This is now one of my favourite books of the year! Garth Nix is one of my favourite authors and this didn't let me down at all! Merlin is a fantastic character and I loved all of the mythology involved!

The Left-Handed Booksellers of Londonis both an incredibly fun love letter to booksellers, and a fantastical thrill ride through the dangerous world of the supernatural.

My first book from Garth Nix, and I enjoyed it a lot. The story was interesting, witty writing and great characters.
I'll continue reading from him.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

Don’t you just want to know what the title means? And if there are left-handed booksellers, are there right-handed ones, too? And ambidextrous ones?

This UF is set in May of 1983. We follow Susann, who has just turned 18 and is moving to London to earn a bit of money before her first term at art school starts. Her mother gave her a few names of friends, who Susann intends to visit. Alas, on her first evening at her uncle’s place, she encounters her first Left-Handed Bookseller of London. Needless to say that this is where the fun starts. Susann will have to run for her life and learn about the secret world hiding behind the bookshelves of the regular world.

I liked it all. The characters are wonderful and lovable, or hate-able. The world-building is very inventive. Yes, it’s an UF built on the UK of the 1980s, using all the fads and fashions of the time. As soon as you enter the world of the booksellers though, you see the genius behind Nix’s work. It’s all believable. And that’s what makes a good UF for me. The pacing is medium to fast, which works well, given that the whole story takes place within the month of May.

Definite recommendation!

PS: there are ambidextrous booksellers *squeal* – Where can I apply?

I absolutely loved The Left-Handed Booksellers of London! It is a crossover between YA and adult fantasy – I think it’s published as YA in the US whereas Gollancz is an adult imprint. It does work in either category and is suitable for teen readers as well. And oh, how I fell in love with this world where bookish nerds are superhero types. There are right-handed booksellers, who are great at research and know a ton of obscure things, and left-handed booksellers who are great with books AND swords. So, basically, this is my ideal world. And I want to be one of them.

Garth Nix manages to seamlessly blend British folklore with writing the loveliest, nerdiest, funniest book I’ve read. A passage I particularly enjoyed that shows this:

“Children’s writers,” said Merlin. “Dangerous bunch. They cause us a lot of trouble.”

“How?” asked Susan.

“They don’t do it on purpose,” said Merlin. He opened the door. “But quite often they discover the key to raise some ancient myth, or release something that should have stayed imprisoned, and they share that knowledge via their writing. Stories aren’t always merely stories, you know. Come on.”

So, you know, absolutely no reason not to run to the nearest bookshop and try and find a bookseller, though probably not one of the right- or left-handed ones, to sell you a copy of this amazing book. Apart from wit and humour, The Left-Handed Booksellers of London also features a great 1980s setting – which seems to be my October theme after yesterday’s review. There are also fantastic characters: feisty and artistic Susan, trying to figure out who she is, Merlin, who thinks he knows a lot but really doesn’t know half as much as he believes and does a lot of growing up, and his sister Vivien, who is right-handed but surprisingly handy in many real-life situations. And that is not mentioning all the colourful minor characters.

You see, a treat of a book. Really, you do need a copy as soon as you can get your hands on one. Ideally from a bookseller in London. Maybe even a left-handed one if you can find one.

I was so excited to read a new book from Garth Nix and it did not disappoint. I was so pleased to see him move into a new setting and timeframe for this book while maintaining a strong fantasy element.
Should encourage tourism and research into the folk tales of Olde England.
THANK you

As a left-handed book reader of London, I was very excited about the title of this book. One of my favourite sub-genres of books is books about books/libraries/bookshops and when things are set in London, I enjoy going "I know there!" like a small child. Part of the action even takes place just up the road from me in Totteridge (although I don't know it very well).

Finally left-handers (10% of the population fyi) are getting some recognition - we have certain skills like using things designed for right-handers that are a struggle the other way round! (Lefties of the UK, and possibly elsewhere, google Anything Left-Handed and buy some scissors etc to make life easier for yourself, and also stab any righty who tries to borrow them, it wrecks the bolt that holds the blades together!)

Back to the book - this is tremendous fun, set in an alternate 1983, Susan comes to London for art school, and also to try and locate her long lost dad, her mum hasn't been exactly forthcoming with the details.

She ends up getting mixed up with criminal elements, both human and otherworldly, and being rescued by a young Merlin, the aforementioned Left-Handed Bookseller of London. One of many it turns out.

