I’ve heard a lot of praise for the works of Carlos Ruiz Zafón from friends who have read his books. “The Prisoner of Heaven” was picked up by chance at an airport, mostly because I was intrigued by the description on the back.

The secret World of the Cemetery of Forgotten books, hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona… a novel full of creaking trapdoors, a novel where even the subplots have subplots.

This pretty much summed up what this story was about. But first of all I have to honour the author’s style which was impeccable, captivating and simply a delight to follow through all the pages. In times where all those “Twilights” and “Shades of Grey” dominate the bestseller list, this book is like a breath of refreshing spring air.

With about 280 pages it was a quick read but the author still managed to envelop you in the magical atmosphere of the story. Set in Barcelona, you almost felt yourself sitting on a park bench of that exact city and reading the book there. In a short description – the book was intriguing, with quite a few twists and turns, as well as extremely atmospheric.
By the time you reached the ending, you have probably managed to build a close connection with the main characters, so that the final outcomes are heart touching.

My judgement consists of 4 out of 5 stars, so just a minor reduction for some parts which weren’t as exciting as the rest and most of all because I’m not such a fan of open endings 🙂

★★★★☆ (4/5)