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The Library Trilogy #3
The Book That Held Her Heart
The secret war that defines the Library has chosen its champions and set them on the board
The fate of an infinite library hangs on one book, a book that holds the power to break the unbreakable. In the face of such forces, fragile things like hearts, family, and the world seem certain to fail.
The people most vital to Livira are scattered across time and space, lost, divided into factions, in mortal peril. Somehow, she must bring them together and resolve the unresolvable argument that fuels the library’s war. The bond between Livira and Evar has stretched and stretched again. Can it hold at the end, when things fall apart? Can it bring them together against impossible odds? This is the last chapter, the final page. The end threatens and no one, not characters, readers, or even the author, will emerge unscathed.
The fate of an infinite library hangs on one book, a book that holds the power to break the unbreakable. In the face of such forces, fragile things like hearts, family, and the world seem certain to fail.
The people most vital to Livira are scattered across time and space, lost, divided into factions, in mortal peril. Somehow, she must bring them together and resolve the unresolvable argument that fuels the library’s war. The bond between Livira and Evar has stretched and stretched again. Can it hold at the end, when things fall apart? Can it bring them together against impossible odds? This is the last chapter, the final page. The end threatens and no one, not characters, readers, or even the author, will emerge unscathed.
377 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2025
740 people are currently reading
18795 people want to read
About the author
Mark Lawrence
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Mark Lawrence is married with four children, one of whom is severely disabled. Before becoming a fulltime writer in 2015 day job was 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'.
Mark used to have a list of hobbies back when he did science by day. Now his time is really just divided between writing and caring for his disabled daughter. There are occasional forays into computer games too.
[My new book The Book That Broke The World is out now!]
Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/marklawrencea...
Blog here: http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.uk/
I'm on Youtube now! *excitement!*
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIrB...
Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/MarkLawrence...
https://www.instagram.com/mark___lawr...
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@mark___lawrence
Blue Sky
https://bsky.app/profile/marklawrence...
Three-emails-a-year newsletter here:
http://eepurl.com/cimnK1 #Prizes #FreeContent
I'm even on Tumblr!
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/marklawre...
Pintrest!
https://uk.pinterest.com/princeofthor...
Plus I have free stuff on Wattpad!
https://www.wattpad.com/user/MarkLawr...
Mark Lawrence is married with four children, one of whom is severely disabled. Before becoming a fulltime writer in 2015 day job was 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'.
Mark used to have a list of hobbies back when he did science by day. Now his time is really just divided between writing and caring for his disabled daughter. There are occasional forays into computer games too.
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May 30, 2025My favourite book of the trilogy!
"Each book in the Library Trilogy has a shockingly unique ending that left me intellectually and emotionally destroyed in three completely different ways. The ending of The Book That Held Her Heart hits so hard that I feel like the publisher should include a packet of tissues between the last page and back cover."
From the Grimdark Magazine review: https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/revi...
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"Each book in the Library Trilogy has a shockingly unique ending that left me intellectually and emotionally destroyed in three completely different ways. The ending of The Book That Held Her Heart hits so hard that I feel like the publisher should include a packet of tissues between the last page and back cover."
From the Grimdark Magazine review: https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/revi...
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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
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May 10, 2025
My complete review is published at Grimdark Magazine.
The feeling of emotional devastation lingers long after closing the back cover of Mark Lawrence’s The Book That Held Her Heart, the final volume of his mind-bending Library Trilogy, which began with the highly acclaimed The Book That Wouldn’t Burn and continued with its sequel, The Book That Broke the World. I will keep this review completely spoiler-free for readers who have not yet started the series.
The centerpiece of the Library Trilogy is the Athenaeum, an infinitely large library that, according to legend, was designed and constructed by Irad, the grandson of Cain and great-grandson of Adam and Eve. Irad is embroiled in an age-old battle with his brother, Jaspeth, who vows to destroy the Library to free humanity from the yoke of memory and the corrupting influence of knowledge. The Library becomes a literal and figurative battleground in this epic war between knowledge and ignorance, a battle that began between Irad and Jaspeth but continues with their proxies across every age and land.
The two lead protagonists of the Library Trilogy are Livira, a young woman whose fate becomes intertwined with that of the Library, and Evar, a young man who grows up trapped inside the Library and raised, together with his four adopted siblings, by two android-like figures known as the Assistant and the Soldier. While Livira and Evar’s storylines are already well established during the first two volumes of the Library Trilogy, The Book That Held Her Heart opens with a new point-of-view character, Anne Hoffman. Anne is a Jewish girl living under Nazi rule in prewar Germany. She grows up in the peace of her grandfather’s secondhand bookshop, until her sanctuary is pierced by the twin evils of antisemitism and fascism.
Mark Lawrence has taken a major gamble by incorporating a real-world storyline in his fantasy universe, but in a trilogy about book burning, the inclusion of Anne’s perspective seems both natural and timely. Lawrence quotes the German Jewish poet Heinrich Heine, who wrote in his 1820–1821 play Almansor the famous admonition, “Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen,” which translates as, “Where they burn books, they will also ultimately burn people.”
The Book That Held Her Heart deals with some very weighty themes, including dehumanization of “the other,” the double-edged sword of memory, and the inherent danger of knowledge in the absence of wisdom. Mark Lawrence handles all of these themes with depth and nuance.
Fortunately, these heavy themes never bog down the story itself, which maintains a brisk pace throughout. This is a hard balance to pull off, and I marvel at Lawrence’s ability to keep the reader thoroughly engaged and entertained while also delivering a philosophical and emotional gut-punch to his unsuspecting readers.
Mark Lawrence writes with wit and gusto throughout the entirety of the Library Trilogy. His casually subversive epigrams at the beginning of each chapter remain a highlight in The Book That Held Her Heart. I especially enjoyed the quote attributed to Boris, one of my favorite under-the-radar characters from the Lawrencian universe, who debuted (perhaps?) in the brilliant Dispel Illusion. Just as I thought the series couldn’t become more meta, The Book That Held Her Heart even quotes itself.
Although Mark Lawrence is known for his perfectly conceived opening sequences, the Library Trilogy truly shines in its endings. Each book in the Library Trilogy has a shockingly unique ending that left me intellectually and emotionally destroyed in three completely different ways. The ending of The Book That Held Her Heart hits so hard that I feel like the publisher should include a packet of tissues between the last page and back cover.
The Book That Held Her Heart is the perfect conclusion to Mark Lawrence’s most ambitious trilogy to date. Altogether, the Library Trilogy is one of the most profound and wholly original works of fiction that I’ve read in the past two decades. The Library Trilogy should place Mark Lawrence’s name in the same breath as other twenty-first century masters of speculative fiction, including David Mitchell, Haruki Murakami, and the 2017 Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro.
The feeling of emotional devastation lingers long after closing the back cover of Mark Lawrence’s The Book That Held Her Heart, the final volume of his mind-bending Library Trilogy, which began with the highly acclaimed The Book That Wouldn’t Burn and continued with its sequel, The Book That Broke the World. I will keep this review completely spoiler-free for readers who have not yet started the series.
