One Word Kill

"Ugliness multiplies, and hurt spills over into hurt, and sometimes good things are just the fuel for evil's fire"

I received an uncorrected proof copy of One Word Kill in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Mark Lawrence and 47North for approaching me to read this early. This is a provisional cover and I will update the page when the official cover reveal has been made.

On the 8th January 1986, Nick a gangly 15-year-old who is extremely intelligent is diagnosed with leukaemia. The doctors advise that he may only have up to 5 years to live. In the local hospital, he goes through Chemotherapy and shares a children's ward with many other suffering youths as they weaken and essentially fade from health and normality. He has to visit the hospital weekly yet when he is not there he is living the life of a normalish geeky teenager. Going to school, dealing with bullies, scared to talk to girls but what he looks forward to the most is the weekly D&D meet-ups he has with his best friends. They can forget about the monotony and hardships real-life presents and lose themselves in a fantastical adventure where their imagination is the only limitation. When he is playing, even Nick forgets about what ails him. It all seems pretty straightforward until intense deja-vu affects the protagonist, a shadowy stranger starts stalking him, certain events that happen in their sessions are scarily close to some real-life events and what's even scarier than all is that a young goth lady has joined the group's D&D party!

It's no secret that in my humble opinion Mark Lawrence is one of the finest and most consistent fantasy authors currently writing. By profession, Lawrence is actually a scientist so it seemed like only a matter of time before he made the foray into the science fiction genre. This is completely unlike anything Lawrence has published before. This isn't like any science fiction stories I've read previously and for all the elements of time travel, parallel universes, complex mathematics and quantum mechanics, it features drug dealers, local psychopaths and the D&D group trying to learn how to dance to impress the ladies. It's a peculiar mix but I'm happy to say it works expertly.

The story is presented through Nick's first-person perspective and he is a very likeable character who is a joy to follow. The accompanying cast is surprisingly deep and well fleshed out to say that this is quite a short book. I'd estimate it's approximately 90,000 words. In addition to Nick, My favourite characters were Mia, the goth girl who joins the boy's games, Elton, who adores his kung-fu practising, and John, the cool dude who loves D&D but doesn't mention it to any of his school friends. Also, a character called Demus who I will say nothing about but who is hugely important and influential to the overall narrative and progression of the tale.

It is difficult to summarise and this probably won't be accurate enough but this is the best I can come up with. This seemed like a mix of Stranger Things, Donnie Darko, the Xbox game Alan Wake mixed with the youthful antics and awkwardness seen in comedy shows The Inbetweeners and The Big Bang Theory. Some of the scientific language written does come across occasionally as confusing and very hi-tech and knowing Mark's profession I imagine it's all legit and accurate. Although the story is complex, multi-layered, unpredictable and ultimately enduring it wasn't too difficult for me to follow as Lawrence is an excellent writer. The writing is sometimes intoxicating and addictive however surreal and bizarre certain events may be and I loved the humourous flow and banter between the friends. Mark's prose is poetic and sometimes, in a good way, hypnotising. I read One Word Kill within 24 hours and it was all I could think about to the extent where I dreamt about the shadowy character who stalks Nick!

The world building is admirable whether describing the suburbs in London, a friend's council flat or describing the London underground service. There are lots of brilliant references to the mid-80's such as the fact Back to the Future had just been released, kids play on their Commodore 64's and that everyone believes Hoverboards will be the obvious invention that the future will present. I really enjoyed, and I bet Mark enjoyed writing the descriptions of the D&D ventures. These sections are closer to what he has written before but with more humour, teenagers innocence and tropes including typical creatures like orcs, vampires, mages, clerics, warriors that will probably prompt a sense of nostalgia for his readers and the target audience. I regret that I've never played D&D. :(

This is not released until April 2019 but already in August 2018, this is one of the finest uncorrected proofs I have ever read. I did not notice a single error which is exceptional and shows the hard work Mark, Agnes and 47North have put into this tale. This works perfectly as a standalone. The ending is absolutely spectacular and wraps everything up perfectly. I loved the setting, the protagonist, the characters including the supporting and very minor players, the thrills and spills and emotions. To be honest, the very minor and possible negative that I have is that some of the terminologies threw me off balance very occasionally. 47North enjoyed this book so much they asked Lawrence to turn it into a trilogy of which all the books will be released in 2019. A note to his current fans, although a few scenes are dark and gruesome this is very different to his previous works. An exceptional adventure featuring time travel, a gang of geeks that's cleverly composed, thrilling and will hopefully aid Lawrence's to rise to the top of the game in another genre. I loved it.

My one line review:

"I clapped after reading the last line. Don’t know if that’s ever happened before."

I'm content to leave this review as simple as that, but I owe it to NetGalley and other potential readers to provide a bit more information. I do think it's best that you go into this story completely blind -- Mark Lawrence has earned enough trust where I don't have to read an advance blurb to know that his stories are'worth reading. That being said, I'll provide a few minor plot spoilers below, and try to only touch on overall themes, instead of major plot points.

The story is set in London during the 1980's, and focuses on unpopular teenager Nick who was just diagonsed with leukemia. Nick has a small group of friends that meet on weekends for Dungeons and Dragons, and we get to experience some wonderful role-playing sessions with some talented players. (I was especially nostalgic during these scenes, as I spent many a weekend in a similar position.). Nick and some other members of his group have exceptionally brilliant minds -- one has a brain that can solve computations in seconds, while Nick himself is a student of advanced quantum theory. Somehow, Lawrence combines cancer, D&D, and quantum mechanics into a complex story that highlights the bonds of friendship, pushes the boundaries of physics, and is also somehow a sweet and heart-wrenching love story. (Go ahead and pre-order now, I'll wait.)

Lawrence has some wondeful tricks up his sleeve that underlines his exceptional writing talent. There's a jaw-dropping reveal on page one that stuck in the back of my mind throughout the entire book, and how that revelation comes to fruition is as sneaky and unexpected as it is brilliant. The book isn't that long, and its pace invites the reader to fly through it in very few reading sessions. I encourage you to try and savor it for as long as possible, as it is over much too soon. Although it is the start of a trilogy, there is a definitive and wondefully satisfying ending. (It also offers some sound and applicable life advice, which has had me smiling ever since.)

Great characters. Unique story. A setting that takes full advantage of what it has to offer, and a memorable ending that left me waiting impatiently for the next entry. This story is (quite literally) filled with infinite possibilities, and I'm damn excited to see what else Lawrence has in store.

“We might live in a multiverse of infinite wonder, but we are what we are, and can only care about what falls into our own orbit.”

If I'm being honest, I spent a great deal of time just staring at a blank page thinking, where to start from. There were so many platinum points in One Word Kill that I was left trapped in a loop, with so much to say and not enough words...

“Of all the worlds, in all the universes, he walks into mine.”

I mean, talk about making a famous quote better! The original Casablanca quote was, of course: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.
But I know that Mark Lawrence's version will probably be my new favourite quote...
And this book was simultaneously mind-blowing, level one sci-fi, beautiful, and heartbreaking. In truth, Mark Lawrence and Sci-Fi are one of those old couples that just belong together. Seriously. From his fantasy world of Broken Empire I knew the world needed a sci-fi book from him! I was sucked into the time loop and time traveling paradox, fell in love with the characters' friendships, cheered them on when they came out, adored them when they supported eachother, and grieved their losses.


Storyline

You hold the twenty-sided die. Weigh it. Seventeen, you think, it'll roll seventeen. Four pairs of eyes are glued to your hand, fingers playing with the nearly ball-shaped object. You throw it.
It's in the air.
Seventeen, it has to be seventeen.
If it rolls seventeen, you survive. Any other chance ... you die.
Let it be seventeen.
The die hits the ground. It's rolled seventeen.
But you die anyway.

“That sounds a lot like cheating ... Like cheating the universe!”

In London, January 1986, fifteen-year-old boy-genius Nick Hayes discovers he has cancer. He's dying, and it's not even the strangest thing to happen to him that week. Because there's a stranger stranger following him. Knowing things he shouldn't.

“We were all of us consumed by our own imagination, victims of it, haunted by impossibles, set alight by our own visions, and by other people’s. We weren’t the flamboyant artsy creatives, the darlings who would walk the boards beneath the hot eye of the spotlight, or dance, or paint, or even write novels. We were a tribe who had always felt as if we were locked into box that we couldn’t see. And when D&D came along, suddenly we saw both the box and the key.”

Nick and his Dungeons & Dragons-playing friends are used to living in their imaginations. But when a new girl, Mia, joins the group and reality becomes weirder than the fantasy world they visit in their weekly games, none of them are prepared for what comes next.
With a time traveler whispering in his ears, he finds himself in a race against time to unravel an impossible mystery and save the girl. And all that stands in his way is a probably terminal disease, a knife-wielding maniac and the laws of physics


Storytelling

“In hospital they ask you to rate your discomfort on a scale of ten. I guess it’s the best they can come up with, but it fails to capture the nature of the beast. Pain can stay the same while you change around it. And like a thumb of constant size, what it blocks out depends on how close it gets to you. At arm’s length a thumb obscures a small fragment of the day. Held close enough to your eye, and it can blind you to everything that matters, relegating the world to a periphery.”

Mark Lawrence is a master storyteller, a weaver of tales, the man who I'd huddle around the fire in the coldest of nights to listen to, until dawn breaks and the blessed darkness flees. He can make you feel a thousand things after another, he can make you care with one sentence and break you with one word—one word kill indeed.
And never forget his wit or hilarious writing! I would laugh and laugh until the occupants of the house and even the neighbours considered taking me to a mental asylum 😂
He'd sneak little lessons of friendship and living into his story, and he'd raise tropes to break them apart, tear them into pieces:

“They’ll talk about this as ‘saving Mia’.” He shrugged. “Let them. But you, you need to remember this: she saves you. In the end, she saves you. You’re not rescuing a damsel in distress here. You’re returning a favour in advance.”


Characterization

Meet the 5 main aka the gang ⤵

• Nick: aka the smart kid; has a deceased relatively famous mathematician father—or as famous as any mathematician not named Einstein can get—who died of cancer, no, died with cancer but of being crushed by a train. Not pleasant, you might say, but he at least got “cured” of his cancer *shrugs*
With him, Mark Lawrence perfectly captures the feeling of invincibility in the young (myself included). He's a genius who tries not to declare that he's a genius. Is scared of dancing.

• Mia: aka the cool kid; has escaped a church school pursued by nuns, got a brother in jail, is deep in contact with the London criminal underworld. Absolutely amazing. You don't wanna get on her bad side, cause while she might get punched in the eye, she'll leave you bloodied on the ground. Warned ya!

• Elton: aka the ninja kid; has too many brothers and an amazing and inspiring dad. A family of martial arts masters. Coloured. Hilarious and one of a kind. Unmatched actor and storyteller. The game master. Very not up to doing criminal related stuff, doesn't believe in time travel.

• Simon: aka the calc kid; not wired like regular people, emotions go above his head, not great with change. Very precious. Adorable. Petrified of dancing and parties. A human calculator that could come up with a number like four million one hundred and forty-seven thousand two hundred, not even considering the calculations and speed! Sure peace of cake, right?

• John: aka the rich kid; very charming, supposedly confident but also very self-conscious, takes centuries to get ready for a party and dances terribly (but don't tell him that) 😂 in summary, he's more than he seems at first glance, so no judging! Specially not for having a racist mother!
This never fails to make me howl with laughter 😂 ⤵

The last call came when he was half an hour late.
“I’m leaving! I’m leaving!”
“You’re back at your house?”
“No, I’m leaving. Pay attention.”
“Leaving your house?”
“I'm heading for the door. The phone cord won’t stretch much further! Cover your ears. When it pings back it’s going to make a hell of a—”


Relationships

Complicated friendships have always been something I've considered to be one of Mark Lawrence's specialities and strongest points.
He has a way of subtly building a strong bond and making you feel it in your bones. I have felt and seen that in every single one of his books—between murderers and honourable men alike. Now trying his hand with teenagers of the 1980s, Mark has done it again! One of the reasons this review was so hard for me to write was exactly that. Suffice it to say, Mark made me care so deeply about their friendship in such few words that I felt any small crack in their bonds in my heart. I call that a masterpiece of relationship building.

Now what I didn't expect was the brewing romance—and oh did I love it ... To be honest, in both The Broken Empire or Red Queen's War series, the romance was always a subtle background presence that was felt in different ways and on different levels by the characters; and while I loved it and treasured it in those books, this was just next level!

“I don’t know what love is. I think that’s something I’ve just started learning about. I know how it starts though. It seems that it grows and changes, and changes you, too. I hope it makes us better. I ... I’m not saying this very well ... but I think I’m going to grow into a man who could love the woman you’re going to grow into...”

*grabs a tissue, turns away, sniffles, loudly, cleans tears, sniffles a little more, turns back* where was I?? Oh, I was talking about how rare it is to find a romance so well written, unpretentious, and real in a book, YA or Adult.

So pick up this book because this is a must read!

Mark Lawrence has once again made me completely fall in love with a wonderful cast of characters and an intensely gripping story. One Word Kill follows Nick – a mathematical genius who learns he’s dying of cancer. Nick and his friends play Dungeons and Dragons to escape this harsh reality but when a strange man begins following Nick and brings him some dire warnings, the gang’s real life becomes crazier than they ever thought possible.

This book is a wild ride. From the very first chapter I could feel myself getting absorbed in this story and I really grew attached to Nick, Mia and the gang. The characters are so well described and I loved watching the different dynamics as they interacted with each other and I really liked seeing how things changed with the introduction of Mia to the group. Lawrence seamlessly weaves science fiction elements with worries about being able to dance at parties and it made for a really fascinating story.

The story is full of plot twists and I definitely didn’t see some of them coming. One Word Kill is multi-layered, dealing not only with Nick’s cancer treatment and the mysterious stranger, but also a dash of romance and the secrets of Mia’s past. I felt like each part of the story blended incredibly well making for a fast paced and incredibly gripping plot.

Mark Lawrence is one of my favourite authors and One Word Kill definitely wasn’t a disappointment. The story flows so well that I found myself sitting down to read a few pages and still sitting a long time later because I just had to find out what was going to happen next. Compared with some of Lawrence’s other books this one is on the shorter side and it has definitely left me itching for more in this series. If you’re a fan of Stranger Things, time travel and a rag tag bunch of kids trying to save the world, One Word Kill should definitely be next on your purchase list.

Friendship as only teens can have. First love. Coming of Age. A bit of Mystery and Thriller. All wrapped up in a Science Fiction Time Travel story. And did I mention it is fun! What more do you need?

I fell in love with Mark Lawrence's writing after reading Red Sister. The Book of the Ancestor series is one of my favorites! I can't wait to read Holy Sister, which was just released 2 weeks ago!

At first, I didn't think this book could be written by the same author as Red Sister. I was wondering why he would write a book about a kid getting cancer.

It turned out AWESOME, though! Once come of the other aspects started to fall into place, I started to understand how the same author that wrote The Book of the Ancestor series could write this.

The character development was amazing! I fell in love with Nick and his friends (esp Mia!)!

I have been reading way less than usual (not by choice), because I have been super busy with school and work and internship for school. This was the first book that I sped through in a while. I read it in like 2 days. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), I was sick one day and stuck in bed with nothing else to do but read...

The next book, titled Limited Wish, comes out in a month! I 💓💓💓when authors do that!!! Instead of having to wait at least a year to read the sequel, we can read it on June 6! How awesome is that?!

For now, check out the rest of the blog tour for this book, then pick up your copy so that you can read it in time for Limited Wish to be released in June.

Thank you, Random Things Tours, for giving me a copy of this book and allowing me to be a part of this blog tour!

Content warning: Cancer, Drugs

I started this a little tentative, I'm not what I would call an aficionado of this kind of genre. You add together time travel, male protagonists, 'nerd culture' and you have a lot of things that I have seen done terribly in the recent past. I was burned by how annoying Ready Player One was and now anything that has a teenage boy and the 80s I get a little antsy. But this review isn't an RP1 comparison post (though I've done that before). This story does some cool and interesting things and a few things that I thought were less successful - so let's dive in. 

I thought that setting the story in the 1980s was very cleverly done. It managed to not fall into most of the 80s traps, either feeling like an author has done this solely to make it so that characters don't have mobile phones, otherwise, the setting is the same, or it feels like someone smacking you about the face with obscure 80s trivia to no end. This managed to include a good amount of detail, I enjoyed references to Back to the Future having only just released - that raised a smile - but I also liked the references to particular current events in this time - without feeling like a history textbook. This book was drawing on the perspective of a teenage boy who, at least in his opinion, has bigger things to worry about than geopolitical relations and current affairs - he has his interests and that's what comes through in the book. 

I'll be honest, the way I read any book with time travel in it is usually to take the words at face value and just accept what I'm told characters know and when they travelled where. I cannot, therefore, tell you how 'plausible' the time travel is, though I'm sure even a hardcore science fiction reader enjoys working out the ins and outs of plotholes and paradoxes? So, sorry I can't comment on the accuracy of the science but that's not how I read this particular genre - doubtless, there will be other reviewers who will be able to fill that gap for me! 

I would say I had a bit of a problem with the 'nerd culture' at the start of the book. You can see that Lawrence is trying to write a loving homage to D&D but at times it walked that line of fulfilling a stereotype that you're trying to tear down. Obviously, I can't speak to the culture of the 80s and it's entirely plausible that the whole thing was much more 'four teenagers shocked at the presence of a girl in their midst' but...I don't know it sat just at the edge of that 'is this gatekeeping?' feeling for me. That feeling had lessened a lot by the end of the book, but I'd say you have to push those feelings aside.

Overall, I thought this was a good read, it has that brevity and 'to the point' feeling that a lot of 47North titles have, a good read for travelling or even if you're just in the mood for something a little shorter. I'm pleased to have read a book with a pretty non-annoying male protagonist. I'm still far more of a fantasy gal but I'd say this is worth a read! 

My rating: 4/5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own. 

One Word Kill is available March 1st!

One Word Kill *SLAYED ME*

*Received from Netgalley in exchange for review, but the limitless gushing is all me*

Me a month ago: “wow, the book of the ancestor was probably Lawrence’s best series.”

Mark Lawrence: HOLD MY BEER!

This is one of those pieces you just have to stand back and marvel at. All the exquisite intricacies, the intriguing ideas and the time-bending concepts come into view. And even with the full picture you are blown away.

Let’s back up a minute. This is a book where dungeons and dragons playing teens get embroiled in mystery and high stakes drama. It’s a book so deliciously dorky and endlessly entertaining- plus it made me want to plan more D&D I enjoyed every second, from beginning to end- not least the heartstoppingly cute last line!
But, if you think it’s just fun and games, don’t be fooled! This is Lawrence’s most sophisticated work.

Something about this book switched the lights on in my brain and wouldn’t let me switch them off again. For all its seeming simplicity, there are resonant messages beneath the surface and an abundance of genius to keep a reader preoccupied. Forgive me, I am lost for words: this book was simply brilliant, beautiful and meaningful.

And that’s to say nothing of the writing. It was sharper than ever and witty to boot. The descriptions were incredible and the thoughts insightful. It was so gorgeous that I highlighted way too much and consequently had a difficult time going through my notes.

While there is a sense of pervasive sadness to the mood, given that the main character is deathly ill, I was amazed at how often there is light to offset the darkness. The atmosphere is ever-present and yet not overwhelming. Thanks to the distinctive voice, the reader can see both the beauty and the humour, even when all seems lost.

Personally, it was this main character that drew me into the story. Unlike so many figures in fiction, he has a toughness that is all the more admirable, because it doesn’t form in his fists. Not that I don’t appreciate that- but is characterisation hit me hard, because it rests on mind over matter. This protagonist, together with an incredible cast, makes it impossible to not to get heavily invested.

Ultimately, if I could give more than 5 bananas I would… *hang on a minute*… Let me work some magic…
Ok I called over some more monkey mes from a parallel universe so we could pool our resources- this should do the trick…

https://lynns-books.com/2019/04/19/one-word-kill-impossible-times-1-by-mark-lawrence/
If you visit my blog you’ll know that Mark Lawrence is one of my favourite authors and so I’m very happy today to be reviewing One Word Kill as part of the tour organised by 47North. Further details are below.

One Word Kill is a slight change of tack and see’s this author taking a sidestep into the world of science fiction. This is a story involving time travel and friendship and is also something of a shout out to the 80s.

I will confess straight out that I know next to nothing about Dungeons & Dragons, I know – break out the pitchforks and roast me over a hot flame already. I also admit that science fiction is not my ‘go to’ genre and on top of that, time travel can be a little bit hit or miss for me. Basically, I guess this book had its work cut out and so I’m relieved to say that this was a very enjoyable read.

As the story sets out we meet Nick Hayes just as he discovers he has cancer. Nick is a fairly regular fifteen year old, a little bit awkward, doesn’t know how to relate to his mum, thinks girls are from a different planet, has a small group of close friends, doesn’t really fall into the ‘in’ crowd but has no real grumbles as such. He gets together with his friends at weekends to thrash out the latest stage of their D&D game and the biggest change to his world was the recent inclusion of a girl into their small circle – and then of course the shocking news of his illness.

Then other things start to happen. Events in Nick’s everyday life seem to be mimicking things that occur within the D&D game he plays with his friends and on top of that a stranger seems to be stalking him. Not to elaborate on the plot it seems that this stalker needs Nick and his friend’s help for a most unlikely rescue situation. And, as if you needed more, at the same time it seems that Mia, the recent female addition to the crew, has caught the attention of, in my gran’s words, ‘a thoroughly bad sort’!

So this all comes together in a roiling mess of events that escalate into something crazy before eventually untangling themselves and rushing headlong at a conclusion.

What I thought was really good here – the friendships and banter were very well done. Basically these are a bunch of nerdy teenagers who get together to geek out. The language of games overcomes everything after all and the interactions and dialogue flow really well – for me, these characters felt real and behaved the way I would expect.

If you love the 80s you’ll love all the little shout outs and whilst I admit that I probably missed a few along the way part of the fun is spotting those things that resonate personally. I enjoyed that this story had a familiar feel, think Stranger Things and Back to the Future but also imagine hints of The Goonies and Stand By Me, yet,in spite of that, it was different from the norm in that, as you would imagine with the inclusion of a seriously ill main character, the story has a serious feel. There is still that sense of camaraderie that you would anticipate but there’s also an element of sadness that you would expect to accompany such a serious issue. But, before you become all doom and gloom – there is also hope thrown into the mix so bear that in mind too.

The science fiction elements – well, this is time travel, and I can go round and round in circles with the whys and wherefores. I think the explanations here are done well, probably a little bit over my head in some respects – all the split, multiple timelines and quantum physics (yeah, straight over the top of this one’s noggin) but to be fair I don’t think there’s too much convoluted E=MC2 going on here so I’m sure most people will find this a fairly easy, maybe even ‘soft’ sci fi read.

In terms of criticisms. The only thing I would mention, and I do tend to bang on about shorter stories – this feels like it could have used a little more padding. This is a very quick page count and I appreciate that the brevity gives the story a snappy feel but at the same time it also left me feeling that the ending was a little bit rushed, there was a sense that some things slotted very conveniently into place at various points and also, occasionally a feeling of being ‘told’ rather than ‘shown’.

On the whole One Word Kill is a fast paced adventure, it is a story that compels you to turn the pages quickly to see what will happen next and put bluntly there’s never a dull moment.

