The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

Book Description

They were never supposed to meet. But in the library, they did.

Their stories spiral around each other, across worlds and time. This is a tale of truth and lies and hearts, and the blurring of one into another. A journey on which knowledge erodes certainty and on which, though the pen may be mightier than the sword, blood will spill and cities will burn.

Review

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence is an ambitious, sweeping portal science fantasy. The centerpiece of this world is the Library, a vast, seemingly endless place that holds one copy of every book ever written.

Although Lawrence wrote the novel in dual POV, Livira is such a strong character, she completely steals the show. So much so that (IMO) Lawrence could have left out Evar’s point of view completely.

Livira’s voice hooked me from the start. She’s curious and brave and so, so strong. To watch a girl born in the dust (and destined to die in the dust) rise to a lofty position because of her burning intellect was utterly intoxicating.

A Love Story for Readers

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn is the first book I’ve read by Mark Lawrence. Despite being traditionally published, he runs the annual Self Published Fantasy Blog Off (SPFBO) contest. SPFBO brings much-needed visibility to indie-published fantasy authors. Because of it, I’ve read such gems as Small Miracles and Scales and Sensibility. So, here we have a guy who should be given a medal for what he does for the indie community, plus he writes a portal fantasy involving a library?

Be still my beating imagination! Plus that cover. Oh, that cover.

And then add a dense, meaty story about a library so large no one has ever explored every room. A place filled with mystery, and knowledge, and, for a few, wisdom.

This book was spectacular. It’s an allegory about the weaponization of information. The story touches on censorship, gatekeeping, and politics. It fills us with fear of the other.

And it’s the first book in a trilogy.

In truth, I can’t conceive of how any novel could follow The Book That Wouldn’t Burn! The anticipation makes the wait for the sequel painful!

As much as I enjoyed the ride, this is a book that will require multiple readings to really wrap my head around the story. And you know what? I’ll enjoy every minute of the literary Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the story while I explore the library with Livira anew.

Content Warning

Blood, Classism, Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Fire/Fire Injury, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Wounds, Xenophobia

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Donatella D’Anniballe on Unsplash