The publication in 2005 of Walter Moers's The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear was an event the hilarious epic fantasy garnered grand reviews and surprising sales, which continue to grow. In this new Zamonian adventure, Optimus Yarnspinner, a young writer, inherits from his beloved godfather an unpublished short story by an unknown author. His search for the author's identity takes him to Bookholm the so-called City of Dreaming Books. On entering its streets, our hero feels as if he has opened the door of a gigantic second-hand bookshop. His nostrils areassailed by clouds of book dust, the stimulating scent of ancient leather, and the tang of printer's ink.

Soon, though, Yarnspinner falls into the clutches of the city's evil genius, Pfistomel Smyke, who treacherously maroons him in the labyrinthine catacombs underneath the city, where reading books can be genuinely dangerous. In The City of Dreaming Books, Walter Moers transports us to a magical world where reading is a remarkable adventure. Only those intrepid souls who are prepared to join Yarnspinner on his perilous journey should read this book. We wish the rest of you a long, safe, unutterably dull and boring life!

Praise for The City of Dreaming Books:
"German author and cartoonist Moers returns with his uproarious third fantasy adventure to be translated into English, a delightfully imaginative melange of Shel Silverstein zaniness and oddball anthropomorphism a la Terry Pratchett's Discworld . . Enchanting illustrations by the author compliment a wonderfully whimsical story that will appeal to all ages." -Publishers Weekly

"A salmagundi of whimsy, imagination and book lore remarkable fun. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Walter Moers was born in 1957 and is a writer, cartoonist, painter, and sculptor. He is the author of The 13 Lives of Captain Bluebear and Rumo & His Miraculous Adventures.