diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/reader/epub-reader.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/reader/epub-reader.svelte
index 84a630a..f197745 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/reader/epub-reader.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/reader/epub-reader.svelte
@@ -1,272 +1,311 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-	//  TODO: Add type hints to the rest of this file
-
 	import { browser } from '$app/environment';
-	import { onDestroy, onMount } from 'svelte';
+	import { onDestroy, onMount, untrack } from 'svelte';
 
 	import { Book, type Rendition } from 'epubjs';
+	import type { DisplayedLocation } from 'epubjs/types/rendition';
+	import { mode } from 'mode-watcher';
 
 	import '../../../app.css';
 	import * as Sidebar from '$lib/components/ui/sidebar/index';
 	import * as Collapsible from '$lib/components/ui/collapsible/index';
-
-	import { ChevronDown, ChevronRight, ChevronLeft } from '@lucide/svelte';
-
+	import * as Tooltip from '$lib/components/ui/tooltip/index';
+	import { Button, buttonVariants } from '$lib/components/ui/button/index.js';
 	import { Spinner } from '$lib/components/ui/spinner/index';
-	import type { DisplayedLocation } from 'epubjs/types/rendition';
+	import ThemeToggle from '$lib/components/layout/theme-toggle.svelte';
 
-	let { bookUrl, bookId, initialProgress = 0, initialEpubLoc = null } = $props();
+	import {
+		ChevronDown,
+		ChevronLeft,
+		ChevronRight,
+		PanelLeft,
+		RotateCcw,
+		TriangleAlert
+	} from '@lucide/svelte';
+
+	let {
+		bookUrl,
+		bookId,
+		title = '',
+		initialProgress = 0,
+		initialEpubLoc = null
+	}: {
+		bookUrl: string;
+		bookId: string | number;
+		title?: string;
+		initialProgress?: number;
+		initialEpubLoc?: string | null;
+	} = $props();
 
 	let epubViewer = $state<HTMLElement>();
 	let containerWidth = $state(0);
 	let containerHeight = $state(0);
 	let isReaderVisible = $state(false);
 
+	/** Set when loading fails, so the spinner gives way to something actionable. */
+	let loadError = $state<string | null>(null);
+
 	let hasNextPage = $state(true);
 	let hasPrevPage = $state(false);
 
 	let book: Book | undefined = $state();
 	let rendition = $state<Rendition>();
-	let chapters = $state([]);
+	let chapters = $state<any[]>([]);
 
-	let isMounted = $state(false);
-
-	let currentLocation = $state(initialEpubLoc);
-	let currentProgress = $state(initialProgress);
+	let currentLocation = $state(untrack(() => initialEpubLoc));
+	let currentProgress = $state(untrack(() => initialProgress));
 
 	let isSidebarOpen = $state(false);
 	let debounceTimeout = $state<NodeJS.Timeout>();
 
-	// Function to update dimensions
-	function updateDimensions() {
-		if (epubViewer) {
-			// Get parent element dimensions
-			const parent = epubViewer.parentElement;
+	const percent = $derived(Math.round((currentProgress ?? 0) * 100));
 
-			containerWidth = parent?.clientWidth! * 0.9 - 240;
-			containerHeight = window.innerHeight * 0.8;
-		}
+	function updateDimensions() {
+		if (!epubViewer) return;
+		const parent = epubViewer.parentElement;
+		containerWidth = parent?.clientWidth! * 0.9 - 240;
+		containerHeight = window.innerHeight * 0.8;
 	}
 
-	// Handle window resize
 	function handleResize() {
 		updateDimensions();
-		if (rendition) {
-			rendition.resize(containerWidth, containerHeight);
-		}
+		rendition?.resize(containerWidth, containerHeight);
 	}
 
 	async function handleKeydown(e: KeyboardEvent) {
-		if (e.key === 'ArrowLeft') {
-			await prevPage();
-		} else if (e.key === 'ArrowRight') {
-			await nextPage();
-		}
+		if (e.key === 'ArrowLeft') await prevPage();
+		else if (e.key === 'ArrowRight') await nextPage();
 	}
 
 	async function nextPage() {
-		if (hasNextPage) await rendition!.next();
+		if (hasNextPage) await rendition?.next();
 	}
 
 	async function prevPage() {
-		if (hasPrevPage) await rendition!.prev();
+		if (hasPrevPage) await rendition?.prev();
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Push the book's own page onto the theme, so reading in dark mode is not a
+	 * white slab. epub.js renders into an iframe, so app CSS cannot reach it —
+	 * the values have to be handed over explicitly.
+	 */
+	function applyReaderTheme() {
+		if (!rendition) return;
+		try {
+			const styles = getComputedStyle(document.documentElement);
+			const bg = styles.getPropertyValue('--card').trim();
+			const fg = styles.getPropertyValue('--foreground').trim();
+			if (!bg || !fg) return;
+
+			// A registered theme rather than bare overrides: most EPUBs ship their
+			// own body background and colour, and an unprioritised override loses
+			// to them — which is why the page stayed white against a dark UI.
+			rendition.themes.register('chitai', {
+				body: { background: `${bg} !important`, color: `${fg} !important` },
+				'p, div, span, li, td, th, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6': { color: `${fg} !important` },
+				a: { color: 'inherit !important' }
+			});
+			rendition.themes.select('chitai');
+		} catch (error) {
+			// Theming is a nicety; never let it take the reader down.
+			console.warn('Could not apply reader theme', error);
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Runs when the rendition appears and again on every light/dark flip. It
+	 * deliberately does not wait for isReaderVisible: at first paint that gate
+	 * meant the theme was read before ModeWatcher had put `.dark` on <html>, so
+	 * the book was styled from the light palette while the UI went dark.
+	 */
+	$effect(() => {
+		mode.current;
+		if (rendition) applyReaderTheme();
+	});
+
 	async function setUserBookProgress() {
 		clearTimeout(debounceTimeout);
 
 		debounceTimeout = setTimeout(async () => {
-			await fetch(`/api/books/progress/${bookId}`, {
-				method: 'POST',
-				body: JSON.stringify({
-					percentage: currentProgress,
-					epub_cfi: currentLocation,
-					completed: currentProgress === 1
-				})
-			});
+			try {
+				const response = await fetch(`/api/books/progress/${bookId}`, {
+					method: 'POST',
+					body: JSON.stringify({
+						percentage: currentProgress,
+						epub_cfi: currentLocation,
+						completed: currentProgress === 1
+					})
+				});
+				// A failed save must not interrupt reading, but it should not be
+				// invisible either.
+				if (!response.ok) console.error('Could not save reading progress', response.status);
+			} catch (error) {
+				console.error('Could not save reading progress', error);
+			}
 		}, 3000);
 	}
 
 	const getChapters = async (book: Book) => {
 		await book.ready;
-		// Get spine items (basic chapter structure)
+
 		const spineItems = book.spine.items.map((item, index) => ({
 			id: item.idref,
 			href: item.href,
-			index: index,
+			index,
 			label: item.label || `Chapter ${index + 1}`,
-			cfi: book.spine.get(index).cfiBase // Get CFI from spine
+			cfi: book.spine.get(index).cfiBase
 		}));
 
-		// Get table of contents for better labels
 		const toc = await book.loaded.navigation;
 
-		// Combine spine items with TOC information
-		const chapters = toc.toc.map((chapter) => {
+		return toc.toc.map((chapter) => {
 			const spineItem = spineItems.find((item: any) => item.href === chapter.href);
 			return {
 				...spineItem,
 				label: chapter.label || spineItem?.label,
-				subitems: chapter.subitems,
+				subitems: chapter.subitems ?? [],
 				href: chapter.href,
 				cfi: spineItem?.cfi || book.spine.get(chapter.href)?.cfiBase
 			};
 		});
-
-		return chapters;
 	};
+
 	async function navigateToChapter(chapter: any) {
 		try {
-			if (!rendition || !book) return;
-
-			// Ensure book is ready
+			if (!rendition || !book || !chapter.href) return;
 			await book.ready;
-
-			// Try different navigation methods
-			if (chapter.href) {
-				await rendition.display(chapter.href);
-			} else {
-				console.error('No valid navigation target found for chapter:', chapter);
-			}
+			await rendition.display(chapter.href);
 		} catch (error) {
 			console.error('Error navigating to chapter:', error);
 		}
 	}
 
-	onMount(async () => {
-		if (browser) {
-			// Initial setup
+	async function loadBook() {
+		loadError = null;
+		isReaderVisible = false;
+
+		try {
 			updateDimensions();
 
-			try {
-				// Fetch the EPUB file
-				const response = await fetch(bookUrl);
-				const arrayBuffer = await response.arrayBuffer();
+			const response = await fetch(bookUrl);
 
-				// Create book from array buffer
-				book = new Book();
-				await book.open(arrayBuffer, 'binary');
-
-				// Generate locations if they do not exist in localStorage
-				let existingLocations = localStorage.getItem(`${bookId}-locations`);
-				let locations;
-				if (existingLocations) {
-					locations = JSON.parse(existingLocations);
-					book.locations.load(locations);
-				} else {
-					locations = await book.locations.generate(1600);
-					// Save locations to localStorage
-					localStorage.setItem(`${bookId}-locations`, JSON.stringify(locations));
-				}
-
-				await book.ready;
-
-				// Render the book to the viewer element
-				rendition = book.renderTo('epub-viewer', {
-					width: containerWidth,
-					height: containerHeight,
-					spread: 'auto',
-					snap: true,
-					manager: 'continuous',
-					flow: 'paginated'
-				});
-
-				// Set the key listener on the iframe element
-				let keyListener = async function (e: any) {
-					// Left Key
-					if ((e.keyCode || e.which) == 37) {
-						await prevPage();
-					}
-					// Right Key
-					if ((e.keyCode || e.which) == 39) {
-						await nextPage();
-					}
-				};
-
-				// Add resize listener
-				window.addEventListener('resize', handleResize);
-
-				// Add Key listener
-				rendition.on('keydown', keyListener);
-
-				// Listen to location changes
-				rendition.on('locationChanged', async (location: DisplayedLocation) => {
-					if (!location?.start) return;
-
-					currentLocation = rendition!.currentLocation().start.cfi;
-					currentProgress = book?.locations.percentageFromCfi(currentLocation);
-
-					await setUserBookProgress();
-
-					hasNextPage = !rendition!.location.atEnd;
-					hasPrevPage = !rendition!.location.atStart;
-				});
-
-				chapters = await getChapters(book);
-
-				let initialLocationCfi =
-					currentLocation || book.locations.cfiFromPercentage(currentProgress);
-
-				if (initialLocationCfi) {
-					await rendition.display(initialLocationCfi);
-				} else {
-					await rendition.display();
-				}
-
-				isMounted = true;
-				isReaderVisible = true;
-			} catch (error) {
-				console.error('Error loading EPUB', error);
+			// fetch only rejects on network failure — a 404 or 500 still resolves,
+			// and arrayBuffer() happily returns the error page. Without this check
+			// the failure only surfaced as an epub parse error, caught below and
+			// logged, leaving the spinner running forever.
+			if (!response.ok) {
+				throw new Error(`The server returned ${response.status} for this file.`);
 			}
+
+			const arrayBuffer = await response.arrayBuffer();
+
+			book = new Book();
+			await book.open(arrayBuffer, 'binary');
+
+			// Locations are expensive to generate, so they are cached per book
+			const cached = localStorage.getItem(`${bookId}-locations`);
+			if (cached) {
+				book.locations.load(JSON.parse(cached));
+			} else {
+				const locations = await book.locations.generate(1600);
+				localStorage.setItem(`${bookId}-locations`, JSON.stringify(locations));
+			}
+
+			await book.ready;
+
+			rendition = book.renderTo('epub-viewer', {
+				width: containerWidth,
+				height: containerHeight,
+				spread: 'auto',
+				snap: true,
+				manager: 'continuous',
+				flow: 'paginated'
+			});
+
+			rendition.on('keydown', async (e: any) => {
+				if ((e.keyCode || e.which) === 37) await prevPage();
+				if ((e.keyCode || e.which) === 39) await nextPage();
+			});
+
+			rendition.on('locationChanged', async (location: DisplayedLocation) => {
+				if (!location?.start) return;
+
+				const cfi = rendition!.currentLocation().start.cfi;
+				currentLocation = cfi;
+				currentProgress = book?.locations.percentageFromCfi(cfi) ?? 0;
+
+				await setUserBookProgress();
+
+				hasNextPage = !rendition!.location.atEnd;
+				hasPrevPage = !rendition!.location.atStart;
+			});
+
+			chapters = await getChapters(book);
+
+			const startAt = currentLocation || book.locations.cfiFromPercentage(currentProgress);
+			await (startAt ? rendition.display(startAt) : rendition.display());
+
+			applyReaderTheme();
+			isReaderVisible = true;
+		} catch (error) {
+			console.error('Error loading EPUB', error);
+			loadError = error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'The file could not be opened.';
 		}
+	}
+
+	onMount(async () => {
+		if (!browser) return;
+		window.addEventListener('resize', handleResize);
+		await loadBook();
 	});
 
