Another absolute mind-melting, brain breaking book completes this trilogy. At times I am not entirely sure what was going on but dear lord was I invested in the story even if some of the details eluded me (my brain being the issue not the writing).

This book had some of the most beautiful prose as well as sometimes hilarious epigraphs. It tackled so many issues so well and in such depth and posed so many questions on humanity, moral dilemmas and the consequences of choices we make, especially those made in fear or anger.


The ending nearly had be in tears- the emotional gut punch was just too much! Even so, an excellent finale that had me gripped all the way through

Final books in series you have loved are stuck in a delicate balancing act, sometimes precariously so, is it going to do the characters justice in a way you feel satisfied enough to say this is their ending and it was a far and just one? Or will it leave you demanding retribution because this couldn’t be it, couldn’t and should not be the ending of such a story.

The Book That Held Her Heart doesn’t really fall into either of the aforementioned outcomes. And here’s why.

I couldn’t stop reading this book, couldn’t stop thinking about it, and how all the threads were going to end up coming together, surely not everyone is going to get their happy ending in the age old conflict of good versus evil?

This book will hurt your heart, have you gasping for relief and then hurt you all over again.

This series will be one I recommend for years to come.

The conclusion to Lawrence's latest trilogy, introduces familiar and new characters. If you know Lawrence then you know that this third part is likely to shred your heart and leave it on the book with 'hers'!

It picks up where book two ended but with a handy reminder at the front and introducing a new character. Without too many spoilers, the situation escalates to the point where you wonder if we can ever achieve any kind of happy ending!

We visit different timelines, including pre war Nazi Germany, seeing the different times that Crath City occupies. One has to wonder if an Ancrath lived there ...

Whilst this is a book about a book in a library, it is also so much more. Looking at relationships, motives and how we interact with others. We delve into the personalities of our main characters but also those they interact with. You have to wonder what motivates so much hate in a person, especially given the time we're currently living through. It also features a a very large cat!

The final book in the trilogy about the infinite library. This was a rollercoaster ride and I loved the story and Livira, Evar, and all the cast. It has me gripped and reading way into the night, but it was worth it. The ending was great and I know it will stay with me for quite some time. I loved all three of these books and will be buying the paperbacks so I can have them in my home library. I love Mark's writing and style and how he engages the reading in such captivating stories.

The pacing in this final book is excellent and I can't wait to see what Mark brings next.

This trilogy as a whole is phenomenal and I can't wait to re-read it.

The Book That Held Her Heart is the final installment in Mark Lawrence's Library Trilogy. I won't say anything about the plot because I don't want to spoil it, but I can say that the book ties up all the loose ends in a very satisfying way, and that there was one twist I really didn't see coming. The chapter epigraphs continued to provide some humour throughout, and the ending was heartbreakingly beautiful.

What a trilogy! It traversed time and place, looked at the making and fall of civilisation, race, war, and the need to remember our history. I highly recommend it if you enjoy high fantasy, rich world building, and an unforgettable story!

The Book That Held Her Heart concludes the Library Trilogy, a trilogy I had not started when I was approved for book three. Luckily for me I was invested from the first chapter and have devoured all three books in a week.

Lawrence writes complex characters and builds intricate worlds with such skills that you truly get lost in the story. The inclusion of real world historical elements adds to this and helps to explore themes of persecution, censorship and the cost of knowledge.

This book was an excellent conclusion to this thought provoking series and I would highly recommend.

'The library has never been about taking charge. It's a memory. It's ideas. It might have hoped to stop what's happening here, but it's too late. There will be blood, and horror, and probably all the worst things that humanity is capable of. The library can make sure that nobody has a good excuse for forgetting what happens and striving to prevent repetition. But it cannot stop even that. People have to want to know. I wish I could tell you that free and easy access to information solves these problems - it doesn't - people find their own wells of poison to drink from.'

How true is that, especially in today's context?

Even if this is a work of fantasy, it is rooted deeply in reality, and have inserts from real life events and writers; it's a quest through life, knowledge, history, times, and also one of choices and how are they shaping one's life and future. It's also a love story, the ultimate catalyst in someone's life.

Above all, it's an ode to books and the knowledge they provide, an ode to libraries and their custodians, and also readers, who, accordingly to another author "a reader lives a thousand lives before he dies [...] The man who never reads lives only one." Indeed.

