RIP Carlos Ruiz Zafón—5 Books by The Spanish Author That Will Live On

Prolific Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón died on Friday. The best-selling author was 55 years old.

Ruiz Zafón's publisher Planeta said he died at his home in Los Angeles while multiple Spanish-language reports claimed Ruiz Zafón's death came following a battle with cancer, with which he was diagnosed in 2018. The author's English-language publisher Weidenfeld & Nicolson also issued a statement on Twitter confirming his death.

"We are deeply saddened to hear of Carlos Ruiz Zafón's passing and send our heartfelt condolences to his family. W&N are intensely proud to publish such a masterful writer, whose stories brought joy to millions and will continue to inspire and delight future generations," the publishing company tweeted.

Born in Barcelona, the multi-award-winning Ruiz Zafón became one of the world's most beloved authors, having his work compared to that of the great Cervantes following the success of his most famous book, The Shadow of the Wind—the first of his Cemetery of Forgotten Books tetralogy released in 2001. Over the course of his career, which began with the 1993 debut of El Príncipe de la Niebla—later published in English as The Prince of Mist in 2010—Ruiz Zafón went on to sell more than 38 million copies of his books. His novels were translated into more than 40 different languages and have filled bookshelves in 45 countries.

While each of Ruiz Zafón's titles will hold a special place for readers who are already familiar with his work, there are a few books in particular that will likely keep the renowned writer alive in the hearts of many for generations to come. See below for a list of books by Ruiz Zafón that will live forever.

The Prince of Mist

The first of Ruiz Zafón's career and the book that kicked off his Mist Trilogy was actually published as a young adult novel. The book follows the Carver family who flees from their small coastal village in an attempt to escape war only to end up in an enchanted house that is plagued by the spirit of the previous owners' son. The book series also includes The Midnight Palace, published in 1994, and 1995's The Watcher in the Shadows.

The Shadow of the Wind

Set in Barcelona in 1945, the first of the literary thriller Cemetery of Forgotten Books series introduces it's protagonist Daniel Sempere, the son of a book dealer who finds solace in the books by author Julian Carax. However, Daniel makes the shocking discovery that someone is covertly destroying Carax's novels. Daniel's attempts to stop the shadowy figure from eradicating the work of his favorite author takes him on a journey full of murder, chaos and romance.

The Angel's Game

Published in 2008, The Angel's Game follows struggling writer David Martin as he toils away in an abandoned mansion in Barcelona when he encounters a mysterious publisher who offers him a prize book deal. His work on the new novel leads him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and it's there where he realizes the spirits lurking in the shadows of his home have a strange connection to the book he's been tasked to write. On David's search for clarity, he finds himself on a hauntingly adventurous road that leads to exquisite intrigue, hot romance and inevitable tragedy.

The Prisoner of Heaven

In the heart of the romantically dark and gothic Barcelona, the third of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, published in 2011, reunites readers with Daniel Sempere. It's Christmas 1957, and Daniel and his wife have much to celebrate, particularly the arrival of their beautiful baby boy Julian and their close friend Fermín Romero de Torres' wedding. However, Daniel's excitement takes a turn into torment when he is met by a stranger visitor at his bookshop who threatens to reveal a dangerous secret. The stranger's appearance takes Daniel and Fermín on an adventure back to the 1940s during the villainous dictator Franco's reign.

The Labyrinth of Spirits

The final installment of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, published in 2017, follows a new leading lady, Alicia Gris. At her wits end with her career as an investigator for Spain's secret police, Alicia is ready to hang it all up when she's given one final task: solve the mysterious case of Spain's Minister of Culture's disappearance. Her search leads her to a rare book that intertwines her life with that of the Sempere family as she goes on to uncover one of the most scandalous conspiracies of her beloved country's history.