The Sinister Booksellers of Bath

By: Garth Nix

Narrated by: Marisa Calin

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Return to the enchanting world of The Left-Handed Booksellers of London in this sequel by Garth Nix, bestselling master of teen fantasy, where once again a team of booksellers must fight to keep dangerous magic under cover before the stuff of legends destroys our world.

There is often trouble of a mythical sort in Bath. The booksellers who police the Old World keep a careful watch there, particularly on the entity that inhabits the ancient hot spring.

This time trouble comes from the discovery of a sorcerous map, leading left-handed bookseller Merlin into great danger, requiring a desperate rescue attempt from his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, and art student Susan Arkshaw, who is still struggling to deal with her own recently discovered magical heritage.

The map takes the trio to a place separated from this world, maintained by deadly sorcery and guarded by monstrous living statues. But this is only the beginning. To unravel the secrets of a murderous Ancient Sovereign, the booksellers must investigate centuries of disappearances and deaths. If they do not stop her, she will soon kill again. And this time, her target is not an ordinary mortal.

©2023 Garth Nix (P)2023 Listening Library

A clever combination of history & myth

Garth Nix has cherry-picked his way across the mythology of England to craft a fast-paced, thoroughly enjoyable fantasy. Both of the books in this duology have that “just right” feel. Marisa Calin does the narration justice adding touches of tone and color that enhanced the experience. Highly recommended!

Nice!

Enjoyed this book very much. Like wine, Garth Nix seems to get better at writing with age. This was an interesting sequel to the first book, and offered more adventure & insight into the world of the booksellers. My only complaint is it was a bit short. Wouldn't mind having more books in the series too, which just shows how much I enjoy the series.

Good read, recommended after you've listened to the first book.

Loved it!

I've been a Nix fan for 20 years and this is some of his best writing. Funny, unexpected, ridiculously detailed and lifelike. Another great book!

Needed a second read

This story is less straightforward than Book 1 and I felt it grew on me after a second read-through. The mythical descriptions are so vivid and vibrant that it catches my imagination like a kite.

It’s a fun relaxing read

I like that I was entertained. It story is a bit predictable but very enjoyable. It’s not too long to be boring, which is very good.

wonderful

I loved listening to this book and was sad when it was over, I loved the first one too, I hope there'll be a third.

Wanted to like this more than I did

I am a huge Garth Nix fan, but was fairly disappointed by this book.

The characters are still compelling, and the world (and magic) are rich and intriguing. But it is overburdened with SO MANY LISTS (the brands and makes of clothing and weapons and foods and vehicles and…), that pulled me out of the story. And the ending just kind of… was? We don’t see the climax, and Susan—though brave—is more of an observer than a heroine.

No real resolution to the questions that were raised about the ethics of the booksellers. There is no deep exploration of their lore and history and ethic (and why exactly are they “Sinister??”). The set-up and threat are terrifically eerie, but nowhere near that posed in the first novel. and the deeper magics of the world are only hinted at. I have no idea, from the resolution, whether this is setting up another sequel or if our time in this world is done.

There is definitely much to like here, but it is not as strong as book one. (Although the narrator’s performance is as strong as ever.) However, where “Left-Handed” felt like a complete work, “Sinister” reads more like a long short story. If there is a sequel, I will be back, because this world has a lot of promise—and I am invested in Susan and Merlin. But I hope it is more thought out than this entry.

What happened?

I am usually a Nix fan and own many of his books. Storyline and writing was not up to his standard.