For the fans of "The Midnight Library", "The Invisible Life of Addie Larue" - "The Book of Doors: A Novel" by Gareth Brown is a mesmerizing journey into the realms of mystery and intrigue, blending elements of fantasy and adventure. The book stands out for its imaginative storytelling and the intricate world-building that unfolds within the pages.

One commendable aspect of the novel is Gareth Brown's ability to craft a rich and immersive world within "The Book of Doors." The author introduces readers to a captivating realm filled with mystery and fantastical elements, providing a unique and engaging backdrop for the narrative. The vivid descriptions and inventive concepts contribute to the novel's allure.

Brown's writing style is evocative, creating a narrative that seamlessly weaves together various elements of fantasy and adventure. The characters are well-developed, each with their own distinct personalities and motivations. The book's pacing allows for a dynamic progression of events, keeping readers captivated as the story unfolds.

However, some readers may find the fantastical elements and world-building to be intricate and complex. While this complexity adds depth to the narrative, individuals who prefer straightforward storytelling may find it challenging to navigate the intricacies of the fantastical realm presented in the book.

In conclusion, "The Book of Doors" is a captivating novel that transports readers into a fantastical world filled with mystery and adventure. Gareth Brown's imaginative storytelling and world-building make the book a compelling read for those who enjoy rich fantasy narratives. While the complexity of the fantastical elements may pose a challenge for some readers, the novel's overall depth and creativity contribute to its success as an engaging and imaginative story.

I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.

The description likens it to books such as The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, and the Night Circus; and as a person who loved ALL of those books and the also-similar Ten Thousand Doors of January, I could not wait to read the Book of Doors! It did not disappoint! The Book of Doors is a beautiful story full of magic, romance, darkness and adventure!

We first meet a bookseller named Cassie, who receives a book from one of her elderly patrons before he dies. This book is no ordinary book, though, it is one of a collection of very special books, that each work a very specific magic, and Cassie has just found herself in possession of one of the most sought-after and powerful of them all…the Book of Doors.

The Book of Doors provides a magic that turns any door into EVERY door. And it turns out Cassie is very good at opening them. So much so, that she and her friend Izzy draw the attention of Drummond Fox (the Librarian, and keeper of the Library of these magic books) and a bunch of unsavory collectors that want the book for their own power. And they will do anything and everything to get it. Adventure, magic, and considerable bloodshed ensues. There is also a bit of time travel when Cassie realizes that the Book of Doors can open doors into the past.

Cassie and Drummond and Izzy team up with a magic bookseller, pair of book hunters to battle the powerful villains Dr. Barbary and “the Woman” to protect the book(s) from being used for evil and destruction.

I love, love, LOVED this book. It was such a wild, magical, beautiful story. The writing is intelligent and enchanting, and paints an intricate world, where every character is important and contributes to the intricate tapestry of the storytelling. While this story is fantasy and fiction, you can’t help feeling like the magic is real and possible while you are reading. You truly feel like you’re right there with the characters in the battle of good versus evil. I mean, who wouldn’t want a magic book to do cool things like travel, make mist and light, bring joy, give/take memories, set fires, control things and people, hide in shadows, safety, etc.? I know I would! Any and all of the above!

Note: There is some misogynistic and body-shaming language used by a few characters in the book (trigger warning to those that are sensitive to this). Although it put off some other readers from the story, I feel like it was part of the character-building, and I don’t feel like it detracted from the overall story.

I will absolutely be recommending this book to pretty much everyone I know, and my book clubs, and my Library friends. It was definitely one of my favorite reads of the year! Five Stars!!

I loved the Book of Doors. It was evocative of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, another book I adore.

Part whimsical, thrilling, mysterious, and wonderful. it does contain a bit of a time travel tope/McGuffin in where did the Book of Doors come from, I would eagerly reenter this world of the magical books Should Gareth Brown turn this into an ongoing series with different books featured. We kind of got an explanation of the origins of the books, but I'd like to see that expanded on further.

Do yourself a favor and read this book. You won't regret it.

I really wanted to like this one - and was sure I was going to love it, given the topic (extra-magical books!!). Unfortunately, despite a brilliant concept and set-up, I think this one ultimately fell flat for me because of two things: characterizations and pacing.

There is fabulous world-building here, with a ton of detail provided on the books, their capabilities, and the results they bring about. But there is startlingly little detail on any of the individuals in the story, and with so many characters, that was problematic. It made the read feel uneven and made it very difficult to connect with - or ultimately care about - what was happening, even when the happenings were dramatic and most eventful.

This contributed to the pacing issue for me also. There would be pages upon pages describing the scenery when various cities were visited using the eponymous book, then suddenly you'd be back to the "action" and in two paragraphs things would take a huge turn and spike forward. It made it difficult to stay fully engaged and in the moment.

The writing is lovely, don't get me wrong. Brown does a really fantastic job with those descriptions - his writing style is evocative and really captures the essence of various locales and of the extreme emotions and actions the books spawn, be they gloriously wondrous or horrifically violent. But without strong characters driving the action forward consistently, this is just description for the sake of description. Unfortunately, this one just didn't quite hit the mark for me...

Magical books, an evil villain, doorways to another place, and wonder! If that sounds good then this is the book for you.

I knew just from the description that this book was going to be amazing and it didn’t disappoint. It took me a few days to read this book which is slower for me than normal but only because I wanted to keep reading it and enjoy it. I loved the idea of magical books and that a normal bookish person could just stumble upon one and be swept up in its magic. The story had twists and turns and jumped back and forth and the way it all played out was so clever. And I loved that the author let you revel in the magic. It wasn’t just introduced and explained and then used as a plot device, it was explored and experienced. You got to spend some time with it. There were moments where I thought things were left at the wayside or weren’t explained but then the author would loop back and tie everything together. It has vibes of Ten Thousand Doors of January and the best of Starless Sea but it still stands on its own. Beautifully written and crafted and I wish I could read it again for the first time!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc of this book. This book takes you on a magical journey with the female main character Cassie. The description of this book does not do it justice, this book takes you on a very unexpected journey with Cassie. Every time you think you know where the story is going it takes another twist and turn. The story does start out slow but after a few chapters I could not put this book down. Each character is unique and the author makes sure each is memorable, there are no unimportant characters in this book. I look forward to reading more of this author's work.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of The Book of Doors! For me, this book was amazing! I was so excited for the concept and the story did not disappoint. The way everything weaved together was just perfect. I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in months.

I loved everything about this novel. Adventure, loss, friendship, romance, desire, obsession, and some very special books.

Have you ever wished you could just travel to a far off place instantly? No plane, no ships, no car. Just open a door and there you are!

Cassie inherits a strange book when one of the customers at her bookshop dies suddenly. She's not sure what the book is exactly but sees a message in the front that says it's for her. It's called the book of doors and promises wonderful, magical adventures just by traveling through an open door into wherever she wants to go. But is it real? And why are so many people desperate to get their hands on it?

Then Cassie starts learning about other magical books that can do strange, and sometimes dangerous, things. Soon, she is swept up in a fast-paced game of cat and mouse with only a few trusted allies by her side that are willing to help protect these special books from falling into the wrong hands.

Extremely entertaining story and smooth writing. Completely enchanted!

Unfortunately I had to DNF. I loved the premise and general plot of the book. However right from the start the dialogue just felt off and stilted. It didn’t feel believable. And the pacing felt wrong. It jumped right into things with not nearly enough context. I know this was the author’s first book so I’d be willing to give another one a chance, but this was just a no for me.

In Gareth Brown's debut novel, The Book of Doors, readers embark on a mesmerizing journey through the bustling streets of New York City with bookseller Cassie Andrews. Gifted the mysterious Book of Doors by a favorite customer, Cassie discovers its extraordinary powers and, along with her best friend Izzy, explores the boundless possibilities it offers. However, they soon find themselves entangled in a dangerous game as other magical books wielded by ruthless individuals bring violence and peril. Brown's intelligent and enchanting storytelling seamlessly weaves magic, suspense, and time travel into a narrative that resonates with both intellect and emotion. As the characters navigate a world where books hold unimaginable power, the intricate plotlines, vivid character portrayals, and the contrasting light and dark sides of magic contribute to a captivating and satisfying tale. The Book of Doors stands as an extraordinary debut, leaving readers eagerly anticipating more from this talented author.

I found this book to be very interesting and easy to follow. Sucked me in right from the beginning. It was easy to relate to the characters.

The Book of Doors is a fantasy-type story told through multiple perspectives. It starts when the main character Cassie comes into possession of a powerful book that allows her to travel through doors to any other doors in the world. The story sucked me in early and I really wanted to love this, but it ended up falling a bit short for me.

For me one of the best things about this book is that it feels a bit like a love letter to, well, books - and how powerful and magical they can be. Some of the relationships in the book, such as between Cassie and her best friend Izzy, I thought were well done and realistic.

Unfortunately the pacing of this felt very disjointed and off. It starts fast but almost comes to a grinding halt several times throughout and it was a bit challenging to get though. There are multiple perspectives throughout and they are not all engaging. I also wasn’t a big fan of the ending or the writing style.

I definitely think this is worth a look if you enjoy magical realism!

First, thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book started off strong and just fell flat for me. I found Izzy to be incredibly unlikeable and downright annoying with her constant nagging and worrying. Cassie was a lovely character at times but displayed a lot of disregard about the plot that just didn’t align for me.

I also found that the plot got bogged down in the details. Too often I found myself skipping sentences to get to the dialogue between characters which Mande me feel disconnected from the story itself.

I think this book had lots of story building potential and started off too strong before losing steam. I loved the concept of this book and the idea of my favorite hobby (reading) being intermixed with travel sounded cozy and divine. Overall it just wasn’t for me.

Mesmerising, with a gorgeous cover. the one part I found weak was the body image issues of the main fmcs, that part just kept striking me as off because it's never really resolved or even acknowledged in a satisfactory way. thanks for the arc.

Enjoyable story. Similar to books like The Midnight Library. I was drawn in from the start, although I felt like it dragged a little in the middle. Overall a good novel,

This is magnificent! I enjoyed reading this so much and I was so sad to reach the end. The characters express so much humanity and the wonders Gareth Brown creates are just mesmerizing. I cannot wait until this comes out so I can tell everyone to buy it! Well done!

This is great for fans of Dr. Who or the Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

Wow! I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. It had adventure, emotional moments, and magic. The book contained a theme that I usually am not a fan of but Gareth Brown did an amazing job with it and I fully bought in. The ending was also perfect and pulled on my heart strings. What a wonderful book, I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy when it is released. Also, the fact that this was a debut novel was just mind blowing.

A magical read for booklovers everywhere. New Yorker Cassie is a little lost, mourning her grandfather and whiling her days away working in a bookstore...until a very unusual book comes into her life from a mysterious patron. The Book of Doors has the power to transport Cassie anywhere in the world she has the power to visualize, but a trail of danger comes in its wake as others scheme to take the book for themselves. A lovely read, and one I'll be recommending to many.

So if you are into magic and fantasy, with a side of romance, this book is definitely calling your name.
And even if you are not, this is definitely worth reading.
Cassie Andrews works in a bookstore in NYC and lives a fairly non-descript life - until one day a patron of the bookstore, dies in front of her and leaves her a book with a strange message.
From that moment on, her life becomes a search for meaning as she discovers that this book is actually,
:the "Book of Doors" and holding it, while opening a door and thinking of a certain location, transports you to that very spot, As she initially plays with the power of the book, not understanding any part of why or how it does what it does, she begins a journey through time to discover what it is all about.
She meets a man who works with her, a keeper of another strangely powerful mystical book and they work together to try to secure other books that can cause havoc and great disarray in the world.
I was immediately pulled into the story and could not escape without finding, along with the very well defined characters, the purpose and reason behind all the mysteries surrounding the books and how the various owners came to have them.
A very interesting and at times, wildly entertaining story that takes you into the realm of fantasy and magic as well as mysticism and time travel
It is definitely worth a read for everyone who considers books for escapsim. as well as for those who wish to learn more outside their own personal comfort reading zone.

Thank you to NetGalley for offering me the chance to read an ARC of this before its publication date. Unfortunately, after having such high hopes, this was a DNF for me at 25%.

I have nothing but kind words to say about the writing. It's beautiful! However, I kept catching myself waiting for something to HAPPEN and, sadly, was disappointed at every turn. The storyline just felt like it wasn't moving along and I was bored.

I may come back to this at a later date and try again. But, for now, it's a no for me.