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The Library at Mount Char

by Scott Hawkins

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
2,7662444,791 (4.04)106
Fantasy. Fiction. Horror. HTML:“Wholly original . . . the work of the newest major talent in fantasy.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Freakishly compelling . . . through heart-thumping acts of violence and laugh-out-loud moments, this book practically dares you to keep reading.”—Atlanta Magazine

A missing God.
A library with the secrets to the universe. 
A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away.
 
Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts.  

After all, she was a normal American herself once.   

That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father. 

In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God.  

Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation. 

As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own. 

But Carolyn has accounted for this. 

And Carolyn has a plan. 

The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human.

Populated by an unforgettable cast of characters and propelled by a plot that will shock you again and again, The Library at Mount Char is at once horrifying and hilarious, mind-blowingly alien and heartbreakingly human, sweepingly visionary and nail-bitingly thrilling—and signals the arrival of a major new voice in fantasy. 

Praise for The Library at Mount Char

An engrossing fantasy world full of supernatural beings and gruesome consequences."Boston Globe

"Vivid . . . the dialogue sings . . . you'll spend equal time shuddering and chortling."—Dallas Morning News".
… (more)
  1. 52
    American Gods {original} by Neil Gaiman (sturlington)
    sturlington: Hawkins' style reminds me of Neil Gaiman.
  2. 31
    The Magicians by Lev Grossman (TFleet)
    TFleet: Both novels are centered in the modern real world, but with a set of young adults who have magical powers. The novels are different takes on the question, "What would the modern real world be like if there were magic?"
  3. 00
    Duplex: A Novel by Kathryn Davis (KatyBee)
    KatyBee: Unnerving and strange, dark literary writing that follows no rules.
  4. 11
    Lexicon by Max Barry (TFleet)
    TFleet: Both novels feature a female protagonist, whose ability with language is crucial, in a life-and-death struggle with antagonists of greater power.
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» See also 106 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 247 (next | show all)
DNF at 45%. I have too many other books I’m excited about to see if this gets better. I already gave it way longer than I usually would. Boring, meandering, and trying way too hard to look like it’s not trying at all. ( )
  ilkjen | Nov 4, 2023 |
This wasn't NEARLY as weird and incomprehensible as I was led to believe, and I'm only a little bit dissapointed.
Mostly very impressed by the characters, who I liked, and the world, which was interesting in a ha-ha kind of way. Has a good sense of humor without making itself a joke; some of the character moments in the first two-thirds or so were really touching, and there was clearly a lot of compassion for all of the characters, including the awful ones, which I appreciate.
The only real problem I had was the pacing, which wasn't bad in and of itself, but the part that I thought was going to be ending happened, inexplicably, halfway through the book. It was, I think, mostly a problem of expectation—the plot as described on the back cover is not the real plot, and therefore when it ends, the story, you know, keeps going except with the real plot. The real plot is also unexpected in the good way, insofar as it deals with problems that another (worse) book would ignore. So...basically I liked it. Yeah. ( )
  maddietherobot | Oct 21, 2023 |
I honestly didn't know what I was getting into picking up this book but when I did, I didn't put it down. Hawkins put together a truly crazy universe and then didn't feel the need to explain any of it to the reader. It reminded me a little of a Dan Simmons book, in which the author just whispers "trust me, just go with it" and for no reason at all you do, all the while asking yourself "why in gods name does this work?". I guess that one of the exiting things about this is that you can honestly throw all your expectations out the window and "just go with it". Hawkins found this balance in which you can imagine all sorts of things about his world at which he just hints instead of handing it to you in its entirety.

There must be some things I disliked about this book, but I can't remember any of them. It is very gruesome though, which I normally don't particularly care for, but for some reason it only contributed to the feeling of awesomeness in the book. ( )
  bramboomen | Oct 18, 2023 |
E: Would recommend. Super intriguing premise, and well executed. I was satisfied with the ending - hopeful without betraying the characters or the mood. Not as weird as I was expecting, but potentially a better story as a result. ( )
  EasterGenua | Sep 11, 2023 |
I don't normally read books from the fantasy genre, but I always lean towards novels containing bookshop or library in the title, so I decided to give this one a try. I must say there were some really graphic violent scenes to get past, but there were also lots of laughs thrown in as well. And even a bit of a love story to boot. Overall, a very enjoyable read.

( )
  kevinkevbo | Jul 14, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 247 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (1 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Hawkins, ScottAuthorprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Brand, ChristopherCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Huber, HillaryNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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Dedication
For my sweet-natured and extremely patient wife, Heather, with much love and many thanks.
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Carolyn, blood-drenched and barefoot, walked alone down the two-lane stretch of blacktop that the Americans called Highway 78.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Fantasy. Fiction. Horror. HTML:“Wholly original . . . the work of the newest major talent in fantasy.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Freakishly compelling . . . through heart-thumping acts of violence and laugh-out-loud moments, this book practically dares you to keep reading.”—Atlanta Magazine

A missing God.
A library with the secrets to the universe. 
A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away.
 
Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts.  

After all, she was a normal American herself once.   

That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father. 

In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God.  

Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation. 

As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own. 

But Carolyn has accounted for this. 

And Carolyn has a plan. 

The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human.

Populated by an unforgettable cast of characters and propelled by a plot that will shock you again and again, The Library at Mount Char is at once horrifying and hilarious, mind-blowingly alien and heartbreakingly human, sweepingly visionary and nail-bitingly thrilling—and signals the arrival of a major new voice in fantasy. 

Praise for The Library at Mount Char

An engrossing fantasy world full of supernatural beings and gruesome consequences."Boston Globe

"Vivid . . . the dialogue sings . . . you'll spend equal time shuddering and chortling."—Dallas Morning News".

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