Shadow of the Wind

Shadow of the Wind
By Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Penguin Press, 2004. 486 pages. Mystery

Daniel Sempere was raised by his father in a small book store in the middle of Barcelona. He learns early the power of books and finds great joy in losing himself within their pages. One book in particular captures his heart and mind and as he grows, so does his desire to discover the fate of the book’s author, Julian Carax, and uncover the identity of the strange phantom-like figure whose sole purpose seems to be the destruction of all Carax’s works.

Part thriller, part mystery, part romance and part historical fiction, this book has a little bit of everything. It did take me a little bit to really get into the story, but once I did, I was completely hooked. The plot is twisted and at times dark though it is equally humorous and entertaining. I can’t say the end was completely unexpected, but the path getting there was filled with surprises.

CZ