Pack your bags and prepare your finest 1980s reading socks, because Garth Nix has officially dragged us back into the glorious, slightly dusty, and highly dangerous world of the Left-Handed Booksellers. If you thought the first book, The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, was a treat, this sequel is a full-on, multi-tiered Victoria sponge cake—with a side of ancient, terrifying magic. Nix's alternative 1980s England is a delightfully funky place where the staff at your local bookshop are just as likely to recommend a cozy mystery as they are to banish a bloodthirsty entity from the Old World using a silver-plated paper knife.
Our favorite chaotic duo is back in action. We have Susan, who is still dealing with the ultimate identity crisis of being the daughter of a mortal woman and a literal mythical deity (the Old Man of Coniston). And then, of course, there is Merlin: a Left-Handed Bookseller, an absolute dandy, and a man who treats a magical battlefield like a fashion runway.
This time around, we swap the grimy charm of London for the cobblestones and thermal springs of Bath. Naturally, things go pear-shaped almost immediately.
What makes Nix’s fantasy work so spectacularly is how beautifully it anchors itself in reality. There are no 50-page genealogies to memorize and no desperate need to flip back to a fantasy map every three sentences (though let’s be honest, we all love a good map). Instead, you get a comforting, recognizable world where the ordinary and the extraordinary collide. One minute you’re admiring Georgian architecture, and the next you’re trying not to get eaten by an ancient myth that has taken exception to modern plumbing.
The character dynamics in this book are pure magic. Susan is truly coming into her own here, growing in power and stature, and proving she can throw down with the best of them. Meanwhile, Merlin remains a wonderful, glittering oddball. He is the kind of guy who will face down a terrifying, reality-warping monster, but only after ensuring his coat is perfectly tailored and his hair is immaculate. The banter is sharp, the wit is dry, and the humor is delivered in absolute spadefuls.
The narrative pace? Relentless. Nix plunges poor Merlin into mortal peril within the first few chapters and refuses to let up on the gas. The only time anyone gets a breather is to consume truly majestic amounts of cake. Honestly, the ratio of life-or-death combat to tea-and-cake breaks is highly commendable and exactly how I would choose to survive a magical apocalypse.
A Quick Warning: This often gets labeled as Young Adult fiction, but don't let the marketing fools trick you. This is a brilliant crossover book meant for readers of all ages—assuming, of course, you don't have a nervous disposition and are prepared for things to get a little sinister.
Nix’s world-building remains top-tier, and the plot is the perfect mix of a gripping mystery and a magical romp without ever becoming overly convoluted.
I am already gagging for the next installment. There are brief mentions of other booksellers and shops scattered across the British Isles, and frankly, I won't rest until we've had a magical tour of them all. Garth Nix is back, the magic is flowing, and The Sinister Booksellers of Bath is a page-turning triumph. Just keep an eye on the fiction section... you never know what's hiding behind the shelves.
