Library of the Unwritten by A J Hackwith

Library of the Unwritten

A J Hackwith

If there is one lesson to be learned from this story, it is this: never annoy a librarian. Do not even irritate one, not even if you are a demon, an arch-fiend of Hell. And never forget the power of recalling an inter-library loan. Librarians have ways of dealing with even the most difficult, the most powerful of demons. All you have to do is remember Giles, in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Extract
The polished oak of the staff seemed to grow in the thick warmth of the longhouse. It was a beautiful construction. Claire knew if she ran her fingers along it, she'd find joints of birch, yew, hawthorn and the other sacred woods of the north. Her thumb worried at the gnarl of amber trapped in its tip.

The hall had reacted quickly to the prospect of a duel. Claire and Hero were evidently to fight simultaneously. The wordplay made Claire roll her eyes, but she had to admire the way the hall quickly reorganised for the occasion. Bjorn had swept her away to the far end. The tables were pushed clear, revealing a hard-packed arena in the center of the lodge. She stopped her pacing at the side of the ring. 'Librarians are not warriors or wizards. Is this really necessary?'
Parallels
  • The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
  • The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer - TV Series