I recently read The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu, and as I was reading it I was struck by how it explores some of the same themes as Katherine Addison’s The Witness for the Dead, but in a completely different way. So for all you lovers of ghosts, mediums, and fantasy-mystery hybrids, I thought I’d do a dual review of these two recent releases.
First, let’s consider the similarities between the two books.
Eh, it’s a Living
The protagonists of both novels are professionals. Their ability to speak to the dead is acknowledged, normalized, and governed by rules and regulations. In the case of Thara Celehar, main character of The Witness for the Dead, his position is both a religious calling and a sort of governmental role. Ropa, the main character of The Library of the Dead, is more of a freelancer, but still subject to licensing regulations that allow her to function as a professional ghostalker.
In both worlds, these professions are seen as pretty normal. While Ropa lives in a future semi-apocalyptic Scotland, people believe in ghosts and are not surprised when she shows up with a message from their dear, departed gran, as opposed to our current world where only some people believe in ghosts and mediums.
Unfinished Business
Unsurprisingly, both Celehar and Ropa find themselves dealing with a lot of unfinished business. We rarely know exactly when we’re going to die; either we or our loved ones might have some things we need to wrap up. I think the moment the similarities between these two books really hit me was when Ropa was trying to resolve a conflict over a will and which sibling was to inherit a dead patriarch’s business; Celehar deals with a similar situation, and both protagonists have to try to get their job done without drawing too much ire from the family of the deceased.
Mundane Forces
In addition to the conflicts inherent in their central plots, both Ropa and Celehar have to deal with resistance from some mundane forces. In Celehar’s case, it’s bureaucracy and politics. His position was a political appointment from the emperor, and not everyone in his new city wants him there. He also experiences same-sex attraction in a world that doesn’t seem to be “queernorm.” In Ropa’s case, she has to deal with the potent combination of racism, sexism, classism, ageism, and crumbling infrastructure. Without these obstacles, both characters would have solved their main mysteries much more quickly and easily.
Now, let’s look at how these books differ from each other, because they are in fact very different beasts.
A Matter of Voice
Both Witness and Library are written from a first person point of view. Beyond that, their narration could not be more different.
Celehar comes from a very formal society, and his narration of his own life is so formal that I had to double-check to make sure I was properly remembering that it was first person. Even as he lets us into his thoughts, there seems to be a desire for a certain distance and privacy. This made it a little hard to get into the book, as I like a narrator to really draw me in.
Ropa, on the other hand, is a brash teenager who peppers her narration with vulgarity and Scottish slang. The reader is not so much invited into her mind, so much as grabbed by the front of the shirt and dragged in. I found Library a much more immersive book because of Ropa’s distinct viewpoint.
Personality Plus
As shown by their narrative voices, Celehar and Ropa are very different characters, driven by different motivations.
Celehar’s quiet integrity is admirable. He follows his calling even when it gets difficult. He juggles the needs of multiple families trying to find answers. He chases down obscure leads. He faces down personal danger, loneliness, and guilt over bad past choices, all while usually keeping a pretty calm exterior demeanor.
Ropa is young, black, and the main breadwinner for her small family. Various setbacks have taken her from what sounded like a pretty normal middle class lifestyle to living in a caravan with her disabled grandmother and her younger sister. She’s dropped out of school to work, and has concerns about how to pay the rent and get her grandma’s medication. It’s a lot of responsibility for a teenager, and she can be very mature in her decision making, but she also has a smart mouth and a background as a petty criminal.
If I had to pick one to solve the unfinished business of my dead loved on, I’d pick Celehar, but if I had to pick one to hang out with, it’d definitely be Ropa.
Talking to the Dead
Technically speaking, Celehar doesn’t actually speak to the dead. He can get impressions from the recently deceased, such as the final thing they saw or the final thought they had. Hopefully, this will be enough of a clue for him to do the legwork to accomplish his goals (frequently, discovering what religion they were so they can receive the proper funeral rites).
Ropa can have full-fledged conversations with the dead, and her job as a ghostalker is to deliver messages to loved ones. The ghosts are able to provide her with a lot more information than Celehar gets; her challenge in solving the central mystery of the book comes from the fact that people are missing, not dead, but a dead mother cannot move on to the afterlife until she knows her missing son has been found.
Just Book Stuff
Other differences between Witness and Library are less related to their stories, and more to their existence as books. The Witness for the Dead is marketed as a “stand-alone sequel” to Addison’s The Goblin Emperor. It had been many years since I read that first book and I was able to follow Witness just fine, so it does stand alone pretty well.
The Library of the Dead is being positioned as the first book in a new series, and the author’s first genre novel (he has published non-genre novels under another name). I do hope that the series will continue; the main plot was wrapped up neatly, but there was a “hook” for Ropa to face some new difficulties, as well as the possibility for plots focused on her two friends Jomo and Priya.
Which do I Recommend?
If you’ve read this far, you’ve probably already figured out that I enjoyed both books. Witness started out slow, but drew me in, and has such a well-developed world. Library pulled me right in and was a delight to read, although it does come with a content warning for violence against children, so keep that in mind if it’s a trigger for you.
Which you will enjoy more will largely depend on your reading habits! If you prefer more classic fantasy or gaslamp/steampunk settings, The Witness for the Dead will be your speed. If you tend to enjoy urban fantasy and YA*, The Library of the Dead should suit you well. And if, like me, you read pretty broadly across SF/F genres, you might well enjoy both! Just consider reading a few books between them so their similarities don’t bump up against each other too much.
*The Library of the Dead is not being marketed as a YA, but I think it has definite crossover appeal due to its young protagonist. Just be aware that it has strong language and bad behavior that some parents may not consider appropriate for teenage readers (no underage sex, though).
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