I received a copy courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Firstly, I’d like to thank Mark Lawrence for gifting me an e-copy of the proof for One Word Kill through Netgalley.

IMG_20190429_092030_447

Mark Lawrence is a power-house in the world of fantasy and One Word Kill is his first foray into science fiction. He takes us back to 80’s London, in what’s being described as Ready Player One meets Stranger Things.

It’s been a couple of days now since I finished One Word Kill, and despite feeling that it probably wasn’t the best book I’d ever read, I’m still thinking about it. I keep forgetting that I’m not still reading it – I keep trying to pick it back up again and continue the story. Despite any reservations I may have, you can’t deny this is the mark of a good book.

So, why is it on my mind?

Because Lawrence is a compelling storyteller. So much so, you don’t want his stories to end. It’s something I always say about his writing, but it is so easy to read and I was relieved to discover this was still the case despite the switch in genres. I’d burn through the pages in each sitting (although this year opportunities to just sit and read have been rarer than I’d like). In the past, I’ve always loved how rich Lawrence’s prose was; the richness was absent from One Word Kill but this only served to cement it in “the real world.” This book isn’t Lawrence being Lawrence just in a different setting; this book is very much independent from those gone before it.

And yet having said that, Lawrence’s stamp is firmly on this book. He has a way with words that resonate with you, moments that make you pause and give you food for thought:

“On the day he died he told me: ‘The equations that govern the universe don’t care “now”. You can ask them questions about this time or that time, but nowhere in the elegance of their mathematics is there any such things as “now”. The idea of one specific moment, one universal “now” racing along at sixty minutes an hour, slicing through the seconds, spitting the past out behind it and throwing itself into the future… that’s just an artefact of consciousness, something entirely of our own making that the cosmos has no use for.’
We spoke like that.”

Along with the flow of the narrative, something else Lawrence did bring to this D&D table was his ability to create complex and relatable characters. Regular readers of my reviews will know this is always an important factor for me and it’s no less true in One Word Kill. These characters have fears and motivations, but they have ticks and quirks too that lift them from merely being characters on a page and into people you feel you’re getting to know. Lawrence has a way of describing characters that make them so easy to visualise, they jump from the page:

“Michael Devis had a broad face, dark flinty eyes, and a remarkably clear complexion for a fifteen-year-old boy. He deserved acne. You want people’s badness to show. The poison inside him should be bursting out.”

Lawrence has always been skilled at conveying the various dynamics within friendships groups – in both Prince of Thorns and Red Sister for example – and again it really came into play here. The interactions between these characters were a joy, their friendships felt inherently real, human, and… Well, normal. There’s the friend who always gets way too into the game, the friend who always gets to go on amazing holidays with their parents, the friend who feels more like a family member than your actual family members.

What about those pesky reservations I had?

Despite the fact it was so easy to read, and it still played on my mind after, it just didn’t seem to light a spark in me. There are so many people who seem to have fallen head-over-heels for this book, so I feel this just boils down to my own personal taste. I certainly cared a great deal more about the characters than what was happening to them; I guess the general plot of the story didn’t grip me as much.

The selling point of One Word Kill for me had been “Stranger Things set in London.” I was looking forward to being immersed in 1980’s London and awash in nostalgia for Britain at that time; although there were references (Club bars–which I think you can still get but seemed a big thing when I was a child, including Wagonwheels– having to memorise people’s phone numbers, the Tottenham riots, going down the shop with a note from your Mam for her ciggies)… But I’d have loved more. I had the sense that maybe someone in the process wanted to keep this book accessible for audiences outside of Britain – and I understand – but it would have been amazing to have had something that was so unabashedly British. Skipping over references in books and TV shows because you didn’t grow up in America is somewhat of a given for many Brits, I feel. I’d have loved to see that lack of reserve in One Word Kill. My copy was pre-proof, so I’m not sure if these were picked up in the final proof, but there was the odd Americanism… I’m the first to hold up my hand and confess to being a pedant, but these moments just served to lift me out of the book’s specific setting (e.g. commercial instead of advert, referring to someone’s mother as ma’am, takeout instead of take-away – yes I know, I have a problem)

In summary, I would recommend One Word Kill, as I would recommend any of Mark Lawrence’s writing; but as far as personal preference goes I still love his fantasy. Speaking of which, his short story Bound is next on my reading list, followed by the highly-anticipated Holy Sister!

I've read Mark Lawrence's other books, and didn't know how his writing style would work in a story that isn't "grimdark"... I was surprised how well his story reads and loved this story.



A great story about what someone can do without limits... the main character's cancer removes his self-imposed limits and learns more about himself than he knew.  The nerd references helped set the scene without distracting from the characters, something I think Ready Player One struggled with.

As much as I liked Ready Player One, this story seems more personal, with more attention and energy spent on the characters instead of 80's references, which I appreciate.

Unlike Lawrence's other books, I would recommend this to a younger audience than his other series (serieses?).  The convolutedness of the main character meeting himself is interesting to a nerd like me, but probably isn't enough to distract from the story if your nerdiness goes in a different direction.

Highly recommend.

** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley AFTER reading and reviewing it.

This is the first book by Mark Lawrence that I have read but it will not be the last.

I don't often read young adult Sci-fi/ fantasy but this book sounded interesting.

I am so happy I got the chance to read and review this book. It is very well written and it is very well written. I was hooked onto the story pretty much right away.

I can't wait to read more in the series and I already have the second book to read and review so you will be seeing that review close to release day.

"One Word Kill" is an interesting take on the time travel trope. I liked the premise of the story and the main characters had some fun character dynamics. Unfortunately, the time travel stuff is rather confusing and the ending felt rather rushed.

I was really interested to see how Mark Lawrence would operate in our own world and I was not disappointed. Pitched as Ready Player One meets Stranger Things, this tells the story of Nick, a 15 year old boy recently diagnosed with Leukemia. When tasked with saving a future version of one of his friends, Nick enlists the help of his D & D group and hijinks ensue. Jumping firmly onto the 80s nostalgia bandwagon, this book does everything it promises. We love Nick and his friends and we want him to succeed and get the girl. I also thought the addition of genuine, real world stakes in terms of the psychopath, Rust lent an air of fear and consequences that I appreciated, although I do think that the character himself was a little cartoonish in his villainy. I think what most people, myself included, will latch on to here is the core friendship of Nick, Simon, Elton, John and Mia and I thought that these characters were very well drawn, albeit a little archetypal - I think this was somewhat intentional however, given the D & D aspect to the narrative. All in all, Mark Lawrence has managed to pack an awful lot into a book that is less than 200 pages long and I am very much looking forward to seeing where things will go in the next instalment.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Basic plot: Nick is a teen genius recently diagnosed with leukemia. Aside from going to a posh school and roaming the streets of 1980’s London, most of his time is spent playing D&D with his group of friends. And then a man claiming to be from the future saves him from a local psychopath, and Nick’s whole universe(s) turns upside down.

As soon as I read that this was set in the 80’s, I was ALL-IN! There were plenty of references to that wild-haired, synthesizer-heavy, glammed-out bygone era; enough to keep me grounded in the pop culture nostalgia of the story. The mainstay was the game. I’ve always been mystified and hugely curious of D&D (Dungeons & Dragons)— never had the opportunity to play it, myself, but would jump at any given chance should it ever arise. The way it takes center stage, and at times intertwines analogously with Nick’s cancer treatment, was pretty clever. The fantasy quests in-game often reflected the real-world trials of someone living with leukemia, and I thought that was done well. It started losing me a bit once the whole ‘time travel-y, Back to the Future’ storyline was introduced, but whatever. I was still engrossed, though, if only because the characters were so likable and multi-faceted (which is impressive for such a short book). Even amidst all the sci-fi jargon, the plot felt so human and real: living with an illness, coming of age, friendships... metaphysical questions of fixing the past or changing the future.

This was simply a really fun read! (One irrational complaint: Why is his mom constantly referred to as “Mother”? Like, she has no given name in the story. It’s simply, “Mother has said”, “My mother blah blah blah”, “Mother was wearing”... and every damn time it made me think of the movie Psycho).

Seriously, though, I cannot wait for the next installment!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I truly amazing and remarkable story needs some fundamental ingredients...
...like characters you an relate to. Why I start with that? Because in the long run the characters are the reason why I stay with the book and return for next. I need at least one I can relate to. One Word Kill has 5. Five teenegers: Nick, our lead character, is a 15 year old who just found out he has cancer. He takes it pretty well considering he has to go through chemotherapy once a week. Elton, who is into martial arts, Simon the computer geek, John the rich boy who is into D&D and the latest addition to their group, Mia. They play D&D every week and that gives them something solid, something constant. Their relationship reminded me of Stranger Things, of what those boys have, something akin to brotherhood. Oh and there is Demus. Interesting fella, that one.

...and any real good stories have villains too. Now this is a fairly short book and the villain in this case is a total nutjob called Ian Rust. There is not much that can be said about him except that he deserves what he gets.

The other most important ingredient is the plot. The stranger the better. The more impossible it seems the better. And this one has some crazy ideas which are even crazier because they might become real some day.

Highly recommended.

I haven’t read anything else by Mark Lawrence yet but I will and I sure will read the next book in the series too and I’m going to start reading it immediately.

Thanks to NetGalley, 47North and Mark Lawrence for my copy.

I was drawn to this book by a blurb that called it "Ready Player One meets Stranger Things" - which turned out not to be accurate. I don't see the connection to Ready Player One at all - maybe Stranger Things in that it is set in the 1980s and involves a group of teenagers who play D&D and get involved in a real life adventure - though in this book it has to do with time travel rather than a monster. I'm not sure the book made sense at all, but I did enjoy reading it. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

brief summary
After receiving a terminal diagnosis fifteen year old Nick also begins receiving visitations from the future urging him and his friends to undertake a quest to the future loss of someone dear to them.

full review
Author Mark Lawrence takes us back to England in 1986, to the day a young man named Nicholas receives the news he has leukemia, and not long to live. What follows is far from the typical "teen with cancer" story, although it does hit some of the expected points: the moment when he reveals his soon-to-be-dead status to his friends, the introduction of a girl with whom he cannot possibly have enough time, the quest he has to complete before it's too late. Time is an ever-present element in this story, as one might expect, but not for the reason one might think, and that is what takes this from being a British Lurlene McDaniel story to an intriguing science fiction adventure.

Not long after Nick receives his diagnosis and his future love interest (this is not a spoiler, it is too obvious to be a spoiler) joins his D&D group, a man begins appearing around Nick, at first creeping him out, and finally stepping in to help, and then ask Nick and his friends to commit a felony in order to save Mia (the newest D&D player and Nick's eventual love interest) from a future of brain damage. The young men are convinced, eventually, that the man is a version of Nick from a version of the future, and things proceed. There are a number of interesting and clever things about this quest the group embarks on, including the way it echoes the campaign they are following in D&D, but at the risk of being called a spoiler I won't go into them any further here.

Instead I will say that I delighted in the unabashed nerdery of the characters, and the idea that their parents and siblings actually had lives and personalities of their own, rather than existing simply to spawn the main characters and then bugger off. Truly, I enjoyed this group of kids, and found myself forming actual attachments to them, despite the book's brevity. They reminded me pleasantly of Real Genius, although that might've just been the 1980s setting.

I also appreciated Lawrence's ability to integrate different elements of being a British teenager in the '80s into the background. (Although, now that I think about it, that might be because he's approximately of an age to have been a teenager in the '80s himself.) At any rate, the '80s culture the book includes is more than just flavor text, as it is also key to the group's quest. A part which particularly tickled me was the idea that future-Nicholas is hindered in his designs by being stuck with '80s-level computer technology when he needs to perform futuristic feats that we still have not achieved in 2019.