Epigraphs are a delight, as always, such as this:

"The true value of freedom is revealed only in its absence. It is a structural ingredient whose removal takes with it the colour, taste, and substance of life. A similar effect is observed in glute-free cakes."

It's witty, funny or sad at times, insightful, has plenty of action to keep you hooked (not that it needed it - come on, how can one not be hooked by a book about the magic of books?!). Overall, it's quite an emotional ride, one that I relished immensely.

'Information is like water - without it you won't live long, too much and you'll drown.'

Suddenly, with tear-filled eyes and an aching heart, here I am—saying goodbye to these beloved characters who have been part of my life since 2023. I think I read this final chapter as slowly as I could, trying to savour every moment of the last time I’d get to experience the fates of Livira, Evar, Arpix, and Clovis for the very first time.

I know I’ll return to revel in the prose of this trilogy, to wander again through the endless dimensions of the library, and to uncover all the possibilities I might have missed—but I’ll never get to experience it for the first time again. And that, truly, is something to mourn.

The Book That Held Her Heart was a stunning finale to an already remarkable series. If the earlier books were powerful for the way they tackled racism, misinformation, dehumanization and cyclical history, this final installment feels even more relevant and urgent considering what we see happening daily.

I am still at loss for words, so I'll leave here a quote that I think it's important:
<i>"I’ve always been uneasy with the idea of any one person or any one system reigning supreme. What if it’s the wrong one? Who sets these rules for everyone else?’ She shook her head. ‘No, what we have is far from perfect. I don’t believe there is a perfect, not in this life. But its strength is in diversity. Its strength, curiously, is in its biases, which lean in every direction. Its strength is in many systems, many ways, the curation of many and varied hands."</i>

The Library Trilogy brought me many things: a new favourite author, a new favourite series, and last, but not the least, a new best friend. Huge appreciation to Mark and his fantastic work, and my sincere thanks for giving us this series.

<i>I would like to thank HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperVoyager for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review</i>

This conclusion to The Library Trilogy picks up where the previous books left off. We discover what happened to the cast of characters after they each stepped through one of three portals.

As with the previous books, there are some beautiful poetic moments of introspection, although it is more action-heavy overall.

A satisfying conclusion to the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Book That Held Her Heart, absolutely destroyed mine!
I was kind of prepared for some devastation but not the sucker punch that ending delivered.
Beautifully written and thought provoking, riddled with angst, action and all the grey areas of humanity. A great conclusion to a refreshingly deep and different fantasy.
Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the arc, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

Mark Lawerence is an outstanding writer. His world-building ability is brilliant and as an avid reader, the world of the libary truly sucks you in. Congrats on a brillaint end to the series.

An excellent way to round out the series. Having been drawn in from the first book I cannot tell you how much I really loved being able to read this as an early copy before its release.
The story continues as the fate of the infinite library hangs in the balance and all Livira holds dear is scattered in different times and spaces. The bond between her and Evan is stretched but thought out it is a battle to stay strong.
If you’ve enjoyed the other 2 books then I feel you’ll enjoy how nicely this wraps everything up for you.

I finished The Book That Held Her Heart, the concluding tome in Mark Lawrence’s Library Trilogy in the early hours of this morning. Despite still being worn out following a recent operation, I just couldn’t put this final book in the trilogy down, and even now in the light of day I can’t quite quit the huge sense of loss that I am left with.

Starting with the amazing, mind-blowing The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, once again Lawrence totally pulled me into another world – the world of the Library Trilogy set in the Athenaeum. This infinite library crosses worlds, time and reality and was the brainchild of Irad, grandson of Cain, who has been fighting an infinite battle with his brother Jaspeth, who has vowed to destroy the library in his mission to free humanity from the corruption of knowledge and weight of memory.

“The accumulation of things as small as dust can build worlds, and the gathering of things as insubstantial as letters can build vast libraries . . . the mounting weight of the minuscule can break them too. Your contribution may have been small on the grand scale, tiny, but it was the last of many straws.”

In The Book That Held Her Heart, we continue to follow the stories of Livira, born in the dust, ascended to librarian and Evar, who has only ever known the library, plus his siblings and some new characters. This is where Mark Lawrence is totally daring and introduces real world historical events to bring forth the character of Anne Hoffman. Anne is a Jewish girl who we first meet on Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass,) bringing the depth of real-world events to the themes explored in this battle for supremacy over the library.

“Where they burn books, they will also ultimately burn people.”

