Mark’s first published novel, Prince of Thorns, is celebrating its fifth birthday on 2nd August 2016! To Mark the occasion he generously offered to send a signed or dedicated copy of The Wheel of Osheim to two random winners of this giveaway.
To enter simply tell us when and how you came across Prince of Thorns and how you liked it by leaving your response in the comment field below by 2nd August 2016!
Please note: your email address will be required for the submission but will NOT appear on the website!
(Alternatively you can also log in with your WordPress/Facebook/Twitter account)
Best of luck to everyone and Yaaaaaaaaay Happy Birthday to published Jorg! 😀
Agnes
that thorn guy 
It was quiet evening at work, and boredom had struck. It occurred to me that I had the world at my fingertips in the form of a smartphone. And so I browsed iBooks, and saw the had an offer on selected fantasy. The only one that caught my eye was Prince of Thorns. I read the blurb, liked it and took a punt on it, buying it for the princely sum of £1.99. I went through the first handful of chapters before stopping to wonder at just what it was that I had purchased. I stopped reading to read some reviews and was struck by the mixed nature of the reviews, which promptly spurred me to carry on with the book. I finished the book quickly, loved every moment, and could not get King of Thorns quick enough. Best book I ever bought on a punt.
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Found in Tesco’s while looking for a book for my child back in April 2012. Blew my mind was nothing like anything I had read before.
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It was a suggested read on Amazon for my kindle & was at a price that I thought “what is there to lose”
What was there to lose? Absolute nothing.
But there was the whole broken empire to gain. A wonderfully crafted world with echoes of the past and tantalising glimpses of the future.
There was a young prince that despite everything you couldn’t help love.
Then finally when the book was finished there was the unquenchable thirst to read the next one. The need to find out more about this world and to see the next stage in Jorg’s journey.
Needless to say I loved it and was an instant fan!
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I found your novels through Fantasy Faction. (Seriously, thanks to that community my tbr has grown over 5x…)
In fact, I have the RQW queued up next on audible and I’m hoping to start them this weekend!
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Mark critiqued the first page of my novel on his blog. I hope to write something someday half as good as Prince. Happy birthday!
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My brother recommended them to me.
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Came across Prince of Thorns thanks to it being recommended from Peter V. Brett’s series. Definitely glad I dived into it. I have yet to find a main character like Jorg. He’s one you love to hate and can’t help but root for his savagery.
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Two years ago, (I think) I was watching one of my favorite channels on Youtube, when I saw the advertisement of DarkSide Books, one of the best publishers in Brazil, talking about Prince Of Thorns.
After showing the book and talked a bit about the story behind it, I fell in love; bought on the same day!
I never regretted; bought the other two books without thinking!
‘Till today I recommend it to all my friends!
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Funny story!
So I went to the dentist for a regular cleaning. The normal hygienist was out that day, so a substitute cleaned my teeth. I told her how much I liked reading, and she told me about this amazing YA book her son was really into, that was like fantasy with like castles and knights and horses, but they have things like electric lights and they wander through modern buildings and cities and stuff. This created an odd juxtaposition in my mind, so at the very next opportunity, I went to the library and picked up Prince of Thorns.
I nearly put it down after the first chapter. I “nearly put it down” after pretty much every chapter for the first ten. My mind wasn’t ready for a twisted antihero like Jorg. After that, though, I had fallen in love with the prose of the narrative, and I simply had to keep reading. I have followed Mark Lawrence ever since.
Here’s the thing, though: the woman who introduced me to the Broken Empire? I have not seen her since. And nobody else in my personal acquaintance has read Broken Empire. (YET! I plan to change that as soon as I can!)
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I found the book one day when I was on a big city trip, with hardly any money. I really wanted to buy the book but reluctantly put it back, regretted it for week since I forgot to note the name and author. But Christmas that year, one of my best friends actually bough it to me, not knowing anything about the book she just noticed how dark and fantasy-like it looked. I loved it, it was so much darker than anything I had ever read until that point, really loved the characters, the brutal and greedy band of Jorg, and how he truly felt like a person who get things done, no matter what.
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I came across prince of thorns while army local library. The cover alone made me check it out. The story made me buy it after I’d read it.
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I saw Emperor of Thorns on a recommended list online and quickly purchased its predecessors, so as it turned out I read all 3 in immediate sequence. To live in Jorg Ancrath’s head for that length of time was both a disturbing and stunning experience, for which I will always be in awe of Mark Lawrence.
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Everywhere I looked, I keep seeing “Prince of Thorns” and “Mark Lawrence” popping up. I finally broke down and got it – but was too horrified and appalled to get past the first couple of chapters.
