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Mark Wells

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United Kingdom

Website

https://www.marknwells.com

Genre

Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal

Influences

J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Ben Aaronovitch, Stephen King, J.K.Rowling ...more

Member Since

May 2015

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Once upon a time, a young law student of St John's College Cambridge could be found sneaking out of the University Library and wandering into Heffers bookshop on Trinity Street. There he lost himself in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings. Many years later, older but not necessarily wiser, that same former student started spinning tales of fantasy in a university already steeped in myth and legend. And so began Cambridge Gothic.

After years of working in an office and dreaming about becoming a writer, I can't tell you how much it means to see my words in print. So far, the reviews for College of Shadows and Gate of Shadows have been incredibly positive. The third book in the trilogy, Legacy of the Shadows Once upon a time, a young law student of St John's College Cambridge could be found sneaking out of the University Library and wandering into Heffers bookshop on Trinity Street. There he lost himself in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings. Many years later, older but not necessarily wiser, that same former student started spinning tales of fantasy in a university already steeped in myth and legend. And so began Cambridge Gothic.

After years of working in an office and dreaming about becoming a writer, I can't tell you how much it means to see my words in print. So far, the reviews for College of Shadows and Gate of Shadows have been incredibly positive. The third book in the trilogy, Legacy of the Shadows, will be launched in April 2023. I can't thank readers enough for their support and encouragement. Knowing how many people are looking forward to the next book in the series inspires me to keep writing every day.

As for the setting, I always felt that Cambridge would make the perfect backdrop for the fantasy stories I wanted to tell. In my books, I have kept the locations as true to life as possible, and readers tell me they think of the city as one of the characters in the story. I'm thrilled that is the case. Cambridge is a unique place with all sorts of quirks and mannerisms for those willing to see. Even after all these years, I still find it full of surprises, and I try to share these with you whenever possible.

Given the authentic setting, readers often ask if the characters are based on real people. All are creations of my imagination, though I've undoubtedly been influenced by people I've encountered over the years. So beware next time you see me in a coffee shop, peering over my Flat White at the other patrons. I may well be looking for a new character for my next book!

If you want to hear more about the series, my latest news, or exclusive offers, why not subscribe to my newsletter? I send each subscriber a free copy of Cambridge Shadows, a collection of five short stories set in the mysterious world of Cambridge Gothic. I also include the Prologue to the first full-length novel in the series, College of Shadows. Just go to www.marknwells.com.

That's it from me. If you have any suggestions about characters, settings, or plotlines for future books, please feel free to get in touch through my website or social media. I always reply when people contact me, and every comment is valuable, no matter how small.

I hope you enjoy the series. It's Cambridge, but not as you know it... ...more

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Combine Editions
Mark Wells’s books

Average rating: 4.05 · 824 ratings · 110 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	College of Shadows (Cambridge Gothic, #1) by Mark Wells (Goodreads Author), Ciaran Saward (Narrator) 3.86 avg rating — 512 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gate of Shadows (Cambridge Gothic, #2) 4.30 avg rating — 216 ratings — published 2021 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Legacy of Shadows (Cambridge Gothic, #3) 4.52 avg rating — 96 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Series by Mark Wells

Cambridge Gothic (3 books)
by

Mark Wells (Goodreads Author)

4.05 avg rating — 824 ratings

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Five Gothic Masterpieces: The Mysteries of Udolpho, The Great God Pan, Frankenstein, Carmilla, and Dracula

by Ann Radcliffe

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The City & the City

by China Miéville (Goodreads Author)

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Trump: The Art of the Deal

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Mark Wells finished reading The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness by Ichiro Kishimi	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Mark Wells is currently reading The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness by Ichiro Kishimi	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 30, 2025 02:55PM · like
Mark Wells is currently reading Five Gothic Masterpieces: The Mysteries of Udolpho, The Great God Pan, Frankenstein, Carmilla, and Dracula by Ann Radcliffe	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 26, 2025 03:11PM · like
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Nov 12, 2025 01:52PM · like
Mark Wells liked Maria Gulczynska's review of College of Shadows (Cambridge Gothic, #1): "“Blonde, brainy, bonkers” indeed. It’s as if the writer is in my head - spot on spots, cultural&linguistic references, student life, teens mills&boon snaps, fantasy and time travel. Lovely read. Non-fictionary fiction about Cambridge and its shadows." Read more of this review »
Aug 14, 2025 06:46AM · see review
Mark Wells is currently reading Trump: The Art of the Deal by Donald J. Trump	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Mark Wells is currently reading Reacher Said Nothing: Lee Child and the Making of Make Me by Andy Martin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 26, 2025 01:44PM · like
Mark Wells rated a book it was amazing The Ethical Writer’s Guide to Harnessing the Power of AI: Using AI with integrity by H.J. Phillips	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 05, 2024 04:36AM · 1 like · like