Introduction
Mark Lawrence (born in 1966) is a novelist of dual nationality (American and British), best known for his The Broken Empire trilogy of books. In 2014, Lawrence won the David Gemmell Legend Awards for best novel for Emperor of Thorns.
Biography
Mark Lawrence was born in 1966, in the United States. While he was still young, his parents moved to the United Kingdom. He is married and has four children, one of whom is severely disabled. 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, and at one point he was qualified to say "this isn't rocket science ... oh wait, it actually is."
Reception
Lawrence’s first work, Prince of Thorns, was published by Ace / Voyager in August 2011 and 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 (Roman étranger) in 2013. Prince of Thorns was also one of Barnes & Noble's "Best Fantasy Releases of 2011".
His second book, King of Thorns was published by Ace / Voyager in August 2012 and 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 by Ace / Voyager in August 2013. Sales in the first week got the book positioned on the Sunday Times Bestseller list. It also made the final of the Goodreads Choice Award (2013) and won the David Gemmell Legend Award (2014).
Prince of Fools, released in 2014 by Ace/Voyager in June, 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, released in 2015 by Ace/Voyager in June was a semi-finalist in the Goodreads Choice Award for "Best Fantasy 2015", and won Lawrence a second David Gemmell Legend Award (2016).
The Wheel of Osheim, released in 2016 by Ace/Voyager in June was a semi-finalist in the Goodreads Choice Award for "Best Fantasy 2016".
His work is currently translated into 20 languages and he has sold over a million books worldwide.
In April 2015, at the London Book Fair, Harper Voyager announced the acquisition of a new epic fantasy trilogy - The Red Sister Trilogy. UK and Commonwealth rights (exc. Canada) for the Red Sister trilogy were acquired for a substantial six-figure sum from Ian Drury at Sheil Land. Red Sister features Lawrence's first ever female protagonist, Nona; a girl with a mysterious past and a dangerous future. Lawrence has stated that this trilogy is not set in the world of the Broken Empire.