Thank-you to NetGalleyUK, Random House UK and Transworld Publishers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's really hard to explain what I loved about this book so much without giving spoilers, but okay here goes:
I love a story in which books are important. And I love a story with characters that I vibe with: be they goodies or baddies. I also love a story with clever plot twists and where the bits settle back together in a really satisfying way where he get wide-eyed and start saying NO HE DIDN'T just before the reveal. The Book of Doors has all of these.

The characters are well-written and sympathetic without being one-dimensional and I love the supporting cast too. The world-building is nicely done and the set-painting is quite lovely in places. I'm looking forward to reading more by Gareth Brown in the future.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and let me tell you - it is phenomenal!

It is a mixture of the fantasy, an adventure, magic story, magical, a bit of laughter (dark humour mostly), a thriller, a horror, a romance (even if that is more implied than obvious). It's got it all in spades, and buckets, and everything else you can carry something in.

I always think that an author who writes a book like this has to have some very impressive spreadsheets to keep on top of everyone and everything and every time and place, and if that is true then I really want to look at them. Can someone write a book just documenting people's spreadsheets? Is that a thing? I want it. I do love a spreadsheet. Anyway...where was I?

Now, I know we don't judge books by their covers, but we do, and this cover is beautiful, mainly because it is a cover that shows about 20 books on it. And I am easily pleased.

I usually give every book I read up to 25% before I decide whether it's worth me sticking with it or not, as not every book is for me, but I knew right by the end of the first page that I wouldn't be walking away from this. The way of writing, it just felt like it could be a classic of the future. This is a book where you'll fall in love within the first page.

It is intense. I can normally finish a book this length in 2, maybe 3 days, and sometimes in one day if I'm really committed. But this book took me longer. Mainly because it was the Christmas season and I was busy, but because it deserved so much focus, so much time spent on it, and time well spent it was too. There's this layer of mystery around everything, from the characters to location, clothing to book, thoughts to actions - it leaves you very on edge.

I did make the mistake of reading the last 1090 pages at night, and all I wanted to do was to go to bed and go to sleep but there was no way I could put this down. I felt my jaw hit my chest on numerous occasions, it is so shocking and surprising and twisty and turny. I was desperate to get to the conclusion but I also didn't want it to end.

The idea of being able to travel anywhere, places you've been to and those you only dream of. Cassie was often moved to tears by this, and to be honest, so was I. It sounded like such a wonderful opportunity to appreciate all the world has to offer by just stepping through a door. If only. But obviously, with everything good comes the possibility of something bad, and that is explored fabulously here, right to the extremes of good and evil.

It is very to-ey and fro-ey, with scenes from the past and the present interlinking. Potentially unwise and complicated, asking a lot from the reader. But it flows so naturally that I can't think of another way he could have written it. Things you read at the start of the book start to make sense by the end, and things you read about later harks back to things you read early on. It's so clever and well executed.

Ok, so I know the main book in question within this book is not your average book, but for me, what Gareth has created, it really shows the power of books and why they're so important. People who aren't bibliophiles or perhaps only read now and again can laugh at us more book obsessives, but I personally think books and the written word are one of the most powerful things we have, and underneath everything magic, I felt that was a very important message. Books can take you out of your world, they can give you magic and wonder, they can give you friends if you're alone, love if you're lonely, happiness if you're sad, and I believe they have the power to save your life, and I felt that very strongly in this book.

There are many, many characters, but there were a handful that stood out for me that I will explore in more detail.

We firstly have Cassie, our main protagonist. Seemingly in the background, not necessarily important, plodding on. She felt a bit subdued, like she was waiting for greatness. But at times she felt a bit too trusting. But what stood out the most for me, is that she felt very real, like she could be me or you. Such a great main character. And then we have Izzy, her best friend and roommate. I felt she was a bit mysterious at first and wondered if she was hiding something or there was more to her, but I felt for a lot of it, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But she is a great character to work off Cassie, and together they make a formidable team. The final female character I will look at is called The Woman. We don't know much about her other than the fact that she is very frightening, very evil, and has the power at her fingertips to cause death and destruction. And whilst that is on the surface, I felt there was something she was hiding, something she was trying to forget, and it was interesting uncovering all her layers.

