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  • The Book That Broke the World

  • Library Trilogy, Book 2
  • By: Mark Lawrence
  • Narrated by: Jessica Whittaker
  • Length: 15 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (67 ratings)

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The Book That Broke the World

By: Mark Lawrence
Narrated by: Jessica Whittaker
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Summary

The second volume in the bestselling, ground-breaking Library Trilogy, following THE BOOK THAT WOULDN'T BURN.

We fight for the people we love. We fight for the ideas we want to be true.

Evar and Livira stand side by side and yet far beyond each other's reach. Evar is forced to flee the library, driven before an implacable foe. Livira, trapped in a ghost world, has to recover her book if she's to return to her life. While Evar's journey leads him outside into the vastness of a world he's never seen, Livira's destination lies deep inside her own writing, where she must wrestle with her stories in order to reclaim the volume in which they were written.

And all the while, the library quietly weaves thread to thread, bringing the scattered elements of Livira's old life – friends and foe alike – back together beneath new skies.

Long ago, a lie was told, and with the passing years it has grown and spread, a small push leading to a chain of desperate consequences. Now, as one edifice topples into the next with ever-growing violence, it threatens to break the world. The secret war that defines the library has chosen its champions and set them on the board. The time has come when they must fight for what they believe, or lose everything.

The Library Trilogy is about many things: adventure, discovery, and romance, but it's also a love letter to books and the places where they live. The focus is on one vast and timeless library, but the love expands to encompass smaller more personal collections, and bookshops of all shades too.

©2024 Mark Lawrence (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
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What listeners say about The Book That Broke the World

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brave and imaginative

An interesting tale, it got a little wordy (slowing the narrative) towards the end but then the author has set himself an ambitious goal in pulling this unique tale together.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

wow

what an amazing sequel, the narrator was excellent and really brought the fabulous characters and story to life

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An excellent sequel

This second book in the series is quite a lot more gory which started to detract from the intricate and interesting plot line for me. That aside I thoroughly enjoyed the new characters and the development of previous characters and relationships.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

very good listen, if you liked the red sister books you'll love this

massive fan, can't wait for the next one, it's a shame it's always such a wait!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Don’t listen unless you’re prepared to wait for the next one in the series

I didn’t realise when I started listening to the first book in this trilogy that the third book wasn’t yet released and now I’ve got to wait until April 2025 to find out what happens! Genuinely this author knows how to write a cliffhanger. The narrator was excellent, the story moved a lot quicker than the first book which really kept you gripped and the surprise love connection was just perfect. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a fantasy escape that will make your jaw drop when you finally figure out what’s going on.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wish I could be happier

I wish I could be more enfused as I did enjoy the book. But learning more about the author he is a nasty piece of work and not a nice human being. It soured the book for me completely so I’ve had to put it down. Excellent narration though.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

interesting world rich with texture.

OK reading but, like the first instalment, I was left wanting more - and not in the good way.

it's a well written world, but there's too many characters and the plot keeps tripping over itself.

the concept of The Library is well thought through, there's a lot of texture in the style.

Would be an excellent gateway book to epic fantasy for younger readers, if the swearing had been written out.

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