Amazing series by one of my favourite authors.

A great first book about time travel, friendship and mystery. I have also read the rest of this series and I have rated them all 5/5 stars.

I haven’t really read much by Mark Lawrence but after getting into some high fantasy and some morally grey fantasy, his work has been recommended to me a lot but I wanted to start off with some smaller and a little “lighter” – if I can use that term – of his works before jumping into his other series. We are introduced to our protagonist, Nick who has just been diagnosed with cancer and from the very beginning we can sense something is off as Nick talks about being dead less than a month after the diagnosis. When he goes for his first chemotherapy treatment, he begins hallucinating as he “awakes” in his friend’s house at their Dungeons & Dragons came from the week before. These things continue to happen with Nick either losing time or seeing things that really shouldn’t be there and these events are surrounded by a single person, an eery bald man who is following Nick everywhere. This man has also had interactions with Nick’s mother although she tries to make it seem like these didn’t happen. One night, Nick’s friend John gets him to sneak out in the middle of the night with a girl called Mia where they go for a drink and to smoke a joint. All three see the mysterious man but they get spooked and flee from him at Mia’s insistence but it is Nick who surprises them despite throwing up from the chemo which they don’t know about and being in pain, he beats them both out of the park. The opening couple of chapters to One Word Kill were extremely interesting and I eager to see where the story goes.

As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, Nick decides to keep his illness a secret from his friends for the time being and goes about his normal life, playing D&D, keeping the bullies at bay, and developing an interest in Mia. However, when Nick spots the bald man they fled from in the park outside Simon’s house, he is sure he is being followed and leaves the game early. At school, the next day he realises that his hair is beginning to fall out, but it is much earlier than the doctors said it would happen and Nick continues to experience the strangest déjà vu feelings that I have ever read about. At the next D&D meeting, Mia returns and has almost been made one of the group, but Nick has the feeling through the entire game that he has been there before. At the end of the game, he decides to come clean to his friend about his cancer and he realises their responses are identical to the vision he had a week before but he thought it was of the past when it was actually the future. Simon doesn’t take this news well and begins to freak out causing Nick to panic and flee which obviously means he runs into one of his bullies, Michael but is saved by the mysterious bald man who punches him straight in the face and when Nick asks why, he is told it is to gain his trust, although we don’t know why the man would need to gain Nick’s trust in the first place.

As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, Nick learns the stranger’s name is Demus and he tells Nick they will meet again in a weeks’ time and gives him a sheet of paper with two things written on it; a sequence of numbers and the words “batter up”. In the meantime, he gets a visit from Mia who gives him some resin to deal with the pain and sickness but he also seems to be developing quite the attachment to her and is very concerned when she has a black eye at the next D&D game. This game is critical as John says the phrase batter up and Nick begins getting the déjà vu feeling and also ends up using the sequence of number Demus gave him to correctly call several dice rolls which is statistically improbable. Nick tries to explain that Demus gave him those number a week ago, but they don’t believe him although Mia seems to be more curious and open to the idea than the others. When Nick does meet Demus again he realises that Demus is a future and alternate version on himself that has come to Nick’s universe in order to change his own. He also explains that the déjà vu feeling and visions Nick is having are because they are close proximity and the echoes he sees will fade with time but he sees an echo of himself and Mia being chased by the school psycho, Ian Rust with a machete and is obviously scared but Demus explains the reason he has come back is for Mia because she is in danger and he needs Nick’s help in getting her to trust him.

As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, I was thoroughly invested in the story and couldn’t wait to see where it went. Nick tries to get Mia to meet Demus but things definitely don’t go according to plan when Elton informs him that Mia has got herself mixed up with some really bad guys in order to secure the drugs he asked for and he wants to make it right. At her flat he find Michael there demanding Mia open the door and after Nick kicking him and Mia hitting him with a rounders bat, he leaves but he has already called someone else to come and deal with Mia. Mia explains that this person is new in Sack’s gang and is a real psycho and he just happens to be Ian Rust, the same person Nick saw chasing them down with a machete. When Rust arrived, he pours white spirit through the letter box and both Mia and Nick have no doubts that he will light it but Mia’s mother knows how to deal with people like Rust and they are safe for the moment. By the time Nick actually gets Mia to meet Demus, she is high stung and when he explains what he is (a time traveller) he gets her to believe it but when he tells her that his purpose for being in this time is to record her memories she flees. Demus gives Nick the money that will get Mia out of Sack’s sight and he flees after her but Demus also let slip that his memories were erased and it was Mia who told him to come back to this exact time although we don’t know why yet. Mia does manage to clear her debt, but I don’t think Rust will leave them alone given what Nick and Demus have seen but I am not sure what twists this novel is going to take in the second half.

