I love Garth Nix'snovels and his latest doesn't disappoint! Great characters. Quick pacing. Fantastic magic. It has a little of everything. Highly recommend.

Susan wants to find her father. She has never met him and she doesn’t have much to go by. Her mother has told her some names that may or may not be correct. She also has a reading room ticket and a silver cigarette case with an odd engraving. Susan wants to start by questioning Frank Thringley, but before she gets the chance he turns into dust after being pricked by Merlin using a silver hatpin. She quickly finds out that Merlin is part of a magical family that helps keep magical beings from stepping too far into the modern world. Will Susan find her father? What new questions will she stumble across?

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London is a stand-alone fantasy novel that takes place in 1983 London. Readers will enjoy these characters traipsing around London and England without all the technologies we rely on now. Nix has always written characters that are easy to relate to and these characters are no different. Although Goodreads has this listed as a one and done … I can see companion stories being written since the world is a goldmine of possible controversies. Readers of urban fantasies will enjoy this trip back in time.

I've never read any of Garth Nix's books before this title - which I thought was a great one and drew me in. When I saw the title and cover I immediately was taken back to the Good Omens series with Michael Sheen and David Tennant. As a matter of fact I somehow pictured a few of the characters looking like those two as I read the book. This book was fun to read and it should be one to add to your reading list if you are looking for a fun & whimsical way to spend your days/nights reading.

I just adore Garth Nix, everything he writes is imagination gold.

This book was an urban fantasy akin to China Mieville's "Un Lun Dun," mixed with dark fairy tale elements. It also gave me some Doctor Who vibes from Merlin, the gender-fluid left-handed bookseller who takes center stage, along with their sister Vivian and Susan. If I could see all that Garth Nix's mind holds, I'm sure I'd be blissfully swimming in galaxies of amazingly creative worlds. The concepts throughout this book were so wonderful. I loved that the New Bookstore is larger on the inside than it outwardly appears. I loved that urchins are creepy child-like goblins that can trap their target in another world by doing an eerie dance. I love that a sub-basement houses the ghosts of past witchy leaders, called Grandmothers, with their beloved canine partners. I loved that there are two worlds, one darkly magical with beings that hunger for power and life, and there are very specific paths booksellers can see that protect them from the hungry things trying to consume them. I love that Ancient Ones are old gods whose original form can be a rock or a mountain. So many wonderful elements in this book, dark mixed with light; gritty city living mixed with natural ancient forests housing water spirits.

This book landed at about a 3.5 for me, rounding up to 4, and purely for the story progression. I was hooked from the start, then felt the progression sort of lag for me a bit after the 50% mark, then boost back up again towards the end. But the book has gold running through its veins, for sure.

I have not read everything by Garth Nix, but the few books I have read I have always loved for their original characters, worlds and stories. This new book is exactly what I would expect from this author and then some. My only disappointment is that it looks like a stand alone, I so want to see more of this world and these wonderful characters.

Susan is such a strong and wonderful character right from the start. She takes everything in stride, and is almost calm when facing the unknown and the crazy things that keep happening to her. She does maybe perhaps take to the new magical world that has been thrust upon her a little too easily, but she has always experienced the world slightly differently so you can see where magic wouldn’t totally surprise her.

Merlin is such a hoot, he is funny and kind and very unique in his approach to life and clothes. So eighties in his choices, it made me smile every time he changed his clothes. He is also brave and clever, but knows when to concede that his sister is better at something than he is. He is a left-handed bookseller, which means he is the fighter and protector of the group.

Vivian is Merlin’s sister and she was just as amazing as the other two. She is a right-handed bookseller which means she does spells and research into the lore that they protect. Her relationship with Merlin was wonderful. I love seeing such loving, yet totally realistic sibling relationships in books.

There is an attraction between Merlin and Susan that could be considered a romance, but it is kept in the back ground and does not overshadow the story as a whole. They both get that survival is more important than romance and so keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves for the most part. But there is some cute flirting that I loved.

The whole plot of the story is so well done. I loved the alternate England that has been built here. There were some pop culture references that I didn’t get as an American reader, but that certainly didn’t diminish my enjoyment. The pacing is fast and the action is well done. The character’s are all nicely fleshed out through out the book, meaning that we are constantly learning new things about them as the book goes on. I would have liked maybe a bit more of an explanation about the whole Booksellers organization. We just get enough to understand it for this story, but I want to know more about them and some of the things they do.

A wonderful new book from this great author. Please give us more of the Left and Right Handed booksellers and this alternative England.

This is a fun paranormal in a unique setting. Events move very quickly, so there isn't a real deep dive into the rules of the universe. It's definitely for people who like a quicker pace. Plenty to explore with room for a sequel/series, although hints to a possible romantic relationship felt show-horned in.

Having done a 12 year stint as a bookseller this book had me very intrigued by the title alone. On top of which I am a pretty big Garth Nix fan. So definitely excited on 2 counts heading into this read.

