Mark Lawrence (author)


Mark Lawrence is an American-British novelist who wrote The Broken Empire trilogy. In 2014, Lawrence won the David Gemmell Award for Fantasy for best novel for Emperor of Thorns. He operates the annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off.
WWW marklawrence.buzz

Biography

Mark Lawrence was born in 1966, in the United States. While he was young, his parents moved to the United Kingdom. Lawrence has a degree in physics and holds a PhD in mathematics.
He is married and has four children. Lawrence is the primary carer of his disabled child Celyn, and for this reason he does not travel to promote his books or attend conventions. He works as a novelist and was a research scientist in the field of artificial intelligence. He has held secret level clearance with both US and UK governments.
Since 2015, Lawrence has operated the annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off, a literary contest intended to bring greater visibility to self-published English-language fantasy authors.
In 2021 Lawrence was nominated and shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize as a contributor to a North Carolina committee on justice reform.

Reception

Lawrence's first work, Prince of Thorns, was a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Award for "Best Fantasy 2011", a David Gemmell Morningstar Award Finalist in 2012 and short listed for the Prix Imaginales in 2013. Prince of Thorns was also one of Barnes & Noble's "Best Fantasy Releases of 2011".
His second book, King of Thorns was again a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Award for "Best Fantasy 2012." King of Thorns was also one of Barnes & Noble's "Best Fantasy Releases of 2012", and a David Gemmell Legend Award Finalist in 2013.
The final book in The Broken Empire trilogy, Emperor of Thorns, was published in August 2013 and was on The Sunday Times Bestseller list. It also made the final of the Goodreads Choice Award and won the David Gemmell Legend Award.
His second trilogy, The Red Queen's War, is set in the same world as The Broken Empire trilogy. Prince of Fools was a semi-finalist in the Goodreads Choice Award for "Best Fantasy 2014" in an expanded category. It was also a David Gemmell Legend Award Finalist in 2015. The Liar's Key was a semi-finalist in the Goodreads Choice Award for "Best Fantasy 2015", and won Lawrence a second David Gemmell Legend Award. The Wheel of Osheim was a semi-finalist in the Goodreads Choice Award for "Best Fantasy 2016".
Lawrence's books have been in the Goodreads Choice Award category for "Best Fantasy" 11 times and in the "Best Science Fiction" category once. In addition, he was the artist for Wheelmouse and All the Crazy Robots, which was included in the award's "Best Picturebook" category.
In April 2015, Harper Voyager acquired the rights for his next fantasy trilogy – The Red Sister Trilogy – for a six-figure sum from Ian Drury at Sheil Land. This trilogy is not set in the world of the Broken Empire.
His work is translated into 28 languages and he has sold around two million books worldwide.

The Broken Empire">The Broken Empire Trilogy">The Broken Empire

  1. Prince of Thorns
  2. King of Thorns
  3. Emperor of Thorns
A short story collection entitled Road Brothers set in the Broken Empire was released in 2015.

The Red Queen's War

  1. Prince of Fools
  2. The Liar's Key
  3. ''The Wheel of Osheim''

[Book of the Ancestor trilogy]

  1. Red Sister
  2. Grey Sister
  3. ''Holy Sister''

Impossible Times

  1. One Word Kill
  2. Limited Wish
  3. ''Dispel Illusion''

The Book of the Ice

  1. The Girl and the Stars
  2. The Girl and the Mountain
  3. ''The Girl and the Moon''

The Library Trilogy

  1. The Book That Wouldn't Burn
  2. The Book That Broke the World
  3. ''The Book That Held Her Heart''

Short and standalone works

Dark Tide released in Fading Light AnthologyQuick released in Triumph Over Tragedy AnthologySelect Mode a Broken Empire short story released in UnfetteredBad Seed released in Grimdark Magazine issue No. 1During the Dance A free standalone short story that is available on his WebsiteA Rescue Available in "Legends II: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell" Gunlaw A Standalone book that is serially released on WattpadBulletproof a short story released in Unfettered IIThe Dream-Taker's Apprentice First published in Fantasy Faction's 2015 anthology and one of three winners to be included in the Remastered Words 2017 audio anthology, eventually titled "Fabled Journey II"Christmas Tale - A free standalone short story that is available on his websiteLocked In - A free standalone short story that is available on his websiteNo Second Troy - A short story that is available in the Broken Empire OmnibusRoad Brothers - A short story collection that has 10 stories all set in The Broken Empire world.Blood of the Red - A standalone books that is serially released on WattpadThe Hero of Aral Pass released in Art of War: Anthology for CharityBound a short story in the Book of the Ancestor trilogyA Thousand Years a short story in the Red Queen's War universe published in Unfettered IIIThe New World A novella in the Red Queen's War trilogyOverdue - A short story that takes place in the Library trilogy worldReturns - Two short stories that takes place in the Library trilogy world

Poetry

Free poems available on his website:
  • "Sea Song"
  • "Stumble"
  • "Blue"
  • "Shouting for the Echo"
  • "High, Cold, Silent, Alone"