The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

hardcover, 416 pages

Published Sept. 22, 2020 by Katherine Tegen Books.

ISBN:
978-0-06-268325-0
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4 stars (24 reviews)

A girl’s quest to find her father leads her to an extended family of magical fighting booksellers who police the mythical Old World of England when it intrudes on the modern world. From the bestselling master of teen fantasy, Garth Nix.

In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for her father, a man she has never met. Crime boss Frank Thringley might be able to help her, but Susan doesn’t get time to ask Frank any questions before he is turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin.

Merlin is a young left-handed bookseller (one of the fighting ones), who with the right-handed booksellers (the intellectual ones), are an extended family of magical beings who police the mythic and legendary Old World when it intrudes on the modern world, in addition to running several bookshops.

Susan’s …

8 editions

reviewed The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix (Left-Handed Booksellers of London, #1)

Even-handed

3 stars

So I love Garth Nix's other YA series, namely Old Kingdom and Keys to the Kingdom and I had no idea he'd started a new series recently.

I'm also a fan of urban fiction, and blended myth and modern day, and this book had a few Dresden FIles / Rivers of London vibes.

On paper then a great match.

Unfortunately this felt really slow, and while it had some good ideas it just didn't lean into it to tell an interesting story. I'm gonna carry on to see if it picks up in the second book (and honestly I'll probably read the third when it comes out because why do 2/3)

OK, Susan just wants to be normal and Merlin is handsome. I felt like so much time was spent on the less interesting parts of the plot when you've just introduced the idea of a hidden society of more-than-mortal …

Pleasant but not unforgettable

3 stars

Just compelling enough to finish, but not a very memorable story. Colourful, a pleasant kind of weird, and occasionally funny. Don't look for a strong plot though, or a surprising twist. This book shows glimpses of a universe that potentially brings forth many sequels - that I'm probably not going to read. Although one day I might wonder about those sinister booksellers of Bath, who knows.

Not as engaging as the Old Kingdom

3 stars

This was fine! I read it! I was an 80s teen/young adult and I used to live in London, so I enjoyed those parts of the scene. But this didn’t grab me and I’m not sure why. Too many characters? Not enough time with Merlin? And this is niche, but: the bookseller idea is fun—I’m all in favor of thinking about booksellers as long-living mystical families—but it wasn’t integrated into the story. They could have been clock repairers and that might have made more sense.

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