“When I was seven, I found a Door.

“

The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a love letter to book lovers and dreamers. To anyone who spent time as a child imagining that a door could be a Door, that a gap between trees in the woods could lead somewhere else, or that a mysterious object could have come from somewhere else. It's for those of us who still see something out of the corner of our eye and imagine for just a moment that it's a sparkling entryway to adventure.


I love reading books about loving books, about growing up and still seeing bits of magic in the world.

Our eponymous heroine is Miss January Scaller, ward of the wealthy Mr Locke, dreamer of dreams, reader of books, and all-round sort of a nuisance. January has spent much of her life wandering the lonely hallways of Mr Locke's sprawling manor house, first alone and then with her dog, Bad. (spoiler alert for those of you who need it, I know I did: the dog does not die). She waits for the occasional visit from her father, who works for Mr Locke collecting curious artefacts - indeed, January often wonders whether she herself is just another of these artefacts - and wonders what will eventually become of her. Is she destined to spend her life within these grounds?


Then she finds a curious book. A book which appears to have come from nowhere, full of the most fantastical tales that feel creepingly familiar. January forges a deep connection to this book, a book that speaks to her in only the kind of way a book that burrows under your skin does, in the way The Ten Thousand Doors of January did to me. A kind of bookception, if you will.
I'll say no more about the plot itself, because that would spoil the fun. If you like portal fantasies, headstrong girls and the fantastical hidden amongst the everyday, waiting for the right person to find it, this is the book for you.


Also, can we talk about how stunning that cover is? I'll definitely be buying a physical copy at the next opportunity.


Harrow weaves the unbelievable in amongst the believable, the daydream of there being more alongside the realities of race, class and gender, and the harsher characters in with the heartfelt story in such a way that it's sometimes hard to find where one thread ends and another begins. Will you find a door at the edge of town? Will the rules of the world imposed by a White Male Western society finally beat you down? Or will you read a book and have a nice time and then continue to go about your life as normal?


So, the only question that remains is: have you ever seen a Door?

I love the premise of this book and I love the potential that it holds, but sadly, this turned out to be a very disappointing read for me.
January, our main character, finds a mysterious book that enables her to create doors leading to other worlds. Following the disappearance of her father, January sets out to use this newly-found power ti search for her family and piece together her family's past.

This is definitely a book to go into blind, as I had too many expectations based purely on the "traveling to other worlds" concept alone. I was expecting a fast-paced book that would take us on a journey to loads of different fantastical places, but the doors weren't used to their full potential in my opinion. Also, the pacing was far too slow. Just when I thought things were starting to pick up, things would plateau and I found myself disengaging from the plotline.
There were lots of lovely passages about books and being an avid book lover, but the majority of the writing did come across as too "flowery" for my personal taste. After the first 50 pages, the volume of metaphors/similies made the writing come across as clunky and forced.

Whilst the premise is fantastic, and the story did start to pick up in the final 15%, I don't think that this was written to its full potential. I wanted to love it, but it sadly wasn't for me!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I requested an ARC of this book in NetGalley to see what the fuzz was all about. And I got the answer as soon as I finished the first chapter. Because, I feel, that this book is one of the most unique releases of the year 2020. And of course, GOD, that cover is awesome!!

The story follows a teen girl named January Scaller, who is considered to be 'A perfectly unique specimen', that is, she is odd-colored but hardly colored. January's father is a dark skinned man from god-knows-where and January has never met here mother, nor does she remember her face and is presumably dead. January grows up as the ward of a wealthy collector and her father's employer, Mr.Locke, and so he is the nearest thing she has for family. She spends here childhood with the artifacts that decorated the halls of Locke House, Books, her friend Samuel and her loyal and loving pet dog, Sindbad. Her whole quiet existence is ignored until she finds a book in a crate, among the treasures that her father had sent for Mr.Locke.