As we cross the halfway mark in the novel, Nick is struggling with chemotherapy but at the same time he figures out that Demus doesn’t just want to convince himself and Mia but their other friends as well. When they meet with Demus they find out that Mia has an accident in the future and while she recovers physically a lot of her memories are lost, which is why he wants the current Mia’s memories which will be updated every 5-10 years to give to his Mia. However, for the devices to work he needs more processing power which isn’t available in 1986 apart from a prototype chip which hasn’t been released which John’s father would have access to, so they have to break in a steal it. That is going to require the whole group as John can get his father’s access, Simon can hack into the computers and Elton can perform the physical removal of the chip but in order for that to happen they all need to be convinced that what Nick is telling them is the truth. Demus uses the Challenger explosion and knowing Elton is gay, when he hasn’t officially come out yet to do this which works perfectly. I did like the fact there was some diversity in the cast with Elton, who is a POC and queer and considering the context of the novel, 1986 was in the middle of the AIDS crisis so it would have been a really hard thing for Elton to come out during this time and it made me a little teary. With the gang onboard, Demus tells Nick that he has one week to get the chip, record Mia’s memories, and then whip his own memories of that week so they don’t change his timeline and risk the fate of his Mia.

As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, Nic is building memories that he is going to loss in a short period of time which unless they have been reinforced in Demus will be lost forever including his first kiss with Mia. In between all these crazy things, Nick’s cancer treatment and normal teenage life, the group also have to deal with Rust several times after Mia’s mother cut him. The first is at Elton’s brothers’ 21st birthday where he corners the boys, injuring John before Elton, his brothers and his father come to their rescue, the second is even worse as he makes it clear he is after Mia but the other refuses to hand her over no matter the cost but Rust gets spooked. However, we learn shortly after that there has been a fire in Mia’s flat and her mother is now in the hospital meaning that Sack’s gang are going to be after Rust now because of the pseudo-loyalty they have for Mia’s older brother who is currently in prison. Mia’s mother basically orders Nick to keep her safe and to lay low until the police or Sack’s gang catch up with Rust and he agrees but they decides to move the heist up to that night so their Rust problem can be dealt with just like Demus promised it would be. For some strange reason I am getting conflicting feelings about the end of this novel, given the way Lawrence writes I am not sure if we will get a happy ending but I want a damn good happy ending because these characters deserve it after everything they have gone through and yet, I am aware that there are two more books in this series so it is going to end on a cliff-hanger of some sort. I did find it surprising that none of the group apart from Simon realises that Demus was Nick from the future but it does guarantee their help since they know if Demus is Nick, then doing what he says means Nick survives his cancer well into his 40’s at the very least.

As we cross into the final section of the novel, we get to see all parts of the mystery laid throughout the novel finally come together in ways that almost made me cry. While I won’t say much about the last part of One Word Kill, it was definitely an amazing read and I will be continuing with the series as soon as I can. The characters were all very well rounded and I was greatly saddened by some of the journeys they took but I was also incredibly pleased with the ending and how Lawrence ended the first instalment so perfectly. Honestly, if this is the way Mark Lawrence writes his other books then there is no doubt that I am going to love and some of these might just go on to be some very memorable books – if you got that terrible pun then you’ve read this book. Overall, One Word Kill was an exciting, heart-breaking, perfectly written, sci-fi mystery with some amazing characters and a surprising amount of diversity (sci-fi books tend to lack representation) and I can’t wait to get into the next instalment as soon as I can.