Now, the main male characters I would say are Drummond Fox and Hugo Barbary. Drummond is also of the book world. He's mysterious right from the start, and honestly, continues to be so, even as we get to know him. I wasn't sure whether he was a good guy, or whether he was just playing along to gain things for himself. He felt sad and heartbroken, but with this tough exterior he'd built around him. I really enjoyed getting to know him. And then Hugo...I won't go into too much detail about him as everything I could say is a potential spoiler, but I don't think it's a spoiler to say he's not a nice man, almost akin to The Woman (see above), and another greatly written baddie.

Cassie felt very normal with the idea that this book she owned could do magical things. She reminded me slightly of Dr Who, how the companions are always okay with the idea of travelling through space and time, no questions asked. Cassie was similar in that sense. That's a good thing by the way. I long to be a Dr Who Companion. In fact, I think the plot of this book could make a very good Dr Who episode.

I wish I had a way of going back in time and starting this again, or just forgetting what happened so I can start it afresh. It's just glorious and I envy everyone who gets to come to it new.

The pacing was a little off but it was so much fun and clever that I didn’t mind, excellent combination of mysterious and fantastical and horrifying and circular

As a bookseller and fantasy-obsessed reader, I really wanted to love this book. I often have issues with females written by male authors, and that is not an exception here, there are moments of awkward writing, word-choice and pacing. However, the magic-building and world-building of Brown was brilliant. I did however find the villain character written less-than perfect. Filled with awkward dialogue designed to make us hate them due to them being socially disruptive (racism, sexist etc) rather than having valid choices for their life-path or devoting time to fleshing out the character. The concept is phenomenal and I enjoyed the book seeing where it was going to go, but the villain felt slightly off putting. I had higher hopes for this book, but unfortunately I do feel slightly disappointed. I think those who enjoyed The Magicians or A Discovery of Witches will enjoy the premise the most. Worth a read, but unfortunately, the author does make me think the phrase ‘white male fragility’ and ‘tokenism’. Ouch. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In New York City, bookseller Cassie Andrews is living an unassuming life when she is given a gift by a favourite customer. It's a book - an unusual book, full of strange writing and mysterious drawings. And at the very front there is a handwritten message to Cassie, telling her that this is the Book of Doors, and that any door is every door. What Cassie is about to discover is that the Book of Doors is a special book that bestows an extraordinary powers on whoever possesses it, and soon she and her best friend Izzy are exploring all that the Book of Doors can do, swept away from their quiet lives by the possibilities of travelling to anywhere they want. But the Book of Doors is not the only magical book in the world. There are other books that can do wondrous and dreadful things when wielded by dangerous and ruthless individuals - individuals who crave what Cassie now possesses. Suddenly Cassie and Izzy are confronted by violence and danger, and the only person who can help them is, it seems, Drummond Fox. He is a man fleeing his own demons - a man with his own secret library of magical books that he has hidden away in the shadows for safekeeping. Because there is a nameless evil out there that is hunting them all . . .

Unfortunately, this book is a DNF at 14%. It is just not gripping me at all and I am finding myself easily distracted by other things instead of being enthralled by the story. The plot itself sounds intriguing but even though we are starting to dive into what’s going on, it feels like a mere scratch in the surface. It’s as though I don’t know the characters at all or feel any emotion towards them which even at this early stage, I should be. I’m rather disappointed as I had hoped this would be a good read for me. It’s possible I’m just not in the right mood to read this right now but it is going to have to be a DNF.

Overall, The Book of Doors is not a book for me.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advanced copy of this book.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

I haven’t read any books by this author before but the premise really intrigued me. I could very easily see a sequel being written as there is lots more to explore. I really enjoyed the book, although I didn’t find the explanation as to where the books came from to be plausible – that’s the only thing I would change.

Cassie Andrews is sharing a flat with her best friend Izzy in New York City. She has her dream job of working in a bookshop, and she is shocked when one of her favourite customers dies in the bookstore leaving her a very special book – The Book of Doors. Inside it says that any door is every door. Merely imagining a door can take you there – present and past! This unlocks a wonderful world for Cassie and Izzy – until one day they find that others also want the Book, and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more the Book of Doors isn’t the only magical book.

