The Sinister Booksellers of Bath

by Garth Nix Narrated by Marisa Calin

Overview

Return to the enchanting world of The Left-Handed Booksellers of London in this sequel by Garth Nix, bestselling master of teen fantasy, where once again a team of booksellers must fight to keep dangerous magic under cover before the stuff of legends destroys our world.

There is often trouble of a mythical sort in Bath. The booksellers who police the Old World keep a careful watch there, particularly on the entity that inhabits the ancient hot spring.

This time trouble comes from the discovery of a sorcerous map, leading left-handed bookseller Merlin into great danger, requiring a desperate rescue attempt from his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, and art student Susan Arkshaw, who is still struggling to deal with her own recently discovered magical heritage.

The map takes the trio to a place separated from this world, maintained by deadly sorcery and guarded by monstrous living statues. But this is only the beginning. To unravel the secrets of a murderous Ancient Sovereign, the booksellers must investigate centuries of disappearances and deaths. If they do not stop her, she will soon kill again. And this time, her target is not an ordinary mortal.

Editorial Reviews

MARCH 2023 - AudioFile

Marisa Calin gives a breathy and breathless performance of this rollicking YA fantasy set in 1983 England. Art student Susan Arkshaw longs to live a normal life, but she keeps getting drawn into a world of magic and danger. Calin ramps up the action as Susan and her dashing boyfriend, Merlin St. Jacques, face a murderous enemy who can animate marble sculptures. Merlin is part of a family that protects ordinary people from magical beings, and Calin communicates Susan's conflicted feelings about becoming further enmeshed with them, as well as about her own powerful magical heritage. She also never stumbles over Nix's lovingly detailed descriptions of vintage clothes, vehicles, and weapons. A fun sequel to THE LEFT-HANDED BOOKSELLERS OF LONDON. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

This satisfying sequel keeps up the same breathless pace as The Left-Handed Booksellers of London. It's a treat to rejoin Susan and company on their ever-expanding adventures.” — Booklist

PRAISE FOR BOOK 1: THE LEFT-HANDED BOOKSELLERS OF LONDON: "The worldbuilding is exquisite—the broad, immersive world and the specific rules for types of booksellers maintain a sense of discovery, and Susan and Merlin, the heroic protagonists, have vibrant, entertaining personalities (and a realistic romantic storyline). Readers will beg for more adventures in this London."  — Kirkus Reviews

"[An] immersive fantasy. Nix builds meta mentions [and] marries fey elements and spectacular bookshops with booksellers who wield mystical artifacts, cold steel, and magic. Unflappable Susan and wonderfully costumed, magically gender-fluid Merlin make for a fantasy that genre fans, teen or adult, won’t want to miss."- — Publishers Weekly

"Nix wastes no time getting to the action, throwing readers headlong into the splendid new world alongside the bewildered but determined heroine. It’s an incredibly diverse, detailed, and . . . Nix puts in enough twists to make it his own. A remarkable romp through a fantastical new world."  — Booklist

"Nix’s latest offers a thrill-packed fantasy adventure. Strong world building is clearly informed by a deep knowledge of local mythologies, and the allusions, literary shoutouts, and pseudo-historical references become a game for the clued-in reader. Overall, this is a fresh, engaging fantasy with an old-school, nostalgic vibe."  — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"As in his high-fantasy novels, Nix puts a strong, capable, and resourceful young woman front and center within a diverse cast [with] tropes from British spy stories. A thrilling, suspenseful romp with lots of humor and romantic tension; we haven’t seen the last of Susan and Merlin."  — Horn Book Magazine

"A warm, whimsical delight—The Left-Handed Booksellers of London is a witty, clever adventure in an exquisitely detailed world you will love escaping into." — Veronica Roth, New York Times bestselling author of DIVERGENT

 "A compelling magical romp, both familiar and inventive. These bookshops would be worth visiting at any time—but they feel like a special treat while I can’t set foot in a real one."  — Molly Templeton, Tor.com

“This was my first time reading Garth Nix and it was great, wacky and fun. It throws gender norms out the window and gives you a quirky, adventure-filled good time. The characters were great and the storyline was fantastic. I loved all the books named throughout the book. It's a cool book list. Very funny, and very good.”  — Kim Brock, Joseph-Beth Booksellers (Cincinnati, OH)

Booklist

"Nix wastes no time getting to the action, throwing readers headlong into the splendid new world alongside the bewildered but determined heroine. It’s an incredibly diverse, detailed, and . . . Nix puts in enough twists to make it his own. A remarkable romp through a fantastical new world." 