A very enjoyable mix of time travel, quantum physics and the many-worlds interpretation, Dungeons & Dragons, humor, and some romance.
The writing is flowing, I loved the D&D bits, and the time travel seemed quite coherent; I didn’t like that the villains were so one-dimensional and the secondary characters get so little development, but hey, it’s a short book, so there's not so much space for this..

* Plot: 4★
* Characters: 4-★
* Coherence/Consistency: 4-★
* Language/Humor/Witticism: 4★
* Enjoyability: 4.5★

Super enjoyable!

I had such a great time reading this. Mark Lawrence has created a fun, sometimes extremely profound and insightful story chock-full of adventure tropes and kickass teens overcoming adversity. It's clever, imaginative, and the characters feel surprisingly well-rounded for such a short book.

It's taken me ages to get to, but I'm really glad that this was my first Mark Lawrence book. Ever since I discovered his fantasy/grimdark books, got my husband absolutely hooked on them (without ever getting round to any of them myself), and started following him on Goodreads, I've been anticipating getting stuck in his book worlds. To me, One World Kill feels like the place to start to ensure that things can only get better.

Can't wait to get stuck in the next installment, and I can't wait to see what the author's other worlds hold once I'm done with this already-great series! Count me a fangirl already.

I read this when it came out and enjoyed for what it was. I always enjoy Larence's writing. It's just his plot that usually comes off as underwhelming. This was the case here as well. I enjoyed the humour, the writing, the friendship, even the time travel aspect, which rarely works for me. But the plot wasn't good enough for me to inspire that sense of 'awe' when I come across a clever plot.

An emotional reading I have delayed quite a lot. I was expecting some fantasy, to be hones, but found a compelling science fiction story triggered by a dramatic cancer diagnosed to the main character: a child. It has some similarities with some trending topics such as a young group of boys & girls in search for something/someone but this was farily interesting. I will continue with the second book, for sure.

i enjoyed this book, but it has been a long while since i have read this, and i do very much apologize for that. but this one just wasn't that enjoyable for me, even though i did somewhat enjoy it.

Mark Lawrence steps away from his fantasy world and steps expertly into science fiction with One Word Kill.

The first person narrative of teenager Nick Carter during the marvelous year, 1986, follows his friendships with differently geeky teenage boys and one girl who manages to infiltrate their weekly game of Dungeons & Dragons. Like Stranger Things, a real-life adventure intrudes and mingles with their fantastic gameplay.

Troubles abound, not least of which is the diagnosis Nick receives on the outset of the novel; leukemia. Things become twisted as multiple universe theory and quantum mechanics combine to complicate the present with implications from the future.

One Word Kill is a book about young people, reminiscent of the troubles teens faced in the '80s, about the remarkable strength of friendship. It is a book for all ages and holds more profound questions about personal philosophy and the world surrounding us.

Lawrence does a brilliant job of diving head-on into familiar science fiction conventions, while simultaneously flipping them a bit sideways to give them his unique spin. His prose is sharp with pithy observations and a touch of well-placed humor. Nick is a joy to read. He is a relatable protagonist, and riding along inside his head through the novel is never dull.

The book is full of well-crafted characters and villains whom the reader will be eager to see avenged. There is so much heart in One Word Kill, and it showcases the challenges of adversity in an utterly realistic science fiction world.

I absolutely Mark Lawrence's writing and the Impossible Times trilogy is no exception. This was a fantastic read with nostalgic 80s elements that fit perfectly with recent trends e.g. Ready Player One, Stranger Things etc. It's super nerdy, in the best of ways!

One Word Kill was a solid start to a trilogy, and what's not to love about DnD campaigns mixed in with time travel? However it dragged a little for me, feeling longer than its 200 pages.

One Word Kill is the first book by Mark Lawrence that I have ever read. Previously I had heard many amazing things about his works, in particular his Book of the Ancestor series. Because of that I was very happy to receive a copy of his science fiction novel. As you can see by my rating, I didn’t completely enjoy this book. There were things about One Word Kill that I enjoyed and things that really didn’t work for me.

