Tabula Rasa

The Library Trilogy #1.4

by Mark Lawrence

This is a short story associated with The Library Trilogy.

Livira and Arpix are one of a number of teams instructed to look for the secrets of immortality following a request from the king.

Genres: Fantasy, Books About Books, Romantasy

Kindle Edition

Published January 13, 2025

About the author

My books vary a LOT - so here's a handy guide.

[My new book Daughter of Crows is out in March 2026!]

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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.

Reviews

[Mark Lawrence]

The final story from Missing Pages The Library Trilogy, #1.4-1.5-1.6).

They're all out separately in ebook now.

If you want them together, particularly in paperback or hardcover with some great Tom Brown art on the front, then the collection is the way to go.



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[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet little story, just like the others. It's funny, warm, cute, and utterly delightful. Keep them coming, Mr. Lawrence!


(This was my 1000th review)

[John Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Tabula Rasa” is Latin for “clean slate” and, as such, this story serves as a mediation on (im)mortality and the limitless possibilities of the blank page. There is also a new animal friend, an amphibian known as the epitoad who has a talent for reciting epigraphs. Mark Lawrence strikes just the right balance of emotions here, as in all his Library Trilogy short stories.

Check it out on its own or as part of his Missing Pages short story anthology.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a love story, and a great one at that. Although I would love to read a full length novel about Dorian and Celabel, the little we know about them already tells us enough about their story. The trilogy already tells enough about the king, so this story definitely is not surprising. However, I do appreciate references to historical and literary figures of renown

[C.M. Silverstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mildly insane and a lot of fun!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tabula Rasa (The Library Trilogy, #1.4)
by Mark Lawrence
Its a peak into the story lines of the library series. I love the romance and aspects of the story enhance the original story of Lavira.

[Selena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want every story of Livira and the library. This was a fun walk through an assignment given by the king to discover immortality. And it showed that the immortality we have is our stories which outlive us. And love. Always that.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down my favorite short story of the series. As a whole this series is very much for literary enthusiasts and has references for all walks. Rich in sarcasm and humor, this short story read quickly but felt very full. I really loved the additional little insight to the relationship between the trio.

The only thing that would have made it better is seeing a certain group of blind mice at one point or another. But, again, it was uhm ... Great ... As is!

[Nann Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just another wonderful little bit of The Library as I wait for the 3rd in the trilogy. I especially loved the finish of this story … and the “answer” to immortality. Nicely done, Mr. Lawrence!!

[Nai Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Marks short stories, this one was no exception. A beautiful story with some of our beloved library trilogy characters, although you don’t need to have read the other books to enjoy this short story.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die letzte Geschichte, die mir noch gefehlt hat. Jetzt kann ich mich also Band drei widmen. Die einzelnen Kurzgeschichten sind nicht unbedingt notwendig, um die Haupttrilogie zu lesen, aber ich mag mein GoodReads eben komplett. Ausserdem lernen wir neue Teile der Bibliothek kennen und vor allem hier treffen wir neue, faszinierende Wesen. Die Kröte war grossartig und hat mich sehr gut amüsiert. Lawrence hat immer wieder sehr ungewöhnliche Ideen und vermischt diese auch in der Kürze mit einer grossen Leidenschaft für Bücher und das Lesen.

[Mitriel Faywood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable addition to the Library Trilogy and well worth reading while waiting for the final book to be published. It is also included in the Missing Pages short story collection.

[Amanda Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

Absolutely beautiful ending. So touching. I love that this story is a piece of this labyrinth of a library. The search for a book about immortality leads to a blank book but also to lost lovers being found. Great addition to the storyline.

[Fiona Tewson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short story set in the library. Lisa and Arpix are tasked by Yute (along with 2 other couples) to find the secret of eternal life for King Oanold. They go to Librarian Heeth (Robinson) to ask for a mechanicals help and get given the epitoad.

In this short story, Mark Lawrence refers to the blank page as being the place where one can find a form of immortality, words long out living the body. As always, reading a book or short story from this master story teller leaves more questions unanswered than answered, and always the tale (or some part of it) lives on in your mind long after you've forgotten the rest.

A thought provoking tale, read it and see.

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know that this story provides a completely clean slate, but it was a nice read and like others in the series pays homage to a classic novel, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray in this case. You can think about the deeper theme or just relish in a well written work of prose that can be read in a single sitting.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh

Just eh. This had good pacing and an alright plot, but I just didn't feel like it tied off quite enough. It felt like some of my own old ideas for stories that ended up feeling too derivative, too unoriginal, and that I threw in the trash ultimately.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

epitoad is goated

[Marija · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, short story. Nothing ground-breaking.

[Alice-Rose Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 Stars!!