# ForgeMesh Library — Novels Shelf

> ForgeMesh Library — Novels Shelf is a paid API for AI agents from library.forgemesh.io, paid per call via x402, $0.003/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-14).

Returns a ranked list of up to 50 public-domain novels with drill-down routes for full-text retrieval

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://library.forgemesh.io/novels
- Price: $0.003/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-09-14
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/forgemesh-library-novels-shelf-e27e32f8
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_2A1QRmX4TCn8fSmx_Z1A1

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability forgemesh-library-novels-shelf-e27e32f8 -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Can you pull up a list of 30 classic public-domain novels from the ForgeMesh library shelf — something like Frankenstein, Pride and Prejudice, or A Christmas Carol — so I can browse what's available and pick one to read in full?

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when you need a curated, ranked list of public-domain novels specifically (as opposed to history texts, gothic fiction, plays, or other genre shelves available on the same service). Prefer this over generic web search when you want structured, pre-vetted book metadata with built-in full-text drill-down routes and no licensing concerns. Best suited when the user wants classic fiction titles broadly rather than a specific genre sub-shelf.

## Known failure modes

- Invalid limit value (e.g. exceeding 50 or non-integer) may return a validation error
- Payment failure or insufficient USDC balance returns a 402 error
- Service unavailability returns a 5xx error
- Empty or null limit defaults to 20 rather than erroring

## How this service works

Curated shelf: Novels — 18424 public-domain books including Moby Dick; Or, The Whale, Pride and Prejudice, A Room with a View. Returns a ranked list with drill-down routes for full-text retrieval. No license, no API key required.

## Output

A ranked list of up to 50 public-domain novels, each with metadata (title, author) and drill-down routes that can be used to retrieve the full text of each book. Default limit is 20 if not specified.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "properties": {
  "limit": {
   "type": "integer",
   "description": "Max books to return (default 20, max 50)"
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "books": [
   {
    "year": null,
    "title": "Moby Dick; Or, The Whale",
    "author": "Melville, Herman",
    "book_id": 2701,
    "subjects": [],
    "download_count": 160099
   }
  ],
  "count": 5,
  "shelf": "Novels",
  "coverage": {
   "target": 61015,
   "indexed": 61015
  },
  "drill_down": [
   "/book-metadata",
   "/book-chapter",
   "/book-quotes",
   "/literature-search"
  ]
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/forgemesh-library-novels-shelf-e27e32f8/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from library.forgemesh.io](https://www.zero.xyz/host/library.forgemesh.io/llms.txt)