Missing Pages The Library Trilogy, #1.4-1.5-1.6)

The Library Trilogy #1.4-1.6

by Mark Lawrence

This is a collection of 4 short stories associated with The Library Trilogy.

The stories
Tabula Rasa
Overdue
Returns
& About Pain

The first three stories have been published separately in ebook. It's best to have read book one of the trilogy before trying these.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Anthologies, Fiction, High Fantasy, Science Fiction

137 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 24, 2024

About the author

My books vary a LOT - so here's a handy guide.

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Mark Lawrence is married with four children, one of whom is severely disabled. Before becoming a fulltime writer in 2015 day job was as a research scientist focused on various rather intractable problems in the field of artificial intelligence. He has held secret level clearance with both US and UK governments. At one point he was qualified to say 'this isn't rocket science ... oh wait, it actually is'.

Mark used to have a list of hobbies back when he did science by day. Now his time is really just divided between writing and caring for his disabled daughter. There are occasional forays into computer games too.

Reviews

[Mark Lawrence]

Missing Pages is finally ready 😮 Don't forget the short stories!



All the Library short stories, plus a new one (Tabula Rasa) in one ebook, paperback, or hardcover.

Go get it!



Cover art by Tom Brown - check him out:
https://mothfestival.wordpress.com/co...



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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes



..

[John Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review of Missing Pages is published at Grimdark Magazine.

Missing Pages is the new anthology from Mark Lawrence collecting all four short stories from his Library Trilogy. The anthology includes three previously published stories (“Overdue,” “Returns,” and “About Pain”) and one all-new story (“Tabula Rasa”).

Missing Pages opens with “Overdue,” a story of mutual inspiration that also serves as an ode to independent bookshops. The story is surprisingly complex, as Mark Lawrence constructs a circle of literary influence that transcends geographical and temporal boundaries. The interwoven nature of the tale beautifully conveys how aspiring authors can discover inspiration in the most unlikely sources. I particularly enjoyed the unexpected symmetry of inspiration presented in “Overdue,” which left a great emotional impact on par with Lawrence’s best short stories.

The next story in Missing Pages is “Returns,” which involves the search for a missing book, The Book of Many Stories, that must be returned to the Library. The search winds across space and time and may have implications for the librarian Yute’s missing daughter, who has been lost in the Library for over two decades. The book’s literal journey in “Returns” becomes analogous to our journey in reading the story.

The third story, “About Pain,” is Mark Lawrence’s homage to J.D. Salinger’s classic The Catcher in the Rye and probably my favorite story in Missing Pages. The goodest of good boys, the pitch-black dog Volente, brings an unwanted copy of Catcher to the protagonist, Holden, who detested the book when he was forced to read it in school. Upon returning Catcher to the library, Livira instructs Holden to read it every ten years and come back to tell her about it. The story then follows Holden through the decades as his life experiences make him appreciate new aspects of Catcher that he hadn’t yet considered. In a nice touch, “About Pain” also features Clovis Eventari, Evar’s imposing redheaded sister from The Book That Wouldn’t Burn.

“Tabula Rasa” is the fourth and final story in the anthology. The title is Latin for “clean slate” and serves as a mediation on (im)mortality and the limitless possibilities of the blank page. The story also includes new animal friend, an amphibian known as the epitoad who has a talent for reciting epigraphs.

Although the stories of Missing Pages are set in the same literary universe as the Library Trilogy, it’s not strictly necessary to read the main books of the trilogy before picking up this short story collection. Each of the stories is fully self-contained, and there are no spoilers here that would lessen your enjoyment of The Book That Wouldn’t Burn.

Altogether, the Library Trilogy has inspired some of Mark Lawrence’s best short stories to date, each one serving as a mediation on the power of stories in both reflecting and defining our common humanity. Missing Pages is a must-read for Mark Lawrence fans and anyone who shares the author’s passion for the written word.

[Fiona Tewson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 stories from the Library

I don't know what goes on in the head of Mark Lawrence, but these 4 short stories are very thought provoking and very different from each other, even though they all have the library at their heart.

In Returns, Yute goes to find a book which is a paradox and, if left, could create timeloop. The book can be found in a bookshop, one which could be anywhere on earth, just down the road and around the corner. Yute, the author of the book and Wentworth travel through the back of the shop to find this book.

