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18 days and 07:21:48
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The Kindness Academy #1
Daughter of Crows
Not yet published
Expected 24 Mar 26Win a free print copy of this book!
18 days and 07:21:48
5 copies available
U.S. only
The survivor of a brutal academy must exhume her own past in the first book in a new series from the international bestselling author of the Library Trilogy and the Broken Empire series.
Set a thief to catch a thief. Set a monster to punish monsters.
The Academy of Kindness exists to create agents of retribution, cast in the image of the Furies—known as the kindly ones—against whom even the gods hesitate to stand. Each year a hundred girls are sold to the Academy. Ten years later only three will emerge.
The Academy’s halls run with blood. The few that survive its decade-long nightmare have been forged on the sands of the Wound Garden. They have learned ancient secrets amid the necrotic fumes of the Bone Garden. They leave its gates as avatars of vengeance, bound to uphold the oldest of laws.
Only the most desperate would sell their child to the Kindnesses. But Rue … she sold herself. And now, a lifetime later, a long and bloody lifetime later, just as she has discovered peace, war has been brought to an old woman’s doorstep.
That was a mistake.
Set a thief to catch a thief. Set a monster to punish monsters.
The Academy of Kindness exists to create agents of retribution, cast in the image of the Furies—known as the kindly ones—against whom even the gods hesitate to stand. Each year a hundred girls are sold to the Academy. Ten years later only three will emerge.
The Academy’s halls run with blood. The few that survive its decade-long nightmare have been forged on the sands of the Wound Garden. They have learned ancient secrets amid the necrotic fumes of the Bone Garden. They leave its gates as avatars of vengeance, bound to uphold the oldest of laws.
Only the most desperate would sell their child to the Kindnesses. But Rue … she sold herself. And now, a lifetime later, a long and bloody lifetime later, just as she has discovered peace, war has been brought to an old woman’s doorstep.
That was a mistake.
416 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 24, 2026
17300 people want to read
About the author
Mark Lawrence
99 books56k followersMy books vary a LOT - so
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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.
[My new book The Book That Broke The World is out now!]
Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/marklawrencea...
Blog here: http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.uk/
I'm on Youtube now! *excitement!*
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIrB...
Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/MarkLawrence...
https://www.instagram.com/mark___lawr...
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@mark___lawrence
Blue Sky
https://bsky.app/profile/marklawrence...
Three-emails-a-year newsletter here:
http://eepurl.com/cimnK1 #Prizes #FreeContent
I'm even on Tumblr!
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/marklawre...
Pintrest!
https://uk.pinterest.com/princeofthor...
Plus I have free stuff on Wattpad!
https://www.wattpad.com/user/MarkLawr...
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.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
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January 8, 2026I've written a DARK book here!
Currently there's a US giveaway going on: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
And you can pre-order signed copies from Waterstones (UK) now! https://www.waterstones.com/book/daug...
Here's the cover reveal, along with an interview with the artist!
https://thatthornguy.com/2025/10/21/i...
There are ARCs - you'd have to contact Ace (US) or Voyager (UK) to lay hands on one though.
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
….
Currently there's a US giveaway going on: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
And you can pre-order signed copies from Waterstones (UK) now! https://www.waterstones.com/book/daug...
Here's the cover reveal, along with an interview with the artist!
https://thatthornguy.com/2025/10/21/i...
There are ARCs - you'd have to contact Ace (US) or Voyager (UK) to lay hands on one though.
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
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anticipated-books
December 20, 2025_A great cover,gods and academic vibes plz sign me up .
September 30, 2025
What kind of heroine this book is about you might ask? “The kind that crawled from the grave spitting dirt and ready for vengeance.”
I beta-read this in 2023-24, chapter by chapter as it was written, and later edited, providing detailed feedback.
It’s a grimdark novel, blurbed as Squid Game meets John Wick, with an old woman as the main character. The story shows her at different ages (the trilogy’s original working title is Maiden, Mother, Hag—if that doesn’t mean anything to you, look up "Triple Goddess").
