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The Sinister Booksellers of Bath

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( 7,039 ratings, 809 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix, readers are plunged into a world where booksellers are guardians against magical threats. The protagonist faces unexpected adventures in a city layered with enchantments and mystery, navigating a delicate balance between ordinary life and hidden fantastical dangers. This young adult novel combines elements of adventure and intrigue, offering an exciting journey through a vividly imagined world.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by a blend of magic, mystery, and the complexities of family loyalties set against an urban fantasy backdrop. Ideal for fans of young adult stories with engaging characters and a touch of the supernatural.

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Return to the enchanting world of ABIA winner The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, as a team of booksellers must fight to keep dangerous magic under cover before the stuff of legends destroys our world. From master world builder Garth Nix, this riveting fantasy adventure is set in an alternate 1980s London. A New York Times bestseller.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

WINNER: 2024 Ditmar Awards, Best Novel

"This is the book for anyone who has ever said 'I don't read fantasy'." - Fran Atkinson, Sydney Morning Herald, about The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

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 who inhabits the ancient hot spring. Yet this time it is not from Sulis Minerva that trouble starts. It comes from the discovery of a sorcerous map, leading left-handed bookseller Merlin into great danger.

A desperate rescue is attempted by his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, and their friend, 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 performed by an Ancient Sovereign and guarded by monstrous living statues of Purbeck marble. But this is only the beginning, as the booksellers investigate centuries of disappearances and deaths and try to unravel the secrets of the murderous Lady of Stone, a serial killer of awesome powers.

If they do not stop her, she will soon kill again. And this time, her target is not an ordinary mortal.

A wintry return to the somewhat alternate 1980s England of The Left-Handed Booksellers of London.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Garth Nix's novel is praised for its whimsical and clever storytelling, set in an exquisitely detailed world that merges magic with reality. Critics highlight its delightfully crafted adventure in 1983 London, engaging readers with nostalgic references and an enchanting narrative. The character development and unique setting leave readers eager for more, according to reviews from notable authors and critics.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761180002

Publisher: A&U Children's

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 21 March 2023

Country: Australia

Imprint: A&U Children

Audience: Teenage

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 424g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Garth Nix has been a full-time writer since 2001, but has also worked as a literary agent, marketing consultant, book editor, book publicist, book sales representative, bookseller, and as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve.

Garth's books include the Old Kingdom fantasy series: Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel, Goldenhand and Terciel and Elinor; SF novels Shade's Children and A Confusion of Princes; fantasy novels Angel Mage; The Left-Handed Booksellers of London and sequel The Sinister Booksellers of Bath; and a Regency romance with magic, Newt's Emerald. His novels for children include The Ragwitch; the six books of The Seventh Tower sequence; The Keys to the Kingdom series; and Frogkisser! His short fiction includes more than 60 published stories, some of them collected in Across the Wall and To Hold the Bridge.

He has co-written several books with Sean Williams, including the Troubletwisters series; Spirit Animals Book Three: Blood Ties; Have Sword, Will Travel; and Let Sleeping Dragons Lie.

More than six million copies of Garth's books have been sold around the world, they have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, The Bookseller and others, and his work has been translated into 42 languages. He has won multiple Aurealis Awards, the ABIA Award, Ditmar Award, the Mythopoeic Award, CBCA Honour Book, and has been shortlisted for the Locus Awards, the Shirley Jackson Award and others.

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