Call number
SPEC FIC HUC
Collection
Genres
Series
Publication
Tor Books (2021), Edition: 1, 336 pages
Description
Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghost talker, and she now speaks to Edinburgh's dead - carrying messages to the living - but when she learns someone is bewitching children she investigates and discovers an occult library, a taste for hidden magic, and a wealth of Edinburgh's dark secrets.
User reviews
LibraryThing member souloftherose
Set in a post-apocalyptic Scotland (the exact details are never explained) our protagonist, Ropa, has dropped out of school to become a ghost-talker carrying messages from ghosts to their living relatives, as her Shona grandmother has taught her, until she gets caught up in a wider mystery when
An urban fantasy set outside London is always a plus and the Zimbabwean/Shona influences make this a very interesting read. The weakest part for me was the library of the dead itself which is a sort of secret society of magicians Ropa comes across but this didn't get fleshed out very much in this book which made it seem a strange choice for the title. I think further books in the series are being written so hopefully this gets explored more.
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children start disappearing. This has Rivers of London vibes (and the publishers have clearly leaned into that with the cover design and blurb from Ben Aaronovitch) but with a grittier/darker style and less humour. Ropa's situation is more precarious than Peter Grant and by investigating the disappearance of these children she's putting her family at risk (grandmother and sister) by losing her source of income even before we consider the direct danger from the investigation. An urban fantasy set outside London is always a plus and the Zimbabwean/Shona influences make this a very interesting read. The weakest part for me was the library of the dead itself which is a sort of secret society of magicians Ropa comes across but this didn't get fleshed out very much in this book which made it seem a strange choice for the title. I think further books in the series are being written so hopefully this gets explored more.
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LibraryThing member SJGirl
An entertaining story and an even more entertaining heroine.
I loved Ropa, the way she steps up to look after her family and how smart she is, always quick with a comeback and thinking her way out of trouble. She’s tough, too, and in that extra lovable way where you’re well aware that inside
With Ropa still quite young and so many other things going on in this story, it didn’t bother me that there isn’t any romance. There are plenty of other types of relationships to get you emotionally engaged whether it’s family, friends (Priya is particularly fantastic) the missing kids at the heart of the book’s mystery or Ropa’s ghostly interactions.
A couple times where Ropa’s learning about magic those passages became a little more long-winded and academic than I would have preferred (I’m sure there are readers who will love it, just a personal preference thing, long-winded and I rarely get along), but I very much appreciate when a character is on a learning curve like Ropa is rather than being super proficient right out of the gate, it just gives things a more realistic and endearing feel to see someone fumble through a bit in the beginning.
The post-apocalyptic Scotland setting, the vibrant personalities and a pace that continuously places Ropa in tense situations made this an enjoyable page-turner.
I received this ARC through a giveaway.
I loved Ropa, the way she steps up to look after her family and how smart she is, always quick with a comeback and thinking her way out of trouble. She’s tough, too, and in that extra lovable way where you’re well aware that inside
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she’s a softy, she does right by people whether they’re strangers or family. With Ropa still quite young and so many other things going on in this story, it didn’t bother me that there isn’t any romance. There are plenty of other types of relationships to get you emotionally engaged whether it’s family, friends (Priya is particularly fantastic) the missing kids at the heart of the book’s mystery or Ropa’s ghostly interactions.
A couple times where Ropa’s learning about magic those passages became a little more long-winded and academic than I would have preferred (I’m sure there are readers who will love it, just a personal preference thing, long-winded and I rarely get along), but I very much appreciate when a character is on a learning curve like Ropa is rather than being super proficient right out of the gate, it just gives things a more realistic and endearing feel to see someone fumble through a bit in the beginning.
The post-apocalyptic Scotland setting, the vibrant personalities and a pace that continuously places Ropa in tense situations made this an enjoyable page-turner.
I received this ARC through a giveaway.
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LibraryThing member reader1009
adult fiction; suspense w/ghosts, magic, and monsters set in modern Edinburgh, Scotland (would work as teen fiction as well, provided they don't mind some crude language)
unique story, great world-building. Can't wait for more.
unique story, great world-building. Can't wait for more.
LibraryThing member JJbooklvr
Ghosts, magic, and a great main character in young Ropa gets this fantasy series off to a fantastic start! Bonus points for any story with a secret library!
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
This a enjoyable book - not the most subtle, I was fairly sure what was happening, and who the villain was, early into the book. But the book itself was well written, with a great hero who just wants to provide for her family.
The magic in the book was also well done, its a fairly standard, but
Enjoyable read, well written. I am disappointed that is more of a young adult book. I found it in the adult section of the library. I'll be reading the sequel if I come across it.
The magic in the book was also well done, its a fairly standard, but
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made sense. I like the mix of cultures, and that this is a book more about class rather than race. However, exactly WHAT happened to make Scotland become a third world like country, is never explained, and the hints to the issue got old, fast. I suspect it will be explained in future books and be part of the larger story arc.Enjoyable read, well written. I am disappointed that is more of a young adult book. I found it in the adult section of the library. I'll be reading the sequel if I come across it.