Needless to say following the blurb, it’s a very dark book. A LOT of people die and some in terrible ways. Some will then even come back for a while. But necromancy has never been written more beautifully before.
It’s a revenge story that is powerful, fascinating, grim and even creepy at times, with a seasoning of occasional dry humour and lumps of heartache.
Additionally, I’ve just seen the final version of the UK cover art and it’s so hauntingly beautiful I’ve got goosebumps all over!
It’s another triumph for HarperVoyager after the stunning Library trilogy covers. Cover artist Tom Roberts is definitely a keeper!
I beta-read this in 2023-24, chapter by chapter as it was written, and later edited, providing detailed feedback.
It’s a grimdark novel, blurbed as Squid Game meets John Wick, with an old woman as the main character. The story shows her at different ages (the trilogy’s original working title is Maiden, Mother, Hag—if that doesn’t mean anything to you, look up "Triple Goddess").
Needless to say following the blurb, it’s a very dark book. A LOT of people die and some in terrible ways. Some will then even come back for a while. But necromancy has never been written more beautifully before.
It’s a revenge story that is powerful, fascinating, grim and even creepy at times, with a seasoning of occasional dry humour and lumps of heartache.
Additionally, I’ve just seen the final version of the UK cover art and it’s so hauntingly beautiful I’ve got goosebumps all over!
It’s another triumph for HarperVoyager after the stunning Library trilogy covers. Cover artist Tom Roberts is definitely a keeper!
Want to read
October 25, 2025THIS COVER OH MY GOD
Want to read
November 22, 2025Love the cover art! From the synopsis it sounds like Lawrence is going back to grimdark territory and I am all in! Hoping to get an ARC;)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I loved this book. This was my first time reading anything by Mark Lawrence. I actually planned to start with The Book That Wouldn’t Burn this year, but when I spotted an ARC of Daughter of Crows on NetGalley I abandoned all plans like a crow chasing something shiny. Zero regrets.
This book is chaotic in the best way. You’re thrown into the story with "a lot of characters" and shifting perspectives, and at first it feels overwhelming. But after a few chapters, everything starts to click, and suddenly the chaos makes sense.
Mollandra’s storyline at the Academy had me in a chokehold. That POV was my favorite by far, no competition. I was fully invested, emotionally attached, and absolutely not okay with everything that happened to her because let’s be honest, the girl did not get a single happy moment in this book. Not one. Zero. Just pain, trauma, and suffering on repeat. She was funny, loyal, and the kind of person you know you’d want in your life. The type who has your back no matter what. Which makes it even worse, because she deserved so much better than what she got. For her, I would become Kindness itself, just so I could get revenge and kill everyone who hurt her.
-"You told him to fuck off!"
-"I know what i did."
-"But he's the ferryman! He's Death with his scythe! He's the winged ones who take the warriors straight from the battlefield. He's-"
-"He's propably used to it. Dying's enough to give most people an attitude."
Honestly, in every book there’s usually at least one character I can’t stand, but not here. Somehow, everyone made sense. Every character had a purpose, and even when they were awful, it was clear they were like that because the world broke them first. The Academy, the system, the whole mess. No pointless villains, no “why are you even here?” characters, just deeply damaged people doing their thing.
If you’re into Greek mythology, this book will be right up your alley. The Furies (Erinyes) are basically the backbone of the story: ancient goddesses of vengeance pulling the strings, ruining lives. Fans of Squid Game should feel right at home here, too. It’s drenched in blood, death and gore.
Last but absolutely not least, the magic in this book is chef’s kiss. There are magical mixtures designed to unlock your inner rage, mess with your memories, or erase things entirely. And yes, there’s a talking crow. No, I will not explain. Just read the book.
This book is chaotic in the best way. You’re thrown into the story with "a lot of characters" and shifting perspectives, and at first it feels overwhelming. But after a few chapters, everything starts to click, and suddenly the chaos makes sense.