But I knew there was a strange, ugly greatness in what I had read. Now that I’m on book two of Jalan’ s story, I know I can go back to Borg and walk with him.
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I learned of Prince of Thorns from amazon. It was from another book I had bought, and in the “people who bought thos also bought-” category. I picked it up, and i am very glad I did.
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The cover caught my eye at a waterstones. Got hooked from the first chapter, to this day still lne of the best books I’ve ever read.
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It was mentioned on my Twitter feed so I looked it up. Came across a scathing review of it that I found condescending so I tried a sample, found it fascinating, bought the book and finished it in a day! Have read all of Mr. Lawrence’s books since and eagerly awaiting the next ones!
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First of all happy birthday Jorg!, and I found the great Broken Empire saga searching trough internet for great books, I saw many differente reviews, and I decided to buy it, is original and excellent, Mark is quite good as a writer, one of my favorites!
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Saw it mentioned all over the place, then got it on a whim from Kindle. It sat there for almost a year. I started reading it mostly because it happened to be on my device. Fell in love with it and bought the rest of the trilogy. Handed the series to my husband, who loved it. We’ve read the Red Queen’s War, and I’m done with all the short stories. We need more!!!
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I have not read any of Mark Lawrence’s work. However, I just saw a retweet by @MightythorJRS, and the cover image lured me here. Alas, no Prince of Thorns.
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I had taken my eldest (only at the time) to the library to get some books to read to her at bedtime. PoT was in my face when I walked into the library on the “new and notable” shelf. Picked that bad boy up and boom my life was changed.
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Found it at a bookstore that sells only fantasy and sci-fi books in Trondheim in Norway where I live, bought it, read it and loved it!
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It was your academic background, which I must have seen online somewhere. I would love a copy to introduce my daughter to your work!
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I found Prince of Thorns while desperately searching for good First Person Fantasy novels on the internet. After the first ten minutes of reading it I put the book down and was disgusted. Four months later after finishing up with Robin Hobb’s second trilogy, I picked up The Prince of Thorns again out of pure boredom. I read about an hour and then couldn’t sleep until I had finished the first book. A week went by and I had finished the trilogy of Jorg Ancrath and the Broken Empire. I was so amazed with the world building and storytelling that I started the Red Queen’s War and was ecstatic to finish up with The Wheel of Osheim this past month. I have learned to never judge a book unless you have read enough of it to catch the entire plot. – Thank you Mark
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I read a fantasy book every day or every other day. It took me awhile to discover Jorg and Jalan but I loved them when I did. Both characters are relatable, though they are extreme examples of human nature. I almost don’t want to win a signed copy. I know it will feel like a victory, and no one is as vulnerable as when they have a moment of victory. I’d hate to get my throat slashed for a damn book.
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An year ago from now, I was just starting my second year at college. I did not quite like the subjects allotted and thus skipped college a lot. Attendance wasn’t something I ever gave a damn about. So, whenever I skipped school, I went to a bookstore I like visiting. It plays good music most days and has these chairs for you to sit and read. I go there and read books for free. College students aren’t affluent, and I was saving for a vacation at that time. So I took whatever I got. I remember I had just finished The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith that day and still had some time to kill. So I browsed by the Fantasy section (which used to be right next to the Mystery section) and among all the George R. R. martin books, I saw a trilogy stand out: Prince of Thorns, King of Thorns, Emperor of thorns. One copy of each. Wasn’t too difficult to guess which one came first. So I pulled out Prince of Thorns, and was captivated by the cover image. I, for one, like learning about medieval arms and armour and the image of a hooded person with a beautiful longsword just made me salivate. So I sat down to read. I had finished the trilogy within six weeks by skipping college three days a week. Every minute spent reading the life and times of Jorg has been extremely worth it. Thank you, Mark Lawrence, for giving us ol’ Jorgy.
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Reblogged this on Books and More.
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I came across Prince of Thorns purely through reading the first few chapters Prince of Fools and discovering how bloody good it was. I needed to find out more about the author and his collection of work. Hey ho, a new fan was born.
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I found this amazing book while ia was searching for some photos of thorns for the game that i was going to create. The cover of the Prince of thorns made me curious, and so i made some serious reasearches about mr Mark Lawrence but i wasn’t able to find much, i must admit. Somehow, i found the first chapter on pdf. I must say, my native language is not English but i struggled to read the first pages. That was a few years ago, in the meantime my english improved, at least a little. 😀 The dark atmospehere, the blood, the slaught, all of these dynamited my thirsty imagination. In time, the game remained unfinished (as all my projects 😀 ), but i couldn’t forget the book. The book was finally released in my native language (romanian) and i literally devoured it. It was so delicious. 😀 I intention to buy the books in english if they will not be released in romanian. I don’t know what to say anymore, it’s amazing how special things you find accidentally, and those things remain in us forever.
