Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Shadow of the Wind | 2001 | Carlos Ruiz Zafon | Buy |
| 2 | The Angel’s Game | 2008 | Carlos Ruiz Zafon | Buy |
| 3 | The Prisoner of Heaven | 2011 | Carlos Ruiz Zafon | Buy |
| 4 | Rose of Fire | 2012 | Carlos Ruiz Zafon | N/A |
| 5 | The Labyrinth of the Spirits | 2016 | Carlos Ruiz Zafon | Buy |
| 6 | The City of Mist | 2021 | Carlos Ruiz Zafon | Buy |
The Cemetery of Forgotten Books is a four-novel cycle set in Barcelona from the Spanish Civil War era through the 1960s. Each book follows a different protagonist who discovers a book in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret library hidden beneath the city where unwanted books are given refuge. The plots interweave across decades, with characters from one novel appearing in supporting roles in others.
The Shadow of the Wind (2001) started the cycle and became a global bestseller translated into dozens of languages. The Angel’s Game (2008) is set earlier in time and has a darker, more Gothic tone. The Prisoner of Heaven (2011) returns to characters from the first book, while The Labyrinth of the Spirits (2016) brings all the storylines together. Rose of Fire (2012) is a brief companion novella. The City of Mist (2021), published after Zafon’s death, collects related stories and fragments. The series is widely regarded as one of the great literary achievements of twenty-first-century Spanish fiction.