Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s first book, The Shadow of the Wind, in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series is the story of Daniel Sempere discovering a forgotten book written by the enigma, Julián Carax, a young novelist, who was mysteriously murdered, and then his published novels start disappearing when a shady character, scarred by burns acquire them so that he can incinerate them and completely destroy the memory of Carax forever.

The story is about Sempere’s investigation into Carax, what became of him, and the twists and turns surrounding his life and those related to it. The setting is Barcelona, Spain, post-World War II. It was a beautifully written novel, full of poetic prose that ties up every loose end. It was a thrilling page-turner full of romance, betrayal, and danger. Evil lurks around every turn, mirroring both the life of Carax and his own novel, also called “The Shadow of the Wind.” It is a story of loss and grief and redemption.

There are lots of wonderful quotes throughout the novel of the power of books and story. There are many nuggets of wisdom strewn throughout book about life. I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in the series and hope to read the others. It was a fascinating story that I relished the entire read.

Get a copy of The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón from Amazon here.

Disclaimer: I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website. Your purchase helps support my work shared here on my blog.ó