The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 18 books · 2011 to 2025

Mark Lawrence

FantasyScience fictionYoung adultEpic and high fantasyGrimdarkDystopian and post-apocalypticComic science fictionYA dystopian and science fiction

Mark Lawrence's grimdark Broken Empire trilogy follows Jorg Ancrath, a vicious young prince, in a world that turns out to be our own after a catastrophe. His later series include the convent assassins of Red Sister and the library worlds of The Book That Wouldn't Burn.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip.

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Who appears in which book

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LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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Mark Lawrence books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Broken Empire

3 books · Set in invented worldsGrimdarkDystopian and post-apocalyptic
  1. 1Prince of Thorns2011With Jorg AncrathBuy on Amazon
  2. 2King of Thorns2012With Jorg AncrathBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Emperor of Thorns2013With Jorg AncrathBuy on Amazon

Red Queen's War

3 books · Set in invented worldsGrimdark
  1. 1Prince of Fools2014With Jalan KendethBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The Liar's Key2015With Jalan KendethBuy on Amazon
  3. 3The Wheel of Osheim2016With Jalan KendethBuy on Amazon

Book of the Ancestor

3 books · Set in invented worldsGrimdarkEpic and high fantasy
  1. 1Red Sister2017With Nona GreyBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Grey Sister2018With Nona GreyBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Holy Sister2019With Nona GreyBuy on Amazon

Book of the Ice

3 books · Set in invented worldsEpic and high fantasy
  1. 1The Girl and the Stars2020With YazBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The Girl and the Mountain2021With YazBuy on Amazon
  3. 3The Girl and the Moon2022With YazBuy on Amazon

Impossible Times

3 books · Set in LondonComic science fictionYA dystopian and science fiction
  1. 1One Word Kill2019With Nick HayesBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Limited Wish2019With Nick HayesBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Dispel Illusion2019With Nick HayesBuy on Amazon

The Library Trilogy

3 books · Set in invented worldsEpic and high fantasy
  1. 1The Book That Wouldn't Burn2023With Livira and EvarBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The Book That Broke the World2024With Livira and EvarBuy on Amazon
  3. 3The Book That Held Her Heart2025With Livira and EvarBuy on Amazon

Characters

9 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

The Broken Empire

Red Queen's War

Abeth

Impossible Times

The Library