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Goodreas recommended it to me after reading Howard, Moorcock and Abercrombie, Great read, I liked the brutality and fight descriptions. 5/5 stars!
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It was recommended to me by a mate who saw me reading Abercrombie’s The Heroes. I gave it a crack and couldn’t put it down. Jorg is, hands down, the best written anti hero I’ve ever read. Mark broke through my dislike of first person POVs and teen POVs with one master stroke.
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I was in Borders (may it rest in peace) and I was looking to purchase a hardcopy of The Eye Of The World, when I kept walking by this awesome looking book called Prince Of Thorns in the new release section of the fantasy Isle. I ended up not getting TEOTW (they only had paperback) but I went home with Mark Lawrence, and have since bought every book in hardcover.
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I actually googled for new fantasy literature of the dark and grim persuasion, read the description, got intrigued by the controversy and bought it. I really, really liked the trilogy. It’s very unique.
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Ever i’ve liked fantasy books, but with logical strongly defined characters, this one was suggest to me by a friend, i simply couldn’t letting go from my hands until 5 minutes ago, during my honeymon, hiding at the beach and on travel time :), thank you wish you all the best
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I first saw The Prince of Thorns book in a Barnes and Nobel years ago. I had no idea what it was about and knew ZERO about, but from the cover, I I had to read to. Year later, I finally ended up (binge) reading the whole trilogy and it became an instant favorite 🙂
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around 7/2013 , I was looking for something to read and decided to google for “the best of 2012”. Saw the “King” mentioned in several lists and decided to take a shot and order them both, “The Prince” & “The King” .Except reading a line or two at the bottom of some review, i didn’t know anything about it.
Have to admit, As much as i liked “The Prince” , is “The King” who really blew me a way and hunted me for several months after i finished it (a thing which rarely happens when you pass your 40’s).
That’s it, ever since i read almost anything published by Mark , have both trilogies (new, Hardcover !) and still hoping that one day someone in my country will do Justice and translate & publish them here (instead of another Sanderson..).
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I first spotted it in Waterstones, Meadowhall and can’t remember why (think it was a promotion with another, not at that time published book, ie buy BOOK A and get PofT free)but it was on the shelves much earlier than it should have been. I read the blurb and was drawn in straight away but, like the Muppet I am, instead of buying it I took it to the counter and pointed out it shouldn’t have been on the shelves – for which they thanked me profusely.
When I did get to reading it I can safely say it was one of the most remarkable and intriguing fantasy debuts in a long time. I now buy each new one on publication day
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Boring tale, but it was amazon’s daily deal 3 years ago. The rest is history.
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I follow a lot of authors both on Facebook and Twitter and I found a lot of them talking about this new author called Mark Lawrence and his fresh new innovative trilogy. Then people i know through Fantasy Faction began raving about his work and how great his books were.. His style and tone was being likened to Joe Abercrombie and being a fan of his is decided to check him out.
Whilst Marks style does share similarities with Joe they are totally different and totally different in a good way. Marks characters are slightly darker and have less redeeming characteristics, but they are equally as compelling and I found myself gripped within a few pages. From memory Prince of Thorns was the fastest read of any book for me, I’m talking a couple of days, it was that unputdownable.
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I found the book by accident actually. I was going on vacation with my family and I decided I would start reading again, since I haven’t read anything in quite a while. I also decided that I wanted to read a book written in English (I’m from Slovenia). So me and my brother went to the closest bigger library and I started looking trough fiction english books since they were my favorite. And then i stumbled upon The Prince of Thornes, I immediately liked the dark thematic and the reviews were excellent also. So I ended up loaning it out all based on a bluff and what a bluff it was. Loved the book! 10/10 in my opinion. I still have to read the sequels but I have to wait untill they come to our libraries.
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Two words: Fantasy Faction.
The hype for your presence at the up and coming Grim Gathering 2015 had me scrambling to buy and read the book, and take photos of it in a thorn bush if I recall.
As for liking it? I didn’t. I frikkin lurve it. It felt fresh and new and different and Mwuahaha… dark! But with humorous hints throughout.
Happy Book Birthday!
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Goodreads, doing what it’s supposed to do and recommending stuff I might enjoy. Boy, did it get this one right. It was the mention of far future/post-apocalypse mashed up with fantasy tropes that sealed the deal.
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So, funny story. I got it free when I preordered George R R Martin’s fifth GOT novel at Waterstones (the punchline is in the future). I gave it to my other half to read and it went down well (he doesn’t read – anything – apart from the books I write). Anyway, long story short, the GRRM book was too heavy to carry around and the print too damn small, and too bloody long! I gave up and read the free book instead and the rest is history (for those who want to know, I sold the GRRM book back to Amazon and bought the eBook instead – so much lighter, but that was a few years later). And, well, Mark is a more reliable author – a book a year as compared to …. Well, none!! I’ve been reading his stuff ever since. Sadly, the other half hasn’t but he’s busy editing my stuff, so I forgive.
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Discovered the series through a Fantasy book review site. Initially skeptical, but fell in love with Mark’s writing, world-building, and characters (in that order, actually.) I suggest Broken Empire to everyone now!
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Saw a giveaway on Twitter. Won a book. Have been following since.
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Found on list of must-ready fantasy series. Great characters, and I love his arc.
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I ordered the hardback when PoT came out and I was so excited to read it. I never got past the first chapter. It was vile and disgusting and I wanted nothing to do with it. I put the book aside and forgot about it. I bought the eBook on a whim when it was a Kindle daily deal for $1.99 a couple years later. I didn’t get any further. Around this time is when the controversy of “the book with all the rape” was surrounding the series and I bought into it whole heart. Last fall I decided to give it one more go after Orson Scott Card’s review. I bought the paperback and I was hooked. I picked up on the nuance and fell deeply in love with the flawed characters and world. Halfway through I ordered KoT. Before I got to the end I ordered EoT. I read all three in a particularly busy month and I’ve been a fan ever since.
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I’d had whisperings of the book in the wind, a review here, a recommendation there, but what spurred me was reading the blurb after having countless reminders of the book.
What hooked me immediately was Jorg: cold, sly, and his thorn-marked nature pulled me in with ruthless efficiency, much like the character himself. The pacing of the plot, reveal of revelations – not only about the characters, but the world itself – and Jorg’s incessant reminder that we’re in his world, and he makes the rules… It still sends a chill down my spine. Just a phenomenal book from
an even more phenomenal author.
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Looking for holiday reads 3 years ago, PoT popped up on Amazon recommended for you section, bought King and Emperor at the same time, finished them all in a week in the glorious Texan sunshine. Loved them, have been following Mark since. He’s provided holiday reads each year since, albeit only one book at a time 😉, and not this year since I couldn’t wait 3 months to read Wheel…
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Hubby gave me a copy for my birthday because he knows I LOVE fantasy. Complete luck he chose Prince of Thorns as he reads no fantasy at all. I was hooked from the first page, this protagonist being an antagonist at the same time. Jorg was such a compelling character I had to keep reading even when he did so many truly awful things. The developmental arc for this character was so realistic. I also loved the world in which it was set, with hints of a dystopian future for us, long in the past for Jorg’s present, such an interesting idea. Like his many characters Lawrence created a world with great depth and breadth. So, as soon as I’d finished this book, I bought the other two. I’m now half way through Wheel of Osheim and I’m loving that too.
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Saw it at the library, read the first paragraph, then went home and got it on audible.
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Had been searching for a new author after reading all the David gemmel books and was struggling to find one who could do good epic heroic fantasy to the same level, then stumbled across prince of thorns in the library and there you go it was fantastic, great plot, fantastic character creations and absolutely addictive and have been reading them all since.
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I was working at a neighborhood pool when my coworker finished reading Prince of Thorns. I wasn’t really enjoying whatever book I was reading so I asked him if I could borrow his. I was immediately hooked and I finished it that same day. I immediately went out and bought the entire trilogy.
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As per my tweeted reply I genuinely (this word was changed to “really” in my tweeted reply due to running out of characters) cannot believe it’s been less than five years since I purchased and read this book. I came across it in Waterstones. Never heard of Mr Lawrence or the book prior to this. Hadn’t actually heard of the person the sticker said believed it was “on a Par with George RR Martin”. I mean I like GRRM as much as the next person but I genuinely don’t know why I bought this book. In fact I don’t actually remember the walk to the counter or the handing over of my bank card (I did pay I checked my bank). I think I may have been in some magic induced trance!!! But I’m over the moon I did. It has been years since a fantasy book has managed to scream of originality as much as this. Managing to be epic whilst remaining in the point of view of one character is a stroke of genius. And boy what a character. Never have I surfed reviews and found a character that can be loved by those who know a great character when they see one, yet inspire hatred fueled one star reviews by those who prefer their good and evil to be a little more one dimensional. And each book in the series was an improvement on the last. Bravo Mr Lawrence. And thank you. Oh and thank you even more for The Red Queens War. You’ve managed to release 6 of best fantasy books of all time in less than 5 years!
