Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC of The Book of Doors in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this expecting something similar-ish to The Ten Thousand Doors of January or A Starless Sea, but the book ended up feeling a bit more like Ink Blood Sister Scribe. In both The Book of Doors and Ink Blood Sister Scribe the first half of the book seems to be recounting background before the plot truly begins. So, in this case, the majority of the book action took place in the second half, incorporating things from the first half to build out the story.

The romance aspect of the book was very limited - I"m actually not sure why it was included in the genre as it didn't seem like there was any romance at all at any point.

I think I'm a little bit conflicted on the book as a whole - it started off like what could be a cozy adventure romance, and then at the 50% point it had some incredibly violent scenes and some plot points from using the Book of Doors that were intense to read, but were a bit confusing to place as a cohesive story. It was still an enjoyable read, but I don't think it is my style of storytelling/character development.

"The Book of Doors" is very reminiscent of the kind of gentle, didactic, magical realism we've seen come on the scene in the past few years. Think "The Midnight Library" or "This Time Tomorrow." Our protagonists come by a magical book that causes doors (or portals) to different places to materialize. It's hard to pull off a plot like this when it feels like it's already been done (Midnight Library, cough). The story didn't feel particularly original, and the writing was a bit..simple. Not a great combination for me and I ended up skimming through most of it.

I loved this title. I started out thinking it was a cozy fantasy book, but then it took a very dark turn! The book of doors allows the holder to travel by opening a door and the doorway becomes a portal to any other doorway that the holder can visualize. You can open a door in NY and when you walk through, exit through a door in Europe to visit a city you last saw when you were young. How much would a criminal be willing to do to get their hands on this book? What if there were other books out there that enabled the holder to have different and even more dangerous powers? I enjoyed every twist and turn of this story all the way to the end. I think this will enable lots of discussion for book clubs!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Unfortunate DNF! The writing just fell very flat for me, it had an interesting concept, but the characters felt very one dimensional to me in terms of dialogue, pacing and exposition.

Unfortunately, I really didn't like this one. Some of it was due to personal reasons (the way the story played out took it into a realm I don't particularly like to read). Everything else though was just the book itself. There are a few reasons for this:
- There's some descriptions in this book that made me a bit uncomfortable, especially as pertains to weight-related issues
- There's a part in the book where Drummond posits that the existence of various Books may have influenced certain events worldwide. This wouldn't have been a problem, I think, if he hadn't gone on to say that the Ancient Egyptians probably had Books because their technology was so advanced at the time. It's like, I get what the author was going for, but at the same time that line of thinking is so reductive. Not everything is a conspiracy.
- There were hints of a romance brewing between Drummond and Cassie which didn't make sense or work at all.
- The villains of the story felt like they lacked nuance, even after explanations were made in the later half of the book for why they behaved the way they did. Even those explanations felt half-baked.
- None of the characters really stood out to me. They all felt like they were skimming the surface of being fully formed characters. I wanted them to have a bit more depth than they did.
- But mostly the biggest problem, for me, was the fact that the book relied very, very heavily on just telling you things happened instead of showing. It made the book drag while simultaneously speeding it along, often whipping past things I wouldn't have minded actually seeing on the page. For example, Cassie ends up forming a friendship with someone, but you never really actually see it happen. It was just something like, "Months passed and Cassie and (x) grew more comfortable with each other." Like, that's great and all, but I'd actually like to see this happen.

The entirety of the book was a case of "I like concept vastly more than I like the execution". Things never really reached the level of depth I wanted and the ending felt a little anti-climactic. Overall, really not for me.

A richly imagined (if at times a little rote) debut, very much in the Alix Harrow school of modern fantasy. Brown's vision of a world much like ours that happens to have a handful of spectacularly magical books in it -- each one able to do one thing (turn any door into every door, shift objects' states of matter, take or deliver pain or despair or joy) -- is delightful, although I wished his characters hadn't moved in such predictable ways at times (particularly around romance/romantic entanglements). There's a great riff on time travel in here as well and the pieces fit together quite nicely as the book rushes towards its conclusion. Solid fantasy for anyone looking to escape, this winter!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I am in love with The Book of Doors! Magic, suspense, time travel, murder and mahem! So much going on in the book in the best way! I was enamored by the very first page and captivated until the end!! I very much loved that the author let his imagination take him where it did and I’m glad I was along for the ride! If you loved Alice In Wonderland as a kid, if Dr. Who was cool, if Back to the Future brought a smile to your face, or if you’d love to go have one last leisurely talk with your grandpa, grab this book!! I can’t wait to get my hands on the hardback when it comes out in February!

