The Ten Thousand Doors of January

• Rating: 4 stars/5 stars
• Author: Alix E. Harrow
• Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy
• Publisher: Redhook
• Release Date: September 10, 2019
• Pages: 374

Synopsis:

In the early 1900’s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.

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. Then she finds 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 turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January and richly imagined, a tale of impossible jounreys, unforgettable love, and the enduring power of stories awaits in Alix E. Harrow’s spellingbinding debut-step inside and discover its magic.

Review:

Have you ever gone into a book expecting one thing, only to realize it’s something entirely different? That’s exactly what happened to me with The Ten Thousand Doors of January. I had a very specific picture in mind after reading the synopsis, and the story turned out to be nothing like what I’d imagined. At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

But let me be clear: I didn’t dislike the book. Harrow’s writing is stunning — lush, lyrical, and filled with imagery that makes you want to linger on every page. The concept of doors to other worlds was magical and haunting, and I adored the “story within a story” framework (I’m always a sucker for that). The early 1900s setting added depth and color, grounding the fantasy elements in a richly historical backdrop.

My biggest struggle was with January herself. At seventeen, she often felt older, yet her choices were frustratingly naive. She made mistake after mistake without seeming to learn from them—trusting the wrong people, mistrusting the right ones—and that tested my patience as a reader.

Final Thoughts

While it wasn’t the book I was expecting, it left me deeply impressed with Harrow’s talent and imagination. I would love to see how she develops her craft. Her lush writing is terrific, but I would love to see her develop her characters further. I will be sure to pick up her work in the future!