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One Word Kill (Impossible Times Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.0 out of 5 stars 12,586 ratings

A Goodreads Choice Award finalist.

“I enjoyed the hell out of One Word Kill. Mark is an excellent writer.” – George R.R. Martin

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.

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. A strange—yet curiously familiar—man is following Nick, with abilities that just shouldn’t exist. And this man bears a cryptic message: Mia’s in grave danger, though she doesn’t know it yet. She needs Nick’s help—now.

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.

Challenge accepted.

Ready Player One meets Stranger Things in this new novel by bestselling author Mark Lawrence.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“An excellent writer.” —George R.R. Martin

One Word Kill is the kind of story that will stay with you for a lifetime.” —Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author

“A completely absorbing tale that perfectly captures the fear, awkwardness, cynicism, and optimism of adolescence.” —Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of The Legion of Flame

One Word Kill grabs hold of you and won’t let you go until you’ve finished the last page. It’s everything that I look for in a book, and like the best of reads, one that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading it.” —John Gwynne, author of The Faithful and the Fallen series

From the Publisher

Prodigy son of a famed mathematician, Nick Hayes is not your average fifteen-year-old. Especially when you consider that he has just discovered he is dying of leukaemia. But there is a part of Nick in all of us, and I immediately empathised with the struggle at the heart of his story.

Nick knows that his time on this planet might be near its end. But when an alluring new girl, Mia, joins his group of Dungeons & Dragons–playing friends, he realises that life might be giving him one last throw of the dice. Just then, however, his world is turned upside down when he meets a strangely familiar man whose claims about Nick’s future are too harrowing—and unbelievable—to ignore. Soon everything he thought was true, from the laws of physics to the trajectory of his own life, is proved otherwise.

One Word Kill is a story that we’re familiar with: a boy with nothing to lose, forced to put what little he has left on the line. But it’s also the kind of story that comes along once in a generation, because we’ve all dreamed of being like Nick, playing a game with the highest real-life stakes and the world on our shoulders. This time, though, it’s not imaginary.

So, what would you do in his position? What else can you do?

Roll the dice.

- Jack Butler, Editor

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07C24V3SD
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ 47North
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 1, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.9 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 207 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1503958265
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ Impossible Times
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 12,586 ratings

About the author

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Mark Lawrence
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Mark Lawrence is married with four children, one of whom is severely disabled. His day job is 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'.

Between work and caring for his disabled child, Mark spends his time writing, playing computer games, tending an allotment, brewing beer, and avoiding DIY.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
12,586 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this time travel story engaging and well-written, with compelling characters and a fast-paced narrative that keeps readers glued to the page. The book explores thought-provoking concepts and features a captivating story about friendship, making it an enjoyable read. The emotional content receives mixed reactions, with some customers finding it poignant while others describe it as depressing.

485 customers mention "Readability"433 positive52 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a good time travel story with an engaging plot that keeps readers glued to the page.

"...but this was a fun little tale about a girl, friends, cancer, and time travel. Curious to see where the story goes in book 2." Read more

"...Overall, the the time-travel viewpoint is a refreshing change, but it's the characterizations of Nick and Mia and their relatives and friends that..." Read more

"...Soon Demus is explaining time travel to Nick, setting out a rationale for it in quantum mechanics, and giving Nick puzzles to solve to make his..." Read more

"...the only thing that carried over into this book was Lawrence’s great storytelling...." Read more

167 customers mention "Writing quality"153 positive14 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as eloquent and readable, with one customer highlighting the well-crafted dragon scenes.

"...the first book in Mark Lawrence’s IMPOSSIBLE TIMES trilogy, it sets things up nicely, and we’re all three looking forward to the next two..." Read more

"...the genre, he’s a master of bringing good characters to life with fantastic prose and plot...." Read more

"...though it didn't flow like I normally like, but it was still written well enough that I could "see" the story in my mind as I read...." Read more

"...Anyhow, Lawrence is a gifted writer. No matter how confused I got, I still was fascinated by the narrative and absolutely loved his characters...." Read more

161 customers mention "Character development"140 positive21 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them compelling and well-written, with the bad guys particularly effective at being antagonistic.

