The Bookshop Book

The Library Trilogy

by Mark Lawrence

An epic fantasy adventure through cosy, cluttered bookshops, set in the world of Sunday Times bestseller Mark Lawrence's groundbreaking The Library Trilogy.

Bookshops have always been places where worlds collide. Places where ideas make war, where cultures meet and mate.

Frederick 'Red' Archer is hanging on at the edge of society, in the care of the state, when he wanders into the bookshop that will change his life.

Rose Penrose is watching the world from the other side of the page, exiled by an act of awful violence, and is now fleeing from story to story whilst searching for her own.

The Great Smith has had a hand in both their pasts and an eye on their future. They are tools that he has fashioned for a greater purpose. Tools to be used up and discarded.

All that is certain is that a story has them all in its jaws. And that it is about to bite.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Books About Books, Adult, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 20, 2026

About the author

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

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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]

STOP PRESS
While stocks last, The Locked Library special edition is open to the general (non-US and non-Canadian) public for pre-order!
https://www.thelockedlibrary.com/prod...
a low stock warning has just been issued on this

I signed all these just for you - will be sold through Waterstones and a whole bunch of independent bookshops - will likely be available from them online too.



But wait, there's more! :o

A standalone novel with loose association to The Library Trilogy, but definitely not one that requires any previous reading to enjoy.



Now with another magnificent cover from Tom Roberts.




Coming October 2026.

The Bookshop Book: A Library Novel

Bookshops have always been places where worlds collide. Places where ideas make war, where cultures meet and mate.

Frederick 'Red' Archer is hanging on at the edge of society, in the care of the state, when he wanders into the bookshop that will change his life.

Rose Penrose is watching the world from the other side of the page, exiled by an act of awful violence, and is now fleeing from story to story whilst searching for her own.

The Great Smith has had a hand in both their pasts and an eye on their future. They are tools that he has fashioned for a greater purpose. Tools to be used up and discarded.

All that is certain is that a story has them all in its jaws. And that it is about to bite.



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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes

.....

[Mitriel Faywood]

There are two reasons why you should read this book:
1. It’s really very good
2. If you loved the Library trilogy this is a must and I so want to tell you why, but that would be a huge spoiler. So just trust me! ;)

[Patrycja]

3.5⭐️

"The Bookshop Book" is a story about Red and Rose. Two young people, who don't know each other and have no idea how their lives are connected. It's a kind of story within a story, where you're not sure how to distinguish fiction from reality or written characters from the once made from flesh and blood. For sure it is a great read for anyone who loves books about reading. It does have a lot of references to other popular works of art, whereas the world building is a mix of urban fantasy vibes and fantasy/sci-fi where characters can visit different stories.

I haven't yet read The Library Trilogy, however, I do have it on my TBR, so I decided to start with something a bit shorter. It is a novella, which allows reader to immerse in this tangled world of reading. I wasn't that much connected to the characters itself, but the world building intrigued me a lot. I believe it to be the strongest part of this book and I cannot wait to sink into this world once again.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Morwen]

If a Mark Lawrence book pops up on NetGalley, I request it. Easy as that!

[Charlotte]

Thank you to Mark for sending me an advance copy of this book.

Wow! Just wow. For a short story (207 pages) this packed one hell of a punch! This is action-packed and fast-paced that gets you hooked from the off and refuses to let go.

This was an adventure in it's own right that took us on an adventure through other great works of literature, and is perfect for people who love reading books about reading books. One of my absolute favourite things about Mark's books is the way the threads of the story pull together forming connections between characters you could never have anticipated, and this book is no exception.

The gasps I gasped and screams I scrumpt as those connections became apparent, especially the very last one. But not only the connections, the clever play on words that related to characters, little easter eggs and almost fourth wall breaks. I had so much fun spotting them all, as I do with all of Mark's books (I'm absolutely convinced his writing room looks like that Charlie Day meme with all the red strings).

I really enjoyed the writing style. Red is 14 and the writing style portrays that perfectly but still in a mature and very humorous way. And thanks to Red and Rose I have a new swear word that I hope Mark doesn't mind me borrowing!

This is a standalone which is set within the world of the Library trilogy so it could be read by itself, however I would wholeheartedly recommend reading the Library trilogy first as so many moments will lose their impact without knowing the characters of the Library. Well, my genuine advice is always to go back to the beginning with the Broken Empire and read all the way through to pick up on all the connections in the Library trilogy too and to truly see Mark's genius as an author.

