Another exciting adventure from Garth Nix. I will confess I enjoyed the first more, but only by a very little. The strength of the characters as well as the intricacies of the story are completely immersive.

This story begins with a magical map discovered in one of the bookshops in Bath which leads to Merlin getting sucked into a pocket world. To get him back, his sister Vivien has to recruit art student Susan Arkshaw to use her newly discovered magical powers to get him back.

They are successful but draw the attention of the magical being who created the map and who has a plan to live forever. Sacrificing Susan will make those plans a reality. The booksellers have until midwinter to find and stop this plan.

The story is filled with great worldbuilding and lots and lots of different magical beings. Susan has been trying to keep her distance because she very much wants to live an ordinary human life. But that is looking less and less likely to be possible if she keeps being a target.

The story is back with adventures enough to keep anyone turning the pages. Susan's struggle and how she comes to terms with it adds a lot of depth to the story too.

Fantasy fans will enjoy this engaging story.

The second book in this wonderful historical urban fantasy is just as much fun as the first one was. I loved being back with the left, right and even handed booksellers of England and all that they get up to. All of my favorite characters from the first book are back and there is a new sinister evil serial killer character that will stop at nothing to kill again.

Susan and Merlin are back, but have mostly slowed down their relationship. Susan is very unsure of her new found powers and is also not sure about continuing her association with the Booksellers. She just wants to live a normal life, and who can blame her. She had a lot to take in and deal with from the last book, and having a romance with Merlin would make anyone’s head spin. Her anxiety is high as the book progresses, but she must help Merlin and the other Booksellers to expose a killer and save some lives, including her own.

I just adore Merlin and his love of having the perfect outfit for every occasion. He to is having a hard time adjusting to his first serious relationship with Susan, but I like that he doesn’t pressure her and he sort of gets how overwhelming everything is for her. He also really takes charge of the situation in this book and works so hard to keep Susan and his sister safe. It was good to see him in such a leadership role.

Vivian and many of the other Booksellers from the first book are back. I loved watching them do research to try to find the killer and why they were doing what they were doing. There is a lot of camaraderie among them, and a good sense of humor. Vivian also steps up and takes a leading role in discovering who is behind the map and why. I really like her and hope to see more of her at some point. I am not so sure that all of the senior Booksellers have Susan’s best interest in mind when they make their decisions and it does worry me a tiny bit.

The pacing and the plot will keep you on the edge of your seat most of the time. Garth Nix really likes to write about everything in detail, like settings, clothing (especially Merlin’s), food, and many other things. I find this to be a good and fascinating aspect of his writing, but there were a couple of times when it seemed to interrupt the flow of the narrative. But I do love the attention to detail. I was also not completely happy with the ending. There seemed to be one scene that was missing between Susan and her father. It was talked about, but I would have liked to actually have seen it.

Overall if you liked the first book, I think you will like this one too. These two books do make a solid duology, and so far there is no indication of more books, but I certainly hope there will be. This is a fun fantasy with lots of great characters and rich in British mythology.

This follow-up to Nix's The Left-Handed Booksellers of Bath returns us to the London world that book introduced.
Susan, Merlin and Vivian continue to be the center of the story with Susan further exploring her supernatural connection and powers. The action continues to jump around a bit in time and location, although always centered on parts of the U.K. primarily around London.

I agree with other reviewers; the pacing is uneven and some character development seems extraneous. That said, I enjoyed many of the other booksellers we were introduced to in this book and could see Nix using it as a springboard for more stories in this universe. One complaint, I'm not sure who the 'sinister bookseller' of the title is supposed to be.

Another amazing instalment in the world of booksellers. I loved following Susan's journey and the decisions she gets to make. I loved seeing the classic Nix choices too and the description of the clothing details always make me quite happy.

ARC provided via NetGalley & Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.