The centerpiece of the Library Trilogy is the Athenaeum, an infinitely large library that, according to legend, was designed and constructed by Irad, the grandson of Cain and great-grandson of Adam and Eve. Irad is embroiled in an age-old battle with his brother, Jaspeth, who vows to destroy the Library to free humanity from the yoke of memory and the corrupting influence of knowledge. The Library becomes a literal and figurative battleground in this epic war between knowledge and ignorance, a battle that began between Irad and Jaspeth but continues with their proxies across every age and land.
The two lead protagonists of the Library Trilogy are Livira, a young woman whose fate becomes intertwined with that of the Library, and Evar, a young man who grows up trapped inside the Library and raised, together with his four adopted siblings, by two android-like figures known as the Assistant and the Soldier. While Livira and Evar’s storylines are already well established during the first two volumes of the Library Trilogy, The Book That Held Her Heart opens with a new point-of-view character, Anne Hoffman. Anne is a Jewish girl living under Nazi rule in prewar Germany. She grows up in the peace of her grandfather’s secondhand bookshop, until her sanctuary is pierced by the twin evils of antisemitism and fascism.
Mark Lawrence has taken a major gamble by incorporating a real-world storyline in his fantasy universe, but in a trilogy about book burning, the inclusion of Anne’s perspective seems both natural and timely. Lawrence quotes the German Jewish poet Heinrich Heine, who wrote in his 1820–1821 play Almansor the famous admonition, “Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen,” which translates as, “Where they burn books, they will also ultimately burn people.”
The Book That Held Her Heart deals with some very weighty themes, including dehumanization of “the other,” the double-edged sword of memory, and the inherent danger of knowledge in the absence of wisdom. Mark Lawrence handles all of these themes with depth and nuance.
Fortunately, these heavy themes never bog down the story itself, which maintains a brisk pace throughout. This is a hard balance to pull off, and I marvel at Lawrence’s ability to keep the reader thoroughly engaged and entertained while also delivering a philosophical and emotional gut-punch to his unsuspecting readers.
Mark Lawrence writes with wit and gusto throughout the entirety of the Library Trilogy. His casually subversive epigrams at the beginning of each chapter remain a highlight in The Book That Held Her Heart. I especially enjoyed the quote attributed to Boris, one of my favorite under-the-radar characters from the Lawrencian universe, who debuted (perhaps?) in the brilliant Dispel Illusion. Just as I thought the series couldn’t become more meta, The Book That Held Her Heart even quotes itself.
Although Mark Lawrence is known for his perfectly conceived opening sequences, the Library Trilogy truly shines in its endings. Each book in the Library Trilogy has a shockingly unique ending that left me intellectually and emotionally destroyed in three completely different ways. The ending of The Book That Held Her Heart hits so hard that I feel like the publisher should include a packet of tissues between the last page and back cover.
The Book That Held Her Heart is the perfect conclusion to Mark Lawrence’s most ambitious trilogy to date. Altogether, the Library Trilogy is one of the most profound and wholly original works of fiction that I’ve read in the past two decades. The Library Trilogy should place Mark Lawrence’s name in the same breath as other twenty-first century masters of speculative fiction, including David Mitchell, Haruki Murakami, and the 2017 Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro.
April 8, 2025
Man, this trilogy is a disappointment. After loving book 1, the sequels could never recapture that magic for me. This book was too short for its ambition. There is WAY too much going on, way too many characters in way too many timelines doing way too much jumping around to satisfy this story in 350 pages. It was also so convoluted that I struggled to care about half the things happening. A new POV was introduced and while that POV was ultimately unnecessary, I actually enjoyed that POV more than most of the others in this book.
There's a book I love somewhere with the rough outline and shape of this book. But it was never to be.
6/10
There's a book I love somewhere with the rough outline and shape of this book. But it was never to be.
6/10
April 10, 2025
This is a car crash. I'm genuinely baffled by what I finished earlier today. The first book of the trilogy was a marvel, introducing compelling characters, a genius world plot hook and a few choice twists that kept you on your toes. The second was a bit more meandering but managed mostly to balance everything while adding new layers to the mythology keeping it intriguing.
And then, after all of that brillant set-up, the pay-off is Nazi Germany? Introduced like that, with the subtility of a punch to the face in a story thread that end up being "remember those guys? They werent very nice". I cannot fathom what went through the author's mind, neither why so many reviews seems to think baby first political comparison was a stroke of genius, is it an american thing? I'm not against the message but the series was doing a brillant job of illustrating the point through in-universe factions without having to resort to something so blunt and so gauche.
Ignoring that part (and trust me, having suffered through the jarring tone shift it introduced you can almost skipt all of those chapters and miss absolutely nothing of interest) almost a third to half of the plot is running in circle chasing a plot object while barely touching the human elements and discussion that were so integral to previous books. Evar get some very nice spotlight moments but it's more the exception to all of it. The ending part itself is nice enough if a bit predictable, bar the part that drop almost all the mythos that was developped beforehand. Thinking about it, it kind of borrow from the ending of Emperor of Thorns.
I think I genuinely loved all this author's books in the past, I was hyped enough for this final release to re-read the previous two before in order to be fully immersed and in the end I don't recall having ever be so disapointed in a product. I've read bad books, we probably all have, where you can just walk away and not care much about it. I believe this one will stay in my mind for a very long time and unfortunately not for good reasons.
And then, after all of that brillant set-up, the pay-off is Nazi Germany? Introduced like that, with the subtility of a punch to the face in a story thread that end up being "remember those guys? They werent very nice". I cannot fathom what went through the author's mind, neither why so many reviews seems to think baby first political comparison was a stroke of genius, is it an american thing? I'm not against the message but the series was doing a brillant job of illustrating the point through in-universe factions without having to resort to something so blunt and so gauche.
Ignoring that part (and trust me, having suffered through the jarring tone shift it introduced you can almost skipt all of those chapters and miss absolutely nothing of interest) almost a third to half of the plot is running in circle chasing a plot object while barely touching the human elements and discussion that were so integral to previous books. Evar get some very nice spotlight moments but it's more the exception to all of it. The ending part itself is nice enough if a bit predictable, bar the part that drop almost all the mythos that was developped beforehand. Thinking about it, it kind of borrow from the ending of Emperor of Thorns.
I think I genuinely loved all this author's books in the past, I was hyped enough for this final release to re-read the previous two before in order to be fully immersed and in the end I don't recall having ever be so disapointed in a product. I've read bad books, we probably all have, where you can just walk away and not care much about it. I believe this one will stay in my mind for a very long time and unfortunately not for good reasons.
October 11, 2025
The Library Trilogy Continues...
From Book One:
In the vastness of The Library, Evar Eventari and Livira Page meet, then abruptly separate...
From Book Two:
Livira is trapped in a ghost world. Evar is forced to leave the library for a world he doesn't know while searching for Livira. A secret war escalates and threatens the world...