Definitely a good read, especially if you like magic, time travel, and adventure. The characters are well drawn and very believable. I really hope he writes a sequel.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6072964969

This was a complete gamble for me as I only read mystery/thrillers and tend to actively avoid sci-fi, whether book, TV or film. However, something about the books description tempted me and I thought it was worth just giving it a go. I am so pleased I did. One word...... Magical!
When you're someone who gets through endless books, year after year, they generally get forgotten or tend to merge together, I can guarantee I will not forget #TheBookOfMirrors, this is special, it will always stay with me. I really do hope that it will be either made into a film or TV mini series (many possibilities for spinoffs too) as visually they would be spectacular and also I've been boring my non reading family silly with how much I'd love them to see/read this book.
My only negative which I would drop half a star for would be the fact I don't really understand how or why the books were originally created, I realised we are told who made them, but I just don't know why, and why would that person make sure awful ones as well? Finally, I'm not sure if I understood the back story of our main evil villain and how she became that way? The same with Hugo, what was his beginnings? These questions maybe things I've missed but for that reason I have to rate a 4.5 star rating rounded up to 5.
Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy

What an interesting premise. Books which hold magical powers that are shared by the person who holds them. The book of doors allows you to travel around the world and time.
It's a very desirable book and others will kill to get hold of it. Cassie is left the book and the adventures with her best friend Izzy will astound and inspire.
Enjoy I did

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy. I enjoyed this book and it is impressively written for a debut author, but it was hard not to compare it to a very similar book I read earlier in the year, Ink Blood Sister Scribe which also features magical books. I think this book is very good at weaving together all the various characters and their stories into a cohesive narrative, but I don't think the magic system was as well developed in comparison. Nonetheless if you liked Ink Blood Sister Scribe, you'd probably also like this book and it is well worth a read!

Not a genre of book that I would normally read but the advance publicity caught my attention, and I am so glad that it did. Although this is a book about time travel, Gareth Brown seems to attach some logic to this concept. An interesting story involving magical books that can be used for good or evil. There are some very dark strings to this plot line that include psychological torture as well as murder. The book also deals with more down to earth themes including friendship, companionship and coming to terms with bereavement. A well written book where all aspects of the plot come together very nicely.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the advance copy of this book.

In the heart of New York, Cassie Andrews, a humble bookseller, leads an unassuming life until a cherished customer presents her with an extraordinary gift—a peculiar book filled with cryptic writing and mysterious illustrations. At its forefront, a handwritten message reveals that this is the Book of Doors, a unique tome that declares any door is every door.

As Cassie delves into the Book of Doors, she discovers its exceptional powers, capable of whisking her and her best friend Izzy away from their mundane existence to anywhere they desire. Enthralled by the possibilities, they embrace the enchanting journey it offers.

However, the Book of Doors is not the sole magical book in existence. Other times wields wondrous and perilous abilities, falling into the hands of dangerous individuals hungry for the power Cassie now possesses. The tranquillity of Cassie and Izzy's lives shatters as they confront violence and danger, with Drummond Fox emerging as their unexpected ally. Fleeing his demons, Drummond harbours a secret library of magical books, concealed in the shadows for safekeeping. A nameless evil hunts them all, forcing them into a perilous game where the only hope lies in the secrets hidden within the magical pages.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if it were in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Gave up very quickly with this. The idea behind it felt more like a children’s book. I didn’t find the characters engaging enough to make me want to read on.

The Book of Doors……wow! I just couldn’t put this one down!

The story follows Cassie Andrews as she inherits a mysterious book, which she soon finds has magical powers. Unfortunately, a lot of people are interested in the book (and other magical books like it) and some are willing to use any means necessary to get their hands on them and use the powers they provide for evil ends.

The combination of books, magical powers, time travel and a great cast of likeable characters made this story a great fantasy adventure from start to finish.

I really hope Gareth Brown decides to turn this into a series, as I would love to hear more about the secret library and what comes next for Cassie, Drummond and their friends. (It would also make a great TV series!)

Cassie Andrews is working in a bookshop when she receives a book from a favourite customer of hers, just before he passed away in her store. The old man told her many fanciful stories, he was a collector of books, they shared many of the same reading interests, but still Cassie is surprised he gave her a gift. Cassie takes the book, full of strange writing and odd drawings. Inside the front cover there is a handwritten note addressed to Cassie, telling her that this is the Book of Doors, and that ‘any door is ever door’.

Cassie and her flatmate and best friend Izzy, soon discover that the Book of Doors is a magical book, which allows the owner the extraordinary ability to use any doorway to travel to anywhere in the world. To use it, Cassie simply has to visualise where she wants to go, open the door and step through it, and there she is. Soon Cassie and Izzy are exploring the power of the book, travelling with abandon, until Izzy becomes uneasy with using the power without knowing more about it and asks Cassie to stop. However, their use of the book has not gone unnoticed and the friends quickly learn that the book is not the only magical book in the world. There are many books, and many people hunting them all down, and many of these hunters will stop at nothing to get their hands on the books. Their only hope is Drummond Fox, a man who has created a secret library of books, and wants to keep the books safe from those who would use them for harm.