It is worth mentioning that this story's antagonist, other than leukemia and time, is a genuine psychopath of the sort that seem to occur with disproportionate frequency in stories of British teens. This fellow is astonishingly awful, and there is no real explanation ever offered as to how he became that way, only that he knows he's dreadful and seems wholly unbothered by that fact. In fact, he seems to revel in it in a way that makes me wonder if he ever had parents, or if he did and then killed them.

This was a promising start to Mark Lawrence's newest series, and I eagerly await the next installment.

While I enjoyed the read, marveled at the brilliance within . . . I was ultimately left blinking in confusion with the sensation of an almost-headache. Look, time travel and I have a very complicated relationship, okay? I like the concept of it but my lil brain explodes when the theories come waltzing out to play. I just cannot science well, all right; 'tis the simple fact of me. And there is a LOT of science in here!! Sure, it's explained pretty well, I guess, but my mind kept skipping over the words and slipping around the ideas set forth . . . no matter how hard I tried to force myself to understand things.

So ultimately, I just sat down and enjoyed the chaotic, scientific ride of this novella. And while that did detract a lot of true enjoyment because the purpose behind 90% of the action was lost on me, that didn't mean I had no feels or experienced nothing more than passive appreciation. I know enough science to recognize talent when I see it, and there is a LOT of talent here. Even though I can't really science, I enjoy books that take the time to explain the science behind fictional things cause it makes them seem even more real.

But while this is fast-paced for the most part, I guess the time-travel aspect with the skip-around plot (necessary to a time-travel plot??) really detracted the most enjoyment for me. I prefer a little less tangled scenarios, especially when they involve much science. And while everything was revealed (mostly) at the end, I was still left with a weird sense that something was missing. Also, the stakes didn't really seem that high to me??? But again . . . time travel. So I just nodded and moved along but still was left a bit empty-handed as far as my reading preferences go.

This was quite good. Given that there are so many reviews, I can't provide any add'l value with my review other than to congratulate the author on solid work! Recommended.

I really appreciate the copy for review!!

I do love me a trip down memory lane and that is exactly what got from this book. Combine that with a healthy dose of time travel and, well, let's just say that I completely devoured this book. It took me back to the days when I played D&D with my brother and his friends, although, thankfully, none of us had received the devastating news that Nick got at the start of the book. He is diagnosed with leukaemia and spends quite a lot of his time on a children's cancer ward undergoing Chemo. The rest of his time is spent with his friends, playing D&D, and avoiding the bullies at school. Until a stranger keeps popping up in his life. A stranger with a fantastical tale to tell, a tale which has Nick and his friends swap the fantasy world of D&D for a real life quest. To save one of their own from their own future timeline. Nick's diagnosis allows him the freedom to cross lines, but will his friends help him, will they even believe him with the truth being stranger than fiction?
This book sucked me in and didn't let me go right up until the end. It's pretty emotional, especially the parts where Nick is having his treatment and this section was handled extremely well. As was the setting, both time and place. Being a child of the 80s myself, I was shocked at how easily I slipped back in time. So many memory links, not just the D&D and the many sided dice! There was so much that was so authentic that it was like I was also taken back in time, although just for pleasure rather than a quest.
Characterisation was brilliant. Each of the main characters was well drawn and unique, and all played their parts well. I loved how different each was and how they were brought together by circumstance and also their love of D&D.
The sciency bits were also well handled and explained to my satisfaction. It's a different spin on the usual time travel books for me as it, well, to avoid spoilers, I'll just say it goes a bit against the grain for what I understand from the limited books I have previously read in this genre. Honestly, this will make sense!
Pacing was good and there was no superfluous padding.
The best thing I think overall was that I clicked with the author's writing style from the very first page. He's a new author to me but it definitely didn't feel that way. Looking at his impressive back catalogue, I think my TBR will be taking a severe hit as I think I might have found another "one to catch up on".
All in all, a cracking read that hit the ground running, held me captive throughout, and left me satisfied at the end, albeit with a hankering for book 2. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. Mark Lawrence is amazing and I love everything that is written by him!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Mark Lawrence book. I didn't know what to expect from the writing, had no clue where the book was going, judging by the synopsis. I went into in mildly intrigued and more less blind. And did it take me by surprise!
One Word Kill is definitely one of my favourite books I read this year. It is THE book I didn't know I needed to read. And it has made me believe that Mark Lawrence is an author I should read more from.

Set in the 1980s London, One Word Kill centres around a group of friends who play Dungeons and Dragons together. Nick, our main protagonist who's perspective we follow in the book, discovers he's dying from cancer at the age of fifteen. The prognosis is bad; the doctors aren't giving him more than 5 years. As he's receiving treatment, he's going about his life in his normal matter – by meeting up with his friends every week to play Dungeons and Dragons. But weird things start happening and a strange man approaches him saying his friend is in danger.
I don't think one should know more about the book going into it. Read the vague synopsis, preferably the one professionally written on Goodreads, and go into it blind - I'm telling you!
I'm a 90s kid through and through and I've never played D&D in my life, or had any interest in doing so, yet this book felt very... nostalgic. The setting, the atmosphere – all of it made me feel sort of sentimental. Don't ask me why.
I loved every single character in this book. Lawrence created this group of very different and diverse characters and did it so effortlessly everything about them felt real. I think it's what added to the sentimental feeling I got. I felt like I knew all those people. Even the villain felt incredibly authentic.
As a D&D noob, I didn't realise the title was a nod to the game therefore important in the plot. Needless to say, the resolution of the plot surprised me, because I had no idea there was a connection. It's probably due to my dumbness, more so than the D&D knowledge, but I'll blame it on the latter to make myself feel better.
The ending was absolutely heart-breaking. Keep that in mind.

I've said it before and I will say it again – time travel sci-fi is my favourite sci-fi! Combined with the insanely clever plot, excellent writing and characters I cared about, sprinkled with references to my favourite movie of all time – Back to the Future, it was a fantastic, fast and engaging read. I can't wait to continue with the series!
4.75/5 stars

Maybe I should have listened to myself and stopped at the "Ready Player One meets Stranger Things" tagline. I only enjoyed the former because of its overwhelming 1980's nostalgia, and I've had no desire whatsoever to watch the latter, but this is Mark Lawrence - even if I struggled with Red Sister (and I fully intend to give that a second shot and finish the trilogy), he's an author I trust. I thought it opened well, with some compelling scenes in both the cancer ward and at school, and I found myself immediately invested in Nick's tale. The first deja-vu vision was a nice touch, and the menacing stranger in the dark was great. Had the story kept with that spooky, creepy, mysterious vibe of uncertainty, this could have made for a fantastic short story but . . . well, time travel. Ugh. The more contrived and complicated that aspect of the plot became, the more I seemed to be aware of the flatness of the characters and the fact that their maturity seemed to fluctuate to fit the moment. At some point I just wondered why I was still reading and resorted to Power Word Delete.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this, in exchange for my honest opinion. This is available to purchase now.

This was one of those books that I didn’t hate, but I also didn’t love. The idea is solid, and I can understand why this book would be considered a gut-punch for some, but it just didn’t resonate with me. It’s kind of a bummer, because I was so excited to read it.

I honestly think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a full-length book. It really was too short for me to get all that invested in the characters. I do love the D&D angle (I happen to play myself), but I don’t think it was explored as well as it could have been.

The biggest strength in this book is the author: man, Mark Lawrence can write! However, it wasn’t quite enough to pull me from a “meh” reaction to a “holy guacamole” one. That being said, the shorter format might work better for others than it did for me.

It was a worthy effort, but it fell a little flat.

A sci-fi novel for people who don’t like sci-fi, this was clearly inspired by Stranger Things, with the 80s setting, D&D playing teenagers and even the character profiles. I’ve seen it compared to Ready Player One, which I don’t get, although admittedly I’ve only seen the movie, and I felt there was more of Back the the Future and The Terminator, both of which are referred to repeatedly. It’s a short book, the start of a trilogy, but I was immediately engaged and enjoyed it immensely.

Londoner Nick Hayes, is 15 in 1986 (as was I, which is probably why this resonated so strongly with me), has just been diagnosed with leukaemia. His father died when he was 12 and his diffident science teacher mother doesn’t really know how to talk to him, so he really needs his weekly Dungeons & Dragons games with his friends - autistic Simon, friendly Anton, handsome & wealthy John, and Mia, the fascinating new girl. When a strange man called Demus starts appearing, Nick is disturbed to discover that he knows secrets and can predict the future. Demus has a task for Nick and his friends, but unless he completes it according to plan, he may not survive, but will the knife-wielding psychopathic bully from his school get him before the cancer does?

This had an intriguing premise (if you don’t read much sci-fi - I can see why hardcore SF fans would turn their noses up), an appealing geeky hero 🤓🦸‍♀️ (who knew those terms had their own emojis!) and a scary bad guy. Quite a lot was left unexplained, but hopefully the sequel will address those questions.
As an eighties child I loved the musical and movie references, although the D&D stuff was a mystery to me. As someone who grew up in South London, I was confused by the author’s geographical leaps (Richmond is not next to Brixton!) but appreciate the intent. Nick’s confusion at his diagnosis and suffering during chemo were well portrayed and added a serious tone to the story.

One Word Kill was published two weeks ago but was still available to request from NetGalley at the time of writing, as is the sequel, which is due at the end of May. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc which allowed me to give an honest review. I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence. Review for Netgalley

A group of teen friends in 1986 united by their love of Dungeons & Dragons are pulled into a spiral of danger and adventure and growing pains. But in London, not Indiana. The comparisons to Stranger Things are inevitable, and perhaps even intentional, but although the heart of the story is often similar (misfit kids banding together to get through the pain of life, discover the joy of it, and also do crazy things together) it is altogether its own beast. It is, for one, a science fiction/time travel story, rather than a science fiction/cosmic horror story. Also, the adults are far less involved than in ST. But it still preserves that golden glow of love for a time, and an appreciation of the humanity of young people, that is the same.

The gentleness of this story, the warm heart it carries for its characters, is almost shocking coming from Lawrence's previous stories--Jorg Ancrath was many things, but sensitive to the joy and pain of simple life he was not. And yet the characters in One Word Kill most certainly are. They are kids, and they act like it, but they are also filled with love for one another that often defies words, but drives their actions.

Nick, our protagonist, and his friend Mia tricking the emotionally closed off Simon into learning to dance so he could go to a party; the friends banding together to protect each other against a homicidal bully without a second thought; the acceptance of each other's differences with natural grace. It's a story of love.

There is, of course, pain here as well. The children (and they are children) lose things that can never be regained, and it is handled well.

The writing is fluid and natural, as well. Lawrence has always been a strong writer of dialog, but I was actually surprised at how earnest and real these characters feel. So many voices in his previous works were trapped by sarcastic insincerity I had almost come to expect it from the author, but this book alone proves me wrong. It's a pleasant mistake to make.

One thing that perhaps I didn't like as much is the kind of universalizing of D&D as a magical gift to all weirdos and misfits of the 80s. As one of those weirdos, I have to say D&D never offered me anything like the emotional panacea that is implied here. I much preferred the stories in books to the ones that people tried to make me be part of. But that's a personal issue, and of course those who grew up with the monster manual in hand will likely feel differently.

But in summary, I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed watching the characters take their first fumbling steps out of childhood, I cringed at the pain they faced, and I am glad I got the chance to read Lawrence's latest work.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for giving me the chance to review One Word Kill!

Stranger Things meets Back to the Future in this fun, twisty story about family, friendship and first love. The fact that this is a trilogy and not a standalone makes me curious to see just where this story is going!

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

This was short science fiction novel with an interesting plot and well-written characters. I will be checking out the next book in this series. I did feel like it was too short for the amount of action and stuff that happened in it. Parts of it were confusing but overall it was a solid read.

Nick is just trying to survive high school in One Word Kill...literally.

Nick, Simon, John and Elton are best friends, high schoolers, and Dungeons & Dragons fanatics in 1986. Nick also has a crush on their newest player, Mia. Plus Nick has cancer.