In Overdue, Yute takes a young Master Heeth and they travel via boat and carriage, to find an aged prince. Unfortunately the book they have gone to collect has long since been sold, but with Wentworth's help, they go to retrieve it.

About Pain looks at how a book we read as a young person can change how we see things in our life, and if we read this book throughout our life, how do we see the protagonists change. Holden is given a library book by his dog, Volente. When he returns this book to the library, Livira tells him to read it and come back in 10 years time.

In Tabula Rasa, Yute is charged with finding immortality for King Oanold. He sets Livira and Arpix the task, along with 2 other couples, and gives them a week to find out how. Livira gets the aid of the toad, who only talks in epigraphs, to help in this tale of endurance.

In these 4 stories, Mark has given us food for thought. A story can be read by anyone and will mean something different for everyone who reads it. A story can be read throughout ones life, and it will alter as the person's perception of life alters as they grow older.

As always with a tale by Mark Lawrence, there is far more than just the words on the page. Read it for yourself and find out.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

English review below⬇️
-------
German review:

Es liest sich ziemlich wirr und der Mehrwert der Geschichten ging irgendwie an mir vorbei. Ich habe den ersten Band der eigentlichen Reihe wirklich geliebt, aber diese Sammlung zusätzlicher Geschichten hätte ich wirklich nicht gebraucht. Es macht den Eindruck als wäre überflüssiges Material einfach in ein Buch gepackt worden.

3,0🌟
------
English review:

It reads quite convoluted and random and the added value of the stories somehow passed me by. I really loved the first volume of the actual series, but I really didn't need this collection of additional stories. It gives the impression that superfluous material has simply been packed into a book.

3,0🌟

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t Put It Down

Real tear jerker; might be my old age. Tied very nicely to “The Book That Wouldn’t Burn”!
Makes me want to camp out in the Library to keep authors immortal!
Can hardly wait to read the next two books in the Library Trilogy
Thank you so much!

[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of four short stories that take place inbetween the first and second book of The Library series. They all follow characters mentioned in the first book but focus on events running outside of the central series storyline.

I found each of the stories to be fascinating in concept and all featured the most gorgeous prose and full of large philosophical ideas regarding the art of storytelling and reading. This did mean, however, that they somehow all missed the mark for me in being small and easily digestible small fictions, as the ideas they contained stretched the confines of this limited page count and had me longing for full length novels to be made from each storyline. I was often puzzled as to to the point of each story until right at the close of each, when the point would be made for the reader and I would realise I had been reading about something entirely opposite to what was on the page.

In all, this was a very clever collection and really showcased Lawrence's skilful weaving of words. His writing is pure magic and I crave it however I can get it, even if the formatting of them did not wholly work for me here.

[Shyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

True to the title of this collection, the short stories here focus not on the grand designs and concepts of the Library tilogy, but instead smaller, personal moments within the world, exploring different aspects of the relationships people have with books.

Overdue considers why people want to write, and examines the insecurities and influences tied up in that process.

For day after day Cole had tried to pour himself into the story, as if the ink were his blood and he might by force of will press the ineffable—the complexity that even in the shadows of his thoughts would not allow words to frame it—into the book. And every night, pushing the growing stacking of papers into its drawer, part of him would cringe to think of what any reader might make of his efforts. A toddler may paint with passion and heart ... and still what lies on the board in thick, primary colours remains a stick person of uncertain gender and purpose.

Returns traces the spatial journey of a book, and highlights its impact along that dimension, the breadth of people it has touched across time and different lands.

"And finally, the book, long or short, complete or incomplete, is returned to its place." He nodded at the last of the tiny graves. "To a slot in the devouring soil, or the faster appetite of the flames. Some will barely have begun the first line of their story before it ends. But there's a power in brevity. A short tale can weigh more heavily on the heart than the longest epic. And sometimes a single phrase will echo throughout eternity."

Heeth looked at Yute, unconvinced.

"Ah, Synoth said you were a sharp one. The truth, young man, is that nobody knows. The world seems cruel, life brutish, and however many words might be used to dress up such unpalatable facts, they carry a cutting edge. But I do believe that each of those lives, even the shortest, is in fact a book of many stories, and no single way of looking at them sees the whole."