I didn’t find it easy to get into One Word Kill. It took me some time to get used to the writing style. This book is very fast paced. It’s also short, which means that things are happening non-stop. This does make it a fast read, but it also means that some things felt rushed and glossed over. The focus of the story is on the action, rather than the characters. I feel that because of that the relationships between the characters weren’t that well done. The characters in itself weren’t that complex, there just wasn’t enough time in this book to develop them well.

The story was entertaining to read, but it didn’t feel all that original. There were also quite a few cliches that dimmed my overall enjoyment of the story. Due to the fact that the characters weren’t that well developed I didn’t connect to any of them. That made it harder for me to care what was happening to them. Honestly I was reading this book for the story rather than the characters (and that is not something that is usually the case for me).

Overall, One Work Kill was an okay book. It’s a fast paced and action packed story, with lacklustre characters. If the premise for this book sounds interesting to you I would recommend picking this book up.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


I went into this book expecting a straight-up science fiction but surprisingly what I got was a brilliant contemporary fiction with sci-fi aspects. In a relatively short novel, Mark Lawrence managed to make every word count. With great friendships, a touch of romance and a decent amount of twisty time travel.

There was a lot of Dungeons and Dragons references throughout and though I've never played it, I didn't feel like I missed out on anything. These scenes gave the author ample opportunity to develop the characters further and weave in threads that later became important. 

The only things that let the book down for me was the speed at which the main action scene ended. It seemed like the build up to that point was great but then the conflict itself was rushed and wasn't well resolved afterwards.

Overall I really enjoyed listening to this book. The narrator differentiated the voices just enough and the pace of the writing itself, apart from that one scene, was compelling and perfectly paced. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.

4 out of 5 stars!

To me this read more like a YA mashup with parts of Ready Player One, Recursion, Dark Matter, and even a bit of The Fault in Our Stars. I appreciated the cleverness of the time travel elements, and I really enjoyed the main character's personality. The descriptions of the friendships, the D&D games, and the puzzle they had to figure out was a lot of fun.

If the synopsis didn't already pull you in, let me tell you all the great things about this book. Prepare for some gushing!

As I already told you, I'm not really a sci-fi reader. But this was so interesting. I loved the quantum physics in this so much I went out and got myself some books on that topic (I was always interested in this and that gave me the final push!) It was so much fun to think through all the questions that arise when that mysterious man appears.

The characters are all so damn lovable. All of them.
Nick, the main character, is incredibly relatable in his struggles. He is a genius*, he is a geek, kind of awkward and loves playing D&D with his friends. *(Does that sound like I'm saying I'm a genius? ... Because I'm most certainly not 😂)
He sees their D&D sessions as an escape from reality, which is one of the reasons he doesn't tell his friend immediately that he has leukaemia.
The friendship dynamic between them is very intriguing to read about since they are all so different.
We have Nick, the genius but an awkward one. Simon, overweight, also some kind of genius, very introverted and reminded me a lot of other autistic characters (I have a soft spot for him!). Elton, the martial arts expert with a big and loving family. And finally John, the one you wouldn't expect to be in this group and he still fits in perfectly. He is wealthy, good-looking, charming and popular.
I loved reading about them all together.

The moment Nick finally told his friends about his leukaemia broke my heart. I loved all of their reactions. Spot on for all of them, all so different and still they all showed how much they love Nick.

The portrayal of Nick's illness was heartbreaking and so so good. I nearly tabbed all the book, but there are just so many beautiful, true and painful lines.

“Truth may often be the first casualty of war, but dignity is definitely the first casualty of disease.”

“It’s always a shock, when you’ve been hit by some calamity, to see the world go about its business with perfect indifference.”

And even though Nick wouldn't think it at first, but Mia fits right in with their group. She shakes everything up a bit but it's still the same tight fried group where everyone can be exactly how they are.

I never played D&D myself, although I want to try after reading this, and I still had a lot of fun reading about their sessions. It was expertly done how the real world and their fantasy one collided and merged into each other. I don't want to say much more because I think the less you know the more you'll love it. But just know that I loved how the choices they make really have consequences.

One Work Kill takes place in the '80s and it felt perfect for the story. Everything flowed seamlessly and it gave the story a certain vibe which I appreciated very much.
The writing style was also very fitting. It mixed humour with this intensity that keeps you turning the pages.