Two stories run parallel to each other and merge towards the end, the first story is of January and the second story is of the intriguing book that she just discovered. As January reads the book, it unravels a tale of adventure, love, loss, quest and of course, other worlds. She discovers some power, truths and at last family.

The book takes you through an exhilarating adventure. I loved Alix E. Harrow's writing style which was soooo elegant. The 'book within a book' proved to be good. Also the theme that written words have power is unique and fitting. I just wanted to see more chemistry between Samuel and January. But the ending certainly brought tears to my eyes. Overall this is an amazing book that I recommend everybody to read.

I thank NetGalley and Little-Brown Publishing (Orbit books) for giving me this wonderful opportunity to read and review this book.

At a time like this, I think we all need to be whisked away into another world. This book is perfect for that!
January Scaller is "a perfectly unique specimen". In other words, she's not white, but she's not entirely coloured, either. Her father is a dark-skinned man from somewhere far away - January doesn't know where - and her mother is no longer around. While her father travels the world for work, rarely returning home to her, January lives with the man who hired her father and practically saved their lives. His name is Mr Locke. He is wealthy, white, and the nearest thing January has to family most of the time.
One day January finds a book titled The Ten Thousand Doors. As she reads, she discovers the amazing truths about the world around her - and the thousands of others - as well as herself.
But January isn't the only one who knows about the Doors to other worlds. It turns out the people closest to her already knew - and some of them aren't happy about her finding out.
So January spends time in a mental asylum, is attacked by a man-slash-vampire, almost loses her beloved dog, and ends up travelling to places she could have only dreamt of.
This was a truly magical book. It had a sort of Inkheart-like vibe to me in some ways, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were twists and turns, beautiful imagery and emotional moments and development.
As this was a sort of historical fiction novel, there was a lot of emphasis on race inequality. Sadly, this feels all too relevant right now. The difference between how January is treated when she's with Mr Locke - wealthy, upstanding, and most importantly, white - compared to when she's alone is shocking. But of course, it's real. And it's still happening to some extent today.
Anyway, I really liked this book. It took a little while for me to get into it, though, so I'm giving it 4 stars. Definitely worth a read!

Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK for an e-copy of this book.

I really loved it. I found myself highlighting so many parts of this book, because it’s just so beautifully written and the ending brought me to tears.

If you consider the plot line of the main character, January, I thought it was a slightly predictable series of events. Nevertheless, the idea of a book within a book makes this story so intriguing and marvellous celebration of the magic and power of storytelling.

My first time reading a book about books, but definitely this book is a must read for all bookworms out there.

I was just enchanted by this book! It took me back to the feeling I had as a child when I first read The Magic Faraway Tree - that there were glimpses of other worlds out there that might be possible to access given the right configurations of magic. A world (or worlds) of pure spellbinding and adventure.
There are luscious and biting descriptions of worlds accessed through Doors, but they are not fanciful for the most part as all contain familiar personalities and pure Evil as well as shining Good.

January Scaller has grown up as the ward of wealthy collector Mr Locke in his house filled with rare art and artifacts, while her father is employed by Mr Locke to scour the world for more treasures. Her mother died long ago, and, as Mr Locke has no family of his own, January's life is fairly isolated and quiet. Then one day she discovers a strange old book, with the lettering almost rubbed away from the cover, that tells of doors to other worlds. It's just fiction, surely? but, as a child, January believed she found such a door, so some of it is surely true.


