"Destiny is a pretty story we tell ourselves. Lurking beneath it there are only people, and the terrible choices we make."

3.75 ⭐

I am so disappointed, I wanted to love this book so badly and even though it had glimmers of beauty, I just... didn't love it. After absolutely loving Starling House last year, one of my top reads of 2024, I was excited to read more by Alix E. Harrow - and truthfully I still am - and this one sparked my interest. I even suggested it to my book club for our January read because it literally has January in the title. This book took me almost two weeks to finish and only by forcing myself to sit down and read at least ten pages a day. Some days I managed a bit more than that, but most days it was a real struggle to sit down and get through this book, sadly. In theory, it should be one I enjoy, portal fantasy with historic leanings, star crossed love stories, a book within a book, beautiful flowery prose - but that pacing, wow, it really holds it back. I'm still giving it almost four stars though because I see what it could've been and think there were only one or two aspects that could've been fixed to make it better.

I think with a faster pace this book could've easily been a five star read, because by the end I did find it had touched me and I shed a few tears, but during the book it felt like a chore, unfortunately. I loved everything about the concept of this story, the way it feels like January is telling her story directly to us, and the way her father tells his story to us through her too is really wonderfully handled - and the way the loose ends at the beginning of this story all deftly weave themselves together throughout this book is amazing. By 35% of the way through the book I was eagerly trying to guess where this story was going, and I did get most of those guesses correct, but it took us a really long time to get there and in round about circles. Around the 50% mark the pace picked up, we got some really good action scenes and I was hoping at this point that it would just be a slow start and the second half would go off with a bang, but unfortunately we fell quickly back into a slower pace again a while later. The ending was perfect though, it had just the right amount of tension and longing, and I think it all wrapped up really beautifully.

The characters are all fascinating, none of them are overly likeable or easy to connect with, I think in terms of those two standards my favourite character was Bad the dog. I wanted to love Ade and Jane and January, because they were badass, fearless, free spirited woman after my own heart but I just never really formed an attachment to them and I think this is the second aspect where the story lacked. I understand that January had always felt like the people who meant the most to her always abandoned her, so she struggled to form close attachments herself, but I think it really did the story a disservice to not have her fully connect with her found family. The way they all found each other should have been a shining highlight of this book, but instead it kind of felt like they were just begrudgingly putting up with each other as a means to an end, for their own goals. The romance between Samuel and January also just didn't feel explored enough. I think I just really wanted more out of this book and sadly, I just didn't get it.

That being said, I did highlight quite a lot of beautifully poetic quotes and when I look back through my notes and highlights it looks like a story I should be shouting my love of from the rooftops - but it's the bits in between those moments that let this story down as a whole. Overall, this was an ok read, one of those amazing ideas that aren't executed to their full potential, I could see just below the surface the amazing book that this could've been but for me, it just didn't hit like I'd hoped it would. I will definitely still be reading Alix E. Harrow's other books because I do really like the way she writes for the most part, but I am starting to worry that her slow pacing might not be a very good fit for me, we will have to see!

"I suppose it would take a brave man to love a witch, and men are mostly cowards."

Beautifully written. Recommended for those looking for a stand alone fantasy.

An ode to intersectionality, not merely of color and class, but of this world and the next and the whimsy between.

3.5 🌟

breathtaking.

Imagine a greasy turn of the century salesman saying "It's an embarrassment of doors! Every door must go!" but like instead of selling doors he's like side-eyeing portals and you're halfway to understanding the premise of this book. Anyways this book made me both sad and angry, which is usually good for a weird book about speculative magic stuff, and it filled me with the misandrist rage that is my lifeblood, so it was good to get a fresh top-up on that as well. I will say if you liked The Starless Sea you will like this book. And if you didn't like the Starless Sea specifically because you were waiting for it to have a narrative plot, you will also like this book. But it's a book about doors. And there's lots of books about doors. If you like books about doors here is one that is good.

A lovely treatise on the importance of stories and storytelling. Despite being a shorter audiobook than the other books I've listened to lately, this one took me much longer to get through, because it was that much heavier. Moreso than traipsing through wondrous worlds, this story hangs much more heavily on the legacy of abuse, as well as the stranger-in-your-own-world alienation that comes from racism and wealth disparity.

I really loved this book. Leaving aside the SciFi/Fantasy elements which are great, this was just beautiful writing. The characters, their interactions and love stories, the idea, I really loved it. How can I not love a book with a quote like “Books can smell of cheap thrills or painstaking scholarship, of literary weight or unsolved mysteries.“ Definite pick! 👍

This is such a beautiful complex story I truly enjoyed. The complexity of the plot was well done but slightly confusing/chaotic so that’s why I subtracted a star. I do recommend this read though. 4/5 stars!

