This was one of my favorite reads of 2024. The premise was different and intriguing. A book that can make any door lead you to anywhere you want? Yes, please! Then mix in a truly terrifying villain and a secret library and you've got everything I love in one story. Highly recommend.

"The Book of Doors" by Gareth Brown is an ambitious debut novel that explores the magical and mysterious world of books. While it has its moments of intrigue and excitement, it ultimately falls short of its potential. The story follows Cassie Andrews, a bookseller in New York City, who discovers a mysterious book that grants her the power to travel through doors to different worlds. The premise is intriguing, and the initial exploration of this magical ability is captivating. However, as the plot unfolds, it becomes increasingly convoluted and difficult to follow. The introduction of multiple magical books and characters feels overwhelming and detracts from the central narrative

Genre: Magical Realism, Fantasy

The Book of Doors was a delightfully unexpected stand out among my 2024 reads. After seeing many positive reviews about this book, I had to join in and see what all the fuss was about and was so happy when I was approved for a galley of the book!

Gareth Brown, a debut author, has a strong grasp on the recipe for a wonderful fantasy novel with ties to the real world and I'm excited to see what more they bring to the literary world in the future. The concept of different books leading to different places or having different powers was one that was executed so well and I appreciated the ease in which the world building was done so that I could follow along as the story unfolded.

I absolutely loved the magic that existed in this world and appreciated the relationships and friendships that were built in juxtaposition to the more nefarious characters that also existed in the book. With some unexpected twists and turns, some suspense, and so much reflection about the impact of power, greed, and control - this is a stand out that I would recommend to anyone wanting to explore more fantasy!

This is the best possible book to start my year with, and I’m so annoyed with myself for waiting so long to read it.

Cassie works in a bookstore in New York. She is working a normal shift one day when a favorite customer that she is good friends with passes away in the store, leaving behind an old and mysterious book. Cassie soon discovers that this book is called The Book of Doors, and it allows her to travel from place to place using only a doorway. From there, Cassie‘s life is thrown in tumult as she discovers more about the underground world of magical books, and that hers is not the only one out there.

The plotting. I cannot say enough, admirable things about how seamlessly the plot in this book comes together. I can’t even imagine being the one who planned it all out and tied all of the pieces together, but it is done so smoothly. I love books that take place essentially in this world, but that have elements of magic or a different world, and this one fits the bill. There are magical books, but the rest of what happens is the normal world as we see it.

I was also not prepared to find the story so suspenseful and thrilling. Even though the tagline warns that the book is worth killing for, I wasn’t quite ready for the level of violence and suspense that kept me turning pages. The villain of the story is truly frightening , and I found myself having a moral dilemma with the characters when trying to decide how best to handle the bad guys in the book.

There is nothing about this book that I could criticize. Now that I’ve completed it and see all the breadcrumbs that were dropped throughout, I am anxious to read it again in marvel at how it all comes together.

If you’re a fan of low fantasy/magical realism with elements of a thriller, this would be a great fit for you!

I loved this book initially; unfortunately, it fell off for me around 60%. The concept, the characters, and the magic were all super fun and engaging. However, in the middle, I started to feel like it was dragging and the plot drifted. I ended up DNFing it and waited several months to see if I could pick it up again and engage with it, but each time I tried, I wasn’t enjoying myself. This will be an enjoyable book for someone and maybe I will try again at a later date, but for now, this wasn’t for me. I'm only putting 1 star because I DNF'ed.

Thank you so much to William Morrow and Netgalley for gifting me a copy in exchange for my review.

The Book of Doors is such a compelling debut novel from Gareth Brown. It's magical and a book made for all lovers of books. The story captivates readers and takes them on a journey of discovery amidst a battle between good and evil.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

I had high hopes for this novel but it moved pretty slowly for me. The ideas were strong and I loved the concept but I dragged through it.

I DNF'd this one but may come back to it. It just is a tad confusing and so maybe I need to try it again when I can give more attention and time to it. It's an interesting story but there's a lot going on that is very confusing to me.

Fantastic story. If you are looking for something unique and unlike other books, this would be a great choice. Highly recommend!

REVIEW: The Book of Doors

Gareth Brown's The Book of Doors is a delightful surprise, transforming a simple inheritance into a thrilling, globe-trotting adventure. Cassie, a relatable and resilient protagonist, inherits a book that grants her access to doors leading to any time and place. This fantastical premise quickly escalates into a high-stakes fight for survival. The supporting cast shines, particularly the charming Drummond, a loyal ally with undeniable chemistry with Cassie, and her grounded best friend, Izzy, who provides much-needed humor and heart.

The mysterious "collectors" and "The Women" add a chilling element. While the potential romance between Cassie and Drummond could have been explored further, the fast-paced plot, rich world-building, and thought-provoking exploration of choice and opportunity make The Book of Doors a captivating read. Fans of magical realism and action-adventure will find much to enjoy.

Thank you, Netgalley and William Morrow, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

This was so full of magic and fun! I loved it so much! I enjoyed the symbolism and the characters. Cassie was likable and well developed. The adventure was so interesting!

I don’t read fantasy but this book swept me in and kept me turning pages. Imagine you could open the pages of a book and find a door to anywhere but unfortunately this isn’t the only magical book out there. There are other more deadly books out there when held in the wrong hands. I think I like this book because even though it has fantastic elements with magical books. It’s grounded in real life with real people that’ I can relate to and not in a different world. It’s easier for me to just jump into the story. Great book for people who aren’t normally fantasy readers. I loved this book and can’t wait for more by this author.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when a book is likened to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the expectations are high. The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown, is, in my opinion, nothing like Addie, other than being primarily in NYC, and a bookstore is involved. However, I did find many similarities between it and The City of Stardust, one of my favorite reads this year (that’s definitely not for everyone, as the Goodreads rating will show, but I maintain it just needs to find its right readers). But back to the book in question: The Book of Doors is a portal fantasy, which is one of my favorite subgenres. And I have to say, I enjoyed it! Was it perfect? No. But for a debut, it was pretty close, and I’m impressed. If you love time travel, the idea of special books that grant the holder magical abilities, a truly evil villain cloaked in mystery, and a slow burn romance subplot, you might also love this read. What kept it from being a perfect five stars for me were a few choices the author made with the story that had me going, “Seriously?!” No spoilers here though! And overall, I did really like it. So what else do you need to know?

Things to Know:
Standalone
Portal Fantasy
Magical Books
Time travel
Third person POV

One of my favorite things about how this book is written, are the full circle moments. Brown did a wonderful job tying everything together, and I was left pretty satisfied in the end. We first meet Cassie at the bookstore and cafe she works at, and there’s a lovely older, lonely gentleman who always comes in and has his coffee and reads. He’s reading The Count of Monte Cristo (Ok, totally sold at this point as it’s one of my favorite classics). He passes away suddenly and Cassie realizes he’s left her an old book, and the adventure begins.

“This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door.”
She and her roommate, Izzy, discover the book opens regular doors into completely different cities. And like any 20-somethings, they have some incredible nights visiting all the best cities in the world. We’ve gotta talk about Izzy for a second. She’s the most annoying character. Always making really stupid decisions, I was so incredibly frustrated with her the entire story until the very, very end.

Because of Izzy’s actions, we find out there are many nefarious people after this book. And not only that, there are other special books offering their owners incredible special abilities: control over matter, joy, pain, and more. Drummond Fox is a ‘librarian’ and keeper of many of these special books in his secret library that only Cassie’s book can open a door to. He attempts to help Cassie, but having been through a tragedy with the books previously, and the villainous woman coveting them all, he’s determined the book may be better off destroyed than in the wrong hands.

Did I mention there’s also time travel?! I actually love how time travel was handled in this book. I really can’t share more without spoilers, so you’ll just have to read it yourself!

And now we come to the villains. I loved them…because you truly hate them. “The woman” as she’s called throughout, is truly an embodiment of evil, and you’re given a couple breadcrumbs, but you really spend most of the time wondering how on earth she came to be like this, and why does she have such an obsession with collecting all of the books. The reveal on this one was one of those full circle moments, but also felt frustrating to me. It worked so perfectly for the story, but left me saying, “Are you kidding me?!”

Then we have Mr. Barbury, who was your average terrible person. He’s murderous and has been chasing Drummond for years trying to get his books. I liked the idea of having more than one villain, especially because, while they were both after the books, they’re very different characters.

There’s also some morally grey characters, and you’re given quite a few different POVs throughout the novel. I didn’t mind that though. The main twist, honestly felt a bit like a cop out to me. It was my least favorite part, but at the same time, made everything work and piece together in a perfect puzzle. So I gotta give props for that. Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and I’m looking forward to what Brown writes next! Many thanks to NetGalley for a review e-copy. All opinions are my own.

Favorite Quotes:
“I know you like to hide in books, and maybe that’s my fault, because I like having you around all the time.”

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”He was lonely, Cassie knew, but he carried it lightly, never imposing his loneliness on others.”

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“This world is awful and mean and I hate it…but books have always been a place I can go….I prefer books to the real world.”

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“Happiness is not something you sit and wait for. You have to choose it and pursue it in spite of everything else.”

This could have easily been a novella that I loved, but as a book it seemed like it dragged on forever. The premise was nice, but the characters and the details seemed wooden. So much was told to the reader and very little shown to us. It seemed like a great idea that didn't have enough there to make such a long book.

Cassie lives an ordinary life. Working in a bookstore in NYC, sharing an apartment with her friend, dreaming of a bigger life....
When a favorite customer passes away at the bookshop and leaves behind a book, with an inscription noting that he has left it for her, Cassie's life changes in ways she never could have imagined.
The Book of Doors opens Cassie to a whole new world.. of travel, magic and danger.
This book was a lot of fun, filled with magic and adventure. There were a lot of side characters, some of whom could have been a little better fleshed out, but overall a wonderful adventure that drew in a number of magical books and ended with satisfyingly.

I really enjoyed this novel but there were many areas that became muddled and seem to drag on longer than needed. I was also rather underwhelmed with the ending. These are just my initial responses. Cassie and Izzy both annoyed me for very different reasons. Izzy is that friend who is loud and obnoxious who you pray loses her tongue. Cassie is a naive, passive and overly sensitive person who lacks knowledge of self preservation. There were other moments in the story where I yelled at the characters who had certain books with which they could defend themselves. At times, it almost felt like the characters forgot their lines and the plot of the story. How could they forget that they possessed the ability to prevent the tragedies they witnessed unfolding?
It makes me think about Glinda, the Good Witch, in The Wizard of Oz: "You've always had the power, my dear. You've had it all along."

The Book of Doors offers an imaginative premise and a strong cast of characters, but its execution leaves much to be desired. The story follows Cassie, Izzy, and Drummond on an adventure involving time travel and a series of mysterious books, each with their own powers. The narrative is told from multiple perspectives across various timelines, creating a complex but ultimately uneven storytelling experience.

The first portion of the book is a slow start, with pacing that feels rushed and characters that are initially flat and unengaging. It wasn’t until about halfway through that the story began to pick up, and I found myself more invested in Cassie’s journey. By then, the plot became richer and more vivid, and I couldn't put the book down. However, the dialogue often felt awkward and clunky, with phrasing that sometimes seemed "off." Some scenes were unexpectedly gory, which was jarring and didn't quite fit with the rest of the narrative.

The concept of the books and their powers holds great potential, but they are introduced somewhat haphazardly, woven into the story when convenient rather than being integrated into the narrative in a meaningful way. This lack of cohesion detracts from the overall impact, and by the end, I was left with more questions than answers about their significance.

There’s also a noticeable issue with characterization. Many of the characters, particularly the villains, are one-dimensional and tend to make problematic, judgmental remarks, often delivered in a "telling rather than showing" fashion. This may alienate some readers, especially younger audiences who may find these attitudes outdated or offensive.

Ultimately, while The Book of Doors offers an engaging concept and some enjoyable moments, it falters in pacing, character development, and narrative cohesion. I’d still recommend it for those who enjoy fantasy, but it didn’t quite live up to its potential.

This sadly was a soft DNF for me. Of no fault to the author or the book, but I unfortunately did not find myself in the right mood. I fear this is a book that I will have to be in the perfect mood for. I plan to revisit this one eventually. On the plus side, the cover is awesome!

I'm not sure why, but this one took me a while to get through. In the end I enjoyed it, but I think it started off a bit slow and disjointed. I love the concept and would definitely love to have my own Book of Doors! Cassie is a great character, and she was easy to root for throughout the story. I was pleasantly surprised at the end! This one may have taken me a bit to get into, but I do recommend it and will definitely be reading more from Gareth Brown.

Cassie Andrews is a twenty-something living a fairly ordinary life in New York City. She shares an apartment with her best friend Izzy and works at a bookstore. But when a customer dies in the store, he leaves behind a mysterious book with a note claiming it's the Book of Doors. Cassie soon discovers that this book holds an incredible power: it can turn any door into a portal to anywhere, allowing her to travel instantly between places. However, she quickly realizes that there are dangerous people who will stop at nothing to steal the book from her, and that it’s only one of many magical books in the world, each granting its owner unique powers.

I don’t want to spoil too much of The Book of Doors, so I’ll keep this review brief. But I absolutely loved this book. The plot is full of unexpected twists—not in a "gotcha" way, but more as the story organically unfolds and reveals more about these magical books. Characters and plot points may seem to disappear for a while, only to circle back in surprising ways, and by the end, everything comes together seamlessly. The writing is so beautiful and the pacing so well-done that it's hard to believe this is the author’s debut novel. It's a story full of magic and wonder, and I can’t wait for more. The fact that it leaves room for a sequel is just the cherry on top. This book deserves all the praise it’s receiving—and then some. A definite must-read!