Throughout this final book in the trilogy, the protagonists and supporting characters are separated across three portals, each representing a potential fate of the library – Freedom, Destruction or Compromise! I can see why some will see this as weakening the story but, it also provided opportunities for the character arcs to develop as they desperately fought and went through significant plot-based challenges and trials to find each other.

Whilst this final book in the trilogy is much more fast paced and almost a race to the conclusion, there was no let-up in the heavy and challenging themes that were addressed, including the danger of knowledge without wisdom, dehumanisation of ‘the other’ and the double-edged sword of memory. How Lawrence manages to balance such deep and heavy themes and topics whilst maintaining an increasing sense of pace, action, gut-wrenching emotion, and total engagement is totally mind blowing.

I was totally blown away by The Library Trilogy and The Book That Held Her Heart is the perfect concluding tome to The Library Series. Lawrence has crafted a work that is filled to the brim with emotion, thought-provoking themes, action, adventure and utter emotional devastation, which it will take me a long time to recover from!

The secret war that defines the library has chosen its champions. Livira must unite those vital to her, scattered across time and space, to resolve the library’s war. As the bond between Livira and Evar strains, they face impossible odds in the final battle, where no one will emerge unscathed.

The Book that Held Her Heart is the third and final volume of Mark Lawrence’s Library Trilogy. Although there is a much appreciated summary of the previous two books at the start, you will benefit from having read them relatively recently. This is high concept fantasy with a large cast of characters.

This novel falls into the realms of “books I really expected to like but inexplicably didn’t”. I adored The Book that Wouldn’t Burn and loved The Book that Broke the World. This one… not so much. Partly that’s down to the fact that the characters are now scattered across space and time. And there are a lot of characters. This made the book quite a disjointed read for me, with some characters feeling quite short-changed in terms of their screen time. Lawrence also introduces the concept of multiple realities to his world building which I’m not sure was necessary. I was a little disappointed with the ending which felt quite rushed to me.

Not a book that worked for me, unfortunately, but if you’ve read this far through the series why not see how it ends?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, HarperVoyager, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence is a beautifully crafted, deeply emotional story that lingers long after the final page. Lawrence, known for his masterful storytelling, delivers something uniquely tender and profound here — a novel that feels both intimate and expansive.

The writing is exquisite, weaving together themes of love, loss, memory, and the power of words with a quiet, powerful grace. The characters are rich with complexity and vulnerability, and their journeys are told with such sensitivity that it’s impossible not to be moved. Every chapter feels thoughtful and purposeful, building toward a conclusion that is both heartbreaking and hopeful.

Lawrence perfectly balances the magical with the deeply human, creating a story that is enchanting without ever losing its emotional honesty. The book feels like a love letter — not just to a person, but to the act of storytelling itself.

The Book That Held Her Heart is a truly stunning achievement. It’s the kind of novel that reminds you why you fell in love with reading in the first place. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

And so we reach the final part of this trilogy about an infinite library, with Biblical foundations, millennia of wars and battles between species, and most recently, the setting of a love story between our main characters, Livira and Evar.

Events at the end of the middle volume, The Book That Broke the World, left our cast of characters scattered throughout... time? Space? Realities? So the first challenge here is managing those diverse story lines and pulling everyone back together - which, to be honest, wasn't my favourite way of setting a story. The different strands felt a little disjointed to me at times, and I really wasn't keen at all on the introduction of a 'multiverse' kind of a thing - I didn't like it in the superhero movies, and while it works better here, I still don't appreciate it much.

With those factors and more, this is what I'd call an 'ambitious' final chapter, in several ways, and whether it works for you or not is a bit 'marmite-y' (as in: you'll love it or hate it. Probably).

As well as the story splitting, and the different 'what if' realities, there's also a real world thread - and that is always a bit dangerous in terms of throwing the reader out of the story. In fact, we open in pre-WWII Germany, which is an uncomfortable era to visit even as the events and themes perfectly fit the wider story: the hatred of 'the other' being the most notable connection, and the idea of learning from history's dark moments.

To be honest, I'm not sure the tone wholly worked for me, particularly in changing back and forth between such diverse settings as alien spaceships (I think?), kristallnacht, plus deep Library lore/inner workings, and various taverns, throne rooms, and more. It's a lot to keep up with. I'm also a little irked at how many baddies these days are so thinly veiled versions of a certain US President, and kicking myself for not spotting 'Oanold' being so close to spelling out the actual name...!

