In the 1980s, London is a place where magic is real. The story follows Susan Arkshaw, an 18-year-old woman who travels to London to find her father, whom she has never met. She soon discovers a hidden world of magical booksellers, who use their powers to police the mystical ‘Old World’ when it affects the ’New World’.
The booksellers are divided into two groups: the right-handed booksellers are the intellectuals and the left-handed booksellers are the fighters. Susan finds herself caught up in the booksellers’ world when she meets Merlin, a very stylish fighter and a left-handed bookseller who is investigating his own mother’s death. Together they embark on a quest to uncover the truth about Susan’s father and the mysterious organisation that is hunting her.
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London is a novel full of ancient, mythical beings and magic. I like how Merlin is introduced as not seeming to have a definite gender and the booksellers can change gender whenever they want. The many different creatures such as the Urchins (creepy clownish children that try to dance you to death) and the Cauldron Born (reanimated corpses) make this a really fascinating book.
Reviewed by Laura, Year 8
Burwood Girls High, Croydon NSW
Age Guide 14+
Garth Nix has been a full-time writer since 2001, but has also worked as a literary agent, marketing consultant, book editor, book publicist, book sales representative, bookseller, and as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve.
Garth’s books include the ‘Old Kingdom’ fantasy series: Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel, Goldenhand and Terciel and Elinor; SF novels Shade’s Children and A Confusion of Princes; fantasy novels Angel Mage and The Left-Handed Booksellers of London; and a Regency romance with magic, Newt’s Emerald. His novels for children include The Ragwitch; the six books of ‘The Seventh Tower’ sequence; ‘The Keys to the Kingdom’ series and Frogkisser! His short fiction includes more than 60 published stories, some of them collected in Across the Wall and To Hold the Bridge.
He has co-written several books with Sean Williams, including the ‘Troubletwisters’ series; Spirit Animals Book Three: Blood Ties; Have Sword, Will Travel; and Let Sleeping Dragons Lie.
More than six million copies of Garth’s books have been sold around the world, they have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times and his work has been translated into 42 languages. He has won multiple Aurealis Awards, the Ditmar Award, the Mythopoeic Award, CBCA Honour Book, and has been shortlisted for the Locus Awards, the Shirley Jackson Award and others.