Mollandra’s storyline at the Academy had me in a chokehold. That POV was my favorite by far, no competition. I was fully invested, emotionally attached, and absolutely not okay with everything that happened to her because let’s be honest, the girl did not get a single happy moment in this book. Not one. Zero. Just pain, trauma, and suffering on repeat. She was funny, loyal, and the kind of person you know you’d want in your life. The type who has your back no matter what. Which makes it even worse, because she deserved so much better than what she got. For her, I would become Kindness itself, just so I could get revenge and kill everyone who hurt her.
-"You told him to fuck off!"
-"I know what i did."
-"But he's the ferryman! He's Death with his scythe! He's the winged ones who take the warriors straight from the battlefield. He's-"
-"He's propably used to it. Dying's enough to give most people an attitude."
Honestly, in every book there’s usually at least one character I can’t stand, but not here. Somehow, everyone made sense. Every character had a purpose, and even when they were awful, it was clear they were like that because the world broke them first. The Academy, the system, the whole mess. No pointless villains, no “why are you even here?” characters, just deeply damaged people doing their thing.
If you’re into Greek mythology, this book will be right up your alley. The Furies (Erinyes) are basically the backbone of the story: ancient goddesses of vengeance pulling the strings, ruining lives. Fans of Squid Game should feel right at home here, too. It’s drenched in blood, death and gore.
Last but absolutely not least, the magic in this book is chef’s kiss. There are magical mixtures designed to unlock your inner rage, mess with your memories, or erase things entirely. And yes, there’s a talking crow. No, I will not explain. Just read the book.
Want to read
December 1, 2025gorgeous gorgeous cover with an intriguing synopsis (and i do love to follow an older character!!)
January 4, 2026
4.5 out of 5!!
This book was such an amazing ride and I couldn’t predict a minute of it. First book by this author but will pick up many more of his books going forward!
This book was such an amazing ride and I couldn’t predict a minute of it. First book by this author but will pick up many more of his books going forward!
Want to read
December 24, 2025when i saw mark lawrence was dropping a new book i rejoiced
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Going into this book, I thought this was going to be about a teenager from the title reminiscent of an YA novel, so you can imagine my surprise when I opened the book only to find out that the main character was in her 60s. I just want to say that I’m a huge fan. I haven’t seen an old person complete with grey hair, wrinkles, and a knitting hobby as a protagonist in fantasy/scifi before, and I thought it was very refreshing to read about. Molly has a very interesting life behind her, and it’s fun to read about a character with more life experience in a fantasy world. She’s also really cool in my opinion.
I enjoyed this nonlinear format of storytelling. The story jumps between 3 different points in time: Rue as an old woman, Mollandra in the academy, and her childhood. Also, the dialogue is great in this book. The characters also acted believably in my opinion and made decisions that make sense. I also thought the friendship between the girls was great.
While necromancy doesn’t feel like the most unique power for a protagonist to have as someone who has read solo leveling and a bunch of copies of it, I like how it is executed in this book. The main character can’t just raise an army of dead people to fight for herself most of the time, and she still has to be good at hand-to-hand combat and doesn’t have a huge advantage over base humans.
I liked the magical elements of the book: the elixir and the Ingredient remind me of the spice in Dune, and I’ve always preferred stories where magic is acquired rather than being innate. I also thought the triple goddesses were really interesting.
However, the nonmagical aspects I found meh for me. I like that the author took inspiration from Greece, but it felt too generic to really pique my interest.
Anyway, I thought this was a good fantasy novel and definitely recommend it. Excited to see what the author has in store for the other books of the series.
I enjoyed this nonlinear format of storytelling. The story jumps between 3 different points in time: Rue as an old woman, Mollandra in the academy, and her childhood. Also, the dialogue is great in this book. The characters also acted believably in my opinion and made decisions that make sense. I also thought the friendship between the girls was great.