[Phil Parker]

With thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
How to define this book? My first reaction was to compare it to Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series – of which I am an enormous fan. A story where characters exist within the pages of books – and sometimes outside of them, in what we might call the ‘real’ world. And yes, that comparison has some merit. But this is Mark Lawrence we’re talking about so some of the surreal humour is sacrificed for dark tragedy. Not all of it, not by any means. In fact, in its earlier chapters, he had me giggling.
Let me give you a couple of examples: this is a description of one of the story’s 14 year old protagonist, “Red” Archer – ‘Relief, guilt, disappointment, the trifecta that rule my life. I’m not sure ‘trifecta’ is the right word to use there. I’ll have to look it up later. You’ll have noticed that I like to use longer and more obscure words than are typically found in my demographic’s vernacular. It started to get me bullied in school, so I translate back to common tongue when speaking – but in my head I’m very lah-di-dah!’
Red visits a bookshop at the start of the story, searching for some “old style” science fiction; ‘I clutched a new-to-me Moorcock book in remarkably good condition for a volume nearly old enough for a free bus pass.’
Its wry, witty and throwaway humour is used to define the story’s world and its people. Like all observational humour, accurate description is twist to forge the humour – the skill of observation acting as the source of wit.
I wasn’t familiar with the author’s Library trilogy, modelled on the same premise as this story but it didn’t matter. For one thing, this is a standalone novel. The pace, the description and the different plot perspectives mean you’re soon immersed in the story and its complexities.
It is a complex tale. Like its characters, you discover only what you need to know before you’re hurled into the next danger. For the other protagonist, Rose Penrose, the story does have that Thursday Next vibe as she’s pursued by a vicious and dangerous bookworm through novels written by authors who are no longer alive – a critical point, Rose is told at one point by a beloved character out of children’s literature.
The permanent threat that bedevils our two heroes is what led me to consume this book in 3 sittings. It’s not because there are numerous ‘set piece’ action sequences either, threat permeates every aspect of the story – and increases as it progresses. It’s partly down to the way the author isolates his heroes – Rose is written into her story and subject to whatever plot she finds herself in. Red’s isolation is harsher; a teenager trapped in a heartless care system who must survive on his own wits.
Threat also appears in the ambiguity of so many of the enigmatic characters the pair encounter. You’re soon forced to distrust everyone and everything, which adds to the tension and leaves you questioning the most innocent of actions.
The different perspective of the narrative bothered me at first, until you realise how important it is to the pay-off at the end. And what a climax it is too. It’s heart-rending in its tragedy yet affirming in other ways. It left me reeling emotionally.
That emotional investment surprised me as there were moments where the theory, the scale of the themes, could have overwhelmed a lesser author. Lawrence balances it perfectly, explaining sophisticated and complex concepts with such simplicity. He’s described the story as a love letter to books and reading in general and I can’t think of a better definition. There are so many references to literature, social culture, history and British folklore - all coalescing into a narrative which speaks to our current world in such nuanced ways. That simplicity I mentioned means you can ignore all that, if you feel inclined. Instead, you can enjoy being caught in the slipstream of this book’s narrative as its heroes strive to not only survive - but protect the lives of those they love. Heartily recommended!

[Hilary Treat]

This is such a cool tie-in to The Library Trilogy but set in our “world.” I was able to read this through Mark’s Patreon. I will definitely be re-reading once it is published!

[M.J.]

The Bookshop Book is such a rare thing in the Mark Lawrence 'bookverse' - a book that unapologetically ties to another of his books, in this case the Library Trilogy, without the reader having to scurry around, trying to find the connection (oh yes - almost all of his books have some connection, however frugally withheld aside from for those who know to look for them).

It's also somewhat rare in being set in the 'here and now' and reads 'quick' as well as being very engaging. Although those who plough through books be aware, this book will bite eventually, and you will have to stop and ask yourself what you've just read - it's a quick read, but each word is important - as are the words in the books themselves - do not devour them too freely.

There is much that could be said about the connections, about the relief of, despite this being set in the 'here and now', finally moving to something readers will know from the Library Trilogy, but that way lies spoilers, and I think knowing the connection exists is enough of a spoiler.

There were points when I was genuinely quite baffled, and others where I could sense the events building in such a way that they had to resolve in a way I thought they might, and I really couldn't stop reading once I'd started.