 	onDestroy(() => {
-		if (browser) {
-			window.removeEventListener('resize', handleResize);
-			book.destroy();
-		}
+		if (!browser) return;
+		window.removeEventListener('resize', handleResize);
+		clearTimeout(debounceTimeout);
+		// Guarded: a failed load leaves `book` undefined, and this threw on the
+		// way out, replacing the real error with a second one.
+		book?.destroy();
 	});
 </script>
 
 <svelte:document onkeydown={handleKeydown} />
 
 <Sidebar.Provider bind:open={isSidebarOpen}>
-	<Sidebar.Root class={!isReaderVisible ? 'hidden' : ''}>
-		<Sidebar.Header />
+	<Sidebar.Root class={isReaderVisible ? '' : 'hidden'}>
+		<Sidebar.Header class="px-4 py-3">
+			<p class="font-mono text-[10px] tracking-widest text-muted-foreground uppercase">Chapters</p>
+		</Sidebar.Header>
 		<Sidebar.Content>
-			<Sidebar.GroupLabel>Chapters</Sidebar.GroupLabel>
 			<Sidebar.GroupContent>
 				<Sidebar.Menu>
-					{#each chapters as chapter}
+					{#each chapters as chapter (chapter.href)}
 						{#if chapter.subitems.length > 0}
 							<Collapsible.Root class="group/collapsible">
 								<div class="flex w-full items-center gap-1">
 									<Sidebar.MenuItem class="min-w-0 flex-1">
-										<Sidebar.MenuButton
-											class="w-full"
-											onclick={async () => await navigateToChapter(chapter)}
-										>
+										<Sidebar.MenuButton class="w-full" onclick={() => navigateToChapter(chapter)}>
 											<span class="block truncate" title={chapter.label}>{chapter.label}</span>
 										</Sidebar.MenuButton>
 									</Sidebar.MenuItem>
 									<Collapsible.Trigger class="flex-shrink-0 p-2">
 										<ChevronDown
-											class="h-4 w-4 transition-transform group-data-[state=open]/collapsible:rotate-180"
+											class="size-4 transition-transform group-data-[state=open]/collapsible:rotate-180"
 										/>
 									</Collapsible.Trigger>
 								</div>
 								<Collapsible.Content>
 									<Sidebar.MenuSub>
-										{#each chapter.subitems as subchapter}
+										{#each chapter.subitems as subchapter (subchapter.href)}
 											<Sidebar.MenuSubItem class="min-w-0">
 												<Sidebar.MenuButton
 													class="w-full"
-													onclick={async () => await navigateToChapter(subchapter)}
+													onclick={() => navigateToChapter(subchapter)}
 												>
-													<span class="block truncate" title={subchapter.label}
-														>{subchapter.label}</span
-													>
+													<span class="block truncate" title={subchapter.label}>
+														{subchapter.label}
+													</span>
 												</Sidebar.MenuButton>
 											</Sidebar.MenuSubItem>
 										{/each}
@@ -275,10 +314,7 @@
 							</Collapsible.Root>
 						{:else}
 							<Sidebar.MenuItem class="min-w-0">
-								<Sidebar.MenuButton
-									class="w-full"
-									onclick={async () => await navigateToChapter(chapter)}
-								>
+								<Sidebar.MenuButton class="w-full" onclick={() => navigateToChapter(chapter)}>
 									<span class="block truncate">{chapter.label}</span>
 								</Sidebar.MenuButton>
 							</Sidebar.MenuItem>
@@ -286,68 +322,119 @@
 					{/each}
 				</Sidebar.Menu>
 			</Sidebar.GroupContent>
-			<Sidebar.Group />
 		</Sidebar.Content>
-		<Sidebar.Footer />
 	</Sidebar.Root>
-	<main class="flex w-full overflow-hidden">
-		{#if browser}
-			{#if !isReaderVisible}
-				<div class="absolute inset-0 flex items-center justify-center">
-					<Spinner />
-				</div>
+
+	<main class="flex h-screen w-full flex-col overflow-hidden bg-background">
+		<!-- Reader chrome: somewhere to go back to, what you are reading, how far in -->
+		<header class="flex h-12 shrink-0 items-center gap-2 border-b px-3">
+			<Tooltip.Provider>
+				<Tooltip.Root ignoreNonKeyboardFocus>
+					<Tooltip.Trigger
+						class="{buttonVariants({ variant: 'ghost', size: 'icon' })} size-8"
+						onclick={() => (isSidebarOpen = !isSidebarOpen)}
+						disabled={!isReaderVisible}
+					>
+						<PanelLeft class="size-4" />
+					</Tooltip.Trigger>
+					<Tooltip.Content side="bottom"><p>Chapters</p></Tooltip.Content>
+				</Tooltip.Root>
+			</Tooltip.Provider>
+
+			<a
+				href="/book/{bookId}"
+				class="min-w-0 flex-1 truncate font-serif text-sm hover:underline"
+				title={title}
+			>
+				{title || 'Reader'}
+			</a>
+
+			{#if isReaderVisible}
+				<span class="hidden items-center gap-2 sm:flex">
+					<span class="h-1 w-24 overflow-hidden rounded-full bg-muted-foreground/25">
+						<span class="block h-full bg-flag" style="width: {percent}%;"></span>
+					</span>
+					<span class="font-mono text-xs tabular-nums text-muted-foreground">{percent}%</span>
+				</span>
 			{/if}
 