Cannot wait to meet your Red Sister!!!
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Mine is rather dull. On Goodreads, someone I follow posted a glowing review of it. Knowing her, she rarely gives good reviews for books. I took note of it, but forgot about it. Then, another person I follow gave a glowing review. That time, I did something. Checked it out from my library, and it was love right away. I devoured the rest of that trilogy, only to find out that another trilogy was out soon. Again, I got it from the library, decided very quickly I had to own it, and bought the whole Broken Empire series and I have consistently preordered any of Mark’s new stuff. Never turning back.
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Well, it washy birthday and I was mad at mom for something that I don’t recall, and I told her that I would go to the library and cool down. She agreed and gave me some money and I went there. I was browsing the young-adult genre, and I peeked a white cover on the fantasy shelf.It caught my eye like no other book until then and since then. I got it into my hand and marveled at a beautiful cover. Then I turned to the back cover and read it. Thrilling. It was thrilling. And it was forbidden. Why? Because mom didn’t let me read “that kind of books”. So I, like a good kid, left it on the shelf. But it kept nagging me that I couldn’t read it. So, like a bad kid, I took it and read the first 3 chapters, because three is my favorite number. And then I left with the whole Broken Empire trilogy. And my birthday saved me, because mom let it go. And thus was born a fan of Mark Lawrence.
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was*
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was my*
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I was at the airport in South Africa, pretty much stressed(and feeling kinda low) and going through the Fantasy section. When I opened Prince of Thorns, I chanced upon the Dedications Page, and the following words hit me somewhere(I really can not explain the feeling, but the words touched me), “…the best parts were never broken.”
I remember taking a pic of that line and sending it to someone..(it got personal I think..the words struck me at a really personal level) I decided to buy the book and by the time I made the payment, I was already enjoying how Jorg’s mind worked. By the time I finished the first chapter, I was laughing because I was thinking, ” Would GRR Martin’s ASoIaF have been this gritty (and funny) if Joffrey was given a POV?”
I really enjoyed it and every time I impose it on my friends when they come looking for a good book….(haha unfortunately some of them find it “too dark”.)..But i am very happy because i managed to convince 4 friends to read it. Jorg was a very dark and funny character (that combination was well-balanced)..I really loved him. Prince of Thorns holds special slot on my bookshelf..
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I found this series on goodreads as I was searching for books to read. It was a time where I had a lot of free time with nothing to do so I bookmarked the ones that interested me. Prince of Thorns is one of the few books that have an Antagonist as the main character and that made it all that much better, the series is one of my favourite of all time so far. As soon as I finished the first book, I knew I had to read the entire series and they didn’t disappoint, Mark Lawrence is truly a magnificent author that captivates my attention. Looking forward to the Red Sister series :). And Good Luck to everyone else entering this giveaway.
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I went to a book reading by Robin Hobb and someone asked her for a book recommendation, she said that she had really enjoyed Prince of Thorns and always recommended it (though know it wasn’t for everyone). That was enough for me, I added it to my book list and didn’t regret it.
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Perusing Barnes and Nobel and the cover art was too cool to turn down!
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My husband was irritated that we rarely read the same things anymore because I’m in too many book clubs. So he declared his own book club for me and put Prince of Thorns at the top because he thought I’d like it the most. He was right 🙂 I’m still annoyed that Mark can make a book like this without substantive edits, though. Never take writing advice from a genius.
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My mom had originally bought the book for herself but when she started reading it she decided it wasn’t for her, as she isn’t a big fan of dark and bloody books. Instead she decided to give it to me as a birthday present since my cat had destroyed the book she originally bought for me. I instantly fell in love with the series and read the first two in a couple of weeks. I had to wait a while for the third but had it preordered and read it in two days after release.
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I came to read Prince of Thorns because it was a Kindle daily deal and I kept seeing it on ‘Best of Fantasy’ lists. Now my only regret is that it’s an ebook while I have the rest of the trilogy on my book shelf. It feels incomplete!
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I forgot to mention that I loved it. 4 out of 5 stars for me. Book two moved to 5 out of 5.
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I read somewhere that the main character was a cross between Kvothe and the Mountain. Went and bought it.
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I came across it when I hit a “what to read?” slump. I’d heard the name Mark lawrence before, so I gave it a shot… instantly hooked, bought everything after!
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Well i just saw this giveaway and i have to tell the truth, i havent read the trilogy, but today i ordered the books ! I really cant wait to start to read them but ill have to wait till i finish WoT ( curently at the book 9 of 14 ). I have heard a lot of good thing about the series so i cant wait for it, this Jorg sound like an awesome character for what ive heard.
