The Library of the Dead

by T. L. Huchu

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Part mystery, part dystopic thriller, and part magical academia with a lot of heart. This read is a delight! It’s the perfect type of contemporary fantasy mash-up with just the right amount of supernatural and horror elements to keep you up at night. But it’s Ropa, our precocious narrator and resident ghostalker, who instantly becomes indelible by the end of the first page. Wise and seasoned beyond her years, as formed by modern Scotland as she is by her ancestral home of Zimbabwe, Ropa is tossed into a world of danger, magic, and dark discovery. We can’t wait for the next installment!

Now a USA TODAY bestseller!

Ilube Nommo Award 2022 for Best Novel

"An absolute delight . . . kept me totally hooked." – Genevieve Cogman, bestselling author of The Invisible Library

Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things in T. L. Huchu's The Library of the Dead, a sharp contemporary fantasy following a precocious and cynical teen as she explores the shadowy magical underside of modern Edinburgh.


WHEN GHOSTS TALK
SHE WILL LISTEN

Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker – and they sure do love to talk. Now she speaks to Edinburgh’s dead, carrying messages to those they left behind. A girl’s gotta earn a living, and it seems harmless enough. Until, that is, the dead whisper that someone’s bewitching children – leaving them husks, empty of joy and strength. It’s on Ropa’s patch, so she feels honor-bound to investigate. But what she learns will rock her world.

Ropa will dice with death as she calls on Zimbabwean magic and Scottish pragmatism to hunt down clues. And although underground Edinburgh hides a wealth of dark secrets, she also discovers an occult library, a magical mentor and some unexpected allies.

Yet as shadows lengthen, will the hunter become the hunted?

"A fast-moving and entertaining tale, beautifully written." – Ben Aaronovitch, bestselling author of Rivers of London

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250767783
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/22/2022
Series:	Edinburgh Nights , #1
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	22,838
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

T. L. Huchu (he/him) has been published previously (as Tendai Huchu) in the adult market, but The Library of the Dead is his genre fiction debut. His previous books (The Hairdresser of Harare and The Maestro, The Magistrate and the Mathematician) have been translated into multiple languages and his short fiction has won awards. Tendai grew up in Zimbabwe but has lived in Edinburgh for most of his adult life.

Editorial Reviews

★ 12/01/2021

Fourteen-year-old high school dropout Ropa is barely hanging on as she tries to support her Gran and her younger sister with her licensed ghost-talker business. However, the money she gets for delivering messages between the living and the dead is barely enough to pay the rent on their trailer. Although Ropa seems to be a tough-as-nails young businesswoman, when one of her ghostly clients begs for help investigating her missing child, Ropa's conscience won't let her ignore the mother's plea, despite the fact that she can't pay the fee. Ropa's search starts at a very unique magical library where she uncovers a hidden talent inside of her which leads her across the seedier parts of Edinburgh, Scotland, and into several life-threatening situations. Readers must remain on their toes as they keep up with a large cast of characters both living and dead, while following the physics of magic and references from Scottish history, Zimbabwean culture, and Greek mythology. However, Ropa's snarky, noir-ish first-person narration keeps the plot moving along quickly. Enough closure is provided to satisfy readers in the end, although plenty is left open for a whole new series to develop. VERDICT This supernatural thriller is a natural crossover title for teens who like fantastical elements mixed in with their scares.—Carrie Shaurette, Dwight-Englewood Sch., Englewood, NJ

School Library Journal

★ 03/01/2021

Huchu (The Hairdresser of Harare, as Tendai Huchu) plunges readers into the dark, supernatural recesses of contemporary Edinburgh in his powerhouse fantasy debut and series launch. Headstrong high school dropout Ropafadzo “Ropa” Moyo works as a ghostalker, ferrying messages between the worlds of the dead and the living for the right price. When penniless ghost Nicola comes to Ropa pleading for help, Ropa is initially reluctant to take on her problems—until she learns that something is sucking the souls out of the bodies of the city’s children. Now Ropa heads on a dangerous hunt to discover who—or what—is behind these sinister attacks. The mystery contains plenty of twists, turns, and genuinely eerie moments to draw in even the most seasoned horror reader. Huchu writes with a refreshing voice, crafting an intimate portrait of Ropa and her Zimbabwean family amid the delicious paranormal chaos. Precocious, often snarky Ropa, meanwhile, breathes new life into the standard rough-around-the-edges female protagonist. Expertly blending elements of Zimbabwean and Scottish culture, Huchu’s occult thriller is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Library of the Dead:

"A fast-paced, future-set Edinburgh thriller. The Library of the Dead mixes magical mysteries with a streetwise style of writing . . . roll on the sequel." —The Times

"One of the strangest and most compelling fantasy worlds you’ll see all year . . . We can't wait for the next volume." — SFX

"Contemporary fantasy, at its best, is both escapist and urgent: this does both admirably." — The Scotsman

“Expertly blending elements of Zimbabwean and Scottish culture, Huchu’s occult thriller is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.” - Publishers Weekly, starred review

“An absolute delight . . . kept me totally hooked.” - Genevieve Cogman

“Alluring, shadowy Edinburgh with its hints of sophisticated academic magic will draw you in, but it’s Ropa—a hard knocks ghostalker on her paranormal grind to pay the rent—who grabs hold. The moment you meet her, you’ll follow wherever she goes.” — Olivie Blake, author of The Atlas Six

“Fast-moving and entertaining.” - Ben Aaronovitch, author of the Rivers of London series

“What a delight. Great pacing, wonderfully creepy villains, and so much fun!” - A. K. Larkwood, author of The Unspoken Name

"There’s magic and mystery in these pages, and with a protagonist like Ropa, you’ll be glad you went along for the ride."—BookRiot

From the Publisher