I have so many thoughts on this book. First things first, this cover! It’s so pretty! The concept of this book had me so intrigued and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed this book. I loved January's character. The premise of this book is awesome and it snagged my attention from the get-go. I know some people had mentioned that the author's description took away from the story, but I loved it. I thought that the writing was beautiful and it made the story more fantastical, in my opinion. I loved discovering all of the history with January. This was such a good book. Really the only issues that I had with the book is that some parts were a little slow. But, on the other hand, I didn't want to rush through this book, I wanted to savor it. I also wished that there was a little more world-building. There are so many different doors and lands and I would have liked a little bit more from some of those. Aside from that, I really have no complaints. I enjoyed the ending and everything came full-circle. There were parts that got me in my feels and I wrote down so many quotes. Also, the author is from Kentucky, so that was pretty cool to find out. I’ll definitely read more from her. I know this is a standalone, and I really like it as a standalone. But, a small part of me wishes that she'd make a sequel. I highly recommend this one though! It's definitely worth the read. *For my full review, check out my blog. Blog Review | Blog | Instagram | Twitter

A book with a bittersweet ending and a story within a story. It's everything you want it to be wrapped within lyrical and poetic writing. You won't regret reading it because it's so damn beautiful.

5 Stars *A exquisite and poignant standalone debut novel with magic, adventure, and the joy of reading* ARC provided by Redhook Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I knew as soon as I heard about The Ten Thousand Doors of January that I absolutely had to read it. The title, that gorgeous cover, the awed whispers about the story all combined into a rhythm that pulsed out, “read me, read me, read me,” in a hypnotizing tattoo. Although hyped-up books frequently disappoint me (almost always, in fact), I had a good feeling about this book. I was lucky enough to get an ARC from Netgalley for which I am so grateful! And I’m ever more pleased to report that this book completely lived up to my expectations! “If we address stories as archeological sites, and dust through their layers with meticulous care, we find at some level there is always a doorway. A dividing point between here and there, mundane and magical. It is at the moment when the doors open, when things flow between worlds, that stories happen.” The story is a combination of Historical Fiction and Fantasy. In the early 1900’s America, young January Scaller finds a door to another world. After a too-brief glimpse of the great beyond, January is yanked back to the normal world and told to be a proper, good little girl and not talk about fanciful nonsense anymore. But January never quite forgot that there was more out there than her cloistered, little world. As she puts it, she is something in-between. Raised in a wealthy household but the daughter of an employee. Biracial in a world of white privilege. Never quite fitting in anywhere, she longs for something different even if she doesn’t know exactly what. The author stated that this is not a Young Adult story. I would probably classify it as New Adult. The writing certainly has more depth and intelligence than most YA stories. But the main character is a teenager, and this is a coming of age story. There is some violence (both towards people and animals) and discussion of tougher subjects (including racism, classism, sexism, and mental health), but this story will be fine for older teens. The story itself should appeal to adults as well. Although it does deal with many of the typical themes of coming of age stories, this book is definitely not limited in its relevance to a broader and/or more mature audience. Especially to anyone who loves books. “Books can smell of cheap thrills or painstaking scholarship, of literary weight or unsolved mysteries. This one smelled unlike any book I’d ever held… It smelled like adventure itself had been harvested in the wild, distilled to a fine wine, and splashed across each page.” This is the story of a young woman being hammered into the mold of society. This is also the story of finding the strength to break free, to seek joy and fulfillment and uniqueness. This is a story of empowerment. This is a story that will haunt me… not with ghosts and sadness; rather, it will haunt me with that siren call for adventure and self-discovery. This is a story with depth. I love when stories have layers, and The Ten Thousand Doors of January fits the bill! There is the beautiful writing covering the surface of the story with gossamer threads. Then there is the story itself, full of emotion and adventure and tantalizing dreams. And winding throughout all of that is insight into human nature. But it is all handled in a beautiful and seemingly effortless way. This story is philosophical without being pretentious. It is profound without being verbose. It is complex without being convoluted. There is also a story within the story, mimicking the way that book lovers live: we live the lives we were born to while simultaneously living the lives of every book into which we escape. “There are ten thousand stories about ten thousand Doors, and we know them as well as we know our names. They lead to Faerie, to Valhalla, Atlantis and Lemuria, Heaven and Hell, to all the directions a compass could never take you, to elsewhere.” Harrow understands how delicate language is. How something as simple as capitalizing certain words can draw the right attention. It is so amazing that this is her first novel. The writing style is gorgeous! This story is vivid and compelling. I experienced that wonderful joy that reading brings. This story felt excitingly new and comfortingly familiar at the same time. Doors and keys are common symbology in literature. They are certainly things that I strongly associate with potential for adventure. Harrow uses them both symbolically and literally. There are doors into other worlds. There are portals in the books we read. Doors take us places. They can divide. Or they can open. They can foster imagination and change and any number of wondrous things. If there is one thing someone might complain about this book, it might be the pacing. Don’t go into this book expecting epic magical fights from page one. The story does take a while to build up and focuses on character building – particularly in the beginning of the story. But I was totally engrossed by the world and the characters, so I was never bored. And Harrow’s writing is truly stunning! I marked so many quotes in this book that it is extremely hard to pick which ones to feature in my review. The writing is lyrical and evocative. This is the type of story that reminds me why I love reading so much! The only tiny critique I have is that the foreshadowing was a bit heavy at times. But that was inconsequential compared to how much I enjoyed this book! “I hope to every god you have the guts to do what needs doing. I hope you will find the cracks in the world and wedge them wider, so the light of other suns shines through; I hope you will run through every open Door and tell stories when you return.” Alix E. Harrow, you may not know it yet, but you are going to be a roaring success. And I hope you will continue to bring such powerful and beautiful words into the world. This is one of the best debuts I have read. I can’t wait to see what you do next. *The quotes in this review are from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. RATING FACTORS: Ease of Reading: 5 Stars Writing Style: 5 Stars Characters and Character Development: 5 Stars Plot Structure and Development: 5 Stars Level of Captivation: 5 Stars Originality: 5 Stars