This is a spellbinding, unputdownable read, a mix of romance and adventure, loyal friends and evil societies, and, with ten thousand other worlds to escape to, perfect for these stay-at-home times

it's not perfect - one of the worlds has a resemblance to LeGuin's Earthsea, the writing is occasionally over the top with too many ornate, elaborate descriptions, and what I assume to have been big plot reveals were quite predictable - but none of that matters. This is a book i could happily fall into and lose myself again and again, so it earns five stars.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January
By Alex E. Harrow
Redhook

In 1900s America, January Scaller is a mixed-race young teen living with her wealthy ward Mr Locke, whilst her father an explorer, travels the world securing artefacts and curiosities for Locke’s collection. January is well cared for, and lives the life usually only afforded by white Americans, albeit a lonely one where Samuel the delivery boy is her only friend. January loves adventure stories, reading the published story papers brought to her by Samuel and writing her own stories in her notebook. Her discovery of a mysterious doorway in a field, which opens not to the field beyond, but a different and foreign place entirely is met by contempt by Locke when she tells him, who dismisses it as fanciful nonsense. January later discovers amongst artefacts in the house a leather bound book, which narrates the writer’s own experiences and details of other doors, and this narrative strangely parallels January’s own life. We soon discover how January can open Doors herself.

This book reads like a classic from the start, and through the meticulous attention to detail it is evident that the author is a historian. Aside from the magic and fantasy, the narrative details life in 1900s America; Harrow takes us to the plains, towns and country of the time, and also to society where people of colour and women were denied freedoms by the rich white patriarchy.

The book runs as two separate stories running parallel, which merge toward the end. January’s story set in the magical (1900s) present, the chronology and time frame of her teenage life contrasts with Julian’s story written as a diary/letter/manual, set in mysterious times and lands, and the fantasy elements combine expertly in the alternate Door and journal chapters.

The whole book is superbly twisty, with just the right amount of tension, adventure, emotion and fantasy, and this type of magical realism is exactly how I like it served - especially with nods to the contemporary fiction of the age, and the presence of characters from folklore.

The only thread I’d have liked to have seen further developed is the relationship between Samuel and January - perhaps since the ending of the book was left open there is scope for a sequel - I’d love this to happen!

I have to admit though, that I really don’t like the cover of the book. I am only seeing in digitally, and I may yet change my mind when Insee it in the flesh, however in my own humble opinion, the cover is incredibly twee, and I would walk straight past it in a bookshop. The novel is SO good, and I feel that the cover just does not do it justice at all. I have however noticed that the Hebrew edition is really cool with a grey door and lion knocker. I do think a trick was missed in that the novel could have been designed to replicate the leather bound journal. If a special edition was released which looked like that, then I’d not hesitate to add the physical book to my collection.

A big 4.5 stars from me for this book, the missing half star is for the cover.

Short version: oh my word... this is my favourite book I've read in a long time. Buy it, read it.

Longer version:
CW: some scenes take place in an early-20th century psychiatric institution, with all of the horror and abuse that is often associated with that.

You know sometimes you're lucky enough to read a book that just blows you away? One that you're genuinely heartbroken to reach the end of. One that you find yourself speeding up your reading pace towards the end, desperate to know what happens, but hating yourself for not prolonging the story?

Well this is one of those rare books.

Teenage January doesn't belong. She lives, out of place, in the mansion of Mr Locke where she is often made to feel like one of the rare artefacts he has collected thanks to the work of January's father.

One day, she finds a book, and this book will change her life – sending her on a journey of fantastical discovery, both about the worlds that exist and of herself.

The "book within a book" trope not one of my favourites, and as I turned the page to see the first chapter of "The Ten Thousand Doors", the book contained within this novel, I let out a faint sigh of trepidation. It's a trope that I've read several times, and usually done in a way that takes me out of the story entirely. However, this book is an exception – a stunning one at that. The book that January discovers is so integral to the story that after a cautious few pages, I invested myself fully in it. The narratives of January and the story inside her book weave together wonderfully.

One of the key themes in this book is the power of words, often the literal power that they hold. It seems fitting, therefore, that some passages and phrases in this book are so artfully crafted that I found myself rereading them several times before letting myself say "wow" out loud.

The other themes within this book are powerful ones – belonging, or a lack thereof; the urge to run; family; power, exploitation and corruption. Tied together they make it a truly gripping read.