He's part of a secret organisation that keeps things from the Old World from popping up in the modern one. And when they do break through, the booksellers send them back. They also run two bookshops.

I really enjoyed this book, with all its literary references and the vital importance of books in helping the booksellers maintain order, even if fantasy writers are a complete nuisance!

It has been far too long since I’ve read a Garth Nix book (although Angel Mage is glaring at me on the shelf), and this was a wonderfully entertaining romp through an alternative London, complete with books (and you can never have too many of those), and folklore.
I adored the premise of this book, and for the most part, I thought that it was executed very well. This was a love letter to books, but not a book about books. It rode that line beautifully while very much taking that idea of there being magic in books, as well using folklore and mythology to create a world that felt very different, while also being something you could imagine being just one step out of line with our world. As though if you opened the right book, or went into the right bookshop, you could stumble into that world. The worldbuilding was certainly one of my favourite aspects of the book, from the New World to the Old World, and the magical system which was well-crafted and an excellent reminder of how much I enjoy Nix’s fantasy writing.
I enjoyed the characters, although I would have liked to have had more time to explore the secondary characters in the world, as we spent most of our time with Susan, Merlin and Vivian. However, those main three were, for the most part, well-developed, and it was fun to read about their adventures, and I was invested in the outcome of their goals and storylines.
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London was incredibly fast-paced, and hits the ground running and doesn’t let up, and at times it felt as though you were caught up in a whirlwind, seeing glimpses of the world and characters without being able to get a proper grasp of them. While I love Nix’s writing, I would have loved to see it slow down in places, to get a better grasp on the wider cast of this fantastic world, and to find out more about the interaction between the Old and New Worlds, and even more about the Booksellers. However, for all that, the book felt very complete in and of itself, with just enough in the ending to leave me hoping that at some point in the future we might see more from this world.

London 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for the father she’s never met. The vague clues she’s picked up from her mother lead her to crime boss Frank Thringly. But in finding Frank, she also finds Merlin, an outrageously attractive left-handed bookseller who helps to police the mythic Old World when it intrudes on the modern world with his extended family of left-handed (the fighting ones) and right-handed (the intellectual ones) booksellers. Susan’s search for her father intertwines with Merlin’s own quest to find the Old World entity responsible for his mother’s death.

I thought The Left-Handed Booksellers of London was a lot of fun. It’s full of action and magic, with an interesting and well considered world concept. The plot moves fast, and there’s quite a lot of action and humour packed in. I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of depth there, but it really is a crazy and entertaining romp.

The characters are brilliant. Susan was a strong and straightforward heroine, while Vivian and the rest of the booksellers made up a great supporting cast. But the standout star was definitely Merlin. He’s funny and charismatic, and I loved that he was so casually androgynous without it being made into too much of a thing.

The only part I wasn’t sold on was that I don’t really know who this book is aimed at. It reads very YA, but has some strong language and violence that suggest it’s targeted at a more adult audience. If the author could work out who he was writing for, it would have been close to perfect.

This made me smile! It was exactly what I wanted it to be. It is a really fun romp through an interesting alternative London, filled with books, folklore and mythology. It is the perfect book to escape into. The characters are fun and charismatic, I loved both Susan and Merlin. Merlin was just the right amount of flamboyant to be loveable, combining a cheeky roguish humour with gallant acts and a fantastic fluidity in his gender portrayal. Susan worked well with him as while in the beginning, she was a little "dear in the head lights" swept off into this new world, she really held her own and jumped into the action when needed instead of being the damsel in distress. Merlin's flamboyance was also counteracted nicely with Vivian (his sister) which displayed the magic system wonderfully.

The Magic system was really interesting. It is definitely a softer magic system that is just fun to read about, drawing from folklore and placing it in our world. The concept of the Left-handed, battle fighting, booksellers and the Right-handed, tactical thinking, booksellers and then the existence of the even-handed booksellers (for those who do both) all just played really well. It had that effect of making you wonder what one you would be.
I like that they had a need for writing poetry, or to read to balance out the magic within. This makes the chapter headings rather fun as we get various limericks composed by a left-handed bookseller at the start of each chapter. Due to this the book is also filled with lots of nods to classic literature particularly children's literature, some more obscure than others but that fit nicely with the 1983 setting.

