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The Angel's Game cover art

The Angel's Game

By: Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Narrated by: Dan Stevens
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Summary

In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man, David Martín, makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books, and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city's underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house lie photographs and letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner.

Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love. Close to despair, David receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book unlike anything that has existed - a book with the power to change hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realises that there is a connection between this haunting book and the shadows that surround his home.

Set in the turbulent 1920s, The Angel's Game takes us back to the gothic universe of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, the Sempere & Sons bookshop, and the winding streets of Barcelona's old quarter, in a masterful tale about the magic of books and the darkest corners of the human soul.

©2008 Dragonworks, S.L. (P)2009 Orion Publishing Group Ltd

What listeners say about The Angel's Game

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The pre-shadow

The author spoke recently on BBC radio about there being 4 interlocking stories planned in the Shadow of the Wind series. Here is the second and it continues the mood of the first: of a rambling and brooding Barcelona peopled by Peakesque characters who are at once both ugly and beautiful, repellent yet beguiling.

The line between reality and the supernatural blurs a little more in this second book that charts a writer's history a couple of decades before the Shadow of the Wind. We meet up with old friends and encounter new heroes and villains.

It is just as powerful as Shadow, if not quite as wonderful, and let's us see further, both into the depths of Zafon's imagined old Barcelona and the duality and complexity of the human spirit. Evil and love swirl in a dance of chance or purposed misfortune and opportunity ? one is never sure.

If you loved Shadow, you must listen t this too. If you haven?t read Shadow, then read that first before coming here but then come straight here.

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35 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not for me

I was fascinated by the story at the beginning, and then I started to not like the complete, unrelieved gloom and doom of it all, finding it most depressing, Next I got hooked on the plot and couldn't wait to hear what was going to happen. Finally I just didn't like it at all. I found it slightly weird, extremely depressing, and somewhat "James Bond" in it's eventual action. But don't be put off - it is just that this is not my sort of story! I suspect that some people will love it and be entirely fascinated by it. The narration is really good and, for the middle part of the book at least, I was completely drawn-in.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic writing

Beautiful, beautiful! You do need to have read "The Shadow of the Wind" before reading this, but both books are wonderful and well worth the time.
The author has a superb way of writing, and although I preferred the reader who did "Shadow" I thought this reader was quite good. He captured the atmosphere of the piece very well.
I did feel that the ending was a little confusing because I did lose track slightly, but that might have been my fault. I hope that the real identity of "The Boss" will be explored further in the other books in the series.
The sheer quality of the writing made this spellbinding and I will be listening to it again soon.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story! Leaves you thinking

I was a huge fan of The Shadow of the Wind, and this book is no disappointment. The tale provides some interesting back story to its predecessor, with the Sempere and Son's bookstore and the cemetery of forgotten being integral to the plot. That said this is a darker, more supernaturally oriented novel. This has the feel of great 19th Century ghost stories, with some really great creepy scenes and Gothic backdrops throughout. If you love a good mystery/tragedy then this book is a must. The story takes you through a number of twists and turns and then dumps you out the other side with lots of unanswered questions to ponder. Dan Steven's narration is also some of the best that I have encountered in any audio book.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

This is such a wonderful audiobook, one of my absolute favourites. I loved The Shadow of the Wind, and The Angel's Game was even better. Dan Stevens' narration is superb, it really fits the tone of the whole novel and draws you into the world of old Barcelona. The book is full of mystery, with a dash of suspense, and truly beautiful language - well worth the download.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

I loved the Shadow of the Wind book so was interested to see if this was as good and indeed it is, I also liked the narrator, I had actually read The Shadow and found the spanish words and places to be quite confusing, so was delighted to have purchased the Audio version of The Angels Game which made the understanding of the spanish words much easier, can't wait till book 3. Would say to you to get The Shadow first then get this book.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Enchanting

From the very first chapter of this audio book the characters are engaging and the setting enchanting. The old town of Barcelona is the perfect backdrop for this mysterious tale. For me, the book oozed atmosphere and even walking in the park on a sunny day i felt transported to the mists and cobbles of the old town. As usual the author did not dissapoint, I did not want the story to end.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

part 2

I read the 'Shadow on the Wind' first, thank goodness or I would have been really confused. It was an interesting story, and you can follow the characters quite well, although I did get a little lost at the end. I loved the narrators voice, and could listen to him all day, he read it well and kept a good pace, but I plan on listening to it again sometime soon, both because I enjoyed it and to make sure I understood the reality from the fiction.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent

slow to get into - but once you do its gripping

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Complex and difficult

After reading the Shadow of the Wind, I was expecting to find that this book follows in a similar style, but it is totally the opposite. I still recommend it and rate it highly, but it is a much harder read, requires the reader to use own imagination and make own conclusions. The story is much darker and heavier in nature too.

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1 person found this helpful