crispy98 's review for:

The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence

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2025- This novel immediately shines with Lawrence’s usually brilliance in setting and characterization. The characters, both major and minor, each had uniqueness and depth resulting in consistently engaging plot points and profound dialogue. Especially the romance between Evar and Liviria, one that teeters on the edge of wolf smut, proves to be a beautiful relationship that would reignite one’s own passion for love, no matter how forlorn. There are little nuggets of glibness, especially in the chapter headings that rewards the diligent reader with tie ins from the modern world and other works of Lawrence. 

Surprisingly, there were a few, albeit inconsequential, inconsistencies and even grammatical errors at the onset of the story. The book tackles incredibly complex themes, like cyclical destruction theory and time travel, so some aspects also felt inconsistent. More importantly, the time jumps didn’t feel out of place and Lawrence balances infinite scale and realistic consequences, a rarity for a story of this scope. I was happy to have guessed a few major twists early on in the novel but, even still, I was disarmed by the litany of masterful curveballs and tie-ins. The pace was well done throughout although the back half was clearly the standout read. The story manages to be impossibly large yet still retain interpersonal meaning.