Short Story Review: Rose of Fire by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

This is a short story by the writer of The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel’s Game. I’ve only read the first book in the series, only because the second book is never on the library shelf.

Now the third book in this four-part series is being published, The Prisoner of Heaven. To celebrate this, Harper have made available a short story about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. This mysterious cemetery plays an important role in the books and is mysterious enough to make me interested in reading the story.

About Rose of Fire

“Set at the time of the Spanish Inquisition in the fifteenth century, “Rose of Fire” tells the story of the origins of the mysterious labyrinthine library, the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, which lies at the heart of Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s novels The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel’s Game, and now The Prisoner of Heaven.

This free e-story includes an excerpt from Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s latest book, The Prisoner of Heaven.” (from Harper Collins’ website) 

What I thought

Now you know I’m not a keen short story reader but I loved to find out a bit more about the mysterious Cemetery of Forgotten Books and how it came into existence.

The story starts in 1454 when a plague has descended on Barcelona. The maker of labyrinths is the sole living passenger on a ship entering the harbor. On him, a notebook is found that is translated and contains the story of the labyrinth maker.

It was interesting to read about times so long ago. However, there wasn’t much tension, it was clearly a tale about the origins of the cemetery. .

But….

As soon as I started reading, I remembered again what a fantastic writer Zafón is. The language is beautiful and for that reason, I am now very keen to read the rest of the series. In fact, I think I’ll start again with The Shadow of the Wind, just so I won’t miss anything when reading the second, and the new third part of the story.

You can download this story for your e-reader, or read it online. Click HERE to go to the download page.

 About The Prisoner of Heaven

“Internationally acclaimed New York Timesbestselling author Carlos Ruiz Zafón conjures a rich, labyrinthine tale of love, literature, passion, and revenge in which the heroes ofThe Shadow of the Wind and The Angel’s Gamemust contend with a nemesis that threatens to destroy them.

In his dark, gothic Barcelona, the threads of past, present, and future converge, bringing us closer to the enigma hidden at the heart of the enchanting and mysterious Cemetery of Forgotten Books.” (from Harper Collins’ website)