In my bid to try and share more genres on the blog, I’m branching out today. With the spooky season soon upon us, I wanted to make a timely recommendation. If you have been reading the blog for several years, you will know that the An Historian Reads book club read The Rivers of London, one of my favourite books. It is an urban fantasy book set in (obviously) London and uses history as an anchor. When I discovered that there was a series featuring a young ghosttalker in historic Edinburgh, I immediately had the same feelings. And I’m happy to say it doesn’t disappoint. Let’s get into The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu!
The Library of the Dead, T.L. Huchu
When a child goes missing in Edinburgh’s darkest streets, young Ropa investigates. She’ll need to call on Zimbabwean magic as well as her Scottish pragmatism to hunt down clues. But as shadows lengthen, will the hunter become the hunted?
When ghosts talk, she will listen…
Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker. Now she speaks to Edinburgh’s dead, carrying messages to the living. 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 life. It’s on Ropa’s patch, so she feels honor-bound to investigate. But what she learns will change her world.
She’ll dice with death (not part of her life plan…), discovering an occult library and a taste for hidden magic. She’ll also experience dark times. For Edinburgh hides a wealth of secrets, and Ropa’s gonna hunt them all down.
Why You Should Read This…
If you are looking for an appropriately supernatural book for the upcoming autumn months, The Library of the Dead is a fantastic choice. This is a three-book series (so far) but this first book quickly jumps into the thick of it! Ropa is quite possibly one of my favourite characters that I’ve encountered in a book in years- although she is only a teenager and has already left school, she seeks out learning any way she can. (Shout out to learning from podcasts!) And she is a badass though, more so than people twice her age.
Edinburgh is also the perfect setting for a supernatural series. If you aren’t as familiar with Edinburgh, it has a long and rich history with no shortage of dark moments. Huchu’s writing makes you feel like you are with Ropa in Edinburgh (even if you’ve never visited).
If you are a fan of Rivers of London, you will definitely enjoy this book/series. However, even if you have not read RoL, this is a great book for anyone looking to get into a darker exploration of past living on!
Is The Library of the Dead on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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