Our story begins when Susan makes her way to London to attend art school with a side quest of discovering the identity of her father. After a quiet life growing up in the country with a rather absent-minded mother, she almost immediately finds herself in a situation where myth and reality start to bump up against each other and bits of the 'Old World' seem to be leaking through into the 'New World.' Her search to discover her father's identity quickly becomes much more involved than just calling up a few of her mother's old friends, enter a fabulous left-handed bookseller named Merlin, and that's where the story really takes off.

I like to keep my reviews very spoiler free, so:

The society of booksellers is great. We get to meet quite a few of them in the course of Susan's adventures, and the hierarchy and nuance of relationships and the real-life co-worker politics among the booksellers makes them really come alive off the page.

There are several Old World creatures and characters that make appearances - all derived from mythology and fairytales, and I enjoyed the detail in Nix's versions of them, and how well every single one played its role in the story. Pulling that many different elements together into a single narrative is a real achievement.

Merlin is my favorite. He is thoroughly himself, which is at times a little bewildering, but I loved him for it.

If you enjoy adventures of legendary proportions, or secret societies, or books about bookstores, this is definitely worth a read. It gets 5 stars from me.

I received an ARC from Netgalley. This is an unbiased review.

One of the things I love about Garth Nix is his ability to create new worlds that are vastly different than the worlds he created previously. Another thing I love about Garth Nix is that he's a wonderful storyteller and amazing writer. "The Left-Handed Booksellers of London" proved that both these things are true.

Susan's adventure was full of twists and turns. Just when I thought I knew what could happen next there was a change that took me in a new direction.

Character development is extremely important to me, and I loved all the characters, and their relationships and their interactions with each other. I especially liked how the siblings Merlin and Vivien interacted with each other. They were very much individuals with very different personalities, but their behavior was very true to a sibling relationship.

Garth Nix did not disappoint, and I hope to see more written about this world.

This one very nearly lost half a star for it's genuinely unappealing cover. Good for lovers of The Rook and Stiletto, if, admittedly, slightly less wildly inventive than either.

"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 search for her father begins with her mother’s possibly misremembered or misspelt surnames, a reading room ticket, and a silver cigarette case engraved with something that might be a coat of arms.

Merlin has a quest of his own, to find the Old World entity who used ordinary criminals to kill his mother. As he and his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, tread in the path of a botched or covered-up police investigation from years past, they find this quest strangely overlaps with Susan’s. Who or what was her father? Susan, Merlin, and Vivien must find out, as the Old World erupts dangerously into the New."

I'm a sucker for alternate worlds and anything "Merlin!"

I am a fan of Garth Nix. Though the Old Kingdom Series is the one that I truly love. I rarely read books set in the 80s, especially in terms of fantasy novels. I have to admit that Garth Nix did a wonderful job setting up the alternate reality that was interesting and fun.

I found the story of Susan’s search for her father compelling. I wanted her to find out who her father was and I was excited to see what the outcome would be. While searching for her father she is forced to flee with Merlin St. Jacques who is a left handed bookseller. The St. Jacques are a clan of London booksellers who deal with anything paranormal happening in London. The St. Jacques decide to assist Susan in discovering who her father with and to help her deal with an otherworldly unidentified nemisis.

I found Merlin to be my favorite character. From the first moment we met him he was provocative in his uniqueness. I found the differences between the right handed and left handed booksellers really intriguing and I also think it was an interesting element that they can move to the other side.
I greatly enjoyed the little bits of pop culture and feel the author did a fantastic job incorporating the setting into the story. I felt like I was traveling through London. My favorite line in the book was when it was stated that “opening boxes of new books was therapeutic.” I am a librarian and everyone who works in a library loves to open the newly received boxes of books. I would highly recommend this book to people who enjoy Garth Nix, Kerstin Gier and Kristin Cashore.

When I was a teen (which was a while ago), I read the Old World series by Garth Nix. When I say read, I mean loved and wanted to go back again and again, and this new novel “The Left-Handed Booksellers of London” (TLHBOL) made me feel the same way.

Nix’s books are unique in the ways that involve creating a character. They aren’t fully fleshed out during the opening pages of a book, but are instead exposed to us in the way that they interact with the world and the people around them. Often times we get glimpses into their minds and see the way they think which also helps to bring them to life. This style helped keep the lead character of Susan alive and evolving as we worked to find out more about her. This style is much more life like to me as it seems that the characters are allowed to grow to fill the environment. I hadn’t realized how much I missed this style until I read the TLHBOL.

I loved Susan and her journey to find out who her father is. It was a creative fun journey through a world that was recognizable, but somehow new. Her new friends from the Booksellers, Merlin and Vivian, are fantastic and fun to learn about. I hope that we see these three again in the future.

I most certainly recommend this book!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book for review.