-			<div class="h-full w-full {isReaderVisible ? '' : 'opacity-0'}">
-				<div class="flex">
-					<Sidebar.Trigger />
-				</div>
+			<ThemeToggle />
+		</header>
 
-				<div class="mt-[-30px] flex h-full w-full items-center justify-center">
-					<ChevronLeft
-						onclick={prevPage}
-						class={hasPrevPage
-							? 'text-primary/70 hover:cursor-pointer hover:text-primary'
-							: 'text-muted'}
-					/>
-					<div
-						id="epub-viewer"
-						bind:this={epubViewer}
-						class="h-[{containerHeight}px] w-[{containerWidth}] epub-content mx-8 rounded border-2 p-8 shadow-md"
-					></div>
-					<ChevronRight
-						onclick={nextPage}
-						class={hasNextPage
-							? 'text-primary/70 hover:cursor-pointer hover:text-primary'
-							: 'text-muted'}
-					/>
+		{#if loadError}
+			<!-- Previously this state was a console.error and a spinner that never stopped -->
+			<div class="flex flex-1 items-center justify-center p-6">
+				<div class="flex max-w-sm flex-col items-center gap-3 text-center">
+					<TriangleAlert class="size-8 text-destructive" />
+					<h2 class="font-serif text-lg">This book wouldn't open</h2>
+					<p class="text-sm text-muted-foreground">{loadError}</p>
+					<div class="mt-2 flex gap-2">
+						<Button onclick={loadBook}>
+							<RotateCcw class="size-4" />
+							Try again
+						</Button>
+						<a href="/book/{bookId}" class={buttonVariants({ variant: 'outline' })}>
+							Back to book
+						</a>
+					</div>
 				</div>
 			</div>
+		{:else if !isReaderVisible}
+			<div class="flex flex-1 items-center justify-center gap-3">
+				<Spinner />
+				<span class="text-sm text-muted-foreground">Opening…</span>
+			</div>
 		{/if}
+
+		<!-- Kept mounted even while loading: epub.js renders into #epub-viewer -->
+		<div class="flex flex-1 items-center justify-center {isReaderVisible ? '' : 'hidden'}">
+			<Button
+				variant="ghost"
+				size="icon"
+				class="size-10 shrink-0"
+				disabled={!hasPrevPage}
+				onclick={prevPage}
+				aria-label="Previous page"
+			>
+				<ChevronLeft class="size-5" />
+			</Button>
+
+			<div
+				id="epub-viewer"
+				bind:this={epubViewer}
+				class="epub-content mx-4 rounded-lg border bg-card p-8 shadow-sm"
+			></div>
+
+			<Button
+				variant="ghost"
+				size="icon"
+				class="size-10 shrink-0"
+				disabled={!hasNextPage}
+				onclick={nextPage}
+				aria-label="Next page"
+			>
+				<ChevronRight class="size-5" />
+			</Button>
+		</div>
 	</main>
 </Sidebar.Provider>
 