"...She also liked the characters, the way that Nick tried to process his diagnosis and treatment, the way his friends had trouble dealing emotionally..." Read more

"...involving quantum mechanics, healthy doses of D&D, and an amazing group of characters? Count me in any day of the week...." Read more

"...The characters are compelling. And the story keeps you glued to the page. I liked it but I did miss those mystical nuns." Read more

"...I liked all of the teenage characters (a rarity) and also the parents as well. Really good job by the author...." Read more

134 customers mention "Enjoyment"134 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining from first page to end, describing it as an enjoyable adventure story. One customer particularly appreciates the fun interplay of real worlds, while another notes how Dungeons and Dragons elements make for an interesting read.

"Wasn’t sure what to expect, but this was a fun little tale about a girl, friends, cancer, and time travel...." Read more

"...were always relevant and tied into the storyline, so it was a fun way to develop and prepare them for things...." Read more

"...There are some fun parts, and there are some intense/scary parts, with some violence, sickness, and pain, but nothing too over the top...." Read more

"...joining the game and fitting in among the guys. Sharp, smart humor. Time travel...." Read more

103 customers mention "Pace"77 positive26 negative

Customers enjoy the pace of the book, describing it as a fast read that moves at a fun quick pace, with one customer noting a slow complex build-up to something great.

"Yes, a quick and easy read, this novel just flowed along and gave me lifelike characters to check out and enjoy." Read more

"...But eventually, the pace picked up and I don't think I put the book down after I passed the halfway point...." Read more

"...It never felt rushed or cut short. There is a definite ending for those who hate cliffhangers...." Read more

"...a lot of blood and vomit and death in One Word Kill, but a strange lack of urgency...." Read more

94 customers mention "Thought provoking"89 positive5 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, keeping them guessing and rethinking as they read.

"...All the characters, even the minor ones, are unique and interesting and memorable without caricature, they feel like people you could meet in real..." Read more

"...characters that hang out through the series and gives you the backgrounds of their individual lives, problems and relationships...." Read more

"...This book has some common sci fi concepts like time travel and multiple universe theory, but the way they were featured was enough to make me think..." Read more

"Written with a heartfelt love - or deep understanding, at the very least - of D&D gaming, of the outcasts who somehow fit together, and the magic to..." Read more

43 customers mention "Romance"43 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the romance in the book, particularly its captivating story about friendship and enduring relationships between characters.

"...of teenagers creating lifelong bonds, learning to dance, experiencing their first kiss, being put in danger, working together to overcome the bully,..." Read more

"...I adored the characters and their relationships with each other...." Read more

"...made me realize how much I love novels that show healthy and typical friendships. It's just so refreshing and nostalgic...." Read more

"...The characters of Nick and Mia make for a great pair of star-crossed lovers, but unfortunately the remainder of the cast are forgettably cliché and..." Read more

53 customers mention "Emotional content"36 positive17 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the book's emotional content, with some appreciating how it conveys a dizzying array of feelings and is poignant, while others find it more than a little depressing.

"...Not only does Lawrence excel at giving his story emotional impact, he does so because he crafts such real and believable characters...." Read more

"...Mark is so fantastic at writing characters who feel 100% real. Cancer aside, I feel like I knew these kids in my own adolescence...." Read more

"...Yet the duality between Nick’s physical plight and his emotional play is too rough...." Read more

"This is a book about love and sacrifice, quantum mechanics, time travel paradoxes, and the redemptive value of forgetting to remember... or..." Read more

