Drawn in from start to finish. An absolute gem! Only downside is the Netgally app used for the review copy. I love the plot/storyline and development.

I struggle to read on a device since I’m on it most of the time to study and work. I prefer a printed copy. However only had the digital option.

Non the less this book was magical from the cover to content… If you’re looking for spoilers I’m not going to write any… Because you need to discover the magic in this book yourself!

Come on stop reading reviews and go get yourself a copy to read!

This book was an atmospheric read and one best suited for those who adore books which bring a specific vibe and let you baske in that for a long time.

Let’s try to explain what I mean…

The first 30-40 pages were so vague that it felt like I was moving around a dark room. It was so dark that I couldn’t see a thing. Every so often as I was feeling my way to find the light switch I would run my hands along and feel something. Like a book case, I could tell it was a book case but had no idea what it looked like or how many books it contained. I didn’t know its colour, how high it reached, where it was in the room or how sturdy it was.

As I moved into the next 150 pages the light turned on, but it was a spotlight which magnified everything. There were so many details about seemingly basic things. I now saw a book, and knew how big it was, its colours, title, author, whether it had pictures. I knew it’s smell, the sound as I opened it, what was on every single page, where it was placed on the bookshelf, which books it was placed next to… there was so much to learn about this one book.

I longed for the plot to move forward, I prefer a book which takes me on a journey. I felt like I was still standing still watching the world around me in a single moment up, even 250 pages in.

I craved a connection with the characters, I like my characters to feel like real friends (or foes) where I am completely invested in their journey. Although I found myself interested in Livira and her journey from the basic life in the dust where the focus was on surviving to her new life in the library full of learning and opportunity, I still wasn’t invested.

I have stopped reading this book at 38% as it is not something that I can finish at this time. I believe that I will come back to it one day.

This book will be a firm favourite for so many readers, I can see how well it is written, I can see how the slow pace and the mystery will appeal to many. I hope that those reading this review will give it a go.

Thank you Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for the ARC of this book. I have chosen to write a review which is all my own thoughts.

Yes! Big ol’ yes stamp of approval! This is an incredible book for any book lover!
If you’re new to Mark Lawrence, or know his books well, ‘The Book That Wouldn’t Burn’ is for you.
You won’t want to put this book down, you won’t stop thinking about it, then when you finish it you still won’t stop thinking about it & you’ll want to pick it up & start it again - and then the process will repeat!
Thank you so much NetGalley for this incredible treasure of a title - I cannot recommend this enough.

Despite fantasy fiction being a genre I've always adored, this is the first Mark Lawrence book I've read. I've often seen his books in libraries and what have you, and always thought about diving into his stories. I think I will need to explore him more.

This is an interesting book. The world building is amazing and the concept outstanding. The idea of a library so vast that it stores so much knowledge that nobody will ever know to what extent is something I think many readers will find irresistible. It's thought provoking. The central focus, the heart of this book, is all about knowledge. When is knowledge destructive? Is civilisation doomed from the start by needing more knowledge? Who controls knowledge and for what purpose?

Characters in this book often leap from the page in their complexity and construction. My favourite character in this book is Lavira Page, the tenacious young Duster, born in a harsh environment where existence is a daily grind and learning is low on the needs register. Lavira owns this story, with her insistence on asking questions and her quest to understand. The other main character is Evar, who begins this story living in a vast chamber full of towers of books, along withe three other people he calls siblings, but they are not related. They are watched over by an Assistant and a Soldier, two constructs with a purpose to protect their charges at any cost. Evar is an engaging character, however I did find him not as interesting as Lavira. I think Lavira is the bookworm in all of us, as we seek to ingest as many books as possible and understand the world.

Told over a backdrop of impending war, in a world where knowledge has failed to quash xenophobia and suspicion of anything deemed "other", this novel begins what I think will be one of the most unique fantasy stories for this year. While, at times, I did have issues with the pacing, I applaud how the author stitches together the threads of this story, and adds a few twists that will take your breath away.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for a free copy of this book or an honest review.

This story had me absolutely captivated.
The world building was thoroughly thought out and I felt immersed within the characters and their story.