Bullies Devis and Rust are rumored to have burned a homeless man to death. What is undeniable is that they have fun taunting the nerds in their high school. Nick’s secret weapon is the mysterious Demus, who appears exactly when he is needed and has strange forecasting powers. The plot just gets better from there.

One Word Kill is a smart, nerdy, many worlds’ hypothesis treat for anyone who loves Back to the Future, 1980s gaming, or physics class. Thirty years after the time period of this book, the nerds clearly have won. Right, Mr. Gates and Mr. Musk? But back in the 80s, the victory wasn’t so assured. That uncertainty is a large part of the charm of this book. If you’re a fan of The Goldbergs on television, I guarantee you will enjoy this book as much as I did. 4 stars!

Thanks to 47North, Amazon Publishing UK, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Well I feel very spoilt by Mark Lawrence this year with not only the release of the stunning Holy Sister but also both One Word Kill and the sequel!

Previously when I thought of Mark Lawrence I would think of high fantasy, usually with a fairly dark tone. But this book shows that this author is far from a one trick pony! Here we have a YA Sci-Fi story set in our world - not just a small departure from his more famous stuff but something really rather different!

One of the aspects of writing that Mark Lawrence truly excels at is character building and relationships between characters. You truly do care for the characters you are reading about and find them completely believable. Speaking of characters, the diversity in this cast is fantastic. We have a character with cancer, a character on the autism spectrum, a character who's family is from Madagascar, rich characters, poor characters, skinny characters, chubby characters. We have it all. Yet, these really are just aspects of each character and they are not defined by these labels.

Literally the only thing I struggled with is the time travel theory. A multiverse theory where actions did change future versions of yourself just kind of blew my mind a little bit and I couldn't quite get my head around it unfortunately.

The level of nerdiness in this book is beautiful. I already really wanted to get into D&D but this has just made it even more certain.

This is a small book with a big heart. It's a lot of fun and a very enjoyable read.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review

This book made D&D sound like one of the funnest social activities in the world. No, seriously, I'm down for trying out a session one day.

Between his recent cancer diagnosis and dealing with (literally) psychotic bullies from his school, Nick Hayes's only refuge of late are his D&D sessions with his friends, a motley, ragtag crew. When a stranger who looks suspiciously like a bald, older version of him steps into his life, things take a turn for the crazy.

What does this story have? Friendship, rumination on life and death, time travel, all packed into one fast-paced, relatively quick read. There was a very cozy, nostalgic atmosphere to the story, which is set in the 1980s. The sci-fi is relatively light and accessible to everyone, so if you're typically scared of dense sci-fi, this is a great option for you to try.

I enjoyed it overall. It has some character tropes that I generally dislike, but they were executed well nonetheless. Some things also felt a bit brief, the plot a bit <i>too</i> quick, so that the ending didn't resonate as strongly with me as it could have, but that's just me. I like slow stories that linger to delve deep. This book skims over the surface of some heavy topics instead—which isn't bad at all, just not what I'm in the mood for. Not a bad read at all, and I'm keen on checking out future books from this series.

I really enjoyed this story. The whole time travel aspect and the facts along with it were interesting.

I think there could easily be a follow on and hope there maybe.

Its my first book from this author and i will be watching for more.

"We might live in a multiverse of infinite wonder, but we are what we are, and can only care about what falls into our orbit"

* * *
3 / 5

I would give practically anything written by Mark Lawrence a shot, which is primarily why I picked up One Word Kill in the first place. I'm definitely more of a fantasy reader than a contemporary sci-fi one, but I do enjoy an occasional well-written time-travel plot, which is what this book is about. I loved the main character and the writing style, but some elements felt way too ~extra~ or over the top.

"We were a tribe who had always felt as if we were locked into a box that we couldn't see And when D&D came along, suddenly we saw both the box and the key"

One Word Kill has a bit of a Stranger Things vibe. Set in the 90s, One Word Kill focuses on Nick and his dungeons and dragons group. Mia is a recent addition to the all-male group, and Nick grapples with his recent cancer diagnosis, a fledgling crush, and the fact that he seems to be being stalked by a man who knows more than he should. The book ties together quantum mechanics, time travel, having fun with the boys, and growing up. 

Nick is a very likeable and relatable young man (never having been a young man myself). He's got all the usual thoughts - like fitting in, going to parties, having a crush and being worried that a woman (gasp!) might tear apart his precious D&D group - as well as some atypical ones, like who is that man following me and his leukaemia diagnosis. His friendship group is fun and quirky and I love a good heist plan. 

"I'd brought Bertrand Russell's Principia Mathematica because I wanted to see him build his marvellous mathematical house of cards. I need to see the edifice raised in all its glory"

I definitely got the feeling the whole way through that the book was trying to "find its feet". The plot, for the most part, is solid, but Lawrence uses the groups D&D campaign to reflect real-life in a weird and over the top metaphor. I thought that this was unnecessary in your face symbolism and was also pretty dull to read about. Having now read the next book, I can comfortably claim that this is one of the areas which the series improves upon - the next book feels much more comfortable with the plot it weaves and how it does it. 

One Word Kill is a fun and well-written book, but it didn't blow me away. It was rather predictable, I was unhappy with some of the character's fates, and it got a bit too weird for me near the end. On the flipside, it was emotionally complex and I loved Nick. 

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of One Word Kill.

Mark Lawrence is one my favourite authors and One Word Kill did not disappoint! I enjoyed the diverse characters and the time travel aspect of the story as well the dungeons and dragons scenes. I knew nothing about D&D previous to reading One Word Kill and I now want to play it! Can't wait to read the next installment.

I was not expected to be pulled so deeply into the story as I was. In merely two hundred pages, Lawrence mad me care for this group of character, believe that time travel was actually possible and fills me with the need to have the sequel in my hands right now.

Since it is set in 1986, the book has very strong 80’s/90’s vibes. Payphones appear in abundances and technologies is in its starting shoes. It makes for a different read but still just as entertaining and it’s a perfect background for our protagonist.

The book is held together by the characters. Nick, who is at his wit’s end after discovering he has leukaemia, and his D&D friends who he surrounds himself with. They all have distinct personality traits and an interesting dynamic that you see unfold in these pages. You have Simon who is more introverted and a math genius, Elton who is creative but grounded in reality and John who is a terrible dancer but a wonderful person. And Mia who is the last to join the group and who has quite a troubled life. (I do have to admit she was a bit too mysterious for my liking but she grew on me).

As time passes, and the plot keeps unravelling, Nick’s life becomes more and more complicated. There are hidden meanings in their D&D nights. Past comments reveal themselves to have predicted the future. There are discussions on the Many World Interpretation and an explanation so beautiful I might have to start believing it.
My favourite part had to be figuring out what it all meant. Why Demus was travelling back in time, what the numbers on the paper were, how they were going to pull it all off – how it would all end.

This book has it all: lovable characters, a great plot, solid and creative sci-fi and a plot that will keep on the edge of your seat. Do yourself a favour and experience it for yourself.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to receive this ARC in exchange of an honest review!

One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence

In January 1986, fifteen-year-old boy-genius Nick Hayes discovers he’s dying. And it isn’t even the strangest thing to happen to him that week.

This is such a wonderful story that is both emotional and fun all rolled up into one. I unfortunately am a 90’s kid so didn’t have the same nostalgia that someone who grew up in the 80’s would have but I did connect and enjoy the nerd culture that was wonderfully portrayed throughout the book!

I loved that it felt like many different books, all beautifully woven together. Part contemporary with dealing with sickness, and its emotional and physical impact while also being a young kid learning his way through life and around the girl he likes. You also have a great science fiction narrative with time travel and interesting conversations of parallel universes and what our actions have for our future and those around us. Then to top it all off you have a thriller aspect that weaves the two parts together.

Personally Mark Lawrence’s writing style is something that i really enjoyed and no matter if it is a grim dark fantasy or a more upbeat sci-fi like One Kill Word you can see the mastery that he has with words.

Overall I give One Kill Word 4 Stars, the only slight critique i have is that some areas seemed to get a bit repetitive and therefor slowed down for me, but when it did pick back up I was back to flying through the pages.

On to the next book!

A Young Adult science fiction novel that will make you think and analyse all the little time travel conundrums and cause-effect implications, which the author seems to be fluent in. At first there is nothing Sci-fi about this story. We meet Nick, who lives in London with his mother and is gearing up for his first round of chemotherapy. Even though he is battling cancer, you get to enjoy his witty and often hilarious inner monologue, as he gradually experiences his body’s deterioration. But his road to recovery is not the main part of this story. Along with a few of his closest friends, Nick embarks on a time travel adventure, that will determine his future and the futures of his friends. However, cheating time is tricky and you can never be entirely sure how the smallest of your actions can influence what lies ahead.

Although it’s a YA story, I believe over 30s will enjoy it even more, since it takes place in the 80s and there is more than a few references to events and pop culture of that time. I couldn’t put it down, and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre.

The year is 1986 and maths genius and Dungeons and Dragons' fan Nick Hayes gets the horrifying news that he has leukemia. It would be true to say that this is a big blow for Nick, but it is not the strangest thing to happen to him that week - Nick has a new friend called Demus...one who claims to be from the future.

Nick and his D & D buddies are used to exercising their imaginations, but even they find it hard to accept that Demus has travelled back in time to see them. The group have only just come to terms with the fact that a girl (Mia) has joined their tight little circle of geeks, and they must not only accept Demus' story, but believe that he is there to save future Mia from a fate worse than death.

And so begins a race against time to save their friend, with a terminal illness, a blood-thirsty maniac and trying to ensure they remain on the same time-line to complicate matters. Simple then....

This book is so much fun!
I am a total sucker for a time travel story - especially one which involves the idea of multiple universes. Add to this the fact that this is set in the 1980s, and you are looking at a set-up that it definitely up my street.

Nick's gang of friends are adorable and offer a good range of different characters to attach yourself to, and there are some suitably nasty baddies for you to hate too.
I do not know a lot about Dungeons and Dragons, to be honest, although my youngest son and his friends do partake in this, and I found it very interesting to read about how this game works. I loved the way that the gang's D & D sessions echoed events that were happening in the real world, as this really advanced the plot rather that taking you away from the story-line. Very clever.

The delicious time travel concepts underlying this excellent adventure will have your head going around in circles for some time to come, and this makes it really special. This is definitely one for adults and the YA crowd.

This will really appeal to fans of recent hits like Stranger Things, and I cannot wait to get started on book two Limited Wish.

This book is hilarious. I highly appreciated it because of that.

Nerdiness is a great word to describe the structure of the book. Some maths enthusiast teenagers gather to talk about time travel and play Dungeons and Dragons in the ‘80s. Come on, it sticks to it!

The characters are lovable. And I mean it. I think it is one of the most important aspects of the book. They are just so cool and witty and cute and smooshy. Love ‘em all. And the cutest of them all is Nick. Maybe it’s the fact that the story is narrated from his point of view and we have this way access to his thoughts (which are brilliant I might add), but I feel like if we were to be in any other of our characters’ minds, it would’ve been equally great.

“The magical power of D&D to draw together people who knew things. Who cared about questions that didn’t seem to matter.”


RATING: 4.75/5

I received a free review copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback some time ago and I am just upset I didn’t read it sooner. I am one of the rare readers of fantasy who has managed to not read any book by Mark Lawrence till now. It was only last year that I bought #3 in the Broken Empire trilogy followed by #2 this year. I still have to get #1, which I now plan on doing without any delay, and then it's officially binge time. Getting back on track, I had been hearing good things about his new sci-fi trilogy so when I finally joined NetGalley last month and saw the opportunity to request the first two books, I immediately jumped at it. I then put off actually reading the books for about a week after getting them. That was an error in hindsight.

