Ten Thousand Doors of January by alix harrow

No Spoiler Book Review

This book feels impossible to review. I always feel like, the better the book, the harder it is to review, and this was a great book! I am going to attempt a review, but you should just skip this trashy blog post and read the book!

There are hundreds of books that revolve around doors to other worlds. Ten Thousand Doors of January is one of the best that I have read, it’s so creative and well written. Every door that is opened in this book leads someplace completely new, with unique lands, interesting people and terrifying, sometimes magical creatures. The writing is so immersive that you will feel like you can open a door to “The Written” and purchase a blessing. Or build a boat on a mountaintop and sail into an ocean. Ten Thousand Doors of January is a magical new take on an old concept.

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Most heroines written today are fierce and fearless. I love that January is unsure of herself, hesitant, trusting. She is an “in-between girl” growing up as a rich man’s ward. She is eager to please and obedient. Always a little afraid of the person providing for her. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone or make anyone suffer. She only wants what was right and fair. I love that she is vulnerable, it is refreshingly different these days.

This book will appeal to anyone that likes fantasy, magical realism, speculative fiction, and literary fiction. Fans of the Night Circus and Circe will enjoy Ten Thousand Doors of January’s artful writing. This is an adult book, but it has the feel and simplicity of an extraordinarily well written young adult novel. This book would be a good choice for young readers that are transitioning to adult books. Consider reading the Magicians by Lev Grossman or The Chronicles of Narnia for other exceptional books about doors to other worlds.

Goodreads Summary

In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.

Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

Lush and richly imagined, a tale of impossible journeys, unforgettable love, and the enduring power of stories awaits in Alix E. Harrow’s spellbinding debut–step inside and discover its magic.

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