The book that held her heart

The fate of a vast mystical library is decided in the stunning final installment of Lawrence's Library trilogy (after The Book That Broke the World). Protagonists Livira and Evar have been separated once again, divided by the factions warring over the future safety of the library that stretches out beneath their world. Livira has chosen to follow those who wish to save the library, joining them in venturing through one of its many portals first into a familiar and then a distant past. As they follow the tracks of the library's history, Livira's group comes across an unexpected friend and an old enemy. Meanwhile, Evar is taken by those who seek the library's destruction, falling farther into the library itself and only surviving by unexpected means. A third group, led by Yute, seeks a compromise. This middle path leads to a past recognizable to the reader, but no less dark than the present the characters were fleeing. Meanwhile, unbound by time or space, Livira's powerful book continues to wreak havoc on the library, speeding along its destruction. In the final hour, all of the players are on the board, and the circumstances are dire. Lawrence pulls out all of the stops for the thrilling last chapter of Livira and Evar's story. Series fans will not want to miss this jaw dropping finale. Agent: Ian Drury, Sheil Land Assoc. (Apr.)

The library has been infinite and unending, but as Livira finds herself separated from friends across time and space, it is only her book that can determine its fate. So many are lost: Livira in the far past, where Charlotte is interfering with events; Evar is with Mayland, trying to prevent his brother's quest to destroy the library and once again reunite with Livira; Yute and Kerrol find themselves in a strange world of prewar Nazi Germany, where books, and people, are in danger; and Arpix is trapped with others by King Oanold, who has Livira's book. The fate of all lies within the pages, and no one will be able to skip over the final words. The alternating points of view build a vivid setting for this character-driven tale. As the stories bounce between past and present, Lawrence ties together all the threads into a whole tapestry of lives. VERDICT Lawrence offers the final gut-wrenching book in his "Library Trilogy" (after The Book That Broke the World) with a storyline about the beginning of the Holocaust driving home the power of books to hold the past, present, and future.--Kristi Chadwick