Livira is a young girl named after a stubborn weed that flourishes wherever she grows, and when I tell you she lives up to her namesake. She is stubborn and won’t let up until she has answers to her never ending questions. When she’s rescued from the enemy by the king’s soldiers she is hand picked to flourish in the underground library. There she finds a new world full of portals to different times and meets a young man, Evar.
Together they learn their actions will heavily impact each others future and past.

With an almost ethereal vibe, akin to The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, I was left enchanted. The plot twist had me in a chokehold and I will not be satisfied until I get my hands on the sequel.

So many yes in this book! I was thrilled to be receiving an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review. The book of the Ancestor and The book of the Ice trilogies are some of my all time favourite and this one doesn’t disappoint one bit!

It’s the story of Livira, who is smart, tenacious and funny, but also struggling to fit in after being ripped from her home.

It’s the story of Evar, his brothers and sisters, who are stolen and trapped in the library.

It’s the story of a library, about the beauty and dangers of knowledge, about truth and fiction and the blurred lines in between.

Its fast paced, with amazing characters and character development. Its funny and gritty and sometimes truly heartbreaking. It is a story about knowledge, about time and about people.

It is everything I expect from Mark Lawrence and more. There are some truly unexpected twists and turns in this story that had my heart racing and my gut twisting. Every time you think you know what’s around the corner, more questions will find you than answers and it is glorious.

Which bookworms do not love books that feature libraries! Add in a bit of magic and wham! It's pretty nearly impossible to resist. Written by a favourite author?! Just take my money!

I managed to convince a friend for a buddy read despite her never really read any of Lawrence's books and she loved it! For myself, I enjoyed the read even if it was quite slow after an exciting opening. However, the last 30+% the pace was just terrifically swift with each twists and reveals, conflicts and climax, made up for everything.

Each chapter began with a quote from a book. It's not really an IRL book but it is somewhat of a spoof of IRL books including one of author's own. It's not really relevant to the story but it was fun trying to work out what book. On the other hand, the theme of the book, of race and conflicts between races etc, was spun so cleverly. This is especially obvious when the twist comes.

The story is told from 2 perspectives and while each were quite likeable, when the twist came, they became even more interesting. They haven't quite came to terms with it so I'm keen for book 2! I'm wondering if the ending counts as a cliffhanger and I guess, in a way, it does. As always, Lawrence does not disappoint.

My thanks to HaperCollins Publishers Australia for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts

This book was stunning. I love it so much. The book that wouldn’t burn is a mix of fantasy, sci-fi and dystopian all rolled into one.
The lyrical prose, the cross referencing to different works, the library's mysterious atmosphere, the characters, the play on time and space, everything just combined beautifully. Whilst this is by no means a fast paced book, the intrigue of what the library is and how they (characters and time) all interconnect just kept me turning the pages. This book is one giant puzzle itself, slowly revealing the links. The plot isnt obvious at the beginning but things start get intertwined and Evar is such a great character to fall in love with. It challenges you to think beyond your own perspectives, to question your beliefs and appreciate the power of books and knowledge. Knowledge is power. I did guess some of the connections but not all, and definitely not how that came to be. Not all questions are answered yet, and I am so sad I now need to wait for the next one!!

The book that wouldn’t burn is just beautiful and I already feel like I need to reread to see if I could pick up any easter eggs I missed the first time!
The atmosphere of this book reminded me of Piranesi and The Starless sea. Beautiful, philosophical, intriguing and mind boggling.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harpercollins for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was one that took some time to grow on me. I initially really loved the writing style, and continued to adore it as the book went on. It was the story that had me scratching my head a little at first. Not that it wasn't interesting but I felt like we were thrown right in the middle of a story with the background left out; Lots of tidbits are given throughout that at first made me think I had missed something. After finishing I can now really appreciate what Lawrence was doing. My advice to readers would be to keep those niggling thoughts in your mind, let them germinate there are you keep reading and trust the author. If your experience is at all like my own then it will all come together in a way that's truly beautiful. It was maybe 40% in that things started coming together, and by the time the end finale had begun I couldn't put the book down.

The world is full of rich detail and I loved learning about it all as we went through. The setting of a magnificent library that's as old as time, with seemingly endless halls and just as many secrets is every bookworm's dream setting.. Livira is a great character to follow, as she is ripped from her home and ends up as an apprentice to the Librarians. Evar, who has been trapped in the library for his whole life, has a different story but one I was equally engaged in. They are very different to one another but as their stories intertwine they realise their dreams are more alike them they would have thought. The side characters too were all nuanced and intriguing. A great cast overall.

