The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix (review)

In an alternate 1983 London, eighteen-year-old Susan has gone looking for the father she's never met when she's suddenly pulled into the chaotic world of the Left-Handed Booksellers, a clandestine family tasked with policing creatures of the Old World. Nineteen-year-old bookseller Merlin, meanwhile, is sure Susan is more than just a punk art student from the West Country, and with the help of fellow booksellers he soon uncovers a startling truth: Susan's father is a powerful being of ancient magic. Before they can learn more, though, Susan and Merlin are pursued across London and the English countryside, harried by a malevolent magical force and his minions. Nix's latest offers a thrill-packed fantasy adventure that reads like a throwback to the classic myth-driven novels of Susan Cooper and Alan Garner, but with ramped-up action, body count, and language for the older target audience. Strong world building is clearly informed by a deep knowledge of local mythologies, and the allusions, literary shoutouts, and pseudo-historical references become a game for the clued-in reader. Notwithstanding Merlin's penchant for flamboyant dress and hints at genderfluidity, he and Susan ultimately emerge as fairly standard fantasy heroes, while the seemingly vast, eccentric family of bookseller-warriors provide surface diversity background for the white core cast. Overall, this is a fresh, engaging fantasy with an old-school, nostalgic vibe.