***Shortlisted for the Hugo Award 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
EVERY STORY OPENS A DOOR
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.
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
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.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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18 July, 2019:
Finished reading
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18 July, 2019:
Reviewed