In Book Three:
Livira must bring together those most capable of resolving the Library's war. Will the bond between Livira and Evar stretch, hold, and finally bring them together...
The Book That Held Her Heart went off the rails for me in the first 30% of the book and never drew me back into the trilogy. It felt too vast, with too many pieces that didn't fit together. It simply did not feel cohesive, and the ending didn't make sense.
It's become clear that high fantasy is not one of my preferred genres. However, I can't help but wonder if The Library Trilogy had a more straightforward narrative, with fewer characters and contained within a single book, would it have changed my perspective?
The Book That Held Her Heart is a book that didn't quite capture me. As in the previous two books, Mark Lawrence's writing style is beautifully lyrical, which is the best part of this trilogy and why I chose to round up my rating.
2.5⭐
Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace and Mark Lawrence, for the gifted DRC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
From Book One:
In the vastness of The Library, Evar Eventari and Livira Page meet, then abruptly separate...
From Book Two:
Livira is trapped in a ghost world. Evar is forced to leave the library for a world he doesn't know while searching for Livira. A secret war escalates and threatens the world...
In Book Three:
Livira must bring together those most capable of resolving the Library's war. Will the bond between Livira and Evar stretch, hold, and finally bring them together...
The Book That Held Her Heart went off the rails for me in the first 30% of the book and never drew me back into the trilogy. It felt too vast, with too many pieces that didn't fit together. It simply did not feel cohesive, and the ending didn't make sense.
It's become clear that high fantasy is not one of my preferred genres. However, I can't help but wonder if The Library Trilogy had a more straightforward narrative, with fewer characters and contained within a single book, would it have changed my perspective?
The Book That Held Her Heart is a book that didn't quite capture me. As in the previous two books, Mark Lawrence's writing style is beautifully lyrical, which is the best part of this trilogy and why I chose to round up my rating.
2.5⭐
Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace and Mark Lawrence, for the gifted DRC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
May 1, 2025
I can't quite believe I'm rating this as low as I am, especially after how much I enjoyed the first book, but if I'm being honest with myself... I just didn't enjoy this one.
- Spoiler Free Review -
I really did love the first book. I liked the second a lot but did have a few niggles starting to creep in. This one? A lot of what I loved about the first one just wasn't there and all the things that were starting to lose me were amplified.
I wanted so desperately to like it, and I do appreciate what Mark Lawrence was trying to do here, but it just ended up going in a direction that wasn't for me.
I'll start with what I did like:
Mark Lawrence is obviously a very competent writer. The way he constructs scenes, characters and settings is wonderful and he has a fantastic and fresh imagination. One thing you definitely can't accuse this book/series of is feeling like more of the same old fantasy we've seen hundreds of times before.
It does also tie up all the threads left hanging from the first two books. Whether the ending is satisfying or not is maybe a matter of opinion - I was actually happy enough with the overall ending, it was just the journey to get there which kind of lost me.
The whole trilogy does read like something of a love letter to books - and I can always appreciate that! Lawrence really brings to life the magic of reading and the magic of books. It's a theme no bookworm could fail to enjoy!
So, why the low rating?
Essentially, there were two main issues I had with this book:
First, I found it incredibly fragmented. The cast were scattered in different places, times, dimensions, possibilities, you name it! And they just kept splitting into smaller groups. And we introduced yet another POV character - there were just far too many characters (and groups of characters) and far too much jumping around (some of the chapters were only a few pages long) for me to really latch on to anyone or get that invested in what was happening.
Parts also just got so surreal that I didn't really understand the stakes anymore - someone gets stabbed? It's fine, there's a special magic that stops them dying. Starving? We can conjure food out of thin air now. Literally dead? No problem, it was just a potential timeline, in an alternate the character still lives. It just got to the point where I didn't really care anymore when the characters were in danger because I just assumed there'd be a magical solution to their problems. Or Wentworth - Felix ex Machina himself...
My second problem, however, was the way Lawrence handles the themes within this book. I thought he did it brilliantly in book one, I started to feel like he was getting a bit heavy-handed in book two... in this book? He makes a sledgehammer look subtle.
It's not like I even disagree with some of the points he was trying to make, it's just that I started, at points, to feel like I wasn't even reading a story anymore - just watching characters preach at each other. It felt like Lawrence gave up, at points, on his original story to shoehorn in a (hardly controversial) 'Nazi Germany was bad' message - even transporting some characters there to witness events firsthand. It all just felt so over the top when there were so many other ways he could have explored the same themes in a more innovative and relevant way.
Overall then, despite trying really hard to like it I just couldn't get on with this book. I do think, however, that if you've enjoyed the first two books you should probably still pick it up. Judging by the Goodreads ratings (at the time of writing, anyway), I'm in a minority on this one.
- Spoiler Free Review -
I really did love the first book. I liked the second a lot but did have a few niggles starting to creep in. This one? A lot of what I loved about the first one just wasn't there and all the things that were starting to lose me were amplified.
I wanted so desperately to like it, and I do appreciate what Mark Lawrence was trying to do here, but it just ended up going in a direction that wasn't for me.
I'll start with what I did like:
Mark Lawrence is obviously a very competent writer. The way he constructs scenes, characters and settings is wonderful and he has a fantastic and fresh imagination. One thing you definitely can't accuse this book/series of is feeling like more of the same old fantasy we've seen hundreds of times before.
It does also tie up all the threads left hanging from the first two books. Whether the ending is satisfying or not is maybe a matter of opinion - I was actually happy enough with the overall ending, it was just the journey to get there which kind of lost me.
The whole trilogy does read like something of a love letter to books - and I can always appreciate that! Lawrence really brings to life the magic of reading and the magic of books. It's a theme no bookworm could fail to enjoy!
So, why the low rating?
Essentially, there were two main issues I had with this book:
First, I found it incredibly fragmented. The cast were scattered in different places, times, dimensions, possibilities, you name it! And they just kept splitting into smaller groups. And we introduced yet another POV character - there were just far too many characters (and groups of characters) and far too much jumping around (some of the chapters were only a few pages long) for me to really latch on to anyone or get that invested in what was happening.
Parts also just got so surreal that I didn't really understand the stakes anymore - someone gets stabbed? It's fine, there's a special magic that stops them dying. Starving? We can conjure food out of thin air now. Literally dead? No problem, it was just a potential timeline, in an alternate the character still lives. It just got to the point where I didn't really care anymore when the characters were in danger because I just assumed there'd be a magical solution to their problems. Or Wentworth - Felix ex Machina himself...
My second problem, however, was the way Lawrence handles the themes within this book. I thought he did it brilliantly in book one, I started to feel like he was getting a bit heavy-handed in book two... in this book? He makes a sledgehammer look subtle.
It's not like I even disagree with some of the points he was trying to make, it's just that I started, at points, to feel like I wasn't even reading a story anymore - just watching characters preach at each other. It felt like Lawrence gave up, at points, on his original story to shoehorn in a (hardly controversial) 'Nazi Germany was bad' message - even transporting some characters there to witness events firsthand. It all just felt so over the top when there were so many other ways he could have explored the same themes in a more innovative and relevant way.