Horn Book Magazine

"As in his high-fantasy novels, Nix puts a strong, capable, and resourceful young woman front and center within a diverse cast [with] tropes from British spy stories. A thrilling, suspenseful romp with lots of humor and romantic tension; we haven’t seen the last of Susan and Merlin." 

Kim Brock

This was my first time reading Garth Nix and it was great, wacky and fun. It throws gender norms out the window and gives you a quirky, adventure-filled good time. The characters were great and the storyline was fantastic. I loved all the books named throughout the book. It's a cool book list. Very funny, and very good.” 

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Nix’s latest offers a thrill-packed fantasy adventure. Strong world building is clearly informed by a deep knowledge of local mythologies, and the allusions, literary shoutouts, and pseudo-historical references become a game for the clued-in reader. Overall, this is a fresh, engaging fantasy with an old-school, nostalgic vibe." 

Veronica Roth

"A warm, whimsical delight—The Left-Handed Booksellers of London is a witty, clever adventure in an exquisitely detailed world you will love escaping into."

Molly Templeton

"A compelling magical romp, both familiar and inventive. These bookshops would be worth visiting at any time—but they feel like a special treat while I can’t set foot in a real one." 

Booklist

"Nix wastes no time getting to the action, throwing readers headlong into the splendid new world alongside the bewildered but determined heroine. It’s an incredibly diverse, detailed, and . . . Nix puts in enough twists to make it his own. A remarkable romp through a fantastical new world." 

MARCH 2023 - AudioFile

Marisa Calin gives a breathy and breathless performance of this rollicking YA fantasy set in 1983 England. Art student Susan Arkshaw longs to live a normal life, but she keeps getting drawn into a world of magic and danger. Calin ramps up the action as Susan and her dashing boyfriend, Merlin St. Jacques, face a murderous enemy who can animate marble sculptures. Merlin is part of a family that protects ordinary people from magical beings, and Calin communicates Susan's conflicted feelings about becoming further enmeshed with them, as well as about her own powerful magical heritage. She also never stumbles over Nix's lovingly detailed descriptions of vintage clothes, vehicles, and weapons. A fun sequel to THE LEFT-HANDED BOOKSELLERS OF LONDON. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2022-12-24
Following The Left-Handed Booksellers of London (2020), a rescue mission lands Susan on an entity’s radar.

Susan (art student, demi-mortal) and her boyfriend, Merlin, (gender shifting and nonconforming fashionista and left-handed bookseller) are still together but taking it slowly, especially because Susan’s not comfortable with the proximity to the supernatural Old World that Merlin represents (especially because her own Ancient Sovereign father is going to be waking at the New Year). But when contact with an ensorcelled map pulls Merlin into a pocket dimension out of time, Susan doesn’t hesitate to use her heritage and artistic ability to make a translocation map to get him back safely. Their dangerous jaunt reveals the existence of a supernatural serial killer—and draws its attention to Susan. While the booksellers unravel a pattern of murders going back decades, Susan tries to avoid being the next sacrifice while grappling with fears of losing herself to the Old World and being changed into something else. And the dreams she’s having of her father’s demesne, dreams that might be more than dreams, leave her convinced that a big change is coming. All plotlines are time-sensitive enough to put the dead in deadline, keeping tension high as they face a variety of threats. While Susan’s internal conflict gets repetitive, it pays off in the climax. The leads are White; the secondary cast’s racially diverse.

A fast and fun outing in an immersive alternate world. (Fantasy. 12-adult)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176855869
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	03/21/2023
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,151,388

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