I am very torn on this book. On the one hand I love the concept. A magical world where books can physically transport you anywhere and give you real powers, with many books giving you many different powers. The thought is magical, and the world created is an extraordinary concept. On the other hand, I struggled to actually like the book. It had excitement yes, once the action kicked off it kept going at a good pace to keep you engaged. However, the characters were a bit one dimensional for me. Some were intriguing, but for the most part, wet blanket, whiney, insipid comes to mind. A bit harsh I know, but I really just didn’t gel with Cassie or Drummond in particular! The plot was a bit weak, with most of the work seeming to having gone into the world building. The system of magic is brilliant, the books as tokens for the magic exchange works so well, and there was a lot of demonstration of their use for bad as well as good. The author dug deep on the good vs evil in this story and how it is not the object or the power, but the person using it that makes the difference is key. The evil in this story was not just a monster, but also human character, and that is always a hard one for the side of good to fight. The ending, again torn. Paradox. But when you mix magic and time travel what else do we expect?

Overall I am glad I read it. I don’t know if I would read a follow up that was hinted at. The idea of the world it has planted has stayed in my brain, and I am not mad at that at all. It can live there rent free. I can see this working as a tv series or movie, if given the right budget to craft it as beautifully as the cover. 3.5 stars.

*I received this book from NetGalley to review, but all opinions are my own.

A book that can open any door. A library of books that have different powers. The premise had me hooked, excited to jump in. And then I started the story and it all came to a crashing halt.
It was the lead character, Cassie, I found her whiny and irritating. I couldn't find any redeeming qualities that made me root for her or care about her, I think it was her that spoiled the book for me. The supporting characters were much more likeable and more interesting, having them in the story was what kept me reading.
And reading and reading and reading, because this felt drawn out beyond story/world building. It was working towards an ending, but I didn't feel the ending was worth the meandering story.
As for the world and the books, it was a very interesting premise that Brown spun, it was certainly that that kept me reading - i wanted to find out how it went.

Grab this book for a bedside table read, a few chapters a night may make it more enjoyable.

An interesting idea, the author certainly has a lot of imagination! I did enjoy it, but found the pace slow at times, with too much introspection and drinking coffee. But it was entertaining and I enjoyed the story - I think it would make a good film.

It's taken me over a month to read this book which is ridiculous, but that's because I've so busy lately and is not a commentary on the book by any means.  It was a good book, I enjoyed it a great deal.  It's a very interesting premise and the start of the book felt very much like something I could have written.  The characters are well-written, I particularly liked Lund, and the baddies are very definitely bad.  There are some very dark scenes which seem to be ever darker in comparison to the rest of the book which isn't dark overall.  There's also some quite emotional scenes too.  I really appreciated that we find out how the books came to be, even though it did seem to be quite the paradox.  It was also good to find out why the particularly evil baddie was so evil.  Overall I found it very engaging and readable, and will be interested to see what else the author comes up with. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy to review.

I am in awe.
This book is incredible.
I cannot believe this is a debut author! Gareth Brown, take a bow.
The premise is nothing like anything you've read before. The Book of Doors has so much imagination and wonder, that the reader will be blown away by all that it can do. The other books bring out the dark and dangerous side, and the Book of Pain doesn't need much explaining. Some scenes had me wincing and grimacing, and I was worried I'd have nightmares.
Some parts of the time travel took me a few rereads to ensure I had followed correctly, and it is complex and warrants some level of concentration.
This book will hook you and grip you till the end. One of my books of the year.
It deserves to be huge, and undoubtedly will be on the 'Best Books of 2024'.

Oh! where do I start with this review, this was a complex magical book but also with some hard hitting grewsome things which reveal just how awful mankind or even womenkind can be to one another for greed, power or sickeningly just for perverse pleasure. If your brave enough I recommend you read this book . #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #FB, #Amazon.co.uk, #Instagram, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

Book Review 📚
The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown - 2/5 ⭐

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I felt like it was thrown together rather then a finished product? I was intrigued by the title and cover (stunning by the way) but the writing style just was not working for me.

I'm sure this will be much more suitable for someone else who enjoys this type of writing.