Overall then, despite trying really hard to like it I just couldn't get on with this book. I do think, however, that if you've enjoyed the first two books you should probably still pick it up. Judging by the Goodreads ratings (at the time of writing, anyway), I'm in a minority on this one.
April 11, 2025
'The library has never been about taking charge. It's a memory. It's ideas. It might have hoped to stop what's happening here, but it's too late. There will be blood, and horror, and probably all the worst things that humanity is capable of. The library can make sure that nobody has a good excuse for forgetting what happens and striving to prevent repetition. But it cannot stop even that. People have to want to know. I wish I could tell you that free and easy access to information solves these problems - it doesn't - people find their own wells of poison to drink from.'
How true is that, especially in today's context?
Even if this is a work of fantasy, it is rooted deeply in reality, and have inserts from real life events and writers; it's a quest through life, knowledge, history, times, and also one of choices and how are they shaping one's life and future. It's also a love story, the ultimate catalyst in someone's life.
Above all, it's an ode to books and the knowledge they provide, an ode to libraries and their custodians, and also readers, who, accordingly to another author "a reader lives a thousand lives before he dies [...] The man who never reads lives only one." Indeed.
Epigraphs are a delight, as always, such as this:
"The true value of freedom is revealed only in its absence. It is a structural ingredient whose removal takes with it the colour, taste, and substance of life. A similar effect is observed in glute-free cakes."
It's witty, funny or sad at times, insightful, has plenty of action to keep you hooked (not that it needed it - come on, how can one not be hooked by a book about the magic of books?!). Overall, it's quite an emotional ride, one that I relished immensely.
'Information is like water - without it you won't live long, too much and you'll drown.'
>>> ARC received thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction via NetGalley <<<
----------------
I lack the proper words to make a review just now, I hope I can gather my wits to do so in the next days. I'll just say that it was amazing! You'd never read anything like this before, trust me. It's one of a kind.
In the meantime, read John Mauro's, it's perfect: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
How true is that, especially in today's context?
Even if this is a work of fantasy, it is rooted deeply in reality, and have inserts from real life events and writers; it's a quest through life, knowledge, history, times, and also one of choices and how are they shaping one's life and future. It's also a love story, the ultimate catalyst in someone's life.
Above all, it's an ode to books and the knowledge they provide, an ode to libraries and their custodians, and also readers, who, accordingly to another author "a reader lives a thousand lives before he dies [...] The man who never reads lives only one." Indeed.
Epigraphs are a delight, as always, such as this:
"The true value of freedom is revealed only in its absence. It is a structural ingredient whose removal takes with it the colour, taste, and substance of life. A similar effect is observed in glute-free cakes."
It's witty, funny or sad at times, insightful, has plenty of action to keep you hooked (not that it needed it - come on, how can one not be hooked by a book about the magic of books?!). Overall, it's quite an emotional ride, one that I relished immensely.
'Information is like water - without it you won't live long, too much and you'll drown.'
>>> ARC received thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction via NetGalley <<<
----------------
I lack the proper words to make a review just now, I hope I can gather my wits to do so in the next days. I'll just say that it was amazing! You'd never read anything like this before, trust me. It's one of a kind.
In the meantime, read John Mauro's, it's perfect: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
April 11, 2025
Suddenly, with tear-filled eyes and an aching heart, here I am—saying goodbye to these beloved characters who have been part of my life since 2023. I think I read this final chapter as slowly as I could, trying to savour every moment of the last time I’d get to experience the fates of Livira, Evar, Arpix, and Clovis for the very first time.
I know I’ll return to revel in the prose of this trilogy, to wander again through the endless dimensions of the library, and to uncover all the possibilities I might have missed—but I’ll never get to experience it for the first time again. And that, truly, is something to mourn.
The Book That Held Her Heart was a stunning finale to an already remarkable series. If the earlier books were powerful for the way they tackled racism, misinformation, dehumanization and cyclical history, this final installment feels even more relevant and urgent considering what we see happening daily.
I am still at loss for words, so I'll leave here a quote that I think it's important:
"I’ve always been uneasy with the idea of any one person or any one system reigning supreme. What if it’s the wrong one? Who sets these rules for everyone else?’ She shook her head. ‘No, what we have is far from perfect. I don’t believe there is a perfect, not in this life. But its strength is in diversity. Its strength, curiously, is in its biases, which lean in every direction. Its strength is in many systems, many ways, the curation of many and varied hands."
The Library Trilogy brought me many things: a new favourite author, a new favourite series, and last, but not the least, a new best friend. Huge appreciation to Mark and his fantastic work, and my sincere thanks for giving us this series.
I would like to thank HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperVoyager for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review
I know I’ll return to revel in the prose of this trilogy, to wander again through the endless dimensions of the library, and to uncover all the possibilities I might have missed—but I’ll never get to experience it for the first time again. And that, truly, is something to mourn.
The Book That Held Her Heart was a stunning finale to an already remarkable series. If the earlier books were powerful for the way they tackled racism, misinformation, dehumanization and cyclical history, this final installment feels even more relevant and urgent considering what we see happening daily.
I am still at loss for words, so I'll leave here a quote that I think it's important:
"I’ve always been uneasy with the idea of any one person or any one system reigning supreme. What if it’s the wrong one? Who sets these rules for everyone else?’ She shook her head. ‘No, what we have is far from perfect. I don’t believe there is a perfect, not in this life. But its strength is in diversity. Its strength, curiously, is in its biases, which lean in every direction. Its strength is in many systems, many ways, the curation of many and varied hands."
The Library Trilogy brought me many things: a new favourite author, a new favourite series, and last, but not the least, a new best friend. Huge appreciation to Mark and his fantastic work, and my sincere thanks for giving us this series.
I would like to thank HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperVoyager for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review
April 8, 2025
Our cast is separated between three portals all representing the potential fate of the library - destroy the library, free access to the library, a compromise.
‘The accumulation of things as small as dust can build worlds, and the gathering of things as insubstantial as letters can build vast libraries . . . the mounting weight of the minuscule can break them too. Your contribution may have been small on the grand scale, tiny, but it was the last of many straws.’
I think what made this book and book two so much weaker than book one was the majority of the time our characters are apart and trying to get back together so it feels like a constant game of catch.
This instalment was a lot more action-heavy which meant we lost those slower character moments and philosophical introspection that made you go WOAH.
Saying that, I liked how Lawrence uses his books to study our own world. To ask difficult questions and use these characters not give a simple answer, not present a black or white.
Arpix didn’t think he had ever hated before. It felt like sorrow, but with the knives turned in every direction, not merely inwards.
Overall, I still have The Book That Wouldn’t Burn as a favourite, but sadly the following two didn’t quite keep that tone or high.
Arc gifted by Harper Voyager.