For those who've never read Mark Lawrence before, this is probably quite an 'easy in' to the way his stories work. For those who've been there from the beginning, this is a book where you can never relax, but you can certainly enjoy the events as they unfold, while thinking 'ah, well that 'almost' explains that then.'

I'm super proud of myself for reading this book so quickly, but that is because it hooks you right in and won't let go.

[Naz]

3.25 Stars.

As Rose Penrose is lost amongst the pages, dipping her toes into someone else’s story; Fredrick ‘Red’ Archer walks into the very bookstore she inhabits. What follows is the steady unspooling of fate, as their lives collide, sparking cracks in each other’s world. The Bookshop Book is a whimsy time-bending fantasy adventure, with Mark Lawrence’s elegant and evocative prose. The eloquent writing style, conjures and maintains that surreal fairytale-esque atmosphere and it’s a pleasant reading experience.

The story itself is predominately split between Rose and Red’s pov, but although Rose’s perspective offers that whimsical portal fantasy element –as she stumbles into familiar literary worlds; I actually found myself preferring Red’s story and was comparatively more invested in his fate. I think this was largely due to his story feeling more integral to plot progression, whilst Rose’s perspective quickly became narratively stagnant and repetitive; spending a majority of the book running through worlds, rather than time taken to explore. Furthermore, the literary worlds used are meant to feel cozy and familiar, but for me, they tipped into the realm of already well-trodden and overused; thus, it would have been more interesting to see something different.

This is an objectively well written novel, but I did feel the story initially unravelled as more of a Children’s/Teen book than New Adult/Adult. Subjectively, although I appreciated the positive experience it overall offered, this would have been something I would definitely have connected with more as a younger reader. Personally, I would have liked a larger role and more interaction from Olivia, Xavier and Josephine; who stood out to me as interesting side characters and felt sorely underutilised.

Despite this, the story had an interesting premise, which was generally executed well, and the conclusion of this fantastical novel was ultimately satisfying; in some ways poignantly cyclical, with a time-bending quality that brought the narrative full circle. This story works well as a standalone to Lawrence’s The Library Series and although I have not read the original trilogy, I’m quite curious to explore this world further.

Thanks NetGalley, and HarperCollins UK, for the eARC. This was an enjoyable, book-hopping-ly whimsy read.

[mo • lesmotsdemo]

It was a cosy and quick read, and a good addition to the universe.
The two main characters, Rose and Red, were quite different for me. I did like Rose, but I didn’t like Red at all. He was truly unlikeable, and I didn’t understand why he kept making comments on girls’ and women’s appearances… he was fourteen. It would have still been bad if he was an adult, but he was a kid.
The plot was interesting and the universe was still a pleasure to be into. I read the trilogy last year and I liked it overall. This book truly encapsulated the atmopshere of the trilogy, I definitely recommend it if you miss the universe and you want to get back into it.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

[El Fish | libro.vermo]

One of my favorite things about the Library trilogy is the way all the people and events are wrapped around themselves so perfectly. Everything is important even if you don't realize it right away. This book is no different.

I really enjoyed following Rose in the beginning as she made her way through several different books, including The Wind in the Willows and Great Expectations. It was very cleverly done. Red's journey was equally interesting, especially as someone who has read the trilogy.

This is a stand alone so you don't have to read the trilogy first, but I highly, highly recommend it. It's so wonderfully connected to those books that you get an extra treat if you've read them.

Thanks very much to Ace/Berkley for the ARC.

[Meg Pearson]

The Bookshop Book is an absolute delight for anyone who believes there is a little bit of magic hiding inside every bookshop.

This was such a fun, imaginative, and wonderfully strange adventure. Mark Lawrence takes the idea of a magical bookshop and runs with it, creating a story where the boundaries between books, stories, and reality become increasingly blurred. The concept of being able to step directly into different fictional worlds—and encounter familiar characters and settings along the way—completely hooked me. As a lifelong book lover, I couldn't get enough of the idea that stories could literally become places you could visit.

At the heart of the story are Red and Rose, two young characters whose paths become intertwined as they discover that there is far more to their world than they ever imagined. I really enjoyed their dynamic and watching their relationship develop throughout the adventure. Beneath all the fantasy, mystery, and mayhem, there is also a lovely emotional thread involving family, friendship, belonging, and the way stories can shape who we are.