If you know some of Mark Lawrence's other books, you know that he usually writes grimdark fantasy. But he has no difficulty switching the writing style. While the story is not a grimdark fantasy it still has it's dark and heart-wrenching moments. The antagonists are pretty fucked up and some scenes will definitely make you cry. But it's always mixed with some light-hearted scenes.

Oh, and there is lot of scientific talk, but it's good to understand and doesn't stop the reading flow at all.

All in all, I'm amazed how much heart, pain, science and adventure Mark Lawrence managed to put into this 200 age book. It took me completely by surprise and weaselled its way into my heart without me even knowing. Next thing I knew I was preordering book 2.

One Word Kill es una de las últimas novelas que ha publicado el prolífico autor de fantasía Mark Lawrence. Y si no me equivoco es su primera incursión en la ciencia ficción. De Lawrence no he leído ninguna de sus trilogías que lo han hecho popular (Prince of Thorns o Prince of Fools), hace ya un tiempo que me apetece mucho lanzarme con sus libros pero se me hace bola cuando un autor tiene tanto publicado, y no sé nunca por dónde empezar. ¿Cuántos miles de páginas antes de esa novela que me ha llamado la atención? Ah, ¿una trilogía nueva sobre una asesina pero que cada novela son 800pgs y ya están los tres publicados? Uf. Un momento, trilogía de ciencia ficción estilo Ready Player One con novelas breves... Esto me interesa.

El 8 de enero de 1986 a Nick Hayes, un chavalín de 15 años extremadamente inteligente le diagnostican leucemia. Los doctores le dicen que no va a vivir más de 5 años. Asiste a quimioterapia y conoce a otros niños enfermos de cáncer en el hospiral. Acude a este hospital cada semana para su tratamiento, y cuando está en su propia casa vive como un friki típico: le asustan las niñas, le gusta Dungeons and Dragons, tiene que huir de los abusones en el colegio... Cuando juegan a rol él y sus amigos logra incluso olvidarse de su enfermedad. Un inicio divertido, muy influenciado por Stranger Things. Pero entonces todo toma un giro más interesante: el protagonista comienza a sentir una especie de efecto deja-vu, un extraño sombrío habla con él y algunas cosas que ocurren en sus partidas de D&D se parecen mucho a ciertos eventos de la realidad. Además, ahora hay una chica en su grupo de rol.


Te guste o no, Mark Lawrence es un autor muy competente y con una producción de lo más estable. Cada año saca al menos un libro desde hace varios años. Y suelen ser tochos. Por ello esta novela de ciencia ficción (al parecer el mercado anglosajón necesita más CF, pues varios autores de fantasía se están pasando al otro lado, y te miro a ti, Adrian Tchaikovsky) ha sido una grata sorpresa. Y debo decir a modo de resumen que me lo he pasado en grande. Los personajes prototípicos de un grupito de D&D imaginado acaban siendo entrañables y aunque estamos en un momento donde estas historias brotan de debajo de las piedras, Lawrence sabe darle un toque personal y único a One Word Kill. Aunque la trama y el argumento son interesantes lo que me ha mantenido enganchado ha sido la escritura del autor y sus personajes. Su modo de contar la historia me ha parecido muy inteligente y bien pensada, se pone barroco cuando el texto lo pide, o más bizarro y pragmático cuando la escena así lo requiere. Me ha dejado bastante loco la facilidad camaleónica de Mark Lawrence en cuanto al cambio de registros sin salirse de un mismo estilo narrativo. Aunque el libro tira directamente por la nostalgia, sobre todo para fans de "Regreso al futuro" me voy a abstener de comentar la trama pues el libro es bastante breve y (aunque ya os he dejado ahí una pista) creo que la sorpresa está en descubrirlo. Desde luego que el libro destila aventura ochentera y, aunque es imposible recrear el caldo de cultivo cultural de esa década, creo que Lawrence le rinde un homenaje muy chulo, sin ser demasiado pretencioso y sin pasarse en fanservice. Es decir, no llega al extremo de Ready Player One, pero tampoco se queda corto cuando quiere que sus personajes jueguen a una Comodore. El libro tiene un componente de aventuras que va mucho más allá de las partidas de rol, y en pocas páginas todo se vuelve una maraña tremenda de situaciones divertidísimas, tensas y bien resueltas. Un fantástico libro para comenzar a leer a Mark Lawrence. Yo, desde luego, repetiré.

