The Fantasy Books

Red Sister

by Lawrence, Mark

Description

Often, novels focus on the evolution of characters from total nobodies into well-respected and lauded magicians. They shed their peasant heritage and earn a place among the elite. With Red Sister, Mark Lawrence refuses that trope. Like many characters, Nona has had a tough life. She’s been passed around slave-owners, been beaten, and cast out. But rather than turning it around, she channels it. Adopted into the Sweet Mercy Covenant, she is taught not to do good, but instead to kill. You would expect this to breed distrust and violence between students, and it does, for a time. But Lawrence shows his hand as a master storyteller, weaving rivalries into friendships and characters into complex beings. Nona is the shining example of this, fiery yet unsure, a killer, yet intensely loyal. When her past begins to catch up, those friends come into play, and they do so with substance. Lawrence doesn't just throw in the stereotypes used by some writers; he imagines each one as complexly as the protagonist, and this gives the world an uncanny real-ness. Telling an uphill battle to assassin-hood against the rich and powerful, Red Sister conveys a story few will want to miss.

About the Author

Lawrence, Mark

Mark Lawrence is a British author best known for his fantasy novels, particularly the Broken Empire trilogy and its sequels, the Red Queen's War trilogy, and the Book of the Ancestor trilogy.Lawrence began writing at a young age and studied science, but later turned to writing as a full-time profession. His debut novel, "Prince of Thorns," was published in 2011 and tells the story of a young prince who seeks revenge against those who murdered his family. The novel received critical acclaim and was followed by two sequels, "King of Thorns" and "Emperor of Thorns," to complete the Broken Empire trilogy.Lawrence's subsequent series, the Red Queen's War trilogy and the Book of the Ancestor trilogy, are set in different worlds with different characters but share Lawrence's signature style of dark, character-driven fantasy. His writing is known for its vivid descriptions, intricate world-building, and morally complex characters who often defy genre conventions.In addition to his fiction writing, Lawrence is also a scientist and a self-described "retired bandit." He frequently engages with readers and fellow authors on social media and maintains an active presence in the fantasy community.

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