The booksellers have found a mysterious map & Merlin has gotten himself stuck inside it - they need Susan to help get him out and they find a mystery that needs a lot of answers. Poor Susan is going to get dragged back into the supernatural, again. She just wants to go to art school & live a normal life.

This one, unfortunately, suffers from sequel-itis. Time feels very.. rubber -banded, if that makes sense. Some sections have this feeling of being rushed (but not necessarily urgent), while other passages feel like time is dragging out. The pacing in this one just feels slightly off.

Overall, I enjoyed the storyline & concept. I just didn't love this one. It was still a quick read but not quite as easy to lose myself in.

Even though I'm not usually an enthusiastic reader of YA, the first volume in this series, The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, really won me over. I appreciated the way the characters were self-actualizing, even when uncertain. I appreciated the lack (for the most part) of good-guy/bad-guy types. I appreciate the gender diversity (well beyond binary) among the characters.

The Sinister Booksellers of Bath features these traits as well, and I did enjoy it, but not quite as much as The Left-Handed Booksellers of London. The opening chapters throw readers into the middle of the action—without being confusing—and demands reading at a pace appropriate for the plot. Unfortunately, the middle third really slows down. Things are still happening, but they're wrapped in a sort of fantasy bureaucracy the keeps readers at a distance.

If you're a fan of Neil Gaiman, you will probably love this book, which offers generations of gods, wizards, and half-humans, all with a variety of powers. It didn't work as well for my as I'd wished, but I think I'm probably an outlier. Most readers who find it in their hands will probably be more enthusiastic.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

The Sinister Booksellers of Bath is the sequel to the previously-standalone Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix. New adventures await Susan, Merlin, Vivien, and the rest of the booksellers. When Merlin disappears, Susan and Vivien must rescue him and face a new threat from a murderous Old One.

This was a fun book, although the pacing felt a little off. We are introduced to more magic, more ancient deities, and more booksellers than previously, which I enjoyed. However, the story felt disjointed; the beginning was gripping, then the story slowed way down for several hundred pages until everything reached a resolution in the last 20 pages or so.

There was also an odd balance between too much detail for things I didn't care about, and too little detail for those I did. Outside of the main trio, I didn't have much of an impression of any of the dozen or so background characters. Much of the action takes place off the page and is described by one character to another. And yet there were lists of which kinds of cars people were driving, which kinds of guns they had, etc. - nothing that necessarily added to the story, especially as someone who doesn't know nor care what these things looked like.

I think I might have enjoyed it more if I didn't have such high expectations from Garth Nix. The Old Kingdom series is one of my all time favorites, and I know he can write beautiful high fantasy with complex characters. The Sinister Booksellers of Bath is just okay, and unfortunately suffers by comparison with the author's previous works.

Three stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the eARC in return for an honest review.

Susan is still learning about her magical heritage when a new killer appears. Merlin gets in over his head and his sister, Vivien, comes to his aide with the help of Susan. This is a centuries-old battle cycle that must be won, or it will repeat. They must travel to magical worlds, battle living statues, and discover the secrets of this newest villain. What will this unlikely trio need to overcome?

The Sinister Booksellers of Bath is the second book in the Left-Handed Booksellers of London series. Readers’ memories will be nudged throughout the opening chapters and will quickly fall into this new story. I found the action scenes pulled the storyline along and the book almost read itself. Nix has taken a few classic characters and has introduced them with some new twists. A fun read and it will be interesting to see if another will be on its way.

This was s fun book. Not as fun as the first in the series but still a continuation of the wonderful world and magic building Nix gave us previously.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really hope Nix keeps writing in this alternate world of magical booksellers and mysterious ancient entities. In this second entry, Susan has to help Merlin and Vivien stop the Lady of Stone, an ancient and powerful serial killer. Susan is also working hard to keep her father's powers at bay while she tries to live a normal, mortal life as an art student. I loved the Bath setting especially, having visited there last summer. Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Katherine Tegen Books for a digital review copy.

"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."

