Mystery |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 7,052 Reviews |

## Images

![The Labyrinth of the Spirits: A Novel (Cemetery of Forgotten Books) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91uWAPIDf7L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fantastic conclusion to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series
*by N***M on September 25, 2018*

If you adored Shadow of the Wind, this novel will not disappoint. If you're new to the series, welcome. I'm jealous of the first time reading experience you're about to have. One of the wonderful things about these books (this is the 4th and supposedly final) is that they can be read in any order and while they're all standalone stories, each adds a layer of context and insight into the others. It is truly a labyrinth of storytelling and masterfully done. Having said that, knowing the first three books added to my experience reading The Labyrinth of the Spirits. It's not mandatory to begin with The Shadow of the Wind, but I would recommend it. Atmosphere abounds in this genre-defying book. I felt like I was right there with the characters, twisting through the streets of Barcelona, hiding in the shadows, breathing in gunpowder, living off of caffeine and adrenaline, and pushing through too-little sleep to uncover the next piece of the puzzle. The Semperes and Fermin Romero de Torres return, as do other friends and enemies from the previous books, but the main protagonist in this story is Alicia Gris, a bold and alluring woman assigned to investigate a missing person (a returning character who I'll let you discover). The pacing is fantastic. It starts with short snippets into various POVs and story lines as a sort of appetizer before slowly building on the main mystery of the book. You gradually uncover more as the plot builds and you delve deeper into the heart of the city and characters. About halfway through the pieces begin to fall together with increasing speed and for the next 200 pages or so it's non-stop, unputdownable thrills. Yes, there are a few twists, one of which actually made me close my book in disbelief for several minutes before I felt capable of continuing. Nothing felt contrived. Everything felt fitting. I didn't feel cheated or misled. The pace slows down again at the end of the book to ease you back to normal and fill in the gaps. In the end you also get quite a bit of insight into what Ruiz Zafon values in the craftsmanship of writing, which is woven in along with acknowledgments of sorts in a clever way that not everyone may not love, but I quite enjoyed. It is one satisfying, gorgeous read. Like the other books in the series this installment is a wonderful mix of genres: mystery, historical fiction, police procedural, political thriller, romance, fantasy... If you're looking for a fun, light mystery this isn't for you. It's over 800 pages, with multiple characters and sub-plots to keep track of, and, while not gratuitous, it has some torture and squeamish bits to make you uncomfortable if you're highly sensitive. However, if you enjoy modern Gothic tales dripping with atmosphere or detailed mysteries with complex histories to sink your teeth into, this book is fantastic. The series is truly a gift to book lovers, not only for its gorgeous storytelling and compelling characters, but also because it's a series about books, featuring the most fantastic library imaginable, a charming bookstore, lovable booksellers, mysterious authors, the process of writing, the magic of storytelling, and the powerful, undeniable hold that a treasured book can have on a reader. I was a fan of all previous books, but if readers of the series were disappointed in The Angel's Game or The Prisoner of Heaven, fear not. The Labyrinth of the Spirits is Carlos Ruiz Zafon as his masterful best. Despite its length, the story flew by and every page felt necessary and engaging. I will be returning to this book, and the series, many times in the future. The atmosphere and level of storytelling are unparalleled.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "a symphony of words ..."
*by D***N on July 15, 2019*

In his forward to his fourth (and final) book about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, Zafon writes, "Each individual installment in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series can be read in any order, or separately, enabling the reader to explore the labyrinth of stories along different paths that, when woven together, lead to the heart of the narrative." I think there is some truth in this, although I recommend beginning at the beginning (_The Shadow of the Wind_), as the characters and of course the Cemetery itself, are easier to follow, and events from previous books might be spoiled by starting here. That said, Zafon is a writer of breathtaking beauty and his words and the world of Barcelona in the 50s and 60s is - like his books - magical. _The Labyrinth of the Spirits_ begins at the end of the story in 1992, before jumping back to the spring of 1938 when Spain was in the throes of its brutal civil war, jumping ahead again to the late 1950s and early 1960s dealing the brutality and ugliness of Franco's Spain and the tragedies that many Spaniards experienced, and which were buried and hidden for decades. Early in the book, Daniel Sempere asks his old friend Fermin "Is this a story or love, or war?" to which Fermin answers, "What's the difference?" This, I think, gets to the heart of the story - and wanting to avoid spoilers, I can only talk about the plot in the broadest terms. On the surface it is missing details of the Sempere family, but mostly it is about censorship and the atrocities and crimes the Fascists perpetuated against families like the Semperes. Alicia Gris, a agent of the state, is asked to find a kidnapped Minister who has old ties to the Sempere family dating back to the civil war; as Gris begins her search, she gradually discovers many secrets the Franco government would prefer to be forgotten. Her dogged investigation endangers both her life as well as the Semperes who are unaware of the threat. But as with his previous books, Zafon writes with many layers to his story. Issues of justice, of complicity and a burning accusation of the Franco regime (which Spain is still struggling with, even after 40 years since the dictator's death). As Zafon explains it, "meritocracy and the Mediterranean climate are by necessity incompatible." The story is compelling, but for me its the writing (and magnificent translation by Lucia Graves) that warrants such an enthusiastic recommendation. Perhaps its because I am a bibliophile that I am so smitten with his books, but Zafon writes with breathtaking beauty - a lost book Gris stumbles across captures my reaction to reading his work: "Every paragraph, every sentence, seemed written in a musical key. The narrative drew her through a cadence of timbres and colors that sketched a theater of shadows in her mind. ... relishing every sentence and dreading the moment when she would reach the end. When, upon turning the last page, she came across the illustration of a curtain crashing down on a stage and making the text evaporate into shadowy dust, Alicia closed the book over her chest and lay down in the dark, her gaze still lost in the adventures of Adriana in her labyrinth." There are many authors of whom I recommend for a variety of reasons. Zafon earns my highest and most enthusiastic recommendation - not only for the complexity of plot and honesty of character, but especially for the lyric, almost poetic rhythm of his prose. If you have not read his earlier books in the series, do. If you are familiar with the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, you will especially enjoy the conclusion to the narrative here.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Revelation
*by A***N on April 13, 2019*

This last part of the quadrilogy (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books) expertly brings everything together in an intricate dénouement of events and characters, revealing the painful and often unspeakable reasons for what came to pass. A worthy conclusion to a saga-symphony of stories that started unraveling in The Shadow of the Wind, wrapped within tales, spanning decades, set in a theatre of humour, tragedy, history and love, played by personas of such authenticity that the reader will feel richer for knowing them, yet sad when remembering that they are not real. One cannot help falling in love, crave revenge, cry with pain and shudder at Man’s capacity for cruelty and perversion. I shall come back in a few years and read again the adventures of Daniel, Fermin, David, Isabelle, Julian, Beatriz and mesmerising, intimidating, heartbreaking Alicia (may I meet you one day!). Hopefully, the inevitable forgetfulness of age will allow for the suspense to be restored. Thank you Mr Zafón, for this rollercoaster journey of laughter, tears, clenched teeth and fists, and many, many fond smiles, not least those accompanied by nods of quiet admiration, as I bowed to your storytelling skills.

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*Last updated: 2026-11-12*