About Pain hones in on the complementary temporal journey of a novel, and the ways in which an individual's understanding of it changes as they grow older, even as the words on the page stay the same.

Somewhere between the story, the book inside it, between Holden and you, somewhere in that dynamic ... it's about pain ... it's a message I can't write out in words. A message that couldn't ever be written out in simple lines, as if one person were explaining it to another. It's a thing that emerges between the reader and the text, and it's always changing, but it's always about the same thing."

[...]

"I think if you wrote a story about your daughter, the life she might have lived, the wonders she saw, and the people who loved her ... I think that would be real too, and that somewhere her potential would play out just like that, and in a trillion other places it would flow down every other path she might have taken—did take.

"I think Clovis will keep fighting across a thousand worlds. [...] And I think that's about pain too. And if she finds a story that resonates with her, and she returns to it year by year, she might discover another way of seeing her own wounds and live a happier life. Which is what I want for all of you."

Tabula Rasa closes, and also cyclically begins, this collection, by overlaying the ideas of people desperately seeking escape from their pending mortality and the impetus to begin writing when faced with the blank slate.

"Has there ever been anything more intimidating than a blank page?"

"Yes, the extremis of the cavalry charge, the fire's crackling roar, the gleam upon the instruments of torture—these are a different order, but also fleeting, born in the moment. The blank page is your life, the existential 'why?', the achingly long yawn of your days, spliced with their frightening brevity.

"The blank page is where you search for meaning, strive to show that you have some, learn that no such thing exists. Take that pristine field of white and drag your quill across it. A glistening black river remains in its wake, a dividing line that in its meanders carries a code, a story, both lies and truth can hide there in those convolutions, and the—"

"It's a bit overwrought, isn't it?" [...]

"I rather like it. Here's a man arguing that ultimately nothing matters, and yet he's doing it with such passion that clearly it matters very much to him. The dichotomy is amusing."

[...]

And if the epitoad had followed her to demand an epilogue, she would have stared at the blank page, her head filled with thoughts of both the permanent and the temporary, thoughts of the love that knows itself to be doomed and in that acceptance reaches new levels. And as her hand hovered above the page her head would also fill with thoughts of the hate that reaches for immortality as if there's a validation in forever that triumphs the beauty found only in moments.

Overall, these are stories of magical realism, making meaningful metaphors real to capture some of that deep connection between readers, books, and their writers.

[Daniel Pedersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpectedly deep and thought provoking collection of short stories that drive you to reflect on the things you truly value in life. A true delight from cover to cover. Thank you Mark Lawrence.

[✨ tweety ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of four short stories that are set before book #2.

My favorites were definitely 'Overture' and 'About pain'. These stories show the reality of small bookshops and libraries and how people can still find happiness in stories, even though it is hard and a book may not be known. This is a philosophical concept: a book and its story exist even though no one knows about it, and one day, they may be discovered like a treasure or stay hidden on a shelf and be forgotten. This also makes me think about stories and works of art in general, being sometimes appreciated after the author has died because someone has discovered them and found an hidden gem.

We can live a thousands lives when we read and every reading experience is different from the previous. This is why we may dislike a story or a character at first and then, after years, read it again and adore it and then criticize it because our feelings towards it change and it doesn't fit the person we are the the time anymore. This made me think about the reason why I reread my favorite books carefully. It would make me sad if I found out that I didn't enjoy X book as much as I did, but that is also part of evolving and maybe it means that I needed that when I was in a specific place and time but maybe the me from later has changed her mind, and it would still be okay. Nothing is set in stone and a book and its story are so powerful to do something like this, that they are scary.

We also see how the power of writing can change your attitude towards your past, present and future. Not only because when you are writing, you can dig inside yourself and 'dialogue' with yourself to find out who you are and what you want. But like Livira, the power of writing can give you the chance to rewrite situations and change an outcome.

The stories also deal with the theme of loss and how it affects people who aren't ready to let go and move on and dwell on their pain or displeasure. It is like when we read a book we don't like. Perhaps we didn't like it because it evoked feelings that hit too close to home and we weren't ready to see inside ourselves or let go of things of people who are dear to us.

Stories are forever and they can be interpreted in several different ways (which can all be correct). Time and place when a story is read can heavily influence popularity or the act of ignoring a book, making it as if it doesn't exist. The perception of stories is something that isn't set in stone. This means that books and stories, even if they didn't reach an audience, may do it in the future or they have already done it in a parallel dimension where things went differently.

