Scan barcode
jessamine864's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is a fun, fast paced book set within an ever shifting alternative London and UK where the creatures of folklore, myth and legend are policed by "the booksellers". The story follows a girl Susan come London to find her father and her quest gets mixed up with that of the booksellers. It's whimsical and funny and was fun to read. Perhaps parts of the storyline could have been more fleshed out or explained, it did at times feel like the author just threw every British mythological thing at it and made modern art with the mess 😅, but it was also fun to recognise certain creatures and objects in it all. I read this in audio book style and it's the first audio book I've listened to. It had pleasant voices to listen to and not read too fast which was good.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Mental illness, and Kidnapping
charlottebreads's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.75
CW/TW: Injury/injury detail, gun violence, kidnapping, murder, blood
Age Rating: 13+
Age Rating: 13+
- I loved Merlin. He was the best character and I thought he carried most of the book. He was so chaotic and unique, and I loved everything about him. He also had a CRAZY wardrobe, which was fantastic.
- Susan was a nice main character. She made good life decisions.
- Vivien was also good, but I think she needed a few more things to separate her from Merlin. Her and Merlin's sibling relationship was fantastic though. I also kept calling her Viven for some reason.
- I though the romance was sidelined too much. It was brought up a few times via some half-hearted flirting/pining, but not enough for an actual relationship. It could have been improved with more pining, more angst, and more cute moments together.Like, Susan was kidnapped ten billion times, Merlin could have at least a bit more protective over her afterwards. And SUSAN, MERLIN BROKE BOTH HIS LEGS AND YOU JUST KISSED HIM AND WENT! WE COULD HAVE HAD A BIT MORE FROM YOU!
- The magic system was really interesting. I liked that the left-handed and right-handed had different abilities, and that they used modern things as well as magical. There were also lots of interesting mythical creatures that I hadn't read about before. However, I thought that they could have used the hatpins more, because they were cool.
- I thought the villain twist was pretty good, however, I thought they needed a bit more motivation. We may find out more later (*hint hint, nudge nudge*), or maybe I missed something while reading.
- Obviously this book includes booksellers who love books, and books about books/booksellers/bookshops are always good.
- They mentioned lots of songs and story titles, so that was nice.
- Overall, I loved it. Nice balance of chaotic shenanigans and important stuff.
- Susan was a nice main character. She made good life decisions.
- Vivien was also good, but I think she needed a few more things to separate her from Merlin. Her and Merlin's sibling relationship was fantastic though. I also kept calling her Viven for some reason.
- I though the romance was sidelined too much. It was brought up a few times via some half-hearted flirting/pining, but not enough for an actual relationship. It could have been improved with more pining, more angst, and more cute moments together.
- The magic system was really interesting. I liked that the left-handed and right-handed had different abilities, and that they used modern things as well as magical. There were also lots of interesting mythical creatures that I hadn't read about before. However, I thought that they could have used the hatpins more, because they were cool.
- I thought the villain twist was pretty good, however, I thought they needed a bit more motivation. We may find out more later (*hint hint, nudge nudge*), or maybe I missed something while reading.
- Obviously this book includes booksellers who love books, and books about books/booksellers/bookshops are always good.
- They mentioned lots of songs and story titles, so that was nice.
- Overall, I loved it. Nice balance of chaotic shenanigans and important stuff.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Cursing
maidmarianlib's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Amazing! Love the characters and the world, so imaginative, could hardly put it down.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and War
claudiamacpherson's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
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? Yes
Susan’s mom has always been a bit forgetful and has never been able to tell Susan about her father, so Susan decides to take matters into her own hands. When she visits her mom’s old friend (and mob boss) in hopes of help, she instead witnesses his death by hatpin and is whisked away from the scene by the handsome Merlin. With Merlin, Susan is plunged into the Old World, the layer beneath or New World, where all manner of creatures live and where she suddenly has many would-be murderers. She is protected by Merlin and the other booksellers: left-handed fighters and fieldworkers and right-handed scholars who protect humans from the Old World and its monsters.
As always, I love the mixture of folktales and mythology with modern life. I am particularly interested in the ancient sovereigns: beings that are like the personification of the places they rule over. I like the idea of the land as sentient and alive in that way, and I would love to read more stories that use this trope. The plot did feel a bit rushed, and I would have liked a bit more explanation and worldbuilding, especially about the booksellers. The story also occasionally felt like an advertisement for Penguin books; like, I get it, I like Penguin books too, but it really was a bit much, and don’t booksellers generally sell books from more than one publishing house?
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe): Happy! And definitely left room for a sequel...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use and Self harm
bookspaperink's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping
Minor: Cursing, Gun violence, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
laurahuskinson's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Cursing and Blood
qwerty88's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
a long involved action sequence/chase in the last third to half of the book. a couple of times characters mentioned how well the main protagonist is taking things, it's really quite remarkable, and it feels like the editor and author decided it was sufficient to just acknowledge and move on. Much like her.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Kidnapping, and Murder
apierlessbridge's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This book was so lovely and I read it all in two cold, rainy winter days. I LOVED the concept of magical fighting booksellers and only wished that we could have learned more about them and spent more time in their world. I loved the blending of folklore and the fast-paced mystery and the three main characters. While I do feel the book had its writing issues and would have loved more exploration of the magic system, it was overall a fun, adventurous read with an interesting premise.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Kidnapping
kimi72714's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Blood
Minor: Violence, Vomit, and Kidnapping
More...