While necromancy doesn’t feel like the most unique power for a protagonist to have as someone who has read solo leveling and a bunch of copies of it, I like how it is executed in this book. The main character can’t just raise an army of dead people to fight for herself most of the time, and she still has to be good at hand-to-hand combat and doesn’t have a huge advantage over base humans.
I liked the magical elements of the book: the elixir and the Ingredient remind me of the spice in Dune, and I’ve always preferred stories where magic is acquired rather than being innate. I also thought the triple goddesses were really interesting.
However, the nonmagical aspects I found meh for me. I like that the author took inspiration from Greece, but it felt too generic to really pique my interest.
Anyway, I thought this was a good fantasy novel and definitely recommend it. Excited to see what the author has in store for the other books of the series.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A caveat! Mark Lawrence is a friend. I received this free advance reading copy from the publisher. I do not think either of these things affect my rating of the book.
A couple or three more things. I really like crows. I am fascinated with memory and what we recall or don't recall. And I identified strongly with Rue.
I've been reading Mark Lawrence's books for years now. The first one I read, Prince of Thorns was sent to me by our mutual editor. Several chapters in, I was wondering, "Why would she send me this book!?" But before long it was, Aha. This book is for me.
Mark's books are not, perhaps, for the faint of heart. Harsh things happen. Characters experience things we don't like and take actions that may be hard to understand in that first moment. But trust me and trust Mark. These are books you will remember and keep on your shelves.
The cover blurb gives away this so I don't mind mentioning it. Our main protagonist is a student in a harsh Academy of Kindness. The training to become a Kindness will weed out those who are weak, lack the required talents or are simply unlucky.
This is not your usual Fantasy Academia book. We follow our protagonist both as a student, flashing back to her early life and then venture on with her as an old woman (one I very much identified with!)
Although this is the first book of a trilogy, I think he has selected a good stopping space. I will wait a year (or more!) for the remaining two books.
And I will mention here a very different trilogy of books written by Mark that I absolutely love. It has been very hard to keep them in my house as offspring keep borrowing them. If you have ever enjoyed D&D, they might be for you. Or even if you haven't. One Word Kill, Limited Wish and Dispel Illusion.
A couple or three more things. I really like crows. I am fascinated with memory and what we recall or don't recall. And I identified strongly with Rue.
I've been reading Mark Lawrence's books for years now. The first one I read, Prince of Thorns was sent to me by our mutual editor. Several chapters in, I was wondering, "Why would she send me this book!?" But before long it was, Aha. This book is for me.
Mark's books are not, perhaps, for the faint of heart. Harsh things happen. Characters experience things we don't like and take actions that may be hard to understand in that first moment. But trust me and trust Mark. These are books you will remember and keep on your shelves.
The cover blurb gives away this so I don't mind mentioning it. Our main protagonist is a student in a harsh Academy of Kindness. The training to become a Kindness will weed out those who are weak, lack the required talents or are simply unlucky.
This is not your usual Fantasy Academia book. We follow our protagonist both as a student, flashing back to her early life and then venture on with her as an old woman (one I very much identified with!)
Although this is the first book of a trilogy, I think he has selected a good stopping space. I will wait a year (or more!) for the remaining two books.
And I will mention here a very different trilogy of books written by Mark that I absolutely love. It has been very hard to keep them in my house as offspring keep borrowing them. If you have ever enjoyed D&D, they might be for you. Or even if you haven't. One Word Kill, Limited Wish and Dispel Illusion.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In Daughter Of Crows by Mark Lawrence, the Academy of Kindness was created to hone agents of justice to be used against those their gods fear. But when one year's annual sale of a hundred girls to the academy results in three survivors a decade later, the Academy's halls are stained with bloodshed and murder. Determined to seek vengeance for their experiences and bound to the laws they're sworn to, most of the girls - who are mostly dead - aren't willing participants in their sale. This isn't the case for Rue, who sold herself to the gods she now serves. But her lifetime of violence didn't end how she would've liked, and when violence arrives to take her in its grasp once more, she's forced to return to the life she once knew: one of murder, of secrets, and of darkness.
