The Cemetery of Forgotten Books Books in Order

Carlos Ruiz Zafón's four-novel cycle set in a gothic, war-shadowed Barcelona, where a labyrinthine secret library called the Cemetery of Forgotten Books binds together the fates of writers, booksellers, and the cursed manuscripts they protect. The interlocking stories span the 1920s through the post-Civil-War years and can be entered from different angles, though they converge into a single sweeping narrative.

Publication order

In the order the books were originally released.

  1. Cover of La sombra del viento

    La sombra del viento

    2001 · Carlos Ruiz Zafón

    In 1940s Barcelona, young Daniel Sempere is taken by his bookseller father to the secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books, where he chooses a novel by the…

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  2. Cover of El Juego del Ángel

    El Juego del Ángel

    2008 · Carlos Ruiz Zafón

    In the Barcelona of the 1920s, struggling pulp writer David Martín receives an irresistible commission from a mysterious publisher who offers him a…

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  3. Cover of El prisionero del cielo

    El prisionero del cielo

    2011 · Carlos Ruiz Zafón

    In 1957 Barcelona, Daniel Sempere and his friend Fermín are tending the family bookshop when a sinister stranger arrives looking for Fermín and…

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Frequently asked questions

What order should I read the The Cemetery of Forgotten Books books in?

Publication order — Publication order — the order in which the books were first published. This is the standard, most widely recommended way to read the series. Start with “La sombra del viento.”

How many books are in the The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series?

We list 3 books by Carlos Ruiz Zafón , published between 2001–2011.

Where can I buy the The Cemetery of Forgotten Books books?

Each title above links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted an error? We continuously correct the catalog.