I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January is set at the turn of the 20th century when the world is undergoing huge changes yet still constrained by Victorian morays and prejudices.

January's father travels the world seeking treasures and curios for his wealthy and privileged employer Mr. Locke. Mr. Locke treats January like a daughter, providing for her well being and education, taking her with him on his business trips, showing her the world. There are times, however, when Mr.Locke reveals that he considers January to be nothing more than a project or possession to be shown off to his rich friends.

On her 17th birthday January finds a book that reveals her family's unusual history and why Mr. Locke is so interested in her.

January's journey from an innocent young girl to a brave, determined, even fierce, young woman is harrowing and even violent in place with villains who are creepy and disturbing. She is driven on by hope and supported by some truly loyal and amazing friends.

Alix E Barrow has given us a imaginatively and beautifully constructed story, where doors open on to new stories and possibilities.

I do not know how to praise this book enough. First with it eye-catching cover, I was immediately interested in finding out more. This book is truely fantastical. I loved the premises of this novel, of portals and other worlds. I delved deep into this book within a book. I loved everything about the story and the people within. I honestly felt alive and a part of this adventure. I cannot wait for any future books.

This book was just stunning. Beautiful prose, a refreshing take on a concept that has been done so many times before, and I would give it more than 5 stars if I could.

Set in the early 1900s, The Ten Thousand Doors of January follows January Scaller as she grows up in the care of the wealthy Mr. Locke, the man who employs her father to go on archaeological digs all over the world to unearth treasures. The older she gets, the more January starts to feel like she's a part of Mr. Locke's collection of artefacts: a girl who doesn't belong in the rich and white society circles Mr. Locke belongs to, a girl who wants to explore but is trapped in Locke's manor in Vermont. Then one day, January finds a strange fantasy book that tells a story of secret Doors that lead to other worlds. Except the story isn't fantasy. It's all real.

This book was magic, plain and simple. I felt bereft when I finished reading and I suddenly was forced to remember that there are no Doors to other worlds (or are there?). This is a coming-of-age story about identity and love, but it is also a story about stories and storytelling. By giving it enough of a historical foundation, the fantasy that Harrow has created in this book feels entirely real. Her writing managed to transport me. Not just back in time to the early 20th century, but across continents and worlds. The story perfectly balances out its historical setting with the fantastical elements, adding enough mystery to keep January and the reader determined to figure out the truth.

Although I found this book slightly too slow for my liking, the overall story arc was wonderful. Learning how everything fitted together and and the twists that the story took were what kept me reading.

Sometimes when I really love a book I find it hard to put the why of it into words, it defies description, it's pure magic. The Ten Thousand Doors of January is one of those books, pure magic in so many ways.

The best way I can put it is to say that if you, like me, were a child who pushed at the back of wardrobes and leant on the walls between station platforms, if a small part of you has always wondered 'what if it, or something like it, is true', then this book is for you.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

I fell in love with the cover and the plot of The Ten Thousand Doors of January and I was so happy when my request to read it was accepted. I wasn't disappointed.

January Scaller is the ward of the wealthy Mr Locke and she lives in a wonderful mansion filled with treasures, artefacts and interesting and captivating things. Her whole life is changed when she finds a peculiar book, full of stories of love and secrets, dangerous stories about secrets doors, strange and impossible truths and January finds herself drawn to this book and the story.

This book is magnificent. The writing style is so lush and evocative it was like I was there with January and her adventures. She's an amazingly complex and captivating main character and the plot is incredibile, like a matrioska, stories that contain more stories, worlds with more worlds within and the reader is right away captured by everything. It's a story full of adventures, secrets, magic and stories.

