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karenina4777's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
iwi's review against another edition
2.0
I was really excited to get into this from how the last book ended but... b u t
I was not into this. I didn't like the love story, it's a little weird. I'm like How do you even know that that's how Evar would react because you wrote this story girl and you've only met him for like a week at most. And yes he experienced the story himself LATER but that's a character. So Livira going through Repunzel like five times and being like "Ah yes I love Evar so much in every life" I'm just eh? Girl. That's a character you wrote! AND yes she does later raise him because of weird time travel, but she wrote the book first and the whole raising thing is like, idk her personality is suppressed. I don't know, it's weird.
I did super like the Clovis and Aprix building a relationship (with Carol commentary, loved him so much in this). It was really cute and I just want more of them. Wentworth was cool but so underused? I wanted more focus on him. It almost feels like there are too many important characters that don't do anything and then I'm like heh?
Celcha's whole thing, like I liked the tie in to moments we had in book one, but her whole story was kinda meh? I feel like I'll get clearer answers on what Mayland is doing and why. I mean destruction of the library? But I feel like no one has given me a good why. Celcha though, like oh aliens! suddenly was a bit of whiplash. I felt like after maybe two chapters of her I didn't need anymore of her story.
The meeting with the library founders??? Why did they have to be real and alive. Ish. I don't know, that part was so boring and we weren't given any extra info. The end is like the exact same way the first book ended, everyone splitting up into portals, someone is in critical condition. I don't know. It just very pointless only to get us back to where book one ended.
I think the last 10% was interesting, but only like 70 pages of this book felt new or important to the story. I am curious how it will end, but it's making me think that this should have just been a duology.
I was not into this. I didn't like the love story, it's a little weird. I'm like How do you even know that that's how Evar would react because you wrote this story girl and you've only met him for like a week at most. And yes he experienced the story himself LATER but that's a character. So Livira going through Repunzel like five times and being like "Ah yes I love Evar so much in every life" I'm just eh? Girl. That's a character you wrote! AND yes she does later raise him because of weird time travel, but she wrote the book first and the whole raising thing is like, idk her personality is suppressed. I don't know, it's weird.
I did super like the Clovis and Aprix building a relationship (with Carol commentary, loved him so much in this). It was really cute and I just want more of them. Wentworth was cool but so underused? I wanted more focus on him. It almost feels like there are too many important characters that don't do anything and then I'm like heh?
Celcha's whole thing, like I liked the tie in to moments we had in book one, but her whole story was kinda meh? I feel like I'll get clearer answers on what Mayland is doing and why. I mean destruction of the library? But I feel like no one has given me a good why. Celcha though, like oh aliens! suddenly was a bit of whiplash. I felt like after maybe two chapters of her I didn't need anymore of her story.
The meeting with the library founders??? Why did they have to be real and alive. Ish. I don't know, that part was so boring and we weren't given any extra info. The end is like the exact same way the first book ended, everyone splitting up into portals, someone is in critical condition. I don't know. It just very pointless only to get us back to where book one ended.
I think the last 10% was interesting, but only like 70 pages of this book felt new or important to the story. I am curious how it will end, but it's making me think that this should have just been a duology.
kcarrows's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
svenja98's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
amycecilia's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
maggi__'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
sunshine7772's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I guess I didn’t know what to expect, but i felt like mark lawrence broke his own fantasy rules that he established in the first book, leaving me confused some times. I liked the story but it felt sort of disconnected from the first book and probably just a set up for the finale. There was a new romance that I didn’t entirely care for, I wish it was just a passionate platonic relationship. The characters lacked their charm they originally had, especially Livira. I enjoyed the unpredictability in not knowing what to expect next. I feel like the series is being dragged on and in reality could’ve been wrapped up in one book but I still love the concept and will definitely read the third
sharwen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
frootlupo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This story’s predecessor (The Book that Wouldn’t Burn) was my favourite book I’ve read so far this year - so I had VERY high expectations and hopes for it’s sequel, and let me tell you, The Book that Broke the World certainly did not disappoint!
Mark Lawrence brought this story in a very different direction than I was expecting, but that wasn’t a bad thing at all. Like the first book, we are both drawn into the individual stories taking place, while also constantly wondering how these various plots are going to intersect. As mysteries are slowly revealed and we learn more and more about the world we are invited to make more and more guesses at how everything is interwoven even while caring more and more about the character and their journeys.
There is a budding romance that surprised me with how much I got invested in it. It also led me to care much more about character that truthfully I somewhat skimmed over in the last novel. By the end of the story I might have actually cared more about this new relationship that the one between our driving protagonists (but only a bit).
This is also one of the few stories in any media that revolves around time-travel that I actively enjoy and where I don’t get all caught up in quibbling with the logic of. You could squint at this, as the book basically claims “time-travel doesn’t make sense and that’s the problem” - but it’s not wrong! Truthfully it’s kinda satisfying that time-travel’s inherent paradoxical nature is one of the things causing a lot of the problems in this world.
The trilogy’s larger theme of tribalism, discrimination, and enmity was continued from the first book with the same deftness and nuance. I appreciate the gentle but decisive direction and tone that Lawrence takes.
Finally, I deeply appreciated how seamless the tone and story felt from the first book. You can really tell that the series was all written at the same time. The only tiny drawback is that The Book that Broke the World does feel like a middle novel - but the cohesiveness of the narrative is more than worth that tiny concession.
I am deeply looking forward to Book 3 - if it keeps up the same level of quality (or, dare I dream, exceeds it) The Library Trilogy is very heavily in contention for one of my favourite series of all time!
Mark Lawrence brought this story in a very different direction than I was expecting, but that wasn’t a bad thing at all. Like the first book, we are both drawn into the individual stories taking place, while also constantly wondering how these various plots are going to intersect. As mysteries are slowly revealed and we learn more and more about the world we are invited to make more and more guesses at how everything is interwoven even while caring more and more about the character and their journeys.
There is a budding romance that surprised me with how much I got invested in it. It also led me to care much more about character that truthfully I somewhat skimmed over in the last novel. By the end of the story I might have actually cared more about this new relationship that the one between our driving protagonists (but only a bit).
This is also one of the few stories in any media that revolves around time-travel that I actively enjoy and where I don’t get all caught up in quibbling with the logic of. You could squint at this, as the book basically claims “time-travel doesn’t make sense and that’s the problem” - but it’s not wrong! Truthfully it’s kinda satisfying that time-travel’s inherent paradoxical nature is one of the things causing a lot of the problems in this world.
The trilogy’s larger theme of tribalism, discrimination, and enmity was continued from the first book with the same deftness and nuance. I appreciate the gentle but decisive direction and tone that Lawrence takes.
Finally, I deeply appreciated how seamless the tone and story felt from the first book. You can really tell that the series was all written at the same time. The only tiny drawback is that The Book that Broke the World does feel like a middle novel - but the cohesiveness of the narrative is more than worth that tiny concession.
I am deeply looking forward to Book 3 - if it keeps up the same level of quality (or, dare I dream, exceeds it) The Library Trilogy is very heavily in contention for one of my favourite series of all time!