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Summary
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 teen 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.
Author Notes
Garth Nix was born in Melbourne, Australia on July 19, 1963. He graduated from the University of Canberra in 1986 and worked various jobs within the publishing industry until 1994. After a stint in public relations, he returned to books and took up writing as a career. He is the author of Blood Ties, Clariel, Newt's Emerald, the Old Kingdom series, The Seventh Tower series, and The Keys to the Kingdom series. In 1999, he received a Golden Duck Award for Australian Contribution to Children's Science Fiction. To Hold the Bridge was named Best Collection by the 2015 Aurealis Awards. His novella, By Frogsled and Lizardback to Outcast Venusian Lepers, was named Best Science Fiction Novella by the 2015 Aurealis Awards. In 2018, he won the 2017 Aurealis Award for the Best science-fiction short story.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Nix (Angel Mage) immediately thrusts readers into the action in this immersive fantasy, set in 1983, as Susan Arkshaw, 18-year-old art student, is forced to flee a London flat with bookseller Merlin St. Jacques, pursued by an ominous black fog. Merlin is part of a clan of London booksellers who deal with the "ancient weird shit" that seeps into the world from myth, legend, and folklore. Susan came to London to study and identify her father, but when an otherworldly being targets her, she, Merlin, and others in the family St. Jacques must discover who is after her and why. Between doing arcane research and dodging supernatural baddies, they stumble upon a mystery that threatens the magical bookselling world. Nix builds meta mentions of genre greats into his tale, which marries fey elements and spectacular bookshops with booksellers who wield mystical artifacts, cold steel, and magic. Though the plotting covers well-trod ground, unflappable Susan and wonderfully costumed, magically gender-fluid Merlin make for a fantasy that genre fans, teen or adult, won't want to miss. Ages 14--up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary. (Sept.)■
Horn Book Review
In an alternate version of 1983 England, eighteen-year-old Susan Arkshaw travels to London to search for the father she's never known. Almost immediately, Susan encounters dashing Merlin St. Jacques and is thrust into the dangerous world he inhabits. Merlin is a member of a sprawling family of "booksellers" who do incidentally sell books but whose primary duty is to protect humanity from entities from other realms. (Merlin's pronouns are he/him -- for now; among the booksellers it is accepted to magically transition one's gender, something Merlin is "pondering.") With the help of a motley crew of booksellers both left- (the fighters) and right-handed (the researchers), Susan and Merlin face off against fantastical creatures, unravel the mystery of Susan's supernatural parentage, and fall a little bit in love along the way. As in his high-fantasy novels (the Abhorsen Chronicles; Angel Mage, rev. 11/19), Nix puts a strong, capable, and resourceful young woman front and center within a diverse cast; here, the grounding in our own world (sort of) allows him to work in plenty of pop-culture references and tropes from British spy stories. A thrilling, suspenseful romp with lots of humor and romantic tension; the ending is satisfying but implies we haven't seen the last of Susan and Merlin. Katie Bircher September/October 2020 p.102(c) Copyright 2020. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Susan is embarking on her first real adventure, trading a quiet existence in the countryside for bustling London in order to find her father, even with only a few mysterious clues to guide her, as her mother can't--or won't--give further hints. Soon Susan finds herself drawn into London's mysterious Old World, a layer of the city filled with mythical creatures and powerful magic. Her unexpected guide, Merlin, is part of a special group of booksellers charged with keeping the peace between the realities. When it becomes clear that the magical realm has a sinister interest in Susan, she races to unravel the mystery of her parentage and find her place among the magic. Nix wastes no time getting to the action, throwing readers headlong into the splendid new world alongside the bewildered but determined heroine. It's an incredibly diverse, detailed, and occasionally terrifying universe, and while there are many familiar fantasy elements, Nix puts in enough twists to make it his own. A remarkable romp through a fantastical new world.
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--Newly turned 18, aspiring artist Susan Arkshaw leaves home to attend college in London and to research her father's identity. Chronically dreamy and detached, Susan's mother Jassmine has always been tight-lipped about the matter. However, while visiting a family "friend" in London, Susan witnesses his death and joins a mysterious young man in flight from supernatural Old World creatures. Soon realizing that some Power is determined to stop her from solving the puzzle of her heritage, Susan gives in to the "weirdness" and teams up with her left-handed escape partner Merlin and his right-handed sister Vivien to find some answers. With the help of the siblings' clandestine Bookseller organization, the trio embark on a quest for information that will take them across 1980s England and through a few very odd in-between spaces. A tribute to England--its myths, bookstores, and people--and a celebration of writers and stories in general, this is the fantasy novel equivalent of a cozy blanket and a cup of tea on a cold day: comforting and much needed. The story is full of wry humor such as jokes about how children's authors ("a dangerous bunch!") cause the Booksellers trouble by sharing stories steeped in truth. The novel is also a great example of Nix's love for varied characters. Susan is described as muscular and wiry with a punk aesthetic and a shaved head with the stubble dyed blond. In contrast, fair-haired and delicate Merlin is perfectly comfortable sporting dresses or trousers. Other members of the Booksellers organization are represented by various ages, races, and gender expressions. VERDICT This book promises to charm veteran Nix readers and welcome new fans into the fold. Recommended for school and public libraries.--Lara Goldstein, Forsyth County P.L., NC
Kirkus Review
A girl searching for her father finds a whole secret world in 1980s London. Eighteen-year-old Susan Arkshaw goes up to London ahead of her studies so she'll have time to hunt down the identity of the father she's never met. Her first night in London, dangerous encounters pull her into the wild world of the booksellers--in between selling books, they're tasked with policing interactions between what we know as reality and the more mythic levels of existence. Her guide is Merlin, an attractive gender-questioning boy (for now). As the Old World of magic seems to be targeting Susan, Merlin and the booksellers take interest in her as well, especially in helping to solve her mysterious parentage. The worldbuilding is exquisite, hopping from an '80s punk aesthetic and Margaret Thatcher references to wide-ranging supernatural threats and the customs they uphold; the bookstores themselves are sure to please readers. While certain plot elements may be somewhat expected--Susan's special by way of birth; Merlin has a personal mystery that eventually ties in to the main plot; and there's a conspiracy storyline that becomes quickly apparent--the broad, immersive world and the specific rules for types of booksellers maintain a sense of discovery, and Susan and Merlin, the heroic protagonists, have vibrant, entertaining personalities (and a realistic romantic storyline). Susan and Merlin are White; the booksellers are ethnically diverse. Readers will beg for more adventures in this London. (Fantasy. 12-adult) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
