Skip to main content

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

The Ten Thousand Doors of January 
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review via Net Galley. They give me no money, nor do they in any way influence my thoughts. Those are 100% my own for better or worse. 

Moving right along.

All of the buzz I've heard about this book up until this point seems to be 100% correct. I absolutely loved this book. 

But before I go into why I loved it, can we talk about that cover?? As of right now, I don't know that the cover has been finalized, but...can we just go ahead and do that? This wins. Full stop. It's beautiful! As soon as I saw the cover on Net Galley I knew I needed to try to get this book. And honestly, you guys...the story lives up to the promise I feel is made by a beautiful cover. 

So, the synopsis given by the publisher is this:

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.

As promised, this book is capital 'L' Lush. I cannot believe that this is a debut novel. Harrow writes like someone who has written, I don't know, TEN THOUSAND stories before. Her ability to tell a story is something really wonderful to bear witness to. It reminds me of a combination of Cornelia Funke's Inkworld series combined with Clive Barker's Imajica and Weaveworld (to my mind that is very high praise indeed since I LOVE every one of those books). I actually struggled to complete my college-assigned readings because I didn't want to put this book down. The characters and the worlds she built are beautiful, complex, and truly wonderful. I fell a little bit in love with January, and most especially with Bad. 

My determination: 5 out of 5 arbitrary items of rating. This book is slated for release on September 10 - exactly 1 month. Go buy it - you won't be disappointed. Honestly, I'm going to buy the physical copy myself because I already feel like I want to re-read it when I finish school next month.
 

The Ten Thousand Doors of January
Redhook Books
Release Date: September 10, 2019
ISBN 9780316421997
$27.00 (USD)






Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

We are all probably familiar with the Ripple Effect – you throw a stone into a pond, and from the point of impact, a multitude of ripples spread wider and wider. Similarly, every chance encounter, every action has innumerable implications that we may not even be aware of until far in the future. The passage of years, and each choice made during that time shape our lives, and the lives of those around us. Will I be authentic today? Will I sell out? Will I tell the truth? Embrace change? Will I let time make me into something that I’m not ready to be? These are just some of the questions addressed by Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad.  “It began the usual way,” page one declares. And thus begins what turns out to be one of the most unusual books I have read in recent memory. In her work of contemporary fiction, Egan explores the lives of a veritable cornucopia of eccentric, narcissistic, and sometimes tragic supporting characters. The story is broken up into 13 d
2 comments
Read more

Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

  Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters is the story of Nancy Astley, and the trials and tribulations she must face on the journey to self discovery and finding (not to mention holding on to) love as a young lesbian living in Victorian-era England. We follow her through a string of life experiences both good and bad, as well as a string of lovers both good and bad. Life at that time couldn't have been terribly easy to begin with, but being a "masher" (Victorian slang for a male impersonator), a "tom" (a boyish-dressing lesbian), and at one point a "renter" (prostitute), Nan didn't have much chance to have anything easy. I have no earthly idea why I hadn't read this book until now. I've been aware of its existence for many years. I knew it was hugely popular, and I knew that it had spawned a television mini-series (which I've also never seen - sad face). I just never got around to it - kind of like Anna Karenina which I only rece
2 comments
Read more

The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Net Valley in exchange for an honest review. They give me no money, not do they in any way influence my thoughts - those are 100% my own for better or worse. Synopsis: From the New York Times bestselling author of The Other Girl and Justice for Sara comes a thrilling psychological drama about a woman who believes she escaped a brutal murder years ago—but does anyone else believe her? Sienna Scott grew up in the dark shadow of her mother’s paranoid delusions. Now, she's returned home to confront her past and the unsolved murder that altered the course of her life. In her mother’s shuttered house, an old fear that has haunted Sienna for years rears its ugly head —that it was she who had been the killer’s target that night. And now, with it, a new fear—that the killer not only intended to remedy his past mistake—he’s already begun. But are these fears any different from the ones that torment her mothe
Post a Comment
Read more