The Sinister Booksellers of Bath

I really like what Nix is doing with this series, and not just because I am a librarian. I love the bookseller-librarian connections, the fresh and interesting spin on local deity magical systems, the quirky characters and the continuous fast paced adventure. I particularly like that the quirks in the characters are things that might make them unlikeable in other circumstances, but instead render them more endearing. Loved being back with Susan and Merlin and Vivien. Loved the connections with British history. Great stuff!

Advanced Reader's Copy Provided by Edelweiss.

This is a stronger book than The Left-handed booksellers of London, and develops on the first story in a way that dragged me in and kept me riveted. It didn't matter that I'd mostly forgotten the finer details, and that the character names had slipped away, because they were all deftly reintroduced, without a hint of 'As You Know, Bob'.

The characters were stronger -- more present on the page -- than I remember from the first one. The mystery plot was beautifully realised, with fascinating nuance. And the world-building, the details that set it firmly in time and place, was very well done. I got earwormed more than once from the playful joking about music, and references to pop songs.

The booksellers call Susan in to rescue Merlin not realizing that their current challenge will be centered on Susan, though not at all caused by her - well only very indirectly as she is so tasty. Susan's wish for an ordinary life seems farther away as the action is pretty much non-stop from the time she enters the broken down door at the Small Bookshop in Bath.

This is a lovely follow-up to The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, and I will be honest: I liked it better. As Susan, Merlin, and Vivien navigate worlds out of time, a bunch of hostile statues, and an ancient scheme that targets Susan specifically, you learn more about the world and the way magic works, which I really enjoyed.

I did find myself rolling my eyes a bit about Susan's yearning for a normal life. When a normal life cuts you off from the people and things that you love, it might be time to embrace abnormality for a bit. I also spent the whole book waiting for someone to think of the classic solution, which fortunately Susan eventually did.

I also love how great Nix is at evoking place and time here. He's clearly reliving show more something he remembers well, and the notes in here about clothes and songs (and the obsession with car heaters that don't work) all contribute beautifully to the sense of the setting.

And, of course, the characters are great. But everyone who has read the first book knows that, and anyone who hasn't shouldn't read this. This is definitely not a series you can just pick up anywhere. show less

My wife is a big fan of Nix's Sabriel books, but I had not read anything by him before. This is a sequel to another of his books (The Left-Handed Booksellers of London), but I found that it largely stood on its own, except that it never clearly delineated the difference between left- and right-handed booksellers. Anyway, it's about a secret order of "booksellers" that combat dangerous magical entities; here they have to prevent one particular one from rising up and obtaining great power through sacrificing innocent victims on the solstice. I found it cute and charming without being precious or twee—quite an accomplishment these days. A lot of fun ideas, and I would loop back and read the first book, but it didn't set my world on fire.

Susan and Merlin are trying to figure out their relationship, largely because Susan wants to remain as “normal” as it is possible for the offspring of an Ancient Entity to be and Merlin’s status as a left-handed bookseller charged with maintaining boundaries between the human and magical worlds means that she will be dragged into more magical realms than she would like. However, it isn’t long before an Ancient Entity previously unknown to the booksellers creates havoc: the rock-based entity must sustain an out-of-time home for her half-human daughter if that person is to survive and the way to do that is to sacrifice a human every six years. Or, better yet, to sacrifice a demi-deity - and who better for that than Susan?.... This show more is the sequel to “The Left-Handed Booksellers of London,” a book that I enjoyed very much; this sequel is a little less thrilling, but that’s probably because now I’m more familiar with the characters so their activities aren’t so surprising as in the first book. I was reminded of Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series, which I liked a lot until it became too repetitive (around book 6 or 8, if I recall); Mr. Nix’s work is classified as YA but is perfectly suited to this 60-something year old as well, and his world-building is solid and feasible (as long as one accepts the premise in the first place). A very good fantasy duo, perhaps to become a series? In any event, recommended - but read “The Left-Handed Booksellers of London” first so that you can better follow the events in this book! show less

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 show more 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. show less