REVIEW - The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 ⠀⠀
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This cover is gorgeous isn’t it?! I’m a sucker for a floral cover.⠀
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‘In a sprawling mansion filled with exotic 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. As each page reveals more impossible truths about the world, January discovers a story that might just be the key to unlocking the secrets of her past.’⠀
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There were many elements of this story that I loved - the writing is poetic and beautiful and the idea behind the story was an intriguing one. I found it hard initially to get into as the book jumped around quite a bit and it wasn’t entirely clear to me what was happening to begin with. As the story developed this did change though and I was excited to read on. I didn’t connect with this book as much as I’d hoped to, and I think most of this was due to the structure/pacing and the fact that I didn’t fall in love with the heroine who never really sold herself to me as a likeable hero. I would definitely consider reading further books by this author though, as I enjoyed this book even if didn’t love it.

"When I was seven, I found a Door"

Some stories change you. They make you look at the world and yourself differently. This was not one of those stories. I have written this review ten thousand times because there is no singular way to describe the profound impact this book had on me.

This book did wondrous things: it conjured my childhood spirit - full of magic and temerity - and reignited a locked-away, secret belief inside me that I could step through a doorway into another world; that I could choose my own destiny. I believed again.

"Because there are ten thousand stories about ten thousand doors, and we know them as well as we know our names."

This was more than a book to me; it was a fire. A light in the darkness. I breathed in this book, lived my life over again in its pages. To say it is beautifully written is an understatement. I cried for, and with, its characters. I breathed in a world which said: you are not alone.

It started, as all good things do, with a book.

"My long years of research have taught me that all stories, even the meanest folktales, matter. They are artifacts and palimpsests, riddles and histories. They are the red threads that we may follow out of the labyrinth. It is my hope that this story is your thread, and at the end of it you find a door."

This book will stay with me, always.

Let this story be your thread.

Loved this book, took a while to get into but once i got into it i couldnt put it down. Beautiful writing and an overall fantastic story

The Ten Thousand Doors of January - Reviewed on 30/04/20

“I hope you will find cracks in the world and wedge them wilder, so the light of other suns shines through; I hope you will keep the world unruly, messy, full of strange magics; I hope you will run through every open Door and tell stories when you return.”

While this book didn't end up a favourite, I appreciated the beautiful writing and interesting story. The Ten Thousand doors of January tells the unique tale of January, a girl raised by a treasurer named Mr Locke who resides in Locke House. Her father is off adventuring for the man that January lives with, and January sometimes feels lonely. She relies on stories and tales of other worlds to keep herself sane. In this novel, we explore the importance of family, friendship and love. January as a character was strong, smart and enjoyable to read about, and I loved the story in story concept, and the way the two stories blent together. I also loved the importance of literature and reading, which was especially evident through January's father. I admire what Alix E. Harrow did with The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and I look forward to seeing what she puts out in the future.

The 10,000 Doors Of January might just be the most endearing book I've ever read.
A beautifully written heart rending journey across worlds to reunite both parents and child.

This novel gave me extreme wanderlust. Of course I know I cannot will a door into existence that could take me to another world -but the real world settings are described with as much wonder as the fictional. I read this at the peak of the C-word lockdown and it was such a joy to escape over and over again with January.

10,000 doors is written as a book within a book, a favourite format of mine. Partly written by January and part told by the book she discovers in her benefactors collection of the bizarre.

I'm not usually one for romance but the two stories of life long love intertwined in this fantastical journey were faultless.
I also don't usually choose to read anything historical, but setting this story in the 1900s adds a certain charm and magic that would be lost in a modern world.

Almost every female character in 10,000 Doors is a strong, defiant leader and each show their own weaknesses with measured emotion and grace. There is a definite theme of sisterhood throughout the book as well as continuing strands of racism and classism.

January herself made an excellent MC, bull headed and yet so naive I found myself cheering her on and sympathising with her plight.
A small group of very powerful enemies and January's unruly dog 'Bad' were the icing on a damn near perfect cake.

I'd categorise The 10,000 Doors Of January as Romantic, Historical Fantasy. Two of those genres I usually avoid like the plague, but Harrow turned my precognitions on their head.

I loved it, start to finish.