A Completely Engrossing Science Fiction Story!
5 out of 5 stars
A Completely Engrossing Science Fiction Story!
You guys: Read. This. Book. A crew of friends that doesn’t feel troped out—you’ve got the smart goth girl Mia, the rich kid John, the computational genius Simon, the acrobatics extraordinaire Elton, and lastly, the wonderful protagonist Nick who has an affinity for quantum theory (and math in general)—just like his dad. It’s 1986, and Nick—15—has been diagnosed with leukemia. He juggles the usual challenges that come with being a teenage boy: wanting to play D&D with the boys (this story is so much fun with how D&D is woven into it), keeping up with his studies, staying under mom’s radar, avoiding the interest of school bullies, navigating his first crush—and all of this while undergoing chemotherapy. You can imagine how its effects would make it harder for a boy to maintain confidence and a positive outlook on things. Mark is so fantastic at writing characters who feel 100% real. Cancer aside, I feel like I knew these kids in my own adolescence. There’s a huge sense of nostalgia in this story that coils around you and pulls you in. At roughly 200 pages, he doesn’t waste a single word, and despite the brevity, each character felt fleshed out and fully realized. I very much enjoyed this group of friends and tagging along on their journey. One of my favorite movies is Mr. Nobody; without giving too much away, if you tend to ponder life and existence like I do, I think you’ll really enjoy the story Mark has crafted here. I can’t wait to read the next book. And Mark’s writing... it’s as delicious and eloquent as always. Reading his work has become one of my favorite hobbies. Here’s a snippet: People look funny when you turn down the TV volume and they dance without music. When they talk without meaning it’s the same thing. If you ignore the words, there’s an honesty in the emotion that fleets across faces in conversation.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2025
    Wasn’t sure what to expect, but this was a fun little tale about a girl, friends, cancer, and time travel. Curious to see where the story goes in book 2.
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2019
    The initial part of this review reveals only things you would find out in the first couple of chapters, no spoilers. Later I reveal a couple of more important details. Stop reading at the *SPOILERS* line if you don't want to see spoilers!

    The title and publisher's blurb for this book are misleading. "One Word Kill" is a line from the book, but it is not descriptive of the plot. On the other hand, the blurb avoids any mention of time-travel, which is the whole plot of the book [hinted at in the first chapter, and revealed early in the book].

    I grabbed this because it was free (an Amazon First Reads choice), and the "Look inside!" preview on Amazon looked semi-interesting, but it didn't grab immediately --- it starts with Nick's cancer diagnosis and first round of chemotherapy, which is of course a downer, and just hints that there's something odd happening.

    The book is also relatively short (200+ pages), and hey, I'd just read a dozen pages of it, so I continued with it.

    It gets very good! The author's writing style is just a little different, but you quickly get used to it. His characterization of Nick's friends at high school, all of whom are nerd/D&D types, is dead-on and comfortably avoids making fun of, nor worshipping the type; they're nerds, they're bottom of the social ladder for reasons, and they're all (perhaps with the exception of John) socially dysfunctional in different ways, in ways that match my nerd experience.

    Overall, the the time-travel plot is refreshingly novel, but it's the characterizations of Nick and Mia and their relatives and friends that sell the book. All the characters, even the minor ones, are unique and interesting and memorable without caricature, they feel like people you could meet in real life. The exception of the villain, who is over-the-top; more of "person I'd read about on the front page of the newspaper" but doesn't strain into disbelief.

    [Starting here, I discuss things that aren't revealed until middle-ish of the book; I do not give away the ending or key surprises, but I do give away the general direction of the plot]

    *SPOILERS*

    *SPOILERS*

    The time-travel plot is refreshingly different, being shown from Nick's perspective, as a teenager meeting his 25-year-older self, "Demus". The setting is 1986; Demus has come from 2011. Rather than being the instigators of time-travel, we see the story from Nick and his friends view, who are the victims of it. Their frustrations are clear. Demus knows bad things, easily preventable things, that will happen to those they hold dear (including deaths!) and refuses to change things, because doing so would destroy Demus' plans --- but for Nick, and especially for his friends, that future is hypothetical and the people benefiting are strangers, but they are being asked to, verging on manipulated into, going through those personal pains and losses for people they not only don't know now, but may never know.

    Nick in particular has insightful views into how he feels disconnected from his past (as a toddler, he pushed a friend down a flight of stairs over a toy; but he feels no guilt about it today, because that is not him) --- so just how much should he do at the request of his future self, who is even farther away in time and more disconnected? Like most of us Nick only ever gave his future self slight thought ("the occasional short-lived resolve to eat better") and little action; is it really that different when you can see your future self now --- and he's healthy, but (perhaps) self-centered and callous? Or is it true that future self's view of what is important is the same as what yours would be, if you had all the information now?

