In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for her father, a man she has never met. Crime boss Frank Thringley might be able to help her, but Susan doesn’t get time to ask Frank any questions before he is turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin. The Left-handed Booksellers of London (Garth Nix) I’ll be honest; I’m not a big Garth Nix fan. I often struggle with some of the stuff he writes, especially the foreign atmospheres, outlandish world building, and morally oddball characters. I am, however, often enthralled in the allure of his premises, and so this particular title has been on my to-read list all year. Due to a crazy year (in more ways than just the pandemic), I’ve only recently been to the library to actually read something new, and I picked this one up on a whim. And when I was finished, I went to work and bought a copy. (For those who were unaware, I currently work at a Bookshop. If this seems financially compromising, I assure you, you’re absolutely right.)
So, the short of it is, this was an excellent book. I mean, it’s set in an alternate 1983, and starts like this: “This story takes place in a version of England in the year 1983, but it is not entirely as those who were alive then will remember, or those with a historical bent can check up on. But which is real?” Like I said, the allure is real. Especially for readers and booksellers and left-handed people as they relate, but also because ALTERNATE MAGICAL REALITY. This is possibly the reason I enjoyed it so much compare to his other books; because the base of its world building was something I could fundamentally understand instinctively. Further, the exploration of some of the more fantastical elements was assisted by the main character Susan Arkshaw, who began as the metaphorical ’outsider’ being inducted into a deeper world full of mystery and magic. And the world full of mystery and magic is pretty awesome! It melded almost seamlessly with 1983 London and drew me in to both the real locations and the new ones. The idea of a group of day-job booksellers separating the ‘Old World’ from the modern one is exciting and piqued my interest immediately, as that sort of idea always appeals to ordinary readers who can relate and easily imagine themselves within the magic. Susan herself is an exemplary main character who has clear goals and is refreshingly hard to phase. Gets chased out the window by a giant flea? Confused and a bit alarmed, but fine. Gets shot at with arrows? Let’s see if I can shoot back. I particularly enjoyed this, which you might have guessed if you know about my dislike for characters who get thrust into a magic land and then complain. Anyway, the plot is a beautiful mix of character driven and plot driven which creates that perfect golden crust on top of the delicious pie that is this book. Some decisions are driven by Susan or Merlin (our other main character), and others are driven by the bad guys aka PLOT. It’s fairly fast paced and a quick read (by that I mean 368 pages in the copy I bought, or approximately 11hrs 16m if you like Audiobooks). Childhood fans of Susan Cooper and fantasy in general will love this stand-alone novel by this famous Australian author. I would recommend it for an older audience than usual, possibly 17+, but I also know that my mother has been really enjoying the audiobook too, so it’s enjoyable for adults and teens alike. There’s a bit of swearing (mostly just the occasional sh**, but there may be rare mentions of a few others I’ve forgotten), but it’s fairly clean. Oh, and I recommended it to someone for a teen, but I think they were scared of by the fact that Merlin is searching for the “Old World entity that killed his mother”. If that scares you off, well, you’ve been warned (but honestly, Harry Potter’s mother was killed, and that gets more graphic screen time than what’s in this book). All in all, I give it 4.5 stars because I really enjoyed it, and I think you will too. Here’s to reading and reviewing more, and a better year next year! Merry Christmas, StoryGirl
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About MeI'm just a girl who loves to read (and also to listen to music, watch tv, and really anything that involves a story). Archives
December 2020
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