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‘The accumulation of things as small as dust can build worlds, and the gathering of things as insubstantial as letters can build vast libraries . . . the mounting weight of the minuscule can break them too. Your contribution may have been small on the grand scale, tiny, but it was the last of many straws.’
I think what made this book and book two so much weaker than book one was the majority of the time our characters are apart and trying to get back together so it feels like a constant game of catch.
This instalment was a lot more action-heavy which meant we lost those slower character moments and philosophical introspection that made you go WOAH.
Saying that, I liked how Lawrence uses his books to study our own world. To ask difficult questions and use these characters not give a simple answer, not present a black or white.
Arpix didn’t think he had ever hated before. It felt like sorrow, but with the knives turned in every direction, not merely inwards.
Overall, I still have The Book That Wouldn’t Burn as a favourite, but sadly the following two didn’t quite keep that tone or high.
Arc gifted by Harper Voyager.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
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July 25, 2024PLEASE I need this book to be out now 😭
October 10, 2024
Best you hold on to your own heart while reading this and guard it like all hell is about to break loose. Because it will.
May 19, 2025
I have to be blunt, this was a disappointing end to a trilogy whose first two books I really, really enjoyed. Not the actual ending, I think the way he chose to conclude the story was both melancholic and fitting, and deepened some of the philosophical inquiry he has prompted in the first two novels. But the journey to get to that ending felt convoluted and ham-fisted at the same time.
First, what I did enjoy. I really like the characters, and that’s nothing new. We don’t learn too much new about most of them, but we spend more time with the widening cast and I grew to appreciate each of them more, and the few ancillary characters new to this novel were also complicated and wonderful written. The writing itself, on a sentence-to-sentence basis, is as good as always, with the sumptuous feel of an epic fantasy while never feeling overly grand. Descriptive enough to make the scenes feel real, and interspersed with wit and pith enough to keep you engaged. And the ultimate ideas being explored, and how the characters wrestle with them, were great. This is a story about knowledge and wisdom, the distinction between them, and how they are both of them doubled-edged blades. It asks questions about whether knowledge should be given or if it needs to be earned, or maybe humanity is doomed to be selfish, protectionist, and xenophobic and will turn to division and violence regardless of how they come to their knowledge. If knowledge itself is neutral then maybe it is the lived emotionality that is what tempers that knowledge, turning it into a tool for uplift or destruction in equal measure, and if that is the case then what kind of inward journey do we need to undertake when we hope to yield knowledge?
However, all of those ideas, continuations from the first two novels? They are largely ignored for the first 90% of the novel. The novel starts with its characters, now a much larger cast of perspectives to follow than in either the first two books, in numerous different places. As we move across chapters the stories all feel like they are moving in circles, never adding to a coherent whole until right near the end. It really juts felt like the story got away from the author. This is in part because some other ideas—such as xenophobia, othering, and genocide being bad—were explored in such blunt ways that I didn’t feel like the author trusted the reader at all. Two major characters end up in an alternate version of our own world during the rise of Hitler’s Germany, and wander around basically agreeing that Nazis are bad then leave, not having really accomplished anything, only to not be heard of again until the climax of the novel. Meanwhile, all of the characters find themselves in a “maybe” world, because now the Library Exchange can send folks not just across time and worlds but to “potential” worlds, essentially alternate realities where different versions of yourself may or may not be running around, a new power that is literally explained away with the wave of a hand, and this “maybe” world is a clear and in no way subtle allegory of the persecution of the Jews, as well as other “undesirables,” in Hitler’s Germany, complete with death and work camps. Again and again the story feels like it has the subtlety of a sledgehammer, which sometimes works but only when it doesn’t feel like it is at the readers’ expense. That alone might have been okay, but what really made me disconnect was there are all new ripples and turns to the magic of this world, including just why or how this particular book could be so powerful, and again and again it is hand-waved away. There is literally a scene where some characters are trapped somewhere, and a character from the previous novel 1) appears out of nowhere; 2) leads them to escape; 3) leads them to find a group of other survivors they were searching for; 4) has some magic power that won’t let anyone commit acts of violence in their presence so these two groups can communicate; 5) has another magic power that lets them create food from essentially nothing and feed dozens of starving people; 6) has yet another magic power that lets them bring all the various people in this large group to just the destination they need to be; 7) disappears only to return again at the critical climax to share some more magic powers. Really? In that same vein, whenever there were coincidences piling up, or natural rules or laws established in earlier novels seemed to be broken, it was always just explained as “Well, the Library wanted it to be this way.”
Look. The book is fun enough to read, and the ending proper, or really the last 10% – 15% of the book really ties a beautiful bow around the trilogy and its ideas. The characters are fun, and the writing is playful and pleasant to read. The pacing feels rambling and out of control, some of the messages feel blunt and uninteresting (insofar as they don’t trust the reader), and there is hand-wavey magic and deux ex machina on what feels like near every other page. And look, maybe I am alone in this, I have seen other reviews where folks didn’t seem as bothered by the things I mention above. I do ultimately enjoy the ideas Lawrence is bringing to the table and the overall way he is choosing to explore them, I think there is a lot of heart in the characters and the novel itself, and maybe I was just hoping for something else and it’s my expectation that colored the experience. For me it wasn’t nearly as good as the previous two, although I am still glad I went on the journey, in the end.
(Rounded up from 2.5)
First, what I did enjoy. I really like the characters, and that’s nothing new. We don’t learn too much new about most of them, but we spend more time with the widening cast and I grew to appreciate each of them more, and the few ancillary characters new to this novel were also complicated and wonderful written. The writing itself, on a sentence-to-sentence basis, is as good as always, with the sumptuous feel of an epic fantasy while never feeling overly grand. Descriptive enough to make the scenes feel real, and interspersed with wit and pith enough to keep you engaged. And the ultimate ideas being explored, and how the characters wrestle with them, were great. This is a story about knowledge and wisdom, the distinction between them, and how they are both of them doubled-edged blades. It asks questions about whether knowledge should be given or if it needs to be earned, or maybe humanity is doomed to be selfish, protectionist, and xenophobic and will turn to division and violence regardless of how they come to their knowledge. If knowledge itself is neutral then maybe it is the lived emotionality that is what tempers that knowledge, turning it into a tool for uplift or destruction in equal measure, and if that is the case then what kind of inward journey do we need to undertake when we hope to yield knowledge?