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LibraryThing member clrichm
Not bad! I did find myself needing to look up Scottish slang throughout, but that’s not something that bothers me much. Ropa was easy to love—all rough edges and hidden intellect—though I was sort of surprised that she didn’t remember mention of the Tall Man from Wilson and the brounie at
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the house. Looking forward to more answers in the next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Ropa has left school to help her family survive. She talks to ghosts and by passing on their information she earns enough to pay the price for living where she does with her grandmother and sister. She hears whispers about children who are turning up wizened and it's all a bit strange. Her path to
I liked the story and would read more about Ropa is an interesting character. What happens next could be very interesting.
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discover the truth brings her to a lot of the occult underground of Edinburgh and it's a wild ride. I've seen people look for a map but Edinburgh as it stands is a wild twist and turn of bridges and roads that won't lead to each other.I liked the story and would read more about Ropa is an interesting character. What happens next could be very interesting.
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LibraryThing member LibrarianRyan
This book is something else. It is not an easy read or listen to, because just like life, multiple things are happening all at once. Ropa is just 14. She lives in the poorest part of Edinburgh, in a caravan with her sister and her grandmother. Time is a bit hard to tell. It fells almost like an
First off, ghosts are real, and they can ask for help, and there must be people there to offer it. Ropa end up on a journey to find not only a few missing children, but what the heck happened to the children that disappeared then returned looking old. But there are other stories taking place at the same time. Stories like the library and how Ropa makes friends and realizes she has some magic. It’s just kitchen magic, not anything she could ever go to school for (not that she could pay for that anyway).
To be honest, I don’t quiet get the title as very little take place in or around the library and it’s just a plot device. However, I did enjoy this book once I got into it. It was nothing like I thought it would be based on title and over, but once I was into the story I was hooked. And you HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION. The slightest thing may mean something and if you miss it you are lost. I listened to this on audiobook and had to keep rewinding. It took me like 16 hours to listen to a 12 hour audiobook. (I don’t know the actual times). But here’s the thing. I wanted to. That is right, I wanted to go back and get every relevant story point I missed.
Is this the best story I have ever read, no. In fact, I don’t even rate it high. I finished this a few weeks ago, and the story has just stuck like molasses. It is still here and with me. I started book two right away after my pallet cleanser. I am now addicted to this world and fell sorrow I must wait for book 3.
While I don’t love this book, I find it comforting in that it feels very life like. Ropa has a life just like all of us. You finally think you get ahead and something else comes up. You must cover more than just one story in life. There are tangents and there are curves that happen while the rest of life if still going on, and I think this author does a better job showing that then any other book I have ever read.
So, once again, I liked this book, I didn’t love it. But I live in this story. This story stays on my mind. And I want the next adventure. I want to see this alternative Scotland and know more about it. So while it may not “score” well in ratings, it is entirely worth the read. Be sure to have the next one ready.
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alternative universe, but Scotland is different from the one we know exists. First off, ghosts are real, and they can ask for help, and there must be people there to offer it. Ropa end up on a journey to find not only a few missing children, but what the heck happened to the children that disappeared then returned looking old. But there are other stories taking place at the same time. Stories like the library and how Ropa makes friends and realizes she has some magic. It’s just kitchen magic, not anything she could ever go to school for (not that she could pay for that anyway).
To be honest, I don’t quiet get the title as very little take place in or around the library and it’s just a plot device. However, I did enjoy this book once I got into it. It was nothing like I thought it would be based on title and over, but once I was into the story I was hooked. And you HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION. The slightest thing may mean something and if you miss it you are lost. I listened to this on audiobook and had to keep rewinding. It took me like 16 hours to listen to a 12 hour audiobook. (I don’t know the actual times). But here’s the thing. I wanted to. That is right, I wanted to go back and get every relevant story point I missed.
Is this the best story I have ever read, no. In fact, I don’t even rate it high. I finished this a few weeks ago, and the story has just stuck like molasses. It is still here and with me. I started book two right away after my pallet cleanser. I am now addicted to this world and fell sorrow I must wait for book 3.
While I don’t love this book, I find it comforting in that it feels very life like. Ropa has a life just like all of us. You finally think you get ahead and something else comes up. You must cover more than just one story in life. There are tangents and there are curves that happen while the rest of life if still going on, and I think this author does a better job showing that then any other book I have ever read.
So, once again, I liked this book, I didn’t love it. But I live in this story. This story stays on my mind. And I want the next adventure. I want to see this alternative Scotland and know more about it. So while it may not “score” well in ratings, it is entirely worth the read. Be sure to have the next one ready.
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LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
Ropa is a ghost talker, she makes her living giving messages to the living from the dead for a fee. She is supporting her grandmother and her younger sister as they are living in a parked travel trailer on farmland outside the city of Edinburgh. Things are tough, her bike has been stolen, the
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
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police shook her down and took a large payday for her that would have paid their rent. Now rent is past due and she needs to hustle. She bumps into a former school friend while walking her sister to school and learns about his new job at a secret library. She is also being pestered by a ghost for help to find her missing son, the son is still alive but no one is looking for him. Turns out there are lots of kids that have gone missing, and no one is sure why. Ropa is sucked into the mystery as she worries about trying to take care of her family and herself and maybe learn some more magic. This is the first book in the series, and it feels a bit more YA with Ropa being a teenager that has dropped out of school. A good story overall and I’m interested to see what happens in the next book and will we get more on what exactly happened in the UK to leave Edinburgh like it is in the book. Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
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LibraryThing member MiserableFlower
I was a little thrown by the accents and the slang, as I don’t usually get my hands on too much Scottish media, but I can still say it was interesting unlike quite a few other books I’ve tried to pick up lately.
