What fun and an awesome time to spend with the story! This book is a solid 4.2 stars!
I cannot even describe the joy and easiness this lyrical writing is giving!
There is always this magical and esoteric feeling in the bookstores and this book gives a very nice summary of some book-sellers being a guards between our world and the world of creatures, existence of which is not known to our average Londoner.
The writing is absolutely beautiful and characters are very presented very well developed.
Language: 3.5*: Language is very lyrical and overall the work is very atmospheric and gives a slight hint on London's daily life 1980s and overall is very easy absorbent, maybe a bit of a slang may have been used, but overall it was pretty good. and thanks to author for not dropping F-bombs left and right, I think I spotted only 1.
Trop: 3*: nothing extremely unique, however again the "journey" aspect of the writing is presented uniquely and keeps you invested in the story
Evolution: 4*: The readers are dropped to this magical world right from the page one. I do have a hesitation with this work being considered high fantasy, I believe it is borderline high, more being on urban fantasy line, but again, we can clearly see the evolution from the very first chapter and our protagonists are being developed along the way and creating their unique view at the middle of the story
Interest keeping: 5*: Couldn't put the book down, no idea was overworked and environments were changing fast enough for my attention to be kept.
Conclusion: 4*: ending was well developed and long enough to answer questions and short enough not to bore.
References: 4*: I loved references to real London and would appreciate a bit more slang and sight descriptions, but again, the work was very enjoyable as it was presented, thanks

I love a lot of Garth Nix's writing, so I was really excited to see that he had a new book coming out. The cover and the title further drew me in; I mean, the title is excellent and I'm pretty much hooked for anything mentioning books/libraries/bookstores. The novel opens with a fairly traditional premise - Susan, now 18, is coming to London to find her father (a mystery her mother will not talk about) before she begins school in the fall. Set in the early 1980s. The Left-Handed Booksellers of London is a fast-paced story set upon solving the mystery of Susan's identity with a little help from bookseller siblings Merlin and Vivian (left- and right-handed booksellers, respectively).

There is much to enjoy about this novel. If you like fantasy, there are tons of little easter eggs and references to classic fantasy stories, myths, and literature. Being set in the 1980s also allows for some fun with the rise of the orange Penguin classics editions, and nods to punk music and subculture. Although it's never explicitly stated, Merlin seems to be a rather Bowie-esque genderfluid gentleman who is constantly trying to look as devastatingly fashionable as possible. His character was so much fun to imagine, running around London slaying metaphorical dragons while worrying about his clothes. We also get to see glimpses of the other booksellers and who they are, although I think Merlin and Susan are easily the most well-rounded characters. The writing is quick and easy to read, and I enjoyed the fact that this wasn't a novel where I really had to think critically about what was happening - it was very much a modern fairy tale in many ways.

Where I struggle a bit with my enjoyment of the novel is that I feel like there are places where the story is too rushed, or we don't get enough information. We never really get to find out about who the booksellers are, why they do the things they do, or even specifically what it means to be left- or right-handed (for instance, why do the left-handed need to write poetry or read after committing violent actions? What can the right-handed do, magically speaking?). There are allusions made to their mission or purpose, but it feels like we're missing so much more than we're getting. The fact that this appears to be a stand-alone novel, rather than the first of a trilogy (like Sabriel) is a shame because I do want to find out more about these characters and places. In certain ways, the fast pace of the novel also worked against my enjoyment, because I never felt that there was a moment to take a breath or to learn more about what was happening or the world that Nix was creating. This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the novel - I very much did! I just also think that having finished reading, I feel that I'm missing something that I wish had been present.

3.5/5 stars. Definitely worth reading, enjoyable, and fun, wonderful connections to larger fantasy literature....and honestly, I'll read this again just to read Merlin's dialogue :).

