Books › The Left-Handed Booksellers of London
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London
432 pages
A magical romp through 1983 London where fighting booksellers police the boundaries of myth and reality.
What it feels like
Set against the atmospheric backdrop of an alternate 1983 London, this young adult fantasy delivers a brisk, adventurous ride through a world where myth bleeds into reality. The mood is a charming blend of nostalgic urban mystery and epic magical action, anchored by the delightful concept of booksellers divided into intellectual researchers and magical combatants. As two distinct quests for family secrets and vengeance begin to overlap, the narrative maintains a propulsive energy, pulling the reader through a web of botched investigations and ancient entities. The prose balances the gritty reality of crime bosses with the whimsical danger of the Old World. It is a perfect fit for readers who crave secret magical societies, dynamic sibling and ally relationships, and the thrilling intersection of books and battle.
- Mood
- magical
- nostalgic
- intriguing
- mythic
- Tone
- adventurous
- witty
- mysterious
- earnest
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- uncovering family secrets · hidden magical worlds · overlapping destinies · the power of knowledge and combat
- The writing
- Action-oriented and atmospheric, blending urban grit with mythic fantasy elements.
- The arc
- From curious and uncertain beginnings to a thrilling, intertwined pursuit of truth and vengeance.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love young adult urban fantasy filled with secret societies, magical bookshops, and overlapping mysteries.
Content notes
- murder
- parental death
- criminal underworld elements
About the book
"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 he's just been turned to dust by the outrageously attractive Merlin.
Merlin is a young left-handed bookseller (one of the fighting ones) who, with the right-handed booksellers (the intellectual ones), are an extended family of magical beings who police the mythic and legendary Old World when it intrudes on the modern world. In addition to running several bookshops.
Susan's search begins with a list of possibly misremembered or misspelt surnames, a reading room ticket, and an engraved silver cigarette case.
Merlin has a quest of his own, to find the Old World entity who used ordinary criminals to kill his mother. As he and his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, tread in the path of a botched or covered-up police investigation from years past, they find their quest strangely overlaps with Susan's..."
Description from Open Library.
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