    *SPOILER*

    [I reveal a key plot point, from the middle of the book, that motivates the characters for the last half of the book]

    *SPOILER*

    Alone of the gang, Nick has a special stake in Demus' plan. In this model of time-travel, if Demus changes the past, what he creates is an alternate world-line --- he will no longer be in his past, but a different future of Nick's. Nick's cancer has a poor prognosis [revealed in the first chapter]; his chances of living even 5 years are only 50-50, and Demus has lived 25 years. If the timeline is unchanged, then in addition to Demus getting what he wants, Nick gets a guaranteed 25 years of life.

    The fact that Demus' is hiding stuff is obvious, yet he is never caught in outright lies, just, the continual stresses of "You could have prevented [that horrible thing] that just happened to my friend!" vs "But if I had, it would have meant not making this very good change in the future!" It does not engender trust, especially not for Nick's friends --- but what would you do for a friend, if you knew it would cure their cancer?

    On top of the above, there is also the love interest, which is again shown very believably. We start with Nick's crush on this beautiful girl Mia, and the slow realization that it might be mutual. But why would somebody like Mia be interested in Nick? And then we discover more of Mia's character and background, and the attraction makes more sense, and grows very naturally over the course of the book.

    Overall, the the time-travel viewpoint is a refreshing change, but it's the characterizations of Nick and Mia and their relatives and friends that sell the book. All the characters, even the minor ones, are unique and interesting and memorable without caricature, they feel like people you could meet in real life. The exception of the villain, who is over-the-top; more of "person I'd read about on the front page of the newspaper" but doesn't strain into disbelief.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2019
    One Word Kill (2019) is a tale of 1980s British teenagers, time travel (bonus: with branching universes), Dungeons & Dragons, and cancer. As the first book in Mark Lawrence’s IMPOSSIBLE TIMES trilogy, it sets things up nicely, and we’re all three looking forward to the next two novellas.

    We know that the first-person narrator of the story has cancer ― leukaemia, to be precise ― from the very first paragraph of the story. Fifteen-year-old Nick is something of a genius, though his smarts don’t show much yet except in his choice of reading material during chemotherapy sessions. He has a group of close friends with whom he plays Dungeons & Dragons every Saturday, which group has recently been augmented by the addition of ― gasps of astonishment, everyone! ― a girl, Mia, to whom Nick is immediately drawn. He also has a couple of enemies, like Ian Rust, who is at least viciously cruel and at most seriously mentally disturbed, and Michael Devis, who is simply a garden-variety bully. He also has a devoted mother; his father, a brilliant mathematician, died some years before the book begins.

    One Word Kill gets off to a slow start, and it isn’t until about page 50 that we officially meet Demus, a bald man who appears out of nowhere to slug Michael Devis in the mouth just as Devis is about to empty Nick’s backpack into a pool of vomit. Demus looks troublingly familiar to Nick, and the reader figures out why pretty quickly (the clues aren’t exactly subtle). Soon Demus is explaining time travel to Nick, setting out a rationale for it in quantum mechanics, and giving Nick puzzles to solve to make his future ― and, significantly, Mia’s ― possible.

    Things grow ominous when Ian Rust is expelled from school and takes up with a local drug dealer to whom Mia owes a debt. Demus makes things even more difficult by asking for a piece of technology that doesn’t exist except as a prototype in Nick’s time.

    The ending of One Word Kill is left open. Though it could be a stand-alone novella, most readers will want to know what happens to these characters in the future and we’re glad that the story continues in Limited Wish.Impossible Times (3 book series) Kindle Edition

    One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence science fiction and fantasy book and audiobook reviewsIn Terry’s opinion, there is quite a lot of blood and vomit and death in One Word Kill, but a strange lack of urgency. It was decidedly not a page-turner for her, and surprisingly so, given the conflicts Lawrence has set up for his characters. But she finds Nick and Mia to be compelling characters, enough to make her want to keep reading the trilogy.

    One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence science fiction and fantasy book and audiobook reviewsKat listened to Brilliance Audio’s edition which was nicely read by British narrator Matthew Frow. She liked One Word Kill better than Terry did. Quite a bit of this is probably due to nostalgia: she is only two years younger than the author and exactly the right age to relate to Nick and his friends as teenagers in the 1980’s. For that reason, One Word Kill felt more cozy than slow.

