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  • The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

  • By: Garth Nix
  • Narrated by: Marisa Calin
  • Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (232 ratings)

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The Left-Handed Booksellers of London cover art

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

By: Garth Nix
Narrated by: Marisa Calin
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Summary

A girl's quest to find her father leads her to an extended family of magical fighting booksellers who police the mythical Old World of England when it intrudes on the modern world. From the bestselling master of fantasy, Garth Nix.

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.

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 for her father begins with her mother's possibly misremembered or misspelt surnames, a reading room ticket, and a silver cigarette case engraved with something that might be a coat of arms.

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 this quest strangely overlaps with Susan's. Who or what was her father? Susan, Merlin, and Vivien must find out, as the Old World erupts dangerously into the New.

©2020 Garth Nix (P)2020 Orion Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"Garth Nix sets the standard for Fantasy." (Leigh Bardugo)

"Garth Nix is one of the best world-builders in fantasy." (Brandon Sanderson)

What listeners say about The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not bad but it didn't keep me enthralled

If there was a perfectly adequate award this would win it for me. The story was fine, the performance good, but at the moment I can not see myself going back to it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Booksellers

I have to say not a lot of books got sold but maybe that was because there was way too much otherworldly shenanigans afoot. Most enjoyable and fast paced. Enjoyed both the story and characters immensely!

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I hope there is a sequel!

Really enjoyed the book, from start to finish. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel! Very enjoyable rwad!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

brilliant

Another great book from Garth Nix well worth listening to. Thank you for this book

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Completely wrong narrator

The story is okay but completely ruined by the wrong choice of narrator. The overly sibilant voice is annoying. And young adults don’t need everything over explained to them as if they can’t understand tone and plot.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Awful choice of narrator

Another fantastic Garth nix world, the first in a new series, spoiled for me by the overly dramatic delivery from the narrator. I sped it up by .05 which helped with the slowness and long pauses. Won't be one I'll listen to again, and I won't buy anyelse by this narrator.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great!!

Narration as always was brilliant by Marissa Callan.
loved the story.
Good book. would recommend

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic

Susan, Merlin and Vivian are great characters who have a terrifying, fantastic wonderful adventure to find Susan's father. I am so glad I was able to go along with them. I loved it.

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Pulls you in

oh darn, the next one's not out yet, I'm dealing with a massive book hangover, that was really good :)

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A book for booklovers

This was my first audiobook and I am hooked. Brilliant story, excellent narration, the perfect combination.

Garth Nix is a master storyteller and he has crafted a fantastic alternative England where booksellers are most certainly not as they seem in fact nor is much of the world around us and we are about to see it all through the eyes of Susan who sets out, innocently enough, to try and find out who her father was. When she inadvertently stumbles upon a group of magical fighting booksellers, a mythical world and the most magnificent Merlin I have ever found in a book the adventures have only just begun.

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