This book starts off fast; after a brief introduction to our lead character, the reader is dragged along for the ride in this fascinating and magical adventure. Susan, raised by her dreamy single mother, is now eighteen and itching for something more than a life in the country. She sets out for London, because that’s what you do if you’re young and dreaming up a new life: you head for the biggest city in reach. She hopes this new leaf might help her find her absent father. Perhaps unfortunately for her, she immediately stumbles into a magical fight and a hidden world that she never could have dreamed of. But art students tend to have good imaginations, so she’s ready to adapt.

The chapters are all headed with delightfully eerie poetry regarding the mysterious left-handed booksellers—adding a nice sense of ambience to the whole affair. Though the prose itself does most of the heavy lifting in that respect. The book positively <i>sparkles</i> with magic, assisted by some of the most evocative physical descriptions I have encountered in a very long time. Everything from the characters to the landscapes to the rules of magic are illuminated by insightful and fitting prose; it easily could have veered too far and landed on the side of overstuffed, but it manages to hold to the true path.

I’ll let the book itself tell you more or less how things operate:
“The world you know, the ‘normal’ human world, is the top layer of a palimpsest—that’s a many-times overwritten parchment— ... there is another world beneath the everyday human one, and under certain conditions or at particular times, the Old World comes to the top, or elements of it become the primary world, as it were.”

So, I’m a sucker for alternate realities as it is, but what could be more exciting than an alternate reality that has a secret organization of booksellers who defend the world from old magic?

If you enjoy complex systems of magic and stories about people who love books, this will probably fit the bill.


Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for approving my request for a review copy of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. Very rarely do I not finish a book, but I could not get into this story. It has everything that I normally love in a story. History, Magic, mystery, and bookstores. But I just couldn’t get into this story. I’ve read Garth Nix in the past and loved his books, but this one just isn’t for me. The writing felt vaguely disjointed, and I was not super interested in what happened next.

Hmm a novel that has books in the title always has me adding it to my TBR list.

Story follows Susan Arkshaw who just turned 18 is leaving her Mom to go to art school in London. However, Susan also wants to look for her father that she has never met and her mother has given her very little information. Merlin the left-handed bookseller is going to help her.
Time frame is an alternative 1980 ~ I am not a teen and certainly remember the 80’s. I am guessing most teens think the 80’s were a century ago! True 1980 was 40 years ago!
I am actually fine with reading stories meant for YA audience. The story is different than what I expected. It is a bit of historical fiction, fantasy and magic.
I did totally enjoyed author:, Garth Nix ~ Author’s note at the end of the story. I love when authors go into detail on explaining their inspiration for their story ideas ~ getting the “inside scoop” is total fun.

Want to thank NetGalley and Harper-Collins Children Books for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 22, 2020

This book was such fun. I loved all the references to mythology and folklore. The action was exciting and the humor was just delightful.

I received an electronic ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books through NetGalley.
A young adult book that could tip over for adults as well.
Nix creates an alternative world set in 1983 where Left and Right handed booksellers work to maintain the balance with the Old World beings and the new (regular) world humans inhabit. Susan crashes into this world when she sees a Left-Handed Bookseller kill her "Uncle." She flees the scene with Merlin and the adventures are launched. Together with his sister, Vivien, they seek to find out who/what Susan's father is. As with any quest, they encounter darkness and wicked beings who want to block their journey - though they need Susan alive.
The book reads smoothly though some of the characters' actions have to be taken at face value as Nix doesn't show the thought process behind the acceptance/role. The romantic overtures between Susan and Merlin are afterthoughts, but early on, readers will figure out that they will be connected.
This can be a stand-alone or we could see more in a series.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

A very enjoyable read, recommended for fans of the "Rivers of London" series by Ben Aaronovitch. Interesting characters, very good world-building, and a nice assortment of magical creatures/beings. Oh, and lots of nice literary references for my fellow book-hounds.

Magical, fighting booksellers...need I say more? Ok, ok, I'll say more...
This is an urban fantasy set in 1983 London and is vaguely reminiscent of American Gods. Left-Handed Booksellers of London is a fast paced story about an 18 year old girl looking for her father. Only she falls into something much more complex and dangerous. I LOVED the characters in this, particularly Merlin! Oh and of course, the protectors of the world (as it were) are BOOKSELLERS!
This book easily reads as both (upper) YA or adult.
Thank you to #Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC

I really wanted to like The Left-Handed Booksellers of London. Featuring a cast of quirky, but loveable characters, as well as booksellers who protected the world from mythological creatures, The Left-Handed Booksellers of London had all the qualities of a book that should have been an enjoyable read for me. Unfortunately, I struggled with the story's pacing. I did not become invested in the story's outcome until the last fourth of the book. This was because too much time was spent on discovering the identity of Susan's father, which caused the story's climax to feel rushed. That being said, if Garth Nix was to write another story in this universe, I would be willing to read it. I loved the idea of booksellers protecting our world from the fantastical and would love to learn more about their organization.