I fell in love with this trilogy upon the first few chapters of the first book. Mark Lawerence does an artful job weaving together timelines and stories without you even realizing until there’s a reveal. I think I could read this series several times and find even more things to love. A few of the events of this book absolutely broke my heart and the key message felt very relevant to our current society. It was an absolute honor to read The Book That Held Her Heart (hint, it’s me, I’m the Her in the title because I love this trilogy so much, especially the final installment).

Thank you to Ace Pub, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy and free finished copy!

A fascinating trilogy...if maybe a bit of diminishing returns for me. I found the first book fascinating, eerie and captivating...if a bit long and with some real pacing issues. The second was better contained and had a solid story...but I hated one part of the story (and one character in particular) so much that it somewhat colored the end result. Here we have a happy medium in a lot of ways...and yet there was a part of the story (Anne's) that I both loved for what it taught the characters...but hated because it broke the immersion of the universe for me. I won't get into details (spoilers) but I'm not crazy about what Lawrence did with Anne's universe...even if that is something of his modus operandi with his books.

That said, I have to applaud the author for "sticking the landing." The ending seems real, earned and carries a message that I quite resonated with. This series is very much a love-letter to books, libraries, bookstores and the very idea of how knowledge can (and maybe should) be maintained and spread. I appreciated the lessons learned by all three "sides" of the library war and the ending that was achieved as a result. Everyone gets an ending, in their own ways and fashions and you end the series with a sense of real closure. I will think about this series quite a bit over the days/weeks/months/years to come - there's a lot here and I feel like maybe I even missed some of it. But this is a very solid series. Maybe not my favorite, but very very good. 4 stars.

Mark Lawrence achieves a photo finish with this book that completes his trilogy about a magical, world-defining library and the people and cultures whose lives have been impacted by its use and misuse over the ages. While I was a little confused and, frankly, pretty worried in the early parts of the book when the narrative seemed to start squaring up to take a big swing that I was unsure it could follow through on, I felt that the book handled the topics it dealt with pretty well. By the end of the book, I was happy with how everything had turned out and had a great time following the efforts of the series' heroes and villains as they tried to argue their positions over if the library should stand or be thrown down to make way for a better future.

I had a harder time with this one compared to the first two books. The pace was much slower, and it took me much too long to remember who is who, as this is a large cast of characters. (and I really should have reread the first two books before this one.) But you come to know all the characters throughout the series and appreciate where they’re coming from in this one. I also enjoyed the parallels into our own world.

Was this the conclusion I was hoping for? Not necessarily. But it was a satisfactory ending to a fantastic series on the whole.

Imagine diving into a world where books hold the power to shape reality, where time bends to the will of those who understand its secrets, and where love blooms amidst the chaos of conflicting factions. That's the mesmerizing tapestry Mark Lawrence weaves in "The Book That Held Her Heart," the grand finale to a trilogy that's as much a love letter to literature as it is a mind-bending fantasy epic.

Now, I'll be the first to admit - this isn't a book you can rush through. It's a feast for the imagination, best savored slowly, allowing each intricate layer of world-building to unfold in its own time. Lawrence's creation is a complex dance of time travel, diverse characters, and two opposing forces locked in a battle over the fate of a mysterious library. It's a heady mix that demands your full attention, but oh, how it rewards that attention!

At the heart of this sprawling narrative are Livira and Evar, whose love story unfolds with a poetic grace that had me utterly captivated. Their journey isn't just a romance; it's a testament to the power of connection in a world teetering on the brink of chaos. But what truly elevates this tale is the rich tapestry of secondary characters. Lawrence gives them room to breathe, to grow, to shine - each one playing a pivotal role in the grand design.

What struck me most profoundly was the underlying theme of history repeating itself. It's a message that resonates deeply, especially in our current times. This isn't just a book about books; it's an exploration of knowledge, of legacy, of the stories we tell and how they shape our world.

For those who revel in epic fantasy, who love to lose themselves in intricately crafted worlds and characters that feel as real as old friends, this trilogy is an absolute must-read.

Thank you to Ace and NetGalley for my free books.

Read If You Like:
- Fantasy with a literary twist
- Books about books
- Dual timelines
- Slow-burning romance
- Thought-provoking themes of memory and identity

In the final installment of the Library Trilogy, the vast and infinite Athenaeum remains at the heart of a story that spans centuries, lives, and the power of the written word. Livira and Evar, bound by fate and separated by forces beyond their control, must unravel the secrets hidden within the library’s endless halls. Meanwhile, a new perspective emerges—that of Anne Hoffman, a young Jewish girl in pre-war Germany—adding depth and historical weight to the novel’s exploration of storytelling, survival, and the ways books shape human experience.

The novel weaves an intricate narrative that balances heartache, mystery, and intellectual discovery. Lawrence’s signature prose is both elegant and immersive, crafting a world where knowledge is both a refuge and a battleground. The dual timelines create a compelling contrast, offering a mix of philosophical musings and emotional stakes. While the pacing at times slows to accommodate introspective moments, the novel’s payoff is both poignant and satisfying, delivering a conclusion that lingers long after the final page.

Thanks so much to Berkley for my gifted copy!

At first, I thought this conclusion suffered from too many POVs, and in some ways it did, however, it ultimately made the ending so much more powerful. Goodness, this book made me feel so much. A love letter to libraries, books, and those that adore them.

