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Title details for The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix - Available

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

#1 in series

by Garth Nix
Marisa Calin
Audiobook
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2 of 2 copies available
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.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Left-Handed Booksellers of London

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 22, 2020

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593171882
      • File size: 324325 KB
      • Duration: 11:15:40

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 27, 2020
      Nix (Angel Mage) immediately thrusts readers into the action in this immersive fantasy, set in 1983, as Susan Arkshaw, 18-year-old art student, is forced to flee a London flat with bookseller Merlin St. Jacques, pursued by an ominous black fog. Merlin is part of a clan of London booksellers who deal with the “ancient weird shit” that seeps into the world from myth, legend, and folklore. Susan came to London to study and identify her father, but when an otherworldly being targets her, she, Merlin, and others in the family St. Jacques must discover who is after her and why. Between doing arcane research and dodging supernatural baddies, they stumble upon a mystery that threatens the magical bookselling world. Nix builds meta mentions of genre greats into his tale, which marries fey elements and spectacular bookshops with booksellers who wield mystical artifacts, cold steel, and magic. Though the plotting covers well-trod ground, unflappable Susan and
      wonderfully costumed, magically gender-fluid Merlin make for a fantasy that genre fans, teen or adult, won’t want to miss. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary. (Sept.)■

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Marisa Calin seems to take supreme enjoyment in narrating this romp of a book. Calin captures Susan's frustration with her withdrawn, dreamy mother. The 18-year-old is eager to leave her country life for school in 1980s London. She also hopes to discover who her father is. Once there, though, she becomes overwhelmed by her discovery that she is somehow linked to London's magical, hidden Old World. Calin slips easily and thoughtfully into and out of the personalities of the large cast of characters. Noteworthy is her depiction of Susan's guide, Merlin, who is a member of the left-handed booksellers. He sounds erudite, a touch haughty, and increasingly fond of Susan. Calin perfectly uses accents and varying tones to make all the characters memorable. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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