The Bookseller's Apprentice made it to my best books of 2022. I absolutely love Amelia Mellor's writing. She creates vivid magical worlds with the setting of locations here in Australia. This one was action packed and thrilling. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I love the characters and how fleshed and unique their voices are. I can't wait to see if we eventually get a 3rd installment to this series.

I really like the way Amelia Mellor writes. She's able to tell stories that appeal to an audience of all ages. Although this book is junior fiction I really enjoyed it and would recommend for all ages. She weaves history and magic together in a beautiful way that doesn't get bogged down on heavy details, but instead describes everything in an imaginative and creative way. The story is full of unique characters and situations that keep your attention the whole way through. I liked that the book reads well as a standalone as well as the prequel to The Grandest Bookshop in The World.

We ordered in around 12 copies to start with and they sold really well. We also have the poster on display in our store window and often get people coming in to ask about the book. Customers love that the story is set in historic Melbourne.

I read The Grandest Bookshop in the World last year, so was excited to see the prequel on NetGalley. Honestly, I think I enjoyed this one even more. If you haven’t read either, I think I would read The Bookseller’s Apprentice first. However, both read well as stand-alones.
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Billy and Kezia. The clue-solving/ riddle-solving was a lot of fun, and the author kept the tension rising throughout. The atmosphere of Paddy’s Market in the late 19th century seeped off the page and you can almost hear the vendors and feel the hustle and bustle of the crowds.
Highly recommend for children ages 8-12.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of The Bookseller’s Apprentice.

I hadn't read the first book of the series but I certainly want to now! I read the blurb and was quite intrigued by the concept and then within a day I had pored over the rest. What a delightful read! I loved the use of language and words that aren't very common, I loved the puzzles and riddles, I loved the way that the author has used characters names that were actually real people and a setting that was very real in its day. I was picturing the Queen Victoria Market in my mind when reading through it and appreciate the snapshots of history woven through the book.
Much better than a lot of children's/young adult books on the shelf.
I have given an honest review in exchange for the temporary copy of the book. My thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher.

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4)

I read Mellor's debut, The Grandest Bookstore in the World, last year and completely fell in love. It was unique, fun, mysterious and a little creepy, and so I was super excited to get accepted to read an early digital copy of Mellor's second novel.

The Booksellers Apprentice is a prequel to her debut, and although I highly recommend reading The Grandest Bookstore first, this could also be read as a standalone book.

Just as anticipated, The Booksellers Apprentice is filled with a similar peculiar atmosphere that came with its predecessor. We get to again meet the mysterious Obscurosmith, along with some new characters for him to torment. One of my favourite aspects of Mellor's writing is her characterisation, which she has done beautifully once again. I also really love the puzzles throughout and had fun trying to solve them along with Billy and Kezia.

Whilst I did enjoy this book, it didn't work for me quite as well as the first one. Overall, the story was interesting, however, there were some definite pacing issues. It took awhile to get into the 'action' and I felt my attention waning during periods of the first half.

It was also lacking some of the tension that made The Grandest Bookstore so good. The stakes were much higher in that one, which meant I cared about the outcome a lot more.

Overall, this was still a fun read, but not quite as good as I was expecting.

Thanks to NetGalley and Affirm Press for an advanced e-copy of this book

I must say that first off I love the artwork on the cover of Amelia's books. They are so inviting and really take you to a different world.

And then the book itself. Well what a delightful book and one that can be enjoyed by by readers of all ages. I love the setting, being Melbourne in 1871, the market and the old world charm of it all. And Billy Pyke is the perfect character for this book. He brings excitement and mystery, a bit of magic and adventure. It really does have it all.

Love the historical aspect which really did bring the whole story to life and you could just imagine yourself there all those years ago. It is just a marvelous book and one to be shared. Fantastical, magical and even a bit of fun.

A brilliant second book to this series. Amelia Mellor has done it again. I particularly loved the Melbourne references and I am sure many Australian kids will appreciate a book that is familiar to them. This read is a lot of fun and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Highly recommend

This is a lovely magic-infused historical fiction, and a story I would have delighted in as a child. It drops you into this world, and assumes you’re going to keep up. (That may be because, while a prequel, it is the second book set in this world. However, it’s advertised as being fine for newcomers, so as a newcomer, you’re rolling with it.) The riddles are a joy, and the characters are very fun. I had a great appreciation for Mr Cole's stance on education being so vital, and I did quite like Kezia's aunts!

It is also a joy to read something set somewhere familiar, even if it is in a rather more unfamiliar past. It is a fantastical version of the Melbourne of 1871, but it is very much Melbourne, with familiar names and places, and occasional mention of farther flung parts of Victoria, which did tickle me. Australian kids - particularly Victorian kids - will get a kick out of it, because it’s not something you encounter much of (or at least you didn’t when I was a kid).

It was enjoyable to read as an adult - I can only hope that its target audience loves it too!