#WyrdandWonder Book Review: The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of The Library Trilogy

Publisher: Ace Books (May 11, 2023)

Length: 576 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Like most bibliophiles, I love books about books and libraries. However, I did not expect one to come from the pen of Mark Lawrence, especially one like The Book That Wouldn’t Burn. Long-time fans will probably know what I’m talking about; this simply does not feel like any of the fantasy the author has written before. Not only is it not set in the shared world as his previous trilogies, stylistically, tonally, and thematically it is also very different. And I loved it.

In this first volume of a new series, we follow two disparate individuals who are connected by a vast, labyrinthine library. Evar Eventari is a young man who has spent his entire life trapped within its walls lined with countless shelves of books. Existing in a strange kind of limbo, he and his four “siblings”, who are other children who have found themselves lost amidst the library’s subterranean depths, have shared this space with the mysterious Mechanism that has the power to essentially bring books to life. But at some point, they are spit out again by the Mechanism, each having become an expert in a particular skill or knowledge domain, all except for Evar, who emerged with nothing but a vague sense of missing something—a void that he knows can only be filled by someone, if only he can find her.

Enter Livira. A young girl born in the impoverished region known as the Dust, she arrives in the big city as a refugee after her tiny village is destroyed by sabbers, the name they call the monstrous enemies who prey on humans. Overcoming being looked down upon as a “duster”, Livira’s natural curiosity and intelligence made her stand out to the right people, and in a twist of fate, she is chosen to train as an apprentice at the city’s massive library. Still, while she may be quick to catch up with her peers in terms of learning, Livira finds she has a much harder time adjusting to the complex systems of the library and its seemingly arbitrary rules.

As the story unfolds, with chapters alternating between Evar and Livira’s points of view, time passes differently for our two protagonists. Armed with a book of clues he is convinced will lead him to the person he is looking for, Evar eventually comes upon Livira in the library, and the girl is immediately drawn to help him in his quest. Even after they go their separate ways, years later she still thinks about Evar, wondering if he found who he was searching for.

Despite its wonky treatment of time, the storyline of The Book That Wouldn’t Burn plays out surprisingly smoothly, though the novel has clear demarcations between major developments in the plot. The first part which took up roughly a third of the book was given to the setting up the mystery, and I would say if there was a “difficult” section, this would be it. As Evar and Livira’s backstories are introduced, readers are left wondering how they will be connected. While those threads were being gradually unraveled, admittedly I felt a stronger affinity towards Livira’s chapters—they tended to be more linear, containing fewer abstract ideas. On top of being a highly sympathetic character, through her POV, a lot more about the library was also revealed. In contrast, Evar’s chapters felt disorienting with hazy concepts, like I was thrown into the middle of a conversation without context or explanation. Needless to say, my early experience with the book was very unbalanced.

Fortunately, by the time we move into the second third of the novel, things start to smooth out. Not coincidentally, this is also where our two characters’ storylines start to link up, giving way to answers while opening doors to even more intrigue. I simply do not have the words to describe the immensity of this book, which is probably just as well, because I wouldn’t want to risk giving away too much anyway. Suffice it to say, I am impressed by the sheer number of pathways the novel explores while ensuring each gets sufficient attention, and that we don’t end up with a complete mess. I know that Lawrence is an old hand at this whole storytelling thing, but holy crap, the level of wizardry he displays here is something else entirely. Fantasy and sci-fi concepts are woven together elegantly with elements of mystery, philosophy, and even romance, and not once do any of these ideas feel wasted or like they are crowding out any of the others.

In sum, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn is nothing short of an astounding accomplishment. I’ll even go as far as to say this novel signifies a whole other level for Mark Lawrence. All I have to say is sign me up for the sequel, and why can’t it get here sooner.