However, all of those ideas, continuations from the first two novels? They are largely ignored for the first 90% of the novel. The novel starts with its characters, now a much larger cast of perspectives to follow than in either the first two books, in numerous different places. As we move across chapters the stories all feel like they are moving in circles, never adding to a coherent whole until right near the end. It really juts felt like the story got away from the author. This is in part because some other ideas—such as xenophobia, othering, and genocide being bad—were explored in such blunt ways that I didn’t feel like the author trusted the reader at all. Two major characters end up in an alternate version of our own world during the rise of Hitler’s Germany, and wander around basically agreeing that Nazis are bad then leave, not having really accomplished anything, only to not be heard of again until the climax of the novel. Meanwhile, all of the characters find themselves in a “maybe” world, because now the Library Exchange can send folks not just across time and worlds but to “potential” worlds, essentially alternate realities where different versions of yourself may or may not be running around, a new power that is literally explained away with the wave of a hand, and this “maybe” world is a clear and in no way subtle allegory of the persecution of the Jews, as well as other “undesirables,” in Hitler’s Germany, complete with death and work camps. Again and again the story feels like it has the subtlety of a sledgehammer, which sometimes works but only when it doesn’t feel like it is at the readers’ expense. That alone might have been okay, but what really made me disconnect was there are all new ripples and turns to the magic of this world, including just why or how this particular book could be so powerful, and again and again it is hand-waved away. There is literally a scene where some characters are trapped somewhere, and a character from the previous novel 1) appears out of nowhere; 2) leads them to escape; 3) leads them to find a group of other survivors they were searching for; 4) has some magic power that won’t let anyone commit acts of violence in their presence so these two groups can communicate; 5) has another magic power that lets them create food from essentially nothing and feed dozens of starving people; 6) has yet another magic power that lets them bring all the various people in this large group to just the destination they need to be; 7) disappears only to return again at the critical climax to share some more magic powers. Really? In that same vein, whenever there were coincidences piling up, or natural rules or laws established in earlier novels seemed to be broken, it was always just explained as “Well, the Library wanted it to be this way.”
Look. The book is fun enough to read, and the ending proper, or really the last 10% – 15% of the book really ties a beautiful bow around the trilogy and its ideas. The characters are fun, and the writing is playful and pleasant to read. The pacing feels rambling and out of control, some of the messages feel blunt and uninteresting (insofar as they don’t trust the reader), and there is hand-wavey magic and deux ex machina on what feels like near every other page. And look, maybe I am alone in this, I have seen other reviews where folks didn’t seem as bothered by the things I mention above. I do ultimately enjoy the ideas Lawrence is bringing to the table and the overall way he is choosing to explore them, I think there is a lot of heart in the characters and the novel itself, and maybe I was just hoping for something else and it’s my expectation that colored the experience. For me it wasn’t nearly as good as the previous two, although I am still glad I went on the journey, in the end.
(Rounded up from 2.5)
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July 13, 2025While this is my least favorite installment in the trilogy im still so happy to have read it and highly recommend the series.
September 15, 2025
I've avoided writing this review for many months. It has impacted me in ways I could not have foreseen.
This story takes the reader through various timelines and universes, and we spend a substantial portion of the book in
(spoiler warning)
a small town in Germany during Kristallnacht, a.k.a. The Night of Broken Glass. Jewish businesses were destroyed and families were ripped apart, as all Jewish men in the city were abducted by Nazis and thrown into concentration camps. Most never made it out alive, all for the 'crime' of having a different faith than the fascist government.
I learned about this in religious school as a child, and it was one of the horrors that stayed with me throughout my lifetime. I can't imagine the pain and grief and loss that so many innocent families had to endure because of the hate, fear, and evil that ran the country.
I'm going to pause now and look up and down my street for no particular reason.
Anyway, Lawrence has a gift for getting under the reader's skin, evoking horror, empathy, trauma, devastation, love, and so many other strong emotions throughout his prolific body of work. This novel is at the top of that list. It is a brilliant and thought-provoking conclusion to what might be his strongest series to date. Those who feel a strong connection to the power of the written word throughout history should welcome this series with open arms and a full heart.
This story takes the reader through various timelines and universes, and we spend a substantial portion of the book in
(spoiler warning)
a small town in Germany during Kristallnacht, a.k.a. The Night of Broken Glass. Jewish businesses were destroyed and families were ripped apart, as all Jewish men in the city were abducted by Nazis and thrown into concentration camps. Most never made it out alive, all for the 'crime' of having a different faith than the fascist government.
I learned about this in religious school as a child, and it was one of the horrors that stayed with me throughout my lifetime. I can't imagine the pain and grief and loss that so many innocent families had to endure because of the hate, fear, and evil that ran the country.
I'm going to pause now and look up and down my street for no particular reason.
Anyway, Lawrence has a gift for getting under the reader's skin, evoking horror, empathy, trauma, devastation, love, and so many other strong emotions throughout his prolific body of work. This novel is at the top of that list. It is a brilliant and thought-provoking conclusion to what might be his strongest series to date. Those who feel a strong connection to the power of the written word throughout history should welcome this series with open arms and a full heart.
November 19, 2025
The final volume in the epic Library Trilogy, this is an action-packed and brilliantly written tale, with such incredible worldbuilding.
The fate of the infinite library hangs on one book, and the most vital individuals are scattered across space and time and divided into factions.
‘I think perhaps we should be talking to those who disagree with us rather than hunting for some solution to them and their ideas.’
Fabulous dedication - ‘To libraries, bookshops, and everyone who works in them.’ Also, the cover art is so beautiful.
The fate of the infinite library hangs on one book, and the most vital individuals are scattered across space and time and divided into factions.
‘I think perhaps we should be talking to those who disagree with us rather than hunting for some solution to them and their ideas.’
Fabulous dedication - ‘To libraries, bookshops, and everyone who works in them.’ Also, the cover art is so beautiful.
March 5, 2025
A fitting and incredibly emotional finale to a mind-bending trilogy that has utterly captured my imagination.
I absolutely love Mark Lawrence's prose and the world he has created in this series is so unique, mysterious and exciting that it's impossible not to get swept up in the adventures of many wonderful characters. This third book in the series brings things to a close in magnificent style.
There are some fantastic set pieces throughout, and the main character arcs allow further growth and development, with this the lynchpin of the series. One story thread in particular came as a surprise, but it was an incredibly well executed piece of writing, and it struck a very strong chord with me. I'll say no more as want to avoid any kind of spoiler.
Overall, this was a truly excellent read, albeit a very moving and thought-provoking experience, and I can't give anything other than five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC of this wonderful novel.
I absolutely love Mark Lawrence's prose and the world he has created in this series is so unique, mysterious and exciting that it's impossible not to get swept up in the adventures of many wonderful characters. This third book in the series brings things to a close in magnificent style.
There are some fantastic set pieces throughout, and the main character arcs allow further growth and development, with this the lynchpin of the series. One story thread in particular came as a surprise, but it was an incredibly well executed piece of writing, and it struck a very strong chord with me. I'll say no more as want to avoid any kind of spoiler.
Overall, this was a truly excellent read, albeit a very moving and thought-provoking experience, and I can't give anything other than five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC of this wonderful novel.
April 10, 2025
“The Knight can’t always save the Princess”….”Generally the Princesses needs to save themselves”
The Book That Held Her Heart had me in tears at the end because it evoked profound emotions about various aspects of life and concluded this magnificent series on a satisfying note. It’s brimming with thought-provoking questions about moral dilemmas, some of which have straightforward answers, while others don’t have a clear, black-and-white solution.
At it’s heart though is a respect and love for books, book shops and libraries.