And the world-building! Lawrence packs an incredible amount of imagination into this relatively short story. I loved the way classic literature is woven into the adventure, with characters moving through recognizable fictional worlds while those stories are turned wonderfully on their heads. There were several moments when I had absolutely no idea where the story was going—and I mean that as a compliment! It has that wonderfully trippy quality where you just have to trust the author, settle in, and enjoy the ride.

There were definitely moments when I was a little confused about the rules of this world, but eventually I stopped trying to figure everything out and simply let the story carry me along. And I'm so glad I did. The payoff is worth it.

I also loved that this works as a standalone, even though it is connected to The Library Trilogy. I haven't read the trilogy yet, but after finishing this, I absolutely want to. If anything, The Bookshop Book made me even more excited to discover the larger Library universe.

Whimsical, clever, atmospheric, adventurous, and completely devoted to the magic of stories, this felt like a love letter to books and the people who can't resist getting lost in them. If you love fantasy, magical bookshops, portal worlds, classic literature, or stories about the power of storytelling, you absolutely need to add this one to your TBR.

5 stars!

Thank you to Mark Lawrence, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Grace -thewritebooks]

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

A delightful companion to the Library trilogy. The manner in which Lawrence weaves philosophy into his work has always delighted me, and with this story in particular I was getting hints of Sophie’s World, perhaps he is right and we're all only characters written in another's story? My one caveat here is that Rose and Red did not feel like vibrant characters in their own right, rather more like placeholders to get the point across, but this was also far fewer pages than Lawrence usually works with so perhaps they just needed more time on the page. A brilliant dipping and diving story full of curious worlds and great questions to go with them.

[Lauren]

Electronic ARC provided by NetGalley.

As someone who has enjoyed previous works by Mark Lawrence but didn't currently have the time to get into a full trilogy, I was happy to see this shorter standalone book set in his recent library universe pop up. The Bookshop Book is shorter then Lawrence's other novels, and although it definitely has world building elements that I assume are explained or fleshed out in the main trilogy, it also presented a compelling and satisfying standalone story. Red is 14, and living in a care facility with his older sister Sophie (the modern equivalent of an orphanage). Rose doesn't quite know where she comes from. She has grown up in books, and now something horrifying is pursuing her through the book world for unknown reasons, destroying everything in its path.

One day Red wanders into a local bookshop to do some browsing and things start to get weird. Localized earthquakes, sinister strangers following him, a suddenly missing sister, and a girl showing up on the covers of books where he knows she isn't a character. Figuring out what's going on, and how to save both his sister and his new friend Rose, will take Red on a journey through the book world and towards a future he could never have imagined.

Red and Rose were both well written viewpoint characters, though I ended up finding Red's side of the story more compelling since most of the action was driven from his end. The family that owns the bookstore were interesting enough that I was left wanting to know more about them. There were several points in the book where I felt that I would have benefited from knowing the lore and world building that went on in the main trilogy, but overall it wasn't necessary to understand this particular story. Mark Lawrence is very good at character design, especially in writing both male and female characters that just feel like people instead of like gendered fantasy archetypes. I definitely recommend The Bookshop Book to anyone who has either enjoyed Lawrence's work in the past, or new readers who are looking for a low investment entry point to his work.

[Books0507_Ashley]

The Bookshop Book is part of the Library trilogy but can be read as a standalone. I've read and loved the original trilogy and the mini novellas Mark has already put out so I was so keen to get me hands on this.

I was looking for all the little connections I hoped would be dotted about. I'll say no more on those!

While this is a story book at just over 200 pages it was so nice to be back in this world, with these new characters. It flows really well and as usual Mark knows how to write some intriguing characters.

Red and Rose are two youngsters who's paths become intertwined through some interesting circumstances. I enjoyed seeing friendships grow and develop and I really loved the classic lit woven into the story I thought this was a really nice touch.

Thank you so much to Mark Lawrence who sent me an early finished copy. I'm so thankful and I honestly can't wait to read more from one of my favourite authors.

[Dadreadsanreviews (james)]

This is a fantasy for lovers of books. This story follows two young people as they learn they are part of a larger plot to break open the library of all stories. This story hones in on the idea that all of life is a story, and it takes us in a ride through classic stories as one character hops into books and interacts with characters like the tin man. I enjoy this kind of meta reflective stores with multiple layers of strip telling. Unfortunately, I got lost a few times in the blocking and movement of characters, but I was able to recover and track the story. If you are a lover of stories, this may well be a fantasy book for you.

Thanks net galley for the early review copy!