This book was BRILLIANT. I’m such a huge fan of Alix E. Harrow, and she has exceeded my expectations once again. This book reminded me a lot of The Sisters Grimm and The Secret Life of Addie LaRue. I thoroughly recommend it!!

I am absolutely in love with Ms. Harrow's writing. It keeps me up for nights wondering what is happening and she does not disappoint. Her writing is beautifully cultivated; it's fed and nurtured like her own child, and its obvious she uses all her thought and mind power into every line. She doesn't waste time with filler sentances, instead she ensures every single word has some impact on her audiance and in that way, she achieves this loyalty from her readers of wanting to read more and more.

January is a gorgeous charactecter who in her pain made me cry and in her joy made me smile. From the first page I found myself utterly exhilerated with her being; she was a fresh new character who i've never truly met in other books before. I love the way the book his her own sort of "biography" in a way, and I love her commentary and narrative. I adore her relationship with Samuel, but even more so her relationship with Bad. I found myself aching for a loyal pet of my own, less of a pet and more of a companion. The love Samuel held for January was absolutely wholesome; the entire time he ever knew her he held this unwavering bond with her, even when they never spoke. spoiler

So when Samuel's memory was wiped clean by the ghastly Mr Locke, I'm sure you can imagine my heart break.

I found when Adeline and Julian (or should I say yule ian, I'm not sure) found their love, I was on the verge of tears. It was heart breakingly beautiful, I adored it so much and again found myself aching for a relationship where we love eachother with every corner of our hearts, even when we do wrong or make mistakes. I find that Ms. Harrow is entirely capable of intertwining love into the plot without making it entirely about the romance as well as not depriving the audiance without the love.

January's relationship with her parents is to die for. They wronged her and yet she still adores them, she still yearns for them. And it's deeply touching to read this.

Overall, every and any of Alix E. Harrow's books are what I would recommend to myself and everyone.

The lush kind of story that I always manage to enjoy. A story within a story and both of them completely captivated me. Also, I almost cried at the end and that is very unlike me.

This book was so incredibly beautiful and a quick read because I couldn’t put it down. I hope she writes a follow up because I want to revisit this world of worlds. Highly recommend.

It's actually relatively difficult to describe how I felt about this book. At first it almost felt like a retelling of The Secret Garden...and then it went in a completely different direction. Had I known this book borders on a fantasy I likely wouldn't have read it. However, I knew nothing about this book prior to starting it...and if I've committed to five words of a book I feel I owe it to the author to finish it. By the end I absolutely loved it. It is so imaginative, yet anchored in a reality I can actually picture in my mind. Even the ending made sense and wrapped up the story nicely. Overall it's a pretty good book!

I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. I don’t think it’s perfect, but it was whimsical and cozy, bright, wholesome, beautifully crafted and written and overall just so inmersive and interesting. 4.7 🌟

I nearly gave up about a third of the way through, but this is a book that really rewards some patience. A metaphorical exploration of colonialism (and family, and the search for adventure) that I think works quite well, even if the central character wasn’t particularly compelling for me. The slow start does bring it down, though. All the bad reviews I’ve read have clearly left the book unfinished. If you start this, give it the first third of the book to get where it’s going.

