Mark Lawrence was born in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, to British parents but moved to the UK at the age of one. After earning a PhD in mathematics at Imperial College London, he went back to the US to work on a variety of research projects, including the “Star Wars” missile-defense program. Since returning to the UK, he has worked mainly on image processing and decision/reasoning theory. He never had any ambition to be a writer, so he was very surprised when a half-hearted attempt to find an agent turned into a global publishing deal overnight. His first trilogy, The Broken Empire, has been universally acclaimed as a groundbreaking work of fantasy, and both Emperor of Thorns and The Liar’s Key have won the David Gemmell Legend Award for best fantasy novel. Mark is married, with four children, and lives in Bristol.
""Lawrence makes the intertwining stories fascinating and propulsive, with enough scattered clues and shocking twists to keep the pages flying. This will keep readers up long past their bedtime."" - Publishers Weekly (starred review) ""This is a wonderfully immersive fantasy whose meta message, about the power of books to change the world, is not to be missed."" - Library Journal ""Mark Lawrence strikes the perfect balance between intellect and heart in this second volume of his Library Trilogy."" - Grimdark Magazine ""This is Lawrence at this best....absolutely brilliant book, go, read."" - SFF Reviews Praise for The Book That Wouldn't Burn: “The most tightly plotted novel I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading…it’s truly magnificent.” – BookRiot “This tale of knowledge and its cost flies by thanks to the gripping mystery and beautiful worldbuilding...Readers will be desperate for more.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review) ""Gripping, earnest, and impeccably plotted."" – Kirkus (starred review) ""A fantastic setting, a feisty heroine, and hints of a deeper mystery that calls to mind the depths of Frank Herbert's Dune and its intertwined cultural and religious issues."" – Library Journal ""Reading Mark Lawrence's latest novel, The Book that Wouldn't Burn, feels like having your mind blown in slow motion."" - Grimdark Magazine