The start to One Word Kill was slow but when things actually started getting serious, it was a hella entertaining explosive ride to the finish. The pacing in the second half especially was killer. It’s the perfect little book, with just the right amount of pages. And this is coming from a person who firmly believes in the awesomeness of huge doorstopper tomes. First of all, the book manages to use the nostalgia for the 80s without overwhelming the narrative with gratuitous callbacks, unlike Ready Player One. But that’s just a very small aspect of it. I love time travel as a trope and Lawrence employs it brilliantly without burdening the reader with overlong explanations of the science behind it. The Many Worlds Interpretation is a huge obsession with me so I guess that’s a plus point too.

I have got to talk about the characters! They are all so amazing. I did not think that Lawrence would be able to develop them well over the course of such a short novel, but he again proved me wrong. While you must certainly not expect them to be fully fleshed out, they still have a lot of complexity. Apart from Nick and Mia, Simon was my favourite followed by John. A big shoutout to Elton too. I found that particular bit, you will know which one once you read the book, a tad gimmicky but I was still happy it was included, especially John’s reaction to it. I also loved the fact that the end, I sort of saw it coming, was complete in itself and there was no frustrating cliffhanger. I will recommend the book to anyone who is looking for a short, utterly engaging and well-written soft sci-fi novel.

I love a fun sci-fi story that takes place in the 80s. Not really sure why, but something about that sort of setting always appeals to me. That's why I knew I needed to get my hands on One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence.

One Word Kill follows a young boy named Nick right as he discovers he's dying of leukemia. All Nick wants to do is play Dungeons & Dragons with his friends and get closer to the new girl in the group, Mia, before his time is up. But Nick soon finds out a mysterious stranger has other plans for him.

Nick is being followed. He can't tell by who, all he knows is this man seems oddly familiar to him, and he has abilities that just don't exist outside of the fantasy worlds he frequents. A run in with this stranger leaves Nick with one mission: protect Mia from danger at all costs. She doesn't know it yet, but her life is at stake, and it's up to Nick to stop what's coming. This leads to Nick racing to unravel the mystery and save the girl--terminal illness, machete-wielding psychopaths, and the general laws of physics be damned.

I had slightly different expectations going into this book because I had read it was a bit Ready Player One-ish, and that's one of my favorite books, but I did not get that vibe at all. I did enjoy the setting of the story, and the relationship between the group of friends, but I will say it took me a while to actually get into the story. I think I was about a third of the way through before I really felt it hit its stride. Even then, I did feel some bits were predictable and just didn't impact me as much as I was hoping for. Overall, it's a fun quick story but I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series.

3/5 Stars

I loved Mark Lawrence's Book of the Ancestor series, so I was thrilled to be able to get his new book "One Word Kill" early for review.

However, this book took INCREDIBLY long to get to the main plot - most of the beginning was the main character (youngish British boy) getting cancer and having some vague deja vu situations happen. Lawrence's characterizations of a young person getting cancer were incredibly thoughtful and insightful, but we didn't get to the actual "plot" of the book until about 30% in, at which point I just assumed the book was a fiction about a boy getting cancer and playing board games with his friends.

Lawrence is incredibly cerebral so a lot of the time travel/physics was interesting but a bit over my head. I just couldn't really get into it since I had no connection to the new characters who were introduced halfway through.

So it was a well-written book, but took way too long to get to the meat of the plot, making me anxious about where it was going and slightly unhappy about the time spent in the beginning.

The first book in the Impossible Times is great. Who can argue with high praise from George R R Martin, who claimed to love it?! No one, that's who.

I enjoyed this a lot, the fast paced action was compelling. It's a fantastic read, one I devoured as quickly as I could. Even though this book is technically about young adults, it doesn't read like a YA book. Compared to other YA novels of the genre, it seems to take on a more mature angle, diving into tough and serious topics, no holes barred.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

If I mention Dungeons and Dragons and teenage boys with a female friend a lot of people would automatically jump to Stranger Things - the hit Netflix show (which if you haven't seen, I, along with most others say WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!)

So yes, this book does have a very strong Stranger Things vibe coming off it, it is set in the 80's too, and has also got elements of Ready Player One thrown in. Set in London, we get to see a snapshot of what it was like to grow up in England in the late 80's, as an awkward Dungeons and Dragons loving teenager.

Nick is our protagonist and is a very strong character for us to focus on. Right from the get go we are dealt the blow that he has been diagnosed with cancer, and this is just the push he needs to go try new things.

Nick's friends are a rag tag bunch of misfits. All very different, but each one of them interesting. Their relationship comes across as very strong, and their behaviour with eachother rang true to me. They definitely acted like the school outcasts. Mia, of course, comes along and is one of the many changes that take place within the group. A strong and confident character, I thought she was fantastic.

The storyline here is top notch. I absolutely loved it, and couldin't go to sleep without finishing - leading it to be read in it's entireity in a day and a half (well I did have to go to work and take care of my daughter too). The story is a great representation of how, as a teenager, you believe that anything is possible if you really try. With tons of action, teen humour, and just the right amount of awkward romance, this is a fast paced and exciting read that deserves your attention. Get it now before book 2 drops!

This may have been the first book I have read by Mark Lawrence, but it won't be my last. I'm already looking forward to starting book 2 in the series!

Highly recommended.

5/10

I just couldn’t get into this, the premise sounded right up my street but as it turned out what was a good idea didn’t work well in practice for me. I’m in the minority as all my friends who’ve read this so far are 4*s or above. Things would be boring if we were all the same though.

The story of some D&D friends meeting someone from the future who is in need of help sounded like a great mix of things but the characters weren’t very appealing and by the end I wasn’t even that sure who was who outside the main two as they’d not grown on me one bit. Even finishing this a few days ago I’d be hard pushed to really go into depth on anything or anyone in the story other than they play D&D and one goes to chemo every now and then.

This is the second Mark Lawrence book I’ve read and rated 2*s so I feel that I’ve given him a go but he might just not be for me even though his work is highly regarded. I’ll not be bothering with the rest of this series.

What a quick and fun read! Lightens the mood and helps you out of a reading slump.

"One Word Kill" has some nice Science Fiction elements which I enjoyed. It's not hardcore Science Fiction as I first expected which disappointed me slightly. However, the story was cohesive and the writing quick and packed with witty dialogue. Everything I value in a novel.

Definitely going to continue the series!

I don't know exactly how to feel about this book except that it was a little hard to get into. I think this kind of story has been done quite a few times and this go around didn't really have anything new to me. I would say I liked a few things/references but overall I didn't really connect with any of the characters and didn't feel any real motivation to find out what happened.

One Word Kill is a YA book set in London in 1986, and focuses on a group of friends who love to spend their free time playing Dungeons & Dragons. The main character is Nick Hayes, a fifteen-year-old prodigy of mathematics who has just been diagnosied with leukaemia. Nick’s life is about to change, and not only because now he has cancer, but because he begins to realize that a stranger is following him. From there, Mark Lawrence introduces us in a story in which is possible to travel through time.

If I had to tell you what this book is about comparing it to other stories, I would tell you that One Word Kill is a mix between Stranger Things, Back to the Future and The Big Bang Theory. Also, this is the perfect book for fans of Dungeons & Dragons. I’ve never played the game, but I absolutely loved reading how the characters play it through the book and how it plays a major role in the plot.

My favourite aspect of this book were the characters. Besides Nick, there are four other members in the gang: Mia, Elton, Simon and John. Mia is the latest addition to the group, she is undoubtedly the bravest and knows dangerous people. Elton is Malagasy and gay, plays karate and is the game master of D&D. Simon is the cinnamon roll of the book and an expert in number; I’m pretty sure he is on the Autism spectrum although the term is not used in the book (at least not in the ARC). John is popular, rich and charming, and he keeps his friendship with the rest of the gang secret at school.

I also loved the setting. The majority of this book takes places in Richmond and I’m pretty sure it was the first time I read about a place I know. I couldn’t help smiling when I visualized certain locations. Another aspect I really enjoyed was the time travel plot and concept. I can’t wait to see how Mark Lawrence explores it in the next books.

This book portrays the racism and homophobia of the ‘80s, attitudes that are condemned through the point of view of our protagonist. There really good discussions about how boys employed the term gay as an insult and I liked how Nick does self-criticism for having done that himself in the past. And speaking of gay rep, the moment Elton comes out is one of my favourites and the note Demus gave him made me beyond happy.

Overall, One Word Kill was an engrossing and fast-paced book. Some things were very convenient and I was a little disappointed by some decision Nick made at the end, but I loved the premise and the characters. Also, something that happened towards the end broke my heart.

I recieved a digital arc from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I *wished* for this book and was granted my wish by the publisher.

I was recommended this book by a fellow bookstagrammer who adores Mark Lawrence's work.

I really enjoyed this one, it took me a while to get through it though... I'm not sure if it was my mood or the book itself 😅

This was an entertaining and original book with awesome twists and all the feelings. It brought me as much nostalgia of the 80's as "Ready Player One". I could relate deeply to its characters, even if I wasn't playing Dungeons & Dragons during that decade.

I received a free copy of this book from netgalley, all opinions are my own

I don't have much to say about this book,except that it was not for me. I liked the writing style and the inner monologue of the main character and the discussion on illness and how it effects life. And I think it should have been a contemporary story. I just couldn't get past 60% of this book and I tried for weeks. But you know when your eyes are reading but your brain can't follow? That was me the whole time. I was just bored and didn't care. There is nothing wrong with the story, I just found it very unoriginal and it just didn't get my attention. I didn't really connect with any characters and the story is unmemorable.
I still have high hopes for his Red Sister trilogy and will read his other works.

WOW.

Like all I can say is wow.

I already ordered this book for my parents as they also need to read it.

I don’t even know what to say about this book, I just want to push a copy into all my friends arms and order them to read it.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I was a child, my dad made me watch maybe a trillion times the Back to the Future (BTTF) trilogy. Those were among his fav movies ever, and I still love them too.
So maybe it was the BTTF vibe of this book and the consequent dive into the past (also of mine) that immediately made my interest spark.
The time-travelling elements intertwined with D&D (that gives a nod to my nerdish, fantasy-lover self) were probably enough to make a big score.
But One Word Kill spiced things up adding an unforgettable (and sweet) main character (I have a soft spot for Nick), his exquisitely adorable bunch of geeky friends, and a narration that combines fast action, hilarious moments and an emotional punch.
I loved it, and I have already bought my ticket for the second ride.

In One Word (Kill): let's read it!!!

Do you know the feeling where you did not dislike something, but you didn’t love it either? That’s how I feel about this book.

It was very well written and I loved the timetravel concept (one of my favorite book topics!) and the whole quantum theory behind it was interesting, but to be honest I wasn’t completely blown away by it. With the whole D&D thing and weird things happening around a group of friends, it gave me Stranger Things vibes (I watched season 3 in one sitting last weekend) but it just didn’t grip me the same way ya know?

The ending also didn’t really come as a surprise to me, which is a bit of a shame.

It had its moments, and packs a proper punch of nostalgia which makes it work, but mostly the books feels rushed and without clear purpose. It's obviously the first in a series, and it's always difficult to judge a book as such when you don't know how it all fits together, but the first instalment was't one to having me desperately looking for the sequel... so, wasn't great, but not bad... just ok. Let's see if I go on to the next.

This is the first book in the Impossible Times trilogy. It was an fun, quick read that focuses on friendship. The main characters play D&D and since I've never played it, I think I definitely missed some of the jokes and culture woven into the story. Consequently it did take me a while to get into the story, but I did enjoy reading this book. Overall it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend checking it out, especially if you are a fan of D&D.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an earc.

I gave this a four out of five stars. I really enjoyed this story even though it was a slow read. I have to be in the right mood to read slow ones and I was. I took my time reading it. I want to get the next books and continue on. I liked that D&D was being played in it. If you like D&D I would recommend this, you would really enjoy it.