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Thinking back all I remember going to the bookstore looking for a book (that I didn’t find) when I spotted Jorg and all his green cloak glory on a small paperback book. I hadn’t really read anything like it in looks (small and paperback), it just drew my eye, so I picked it up and decided to buy it. I fell in love. I intrigued that found a book that so suited my tastes that I couldn’t put it down. I was a lot younger then and reading it now there where a lot of things I’ve missed first reading it. But even then it became one of the greatest book I’d read in a while and pushed me to read the second and third book as well as many others. I’d found that I especially liked books with maps and the such. Jorg opened my eyes and for that I am and will always be thankful.
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I came across Prince of Thorns on Goodreads. I was searching for some new fantasy titles to try out and it pooped up during my search. =]
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My apologies…I just have to mention that I meant “popped up” on my initial reply, and not “pooped up”. Just putting that out there. =P
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Dear Mark and Agnes,
I was perusing the shelves of B&N hoping to find something new by one of my favorite authors without success. I noticed several books by some “Mark Lawrence” guy, picked one up, and found the description and blurbs on the cover intriguing (yes, I am guilty of judging a book by it’s cover, lol!). I decided to give it a try, and am so glad I did. I love Mark’s writing. The “Thorn”series completely got me out of my head when I needed to unplug during a stressful time.
Mark Lawrence is now one of my very favorite “go-to” authors, and I’d be THRILLED if I got lucky and got a signed copy of “Wheel of Osheim”! Congratulations on year five, l wish you much continued success as you continue your writing journey~~thanks for bringing these awesome stories to us, love them!
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I had just finished obsessing over the books that form a certain anti-hero fantasy series. It was the first time I had ventured into the anti-hero fantasy genre and I found that I liked it. So I did a quick search online and I found Prince of Thorns topping the list of best anti-hero fantasy books at bestfantasybooks.com. I got a copy and gradually became addicted to Jorg’s point of view. Until now, I still find myself wondering how Jorg would see something through his lens.
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I found it at the Library in 2011, or at least my Dad did. My Dad used to read multiple books a week, so he went to library instead of buying them. Whenever he saw something new I might like, he’d pick it up for me. So I read the book and absolutely loved it, I think I pre-ordered every book after that.
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I came across it first in my local bookshop. The cover looked interesting and all noble and it caught my eye. But, regretfully, I wasn’t into fantasy much, and didn’t have a lot of money to spend, so I left it. About a month or so later, the cover yet again caught my attention: on Goodreads this time, where it was recommended for me because of a fantasy book I read that month (I know, unfair). So I checked it out online. Sounded interesting, yet I once again hesitated buying it (whatever for, I don’t even remember). And two days later, it was featured on a shelf at my local library. And I though, “The universe really wants me to read this book, doesn’t it.” So I took it to the front desk and signed it out. I read it all in one sitting that night, and ordered the book the next morning. And the rest of the series as well, because, wow. Phenomenal. I loved every word and every line and it made me laugh. I had the greatest time with this book. I loved the themes, the original characterization, the wonderful world building. But time and time again, I came back to the fact that, “Hey, Mark Lawrence made me love a deplorable character.” And that was the most amazing part. Just the skill that crafted this novel (and this series) is unparalleled. I’m so happy I didn’t miss out on it.
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My Mom introduced me to the Broken Empire series. Felt her vehemence as she described Jorg’s character and Mark’s prowess in storytelling. 🙂
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It all came about thanks to my friend who claimed he had this book that he kind odof enjoyed (talk about unapprecatively under-selling!), so he lends me his copy saying “keep it for a few weeks” (2 days more like). I had honestly never enjoyed a story more, it was refreshing to have unpredictability reintroduced in such a menacing way. It was incredible to have a story that showed how there are happy endings and then there is Jorgs way which created a new happiness born of love for the character. There is no better way to read a villain than first person, and getting to be like a passenger in Jorg’s brain just made the entire journey feel like the greatest rollercoaster ride. Favourite fictional character ever (sorry Jalan)
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2012, Prince of Thorns kept coming up on my Goodreads recommended list, then i saw it and King of Thorns in my local bookshop, there was a 3 for 2 offer on, and i bought them with The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. Then waited impatiently and re read them both 3 times whilst waiting for Emperor of Thorns to come out! Haven’t looked back since and on my tenth re read!
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I work in a public library, and I was trawling through http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk one morning/afternoon when it was quiet and I came across this book whose cover caught my eye. I clicked on the link and read the blurb and I was intrigued. I ordered it in, and I devoured it within a week! It was dark, gritty and also humorous in parts (although that probably says a lot about my sense of humour!) I gave it a five star rating on Goodreads!