All in all this is just a really fun and light-hearted read that captures that last whisps of summer feeling and pulls you along on an adventure. It is perfect if you just wants an easy going fantasy read that will leave you smiling.

“Children’s writers,” said Merlin.” Dangerous bunch. They cause us a lot of trouble.”

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.

I loved this book! Vibes I picked up on: Doctor Who, Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters, Neil Gaiman, Tamora Pierce, Holly Black… Lots of good stuff. There was was enough genuine British humor in it that I briefly thought Nix was British (turns out he’s Australian, but has lived in London!).

Within the first chapter Nix introduces love interest Merlin, a deeply attractive boy who is ‘considering becoming a girl’, which… I love. I love that right away Garth Nix has a trans character in such a key role. I love that the protagonist, Susan, the girl with the buzzcut and The Clash t-shirt, rolls with it completely. I really like their developing attraction to each other, and how it’s very much secondary to the life-or-death problems going on. And if you were wondering: yes, Garth Nix believes that trans women are real women.

I read it all in less than 24 hours and I’ve added it to my Wish List of books that I’d like to own and reread. I’m also definitely going to be looking up Garth Nix’s other books, as I definitely feel like I’ve been missing out.

Firstly I want to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing for approving my request to read an EARC of this book. I am so grateful for the opportunity.

At first I decided not to request this book as I have unfortunately not enjoyed anything that I have read by Garth Nix so far. I don't get on with his writing style and had kind of written him off as an author I enjoy. Until this book. I had already heard so many good reviews, I loved the premise and I decided to give his writing one last chance. And I am so glad that I did, I really really enjoyed this book! For me the writing style was so different to anything I have ever read from this author before. It was not too complicated and it was something that was very easy to read and become absorbed in.

As I have previously stated it was mainly the premise that drew me to this book. I absolutely loved the idea behind it and I really did enjoy how it was executed. I was so drawn to all of the different magic and creatures, especially the creatures. I know most of them are meant to be evil but I loved them. I found myself eagerly waiting to be introduced to another unknown beast that was going tip the New world upside down. I decided to pick up The Left-Handed Booksellers of London whilst I was in bed one night, thinking I would just read a couple of chapters to see what I thought. 27% later, a very tired Kate, awake way past her bedtime really struggled to put it down. This book was one of those where I really didn't want to put it down once I had started reading and I literally looked forward to the time that I could pick it back up again and dive into the world that I had grown to love.

The plot was something that really intrigued me, it kept me guessing throughout and I can honestly say I did not expect what actually happened. I was so intrigued by not only the mystery of Susan's father but also the mystery of Merlins mother. This is something that I was constantly thinking about when reading. The way it was concluded also did not let me down. I often find with books like this that I am disappointed by the ending of them, however this was not the case with The Left-Handed Booksellers of London. I really like how Garth left the story with the reader. I haven't done any research in relation to sequels but I would definitely say that it was left open for another and I really hope Garth acts upon this. I would love to see another book in this world again.

That brings me to the characters, oh the characters in this book were wonderful. I absolutely loved Susan, she was such a loveable and beautiful character. I love how strong willed she is, and how she will love you fiercely but also fight for what she believes in. She has so much determination and when faced with danger she will still continue to get what she wants. Merlin. Oh Merlin, what a beautiful character you are. I love how throughout the book he is experimenting with gender fluidity and very open about the fact that he is. I love the awareness that this book raises. Whilst there is an element of romance this is not prominent in the book, it is very much there and blooming but it is something that you can ignore if you wish. I did not want to ignore, which is very rare for me and I adored this romance. I found myself routing for more. And I still want more please! Ignoring the romance element, there is such a strong theme of friendship within this book, more so the importance of it. I loved reading about this and watching friendships grow. I enjoyed watching the characters learn to love each other so fiercely that they would do anything for each other.

As I have stated the ending made sense, I didn't feel like it was rushed or out of the blue. It was perfect. It was definitely left open ended and I would love to see more from this world. I am so glad that I read The Left-Handed Booksellers of London and I would recommend that you do too!

A brilliant literary fantasy/thriller & love-letter to bookshops and booksellers. Reminiscient not only of classic fantasy literature (I'm pretty sure it was said that one character's favourite book was a Dianna Wynne Jones title) but also of Nix's Sabriel series (the way the Mythic and modern reality layer upon and interact with each other strongly reminded me of the wall between the Old and New Kingdoms). A slightly dreamy enticing prologue gives way to a story that hits the ground running in chapter 1 and never really stops, with great characters that you will love spending time with (though Merlin inevitably does almost steal every scene he's in XD ). Currently a stand-alone but if Nix were ever to return to the world of the St. Jacques booksellers (I'd love to spend some more time in the Old Bookshop!) I'm there! :D (Also liked spotting all different references, which, as this is set in an alternate 1983, aren't always quite what you know/remember. ;D) The Waterstones exclusive edition - that I read - also has an extra short story.
Also thanks to NetGalley for approving me for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC. The following review is my honest opinion of the book.

Set in an alternate London in the early 1980's, the Left-Handed Booksellers of London follows Susan as she stumbles into the magical world of Booksellers while on a quest to find her father. Along the way, she meets intriguing individuals, terrifying villains, and lifelong friends, but Susan soon discovers her history may be more than meets the eye.

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London was absolutely fantastic! It is definitely on my top reads of 2020 list. Nix developed an extremely imaginative world, pulling from classic fantasy concepts and many new inventive ones. The story truly flowed and had the perfect balance of action and description to keep you captivated in this alternate version of London. Merlin was such a creative character and had amazing depth. The Left-Handed Booksellers of London was genuinely unlike anything I've read before. I cannot recommend it enough! If you haven't had a chance to check it out, go pick up a copy! You will not regret it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Garth Nix and Gollancz for my arc of The Left Handed Booksellers of London in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis: Susan Arkshaw has travelled to London in the slightly alternative year of 1983. She's due to start art school soon but first her mission is to find her father who has been a mystery to her all her life. Her first stop is 'uncle' Frank's place, a crime boss she thinks might be her mums ex boyfriend, but she's saved from Frank and his nefarious plans by the devastatingly attractive Merlin who slays Frank with the prick of a hat pin. Merlin is a bookseller, the left handed kind belonging to a huge family of booksellers whose job it is not just to sell books but to police the mythical, magical old world as well as running bookshops. Together with Merlin's sister Vivienne they team up to find Susan's father and also solve the mystery of Merlin's mother's death which may very well be linked.
I really, really, really, really wanted to love this book. Like many others in their late 20s and 30s I grew up on Nix's The Old Kingdom series which brought about my adoration for fantasy books, and encouraged me to want to write my own fiction (something I've still not done 16 years on). I read The Keys to the Kingdom series a few years ago and loved that too. But unfortunately TLHBoL just really didn't do anything for me.
I think that the book had an original and interesting concept but it's execution just fell flat. It felt very messy and jumbled the plot was all over the place and nothing was really explained, it was a lot of 'tell you later' or 'no time to explain' sort of thing. It could probably have benefited from being a series rather than a standalone book. Susan's character was very two dimensional and Merlin was just a muddle of a person I couldn't get any kind of image of him in my mind which stopped me being immersed in the books or bonding with any of the characters. It's a real shame, as I do love Garth's other books but this one just wasn't for me.

Garth Nix creates another imaginative and appealing "other" world in The Left Handed Booksellers of London. Set in the 80s with an amazing amount of detail of art and music throughout, the story begins with a mysterious dreamlike scene followed by Susan Arkshaw's quest to find her unknown father. Unbeknown to the reader that initial dreamlike scene ties into later parts of the book in a magical way leaving you saying "Ahhh, so that's why...." in your head as the connections become clear.
I love the juxtaposition of the Old and New which occurs throughout the book, for example with the Old bookshop having new books and the New bookshop having old books - the wry humour adds another layer to the story. It has a dash of romance - with a modern twist, thrills and spills, as already noted some nice art and music references and a well built (believable?) fantasy word. What more could you want?
Interestingly, the villain in the story is revealed quite late on which leaves you guessing as each part of the plot unfolds.
Definitely one to read and keep on the bookshelf to revisit. Thanks to Garth Nix for another great story (I'm a huge fan of the Abhorsen series) and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

#TheLeftHandedBooksellersofLondon #NetGalley

What an enjoyable book this is and what a delightfully weird bunch the Booksellers are. Mix them up with some mundane happenings and some totally off-the-wall happenings and you have an entertaining book that is perfect for the "getting darker" evenings, particularly if you are fortunate enough to have an open fire or stove to sit by and keep toasty.

