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Your next favorite book
is waiting.
Below the streets of London, a secret network of magical bookshops has existed for millennia. But they're slowly disappearing, and no one knows why. Only one dishonored bookseller can uncover the truth and rewrite her story—in this spellbinding standalone fantasy novel from the author of The City of Stardust.
If you want a story that will change your life, Chiron's bookshop is where you go. For those lucky enough to grace its doors, it's a glimpse into a world of powerful bargains and deadly ink magic.
For Cassandra Fairfax, it's a reminder of everything she lost, when Chiron kicked her out and all but shuttered the shop. Since then, she's used her skills in less ethical ways, trading stolen books and magical readings to wealthy playboys and unscrupulous collectors.
Then Chiron dies under mysterious circumstances. And if Cassandra knows anything, it's this: the bookshop must always have an owner.
But she's not the only one interested. There's Lowell Sharpe, a dark-eyed, regrettably handsome bookseller she can't seem to stop bumping into; rival owners who threaten Cassandra from the shadows; and, of course, Chiron's murderer, who is still on the loose.
As Cassandra tries to uncover the secrets her mentor left behind, a sinister force threatens to unravel the world of the magical bookshops entirely...
"Summers loads this enchanting fantasy with sensory details and imaginative lore about London's underground network of magical bookstores. Her vivid prose makes the dust and mustiness of the antique bookshop palpable." —Publishers Weekly
"A unique novel of books and bookish magic that unfortunately just misses the mark." —Kirkus Reviews
"Summers offers a grimly cozy novel, filled with enchanted books and well-rounded characters. The prose is immersive, and the settings entrancing. Give it to readers who love character-driven stories of magical bookstores and libraries." —Library Journal
"Compulsively readable and unrelentingly moody, The Bookshop Below shows that Summers' worlds and plots just keep getting better; she's an author to watch for imaginative, dark fairy tales." —Booklist
"Georgia Summers's magical bookshop is my new favorite place. It may be fraught and deadly, and even a little seedy—as flawed as Cassandra Fairfax, its hesitant new owner—but the mystery and danger are part of its charm. The Bookshop Below is a delicious read, I loved every second of it." ―Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author
"Steeped in bookish magic and infused with the comfort and terror of a favorite tragic fairytale, The Bookshop Below is darkly whimsical and utterly heart-wrenching." ―Tori Bovalino, author of My Throat An Open Grave
This information about The Bookshop Below was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Georgia Summers is half-British, half-Trinidadian and spent most of her life living across the world, including in Russia, Colombia, and the US. When she's not doing bookish things, she's planning her next great adventure. She currently lives in London, but she dreams of one day living in a haunted château with a ghost that cleans.
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