Engaging, immersive, and original. A recommended purchase for collections where modern fantasy is popular.

The Book of Door sounded like such an amazing read for any book lover. What book worm doesn’t love books about books? Especially when you incorporate magical books that each contain a different type of power! I really wanted to like this one. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. It felt so drawn out and incredibly repetitive.




Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance E-book copy of The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown in exchange of an honest review.

"In 'The Book of Doors' by Gareth Brown, readers are taken on an enchanting journey that seamlessly combines elements of time travel and magic. From the very first page, Brown's captivating storytelling weaves a rich tapestry of imagery, transporting readers alongside Cassie as she discovers the doors that lead to different times and places. While the concept of traveling through doors is not entirely new, Brown brings a unique freshness to the narrative by blending the ordinary with the extraordinary, making this book a gem in its own right.

The story follows Cassie, a 20-something bookseller in modern-day New York City, who unexpectedly finds herself in possession of the Book of Doors. As Cassie's life is turned upside down, readers are drawn into an incredible journey of loss, love, and re-unification. Throughout the book, we witness profound growth in Cassie's character as she evolves from a curious yet naïve young woman into a powerful and confident force.

One of the remarkable aspects of 'The Book of Doors' is its ability to evoke a wide range of emotions. From moments of sadness and happiness to anxiety and awe, Brown masterfully takes readers on a roller coaster ride of feelings. The narrative goes beyond its captivating elements, diving deep into themes of destiny, the power of choice, and the awe-inspiring potential of magic. It challenges readers to reimagine their understanding of reality and the boundless capabilities of the human spirit.

'The Book of Doors' is an absolute must-read for anyone seeking a mesmerizing adventure. Gareth Brown's writing style, combined with the profound themes explored throughout the book, will leave readers spellbound. Prepare to be immersed in a world where time and magic intertwine, and where the ordinary becomes extraordinary."

What an incredible concept of a book. This was awesome. The time jumping, and the small details in the beginning of the book slowly making sense the more the story went on was great. Starting the book it was really confusing to get used to but once I did I enjoyed it a lot more.

I truly enjoyed the characters and their storylines by obviously, Mr. Webber & Drummond being the absolute best!

I wish the ending wasn’t as abrupt, and I wish we found out what happened to Cassie in “nowhere” and how she created the books. I wanted her memory of the place and why she created the books, how did they end up every where. Also what to know what happens to everyone after all the crazy events happened with putting the woman away. Is she actually gone? Aren’t there other bad people? What happens now to the book of pain the bookseller has. Definitely hope there’s a book two only because I still have so many questions!

I truly did love the concept of this book and I would absolutely love to see this as an HBO show or movie because it would be incredible.
Giving 4.5 stars due to a lot of unanswered questions.

Thank you NetGalley, Gareth Brown, Batham, Harper Collins Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

4 stars. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book. I liked the concept. It was a different kind of magic, and it worked really well. Even had some time travel in there as well. It ticked all the boxes for me. Adventure. Magic. Sci-fi/fantasy. Friends. Family. A little bit of gore even. Gareth Brown did really well in developing this modern world with these magical books and even threw in some lovable characters. I definitely recommend it when it's available. I really enjoyed it.

I was a fan of this one! It was a new type of genre for me and I am glad that I gave it a try. I didn’t know if I’d like it but it really did! Will definitely recommend to others!

This was a fantastic read! Magic books, secret society of Librarians, evil villains, grief, time travel, friendship and more. I was pulled into the story from the first chapter. I loved the development of the characters and how the writing made me feel invested in them. I actually cried a couple times. The concept of the books, the magic they wielded and how they came to be, was brilliant. This story had so many good elements that kept me reading. Even the gorier scenes gave the villain an extra level of believability of her evilness, and how she became the villain was clever. It also had me pondering some of the topics even after I finished reading.