In the interest of getting caught up on my humongous pile of reviews that need writing while I’m fighting with a half broken keyboard I’ve decided to combine the first two books of this series together. I actually read book one quite a while ago but wasn’t quite blown away so I had been putting off book two but finally made it through.

One Word Kill and Limited Wish by Mark Lawrence are the first two books of the Impossible Times series. This one is a young adult science fiction fantasy series that revolves around time travel and is set back in the 1980’s.

The story begins in 1986 with Nick Hayes who had been diagnosed with cancer but despite that Nick was pretty much a regular teen hanging with friends. However, when Nick and his Dungeons & Dragons playing friends welcome a new girl to the group things begin to get pretty strange.

Now, I am normally a sucker for anything 80s so that alone should have had me loving this series like a lot of other readers seem to except one of the biggest 80s things you find going into this is Dungeons & Dragons which I know nothing about. Putting that to the side though I’m sometimes up or down with time travel novels too and while I thought some of the ideas here were interesting most seemed obvious along the way so in the end I was just so-so with this series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was a short story, but it was still a bit too long. Didn't particular care for this one, though I may have some students who would.

Fast-paced, engaging and well written story that combines Ready Player One, Stranger Things and Back to the Future into one intriguing story about four teens who play D&D together. Mark Lawrence proves that he is capable of dominating any genre (be it fantasy or science fiction) with his relatable characters and action packed plot.

Manly but Sweet
"Of all the worlds, in all the universe, he walks into mine.’ Mia wrapped the Casablanca quote around Everett’s many worlds interpretation and gained another level in my esteem."
Absolutely brilliant quote! A super sweet moment between our main guy and his possible love interest that shows the depth of Lawrence's story. He gives us well rounded out characters that have fears, loves and react in a way most humans (especially teenage boys) are likely to given the (extreme) situations portrayed in One Word Kill.

Dungeons & Dragons
It's far from new to integrate a D&D campaign into a story. Most of the first Dragonlance novel were based off actually played out D&D campaigns of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (near death rolls and all). It's nice to see the comeback that board gaming has made with shows like The Big Bang Theory and Stranger Things highlight the fun (low tech) activity it can be. One Word Kill is a great addition to this group of media. There's a camaraderie that anyone whose played a campaign of D&D with friends can appreciate and I think Lawrence captures this very accurately here.

Plot, Magic and Story
I don't want to say too much about any of these three elements as I would never be able to describe or give justice to the imagination and writing style of Mark Lawrence. I also don't want to give away any juicy surprises!
This is my first time reading a full novel of Lawrence's and there is no doubt that all his novels on my shelf have just vaulted up in reading priority. With an elegance and excitement that is hard to parallel, Lawrence draws us into his world and ensures we must play by the rules.

Overall
Few would dispute that Lawrence isn't one of today's top fantasy writers leading into the release of this series. I suspect many will now put him in the science fiction category as well. Overall I'd be surprised to learn that any fantasy/science fiction reader completely hated this book. Some may not be an enamored as others (there are a lot of geek references); but there is a lot to like here. This is a series worth getting into and a strong start in sci-fi for Lawrence.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

This was a brilliantly enjoyable little read.
It is a strange beautiful cross between the tv series Stranger Things and the book Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.
Following a close group of Dungeons and Dragons playing teens as deal with an unwelcome visitor with a dangerous request.
With each character being ridiculously loveable and completely unique this was a fast paced, easy to read and hard to put down adventure.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an earc.

I gave this a four out of five stars. I really enjoyed this story even though it was a slow read. I have to be in the right mood to read slow ones and I was. I took my time reading it. I want to get the next books and continue on. I liked that D&D was being played in it. If you like D&D I would recommend this, you would really enjoy it.