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 really enjoyed January's journey to finding herself and her family. I felt a little let down by the "ten thousand" on the cover, when really there were few worlds we saw on page. I wanted to see more of the worlds. That aside, I thought it was a spectacular portal fantasy and highly recommend the book.

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.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January might be one of the first books of 2020 (and maybe the only book) to make me cry like a baby. I feel as though I am completely indebted to this novel.

This book is hard to describe and I won't spoil it for you, but it's beautiful. It's a fairy tale come to life with the hopes for a beautiful ending and beginning. I have never had my heart hammer so hard against my chest. I was not, entirely, sure how I felt about this when I started, but then...maybe I am a sucker for a good story. Maybe, the wanderer in me wants those doors to be real. Maybe, the romantic in me wants for all the great love stories to come alive like this one did.

If you are a lover of fairy tales, true love, and adventure into magical lands - read this book. It is an incredible story that I want to put into each and everyone's hands.

January lives with her father’s friend, Mr. Locke, a wealthy scholar who mostly ignores her. But when January finds a book telling of secret doors hidden around the world, it sets off a string of events that will force January to find out who she really is and what she wants out of life.
January is a great main character. She’s strong, funny, and brave. The other characters are really fun as well, especially January’s dog! The romance is really sweet- both between January and her boyfriend and January’s mom and dad. It was a quick read, but there was still time for lots of great description and subplots. It was such a well-written book and super compelling!

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.

Review: First of all, you will be seeing so many quotes I favored below in the other part of my review. Sorry about all of that, but this book has so many beautiful quotes in it-they could make me cry. Anyway, our main character January Scaller who is out of place, not just because of her skin and the time she lives in. But as a girl who can find doors. A girl who can create doors. But, before I get ahead of myself. Lets start with our two point of views, January in the present and Adelaide who's story is telling that of her journey finding the thousand doors hidden throughout the many worlds. Adelaide also happens to be a story from the past, one that will catch up till all we have is the present-January.

This idea that any door- hidden doors, or doors themselves just in the corner of your eye could take you to different times and wolds/places/time periods is absolutely stunning. Harrow's writing will have you wanting to open every door you find, hoping to come across something new, something strange and something different. By the end of the first chapter I was to start writing about opening doors and what one might find.

The two romance's in The Ten Thousand Doors of January were very soft, and did not pull focus of the bigger picture of the plot and characters. First being that of January's parents, I don't want to spoil anything for anyone because the surprise is nice and well worth it. But, January herself has a bit of romance and no I'm not talking about with BAD, her dog. But, he is very much a part of the story and you will love him almost as much as January does-and she loves that dog. It's honestly one of the best parts of this book, my heart just went out to the two of them. Anyway, the boy, the romance. Well, that's just something that you will have to find out when you go pick up the book. It's so worth it, and ends on a fantastic and open possibilities note. You might even shed a few tears as you're swooning hard, as I was.

Now, there's no plot without some villains chasing after a young girl and her dog who can open doors.  Doors aren't the only magically things in this book, there are very awful monstrous men set to stop January at whatever the cost. There's also a few people along for the ride on January's journey, BAD, William and Jane. Jane is an interesting story to learn, and I would hate to get on her bad side. Who would have thought that some misfit door that keeps appearing in the strangest of places to January and Adelaide would lead them through the journey that this book is, ourselves included. Please do your self a favor and read this book, I have not looked at a door or the world the same way I did before reading this book. I have a strange hope and wild say dreams about where a door could lead me. 

Favorite quote(s):

Because there are ten thousand stories about ten thousand Doors, and we know them as well as we know our names. They lead to Faerie, to Valhalla, Atlantis and Lemuria, Heave and Hell, to all the direction a compass could never take you, to elsewhere.

If we address stories as archaeological sites, and dust through their layers with meticulous care, we find at some level there is always a doorway. A dividing point between here and there, us and them, mundane and magical. It is at the moments when the doors open, when things flow between the worlds, that stories happen.

But Doors, like murder suspects in cheap mysteries, are often where you least expect them.

Sometimes I feel there are doors lurking in the creases of every sentence, with periods for knobs and verbs for hinges.

It smelled of salt and age and adventure

 I discovered the very deepest fear that swam through my heart like eels in undersea caves: to be locked away, trapped and alone.

Those of you who are more than casually familiar with books-those of you who spend your free afternoons in fusty bookshops, who offer furtive, kindly strokes along the spines of familiar titles-understand that page- riffling is an essential element in the process of introducing oneself to a new book. It isn't about reading the words; it's about reading the smell, which wafts from the pages in a cloud of dust and wood pulp.

I happen to believe every story is a love story if you catch it at the right moment, slantwise in the light of dusk-but it wasn't then.

It is my hope that this story is your thread, and  at the end of it you find a door.

Let this ignoble origin story stand as an invaluable lesson to you that a person's beginnings do not often herald their endings,  for Adelaide Lee did not grow into another pale Larson woman. She became something else entirely, something so radiant and wild and fierce that a single world could not contain her, and she was obliged to find others.

The name Adelaide-a lovely

There's only one way to run away from your own story, and that's to sneak into someone else's

Listen, not every story is made for telling. Sometimes just by telling a story you're stealing it, stealing a little of the mystery away from it. let those witch women be, I say

If this seems an odd name for a world, understand that in the Written, words themselves have power.

I mean that words in that world can sometimes rise from their ink-and-cotton cradles and reshape the nature of reality. Sentences may alter the weather, and poems might tear down the walls. Stories may change the world.

 Yule Ian Scholar and Adelaide Lee Larson found one another in the noonday tides surrounding the City of Plumm. They were never willingly parted again.

An event in and of itself; it is not something that happens, but something that simply is and always has been. One does not fall in love; one discovers it. It was  this archaeological process...

Where a sufficiently talented word-worker might reach out and remake her world. perhaps I cannot believe words are entirely powerless, even here.

"They always end up alone in the stories-witches, I mean- living in the woods or mountains or locked in towers. I suppose it would take a brave man to love a witch, and men are mostly cowards". He  looked directly at me as he finished, with kind of raised-chin boldness that said: I am not a coward.

Maybe, he said slowly, maybe I did not make myself clear before, when I said I was on your side. I meant also that I would like to be at your side, to go with you into every door and danger, to run with you into your tangled-up future. For-and a distant part of me was gratified to note that his voice had gone wobbly and strained- "for always. If you like."

She writes a door of blood and silver. the door opens just for her.

January Wordworker, daughter of Adelaide Lee Larson and Yule Ian Scholar, born in the city of Nin and bound for the In-Between. may she wander but always return home, may all her words be written true, may every door lie open before her.

I wrote it for you. So you might read it and remember the things you were told to forget. you remember me now, don't you? And you remember the offer the offer you made me? Well. Now at least you can look clear- eyed into your own future, and choose: stay safe ad sane at home, as any rational man would-I swear I'll understand- Or run away with me toward the glimmering, mad horizon. Dance through this eternal green orchard, where ten thousand worlds hang ripe and red for the plucking; wander with me between the trees, tending them, clearing away the weeds, letting in the air. Opening the Doors.

Since then he has felt the ache in his chest like an open window in winter.