It's about a society in which books are valued above pretty much everything else. A dinosaur called Optimus Yarnspinner who inherits a perfect story from a deceased relative goes to Bookholm, the capital city of writers, printers, bookbinders, antiquarians and other bibliophiles, to find the author. The city sits on top of the mysterious catacombs that are filled with potentially dangerous creatures and valuable books - books with perfect plots, books that kill, books that drive people insane. This is why Bookhunters, mercenaries who explore the catacombs to return the books to the surface, are legendary figures. And somewhere in the center of the labyrinth lies the castle of the Shadow King...
The book is very descriptive, detailed, and sometimes meanders a bit. It's definitely fantasy, and the style could be mistaken for children's lit, but it's got some gruesome descriptions. The canon lends itself to world-building, either of the city, the catacombs, or the fantastical people that inhabit the world. There are two characters nominated this year: the protagonist, Yarnspinner, and a famous Bookhunter, Colophonius Regenschein.
Re: One book
It's about a society in which books are valued above pretty much everything else. A dinosaur called Optimus Yarnspinner who inherits a perfect story from a deceased relative goes to Bookholm, the capital city of writers, printers, bookbinders, antiquarians and other bibliophiles, to find the author. The city sits on top of the mysterious catacombs that are filled with potentially dangerous creatures and valuable books - books with perfect plots, books that kill, books that drive people insane. This is why Bookhunters, mercenaries who explore the catacombs to return the books to the surface, are legendary figures. And somewhere in the center of the labyrinth lies the castle of the Shadow King...
The book is very descriptive, detailed, and sometimes meanders a bit. It's definitely fantasy, and the style could be mistaken for children's lit, but it's got some gruesome descriptions. The canon lends itself to world-building, either of the city, the catacombs, or the fantastical people that inhabit the world. There are two characters nominated this year: the protagonist, Yarnspinner, and a famous Bookhunter, Colophonius Regenschein.