** spoiler alert ** DNF. I swear if I have to read the word “fanciful” or an explanation about why some words are written with a capital letter one more time… The chapters that came from the actual book “the ten thousand doors” are sooooo dull. If you know nothing about what happened to Ade on her adventures, please just let it go instead of torturing us readers with boring stories about NOTHING. Made it o page 131, no idea if it gets better, didn’t feel like wasting another minute of my short life on this book.

Speaking of “Wordworkers”, Alix Harrow is certainly one. Her sentences are beautifully crafted and the general theme is magical and adventurous. I enjoyed the character diversity and the level of fantasy. But I felt zero connection to the characters, and got bored with the plot. There was a lot happening and yet it felt too slow paced.

"I opened the Door, and stepped through. I wasn't anywhere at all. An echoing in-betweenness pressed against my eardrums, as if I'd swum to the bottom of a vast lake. My reaching hand disappeared into the emptiness; by boot swung in an arc that never ended" (11) So this is in which January Scaller discovers the blue Door in the middle of Kentucky at seven years old. "It was a world made of salt water and stone. I stood on a high bluff surrounded on all sides by an endless silver sea" (11). This particular sensation acts a prologue to "The Ten Thousand Doors of January", which fast forwards a decade with January spending time with Mr. Locke, her guardian who collects precious antiques at the turn of the century. All through this time, she read the latest books and entered her own world with her wild dog, Sinbad; and her maid Jane. This lasted until when she was seventeen, at which her father goes missing and is presumed dead. After a spat with the Society, in which January rejects. With her trapped in an institution, she only has a book, "The Ten Thousand Doors", to guide her. I was intrigued by this novel; the concept was different from what I knew from other fantasy books with its insistence on portal magic and such. In addition, I can't stop looking at the cover--the details with the flowers and the keys make it so beautiful. With the writing style that Harrow introduces in the beginning, it appeared that the book would be as interesting on the inside as it is on the outside. January Scaller reminded me of Vasilisa from "The Bear and the Nightingale", in that she was an anomaly of her time because of her spirited nature and the way the story is structured about her coming of age in a conservative society. Unlike with Vasilisa, it's not only about her gender, but also because of her mixed race status. As a result, January is seen as a rarity, not unlike the objects collected at Locke House. It also paints through the rest of the book, like with how January struggles to survive while on the road. Paradoxically, January is always told to "be a good girl", following the rules of a world made by Lockes and Havemeyers, by wealthy men in private smoking rooms. This also adds to how January was an anomaly which she eventually rejects, saying "I wanted to run away and keep running until I was out of this sad, ugly fairytale. There's only one way to run away from your own story, and that's to sneak into someone else's" (92). That other story is that of Adelaide Lee, a girl who lived in Kentucky and encountered a door which takes her to another land. One day, she kisses a ghostly boy, who tells her about elsewhere. "Elsewhere was a place of sea salt and wind. It was a city, or perhaps a country, or perhaps a world...where people lived in stone houses and wore long white robes. It was a peaceful city, made prosperous by trade up the coast and made famous by their skillful study of words" (61-2). Initially, this change of story was a bit harsh, and the connection between Adelaide and January's stories muddled (with the exception in that they are free spirits which curious minds). The academic writing of "The Ten Thousand Stories" Over time this came to become a love story, in which Adelaide reunites with Yule Ian, who turns out to be a precocious scholar. As for how the two worlds interact, I do like Harrow's worldbuilding, as she paints a contrast between the possibilities of the City of Nin versus the restrained nature of turn-of-century America. Compared to other fantasy novels I've read, it doesn't focus primarily on having magical powers, though there are frequent uses of word working in the process. The scene in which January sacrifices lots of blood to escape was intense, but highlights that ability really well. When children grow up, they are expected to embrace the banality of our world and realize things do not change. This is displayed throughout "The Ten Thousand Doors of January", especially in the climax. There, Mr. Locke turns out to be different than how he was portrayed in the rest of the book. Their interactions pose the question--does one stay safe and sane along with society, or join January in opening the Doors? I certainly didn't expect this moral to come along when reading this novel, but it turns about to be quite sweet. Especially for those who keep their heads in a book. (8/10)

It was cute, better for middle grade readers in my opinion. Not super exciting.

This book is a joy to read. To say it is beautifully written is an understatement. The story itself is about a girl named January who doesn’t quite fit into this world...for a good reason. It’s about love, hope, magic, loss, racism, the greed that can take root in the privileged and so much more. At the heart, it’s about the power of words to open doors. I want to be like January, running through doors even if I am afraid. Go get this book and read it.❤️