I have been a huge fan of Mark Lawrence ever since, and it was a pleasure to have met him and have my books signed at a recent Grim Gathering that was hosted by Fantasy Faction in Bristol. To get a signed copy of The Wheel of Osheim would complete my collection of having a signed and personalised book by Mr Lawrence.
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Although there were a number of places that I saw the book mentioned and discussed, the r/Fantasy subreddit was probably the most influential in making me pick up the book.
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What can I say, I’m a sucker for cool covers.
The thing that really sold me though was that when I asked one of the employees at the local bookstore what he would recommend I read, he pulled up his shirt sleeve to show me a Prince of Thorns quote he had tattooed on his arm, with a thorn pattern around it. At that point I was obligated to check it out, and it didn’t disappoint.
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I first discovered the Broken Empire series in one of Rick Riordan’s recommended books posts. He’s one of my favourite authors when I was younger, and I picked up the Broken Empire because I was becoming very interested in medieval fantasy. I will be honest, initially Prince of Fools did take a bit to draw me in, as the pacing and perspective did not seem as easy to follow at first, but the story, characters and intriguing combination of a post-apocalyptic and medievil world drew me in. I really loved King of Fools, especially in the different way the book presented itself, and since them each of Mark Lawrence’s books have not slightly failed to captivate and entertain.
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Travelling from Australia to Dublin. I picked Prince of Thorns up at the airport shop. I was so happy I did. The long flight was no problem as I read the whole book on the flight. It was the beginning of a great love affair….
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I was given a Waterstones readers copy of Prince of Thorns when I pre-ordered A Dance of Dragons. After that it sat on my bookshelf unread for three years. Then one day I was talking to my friend, who always gives me the best recommendations for new fantasy to read, and he started talking about how great the broken empire books were. I finally picked it up off my bookshelf and was immediately taken in by Jorg and his delightful ruthlessness. I didn’t sleep until I’d finished it, and went straight out the next day to buy King of Thorns and Emperor of Thorns, and read those both in one sitting.
“one more Jorg”
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Recommended by one of my friends on Goodreads and after looking into, I finally gave it a whirl. And so far I have thoroughly enjoyed both series.Wonder so far from both,it has to be Jorg.
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I have always loved the anti heroes. I was searching for another saga to start and googled “dark fantasy anti hero”. There was a new name on the list of familiar authors. I know alot of people felt the beginning was rough, but I felt it was a very honest and grim look at survival in a band of cutthroats. I had just retired from the military and was happy that all three books were available. I think Jorg is great, although William is my favorite character.
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Perusing the internet with the intention of finding a horribly dark and gritty tale led me, in the month of September, 2015, to the wondrous site of Goodreads, where, at the top of their Dark Fantasy list sat Prince of Thorns. Not a week later had I ordered the Broken Empire trilogy. ‘Twas the best decision of said month.
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I stumbled on Prince of Thorns in Barnes and Noble during a search for something new to read. For many years, I’d only ever reread Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings, so it was about time I tried something new. Prince of Thorns was perfect because it has this amazing blend of darkness, inner turmoil, a character we can’t trust, and genuinely touching scenes that made it difficult for us readers NOT to root for the protagonist. I can honestly say that Prince of Thorns got me back into reading AND kickstarted my love for writing. Mark’s writing…my gosh. Its flow is amazing.
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I had the book/series recommended to me many times!
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It was a very short night in January in Brussels. My wife had just given birth to our first son, and the boy had decided to let us know how angry he was to be expelled from the maternal womb.
I had come a few days earlier across that book, which title in French could be translated to “The Flayed Prince”, that seemed to tell the tale of an angry, bloodthirsty boy with delusions of grandeur.
So, back to my son’s ire, which kept me and my wife awake most of the night. At some point, I picked up the book, and started reading…
That was last January, and I now eagerly await my copy of The Prince of Fools and The Liar’s Key…
So thank you for writing those novels, and creating characters that I love, or hate to love?
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Found Prince of Thorns while perusing a local book store. The cover and title caught my eye, after reading the description I was very intrigued. I decided to wait until the trilogy was out to start them and now regret it as I lost time know how good the story and Jorg was. I’m not the fastest reader but I couldn’t put the book down and was finished in a week. Loved every word in all 3 books!
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I started reading fantasy again in 2011. Prince of Thorns Kept coming up as a recommendation to me by several bloggers I was following. I finally broke down and read it in 2014, I know late to the party! I immediately bought and read the rest of the series. My life was changed. I thought this book and series are amazing. I dove deeper into reading fantasy and eventually started my own blog. Finding this book, series, and interactions with Mark himself put me on a path to where I am today. With my blogging and enjoyment of Fantasy and the Fantasy community. Thanks for changing my life!
