The Library of the Dead

Tendai Huchu

 

  • Tor
  • New York
  • 2021
  • English

Forthcoming.

Synopsis

Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghost talker and now speaks to Edinburgh's dead, carrying messages to the living. A girl's gotta earn a living, and it seems harmless enough. Until, that is, the dead whisper that someone's bewitching children - leaving them husks, empty of joy and life. It's on Ropa's patch, so she feels honor-bound to investigate. But what she learns will change the world. She'll dice with death (not part of her life plan...), discovering an occult library and a taste for hidden magic. She'll also experience dark times. For Edinburgh hides a wealth of secrets, and Ropa's gonna hunt them all down.

Review

I feel I've been waiting forever for just this brilliantly inventive book. And now we've acquired it, I couldn't be happier. It's smart, fast-paced, witty and vividly imagined. Our heroine Ropa Moyo is amazing too, mixing up Zimbabwean magic with her Scottish wit and pragmatism. For those that adore Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series and Netflix's 'Stranger things', this is the book you've been waiting for. - Bella Pagan, Tor Editorial Director

Author

Tendai Huchu is a Zimbabwean novelist based in Scotland. His work has been translated into German, French, Spanish, and Italian. He was shortlisted for the 2014 Caine Prize.