The story continues to follow Livira, the girl from the dust who becomes a librarian in “The Library,” which famously is measured in walking days from one point in the library to the other. The library has a copy of every book ever written in every language ever spoken, in this dimension and the ones adjoining it.
At the end of the previous book, The Book That Broke the World, Livira and the people she cares about are gathered into groups and spread across time as each group accesses a different portal to a unique time and place. These scattered groups will ultimately determine the fate of “The Library” itself.
I loved the character development through this series. We see the growth of the Canith: Evar, Clovis, Starval, Kerrol, and Mayland raised in the Library by “the Assistant” after each was lost in “The Mechanism” as a child. We see the librarians Livira and Arpix, who each develop a relationship that enhances their understanding of the world and themselves. The book is populated by a variety of side characters who all contribute to this continuing story. There are even appearances by the Library guides, Wentworth (maybe a black cat), EdgarAllen (the raven) and Volente (large black dog).
There are numerous allegories to the contemporary societal issues we encounter, and numerous thought-provoking aspects to consider when you put this book down. I am certain that this story and this series will leave a lasting impression on you, far beyond your initial expectations.
I thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series, including this one. If you’re a fan of captivating stories, well-developed characters, and the profound impact of books on our lives, both figuratively and literally, then this series is an absolute must-read.
I would like to thank my Buddy Reading partner Sara
I would also like to thank Mark Lawrence ....he knows why
The Book That Held Her Heart had me in tears at the end because it evoked profound emotions about various aspects of life and concluded this magnificent series on a satisfying note. It’s brimming with thought-provoking questions about moral dilemmas, some of which have straightforward answers, while others don’t have a clear, black-and-white solution.
At it’s heart though is a respect and love for books, book shops and libraries.
The story continues to follow Livira, the girl from the dust who becomes a librarian in “The Library,” which famously is measured in walking days from one point in the library to the other. The library has a copy of every book ever written in every language ever spoken, in this dimension and the ones adjoining it.
At the end of the previous book, The Book That Broke the World, Livira and the people she cares about are gathered into groups and spread across time as each group accesses a different portal to a unique time and place. These scattered groups will ultimately determine the fate of “The Library” itself.
I loved the character development through this series. We see the growth of the Canith: Evar, Clovis, Starval, Kerrol, and Mayland raised in the Library by “the Assistant” after each was lost in “The Mechanism” as a child. We see the librarians Livira and Arpix, who each develop a relationship that enhances their understanding of the world and themselves. The book is populated by a variety of side characters who all contribute to this continuing story. There are even appearances by the Library guides, Wentworth (maybe a black cat), EdgarAllen (the raven) and Volente (large black dog).
There are numerous allegories to the contemporary societal issues we encounter, and numerous thought-provoking aspects to consider when you put this book down. I am certain that this story and this series will leave a lasting impression on you, far beyond your initial expectations.
I thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series, including this one. If you’re a fan of captivating stories, well-developed characters, and the profound impact of books on our lives, both figuratively and literally, then this series is an absolute must-read.
I would like to thank my Buddy Reading partner Sara
I would also like to thank Mark Lawrence ....he knows why
April 12, 2025
I wanted to like this so much.
Book 1 was amazing. A 5 star experience, an outstanding piece of literature. When I read it I was so hyped. I thought “Maybe I found the book version of the show Dark”
Book 2 went downhill very fast. It jumped around, it had cannibalism for the sheer shock value of it (in my opinion) yet the most annoying part was the soap opera misunderstanding around the very interesting character of Celche. She and her whole species, however didn’t matter that much by the end of book three. Why was she and the ganar introduced? They were so underdeveloped. I gave “The book that broke the world” 1 star…
Book 3… oh my the sheer chaos of this book. What was the point of the Carlotte and the king storyline? What was the point of the hanging storyline? What was the point of introducing Nazis, of all things, to the story… what?!? The story since book two turned into a meal that has all the ingredients and all the spices in one pot… The final pages were so confusing and convoluted that I just wanted it to be over… Having given the previous book 1 star, I don’t know what to give this one… -1 star?
I keep reading these trilogies and thinking: what was the point of three books? It all could have happened in two concise books…
The first book is still a masterpiece for me. I wholeheartedly recommend it. But everything after that… to me was disappointing.
Book 1 was amazing. A 5 star experience, an outstanding piece of literature. When I read it I was so hyped. I thought “Maybe I found the book version of the show Dark”
Book 2 went downhill very fast. It jumped around, it had cannibalism for the sheer shock value of it (in my opinion) yet the most annoying part was the soap opera misunderstanding around the very interesting character of Celche. She and her whole species, however didn’t matter that much by the end of book three. Why was she and the ganar introduced? They were so underdeveloped. I gave “The book that broke the world” 1 star…
Book 3… oh my the sheer chaos of this book. What was the point of the Carlotte and the king storyline? What was the point of the hanging storyline? What was the point of introducing Nazis, of all things, to the story… what?!? The story since book two turned into a meal that has all the ingredients and all the spices in one pot… The final pages were so confusing and convoluted that I just wanted it to be over… Having given the previous book 1 star, I don’t know what to give this one… -1 star?
I keep reading these trilogies and thinking: what was the point of three books? It all could have happened in two concise books…
The first book is still a masterpiece for me. I wholeheartedly recommend it. But everything after that… to me was disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2024
And now I’m weeping.
Real review to come when I can think about this without bursting into tears. What a joy experiencing this series has been.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are, as always, my own.
Real review to come when I can think about this without bursting into tears. What a joy experiencing this series has been.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are, as always, my own.
April 10, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the advanced copy of The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence. Below is my honest review.
I've read quite a few of Lawrence's trilogies over the last few years, and let me tell you this: he's a master of trilogy plotting. This one is no exception, and might honestly be the best one he's written so far.
The characters are great, the settings are random and varied and could be any time and anywhere, and the twists just keep coming.
I don't want to spoil anything, but this one ties up the trilogy in a way that seems to fit the story, but not really what the reader expects. Not gonna lie, one thing definitely added some heartbreak for me.
All in all, 4.5 stars (because of that heartbreak, jeez Mark don't do this to me), rounded up.
I've read quite a few of Lawrence's trilogies over the last few years, and let me tell you this: he's a master of trilogy plotting. This one is no exception, and might honestly be the best one he's written so far.
The characters are great, the settings are random and varied and could be any time and anywhere, and the twists just keep coming.
I don't want to spoil anything, but this one ties up the trilogy in a way that seems to fit the story, but not really what the reader expects. Not gonna lie, one thing definitely added some heartbreak for me.
All in all, 4.5 stars (because of that heartbreak, jeez Mark don't do this to me), rounded up.
April 23, 2025
I loved book 1. Book 2 was fine. I'm really not sure what this even was. It's almost like it tried to do too much. It all became extremely convoluted and with themes that were heavy handed and/or obvious. It became pretty hard to enjoy by the end because to the extent that I understood what was happening I no longer cared. Not the worst book I've read, but given how much I loved book 1 it is easily the most disappointing book I've read of the last 3 or 4 years. Sad.