This was a brilliantly enjoyable little read.
It is a strange beautiful cross between the tv series Stranger Things and the book Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.
Following a close group of Dungeons and Dragons playing teens as deal with an unwelcome visitor with a dangerous request.
With each character being ridiculously loveable and completely unique this was a fast paced, easy to read and hard to put down adventure.

This was a short story, but it was still a bit too long. Didn't particular care for this one, though I may have some students who would.

Fast-paced, engaging and well written story that combines Ready Player One, Stranger Things and Back to the Future into one intriguing story about four teens who play D&D together. Mark Lawrence proves that he is capable of dominating any genre (be it fantasy or science fiction) with his relatable characters and action packed plot.

Manly but Sweet
"Of all the worlds, in all the universe, he walks into mine.’ Mia wrapped the Casablanca quote around Everett’s many worlds interpretation and gained another level in my esteem."
Absolutely brilliant quote! A super sweet moment between our main guy and his possible love interest that shows the depth of Lawrence's story. He gives us well rounded out characters that have fears, loves and react in a way most humans (especially teenage boys) are likely to given the (extreme) situations portrayed in One Word Kill.

Dungeons & Dragons
It's far from new to integrate a D&D campaign into a story. Most of the first Dragonlance novel were based off actually played out D&D campaigns of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (near death rolls and all). It's nice to see the comeback that board gaming has made with shows like The Big Bang Theory and Stranger Things highlight the fun (low tech) activity it can be. One Word Kill is a great addition to this group of media. There's a camaraderie that anyone whose played a campaign of D&D with friends can appreciate and I think Lawrence captures this very accurately here.

Plot, Magic and Story
I don't want to say too much about any of these three elements as I would never be able to describe or give justice to the imagination and writing style of Mark Lawrence. I also don't want to give away any juicy surprises!
This is my first time reading a full novel of Lawrence's and there is no doubt that all his novels on my shelf have just vaulted up in reading priority. With an elegance and excitement that is hard to parallel, Lawrence draws us into his world and ensures we must play by the rules.

Overall
Few would dispute that Lawrence isn't one of today's top fantasy writers leading into the release of this series. I suspect many will now put him in the science fiction category as well. Overall I'd be surprised to learn that any fantasy/science fiction reader completely hated this book. Some may not be an enamored as others (there are a lot of geek references); but there is a lot to like here. This is a series worth getting into and a strong start in sci-fi for Lawrence.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

One Word Kill es una de las últimas novelas que ha publicado el prolífico autor de fantasía Mark Lawrence. Y si no me equivoco es su primera incursión en la ciencia ficción. De Lawrence no he leído ninguna de sus trilogías que lo han hecho popular (Prince of Thorns o Prince of Fools), hace ya un tiempo que me apetece mucho lanzarme con sus libros pero se me hace bola cuando un autor tiene tanto publicado, y no sé nunca por dónde empezar. ¿Cuántos miles de páginas antes de esa novela que me ha llamado la atención? Ah, ¿una trilogía nueva sobre una asesina pero que cada novela son 800pgs y ya están los tres publicados? Uf. Un momento, trilogía de ciencia ficción estilo Ready Player One con novelas breves... Esto me interesa.

El 8 de enero de 1986 a Nick Hayes, un chavalín de 15 años extremadamente inteligente le diagnostican leucemia. Los doctores le dicen que no va a vivir más de 5 años. Asiste a quimioterapia y conoce a otros niños enfermos de cáncer en el hospiral. Acude a este hospital cada semana para su tratamiento, y cuando está en su propia casa vive como un friki típico: le asustan las niñas, le gusta Dungeons and Dragons, tiene que huir de los abusones en el colegio... Cuando juegan a rol él y sus amigos logra incluso olvidarse de su enfermedad. Un inicio divertido, muy influenciado por Stranger Things. Pero entonces todo toma un giro más interesante: el protagonista comienza a sentir una especie de efecto deja-vu, un extraño sombrío habla con él y algunas cosas que ocurren en sus partidas de D&D se parecen mucho a ciertos eventos de la realidad. Además, ahora hay una chica en su grupo de rol.


Te guste o no, Mark Lawrence es un autor muy competente y con una producción de lo más estable. Cada año saca al menos un libro desde hace varios años. Y suelen ser tochos. Por ello esta novela de ciencia ficción (al parecer el mercado anglosajón necesita más CF, pues varios autores de fantasía se están pasando al otro lado, y te miro a ti, Adrian Tchaikovsky) ha sido una grata sorpresa. Y debo decir a modo de resumen que me lo he pasado en grande. Los personajes prototípicos de un grupito de D&D imaginado acaban siendo entrañables y aunque estamos en un momento donde estas historias brotan de debajo de las piedras, Lawrence sabe darle un toque personal y único a One Word Kill. Aunque la trama y el argumento son interesantes lo que me ha mantenido enganchado ha sido la escritura del autor y sus personajes. Su modo de contar la historia me ha parecido muy inteligente y bien pensada, se pone barroco cuando el texto lo pide, o más bizarro y pragmático cuando la escena así lo requiere. Me ha dejado bastante loco la facilidad camaleónica de Mark Lawrence en cuanto al cambio de registros sin salirse de un mismo estilo narrativo. Aunque el libro tira directamente por la nostalgia, sobre todo para fans de "Regreso al futuro" me voy a abstener de comentar la trama pues el libro es bastante breve y (aunque ya os he dejado ahí una pista) creo que la sorpresa está en descubrirlo. Desde luego que el libro destila aventura ochentera y, aunque es imposible recrear el caldo de cultivo cultural de esa década, creo que Lawrence le rinde un homenaje muy chulo, sin ser demasiado pretencioso y sin pasarse en fanservice. Es decir, no llega al extremo de Ready Player One, pero tampoco se queda corto cuando quiere que sus personajes jueguen a una Comodore. El libro tiene un componente de aventuras que va mucho más allá de las partidas de rol, y en pocas páginas todo se vuelve una maraña tremenda de situaciones divertidísimas, tensas y bien resueltas. Un fantástico libro para comenzar a leer a Mark Lawrence. Yo, desde luego, repetiré.

In the interest of getting caught up on my humongous pile of reviews that need writing while I’m fighting with a half broken keyboard I’ve decided to combine the first two books of this series together. I actually read book one quite a while ago but wasn’t quite blown away so I had been putting off book two but finally made it through.

One Word Kill and Limited Wish by Mark Lawrence are the first two books of the Impossible Times series. This one is a young adult science fiction fantasy series that revolves around time travel and is set back in the 1980’s.

The story begins in 1986 with Nick Hayes who had been diagnosed with cancer but despite that Nick was pretty much a regular teen hanging with friends. However, when Nick and his Dungeons & Dragons playing friends welcome a new girl to the group things begin to get pretty strange.

Now, I am normally a sucker for anything 80s so that alone should have had me loving this series like a lot of other readers seem to except one of the biggest 80s things you find going into this is Dungeons & Dragons which I know nothing about. Putting that to the side though I’m sometimes up or down with time travel novels too and while I thought some of the ideas here were interesting most seemed obvious along the way so in the end I was just so-so with this series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

To me this read more like a YA mashup with parts of Ready Player One, Recursion, Dark Matter, and even a bit of The Fault in Our Stars. I appreciated the cleverness of the time travel elements, and I really enjoyed the main character's personality. The descriptions of the friendships, the D&D games, and the puzzle they had to figure out was a lot of fun.

If the synopsis didn't already pull you in, let me tell you all the great things about this book. Prepare for some gushing!

As I already told you, I'm not really a sci-fi reader. But this was so interesting. I loved the quantum physics in this so much I went out and got myself some books on that topic (I was always interested in this and that gave me the final push!) It was so much fun to think through all the questions that arise when that mysterious man appears.

The characters are all so damn lovable. All of them.
Nick, the main character, is incredibly relatable in his struggles. He is a genius*, he is a geek, kind of awkward and loves playing D&D with his friends. *(Does that sound like I'm saying I'm a genius? ... Because I'm most certainly not 😂)
He sees their D&D sessions as an escape from reality, which is one of the reasons he doesn't tell his friend immediately that he has leukaemia.
The friendship dynamic between them is very intriguing to read about since they are all so different.
We have Nick, the genius but an awkward one. Simon, overweight, also some kind of genius, very introverted and reminded me a lot of other autistic characters (I have a soft spot for him!). Elton, the martial arts expert with a big and loving family. And finally John, the one you wouldn't expect to be in this group and he still fits in perfectly. He is wealthy, good-looking, charming and popular.
I loved reading about them all together.

The moment Nick finally told his friends about his leukaemia broke my heart. I loved all of their reactions. Spot on for all of them, all so different and still they all showed how much they love Nick.

The portrayal of Nick's illness was heartbreaking and so so good. I nearly tabbed all the book, but there are just so many beautiful, true and painful lines.

“Truth may often be the first casualty of war, but dignity is definitely the first casualty of disease.”

“It’s always a shock, when you’ve been hit by some calamity, to see the world go about its business with perfect indifference.”

And even though Nick wouldn't think it at first, but Mia fits right in with their group. She shakes everything up a bit but it's still the same tight fried group where everyone can be exactly how they are.

I never played D&D myself, although I want to try after reading this, and I still had a lot of fun reading about their sessions. It was expertly done how the real world and their fantasy one collided and merged into each other. I don't want to say much more because I think the less you know the more you'll love it. But just know that I loved how the choices they make really have consequences.

One Work Kill takes place in the '80s and it felt perfect for the story. Everything flowed seamlessly and it gave the story a certain vibe which I appreciated very much.
The writing style was also very fitting. It mixed humour with this intensity that keeps you turning the pages.

If you know some of Mark Lawrence's other books, you know that he usually writes grimdark fantasy. But he has no difficulty switching the writing style. While the story is not a grimdark fantasy it still has it's dark and heart-wrenching moments. The antagonists are pretty fucked up and some scenes will definitely make you cry. But it's always mixed with some light-hearted scenes.

Oh, and there is lot of scientific talk, but it's good to understand and doesn't stop the reading flow at all.

All in all, I'm amazed how much heart, pain, science and adventure Mark Lawrence managed to put into this 200 age book. It took me completely by surprise and weaselled its way into my heart without me even knowing. Next thing I knew I was preordering book 2.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


I went into this book expecting a straight-up science fiction but surprisingly what I got was a brilliant contemporary fiction with sci-fi aspects. In a relatively short novel, Mark Lawrence managed to make every word count. With great friendships, a touch of romance and a decent amount of twisty time travel.

There was a lot of Dungeons and Dragons references throughout and though I've never played it, I didn't feel like I missed out on anything. These scenes gave the author ample opportunity to develop the characters further and weave in threads that later became important. 

The only things that let the book down for me was the speed at which the main action scene ended. It seemed like the build up to that point was great but then the conflict itself was rushed and wasn't well resolved afterwards.

Overall I really enjoyed listening to this book. The narrator differentiated the voices just enough and the pace of the writing itself, apart from that one scene, was compelling and perfectly paced. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.

4 out of 5 stars!

One Word Kill is the first book by Mark Lawrence that I have ever read. Previously I had heard many amazing things about his works, in particular his Book of the Ancestor series. Because of that I was very happy to receive a copy of his science fiction novel. As you can see by my rating, I didn’t completely enjoy this book. There were things about One Word Kill that I enjoyed and things that really didn’t work for me.

I didn’t find it easy to get into One Word Kill. It took me some time to get used to the writing style. This book is very fast paced. It’s also short, which means that things are happening non-stop. This does make it a fast read, but it also means that some things felt rushed and glossed over. The focus of the story is on the action, rather than the characters. I feel that because of that the relationships between the characters weren’t that well done. The characters in itself weren’t that complex, there just wasn’t enough time in this book to develop them well.

The story was entertaining to read, but it didn’t feel all that original. There were also quite a few cliches that dimmed my overall enjoyment of the story. Due to the fact that the characters weren’t that well developed I didn’t connect to any of them. That made it harder for me to care what was happening to them. Honestly I was reading this book for the story rather than the characters (and that is not something that is usually the case for me).

