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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Much slower and I enjoyed the first one more, but the characters are endearing
I like the concepts but I needed to refresh on the first one and the characters don't feel fleshed out
Thank you to Gollancz for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
In a similar vein to The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, The Sinister Booksellers of Bath is full of action, humour and of course everyone’s favourite genderqueer bookseller extraordinaire, Merlin. (No seriously, he’s an absolute gem, who doesn’t love him?) Having read TLHBoL back when it first came out, I was worried I’d have forgotten some important points I would need going into the sequel over 2 years later, but thankfully found this was not the case! While TSBoB does deal with some repercussions from the events of book 1, the main plotline follows a new evil entity and consists of a new adventure entirely.
Honestly, these books are just so much fun. If you want a quick fantasy read with a great cast of characters then pick up this series! It’s also weirdly empowering to read about a main character who also wears Doc Martens haha. Nix’s writing flows so easily and immediately draws you into his alternate version of England in the 1980s. What especially stood out to me was his inclusion of female characters in the background cast. Usually a policeman or a doctor arriving on scene in a novel will be male, or we unconsciously expect them to be male because society has taught us to. However, he would often include female doctors, women at the head of the police force, or female detectives, which was just so refreshing to read about. At a talk I later attended, Nix said he wanted his alternate England to be a more equal one, and he has definitely succeeded here!
What I like about these books is they aren’t really comparable to other YA books. The tone is more mature, while still being very humorous. The characters are more self-aware, meaning their decisions feel more justified and grounded, by extension making them seem more realistic. I also really like how the romance between Susan and Merlin is not at the forefront of the story, and we as the reader know how much they matter to each other without Nix having to spotlight their relationship unnecessarily.
Like in book 1, the plot progressed at a rapid pace, with twists and turns throughout as the reader uncovers more layers of the mystery alongside the characters. As an Earth sciences student, I also found it very amusing that the main villain was a magic statue built using one of the rocks I briefly studied in my degree (Purbeck Limestone if you must know). While the specifics didn’t mean much to me personally, Nix also clearly took particular attention in describing the exact types of weapons (e.g. the model of the gun) the characters were using, as well as their cars, which was a nice touch. It’s always good to see an author’s personal areas of interest making their way into their work!
Overall, a great read once again! Looking forward to going back and reading Garth Nix’s backlist!
In a similar vein to The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, The Sinister Booksellers of Bath is full of action, humour and of course everyone’s favourite genderqueer bookseller extraordinaire, Merlin. (No seriously, he’s an absolute gem, who doesn’t love him?) Having read TLHBoL back when it first came out, I was worried I’d have forgotten some important points I would need going into the sequel over 2 years later, but thankfully found this was not the case! While TSBoB does deal with some repercussions from the events of book 1, the main plotline follows a new evil entity and consists of a new adventure entirely.
Honestly, these books are just so much fun. If you want a quick fantasy read with a great cast of characters then pick up this series! It’s also weirdly empowering to read about a main character who also wears Doc Martens haha. Nix’s writing flows so easily and immediately draws you into his alternate version of England in the 1980s. What especially stood out to me was his inclusion of female characters in the background cast. Usually a policeman or a doctor arriving on scene in a novel will be male, or we unconsciously expect them to be male because society has taught us to. However, he would often include female doctors, women at the head of the police force, or female detectives, which was just so refreshing to read about. At a talk I later attended, Nix said he wanted his alternate England to be a more equal one, and he has definitely succeeded here!
What I like about these books is they aren’t really comparable to other YA books. The tone is more mature, while still being very humorous. The characters are more self-aware, meaning their decisions feel more justified and grounded, by extension making them seem more realistic. I also really like how the romance between Susan and Merlin is not at the forefront of the story, and we as the reader know how much they matter to each other without Nix having to spotlight their relationship unnecessarily.
Like in book 1, the plot progressed at a rapid pace, with twists and turns throughout as the reader uncovers more layers of the mystery alongside the characters. As an Earth sciences student, I also found it very amusing that the main villain was a magic statue built using one of the rocks I briefly studied in my degree (Purbeck Limestone if you must know). While the specifics didn’t mean much to me personally, Nix also clearly took particular attention in describing the exact types of weapons (e.g. the model of the gun) the characters were using, as well as their cars, which was a nice touch. It’s always good to see an author’s personal areas of interest making their way into their work!
Overall, a great read once again! Looking forward to going back and reading Garth Nix’s backlist!
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Electronic ARC provided by publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I love the lore set up by Nix in the bookseller series, but this second volume suffers from pacing. There is at times too much extraneous description of mundane things like clothing and weapons, and in turn not enough character development. The end is satisfying but feels rushed.
The story itself is great, the world created is interesting and the problems they have are worth following to the end. But the characters themselves are a little flat.
Susan continues her one note refrain of wanting to be “normal” throughout the book, and none of the secondary characters really get anything in the way of development.
I was left wanting more, but I’d love to see the next volume flesh out some of the funky otherworldly creatures, and deepen the complexity of the main characters. Nix is a great writer and I would love to see more of this series with some better pacing and depth to the cast.
I love the lore set up by Nix in the bookseller series, but this second volume suffers from pacing. There is at times too much extraneous description of mundane things like clothing and weapons, and in turn not enough character development. The end is satisfying but feels rushed.
The story itself is great, the world created is interesting and the problems they have are worth following to the end. But the characters themselves are a little flat.
Susan continues her one note refrain of wanting to be “normal” throughout the book, and none of the secondary characters really get anything in the way of development.
I was left wanting more, but I’d love to see the next volume flesh out some of the funky otherworldly creatures, and deepen the complexity of the main characters. Nix is a great writer and I would love to see more of this series with some better pacing and depth to the cast.
I utterly loved this book (as well as the first book in the series, the Left-Handed Booksellers of London). Garth Nix’s worldbuilding is SO well done. The vibe of the series hits all of my happy reading places—reminiscent (but not in any way plagaristic) of Neil Gaiman; Susan Cooper’s Dark is Rising series; Lloyd Alexander’s The Chronicles of Prydain; etc.—while maintaining its unique concepts and feel and the earlier-mentioned excellent worldbuilding. Highly recommended, and I deeply hope Nix continues writing new works in this series.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Murder
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced