Showing posts with label Mark Lawrence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Lawrence. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Book review: The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence (The Library Trilogy # 3)
Mark Lawrence has never been one to pull punches, and The Book That Held Her Heart might just deliver his most merciless finale yet. Everything that made The Library Trilogy special (an ambitious blend of mystery, adventure, and philosophical musing) collides violently, and with lots of powerful twists.
This time, the stakes are cataclysmic. The fate of the infinite library hangs by a thread, and Livira and Evar, once inseparable, are scattered across time. Livira is chasing answers through the labyrinthine past, while Evar is trapped in an impossible situation, kept alive through means best left unspoiled. Meanwhile, the war over the library rages on, with no simple resolutions is sight.
The Book That Held Her Heart feels darker and weightier that its predecessors. Not just in terms of stakes - though those are plenty brutal - but in its themes. The story brings in a new perspective through Anne Hoffman, a Jewish girl in Nazi Germany, tying the library’s war to the real-world horrors of book burning and historical erasure. It’s a bold move, and Lawrence makes it land. I feel the incorporation of real-world history into already mind-bending worldbuilding was a gamble, but it payed off. Ultimately, the story that has always been about books, memory, and the battle between knowledge and ignorance.
Despite the weighty themes (censorship, history’s cyclical nature, and the cost of knowledge) the novel never drags. Lawrence balances it all with his trademark wit and clever chapter epigraphs. The ending is powerful and I needed a moment to process it.
The Book That Held Her Heart is a stunning, gut-punch of a conclusion. It demands patience, rewards rereads, and cements Lawrence as one of the genre’s most daring storytellers.
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Last year I wasn’t able to post my top
reads but I was reminded that there are a few readers who are keeping their eye
out for it (thanks Pradeep). So this year I wanted to be sure to not be lazy. 2024
was a varied reading year with a wide variety of epic fantasy. Infact my top 7
are indicative of how rich the stories were
and it wasn’t easy ranking them.
1) The Storm beneath The World by Michael R. Fletcher – This was an incredibly unique story about an anthromorphic insect civilization & easily the best story that has sprouted form the mad Canadian’s mind. Can’t wait to read the sequel and see how Fletcher ends it all.
2) The Doors Of Midnight by RR Virdi – The sequel to The First Binding was in everyway a sequel that outshone its predecessor. The brilliance of the author’s prose & plotting skills were already visible in the preceding title but in this one, he took things to a new level. The 3rd volume in the Tales Of Tremaine is easily one of my most anticipated reads whenever it releases.
3) Herald by Rob J. Hayes – The beginning of a new epic fantasy from one of my favourites is always a cause to celebrate. With the Godeater saga, Rob plans to go the GRRM route and has written a story that is simultaneously unfolding across three millennia.
4) The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston – Cameron Johnston is a huge fan of David Gemmell and in this book, he was able to give us a heroic fantasy story & a stoic female MC who absolutely would have done the big man proud.
5) Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang – This book was a fantasy title that originally was released in 2023 but I got to it in 2024. M.L. Wang’s BOBH was a fascinating tapestry about academia, racism and xenophobia while giving us a fascinating world. An incredibly different follow up to Kaigen but retaining all of the author’s signature style.
6) The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence – This was another 2023 title which I was only able to read a year later after its release. The Library trilogy book 1 is possibly the most meta story that Mark Lawrence has written & another feather in his already shining cap.
7) Fool’s Promise by Angela Boord – Angela Boord’s 2nd volume of the Eterean saga showcased exactly why we loved Fortune’s Fool. With more worldbuilding & complex characters, accompanied by stellar prose, this sequel proved why AB needs to be celebrated by more readers.
8) How To Become The Dark Lord And Die Trying by Django Wexler – This was a funny story that exceeded my wildest expectations as the author really went all in with its zany premise. Filled with snark, humour & a lot of fun, this is one series that I couldn’t get more of.
9) Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson – Adrian M. Gibson’s debut was a sleek hybrid mixing fantasy, SF, & Noir with a complex world scenario. It was also very polished & hence was the FBC finalist for SPFBOX. If you haven’t read this one yet, you need to jump on it.
10) The Hunter’s Gambit by Ciel Pierlot – I was made aware of this book thanks to my blogmate Caitlin, and her review precisely encapsulates what this book is about. Evil vampires, bloody action, a morally grey protagonist made this standalone a quick and fast read. Ciel Pierlot absolutely nailed this dark fantasy tale & I hope we get more stories within this milieu.
We're excited to announce we'll be participating in SPFBO for the ninth time. WooHoo! This year, we will have five judges on board and we're happy to welcome two new ones: Esmay and Chels. Here is a brief introduction to all of us involved in the contest:
Book Review: The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence
Buy The Book That Wouldn't Burn here - U.S | U.K | International
OFFICIAL AUTHOR BIO: Mark Lawrence is married with four children, one of whom is severely disabled. His day job is as a research scientist focused on various rather intractable problems in the field of artificial intelligence. He has held secret level clearance with both US and UK governments. At one point he was qualified to say 'this isn't rocket science … oh wait, it actually is'.
Between work and caring for his disabled child, Mark spends his time writing, playing computer games, tending an allotment, brewing beer, and avoiding DIY.
Between work and caring for his disabled child, Mark spends his time writing, playing computer games, tending an allotment, brewing beer, and avoiding DIY.
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Fantasy Book Critic Video Interview Series: Authors & Their Favourite Books, H. L. Tinsley on Mark Lawrence's Prince Of Thorns (interviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Prince Of Thorns
Hello everyone, this is the ATFB series, Authors & Their
Favourite Books. This series is inspired by hearing about authors talk
about what books inspired them to become wordsmiths in their own right.
Today we have with us H. L. (Holly)
Tinsley, indie grimdark author of the Vanguard Chronicles, & debutante
SPFBO finalist. I chat with Holly about why she loves this book. What aspects
of it (prose, characters, etc.) are her favourite and more
Therefore, it is my sincere hope that you enjoy this
conversation and please feel free to let us know what you think either in the
comments below or comments on the Youtube video.
Series Links:
THE GIRL AND THE STARS - FBC Review
THE GIRL AND THE MOUNTAIN - FBC Review
AUTHOR INFO: Mark Lawrence is a research scientist working on artificial intelligence. He is a dual national with both British and American citizenship, and has held secret-level clearance with both governments. At one point, he was qualified to say, “This isn’t rocket science—oh wait, it actually is.” He is the author of the Broken Empire trilogy (Prince of Thorns, King of Thorns, and Emperor of Thorns), the Red Queen’s War trilogy (Prince of Fools, The Liar’s Key, and The Wheel of Osheim) and the Book of the Ancestor series (Red Sister).
Publisher: Ace (April 26, 2022) Page count: 416 pages
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