Speaking of loss and death again, there is a part when 'a book of death' is mentioned and it made me think of a song by Audioslave called 'Like a stone' that fits the third story. Speaking of songs, I think that in the last story, which deals with the theme of immortality, there was a mention of Queen's 'Who wants to live forever'. I want to close this review by quoting a lyric from this song, that I think fits these stories: Forever is our today / Who waits forever anyway?

[kxtera meddins (maresh) · Rating 5 out of 5]

ugh i love this series.
viva la epitoad‼️
✨ “Fuck me sideways,” the toad quoted her, never varying its deeply grumpy expression.✨

[Shu Wei Chin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My conclusion is that if I have even one fiftieth of Mark Lawrence's imagination I'd pursue a writing career.

[Mar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missing Pages by Mark Lawrence is a collection of short stories that truly showcases his masterful storytelling. From the very first page, Lawrence demonstrates an undeniable talent for crafting narratives that completely engross the reader.

What makes this volume particularly special is its profound resonance with aspiring authors. Lawrence's insights and narratives feel like a personal acknowledgment, almost a gentle "nudge towards finding your scream into the wind." This collection doesn't just entertain; it inspires, making you feel understood and empowered in your own creative journey.

Ultimately, Missing Pages is a thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended read for anyone who appreciates compelling short stories, and especially for those with a passion for writing or reading. I’d read anything Lawrence writes.

[Renato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missing Pages is an anthology of stories connected to the Library Trilogy. While they do not cover critical events occurring between the books required to understand the trilogy, I would still push that they are recommended reading, only to be addressed after getting a basis in Book 1 (The Book That Would Not Burn).

͊☛ Novella 1 : Overdue ☚
This real-world title best prepares you for "The Books that Held her Heart", where the philosophy of libraries versus bookshops is argued.

☛ Novella 2 : Returns ☚
A story about Livira having to return a lost book to its placement in the Library, a book with a keen connection to Librarian Yute. This was the weakest of the quartet.

☛ Novella 3 : About Pain ☚
Years ago, I had read Leonard Cohen's "Beautiful Losers" after having it recommended a number of times. I found it to be a confusing and weird mess of a story, and when I shared this with someone I was told that perhaps I could not fully appreciate it as a young man. Much like the protagonist here, I had a very specific opinion here that may change after giving it another chance. In the case of this story, it is a version of Catcher In The Rye that the novella's protagonist (named Holden) has to come to terms with. I would argue that this takes place AFTER the Library trilogy. I am not sure exactly what Lawrence is trying to say here exactly except for 'sometimes it is not about you finding the right book, but rather waiting for you to be rightfully ready for that book'.

☛ Novella 4: Tabula Rasa ☚
A very sweet Livira journey about the search of the Fountain of Youth, that ends very comically.
Also, the origin of the random Library trilogy chapter epigraphs is explained here!

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed these four short stories featuring characters from The Library Trilogy. While they are stand-alone stories, they have mentions of things and characters in the two published books which should be read to fully enjoy these stories.

[up_owl_night_reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular

I consumed this book like breathing in air. I had a wonderful time reading this collection of short stories and continue to love Mark Lawrence's writing. Never fails to keep me captivated.

[Nanja Beesknees · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mooie bedachtzame verhalen met diepere lagen. Perfecte voorbereiding om het 2e boek uit de trilogie te gaan lezen zonder spoilers te geven.

[Jossan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute!!!

I love love love Lawrence’s writing and love for books, it shines through

[K D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although set in the world of The Library and featuring characters from it as well, these stories are fairly independent and don't require knowledge from the main series ( although it might help explain something about the characters and reveal hidden details)

[Crystal]

A lovely companion to Livira's world. Beautiful stories that I really enjoyed.

[Luiz Fernando · Rating 4 out of 5]

Missing Pages is a delightful collection of short stories related to The Library Trilogy. That said, these tales aren’t central to the trilogy’s narrative — they’re not canon, so to speak. Instead, they share familiar characters and concepts, like the Exchange and the Library itself, as part of a creative exercise in imagination. I’m reading them as a warm-up before diving into the final volume of the trilogy.