This was such an exciting conclusion to the series! I loved this series. Full of memorable characters. The author keeps getting better and better with each book release. I cannot wait until the authors next release!

Huge thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I’m going to start out by saying that even if Mark Lawrence plagiarized Biscuit Goes to the Farm, I would still buy and read it. (In truth, I’ve preordered my copy of The Book That Held Her Heart already.) That being said, I’m absolutely over the moon to read this early and plan on sharing my honest opinions of the third and final book.

First things first, if you’ve been sleeping on the quotes that start every chapter in this trilogy, shame on you. Go back, read them, and try not to giggle. Lawrence really pulled out the stops in this one, though. They are on a whole other level. (Including the stones to quote his own works, I do love an author with some swagger!)

You can feel yourself hurdling through the story portals to the end. Even in the chaos, small moments of joy and laughter are beautiful here. You see the threads being pulled closed, weaving their stories together, converging on significant points through the portals. In that last leg, we get to the inflection point, the climax of the library’s/Livira’s book.

No. Nonononononononono. Not… No. please no.

The end is beautiful. It’s perfect. And I did not have enough tissues at the ready. Damn you, Mark Lawrence. I can’t think of a better ending than this.

A brooding, self aware, and compelling wonderful conclusion to an excellent series. Bravo!
Livira and Evar are joined by a third character: Anne Hoffman — a Jewish girl living in prewar Germany.
Lawrence deals with some heavier themes in this book but does not let it bog down the general plot line and pace of the story. Be warned, the devastation will linger long after the final page has been turned.

This was a really well done conclusion to a beautiful trilogy. The world and the library has been so fascinating to read about, and I really loved the characters. As with the previous books, I spent a good chunk of this one mildly confused, but everything always weaves together into a bigger picture.

The Book That Held Her Heart is the epic conclusion to Mark Lawrence’s Library Trilogy. Livira and Evar, once bound by a mysterious, infinite library, are now separated across time and space. With war threatening to tear everything apart, Livira must reunite those she loves and fight for the fate of the library itself. Full of magic, mystery, and high stakes, this final chapter promises an unforgettable ending.

I received an electronic ARC from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Lawrence has crafted a powerful story arc that moves through the entire trilogy. All of the characters are included in book three and their lives weave together on many levels. He even adds a new character, Anne, who lives in our reality in Germany just prior to World War II. She brings a fresh perspective and statement to the lives of some other characters. The whole gook drives toward the final destruction of the library and how to channel the energy and magic from this. I feel that characters are more vulnerable in this volume and show more of themselves to readers. I would have loved a couple more chapters to wrap up the story but see why he chose to do so in one chapter that only alludes to most of the characters. I even understand the death of some of the main characters but it saddened me deeply.
It's easy to see parallels to our own world and to think about possibilities for change as happens in the story.

These books! I love this series- I highly recommend for an amazing plot and storyline. Really throughout and I love the characters!

La pièce maîtresse de la trilogie des bibliothèques est l'Athénée, une bibliothèque infiniment grande qui, selon la légende, a été conçue et construite par Irad, petit-fils de Caïn et arrière-petit-fils d'Adam et Ève. Irad est impliqué dans une bataille séculaire avec son frère, Jaspeth, qui jure de détruire la bibliothèque pour libérer l'humanité du joug de la mémoire et de l'influence corruptrice de la connaissance. La Bibliothèque devient un champ de bataille au sens propre et figuré dans cette guerre épique entre la connaissance et l'ignorance, une bataille qui a commencé entre Irad et Jaspeth mais qui se poursuit avec leurs mandataires à travers tous les âges et tous les pays.

I’m actually genuinely so upset about the ending of this book that I don’t think I’ll ever pick up another Mark Lawrence book again. I wish I could go back to a time before I read this book bc I’m now crying at the doctors office and there’s nothing more to read to make it right.

Bottom line: what the hell Mark

I think this is a really satisfying conclusion to the library trilogy. I love all the little quotes at the beginning of the chapter and the world building and characters. I really think that Mark Lawrence’s strength is ending a trilogy and he hasn’t missed yet. So I highly recommend this if you’ve read the other books and if you haven’t picked it up yet, rest assured it is very much worth it.

I loved book 1 was just ok with book 2 and hated this one. Felt like so many things were clobbered together with no rhyme or reason. So many different tropes and plots happening with such a disappointing ending. At one point it's mentioned that one set of creatures went to the moon to create another type of creature and that's just kind of glossed over and has no purpose what so ever. Very disappointing

The Library Trilogy has been one of my favorite series over the last couple of years. After the ending of The Book That Broke the World, I was so excited to get this one early. I loved every second of reading this book. That being said, I do think this is the weakest of the three books in the series. The time travel and dimension travel got a little shaky towards the end; for some reason, it just wasn't depicted as clearly as it was in the past two books. There was so much going on that I felt like we didn't get much time to experience all of the characters' personalities as deeply as in the past two books. The incorporation of a real-world timeline was really interesting, and I think the time period and region Lawrence chose spoke to some elements of the current political climate. I liked that a lot. The ending, while it wasn't a perfect happy ending. satisfied me. although I do think it wrapped up a little too quickly.