This book is hands-down on my Top Books list. Why did I wait so long to read this treasure?! Amazing worldbuilding, exceptional writing, and great characters – I was in love from page 1! Every little detail is so intricately woven and I was spellbound. There wasn’t a single flaw I could find – and I’m a tough critic! I loved the MC and I could not put this book down! The story is told from the perspective of January, our MC, but there are also journal entries that tell the tale of a different character, which are just as interesting. There are plenty of twists and turns and so many different worlds to explore inside this one book! If you’re looking for a great fantasy read, then please try this one!

The Ten Thousand Doors of January was exactly what I needed to read. It is such a magical journey that was filled with surprises and fantastic description, that it is hard for me to even put into words how to describe it. It is just one of those books that you put into someone’s hands and just tell them to trust you. I just absolutely adored this book.

I had great expectations for this book as friends highly recommended it. It did not disappoint. The author managed to transport you to this world and I loved it.

My Thoughts:
It took me a few tries to get started on this. It's not a book that allows less than your willingness to immerse yourself in it. But once you do...

The prose is beautiful, the characters complex, and the story captivating. January has the ability to open doors to other worlds. Herr father's mysterious employer wants to capitalize on this, but she instinctively resists his orders and his attempts to tame her. With the support of a variety of characters, a mysterious book, and her often-absent father, she finds the truth about herself. This is a story of many types of love, but romance is not the focus of the story.

Possible objectionable material:
Reference to same-gender relationships. Teenage rebellion. Violence. Fantasy elements (traveling between worlds).

Who might like this book:
Those who like mysteries and secret societies. Fans of alternate worlds. People who like a strong protagonist who happens to be female.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher, who provided an eARC for my honest review.

Also reviwed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2020/07/worlds-upon-worlds.html

I loved this book. There are so many layers to it and it is a deep dive into a world of fantasy, yet seems so possible! This is one I will re-read.

4.5 stars. Such a lovely book.

Drawing readers in with the ever-beloved idea of magical doors into other worlds, this is a booklover's book. It combines January's story, in all its terror and wonder, with elements of metafiction and scholarship. There are a few bits that I found a little clunky, such as a somewhat inconsistent magic system and certain instances of January's decision-making in regards to her creepy guardian, Mr. Locke, but for the most part this is some high caliber writing that feels more mature than in most books marketed as YA, and along the way it also does a decent job of investigating gender and race (though as far as I can tell, it's not #ownvoices).

There's also a wonderful "book within a book" here, the reading of which slowly reveals, to January as well as the us outside readers, the story of earlier protagonists along whose path January walks. It's impossible to say more without spoilers, and these stories eventually dovetail in a satisfying way, though the ending felt a bit rushed and has an arguably romantic slant for January that I didn't like so much.

So overall, I loved the Doors, the alternate worlds, the dual stories, the writing, the meta, and the fact that several of the characters (including leads) are not white, especially considering the time period in which the story is set. As an “unqualified” novel I would rate the book 4 stars out of 5, but because it’s being marketed as YA, I would rate it 5.

This book is beautiful! The cover is gorgeous, and the writing is lyrical and poetic. Once I started reading it, I was unable to put my Kindle down. If I had to pick one theme for the book, it would be the power of words. The book is clever in the sense that words are so important in the story, and the way the author used words, sentences, and paragraphs to tell the tale.
As a child, I used to wish there were doors like this where I could escape into a new and fantastical world. This was YA but the way it was written would appeal to anyone who likes fantasy.
I was so swept up in the storyline and the characters that I was actually in tears at the end of the book. Everyone will read a book differently but I found that the story struck a cord with me which is why I found it so emotional.
My one regret is that I took so long to start reading it.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Like many others reviewing this book, the thing that first drew me in was the fabulous cover. Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?

I struggled to write a synopsis for this book because there is almost too much detail for me to sum it all up in a tidy package. And I'm struggling to even review it eloquently. I'll simply say that I knew, from reading the info provided to me when I agreed to participate in the blog tour, that this book would be out of my comfort zone. I NEVER read fantasy novels. But as readers, don't we all relate with the concept of escaping through the pages of a book into other worlds?

The main protagonists in Ten Thousand Doors -- January and her dog Bad, her friend Samuel and her governess Jane -- are the kind of people I can empathize with. They're society's cast-offs, bound together by the common goal of finding a place where they belong. The action that takes place in this book is a nonstop roller coaster ride.

My only source of disappointment in this one is that it seemed to drag on a bit too long. But that's it. In each of the heroes of the story I saw something of myself, and I cheered for them until the end.

"The Ten Thousand Doors of January" is an impressive debut novel that I recommend to all lovers of fantasy, historical fiction and YA.

I received an advance digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I keep teetering on whether or not to go with a 3 or a 4 for this one, it’s tough because I’m somewhere in the middle. There are so many beautiful components to this novel starting with the cover, which is gorgeous. The writing and the language used are poetic and provide such vivid descriptors of the various worlds that each door opens. So now you’re asking why the 3 star rating...truth be told, it took me forever to get into it. I wanted to love this book to pieces but the characters just didn’t resonate with me, well, until the last 50 pages. The concept was so intriguing and I think that the author may even manage a second book if she wanted to, and would I read it? I definitely would. There’s a lot of promise here and I’m curious to read more from this author.

This didn't work for me. I found the prose a little confusing at times and I didn't connect to the main character at all. I was actually quite bored and didn't end up finishing. Would not recommend.

When I started this novel, it took me a moment to really get sucked in. The language and prose were beautiful from the start, but there is a lot of world setting before the real excitement starts, but I didn't mind that.⠀
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Through snapshots, we see January Scaller grow up under the care of Mr. Locke, head of the Archeological Society. With her father Julian always away procuring rare artifacts from around the world for Locke, January has been left behind to lust after adventure and freedom from her role as the perfectly tamed heathen. When she discovers the memoir of Yule Ian and his world-transcending love for Adelaide Larson, she is transfixed on the adventure of it all. I really enjoyed reading Yule's chapters alongside January and learning about the multiverse of Doors that lead to places not on our plane of existence.⠀
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As the memoir begins to intertwine with January's life, she finds herself on the run from the Society and in search of answers and freedom. As she discovers the truth about who her father really was before working for Locke, she also finds the adventure of a lifetime alongside some great friends and her sweet big dog, Bad. The way Alix Harrow hits on colonialism and racism while also weaving in such an adventurous journey and realistic characters was really cool to read.⠀

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, Redhook Books and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions express in this review are my own.

There are books that you read that you know are going to be a fantastic journey from the moment you read the first sentence. The Ten Thousand Doors of January is such a book. Ms. Harrow has written a fantastic tale of magic and discovery that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. A modern classic, for certain.

5 out of 5 stars, Highly recommended.

This book was a delightful romp into a world of endless possibilities and open doors (see what I did there?)! The beginning was a bit slow getting into but once the action started, it was hard to put down.

Harrow has a really fun, jaunty way of breaking through the medium so that you feel like she’s speaking directly to you. I really enjoyed the beautiful world of possibilities that Harrow crafted and would love to read more books that play in these infinite realms.

I think I expected to this to be a fantasy/adventure type novel and instead got something much more character driven, which left me feeling kind of unsatisfied. I also think the book suffered from pacing issues and lacked solid follow through. It spent way too long “setting up” and all the mysteries that were built and built ended up having really feeble resolutions. I did really enjoy Harrow’s writing however, she has a beautiful knack for language!

I’ve had this in my to-read pile on my Kindle for a while, and since it’s been nominated for a Hugo, I decided it was time to finally read it. Overall, this is a wonderful, deeply comforting book. I don’t know how long it will stick with me, but it was a fun, pleasant read. Portal fantasies, stories in stories, and the insidious danger of rich white men and their secret societies. Definitely worth a page-through.

This is one of those books that immediately draws you in and doesn’t let you go. It was a book that was impossible to predict the next pages and had me guessing each step of the way, which left me on the edge of my seat the entire time...

January had such a unique voice and was a fantastic character. I loved the journey of her finding herself and finding her voice — in a time when women were told they had to be demure and quiet, January learned to break free to be assertive and loud; in a time when women were supposed to stay at home, January went on an adventure; in a time when being different was frowned upon, January learned to embrace who she was and love herself.

This was such a powerful book and there were so many things I loved about it - the story-within-a-story; all of the social commentary about race, feminism, class, etc.; and of course, magic doors.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

I love books. Whether they’re old and much loved, with paper softened from hands turning the pages. Or new and crisp, waiting to be opened and share their secrets and adventures for the first time. The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a love story to books, to stories themselves.

There’s a certain type of prose, a certain type of story, that lends itself so well to fantasy. I loved the flowing, visceral writing. It felt like poetry and a little bit like magic. It swept me into the story so completely. I wanted to keep reading because I loved the words and the sentences that unfurled, the paragraphs that bloomed. It felt like I was being invited into the story, reading a diary so well written I immediately wanted to pick up my own pen and paper. It reminded me of Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor in this way.

The book is layered and interesting, with a story that’s steady but full of hardship, love, family, loss, and journeys. I appreciated this story and the way it made me feel, like I was listening to the most beautiful song.

I saw one of the big reveals near the end coming from miles away, so it didn’t have an impact like I think the author intended. I’m still conflicted about it because it could be either a weakness in the writing or the character’s own limited perspective since the book is told in first person. But the character being shocked by this reveal means she made some decisions that were therefore faulty. It was hinted at for the reader, and yet she didn’t pick up on it. Like I said, I’m conflicted.

Mostly, though, I enjoyed this story like so many readers seem to. It wasn’t what I expected it to be, and yet the big reveal was predictable. But the characters were fascinating, loss was handled well, and the writing is so lush and gorgeous and lyrical.

Portal fantasy that I wanted to be charmed by but was not. This should have emphasized it was a coming of age story which is not my cup of tea. The two children featured seemed wild and disobedient, what were the adults in their lives supposed to do? These were not their own offspring yet they fed, clothed and taught them- isn't that already going above and beyond? Again, I get the feeling I'm supposed to sympathize and side with these feral brats but clearly I don't. Also I think January is an irresponsible dog owner to allow him to attack and bite whoever offends her. Oh, the author gives us plenty of justifications but I didn't buy it.

Reviewers have raved about this being a book about racism, xenophobia but I felt the urge to switch to reading Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower instead. As a contrast, Octavia Butler's Kindred acts as an example of that squirmy uncomfortable feeling the reader feels when given a glimpse of how racism and slavery serve to dehumanize. As best as I can tell, January is biracial but her skin color & race is kept vague and 'other'ered. At a later point she said she's used to being asked if she's from Siam or Singapore but others she's just written like an exotic olive skinned mongrel. At no time is her dad described as Asian so no idea why two Asian countries were named other than to provide exoticism. By the way, there is liberal casual use of racial slurs like Negro and Chinamen, presumably with the intention of showing how historically racist pre-civil war America was. There are attempts to write about colonialism and plundering of treasures, the power of rich white men etc. but honestly I could tell this was written by a white person without looking at the author picture.

It's coming of age because every emotion is spelled out neatly for us. We know how January feels because the author tells us every step of the way.

This portal fantasy also incorporates solemn life truths. It's similar to Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series from that respect but the life truths in Wayward Children resounded more with me. The other similarity is they both feature diversity LGTB, non-white characters. Another portal fantasy book that was released at a similar time was The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, which I liked a lot more.

The doors themselves are neat. Portals are always fun and imaginative with their liminal spaces.

I am always more interested in the adult characters like Jane. If these worlds beyond doors were so different, then why do we still have universities and marriage? Only in Jane's world do we get polygamous marriages with women doing the hunter gathering and men doing childcare. Exotic worlds are hinted at but the imagination is shackled. Why can't there be different life forms, different atmospheres, different customs?

Never cleaved to January. When asked to open a door to Jane's world, she says she can't without trying despite knowing the closing of Jane's door is her father's fault and how much it means to her. Yet when she has to open doors for herself across worlds lo & behold she is able to do so.

Abrupt switch from 3rd to 1st person narration. Parents make bad decisions. Why doesn't January's dad just talk to her?! In an interesting appendix, it's noted that in Julian's world there were ways of abortion with the power of words. Now THAT would have been interesting but of course the author didn't dare to go there in her story. Instead January merely has unfit wanderer parents who make questionable decisions. Locke is arguably a good guardian providing tutors, stability and guidance.

Villain is very bad and superpowered, not nuanced at all but easily defeated. Essentially, this is a teen fulfillment coming of age novel. January is able to defeat the big bad guys who've been at the game for ages because re: Chosen One trope.

Thanks to Redhook and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. It took me ages to write and eventually post this review because I hate posting negative reviews. However this book had many problematic areas which made it a chore to read.

I’m a huge fan of fantasy books, but not a large fan of magical realism. This book was able to bring together fantasy and magical realism in a wonderful way.

This book was initially a struggle for me to get into, but about 30% of the way through the book it just sucked me in and kept me engaged the whole time. Who doesn’t want to read about u inverses hidden behind doors?

If you’re able to listen to this book on audio I highly suggest it.