April 15, 2025
Kind of sad to say that Lawrence didn’t really land the plane here for me personally. Loved book 1, book 2 was a bit of a step down, and this one just tried to stuff way too much into a small page count. I had a hard time following what was going on with the amount of jumping around happening and timelines to follow and the new POV. The writing was still really good and loved the epigraphs per usual so I give him some points for that.
May 15, 2025
Woow that was disappointing 😭😭 i feel like i want to cry for this trilogy was one of my ongoing fav trilogy… until the conclusion that totally disappointed me
I’m in the minority for sure but …. as a fantasy reader, i’m not a fan of fantasy story that combine with HISTORICAL FICTION and it happened in the last book like WTH, at least if you really want to combine it with REAL people do it from book 1 😭😭 it really didn’t fit with the whole vibe of the book
Not only that, the plot is basically just so many characters jumping through different times and places and portals in different dimensions, with unlimited posibilities
I can keep going on and on about my disappointments but think i will just stop here 💔
I’m in the minority for sure but …. as a fantasy reader, i’m not a fan of fantasy story that combine with HISTORICAL FICTION and it happened in the last book like WTH, at least if you really want to combine it with REAL people do it from book 1 😭😭 it really didn’t fit with the whole vibe of the book
Not only that, the plot is basically just so many characters jumping through different times and places and portals in different dimensions, with unlimited posibilities
I can keep going on and on about my disappointments but think i will just stop here 💔
April 14, 2025
The end of this trilogy was very disappointing. It can be nice when a book does something unexpected, but I read 1200+ pages for absolutely no payoff from the ending.
I know some people didn't like the new characters and world building in the second book, but I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, there was essentially no payoff for that in this book. This book could have completely removed and it wouldn't have made any difference. Any of several other characters could have filled that role.
I had 3 big issues with this book, all of which are fairly spoilery.
1.
2.
3.
I know some people didn't like the new characters and world building in the second book, but I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, there was essentially no payoff for that in this book. This book could have completely removed and it wouldn't have made any difference. Any of several other characters could have filled that role.
I had 3 big issues with this book, all of which are fairly spoilery.
1.
2.
3.
May 2, 2025
Man.. Majorly disappointed. I LOVED book one, but the series went downhill from there. Pretty covers though!!
February 17, 2025
An extraordinarily monumental conclusion to the trilogy. In it, we see our protagonists continue to unravel the secrets of the library, and discover the humaneness in themselves. Friendship, love, and compassion eventually prevail, in a journey where enough becomes clear to the reader, though far from all. More than anything else, this book, and the trilogy overall, are an ode to the awesome power of books and knowledge, and the need to persevere in protecting them, despite the ill-use some people may put them to. It is also a timely reminder of these things, in an age of burgeoning populism (and even fascism), and a call to remember that books, even if sometimes are abused, hold the key to progress and betterment.
I absolutely loved the book. Though I can't claim I understood all of it, and it will definitely benefit from a re-read in the years to come, it was emotive, thrilling, energising, and thoughtprovoking. There is an immense pleasure in reading a storyteller at the height of his power - and this book brings this to life more than most. The author is a true intellectual powerhouse, preaching tolerance, learning, and love. I've rarely read books that brought together such complex philosophical arguments together with a speculative fiction plot, whose intricacies would not put to shame Vandermeer, Barker, or Di Filippo.
I recommend to anyone looking for more than the average read, and those who have the patience to consider a book and contemplate it beyond its surface. Such an effort will be well rewarded.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I absolutely loved the book. Though I can't claim I understood all of it, and it will definitely benefit from a re-read in the years to come, it was emotive, thrilling, energising, and thoughtprovoking. There is an immense pleasure in reading a storyteller at the height of his power - and this book brings this to life more than most. The author is a true intellectual powerhouse, preaching tolerance, learning, and love. I've rarely read books that brought together such complex philosophical arguments together with a speculative fiction plot, whose intricacies would not put to shame Vandermeer, Barker, or Di Filippo.
I recommend to anyone looking for more than the average read, and those who have the patience to consider a book and contemplate it beyond its surface. Such an effort will be well rewarded.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.
March 1, 2025
4.5/5
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. Just brace yourself—you won’t leave unscathed.
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. Just brace yourself—you won’t leave unscathed.
February 11, 2025
Wow, just Wow
Go get yourself the complete trilogy, it's so worth reading it!!!
Highly recommended!
Go get yourself the complete trilogy, it's so worth reading it!!!
Highly recommended!
June 27, 2025
This last book in The Library Trilogy was emotional, smart, and brought everything together in a really satisfying way. Mark Lawrence doesn’t just write about books—he shows how they can shape people, whole societies, and even reality itself.
I loved how he used parallel worlds, timelines, and different points of view. Sometimes it was a bit confusing, but it felt deliberate—because so much of this book is about different possibilities and the way stories can go in many directions. The confusion made sense in that way, and I was so hooked that I didn’t mind.
I also really appreciated how the author paid tribute to other books and fantasy classics. He used ideas from older stories, but gave them a fresh twist that felt new and meaningful.
There was one moment that really touched me when a character changed their views after hearing someone’s real-life experience. It wasn’t dramatic, but it felt honest and powerful.
The book also talks about big topics like race, religion, war, and power, but it doesn’t blame any one group. Instead, it shows how problems come from fear, greed, and human nature. That felt very real to me.
Even though there are lots of books about books and libraries, this one felt fresh and different. Lawrence's version of a magical library isn’t just fun—it’s dangerous, meaningful, and full of emotion. His take on violence and history was also thoughtful and never over-the-top.
In the end, this story is about how memory and knowledge can either trap us or set us free. It’s told in a unique and heartfelt way, and I really loved it.
I loved how he used parallel worlds, timelines, and different points of view. Sometimes it was a bit confusing, but it felt deliberate—because so much of this book is about different possibilities and the way stories can go in many directions. The confusion made sense in that way, and I was so hooked that I didn’t mind.
I also really appreciated how the author paid tribute to other books and fantasy classics. He used ideas from older stories, but gave them a fresh twist that felt new and meaningful.
There was one moment that really touched me when a character changed their views after hearing someone’s real-life experience. It wasn’t dramatic, but it felt honest and powerful.
The book also talks about big topics like race, religion, war, and power, but it doesn’t blame any one group. Instead, it shows how problems come from fear, greed, and human nature. That felt very real to me.
Even though there are lots of books about books and libraries, this one felt fresh and different. Lawrence's version of a magical library isn’t just fun—it’s dangerous, meaningful, and full of emotion. His take on violence and history was also thoughtful and never over-the-top.
In the end, this story is about how memory and knowledge can either trap us or set us free. It’s told in a unique and heartfelt way, and I really loved it.
October 31, 2025
Just a teary eyed girl
Standing in front of this tear stained book
Asking it to not break her heart
(Didn’t work. Five stars)
Standing in front of this tear stained book
Asking it to not break her heart
(Didn’t work. Five stars)
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