🌟 Book review 🌟⁠

👧 Susan is moving to London to become an art student. While she waits for the course to begin she decides to look for her father and stumbles upon Merlin, a left-handed bookseller who turns crime boss and sipper Frank Thringley into dust. From this moment on, Susan, finds herself involved in the most dangerous situations, together with Merlin and is his sister Vivian, a right-handed bookseller.

♥️ I liked:
🌎 Alternate London. I love fantasy and fandoms, and this was a particularly amazing one. All the creatures you may have read of in old myths are part of it, but they all have something different that makes them very unique.
📚 The booksellers. I love books and books about books. As soon as I saw "Bookseller" on the cover I was sold. Imagine my excitement when I discovered that these are not just normal booksellers, no, they are a sort of mysterious secret agents that keep evil creatures in check and save the world. I also loved all the left-handed or right-handed business, it's just genius.
👧 Susan. She is a very clever and determined young woman, she wants to find her dad and nothing can stop her, not even sippers or goblins. In the beginning, she can only follow Merlin, but she keeps asking questions: she is not a pushover and she thinks for herself. I also loved the fact that she loves art, it gives the book another depth: it's not just about fighting the evil, but there is also space for beauty.
❤️ The fast pace. The book is easy to read, it brings you straight into the action and, even if there are so many weird things, it's not overwhelming, the reader gets immediately used to its uniqueness.

🤔 I wasn't so sure about:⁠
It's not a book about books. As I said earlier, I love books about books and I thought that books were going to be the focus here. Well, they are not.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ 5/5 Even though it's not a book about books, I loved it. If you love YA Fantasy this is the book for you.

This is an incredibly charming book jumping straight into the action on the first page as it follows main character Susan and her alliance with the booksellers, magical people monitoring the realms of our reality and the magic world. Teaming up with Merlin and their sister Vivienne, Susan sets out to discover the truth about who she is, encountering magic and creatures and uncovering the secrets of the booksellers along the way.

This is a typical Garth Nix book so it’s no surprise he writes the fantasy element of this story well, there is a great variety of magical creatures and scenarios, both exciting and sinister, throughout and he writes the extraordinary in such a way that feels very real. Merlin (not any relation to ‘that’ Merlin) is a great creation and my favourite in the story, bringing a great energy to the page, Susan was brave and kind and a great ballsy protagonist, although there are a lot of characters, and histories that I would have loved to have known more about, but that’s just a testament to Nix’s world building skills and character set ups, he writes am intriguing world. While Merlin was indeed my favourite character in the book, another comes a close second - the city of of London, which acts as such a rich framework throughout the adventure, even as tourist to London myself I liked the places that would pop up that I knew, or wanted to know.

What I adored most about this book though is that essentially it is a love story to books, that is the true charm in this. As an avid reader, I know the infinite power of words, of the escapism one can find in opening a book, in the worlds and friends and adventures you can find within each page. Books are magic and of course, the booksellers here, wield the most power. It’s quite lovely. I loved how authors of children’s magical stories were disapproved of by the booksellers because their stories really revealed the secrets of real magic, how Merlin keeps a book on him because reading brings him back from darkness when he’s upset or just do something he hates,, how so many authors and titles are referred to in a way that old friends are dropped into conversation. Like I said, it’s quite charming and I enjoyed this book :)

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review

Nix has again built up a fascinating world in The Left-Handed Booksellers of London! I adored the Old Kingdom and its symbol-magic, and the Keys to the Kingdom series was full of fun invention. This world is less fantastic, rooted in 1980s England but it's no less inventive and enjoyable for being more familiar. The Booksellers are a tactical force protecting England against supernatural beings encroaching from the Old World. From the local godlike beings who rule their small domains, to the creepy dancing children who'll suck you out of time, Nix manages to create a whole new mythology that feels real, like something you always knew about but carefully ignored or dismissed as fairytale.

The characters are hurried and varied. This is a fast-paced novel, a whirlwind of events and quips leaving little time to get to know anyone deeply. Susan, Merlin, and Vivian are the ones we get to know the most and it's fun to read these three young people dashing about solving crimes and searching for Susan's father. I was intrigued by the many secondary characters, especially the right-handed booksellers with their research and magic.

I would love to read more about this world and how the Old World impinges in other parts of the New World, not to mention whether everyone else enlisted booksellers to tackle the problem. And what do the booksellers do when the bookshops begin to close down?