In 2020, debut novelist Amelia Mellor captivated readers young and old with The Grandest Bookshop in the World, a spellbinding story that took home the 2021 Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature. More recently, it was voted in at #5 on our 2022 Top 50 Kids book list. The novel is a fine piece of social history and a riveting adventure story for readers aged 10+. Now, readers can return to Mellor’s magical Melbourne in The Bookseller’s Apprentice, a prequel to the bestseller.
The prequel follows twelve-year-old Billy Pyke. Billy has a talent for sorting things out, whether it’s his chaotic family home or the busy book stall at Paddy’s Market. In 1871, the market is the loud, smelly, marvellous heart of Melbourne, and Billy is delighted to work at the book stall there for the eccentric Mr Cole.
When his new friend Kezia warns him of a sinister magician called the Obscurosmith, Billy can’t believe her stories of magical deals gone horribly wrong – until he sees them happening. And the night that the Obscurosmith crosses a terrifying and dangerous line, Billy realises something: if he wants the Obscurosmith stopped, he’ll have to do it himself.
Set twenty-two years before The Grandest Bookshop in the World, The Bookseller’s Apprentice is a beguiling work of historical fiction that can be read as both a prequel and standalone.
Mellor seamlessly transforms Paddy’s Market into a magical place filled with chaos and laced with mysteries to solve. With its crowded stalls, loud vendors and colourful people from all walks of life, the atmosphere of Paddy’s Market seeps through the pages, fully immersing readers in 19th century Melbourne.
Plenty of familiar characters return in the prequel, including Billy Pyke, the manager of Cole’s Book Arcade in The Grandest Bookshop in the World, who is a child here, and the Obscurosmith. Some new characters join in too, some of whom are bound to become fast favourites, such as Kezia and Madam Zinga Lee.
Billy and Kezia are lovable characters who have great compatibility. Together, they have to overcome high stakes, leading to a riveting outcome. This novel taught me a lot about friendship, family and the power of embracing your individuality, which Mellor explores in an intriguing and delightful way. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Billy and the Obscurosmith.
As a person who loves to solve puzzles, riddles and clues, I thoroughly enjoyed the sleuthing involved in this story. Mellor keeps readers in suspense, making each turn of the page seem more and more compelling.
Mellor delivers another race-against-time adventure in this action-packed prequel. Loaded with tricks, riddles, magic and mayhem, The Bookseller’s Apprentice is perfect for Mellor fans and newcomers alike.
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