imnikkiz's review against another edition
4.0
Light, entertaining, fluffy candy read. I loved [b:Sabriel|518848|Sabriel (Abhorsen, #1)|Garth Nix|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1293655399l/518848._SY75_.jpg|3312237], and this was basically Sabriel in 1980s London. Definitely got some [b:Neverwhere|14497|Neverwhere (London Below, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348747943l/14497._SX50_.jpg|16534] and [b:Rivers of London|9317452|Rivers of London (Rivers of London, #1)|Ben Aaronovitch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1401385034l/9317452._SY75_.jpg|13552476] vibes.
A couple of minor critiques:
The romance was completely unbelievable. Maybe at the very beginning I got those will-they-won't-they tingles, but then Merlin's sister was in every scene and it became more of a friend adventure. Susan and Merlin were never alone, never had a conversation that wasn't directly tied to the plot, and there was no obvious reason for them to have bonded or formed any romantic connection. So the sudden omg-we're-in-love ending fell completely flat.
Still, it was a fun read, with a well-paced plot and interesting world-building, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy.
A couple of minor critiques:
Spoiler
The plot definitely climaxed during the mountain scene, and I felt that the final confrontation seemed unnecessary and rushed - I actually thought fetching the cauldron would be the plot of a sequel. It didn't have the same tense buildup or any weight behind it, and the antagonist was pretty non-threatening.The romance was completely unbelievable. Maybe at the very beginning I got those will-they-won't-they tingles, but then Merlin's sister was in every scene and it became more of a friend adventure. Susan and Merlin were never alone, never had a conversation that wasn't directly tied to the plot, and there was no obvious reason for them to have bonded or formed any romantic connection. So the sudden omg-we're-in-love ending fell completely flat.
Still, it was a fun read, with a well-paced plot and interesting world-building, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy.
alhalpern's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
nekoshka's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Omg this was so cute???
It does suffer from the usual YA problems like underdeveloped characters and a predictable plot, but otherwise it’s unexpectedly good.
Susan, the MC, is very much the "chosen one" with special powers and special parentage but it’s not annoying and they don’t make her overpowered. And she’s punk!
Merlin is a delightful love interest. Loved the approach to his gender and how the fact that he’s questioning it doesn’t make him any less attractive, flirty and self-assured. Again, I would have loved a bit more elaboration on this topic, but maybe we’ll get it in the next book.
I thought at first that the constant clothes descriptions would annoy me, but the ended up being a really fun detail.
The worldbuilding is interesting but sparse. Not developed enough.
Overall, very easy and light read.
It does suffer from the usual YA problems like underdeveloped characters and a predictable plot, but otherwise it’s unexpectedly good.
Susan, the MC, is very much the "chosen one" with special powers and special parentage but it’s not annoying and they don’t make her overpowered. And she’s punk!
Merlin is a delightful love interest. Loved the approach to his gender and how the fact that he’s questioning it doesn’t make him any less attractive, flirty and self-assured. Again, I would have loved a bit more elaboration on this topic, but maybe we’ll get it in the next book.
I thought at first that the constant clothes descriptions would annoy me, but the ended up being a really fun detail.
The worldbuilding is interesting but sparse. Not developed enough.
Overall, very easy and light read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Confinement
neera_exlibris's review against another edition
This is the third or fourth book of Garth Nix's that I've picked up and then put down, and my conclusion from that is that there's just something about his writing that isn't engaging to me
annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London is a new urban fantasy/crossworlds mashup by Garth Nix. Due out 22nd Sept 2020 from HarperCollins Children's imprint, it's 416 pages (hardcover) and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
Probably 80% of what I read and review is speculative fiction and murder mysteries. Of the SF/fantasy, urban fantasy is my favorite. Give me hobgoblins in Edinburgh, talking rats in the subway, genii locorum (yes, I had 7 years of formal Latin, sorry), or semi-mythical librarians/booksellers/archivists, and it's like catnip. This is that...lots and lots of that. I started reading and was delighted, quickly enraptured, and then spellbound. I stayed up way too late reading.
The plotting and nuts-and-bolts construction are well engineered and all the moving parts work. The dialogue is well done and doesn't devolve into pure annoying sarcastic snark at any point. There's a fair bit of violence and gore, but it's not egregious or overly graphic. I would put it around the PG-13 level. The language is somewhat rough (again, used in context). There is no sexual content.
There will absolutely be comparisons to Miéville's Un Lun Dun, and Aaronvitch's Rivers of London, and Gaiman's Neverwhere, but while I can say that fans of those esteemed worthies will find a lot to love here, Nix brings his own (inimitable) distinct narrative and it's original and enjoyable and fresh. It's not explicitly foreshadowed, but I hope this will be a long and very prolific series. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.
I really really enjoyed this one. Four stars, a strong series (I hope) start.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London is a new urban fantasy/crossworlds mashup by Garth Nix. Due out 22nd Sept 2020 from HarperCollins Children's imprint, it's 416 pages (hardcover) and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
Probably 80% of what I read and review is speculative fiction and murder mysteries. Of the SF/fantasy, urban fantasy is my favorite. Give me hobgoblins in Edinburgh, talking rats in the subway, genii locorum (yes, I had 7 years of formal Latin, sorry), or semi-mythical librarians/booksellers/archivists, and it's like catnip. This is that...lots and lots of that. I started reading and was delighted, quickly enraptured, and then spellbound. I stayed up way too late reading.
The plotting and nuts-and-bolts construction are well engineered and all the moving parts work. The dialogue is well done and doesn't devolve into pure annoying sarcastic snark at any point. There's a fair bit of violence and gore, but it's not egregious or overly graphic. I would put it around the PG-13 level. The language is somewhat rough (again, used in context). There is no sexual content.
There will absolutely be comparisons to Miéville's Un Lun Dun, and Aaronvitch's Rivers of London, and Gaiman's Neverwhere, but while I can say that fans of those esteemed worthies will find a lot to love here, Nix brings his own (inimitable) distinct narrative and it's original and enjoyable and fresh. It's not explicitly foreshadowed, but I hope this will be a long and very prolific series. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.
I really really enjoyed this one. Four stars, a strong series (I hope) start.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
nikkihaske's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
aforeman's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
celandine's review against another edition
5.0
A stunning tale of old magic and new; old myths and new ideas, with a sprinkle of the unexpected. As always, Nix submerges the reader in a well-wrought world of his own making, pulling us along on a wild adventure that leaves us guessing and breathless from start to finish. Utterly satisfying and wholly sublime.
linguisticali's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
2.5
I feel like Garth Nix read a lot of Susan Cooper and Diana Wynne Jones right before NaNoWriMo. Which isn't to say it's messy, just that's it's very and-then-and-then-and-then without any real character development. I might read the next one as it's available in the library, but this was very average.