"The Ten Thousand Doors of January" is a stunning, lushly written debut.

This charming, insightful book will resonate with avid readers, as it fills its pages with first rate escapism. The character development is superb, the author infusing even secondary and tertiary characters with heaps of personality.

At the center of the story is January Scaller, a wild, deeply imaginative and headstrong protagonist with a distinctive voice, and a seriously loyal dog. Her mother is dead, her father mostly absent, and she is taken in as a ward by a wealthy patron with a vast library. Her days are spent devouring books, until one day she stumbles upon a Door, and shortly after upon a very special story. Before long, a second voice is taking us on an altogether different journey, one that teaches January and the reader about undying love, importance of change, of learning, shaking of the restraints of society and propriety, and going after ones dreams.

The novel is more than just a coming of age story, however. It's a mystery, filled with villains, secrets, and hidden worlds. Additionally, even though it is set in Victorian era, it highlights privilege, poverty, gender bias and inequality, racism, and multi-racial identity. All the elements weave together in such compelling way, that the book, from the very first page, transports the reader into its world and doesn't let go, not even weeks after.

I love the cover of this book! When I opened it and began reading the story, I was pleased to see the story was every bit as amazing as the cover. Alix E. Harrow presents readers with an imaginative story that is jam-packed with adventure.

The story centers around young January Scaller, who lost her mother at an early age. Her father found work for a wealthy antiques collector, who was also willing to let January live with him as his ward while her father travels on business. It’s a situation that almost seems too good to be true.

As January grows older, she finds a strange book that was left in an old trunk. Between the pages of the book and the events that begin to take place in January’s life, she makes some interesting discoveries about herself and her family.

The cast of characters in the book is wonderful and diverse. Jane, a woman employed by January’s father to look after her, turns out to be much more than a companion. She has a unique background that ends up being crucial to January as she gets older.

Then, there is Sinbad, January’s faithful and fiercely protective dog. He is one of those special dogs with the extraordinary ability to sense danger and dangerous people. Sinbad was a gift from January’s longtime friend, Samuel, who takes on a larger role as the story progresses.

This was a wonderful mix of magic, villains, adventure and relationships. Reading it brought back old memories of fairy tales I loved as a child. This is a coming-of-age novel, but one that readers of any age will enjoy. I’m hoping for a sequel. I highly recommend this to readers with a sense of adventure and a love for fantasy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Redhook Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

This was definitely a fun book to read, especially to break up from my normal thriller genre. The worlds created were a great escape from reality! A must read for those who love those fantasy with some other genres mixed in!! The author did an amazing job of building the characters, plot, and setting!!
Will make sure to buzz it up!

A lovely adventure through different wonderfully imagined worlds (including the early 1900s home base), which also explores the wondrous bravery but sometimes dark and destructive aspects of the explorers and collectors venturing through them and wanderers searching for home.

This book was every bit as good as I expected it to be, but it's really better than that, since it went in a completely different direction than I'd anticipated.

The book doesn't depend on constant action, like most fantasy reads do. And at first, that bored me, and I set the book aside in favor of others. But I'm so glad I picked it up again and finished it all in one sitting. The Thousand Doors is immersive. It's a fully developed character journey from wild child, tame young lady, to a powerful self realized individual. I loved how multi faceted the characters were, and their deceptive original impressions.

There's so much fantasy in here, so many fantastic worlds that we get a glimpse of. The writing is slow and poetic. Once it absorbs you, it's hard to leave it. I usually prefer faster reads, but this book requires and deserves patience.

It's late 19th century setting added a lot of flavor. The mistreatment of colored people was presented in a way that strongly pointed out all white man's wrongs, but was coated in such beautiful writing that you felt the injustice of it all without it coming across as a history or ethical lecture.

It was a very original and absorbing read. Again, this book focuses on character over the usual rushing fantasy action, but it does deliver heaping spoonfuls of both. I really enjoyed this journey.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Like many other young girls in fiction, January Scaller has been kept under wraps for most of her life. She’s been taught to be a good, obedient girl by her guardian, Mr. Locke. But unlike many of those young girls, January discovers that she has the power to rescue herself. In The Ten Thousand Doors of January, by Alex E. Harrow, January (and us) are taken on a wild, dangerous ride through not just the United States but also through worlds that are on the other side of the doors January finds here and there.