I've never read anything by Mark Lawrence before, but I was thrilled to get accepted for an ARC of his newest novel to dive head-first into his fantasy worlds. It paid off, certainly, because Daughter of Crows is nothing short of a masterpiece. I absolutely loved this novel, especially the descriptions if the magic system and the desperation of the characters. The twists regarding Rue's backstory truly struck me, and I loved the immersive world of gods and killers Lawrence created to cradle the cast he built. The dark academia aspects were foreboding, and it was dark in such a delicious and satisfying way that is not often found in more romance-driven dark fantasy. I loved it, and I can't wait to read the sequel!
I've never read anything by Mark Lawrence before, but I was thrilled to get accepted for an ARC of his newest novel to dive head-first into his fantasy worlds. It paid off, certainly, because Daughter of Crows is nothing short of a masterpiece. I absolutely loved this novel, especially the descriptions if the magic system and the desperation of the characters. The twists regarding Rue's backstory truly struck me, and I loved the immersive world of gods and killers Lawrence created to cradle the cast he built. The dark academia aspects were foreboding, and it was dark in such a delicious and satisfying way that is not often found in more romance-driven dark fantasy. I loved it, and I can't wait to read the sequel!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This certainly isn’t a lighthearted, cozy fantasy and instead looks at the darker side of what humanity is capable of. The characters are constantly struggling on, fighting through adversity after adversity, while in the shadows the “true” villain takes shape. There is a lot of going back and forth between multiple points of view, sometimes with characters taking on new identities as their lives shape them anew, so you have to stay sharp and track the storylines through. While certainly not a book filled with heartwarming characters, you do still root for them and perhaps see them as more real because of their copious flaws as they struggle to do the right thing in impossible circumstances. Its a tough one to say “I enjoyed” because it is so dark, but I sped through it as I used my free time to discover what happens next, which is a testament of its own for the quality of the story.
This certainly isn’t a lighthearted, cozy fantasy and instead looks at the darker side of what humanity is capable of. The characters are constantly struggling on, fighting through adversity after adversity, while in the shadows the “true” villain takes shape. There is a lot of going back and forth between multiple points of view, sometimes with characters taking on new identities as their lives shape them anew, so you have to stay sharp and track the storylines through. While certainly not a book filled with heartwarming characters, you do still root for them and perhaps see them as more real because of their copious flaws as they struggle to do the right thing in impossible circumstances. Its a tough one to say “I enjoyed” because it is so dark, but I sped through it as I used my free time to discover what happens next, which is a testament of its own for the quality of the story.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
thx to Edelweiss for the arc!
I always like to try something new in fantasy - I never finished “Prince of Thorns,” but the description of this book was too interesting to pass up so I’d thought to try another Mark Lawrence! Without going into spoilers, the Academy portions of the book were incredible - so many unique characters, the atmosphere was so tense and dark, the slow reveal of information, all perfect. I struggled a bit more with Rue’s story, which had a jarringly slower pace and significant amounts of internal monologue that felt repetitive. I was also so disappointed to find out this is a book one; I think it would have been a stronger standalone, which might have helped with the pacing issues (especially with the political plot).
But still enjoyed overall!
I always like to try something new in fantasy - I never finished “Prince of Thorns,” but the description of this book was too interesting to pass up so I’d thought to try another Mark Lawrence! Without going into spoilers, the Academy portions of the book were incredible - so many unique characters, the atmosphere was so tense and dark, the slow reveal of information, all perfect. I struggled a bit more with Rue’s story, which had a jarringly slower pace and significant amounts of internal monologue that felt repetitive. I was also so disappointed to find out this is a book one; I think it would have been a stronger standalone, which might have helped with the pacing issues (especially with the political plot).
But still enjoyed overall!
Want to read
December 3, 2025i need this now. that cover is immaculate. also, the premise is already going to send me. it's going to be read and sat right next to my red sister collection
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews