Leider hat mich das Buch nicht ganz so begeistert und ich habe die 1. Hälfte gebraucht, damit es mich mehr packt. Die Story hat für mich nicht immer einen roten Faden bzw. ein Ziel, auf das sie hinausläuft. Die Charaktere sind okay. Alles in allem, hat es mich atmosphärisch nicht ganz überzeugt!

"She's seen readers carve fireworks out of words, build entire illusions out of paragraphs." I adored Georgia Summers debut. "The City of Stardust" was a five star read for me and I had very high expectations for her second adult fantasy standalone. Sadly, those expectations weren't met. A recurring theme in her books seems to be the element of a secret society, which I find intriguing. Books about books tend to easily get rather boring for me - and that was the case. It wasn't my only problem with this book though. It was just so very mediocre. I missed the atmospheric elements I loved so much about the author's debut and I didn't feel any attachment to the characters. I didn't care about them being in danger, I didn't care about their feelings and I wasn't afraid of their fate. I just didn't connect with them, and that usually breaks a book for me. Apart from that, I was just very confused about - everything really. I didn't understand how the magic worked, what it could do, where its limitations were and who could use them. I didn't know how established it was into the (modern) world - who knew about it? I didn't understand the main problem, didn't get the secret society, just didn't know what was going on. Until the very end. Everything was so very confusing that I didn't even understand the resolution. And - again - the "shocking" thing in the end had no impact on me, since the characters felt so distant. “What a Victorian-ass novel did you pull that guy from?” Yet, aside from the confusing plot, the writing style was still very good, I could see a vision behind it and I still have a lot of trust in this author! I'm definitely going to read her future publications. There is mystery, morally grey characters and a bittersweet ending. "And isn’t that what the truth is anyway, an entire bottle of poison?" The book wasn't bad at all, it just had a few issues. If the idea sounds appealing to you and you don't mind confusion, go pick it up! Me, not connecting to the characters, doesn't mean you won't. They definitely had potential and sweet sides. “When you run, you’re only ever taking yourself with you. And there’s no running from that.”

This was my first book my Georgia Summers and even though I struggled a bit in the beginning, in the end I thoroughly enjoyed myself and was on the edge of my seat to see how it all turned out. I really liked the characters and the somewhat dark and gritty atmosphere contrasted with the warm, welcoming interior of the bookshops. I loved the writing and the many little quirks and details added to make it more wholesome as well as the dynamics of friendship and love and their portrayal. This is the kind of lovestory that makes my heart sing, no explicit spice necessary in this case. One thing that stayed kind of vague until the end was how the magic worked and what factors were relevant for its existence and remaining. It's not a huge minus but something that could have been a little clearer in my opinion. Also, speaking of the ending - I'm usually not the biggest fand of open endings, but in this case it kind of fit and left me with a hopeful yet bittersweet feeling. Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the e-arc!

A book about mysterious bookshops, bookshop owners and a hidden world? Well, I'll sign up for that library card! The Bookshop Below is a really fast paced, immersive read with a morally grey FMC who immediately gets thrown into a world full of secrets and surprises. Cassandra is clever, improvisational, and endlessly strong. I loved watching her navigate the intrigues of the magical world while figuring things out on the fly and never ceasing to fight for what is hers. The highlight is definitely the world itself. The “bookshop below” is something I immediately wanted to explore. I don't want to spoiler anything, but it feels like getting lost in secret passageways, dark ink and something that is connected to much larger myths. The downside is that there are so many mysteries, threads and timelines that it’s sometimes hard to keep up. I also wish the Major Arcana themes that get mentioned were developed more. Still, the combination of strong, morally complex protagonists and a fascinating, secret‑filled magical world makes this a thoroughly enjoyable read. I could immerse myself completely with the ebook and audiobook. The narrator is really great and brings Cassandra to life brilliantly. The voice chosen reminds me of Lady Mary of Downtown Abbey at times, which is just perfect. 4/5 stars Thank you @netgalley and @hodderbooks and @hachetteaudio for the eARC!

If you’re looking for a book that’s fast paced, keeps you in its claws the whole time and is focusing on magic bookshops: here you are. I loved Cass as fmc because I’m a total sucker for morally grey women in books. Her history as a thief is nicely interwoven with her new „official“ job and especially in the beginning her confusion was very much understandable. Also the romance between her and Lowell was really good written and I was totally feeling with them and the plot twists coming up. And the ending? Well to say it was unfair is an understatement. The only thing that made it hard for me was the lack of really good worldbuilding. The story made up for it; no question there. But at some points I still felt that a bit more background would have been helpful. The ink system, the river and also the society just needed a bit more detail for me to give five stars. Never the less: a nice book, that I would definitely recommend. Thanks to Netgalley for th eARC!