The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers delivers a suspenseful fantasy steeped in bookish magic. Narrated by Gabrielle Nellis-Pain Summers shares book thieves, rival booksellers and the dark world of magical books.
by Georgia Summers
Narrator: Gabrielle Nellis-Pain
Length: 13 hours and 24 minutes
Genres: Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.5x
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...
The Bookshop Below takes us into the magical world of books while offering intrigue, mystery, danger and a subtle romance.
Cassandra Fairfax grew up in the bookshop until Chiron threw her out for being a book thief. But now Chiron is dead, and the bookshop belongs to her. That is if it will accept her. To save it, she needs to enlist the help of rival bookseller Lowell Sharpe.
Cass has regrets, and while unsure, she can also exude confidence when called for it. Lowell appears to be a know it all, but he has secrets too. Together they’ll dive into a world filled with danger, deadly ink magic and unique collectors and dark threats. I loved the character grow we witnessed as Cass became comfortable with the bookshop and her new role.
The story pulled me in as we learned about Cass, the bookshop and the magical system of these rare books and the river they feed. I loved the suspense and twists in books that affect those who attempt to collect them.
Gabrielle Nellis-Pain does a splendid job of giving voice to these characters and capturing the atmosphere of the bookshop.
About Georgia Summers
Georgia Summers is a half-British, half-Trinidadian writer. She spent most of her life living across the world, including Russia, Colombia, the USA, Scotland, and briefly Switzerland. She is still bad at languages. She has previously worked as an editor, a bookseller and rare books student librarian, so you could say she’s seen the entire lifecycle of a book. When she’s not doing bookish things, she enjoys embroidery, playing piano, and painting, among various other crafts. She currently lives in London, but she dreams of one day living in a haunted château with cats and a ghost that cleans.
About Gabrielle Nellis-Pain
Gabrielle Nellis-Pain is known for Baldur's Gate III (2023), Bury Your Gays (2025) and Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024).
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2025 Audiobook Challenge
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Amorina Rose
Been thinking about reading this one
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)
Beautiful cover on this one. Thanks for sharing!
Sophie
That sounds great according to the blurb but seeing your rating I get that there was something missing to make it a great read!
ER LeVar
I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of a magical bookstore. I’ve been needing a new audiobook, so I’ll definitely be checking this one out!
Lux
I like the sound of this book! I’ll check this out. Thanks!
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?
This sounds like one I’d really enjoy! I’m going to see if my library has it, but it’s definitely going on my TBR for later.
Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews
I love stories set in bookshops. I’ve also been looking for good audio books. I’ll have to see if I can find this one.
Katherine
I love seeing reports of good narrators. I’ll have to look for her books. I’m not sure about this one but will definitely pick it up on the audio if I come across it.
Mary Kirkland
That sounds fun.
Jessica @ a GREAT read
Ooh nice! I picked this one up not too long ago. It was during one of the buy 2 get 1 sales, lol. This sounds liked a fun read and glad to hear it was in fact entertaining! Nice review!