[Caesar Murillo]

The Bookshop Book is an absolute love letter to stories, literature, and the magic of bookshops. Mark Lawrence beautifully expands his literary universe with a standalone tale that is both whimsical and incredibly gripping.The dynamic between Red and Rose is fantastic, and the concept of literally stepping through different fictional realities and classic worlds kept me completely hooked. It balances high-stakes adventure with deep, atmospheric world-building perfectly. A must-read for any lifelong book lover and fantasy fan

[Bonnie among the pages and chaos]

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A childlike adventure through The Wizard of Oz, The Wind in the Willows, and Alice in Wonderland. Somehow both wonderfully coherent and held together by whatever dream logic governs this magical world. ★★★★☆

I picked this up having never read Mark Lawrence, despite being very intrigued by The Library Trilogy. As a book nerd, the idea of having an adventure in an impossibly vast library is very much chef's kiss, but committing to a trilogy felt like a bigger undertaking than I was in the mood for. A standalone, on the other hand, fit the bill perfectly.

If this was supposed to tell me whether I'm ready to commit to The Library Trilogy, it absolutely did.

The story follows Frederick "Red" Archer after he accidentally stumbles into a mysterious bookshop and, as these things tend to go, immediately becomes tangled up in something far bigger than himself. Hidden within one of its books is Rose Penrose, a girl being hunted by those who would very much like to get their hands on her. From there, the novel becomes part adventure, part celebration of literature, and part reminder that stories are often far more powerful than we give them credit for.

What surprised me most was Lawrence's prose. It's witty, concise, and quietly clever. He isn't afraid of using wonderfully obscure words, but never in a way that feels like he's trying to impress the reader. Instead, it reminded me of the way children reach for the biggest words they know because the feelings they're trying to describe are simply too big for ordinary ones. It captures that same sense of boundless imagination without ever becoming pretentious.

The youthful cast also gave me unexpected Anne with an E vibes. There's that same wholehearted belief that stories matter, that imagination is worth protecting, and that curiosity isn't something to grow out of.

I also appreciated that the literary references weren't simply there so readers could point and say, "Hey, I know that one!" Rose's journey through The Wizard of Oz, The Wind in the Willows, and Alice in Wonderland makes those stories part of the plot rather than just nostalgic nods. It never felt like nostalgia bait. It felt like a genuine celebration of literature.

One thread I found particularly interesting was the tension between imagination and practicality. At its heart, this is a story about the power of stories versus those who seek to control, exploit, or weaponise them. I also found myself wondering if there was some subtle gendered symbolism at play. The antagonists are largely "smiths," associated with industry, control, and shaping the world to their will, while many of the women, often mothers, muses or witches, become protectors of creativity and imagination. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it was an interesting lens through which to experience the story.

My only real criticism is that I think the standalone format worked slightly against it. The dreamlike quality is absolutely part of the novel's charm, but it also meant I never became quite as emotionally attached to Red, Rose, or the stakes as I wanted to. It reminded me a little of Piranesi in that regard. Not because the stories are particularly similar, but because both embrace a surreal, almost dreamlike reality. The difference is that Piranesi eventually anchored me emotionally, whereas The Bookshop Book remained content to feel like a beautiful dream right until the last page.

Ironically, that's less of a criticism than it is a compliment. The book didn't leave me wishing it were shorter. It left me wishing I had another few hundred pages to spend wandering this world.

And perhaps most importantly... it convinced me to immediately buy The Library Trilogy.

PS: I got to read this so early that the acknowledgements were still just the placeholder "TK." 🙂‍↕️💅 Is that a brag? It probably shouldn't be, but I'm absolutely choosing to take it as one. Request it on Netgalley while you can to benefit from these bragging rights while this lasts 😌📚

[Second Chapter Books]

A magical bookshop where you can literally step into the pages of other stories? As a bookstore owner, there was absolutely no way I wasn't reading this.

The Bookshop Book was such a fun, imaginative adventure.

Full disclosure: I have not read Mark Lawrence's The Library Trilogy, and while this is set within that world, I was still able to enjoy this story on its own. There were definitely moments at the beginning where I felt like I had been dropped into something without quite knowing all the rules, but eventually I stopped trying to understand everything immediately and just went along for the ride.

And I'm glad I did.

The concept was easily my favorite part. Red walks into a bookshop that changes his life, while Rose is quite literally moving through books, and eventually their stories collide. From there, we're traveling through stories and classic literature while the boundaries between books and reality become increasingly blurred.