LibraryThing member AshleyPelletier
This isnt the type of book id normally choose to read. My friend struggled to get into it and lent it to me to see if i wanted to read. Overall i liked the book. I just feel it was very drawn out. I feel like some information and event were not really relevent. But i liked the ending alot
LibraryThing member cygnoir
Such a fun fantasy story! Can’t wait for the whole series. Do not miss this if you love occult libraries, Edinburgh, and smart, sarcastic protagonists who talk to ghosts.
LibraryThing member zeborah
Life in magical post-societal-upheaval Scotland is tough, and our protagonist is a hard-nosed teenager with a heart of gold - at least when her Nan makes her. In between passing messages between the dearly-departed and their bereft families in order to cover rent for the land their caravan sits on,
The eponymous library is your stereotypical members-only book vault plus gigantic compendium of rules and regulations. Though it does have a cafe too so there's that.
The ending was a bit irritating. It's abundantly clear from her own experiences that the Tall Man is not in fact the same as the Milkman and we're being set up for book two. Ah well: after all that I guess she deserves to live in denial for a wee bit.
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she takes on the case of a missing child. I normally have an uneasy relationship with this kind of subgenre (I often want to like it more than I actually do) but I really enjoyed the protagonist's voice on this one.The eponymous library is your stereotypical members-only book vault plus gigantic compendium of rules and regulations. Though it does have a cafe too so there's that.
The ending was a bit irritating. It's abundantly clear from her own experiences that the Tall Man is not in fact the same as the Milkman and we're being set up for book two. Ah well: after all that I guess she deserves to live in denial for a wee bit.
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LibraryThing member witchyrichy
The Library of the Dead was my 75th book. And what a fascinating book. Future Edinburgh after some disaster that has left the world in chaos. Ropa carries message from ghosts to the living, often helping them finally transition to the world of the dead. She struggles to keep a roof over her head
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and that of her grandmother. When one of the ghosts--a mother--asks her to locate her son who she believes is being used by an evil being, Ropa moves deeper into a world of magic and mystery. Tendai Huchu captures Ropa's venacular and syntax that conveys her character. She is rough and street savvy with a tender spot for her fellow sufferers. I was immediately hooked on this strange but engaging tale. Show Less
LibraryThing member Andy5185
Part Ghost Whisperer, part suspense novel, part mystery, and a wee bit of horror all make this story hard to categorize. My favorite part 100% is the main character of Ropa. Her Scottish brogue sizzles to life off the page with her cynicism and dark charm. She's a breath of fresh (albeit snarky)
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heroic air. I look forward to spending time with Ropa again in hopefully another go and get more familiar with the futuristic Edinburgh. Show Less
LibraryThing member lyrrael
Ropa doesn't do things for free. Nothing. She speaks to the dead and carries their messages, but only if they can pay. Why? She's trying to support her grandma and her little sister in a world gone dark. Only there's a ghost with a compelling argument for a pro-bono case, but there's no such thing
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as a free lunch. Show Less
LibraryThing member avanders
Contrary to others, I thought the ending was well done… fast paced, interesting, left a bit of a cliffhanger while still giving a sense of being wrapped up. But for much of the book, I was… I don’t know, a little frustrated, a little disinterested. It drags in places and seemed unfocused at
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times. Some telling that felt unnecessary. So, overall, ⭐️⭐️⭐️. I would read the 2nd, but I don’t need to rush right out to get it. Show Less
LibraryThing member electrascaife
A girl who can communicate with the dead makes her living by charging them and their living relations for the privilege of her gift. But when a ghost who can’t pay begs her to find her missing son, she breaks all her rules against charity cases and sets out to investigate the series of mysterious
I had a little trouble staying on top of the plot with this one, but it was still an okay read, if a little scattered.
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disappearances in the neighborhood. She also gets her friend to sneak her into the members-only secret library where he works (and for which his father is president), and soon realizes both that the two things are related and that she very well may be in over her head.I had a little trouble staying on top of the plot with this one, but it was still an okay read, if a little scattered.
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LibraryThing member jennybeast
Excellent! I've been looking for more character driven urban fantasy, and Ropa's adventures hit the spot. I love how snarky and annoyed she is, how true blue to family and community, how resilient in the face of grinding poverty. I find her very relatable in our currently crumbling society and I'm
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interested to learn more about the dystopian background of her world. I'm intrigued by the magical system and delighted by the list of great mbiru players that she drops throughout the book. Show Less
Awards
Alex Award (2022)
Nommo Award (Winner — 2022)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2021)
ISBN
1250767768 / 9781250767769