The Ten Thousand Doors of January: A spellbinding tale of love and longing

by Alix E. Harrow

***Shortlisted for the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards for Best Novel***

'A gorgeous, aching love letter to stories, storytellers and the doors they lead us through . . . absolutely enchanting' Christina Henry, bestselling author of Alice

ACCORDING TO JANUARY SCALLER, THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO RUN AWAY FROM YOUR OWN STORY, AND THAT'S TO SNEAK INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S . . .

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 artefacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored and utterly out of place.

But her quiet existence is shattered when she stumbles across 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 reveals more impossible truths about the world, and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

'One of the most unique works of fiction I've ever read' Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author

'A gorgeously written story of love and longing, of what it means to lose your place in the world and then have the courage to find it again' Kat Howard, author of An Unkindness of Magicians

'Devastatingly good, a sharp, delicate nested tale of worlds within worlds, stories within stories and the realm-cracking power of words' Melissa Albert, author of The Hazel Wood

'The Ten Thousand Doors of January healed hurts I didn't even know I had. An unbearably beautiful story about growing up, and everything we fight to keep along the way' Amal El-Mohtar, Hugo Award-winning author

'Beautiful, achingly gorgeous ode to storytelling, magic and family' S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass

• ISBN10: 0356512460
• ISBN13: 9780356512464
• Publish Date: 14 May 2020 (first published 10 September 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Orbit
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

[tweetybugshouse]

This is a tale about Doors you saw that the capital D that means something magical in this tale. If your a fan of books like Chronicles of Narnia, Between the Lines, and various other books about opening doors or stepping into books. Ten Thousand Doors of January will be the perfect book for you. As i started reading i was drawn in very quickly to this tale. At times i wanted to grab pen and paper and write my own Door escaping story, other times i wanted to research about stories that contain Doors, and it really did allow me to escape for a time.

It did take a bit of getting used to going between the tale that was told in the book that January finds and the author telling of the main story. Once you understand how the story flows it picks up and carries you along. Their a mystery to be found in this tale of Doors, their a lost family, and most importantly at the heart is the survival of January herself. If you want something different pick this tale up your sure to be delighted.

[Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book, in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available on September tenth.

This book was both magical and beautiful. Diving into its pages, I immediately forgot everything but the gorgeous storytelling. I felt January’s desperation and discontent, as well as her insatiable curiosity. I wanted to escape into the pages of her book with her–only a reader can understand how this is completely possible.

I love the themes present throughout this book. There is a subtle yet present focus on relationships and how they can shape us- both positively and negatively. It got me thinking a lot about the power we give to others without even realizing it. How what happens in our lives can affect us but doesn’t have to define us. January had both some lousy examples of “love” and experiences with loss, as well as the kind of love that is selfless and pure.

The writing was astounding. This story is so vast, yet I never felt like it got away from the author. It’s so wonderful that I’m having a hard time articulating my thoughts. A book like this is so hard to review because at some point it stops being characters, plots, and turns of phrase, and becomes something more. It’s magic.

Read this book.