At times the book reminded me of Laini Taylor's style, in terms of the imagination and the story, and at other times it is much more intense and dark, as I hear Lawrence's other works are (confession: this is my first book by this author). There is a great sense of mystery too, and the characters and reader can all sense there is more to things than meets the eye. I loved how this aspect of the book was handled.

The story has some twists that had me gasping out loud, and I loved them all. The pacing was pretty steady, and while the beginning feels a bit of a slog at times I think that's more that it takes time to get your head around the world than the pace of the story itself. Things are fairly steady. The book doesn't necessarily hold your hand, and readers need to pay attention as this book is more challenging that I would have thought going in. Don't let that put your off though as I felt it was all worth it.

My only improvements would be that at times in the beginning half some information is outright repeated. I wasn't sure why this was done.

I am sorry to say I didn't finish this book as it was far too long for me. I felt the flow and pace was a bit slow and repetitive, it didn't draw me in at the start and left me wanting more (but not more pages as it was far too long!).

I also couldn't connect with the characters maybe because I got lost in the length of the book and felt a bit bored by the repetitive nature of the book. I also felt a bit confused as I never seemed to get the gist of the story and this made it hard for me to engage in the story. And at a certain point I just felt I couldn't continue as the 500 or so pages would have had me reading for more time than I was willing to give it.

I must say I am sure others may love this book but for me it was definitely a miss.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollinsaustralia for this eARC.

Firstly, the cover is beautiful :-)

While the general premise of this one isn't necessarily original, the way Mark Lawrence has accomplished it, I have not read anything like it before. But, I can see how people will either love this and think it is incredible while others will think it is just odd. I am not quite sure how I feel about this book yet.

I have read other book by Mark Lawrence, and for me, they all have a feeling of foreboding, melancholy and an overall dark tone. The Book That Wouldn't Burn is no exception. To be honest, for the first half or so, I didn't really know what was going on. It felt wordy and repetitious and slow and I had trouble engaging and wasn't sure if I wanted to continue. It did eventually come together but I certainly didn't love it. Maybe if I decide to do a re-read, I might feel differently.

Perhaps, part of my indecision regarding this book was due to me having to read it on my phone. While I am sincerely grateful to NetGalley and HarpersCollinsAustralia for this ARC, the file type was such that it could not be read on Kobo/Kindle or other E-Ink screen devices. I had to read in shorter bouts than I normally would, due to eyestrain from my phone.

Overall, if you have read Mark Lawrence before, this might be a winner for you. If you are new to Mark Lawrence, this may give you an insight into his writing style with storylines that don't have gratuitous violence that some of his other books have.

What a fascinating novel that explores themes of love, loss, and redemption. Lawrence's writing style is sharp and precise, and he has a real talent for creating memorable characters that readers can identify with. The Book That Wouldn't Burn effortlessly weaves together elements of fantasy and mystery to create a truly unique reading experience. The characters in the book are also very well-developed, and I found myself becoming invested in their lives and struggles as the story progressed.

Overall, I highly recommend The Book That Wouldn't Burn to anyone looking for a thrilling read that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. While the beginning was very slow, taking a long time to get kicked off - at least the 40% mark, the book more than makes up for it towards the end. Be prepared to binge read from there! If you're a fan of fantasy, mystery, or just great storytelling in general, then this book is definitely worth checking out.

The Book That Wouldn't Burn was a stunning fantasy novel that is also a homage to books and language. The story wove back and forth between the two protagonists, each of their arcs interesting, and there were plenty of twists and turns along the way, so as a reader you were always kept in suspense. The final reveal took me by surprise and was well planned out. It's a longish work, but it never felt dull, as the pacing was excellent from start to finish. My only minor gripe was a bit of repetition, particularly early on in the story, when information we already knew was repeated once (or at times twice) more. But that's a small complaint in an otherwise excellent book. I am looking forward to reading on in book two to find out what will happen next. It gets 4.5 stars from me.

(This review is scheduled to go live on my blog on Monday 8 May 2023. At that time I will also update the review on Goodreads and share across social media.)