The collection includes four stories. In the first, Overdue, the business of owning a bookshop — or even writing a book — is explored. We also learn that once a book from the Library is in your possession, it must one day be returned... even if you had no idea such a place existed.

In Returns, Master Yute sets out on a journey to retrieve a particular volume: 'The Book of Many Stories'. This book has remained beyond the kingdom’s borders for nearly five decades, despite seven formal requests for its return — all of which went unanswered. Now, it’s time to act. But Yute’s mission is not just official; it’s deeply personal. 'The Book of Many Stories' was his daughter Yolanda’s favourite, and she has been lost within the Library for twenty years.

'A short tale can weigh more heavily on the heart than the longest epic. And sometimes a single phrase will echo through eternity.'

'About Pain' is a wonderful story that spans decades. Imagine trying to return a book you hated to a library, only to have the librarian convince you to reread it every ten years — and then come back to discuss it with her. That’s exactly what happens to Holden, and the librarian who persuades him to give the book another chance is none other than Livira herself. As the years go by, Holden’s life experiences inevitably shape the way he sees the book, just as Livira hoped they would.

In 'Tabula Rasa', King Oanold assigns Yute — and, by extension, other apprentices and librarians — an absurd task: to discover the key to immortality. This was my favourite short story, as it echoed a moment I loved in 'The Book That Wouldn’t Burn': when Lord Algar tasks Livira’s group with finding 'Reflections on Solitude', a book nearly impossible to locate. At the time, Livira was still a humble apprentice, and Lord Algar had darker motives, hoping the mission would get her expelled. I felt a similar tension and excitement here. This story also introduces a host of memorable characters — including a toad whose special skill is reciting epigraphs — and the thread involving Celabel and Dorian made for a perfect closing touch.

In short, Missing Pages is a wonderful collection that every fan of the Library Trilogy ought to read!

[Jazzine Storey · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with the first of this trilogy, I went in to each short story not knowing what to expect and came out mind blown and smiling, still trying to take in all of the neat knots that have been tied up.

Mark Lawrence has a way of telling his stories with an amazing amount of Easter eggs and so much information all while not leaving the reader too confused. You're on board with the story, drawing your own conclusions until things become more and more clear, your mind putting together the picture Mark intended in the end instead of the one he led you to believe. Magical.

[Donatella · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Every book is full of death. Or full of endings at least. There's no turning back. No returning. You cannot read the same book twice. When you return to the first page it will be a different 'you', changed by the very experiences you are seeking to recapture."

Very fun, beautiful and capturing short little book. I had a great time returning to some of the characters from the Library Trilogy like Livira, Volente and of course Master Yute. It had some very beautiful quotes. My favorite stories are Returns and Tabula Rasa.

[Craig Bookwyrm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb collection of stories from one of my favourite writers.

[Victoria Nika · Rating 5 out of 5]

For short stories, set in the library trilogy universe, I liked all of them and they all have their own charm.

[Daria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overdue 8/10
Returns 7/10
About Pain 8/10
Tabula Rasa 9/10

Rating: 4/5

[Cayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been chewing on this one, and I’m still not sure how I feel. I get the fact that Livira created “our world” in her story and he in turn wrote her.. Clovis shows up, just in a human form. Which I find interesting, as that answers a question I had about the mechanism.. so she became part of the story.. changed the story. Going back to the story of the bookstore (besides the fact that this is my life’s dream, the library connection was perfect) remaining through time, the authors both creating a loop in time by inspiring the other to write the book that in turn inspired the other. Kismet much?

The deeper meaning of it all for me is still in the works.. tbc

[Mikki Orner Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

"People are like books that are loaned out with blank pages and it's the job of the world to fill in the story. Maybe that story will get read a page here, paragraph there, a line exchanged on a doorstep with a stranger. With luck most of it will be shared with someone precious. But however many people read whatever part of it - even those who read the same pages - every one of them will come away with a different tale. And no one, save the person it's about, will read the whole story."

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not ready to say goodbye to the library or Livira just yet

[Kaleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks Mark, you stay making me cry.

[Danny Pearman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first one in this set earlier as a stand-alone so will not offer my comments as I have already done so.

The other two are great tales, the last couple being the best, the second is my favourite of all three 'Pain', was not sure to read these or not but pleased I did and would recommend if you have doubts about picking these up.