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed the Abhorsen trilogy years ago, so I was excited to dive back into any world created by Garth Nix. The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, set in London in 1983, did not disappoint. Quirky characters and witty dialogue carried the book in my view, since sadly much of the early 80s British pop culture references were wasted on me. What I liked: strong and complex heroines, a gender-fluid character, and the concept of booksellers who also serve as a sort of police force to guard against old world magic. What I missed: context and backstories for two of the more interesting characters, Merlin and Vivien, which seemed sacrificed at the altar of non-stop action (which did at least make the book a compellingly quick read).

**ARC from NetGalley**
Garth Nix has only once disappointed me, this is not that one. The only reason it has 4 stars instead of 5 was of how easy the main character took all the magic and insanity happening around her. Closer to the end it was explained as how it's in her nature so it's odd but just feels right. I feel like that information might have been helpful sooner, even just a vague *hey this is weird but it's feeling alright, almost normal-ish, like it's natural* kind of thing. Otherwise, loved it. Enjoyed the bit of romance bubbling and would quite like to see a sequel if it's in the works.

Garth Nix is a long-standing name on my reading list and classroom shelf. I always recommend his work, and this new book comes with that same approval. I love Nix’s description, detail, and imagination, Recommended for young adult and adult audiences.

From the very first page this book does not stop with action and adventure. I loved every minute of it and didn’t want it to stop. The story centers on Susan and her adventures with the magical booksellers of London As she looks to discover who her father is. I loved how unique the world was and all the characters. The idea that there is a long line of booksellers that protect the world from the magical creatures that live with us, while they also work in book stores. If you love books or are a bookseller like I am, this book is full of moments that highlight why we love books and bookstores. All I can saw is I hope there are more books about Susan, Merlin, and Vivian.

I enjoyed this, a new take on the blurring of the "Old World" and the modern world in 1980s London. Great fun and recommended for fantasy lovers.

This is pretty much what I expected from Garth Nix. A lot of complex world building, characters that grow throughout the text, a villain that seems easy to figure out but isn't.

For fans of SABRIEL, LIRAEL, and the rest of the Old Kingdom, it's familiar in feel, but sets up a completely different London, where magic runs parallel to 1980s reality.

Things I liked: the booksellers, the interesting premise of left/right handed booksellers, the world building.

Things I didn't like: Susan (at first, but she grew on me), the intro was slower than I expected.

*copy from Netgalley*

I love Garth Nix's entire collection of books, and this one is no different! Magic abounds, and I was constantly on the alert for what was going to happen next. Wonderful novel!

I was extremely excited to receive an advance copy of this book. The title and description were intriguing, but I quickly discovered that this book was not for me. I do not often DNF a book. I read 100+ books a year, but this one missed the mark right out of the gate. The author’s descriptions, especially about what people look like, break the flow of the story in a jarring way. I don’t need to know what every single item of clothing a character is wearing. After the long descriptions came short bursts of action that usually left me going “what now?” Add to that the need for every character to represent some facet of “diversity” (i.e. the incredibly beautiful boy thinks he is a boy most of the time), and what could have been an interesting book quickly turned into a mess. There are some that may love this, but it was not for me.

Garth Nix's The Left-Handed Booksellers of London is one of those young adult novels that easily makes the crossing to adult reading. Set in a version of 1983 London, where the worlds of the ordinary and the magical, the present and ages past, overlap. The Left-Handed Booksellers of London follows the journey of Susan Arkshaw, 18 and about to begin art school, on a hunt for a father she's never known, as she's flung into the dangers of that magical world in the space of a few hours.

What makes this novel a good adult read, as well as a good YA one?
• A complex ethical substrate that leaves the reader with relatively few fully bad or fully good characters (though there are some) and that poses open-ended questions.
• A playfulness with gender that is both affirming and thought-provoking.
• Characters who know how they want to live their lives and work to build those lives with integrity and imagination.
All that said, this is not a "heavy" read. It's one of those books you'll find yourself staying up late to finish—and not regretting that choice the next morning.

This novel works as a stand-alone, but I'm hoping Nix has some ideas for sequels percolating. I would gladly spend more time in Susan Arkshaw's London.

I received a free review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.