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i was looking for a book with dark fantasy and anti-heroes when i saw prince of thorns. it kept coming up so i read the trilogy and finished in a week
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I was browsing my local bookstore (even though I have WAY too many books to read as it is), when Prince of Thorns immediately caught my eye. That cover sucked me in straight away. Here was a cover that seemed to convey everything I love to read in fantasy and the blurb completely backed this up. Suffice to say, It had to leave the shop with me and went straight to the top of my reading pile. After reading it, it went to the top of my favourite books, and Mark has delivered time and time again, since then, constantly outdoing himself. Can’t say enough good things about his books and his writing, so I am incredibly glad I impulse bought Prince of Thorns.
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A coworker who has great taste in Fantasy stories recommended this series to me, so naturally I felt compelled to begin with the first novel. Scouring my way through opinions on Goodreads, I found you promoting your 5th year anniversary. Congrats! I can’t wait to read it, I’ve heard nothing but good things.
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I came across the prince of thorns book on a podcast called “matando robôs gigantes” which stands for “killing giant robots”, in it the podcasters gave the book a very high score, which is from 0 to 5 giant robots, and they rarely give something above 4, the prince of thorns was given a 4,8 giant robots, when the scores where given i thought to myself, “i need this book with history and philosophy references which i love and a dark fantasy book that i haven’t tried out yet”, before the podcast was finished i bought the book and as of today still is my favorite book series.
PS: i ask your pardon for any grammar or semantic mistakes, english is not my native language.
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I’d arrived in Birmingham on my way down south to visit a friend just over a year ago now, I’d got in pretty early so I decided to go to Waterstones to hunt for a new book (I’d just finished the Grisha series on the train)
So as I browsed, I came across Prince of Thorns. My first thought was this is unlike any fantasy I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot of fantasy in my few years).
So I open up goodreads and look for reviews on the book, the first one I read went along the lines of.
“this book is vile, and I cannot get into a book that has rape in first chapter. The main character isn’t a good guy, and I barely got through the first chapter”
That was the only review I read, and I went and purchased the book… I then fell completely in love with the series, and still to this day think the owner of that review has missed out on one amazing story.
Plus Mark Lawrence easily became one if my favourite authors! I didn’t just find an amazing book series, but a whole new type of fantasy genre with this book!
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I picked it up on a whim at the library and actually couldn’t get through it at first like many others. Most of it was due to my own assumptions about the book and the fact that I kept getting pulled out of what I assumed was a full fantasy world by references to our own world. That, paired with just how unlikable Jorg was left me to return it and consider re-approaching it later. It nagged me for a long time and around the time that the third book was supposed to come out I finally revisited it and realized how silly I had been. Is Jorg unlikable? Oh, sure. There’s plenty to like and cheer for in there though and by Emperor of Thorns I was quite fond of the horrible bugger. Plus, the world-building ended up being one of my favorite things about both series thus far. So, by the second attempt I loved Prince of Thorns and I’m very happy I went back to it.
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I got it free from waterstones with my preordered copy of a George rr Martin doorstop. I glanced at the first few pages, then looked up a few hours later and swore loudly when a nuclear weapon detonated.
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I met the devil and he said “read this, it will make me seem nicer”
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My brother picked it up thinking it was something else. He read it anyway and hounded me day and night until I did the same. Absolutely loved it. Loved the dark themes, the varied magics and of course the brilliant characters. Jorg was a breath of fresh air for me. I love how he is often the underdog but simply sets his back to the wall and gives life the finger.
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I was browsing through recommended books for me on Amazon or Goodreads, and the cover stood out to me. Then I saw it was part of a three book trilogy, progressing in this character’s rule all the way to emperor. An of course, judging from the other book covers (over a field of dead raising the crown and sitting so bored in the throne) it looked like it must be an interesting tale of his rule. I was ready to jump into something like that, so I went for it. Well I had no IDEA what I was getting into! So much more than my first impression and I was blown away by the interesting world and the amazing character development. I saw negative reviews and comments based on the opening of the first book, and I did find it a little off putting, and not sure how I could get invested into such a character, but I pressed on because of all the positive reviews that said so much more. I’m so glad I did. What an outstanding trilogy, and after a break from the broken empire (to read some other books) I am back and starting the next trilogy with Prince of Fools.
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My partner stumbled upon it in Canada, so I got the live tweeting version of having someone read and gasp next to me. I’ve also seen it everywhere in my local bookstores
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