AND Garth Nix is doing a US book tour! So be sure to check out the dates.

It was an interesting read and not my typical read. I did find it has some Shadowhunters theme going. Overall I would recommend for those readers who love fantasy.

This is the first book I've ever read by Garth Nix, and I really enjoyed it! Susan, Merlin, and Vivian are wonderfully crafted characters. I did feel like I was playing catch up a little in terms of understanding the world of the booksellers. I have not read book 1, so I intend to go back and do that as soon as I can grab a copy from the library. That said, the world itself felt very detailed and rich, and I loved how maps were used in this book. I can see younger readers really getting invested in what I hope will be a continuing series.

A follow-up to The Left-handed Booksellers of London, this book has all the action, mythology, and fun of its predecessor. The shout-outs to great books to read are here as well, though sadly in somewhat fewer number. Nix has a gift for describing a scene, and several of the book's locations have remained in my imagination since reading. Here's hoping for more in this series! Recommended.

I'll be quite honest. I DNFed this title. I rarely ever do that. Like, seriously.

The writing did it. Nearly every sentence was looong with multiple dependent clauses. I had to reread some paragraphs multiple times to filter out which words carried the story forward .They consisted of 3 sentences, mind you. 25 pages in, I can't tell you who a lead is because my brain is tired.

It was just word bloat. Without a variety of sentence lengths and structures, it's clunky and mentally taxing. I skipped a few chapters ahead to see if it got any better, and it didn't.

I wanted to like it. I really did.

I absolutely loved this book. I have always been a big Garth Nix fan but feel like sometimes the stories and writing feel forced, but not with this one. I was once again wrapped up in the world of booksellers and the Old World. The story grabbed me and I read the book in a few sittings. It was great to read more about Susan and Merlin as well as the other booksellers. I can't wait for the next installment.

The amazing and awesome Susan, Merlin, and Vivian, along with the booksellers and the Old World, are brought back in this book with a bang. Once again, I truly enjoyed the magic system and lore that exists in this universe, this time spreading from the mystery of an enchanted map. I also liked being able to see Susan and her powers grow and become more fleshed out in this book. She becomes capable of using them to protect both herself and others, despite being understandably nervous about and reluctant to embrace her inheritance. The plot clipped along at a perfectly satisfying pace, and, as with the first book, I loved seeing all the bookish references sprinkled throughout (I love when a story can do this without seeming heavy-handed or condescending).

This book, along with its prequel, constitute some of the best fantasy I've read in a while. The series is now a must-read and must-buy, and I can't wait to see where it goes next. I will definitely need an advance copy of the next book as well, if I can get my hands on one.

This was a phenomenal book! It is part of a series, and I hadn’t read the first one, but other than a few instances where things had happened previously, I didn’t feel like I was missing enough that I couldn’t enjoy this book. Both Susan and the various booksellers are so well written you can’t help but be drawn into the story. This would make an EPIC movie if given the right director and a proper budget for special effects. I completely recommend this book and will be reading the first one ASAP!

An enjoyable sequel to the Left-Handed Booksellers of London.

When Merlin gets trapped in a map, Susan has to go to a place out of time with Vivienne to rescue him, pulling her right back into the old world. As Winter Solstice approaches, she discovers that the old world isn't going to let her go. A mysterious figure known as The Old Lady of Stone is willing to try anything to kidnap Susan, and it will take every trick and ally the booksellers have to save her. Meanwhile, as the time draws near for Susan's father to wake up, Susan comes into more and more of her power.

Just like the first book, this one is jam-packed with on-the-edge-of-your-seat action from start to finish. I would have loved to see Susan and Merlin's romance develop a little more, but the pacing of the plot keeps you so busy you barely notice.

This introduces the reader to a broader spectrum of the Old World, including new gods and goddesses. I especially liked the part where they got trapped out of time in a map. Imagine being able to touch a map and end up wherever was depicted! Simply magical.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.