For someone who spends practically every day surrounded by books, I loved the idea of stories being actual places you could enter. There are some wonderful literary references throughout, and I found myself wishing we could stay longer inside some of the worlds Lawrence created.

Red and Rose also gave the story its heart. Beneath all of the fantasy and adventure, there are themes of family, friendship, belonging, and the power stories have to shape us.

My biggest reason for stopping at four stars is that I wanted more. Some of the worlds and ideas were so interesting that I wanted the story to slow down and let me explore them longer. And as someone coming into this without having read The Library Trilogy, there were places where I suspect existing readers will understand the world more immediately than I did.

But this absolutely made me more interested in going back and reading the trilogy.

If you love books about books, magical bookshops, portal fantasy, classic literature, and stories that play with the line between fiction and reality, this is definitely one to put on your radar.

We will be bringing this one into the bookstore, and I'll be recommending it especially to readers who love stories where books themselves become part of the magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Jen]

Disclosure time: I have not read the Library trilogy. It is on my TBR, and reading this novella definitely intrigues me to the trilogy.

You will start confused. It's OK. It all comes together as you read along. We follow Red and Rose. Red is a 14 year old boy who lives in a home with his sister while their mother is in a psychiatric hospital. His sister is missing, and he is working to find her throughout the novella. Rose is a girl who is running from something, trapped in worlds that are suspiciously familiar to the reader; if they are widely read that is. The feeling of being chased is visceral for much of the novel, both in terms of Rose escaping her "villain" and Red chasing leads to his sister. This propulsion of plot and actions of both characters is really what kept me reading, to see how it all turns out.

The worldbuilding is intriguing. The idea of jumping into novels or stories is not new, but the fact that one can jump from story to story with some abstract rules (existing but not really explained well) is a good take. I do wonder if I would appreciate the worldbuilding a little more if I had read the Library trilogy first...I guess I'll have to find out later. The Library is definitely intriguing as a place, and I do want to know more.

The prose felt a little off to the characters. If I didn't know that Red was 14, I would expect him to be much older, even with the explanation that he is a reader and likes ten-dollar words. There are some lovely, impactful sentences about the stories of our lives woven in, and I do appreciate that the author does not shy away from those ten dollar words - just don't point it out to me! Red's actions at times feel like a young teen's actions, but his inner monologue felt much older. I'm sure this can be the result of his life to this point, but I still felt disjointed.

This is definitely not the grimdark experiences of Lawrence's other series. This will be fun for readers that like books within books, the impact of story, and is OK with being a little lost at the beginning. May have a bigger impact with those that have already read the trilogy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ace for the chance to read this eARC.

[Laura Vignals]

Thank you to HarperVoyager and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.25/5 ⭐
There is something irresistible about a fantasy novel that treats books not simply as objects, but as actual places you can escape into, and The Bookshop Book takes that idea in such an imaginative direction.

The story follows Red, a young man living on the margins of society, whose life changes when he walks into a bookshop, and Rose Penrose, who has quite literally found herself trapped on the other side of the page. After a terrible act of violence transports Rose into a book written by her mother, she discovers that she can move from one story to another. Eventually, her path crosses Red's, connecting their lives in ways neither of them initially understands.

What I enjoyed most was the concept of travelling through stories. Moving between books and reality creates this wonderfully strange feeling where the boundaries between reader, character and story gradually become less certain. As someone who loves books about books, that aspect was easily my favourite part.

I also really appreciated the atmosphere. The bookshop feel almost magical in themselves: cluttered, comforting places filled with possibilities, while the actual story has a darker and more dangerous edge underneath all that cosiness. That contrast worked surprisingly well.

Red and Rose are interesting protagonists, although I found myself slightly more invested in the ideas surrounding them than in the characters themselves. At only around 224 pages, the novel moves quickly, and I sometimes wished it had slowed down. Some relationships and emotional moments could have benefited from more space, especially considering how fascinating the premise is.

Still, this is a clever and genuinely imaginative love letter to stories, bookshops and the strange relationship readers have with fictional worlds. It's also connected to Lawrence's Library Trilogy, but I appreciated that it can be read as a standalone, so you don't need to have read the previous books to understand what is happening.

I finished it wanting to spend considerably more time wandering through its bookshops and stories, which is probably one of the best compliments I can give it.