Overall, One Work Kill was an okay book. It’s a fast paced and action packed story, with lacklustre characters. If the premise for this book sounds interesting to you I would recommend picking this book up.

One Word Kill was a solid start to a trilogy, and what's not to love about DnD campaigns mixed in with time travel? However it dragged a little for me, feeling longer than its 200 pages.

I absolutely Mark Lawrence's writing and the Impossible Times trilogy is no exception. This was a fantastic read with nostalgic 80s elements that fit perfectly with recent trends e.g. Ready Player One, Stranger Things etc. It's super nerdy, in the best of ways!

Mark Lawrence steps away from his fantasy world and steps expertly into science fiction with One Word Kill.

The first person narrative of teenager Nick Carter during the marvelous year, 1986, follows his friendships with differently geeky teenage boys and one girl who manages to infiltrate their weekly game of Dungeons & Dragons. Like Stranger Things, a real-life adventure intrudes and mingles with their fantastic gameplay.

Troubles abound, not least of which is the diagnosis Nick receives on the outset of the novel; leukemia. Things become twisted as multiple universe theory and quantum mechanics combine to complicate the present with implications from the future.

One Word Kill is a book about young people, reminiscent of the troubles teens faced in the '80s, about the remarkable strength of friendship. It is a book for all ages and holds more profound questions about personal philosophy and the world surrounding us.

Lawrence does a brilliant job of diving head-on into familiar science fiction conventions, while simultaneously flipping them a bit sideways to give them his unique spin. His prose is sharp with pithy observations and a touch of well-placed humor. Nick is a joy to read. He is a relatable protagonist, and riding along inside his head through the novel is never dull.

The book is full of well-crafted characters and villains whom the reader will be eager to see avenged. There is so much heart in One Word Kill, and it showcases the challenges of adversity in an utterly realistic science fiction world.

i enjoyed this book, but it has been a long while since i have read this, and i do very much apologize for that. but this one just wasn't that enjoyable for me, even though i did somewhat enjoy it.

An emotional reading I have delayed quite a lot. I was expecting some fantasy, to be hones, but found a compelling science fiction story triggered by a dramatic cancer diagnosed to the main character: a child. It has some similarities with some trending topics such as a young group of boys & girls in search for something/someone but this was farily interesting. I will continue with the second book, for sure.

I read this when it came out and enjoyed for what it was. I always enjoy Larence's writing. It's just his plot that usually comes off as underwhelming. This was the case here as well. I enjoyed the humour, the writing, the friendship, even the time travel aspect, which rarely works for me. But the plot wasn't good enough for me to inspire that sense of 'awe' when I come across a clever plot.

As a fan of video games, I really liked the premise of this book and enjoyed reading it. The first chapter set up the mystery well and drew me in.

Super enjoyable!

I had such a great time reading this. Mark Lawrence has created a fun, sometimes extremely profound and insightful story chock-full of adventure tropes and kickass teens overcoming adversity. It's clever, imaginative, and the characters feel surprisingly well-rounded for such a short book.

It's taken me ages to get to, but I'm really glad that this was my first Mark Lawrence book. Ever since I discovered his fantasy/grimdark books, got my husband absolutely hooked on them (without ever getting round to any of them myself), and started following him on Goodreads, I've been anticipating getting stuck in his book worlds. To me, One World Kill feels like the place to start to ensure that things can only get better.

Can't wait to get stuck in the next installment, and I can't wait to see what the author's other worlds hold once I'm done with this already-great series! Count me a fangirl already.

A very enjoyable mix of time travel, quantum physics and the many-worlds interpretation, Dungeons & Dragons, humor, and some romance.
The writing is flowing, I loved the D&D bits, and the time travel seemed quite coherent; I didn’t like that the villains were so one-dimensional and the secondary characters get so little development, but hey, it’s a short book, so there's not so much space for this..

* Plot: 4★
* Characters: 4-★
* Coherence/Consistency: 4-★
* Language/Humor/Witticism: 4★
* Enjoyability: 4.5★

I haven’t really read much by Mark Lawrence but after getting into some high fantasy and some morally grey fantasy, his work has been recommended to me a lot but I wanted to start off with some smaller and a little “lighter” – if I can use that term – of his works before jumping into his other series. We are introduced to our protagonist, Nick who has just been diagnosed with cancer and from the very beginning we can sense something is off as Nick talks about being dead less than a month after the diagnosis. When he goes for his first chemotherapy treatment, he begins hallucinating as he “awakes” in his friend’s house at their Dungeons & Dragons came from the week before. These things continue to happen with Nick either losing time or seeing things that really shouldn’t be there and these events are surrounded by a single person, an eery bald man who is following Nick everywhere. This man has also had interactions with Nick’s mother although she tries to make it seem like these didn’t happen. One night, Nick’s friend John gets him to sneak out in the middle of the night with a girl called Mia where they go for a drink and to smoke a joint. All three see the mysterious man but they get spooked and flee from him at Mia’s insistence but it is Nick who surprises them despite throwing up from the chemo which they don’t know about and being in pain, he beats them both out of the park. The opening couple of chapters to One Word Kill were extremely interesting and I eager to see where the story goes.

As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, Nick decides to keep his illness a secret from his friends for the time being and goes about his normal life, playing D&D, keeping the bullies at bay, and developing an interest in Mia. However, when Nick spots the bald man they fled from in the park outside Simon’s house, he is sure he is being followed and leaves the game early. At school, the next day he realises that his hair is beginning to fall out, but it is much earlier than the doctors said it would happen and Nick continues to experience the strangest déjà vu feelings that I have ever read about. At the next D&D meeting, Mia returns and has almost been made one of the group, but Nick has the feeling through the entire game that he has been there before. At the end of the game, he decides to come clean to his friend about his cancer and he realises their responses are identical to the vision he had a week before but he thought it was of the past when it was actually the future. Simon doesn’t take this news well and begins to freak out causing Nick to panic and flee which obviously means he runs into one of his bullies, Michael but is saved by the mysterious bald man who punches him straight in the face and when Nick asks why, he is told it is to gain his trust, although we don’t know why the man would need to gain Nick’s trust in the first place.

As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, Nick learns the stranger’s name is Demus and he tells Nick they will meet again in a weeks’ time and gives him a sheet of paper with two things written on it; a sequence of numbers and the words “batter up”. In the meantime, he gets a visit from Mia who gives him some resin to deal with the pain and sickness but he also seems to be developing quite the attachment to her and is very concerned when she has a black eye at the next D&D game. This game is critical as John says the phrase batter up and Nick begins getting the déjà vu feeling and also ends up using the sequence of number Demus gave him to correctly call several dice rolls which is statistically improbable. Nick tries to explain that Demus gave him those number a week ago, but they don’t believe him although Mia seems to be more curious and open to the idea than the others. When Nick does meet Demus again he realises that Demus is a future and alternate version on himself that has come to Nick’s universe in order to change his own. He also explains that the déjà vu feeling and visions Nick is having are because they are close proximity and the echoes he sees will fade with time but he sees an echo of himself and Mia being chased by the school psycho, Ian Rust with a machete and is obviously scared but Demus explains the reason he has come back is for Mia because she is in danger and he needs Nick’s help in getting her to trust him.

As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, I was thoroughly invested in the story and couldn’t wait to see where it went. Nick tries to get Mia to meet Demus but things definitely don’t go according to plan when Elton informs him that Mia has got herself mixed up with some really bad guys in order to secure the drugs he asked for and he wants to make it right. At her flat he find Michael there demanding Mia open the door and after Nick kicking him and Mia hitting him with a rounders bat, he leaves but he has already called someone else to come and deal with Mia. Mia explains that this person is new in Sack’s gang and is a real psycho and he just happens to be Ian Rust, the same person Nick saw chasing them down with a machete. When Rust arrived, he pours white spirit through the letter box and both Mia and Nick have no doubts that he will light it but Mia’s mother knows how to deal with people like Rust and they are safe for the moment. By the time Nick actually gets Mia to meet Demus, she is high stung and when he explains what he is (a time traveller) he gets her to believe it but when he tells her that his purpose for being in this time is to record her memories she flees. Demus gives Nick the money that will get Mia out of Sack’s sight and he flees after her but Demus also let slip that his memories were erased and it was Mia who told him to come back to this exact time although we don’t know why yet. Mia does manage to clear her debt, but I don’t think Rust will leave them alone given what Nick and Demus have seen but I am not sure what twists this novel is going to take in the second half.

As we cross the halfway mark in the novel, Nick is struggling with chemotherapy but at the same time he figures out that Demus doesn’t just want to convince himself and Mia but their other friends as well. When they meet with Demus they find out that Mia has an accident in the future and while she recovers physically a lot of her memories are lost, which is why he wants the current Mia’s memories which will be updated every 5-10 years to give to his Mia. However, for the devices to work he needs more processing power which isn’t available in 1986 apart from a prototype chip which hasn’t been released which John’s father would have access to, so they have to break in a steal it. That is going to require the whole group as John can get his father’s access, Simon can hack into the computers and Elton can perform the physical removal of the chip but in order for that to happen they all need to be convinced that what Nick is telling them is the truth. Demus uses the Challenger explosion and knowing Elton is gay, when he hasn’t officially come out yet to do this which works perfectly. I did like the fact there was some diversity in the cast with Elton, who is a POC and queer and considering the context of the novel, 1986 was in the middle of the AIDS crisis so it would have been a really hard thing for Elton to come out during this time and it made me a little teary. With the gang onboard, Demus tells Nick that he has one week to get the chip, record Mia’s memories, and then whip his own memories of that week so they don’t change his timeline and risk the fate of his Mia.

As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, Nic is building memories that he is going to loss in a short period of time which unless they have been reinforced in Demus will be lost forever including his first kiss with Mia. In between all these crazy things, Nick’s cancer treatment and normal teenage life, the group also have to deal with Rust several times after Mia’s mother cut him. The first is at Elton’s brothers’ 21st birthday where he corners the boys, injuring John before Elton, his brothers and his father come to their rescue, the second is even worse as he makes it clear he is after Mia but the other refuses to hand her over no matter the cost but Rust gets spooked. However, we learn shortly after that there has been a fire in Mia’s flat and her mother is now in the hospital meaning that Sack’s gang are going to be after Rust now because of the pseudo-loyalty they have for Mia’s older brother who is currently in prison. Mia’s mother basically orders Nick to keep her safe and to lay low until the police or Sack’s gang catch up with Rust and he agrees but they decides to move the heist up to that night so their Rust problem can be dealt with just like Demus promised it would be. For some strange reason I am getting conflicting feelings about the end of this novel, given the way Lawrence writes I am not sure if we will get a happy ending but I want a damn good happy ending because these characters deserve it after everything they have gone through and yet, I am aware that there are two more books in this series so it is going to end on a cliff-hanger of some sort. I did find it surprising that none of the group apart from Simon realises that Demus was Nick from the future but it does guarantee their help since they know if Demus is Nick, then doing what he says means Nick survives his cancer well into his 40’s at the very least.

As we cross into the final section of the novel, we get to see all parts of the mystery laid throughout the novel finally come together in ways that almost made me cry. While I won’t say much about the last part of One Word Kill, it was definitely an amazing read and I will be continuing with the series as soon as I can. The characters were all very well rounded and I was greatly saddened by some of the journeys they took but I was also incredibly pleased with the ending and how Lawrence ended the first instalment so perfectly. Honestly, if this is the way Mark Lawrence writes his other books then there is no doubt that I am going to love and some of these might just go on to be some very memorable books – if you got that terrible pun then you’ve read this book. Overall, One Word Kill was an exciting, heart-breaking, perfectly written, sci-fi mystery with some amazing characters and a surprising amount of diversity (sci-fi books tend to lack representation) and I can’t wait to get into the next instalment as soon as I can.