The Disability Book Archive

[ID: A book cover. The author’s name “T. L. Huchu” is written at the top in large white caps. The title “The Library of the Dead” is written down the centre in larger yellow caps. A quote at the bottom from Ben Aaronovitch, author of ‘Rivers of London’, reads “Fast moving and entertaining” in small white writing. The cover shows a dark city scape with a blue hue. A tall building with spires is in the centre. Two staircase can be seen on either side if the cover at the bottom. At the top of each stair case, a statue of a person in a robe sitting down. /end]

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Content Warning:

• Child Death
• Death
• Kidnapping
• Confinement
• Violence
• Injury
• Torture
• Slavery

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Summary:

When a child goes missing in Edinburgh’s darkest streets, young Ropa investigates. She’ll need to call on Zimbabwean magic as well as her Scottish pragmatism to hunt down clues. But as shadows lengthen, will the hunter become the hunted?

When ghosts talk, she will listen…

Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker. Now she 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 her 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.

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Notes:

This is the first book in the Edinburgh Nights series.

There is an audiobook.

There is a kindle edition.

This book won the 2022 ALA Alex Award, and the 2022 Nommo Award for Best Novel.

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Archivist Comments:

People in the reviews keep mentioning and/or complaining about the amount of Scottish slang in this book. Some people have said it makes it a bit hard to read for people unfamiliar with it.

Also, I want to point out that the MC, as far as I’m aware, isn’t disabled but her best friend is.

The MC is Zimbabwean-Scottish, and her friend is Indian-Scottish.

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