 <style>
 	.epub-content {
 		position: relative;
-		background: white;
 	}
 
-	/* Position separator relative to epub content */
+	/* Gutter between the two pages when the spread is side by side */
 	@media (min-width: 1209px) {
-		.epub-content:after {
-			/* Calculate position based on content width */
-			--separator-position: calc(var(--content-width, 100%) / 2);
+		.epub-content::after {
 			position: absolute;
 			width: 1px;
-			border-right: 1px #000 solid;
+			border-right: 1px solid var(--border);
 			height: 90%;
 			z-index: 1;
 			left: 50%;
 			transform: translateX(-50%);
 			top: 5%;
-			opacity: 0.15;
-			box-shadow: -2px 0 15px rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);
 			content: '';
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/(root)/(library)/book/[bookId]/read/epub/[fileId]/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/(root)/(library)/book/[bookId]/read/epub/[fileId]/+page.svelte
index 727d78f..3d2afc8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/(root)/(library)/book/[bookId]/read/epub/[fileId]/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/(root)/(library)/book/[bookId]/read/epub/[fileId]/+page.svelte
@@ -1,21 +1,24 @@
-<script>
+<script lang="ts">
 	import { page } from '$app/state';
 	import EpubReader from '$lib/components/reader/epub-reader.svelte';
 
 	let { data } = $props();
 
-	let fileId = page.params.fileId;
-	let bookId = page.params.bookId;
+	const fileId = page.params.fileId!;
+	const bookId = page.params.bookId!;
 
-	// Make sure this endpoint returns the complete EPUB file
-	let bookUrl = `/api/books/download/${bookId}/${fileId}`;
+	// Streams the file through the proxy so the browser fetches it directly
+	const bookUrl = `/api/books/download/${bookId}/${fileId}`;
 </script>
 
-<div class="h-screen w-screen">
-	<EpubReader
-		{bookUrl}
-		{bookId}
-		initialProgress={data.bookProgress?.progress}
-		initialEpubLoc={data.bookProgress?.epub_loc}
-	/>
-</div>
+<svelte:head>
+	<title>{data.title} — Chitai</title>
+</svelte:head>
+
+<EpubReader
+	{bookUrl}
+	{bookId}
+	title={data.title}
+	initialProgress={data.initialProgress}
+	initialEpubLoc={data.initialEpubLoc}
+/>
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/(root)/(library)/book/[bookId]/read/epub/[fileId]/+page.ts b/frontend/src/routes/(root)/(library)/book/[bookId]/read/epub/[fileId]/+page.ts
index eb6b858..4473d9b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/(root)/(library)/book/[bookId]/read/epub/[fileId]/+page.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/(root)/(library)/book/[bookId]/read/epub/[fileId]/+page.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,29 @@
-export async function load({ fetch, params, parent }) {
-	try {
-		const response = await fetch(`/api/books/${params.bookId}`);
-		const result = await response.json();
-		let bookProgress = result.progress;
+import { error } from '@sveltejs/kit';
 
-		return {
-			bookProgress
-		};
-	} catch (error) {
-		console.error('Error fetching book: ', error);
-		return {
-			status: error.status || 500,
-			error: error.message
-		};
+export async function load({ fetch, params }) {
+	// Fail loudly. The previous version caught everything and returned
+	// {status, error}, which nothing consumed — so a missing book produced a
+	// reader that sat on its spinner forever.
+	const response = await fetch(`/api/books/${params.bookId}`);
+
+	if (!response.ok) {
+		error(response.status, 'This book could not be loaded.');
 	}
+
+	const book = await response.json();
+	const file = book.files?.find((f: { id: number }) => String(f.id) === params.fileId);
+
+	if (!file) {
+		error(404, 'That file is not part of this book.');
+	}
+
+	return {
+		title: book.title,
+		filename: file.filename,
+		// epub_cfi and percentage are what BookProgressRead actually carries;
+		// this used to read progress.epub_loc and progress.progress, so resuming
+		// never worked.
+		initialEpubLoc: book.progress?.epub_cfi ?? null,
+		initialProgress: book.progress?.percentage ?? 0
+	};
 }