So... not loving this volume. It's still excellently well-written, and I cannot fault the ambition, and it does actually do a good job at tying up the huge, 3-volume but millennia-spanning story. It's just... not quite doing it for me.

Until the ending.

Obviously I can't say much - no spoilers! - but... oh, wow. I mean proper wow. The title might be 'The Book That Held Her Heart', but it might as well be 'The Book That Shreds the Reader's Heart'. This is an ending that makes the use of the real world events, the (imo slightly overblown) love story - all of it - work perfectly and be worth it all.

It's a tough one to review, or to recommend fully, and yet. And yet. I'm glad I read the series, and it's a pretty amazing one - I just wished I'd loved it a little more overall, and I'm jealous of all the readers who absolutely do. Make of that what you will!

Who can resist books about books?! My hand literally itched to pick them up. This is the third and final book in the trilogy so there may be spoilers below.

I really enjoyed the first book as this universe was introduced and the twists and turns took me by surprise. There were still a few twists and turns in book 2 to take me by surprise but it got a little confusing with the time travel etc. I would usually say I love time travel but the rules in this one and especially in this third book, got me turned around upside down and it was just frustrating. Sorry to say that I just can't appreciate this ending either *pouts*

All in all, I'd say read the author's earlier booksI seem to like them better.

My thanks to HarperCollins UK for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts

Wow, this book left me with so many feelings! The last book in a wonderful series about a great and infinite library and the sides that want to see it destroyed or saved or maybe another solution besides that of Jaspeth or Irad comes to a mighty conclusion that will affect all realities and races be they at peace or war with one another. And a book that spans the time, capable of destroying reality itself. This story doesn't hold back on the punches so be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions (at least for me) as Livira, Evar, and everyone else figure out what they truly think about the library and whether it should continue as they fall through so many layers of reality, time, and maybe worlds (that got so nicely twisty and also heart stopping at some of the realities).

I did really like that after the story of Livira and Evar were fleshed out in the previous two books, you get to see other relationships form, plus more of Celcha and Mayland with their opposing views of the library and how maybe extremes are not the answer and that maybe there is another way (which is what Yute and Kerrol do in this book), if Livira's book can be tracked down before it completely destroys the library.

There are many good messages in this series, and the ending was very well done even though so many sacrifices were made which hurt my heart and left me gasping until it was over. I will be thinking about this for a good long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this and finish up a wonderful series!

This series has been incredible from start to finish, and the final installment absolutely lives up to that standard. We continue following two familiar characters who have been central throughout the story, but we’re also introduced to a compelling new voice—a Jewish girl in Nazi Germany who once ran a bookshop before the devastating rise of book burnings. Integrating historical elements into a fictional narrative can be a bold choice, yet Lawrence pulls it off seamlessly, weaving real-world context into the story without it ever feeling forced.

True to form, Lawrence doesn’t hold back when it comes to tackling complex and weighty subject matter. He explores a wide range of emotional and intellectual themes with sensitivity and depth, particularly the ongoing battle between enlightenment and ignorance. This exploration is handled with such skill that it feels both profound and deeply human. And even amid these heavy topics, Lawrence’s signature wit and charm shine through, offering moments of levity that balance out the intensity.

What’s even more impressive is how the story’s pacing remains sharp and engaging throughout. Despite diving into difficult themes, the narrative never loses momentum, pulling the reader along with a steady, captivating rhythm.

The conclusion? Absolutely stunning. While each book in the trilogy has ended on a strong note, this finale is on another level. I’d happily reread the entire series just to experience that final chapter again—it’s that powerful.

This whole series has held my heart and at times, hurt my head. It's complex both in world and time, and the expansion of POVs (and a touch of historical reality) in this final instalment has added to this somewhat. It would likely be beneficial to read the series in one sweep, with plenty of time to follow each event, timeline, and character closely as they develop - I will no doubt revisit in the future to do this!

That aside, it has been wonderful to follow each character's development - especially Livira's - and come to terms with the conclusion of the Library Trilogy in this final novel. Whilst I was expecing a big reveal or huge plot twist of sorts, the ending instead left a little to be desired, (or maybe imagined), whilst still providing a sense of satisfaction.

Despite me struggling a little with the complexity of this book / series, I was able to appreciate some very beautiful moments, and that really added some love to Mark Lawrence's writing and the series for me. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.