The Sinister Booksellers of Bath: A magical map leads to a dangerous adventure, written by international bestseller Garth Nix

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I also adored Merlin in both books. He’s a very colourful character, who might also be called downright weird, but he wears his quirkiness with pride and can charm even the most sceptical people. He is also very aware of his own shortcomings and is not afraid to admit his mistakes. But first and foremost, he is very warm and caring and always thinks about others before himself. The pacing is really uneven, and that makes it difficult to invest in the action, particular in the middle of the book when things slow down considerably without any positive trade offs in terms of plot and structure.

This is the sequel and while it maintains the good humor and charm of the first book, I found it to be largely disappointing. Overall thoughts: a deeply complex world-building series with amazing characters. I especially appreciated that the characters ate, rested, and didn't forget about their more mundane responsibilities. If they do not stop her, she will soon kill again. And this time, her target is not an ordinary mortal.”I’m also a fan of the characters in this story. Susan is a down-to-earth and no-nonsense character who tries her best to fit into the regular world. But at the same time, she’s not blind to what happens around her and understands that, eventually, she will have accepted her own magical heritage. Reading about her journey from downright refusal to slow and reluctant acceptance and finding loopholes in the ancient world rules was highly entertaining.

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The charm of these books is largely due to the irrepressible Merlin, who winds up in said strange and dangerous garden because he can’t resist a mysterious bee; he also happens to be wearing Elizabet Bennet’s outfit from a BBC Pride and Prejudice adaptation (he borrowed it from a wardrobe assistant, as one does): Someone pointed out to me that this series is actually YA - oops, not been one of them for many decades. I say bah to that - I'm in my 50s and I love it!

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I love this world. There's a familiarity to it that's comforting. In my opinion, fantasy works best when there's a root that we can cling to. Then you can add the fantastical side without having to consult a map, (although I do like a map) or reread where on earth we are. Susan is a good character who in this book grows in statue. Merlin is still the wonderful oddball he was in the first installment. The old mystical world is still as enchanting. The humour is still there in spadefuls. I need less of Susan trying to fight EVERYTHING. (seriously, I get resisting your destiny but, christ she is exhausting.) I'll still be around for whatever book comes next, but my expectations will be far lower, honestly I'm a bit disappointed with how different my experiences have been with book one and two. Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi. If you love all things British enjoy it with a fresh pot of tea, china teaware and a generous portion of lemon drizzle cake. You will need sustenance just in case (likely) you cannot put it down.