Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher

Hildegunst von Mythenmetz is a young poet whose godfather has just died. The only thing the old man leaves him is a manuscript, and it is so flawless that Mythenmetz cannot let it rest. He sets out to learn where such a text could have come from.

The trail leads to Buchhaim, the City of Dreaming Books. Arriving there feels like pushing open the door of an enormous bookshop: a faint acid note recalling lemon trees, the warm smell of old leather, the sharp scent of printer's ink.

The city does not stay pleasant for long. Once Mythenmetz is caught in its grip, he is drawn further into a labyrinthine world where reading is still a real danger. Ruthless book hunters crave rare treasures for collectors, mischievous Booklings play their pranks, and a mysterious figure called the Shadow King rules.

This is a fantasy adventure about books and the people obsessed with them, told through the eyes of its poet hero. The tone mixes wonder and humor with menace, and the setting, a whole city built around books, carries much of the pull.