    She also liked the characters, the way that Nick tried to process his diagnosis and treatment, the way his friends had trouble dealing emotionally with it, and the way that Nick interacted with a girl in the chemotherapy ward at the hospital.

    Kat loves time-travel /possible-future themed-stories and, though there are a couple of plot details in One Word Kill that feel a bit shaky at this moment, she is trusting Mark Lawrence (who has a degree in math and a PhD in physics) to bring it to a tight conclusion.

    One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence science fiction and fantasy book and audiobook reviewsTadiana’s rating lands at 3.5 stars, right between Kat’s and Terry’s. She found the plot intriguing (like Kat, Tadiana is a fan of time travel tales and strongly predisposed to approve of them). Mark Lawrence’s writing style is also a noticeable step up from the usual:

    A decade seemed like forever, and it would take three of them just to reach the age my mother was right now. Cancer had closed that down. Like the big C, curling in on itself, my view of the future had narrowed to tunnel vision, aimed squarely at the next week, next month … would I have a next year? I was carrying not only the burden of my sickness but the pressure of making something worthwhile of each day now that my towering stack of them had fallen into ruin and left me clutching at each hour as it slipped between my fingers.

    The characters also appealed to Tadiana (well, except for the psychopathic Rust, with the “hole in his mind that needed to be filled with other people’s pain”) and the plot kept her engaged and interested. When all was said and done, though, the motivation for Demus’ trip to the past seems clearly insufficient, given the high price that Demus knows it will cost. To say more would get us into spoiler territory, but perhaps the next book will clarify why it was so vitally necessary. As it currently stands, it was a big enough plot hole for Tadiana to knock down her rating by a star, especially when combined with too many logical questions being sidestepped with the rationale that Demus has to take certain actions simply because that’s the way it happened before.

    Lawrence’s choice of “One Word Kill” as the title of this novel plays out in at least a couple of ways. A key point in a couple of the characters’ D&D games is a spell named “Power Word Kill”; Nick points out how “lame” he thinks this spell is because with every other bad thing that happens, there’s some chance, however small, that you can escape. But with Power Word Kill, there’s no chance at all to escape the spell if it’s cast at you. That same sense of inexorable death looms over Nick personally because of that “one word” every human dreads to hear: “Cancer.” But perhaps there’s a narrow way out for Nick after all…

    The next book, Limited Wish, has just been released and we expect that the final book, Dispel Illusion, will be out later this year. We’ll let you know how they go.

    Originally published on Fantasy Literature Website.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Olivier B.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Des personnages attachants
    Reviewed in France on May 27, 2019
    J'ai adoré ce roman, mon premier de Mark Lawrence, et ma deuxième fois sur une lecture en anglais (la première était Artemis d'Andy Weir). Et alors que je me disais que c'était bien court et que j'aurais continué la lecture avec plaisir.... le tome 2 sort demain ! Si ça c'est pas avoir de la cha...nce !
    Sinon je suis une bille en analyse de texte, alors que vous dire ? J'ai aimé, that's it ! L'histoire est intéressante, originale, les personnages tous sont plutôt attachants.. Bref, une belle découverte !
    Report
  • margaret anderson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great Story
    Reviewed in Canada on December 29, 2019
    I enjoyed this novel more than I expected. Great writing, and a novel concept
  • Beasty
    5.0 out of 5 stars the best
    Reviewed in Germany on February 16, 2024
    the best
  • BLACK PERSEO
    4.0 out of 5 stars Decente
    Reviewed in Mexico on December 19, 2021
    Libro en inglés, tapa blanda sin sobrecubierta. Llegó en tiempo y forma. En cuanto a la edición del libro⭐⭐⭐⭐.
    En relación a la historia, el libro es breve por lo cual el desarrollo se siente muy apresurado dando más importancia a algunos eventos que no tienen relevancia directa con el avance de la historia. No es malo, definitamente le daré oportunidad al segundo. ⭐⭐⭐
  • Graham Weiss
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good.
    Reviewed in Australia on February 28, 2025
    Great author.

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