January has struggled to be a good girl all her life. She would rather be wandering in the woods of Vermont or reading—or just not having to tame her hair, dress up in frills, and attend Mr. Locke’s society balls. Her only friends are Samuel, the grocer’s boy; her dog, Bad (Sindbad); and Jane, a woman sent by her father to protect her. In spite of these friends, by the time she reaches her mid-teens, January has managed to at least pretend to be a good, little girl in public but she feels increasingly constricted by all of Mr. Locke’s rules. It’s then that Jane realizes two things. First, she finds a book called The Ten Thousand Doors that has some very interesting things to say about her lost mother, father, and what Mr. Locke is really up to. Second, she decides to put into practice her untested ability to change things by writing them down. January is not going to be like so many other girls in stories. After a harrowing scene, she bolts at last.

I love the idea of there being doors, waiting to be stumbled upon, that can whisk us away to different worlds with magic and strange creatures. This is why I love Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series. In January’s universe, however, she doesn’t have to wait for the right door. She can be an explorer. She just has to figure out how to get away from Mr. Locke and his creatures first, and stop their attempt to close every door they can find. If January can’t stop them, no only will she be killed, our world might lose something irreplaceable: a large part of its folklore in the form of yetis, boo hags, oceans at the top of mountains, and more.

I don’t know if Harrow is planning more adventures for January, Bad, Samuel, and Jane. Like January, I want to know more about the other worlds that are out there. The Ten Thousand Doors of January was such a lush, imaginative story that I inhaled it all in one day. I want more travel and magic and adventure with these characters, who take no crap from anyone and who have a knack for rescuing themselves.

A beautiful book, more of a fable than a modern novel. The prose is rich, dense, and frequently extremely beautiful. Much of it reminds me of Alice in Wonderland or Peter Pan, but it does some work towards confronting the racism of the time period and trying to write a narrative around it.

The pacing did, at times, feel somewhat uneven, and there were characters whose personalities I wish we had seen more of, to gauge how/if they developed through the course of the novel.

Still, a promising start to a series, and it makes sense that the prequel story is now a Hugo award winner.

I really tried to love this book, and I can understand why so many do, but it wasn't for me. Books like the Wayward Children series captivated me, so seeing another book about hidden doors and magical places felt like a slam dunk. Not to mention the shining recommendation from Josiah Bancroft, whose Tower of Babel books I adore. But the author's writing style felt like it was trying to be poetic and flowery to an extreme, focusing on tiny minutiae and asides that don't matter. I also wasn't into the time when this historical book takes place (again, personal preference), the heavy handed nature of how "other" the MC is due to her skin tone, and the one-dimensional nature of some of the characters around her, like her benefactor.

I hoped for more whimsy or magic, and a book that clicked better for me. It didn't, but I can see why others would enjoy this.

* I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*.
There is so much about this book that is good. The writing is beautiful. The alternating time lines were interesting. Some more than others.
As with many lyrically written books, there are places where the language is a detriment to the story. The science of the doors seems to be more important than the doors themselves.
There are some beautiful quotes in this book and I would be willing to read another book by this author.
This book will definitely hit the mark for a lot of people but for me, it was a miss overall.

The world building alone in this novel was enough to suck me in. I was so captivated by the characters and the plot that I could not put this book down!

The Ten Thousand Doors of January - by Alix E. Harrow

Release Date: September 10th, 2019

ALERT: DESTINED TO BECOME A NEW MODERN CLASSIC!!

This is a fantastical story that weaves a book inside of a book, so it's two stories in one, and those stories intertwine in a really lovely way. One young girl, January, raised by a wealthy philanthropist, orphaned by a mother assumed dead and a father who travels the world for this "philanthropist" procuring rare items for his employment, is at the center of this story. January, leading a solitary and lonely type of life, missing her father, feeling resentful, one day happens upon a door. In fact, the story starts with her explaining that when she was seven, she found a door. From this very first chapter, I was charmed. Charmed by the character - her sense of adventure and longing. Later, she finds a book, which leads her on a massive journey. This story becomes an adventure, with January on a quest, to enter multiple doors, in search of ...... (can't give you spoilers!) Besides January's point of view, we also read the diary-type book she's found along with her, in alternating chapters, which is so much fun - who doesn't love a book within a book?

If you'd like to taste this wonderful first chapter, click on the following link:

https://www.orbitbooks.net/?s=the+ten+thousand+doors+of+january


This book was generously given to me ahead of publishing by NetGalley in the form of an E-book. I really wasn't reading much in that format, until I became a NetGalley reader and was given 30 plus e-books to enjoy (most pre-release date).