[Jensen McCorkel]

If you've ever wished your local bookshop had a hidden doorway leading to another world, The Bookshop Book is exactly the kind of story you'll want to pick up. I'll admit I'm probably a little biased because I loved the Library Trilogy, and at this point I don't think I've read a Mark Lawrence book I haven't enjoyed.

The premise alone had me hooked. Lawrence takes a magical bookshop with seemingly endless shelves, then sends his characters hopping through stories where the line between fiction and reality becomes wonderfully blurred. As someone who loves fantasy—and especially books about books—I was completely on board from the start. Every new world brought something unexpected, and it's obvious Lawrence had a lot of fun playing with the idea that stories are living places that can shape the people who enter them.

I also really enjoyed following Red and Rose. Their friendship grows naturally over the course of the adventure, giving the story an emotional center even as everything around them gets stranger and stranger. The pacing rarely lets up, mixing mystery, danger, humor, and plenty of imaginative moments that kept me turning the pages.

My only real complaint is that I wanted more. Because the story visits so many different worlds, some of them feel like brief stopovers instead of places you really get to settle into. There were several settings I would have happily spent another hundred pages exploring before moving on. That's probably a testament to how creative they were, but I still found myself wishing the book had slowed down every now and then.

Overall, I had a great time with The Bookshop Book. It's lighter and more playful than some of Lawrence's darker fantasy, but it still has the clever worldbuilding, memorable characters, and sense of adventure I've come to expect from him. If you love portal fantasy, metafiction, or stories that celebrate the magic of reading, this one is well worth checking out.

[Leanne]

The Bookshop Book is a wonderfully inventive fantasy that feels like stepping into a maze of cluttered shelves where every book hums with possibility. It’s cosy in atmosphere yet sweeping in scope, blending the charm of quiet bookshops with the thrill of worlds colliding just beyond the page.

Red’s story begins in the most unassuming way—an aimless wander into a bookshop—and from there the novel opens up into something far stranger and more magical. His journey has a gentle, almost accidental heroism to it, and watching him stumble into a destiny he never asked for is part of the book’s quiet delight.

Rose’s perspective adds a beautiful contrast. Her exile from her own story gives the narrative a dreamy, slightly surreal quality, as she slips between tales searching for a place to belong. The interplay between Red’s grounded struggle and Rose’s drifting, page‑bound existence creates a rhythm that’s both tender and intriguing.

The Great Smith’s looming influence gives the book its darker edge. There’s a sense of inevitability woven through the narrative—a reminder that stories can nurture, but they can also consume. The idea that Red and Rose are tools shaped for a purpose larger than themselves adds tension without overwhelming the gentle wonder of the world.

What makes the book shine is its love of storytelling itself. Bookshops become battlegrounds, sanctuaries, crossroads. Ideas clash, narratives bite, and the familiar comfort of a dusty shelf becomes the gateway to something vast and unpredictable.

A cosy yet epic adventure that celebrates the magic of stories and the strange, beautiful ways they shape us. Perfect for readers who love fantasy with heart, imagination, and a touch of chaos.

With thanks to Mark Lawrence, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Dima]

A standalone novel set in the Library universe. The protagonists are Rose, a young girl apparently written into existence by her mother, and Red, a fourteen-year-old boy in the care of the state who stumbles into a bookshop in a small English town and is introduced to the world of the Library. Rose is trying to win her freedom and independence by escaping the Great Smith, while Red gradually discovers that he has a critical role to play.

As is usually the case with this author, the book is a rollercoaster of creativity and adventure. Beyond the overarching narrative about the Library and the tension between order and creativity, the novel is also a love letter to children's literature. Rose finds herself weaving in and out of classics such as The Wind in the Willows, The Wizard of Oz, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and even Great Expectations.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but it felt somewhat less complete than the author's other works that I have read. Perhaps there was simply too much packed into a relatively short novel. At times, it almost felt as though the book had been written primarily as a celebration of other works of literature, with the Library narrative woven in afterwards rather than serving as its natural foundation.

Even so, it remains imaginative, entertaining, and overflowing with the author's characteristic inventiveness. 4.5 stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Trischia]

My rating: 4 ⭐️, 0🌶

I received an advance copy of this book at no charge. This is my honest, voluntary review.

✨ A magical adventure filled with books, knowledge, and the power of family. ✨

Mark Lawrence has done a fantastic job with this one. While this book is connected to his Library trilogy, I want to be very clear that I went into it having never read the trilogy before. And honestly? I think that made this experience even more exciting because this book completely convinced me that the trilogy needs to move to the top of my TBR.

One of the things I loved most about this story was its focus on familial love and relationships. Both main characters are faced with challenges involving their families, and while their paths become intertwined, they each have their own meaningful and believable character arcs. Watching them navigate those struggles added so much emotional depth to the story.

But the true standout for me was the world building. Lawrence has a unique ability to make books, libraries, and knowledge feel truly magical. I loved discovering how all the pieces of this world fit together, and the little references to other famous literary works sprinkled throughout the story were such a fun addition for any book lover.

Overall, this was a wonderful adventure and another reminder of why I enjoy Mark Lawrence’s writing so much. I’m excited to dive into the Library trilogy soon and discover how everything connects. 📚✨

[Renato]

3.5 stars; thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing a copy of this title in advance of its publication date.

I think my enjoyment of this bubble-on-the-outside-of-the The Library Trilogy was the expectation that it would follow the same rules and placesettings of the original trilogy.

Lawrence himself calls this a "standalone novel with loose association to The Library Trilogy", and I think I still had my memory too deep in the original trilogy, and my expectations were unfairly not calibrated or ready for a book like this.

Expectations aside, I have read a bunch of other books like this - where the membranous walls between the real world and the literary world are pierced in both directions - and I do not think Lawrence did it any better than those.

My feelings on the above did change with the last 20% of the book, but this was too late to redeem it wholly.

Personally, I think The Bookshop Book could have served better as a shortened novella for the Missing Pages collection.

[Rebekah W.]

You know that icebreaker question, who would you like to eat dinner with dead or alive, famous or not? Mark Lawrence is on my list. In full transparency, I haven’t read The Library Trilogy yet, but that didn’t stop me from loving Red & Rose’s story. And maybe that’s actually a good thing, because while I know there are some reveals and tie-ins, it didn’t hinder my experience with this novel. This felt like Stranger Things meets Alice in Wonderland in a love letter to stories. I am not going to go into the major plot beats of this story because I don’t want to ruin anything for you.

BUT one thing I’ve grown to love about Lawrence’s stories is how I may be confused for 75-80% of the story but I trust him to bring it all together in a mind blowing moment (with a ton of hilarious jokes along the way). The Library Trilogy is now so so so high on my TBR. Read The Bookshop Book if you love trippy stories about purpose and predestination and have wanted to find yourself falling through the looking glass.

[Carly]

Review of ARC. Review should be spoiler free. Rating: 4

Having not read Mr Lawrence's Library trilogy (though it was on TBR prior to this), I found the book easy to engage with and follow on whole. The world was built up just enough that even as a new reader to the series, I did not feel lost or overly confused.

The book certainly has some much darker undertones than I was expecting, but that was probably what I liked the most about this book. The characters definitely had aspects I liked about them, and aspects I didn't. Written as flawed beings from the start. The relationship between Red and Rose, and where it was at the end of the book was just right for me.

This along with references to classic literature ties into the modern was a delight to read. I can help but feel some vague echoes in the text to Jasper Fford's Thursday Next series (I read many moons ago so take that lightly).

[Michelle]

The bookshop book from Mark Lawrence although linked to the library trilogy is a standalone novel. I confess this is the first book from the author that I have read. But I found it easy to be immersed into the storyline.
Fourteen-year-old Fred Archer also known as Red, stumbles into a magical book shop and which will change is life.
Watching from the other side of the page Rose Penrose exiled by an act of violence is fleeing from story to story until they both meet.
If you are a fan of books and bookshops this is the book for you. This is a book to fully immerse yourself in and I did just that. I love the concept of the storyline which some characters of the favourite stories are brought to life in this book. I was intrigued by most of this story until towards the end I got a bit confused by it all 4 stars from me.

[Elena M]

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

This was the first Mark Lawrence book I picked up and sadly this was a disappointment for me. My main issue here is not the writing or plot but the marketing of this book. had not read the Library Trilogy and as this seemed to be a standalone book, I was excited to dive into the world of books. In my opinion, you cannot understand the book unless you have read a book from the Library Trilogy and thus marketing it as standalone is slightly misleading. Additionally. the tone felt very young adult to me, despite the book being marketed at adults. In terms of the actual plot, it was enjoyable and the literary references were fun. If therefore, you are an avid reader of Lawrence's books you may very well enjoy this.