The Red Queen's War

Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War, #1) by Mark Lawrence introduces Prince Jalan Kendeth, a self-indulgent royal who can see the deadly presence known as the Painful Sister, invisible to most. Set during the long secret war led by the Red Queen against dark forces threatening the kingdom, Jalan’s reckless lifestyle is disrupted when he is drawn into a dangerous conflict alongside the northern warrior Snorri ver Snagason. Their intertwined fates lead them through perilous challenges as they confront magical threats and political intrigue, revealing that they may be mere pawns in the Red Queen’s larger strategy.

The Liar's Key by Mark Lawrence continues the Red Queen’s War trilogy with a darker, more expansive sweep across a frozen, war-shadowed North. Prince Jalan Kendeth, stranded far from southern luxury, travels with Viking warrior Snorri ver Snagason, who carries Loki’s key and is determined to breach the realm of the dead to reclaim his family. As winter loosens its hold, the Dead King moves to seize the key that can open any door and unleash an army of the risen, while the Red Queen quietly advances her own far-reaching designs. Blending epic and dark fantasy elements, the novel follows survival, magic, and looming war in a world where political strategy and supernatural forces collide.

The Wheel of Osheim by Mark Lawrence concludes the Red Queen’s War trilogy with a dark blend of epic fantasy, war, and survival. Jalan Kendeth and the Viking warrior Snorri ver Snagason struggle through hellish realms and a devastated world, bound to Loki’s key, a magical artifact that can open any lock and may alter their fates. While Jalan longs only for his former life of indulgence, the accelerating Wheel of Osheim threatens to destroy everything, forcing him into a confrontation with destiny he has tried to avoid. As armies of the Dead King advance and the uncanny mirrors of the Blue Lady distort reality, the novel pushes its flawed heroes toward a final choice between resistance and annihilation.

The New World by Mark Lawrence is a 25,000-word fantasy novella set after the events of Jalan and Snorri’s original trilogy, following the unlikely duo on a hazardous sea voyage to an unexplored continent. The story focuses on Jalan’s reluctant involvement and deep dislike of sea travel, contrasted with Snorri’s steadfast, warrior-like resolve, creating a character-driven narrative within a high-stakes adventure. Readers can expect elements of epic and dark fantasy, with magic, monsters, and survival at sea shaping the tone. The New World is currently available in print as part of The Red Queen’s WarD short story collection.