Some of my favorite quotes:
"Even when the world is going to shit, people still want to buy special books."

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

"Don't waste your life hidden away in your own mind. Make the most of the time you have, otherwise before you know it, you'll have no time left."

I cant wait to have a physical copy to admire on my bookshelf!

3.5 stars, rated up

When I first read the synopsis, I was irresistibly reminded of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, a long time favorite of mine. That in mind, I requested to read an advance copy of this.

I fell under the spell of this book immediately and kept wanting to read - even with other important things to do (as of this writing, my teens and I still need to pack for a long weekend trip to see our favorite band - please see below).

This one got better and better and I raced through the story, eager to read more. The story and main characters are engaging and it keeps you turning the pages. But, I found the ending to be painfully anti-climactic, which was a big letdown after the intense build up of the story arc.

However, I did mostly enjoy this one.


*Another thing that irked me in the book was referring to the Strand (book store) as just Strand. Used to go there often when I lived back East and never heard it referred to like that.


**Personally, if I briefly possessed a magical book that could put me not only elsewhere, but other times? I would love to spend time with my grandparents again. And I would definitely want to spend time in Europe to visit museums, old churches, and see The Damned (and Naz Nomad and Dave Vanian and the Phantom Chords) back in the day.




Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the DRC

Absolutely wonderful.

Where do I start? First, absolutely perfect time travel — which is SO hard to do. But not only did the author construct it in a way that made sense, he made it very rich and layered.

Next, the characters. Ahhhhh, these characters! If I have any complaint, it’s that I wanted like five more chapters just to be with them longer.

The writing is beautiful, the magic system engaging and original, and I just love “door” themes.

I think maybe it’s worth warning that the book can be quite graphic, and there are a couple instances of bad things happening to children (as a mother, those were the hardest things for me to read). But I have fairly low tolerance for that kind of stuff and I still LOVED this book.

If you loved “The Unmaking of June Farrow” or “The Ten Thousand Doors of January” (and you should), then I promise you will love this, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded down. This is a difficult book to review. There was a good story in here somewhere - the ideas and plot points are interesting. However, I'm sorry to say that the writing is just not great. It is amateurish and really suffered from "written by a man" syndrome. I appreciate that this man made the best friendship of two women the central relationship of the book, but woof, I think its pretty clear he is writing outside his experience. There were also a few references to body image that really rubbed me the wrong way.

Spoiler Section: <spoiler> The magic and time travel rules are really more convenient than anything. It gives off the energy of the Doctor Who episodes the pandorica opens/the big bang - I'm just not sure everything needed to be wrapped in such a neat bow. </spoiler>

Content warnings: There is a lot of gross body horror via torture, murder, and magic (I did not look too closely but it seemed bad).

Thanks to netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know how to feel about this book in the best way possible. I truly have never read anything like this. This book gives the same vibes as The Cartographers, The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and The Sandman. Just when you think you knew what would come next, BAM! Plot twist. Some were subtle and heartbreaking while others left my jaw on the floor. Very few books keep me guessing, but this one takes the cake. I devoured this novel in a day, and still couldn’t get enough! I immediately ranted to my spouse bout how wonderful Book of Doors is. Trust me, you’ll be missing out if you don’t add this to your TBR! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I’m going start this off with the fact that I dislike most fantasy/magic. The only books I have liked were midnight library and the life of Addie larue. But this book…. Is AMAZING. It was so magical and really descriptive I felt like I was looking through the book of doors while reading. The cover is absolutely beautiful too! I would recommend this to any of my friends who enjoy fantasy. Thank you for the ARC!

Wow. This book was absolutely incredible. To begin, the concept of having magical books in our reality is one that instantly captured my attention (and would intrigue any other who is as in love with books) but there was so much more to the story than that. The adventures the characters had were envy-inducing, the connections they all shared were heartwarming, and the magic that linked them all together was a fantastic example of what imagination can create. I loved the different perspectives being all included, the writing style was easy to follow, and the world description was very well done to help the reader immerse in the story. I would highly recommend this book to all as a wonderful & interesting read.