I've pre-ordered this book because I will one day re-read it, and just look at the lovely cover!

This book was a fabulous 5-star read, it has already become one of my all-time favorite reads, for all of the following reasons: great lovable characters, fantastic story-telling, beautiful writing, and great plot. I highly recommend that you step over the thresholds with January, and may you never fall into the void that is in-between worlds.

Lushly imaginative, gloriously unrepentant, and invoking equally the importance of escape and resistance, Alix E. Harrow's The Ten Thousand Doors of January is the kind of book that changes how you look at the world.

January, the book's titular herione, lives what might seem like a charmed life in the sprawling mansion of her absent father's wealthy patron. Inside, though, she struggles against the ever-tightening bonds of what is expected by her keeper and the society he keeps, as well as the literal Society he heads--a group of anthropologists who may have more sinister intents than they let on. As a young girl she finds a Door that seems to lead to another world, but soon buries the experience under the attentions of a strict governess.

As January reaches her sixteenth birthday, she receives an anonymous gift of a book which seems to be an adventure story about another world--a world that sounds suspiciously like the one she visited. As she reads, events come to a head, and everything changes.

What I enjoyed most about this?
* Portals!
* An inner frame narrative with overtones of LeGuin's
* Female characters who don't take people's crap
* A narrative about depression that doesn't blame the sufferer
* Creepy villains
* So much lovely description!
* Okay pretty much everything, honestly

Alas, I eventually reached the last page, but I had a smile on my face the whole time getting there. This book is a must-read for anyone who likes portal fiction, empowering stories with young women protagonists, beautiful prose, or just a damn good story.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow is one of the most amazing books that I have ever read. This book is like an adult fairytale, something that I savoured as I went to bed each night. I had to take my time with this book because I knew that if I devoured it too quickly, I would end up depressed that I didn't stop and enjoy it. The Ten Thousand Doors of January has become one of my favourite books. The writing is enchanting and beautiful. It is simply a perfect book.

This book magnificently twists two stories together that take place in the late 1800's and early 1900's. It begins in 1901 on a business trip with her guardian, when January Scaller steps through a Door into another world. January forces herself to forget her brief escape into another world as she continues to grow up as the ward of Mr. Locke, a very wealthy collector of unique items. January's father is usually travelling around the world for his job as curator for Mr. Locke.

January has few friends growing up. She is a person of colour, and in this era she is not wholly accepted aside from her association with Mr. Locke. Her only friends are Sammuel Zappia (the grocer's son), Sinbad (her giant and ill-tempered dog), and Jane (a hired friend by her father). Despite her wonderful upbringing, January, never feels content and always dreams of going on an adventure.

One day, January finds a book in an antique box of Mr. Locke that tells the story of another girl who finds Doors. She becomes restless for something new and exciting. When Mr. Locke tells her that her father has died on one of his trips, he formally asks her to join the Archeological Society that kept her father away. January refuses and decides to leave the Locke house and find a life of her own, but there are people out there that want to keep her reigned and use her.

This book is so special. The characters are all so well-written. The imagination that went into this book translates beautifully on to the page. I could go on and on about this book, but I fear I would give something away. Reading this book is a pleasure.

I received an e-galley of this book in exchange for my honest review.

*3.75 Stars*

Trigger warning: book contains instances of asylums and cutting but the cutting is not for self-harm puposes

This was a really interesting book and I deeply respect how Alix E Harrow has responded to questions about the book on Goodreads in regards to racism etc.

"The Ten Thousand Doors of January" does not flinch away from depicting how truly insidious and pervasive racism is-- the people January encounters are not quite sure if she's a maid, a pet, or something else altogether (but as someone who is white-passing please pay more attention to the comments of people who are not). It is incredibly interesting but also heart-breaking to see January slowly realise that her family's benefactor considering her and her skin tone 'unique' exists only exists with January and her father's total obedience.

Harrow did a really nice job interweaving all the separate narratives and the world-building's emphasis on language is beautiful. I think some bits of the story could have been tightened up a bit, but overall it was a really interesting story! I think it is so important to have people from non-marginalised groups not shy away from racism and its many forms and Harrow did this admirably.

This was one of the most unique books that I have read in some time. January lives in a mansion with Mr Locke as her father traverse's the world as a historian and goods finder for Mr Locker. Things begin to unravel for January as she discovers the book that her father left behind for her and finds out about the doors. She begins a journey to find her parents and is at peril with her group of friend's and a huge dog known as bad for protection. I loved the idea of parallel worlds and believe that the idea was well developed throughout this novel.

😍😍 loved this. It reminds me of The Wayward Children series a little, which I adore. The prose is flowery in just the right way for me, at first I thought I wouldn’t like that the narrator speaks directly to the reader, but in the end I got it and thought it worked so well. I enjoyed the cast of characters and the way Doors worked in this.

Also the cover is ridiculously gorgeous.

Definitely recommend for fans of portal fantasy in general, flowery prose (reminds me a little of Strange the Dreamer in that aspect), adventurous strong girls, and historical fiction.

Wow! The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a lyrical letter written to book lovers everywhere, reminding us to never stop hoping and to never lose our imaginations or our voices.

Alix E Harrow takes us on a magical journey through different worlds that end up coming around full circle. Journeys to other worlds is why people love to read and Harrow does a fantastic job with the delivery.

Often with descriptive books I find myself skimming. That did not happen with this book. There were so many beautiful passages that I found myself going back a second or third time to reread them to try and absorb more of their beauty. I rarely reread books, but this would be one I definitely want to read again because I know I would get more out of it with each reading.

It’s hard to say much about the story because I feel it would give too much away. The way Harrow has all the stories and people intertwined is a fantastic feat. In ways it reminded me of Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, but easier to understand. Instead of trying to be philosophical like the Cloud Atlas and making me confused, The Ten Thousand Doors of January made me feel loved and cherished.

This is a must read for all the book lovers of the world.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had debuted to overwhelmingly positive reviews, and it is indeed a very readable historical fantasy set mainly in southern and western United States. If that appeals to you then you'll love this book. I can see why many readers perceive it as a YA fantasy, as the heroine is a teenager and her sections of the book are narrated in first person - with a fairly shameless steal from N. K. Jemisin in the slowly developing second person address, but hey if you're going to steal, then why not steal from the best. Although the comparison with Jemisin is interesting in a way - at no point while reading the Broken Earth trilogy was I under the impression that I was reading a YA book, and largely that was because Jemisin is a consistent and confident stylist. Harrow is not - the style veers wildly from almost whimsical and fey, to much more straightforward plot-driven action sequences. I don't mind the mishmash, but it's also perhaps a sign of a debut author working out the kinks of her prose.

Overall, the novel is zippy, earnest, and promising as a first book. I will look out for what the author comes up with next.

5 out of 5 starts to Ten Thousand Doors of January

Honestly if I could - I would give it more stars because this is a book I never knew I needed in my life. It left me on the floor, in the puddle of my own tears, unable to tell my husband exactly why I was crying.

Ten Thousand Doors of January is a story of January Scaller - an in-between girl, a wild child, a mixed race child who has never fit into the world of neat order and rules of the 1900’s. Brought up by an older rich man (while her father is way hunting treasures for him), she has only ever known a life of privilege and comfort. Yet she never ever felt like she belongs, she feels like a bird in a cage and when her father goes missing, January finds a journal explaining where she comes from and her world is turned upside-down.

I wasn’t sure about the book at first - mainly because it’s about a mixed raced girl who seems oblivious to Mr. Locke’s (to me obvious) racism and sexism. It’s always upsetting to read that someone could actually think and believe in superiority of one race over another. Yet I continued with the book, it made sense for the time period. And I am so glad I did. January turns out to be a shining beacon to the in-between girls, strong, smart, loving and kind she takes her own life into her own hands; she does not need a knight to rescue her. Despite the odds being against her, she never gives up, never allows herself to be beaten. It is a book about finding family and love and about loss and most of all about the need of this world to have all of us here to make life richer.

Miss Harrow (or is it Mrs?) has absolutely blown me away. The novel is written in such lyrical and captivating language that I honestly found it very hard to put down. It absolutely blows my mind that this is a debut. I will be on the lookout for her future books.

I would recommend this to anyone who liked The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, and Circe by Madeline Miller. If you like a STRONG female character - this is a book for you.

January lives a sheltered life as a ward to a wealthy man who employees her father to go on expeditions across the world finding rare objects. One day she finds a book that explains there are doors that lead to other worlds and includes a great love story. She believes in the doors because she found one when she was a child.

This book felt a fairy tale. One that deals that the reality of racism and sexism while also having wanderlust and magic powers. All the characters are compelling and it's fast paced.