2.75✨/5

BIPOC Author. Debut Novel. Fantasy.

First, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book. I want to state upfront that I did DNF this book at 46%.

The Saint of Bright Doors is about Fetter, a boy raised by his mother to exact revenge on his sainted father. After leaving behind his violent childhood, he moves to the city of Luriat where he meets others like him (children of a messianic parent) and is introduced to the mysterious Bright Doors, which seem to compel and confound him in equal measures.

Again, I did decide to DNF this book. That being said, I didn’t dislike this; I just don’t think it was for me. There were so many engaging elements, like the worldbuilding, the vibrancy and mixture of cultures represented, the main character’s origin story, the eccentricity/uniquity of the side characters, and the idea of a support group for unchosen messiahs. There were also some very beautiful lines in here. My primary difficulty in reading this was that I did not care about the doors, or Fetter’s personal life after arriving in the city, and I found myself mostly bored. I also felt like the main character was one of the least interesting characters introduced, and I didn’t feel invested in him. I think it might’ve been more exciting to follow several different characters. I’ll admit that, having only read 46% of this book, I can only speak for the part that I read. But for me, if I’m not invested in the primary plot, or the main character, it’s going to have to be a DNF.

Although this didn’t quite work for me, I’d still recommend this to anyone who enjoys delightfully strange side characters, political-religious machinations/scheming, a world teeming with culture and atmosphere, and the idea of a support group for unchosen messiahs ☺️!

[Note: Check Trigger Warnings]

What a strange but lovely book. It was complex but honestly a pretty fun read - one of the more unique books I've read in a while. The book admittedly did a lot of things, and I think it asks a lot of the reader so it's not one I would recommend lightly. Generally strong debut, and very interested to see where this author takes things.

The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera was a 2023 highlight. I've seen a lot of deservedly flattering comps for this novel, a story of divine destiny denied set in a fantasy Sri Lanka: my own mind was drawn to Sofia Samatar and Ursula K. Le Guin while reading, with a few of the bleak vibes I last felt in A.K. Larkwood's The Unspoken Name. For a story that really invites comparisons, however, Saint of Bright Doors is very much making its own mark on modern genre - and I'm sure there are plenty of threads of Sri Lankan and wider South Asian influence that I missed entirely.
Highlights of the reading experience for me included the way the story's geography seems to literally rearrange itself around the absurd authoritarianism of Luriat's state politics, the portrayal of gods and unknowable supernatural forces co-existing with a mundane, modern setting, and the greatest first person pronoun drop in genre history. This is an essential novel and I hope we'll be talking about it for years to come.

I’ve never read anything like The Saint of Bright Doors. Extremely unique, mesmerizing, and it surpassed my expectations at every turn. It reads like an established author’s career-defining masterpiece, rather than a debut novel.

The synopsis was intriguing but didn't do justice for the uniqueness of this story. The story is complex and yet easy to enjoy.

THE SAINT OF BRIGHT DOORS by Vajra Chandrasekera

An ARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. THE SAINT OF BRIGHT DOORS was be published on 11 July 2023.

After rejecting his mother's prophecy, Fetter ends up in the city of Luriat, where he finds shelter from the religious pogroms raveging his former home, a group of similarly Unchosen and love. But there is still the matter of his father, the Perfect and Kind, whose death was prophesied at Fetter's hands and the mysterious bright doors that call to him. And then, the plague hits.

Skillful, astounding, high concept debut

The Saint of Bright Doors has everything from a charismatic protagonist to prophecies, pandemics and persecution1 and does everything including nonlinear story-telling, heists and queer representation2. That can be a bit much at the beginning but following Fetter and trusting Chandrasekera's prose as he guides us makes everything easier. It is nothing short of astounding that the gorgeous, graceful juggling on display here is a debut novel.

It is hard to pin down how and why exactly everything just fits, but it does. There is something about Chandrasekera's style and way of telling the story that is reassuring, calm and confident. On top of that, there is Fetter, who, despite his unusual upringing, is immediately relatable while also seeming extremely capable. So there is no question about following him.

There is a point, about three quarters through the story, where Fetter loses himself somewhat. That sequence takes up a significant amont of page time and is obviously very deliberately written the way it is and ties into already well-established themes. However, this is also where the story begins to fray in a way that never really stops. Arguably, that is exactly the authorial intent here - the open ended conclusion to The Saint of Bright Doors certainly seems to support such an argument - but not all readers will like such a break in the story-telling and find it disappointing. Those that do, however, will admire Chandrasekera's skill and appreciate the way story and character are intertwined, especially as the later scences give more and more space to marginalised voices.

Rating

When I started reading The Saint of Bright Doors I found myself repeatedly torn between just letting Chandrasekera's prose carry me away and trying to figure out how he does it. I loved every moment of it and was immensely impressed. I would have followed Fetter anywhere. But then the wandering started and I, too, was lost and, eventually, sad that the story no longer was what I had fallen in love with. At the time it felt like a three-star book but the more I think about it, the more I think that that is really mostly - maybe only - on me and it really deserves at least four stars. The resonance and the rhythm of the story were still there, they were simply no longer aimed at me. However, there is no doubt The Saint of Bright Doors will resonate with a great many other people and I hope they will find this story and the story will find them.

“The Saint of Bright Doors” by Vajra Chandrasekera is a fantasy novel about a shadowless young man called Fetter who was raised by his mother to assassinate his father and destroy everything he stands for. However, Fetter doesn’t want the life his mother has chosen for him, and eventually flees his hometown for the bigger city of Luriat. Reasonably welcoming to refugees, Fetter joins group therapy, helps people navigate complicated bureaucracy and forms relationships all while keeping his parentage quiet. However, Luriat is a dynamic city and with visiting gods, laws in flux and mysterious Bright Doors, Fetter has to work out who he is, and who he wants to be.

This was an incredibly creative and layered story that subverts typical fantasy subgenres to create something fresh and relevant. The city of Luriat is both familiar and foreign. I really enjoyed Chandrasekera’s inclusion of modern features like emails and apartments, while maintaining subtle speculative elements. Fetter is a great character who, having tried to shed his past, tries to live as gentle a life as possible while remaining true to his loyalties. The constantly changing rules and shifting sentiments of the city evoked the kind of unstable regimes we experience here in the real world, and the scenes set in vast refugee camps were among the most hard-hitting in the book. There was some great commentary throughout this book about how quickly changes become the status quo, and how things considered ancient history may not be as distant as we believe.

The only challenge I had with this book was that with so much subterfuge, changes to the city and contested history it did at times feel like I was standing on shifting sands. While I appreciate this is reflective of many nations, especially those that persecute minorities, the additional magical elements meant that at times the logic of the book felt inconsistent.

Nevertheless, a highly original book with compelling characters and incisive messages.

a confusing and not particularly gripping novel that didn't capture me. i would encourage others to give it a go nonetheless .

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC. The Saint of Bright Doors is an intriguing story crafted with incredible prose. I enjoyed following Fetter's journey and the mystery behind the world and its cults.

I tried, I really did, I had high hopes for this but at 50% I decided it would be best to DNF. Maybe it was timing for me but I was so lost, like this book tried to do and he so many things. Maybe I'll come back to it, but I really just had no idea what was going on at any given time.

The Saint of Bright Doors is a South Asian fantasy about a man who was raised to kill one day kill his father. It never really kept my attention and I ended up dropping it before I could finish. I admired it but it just ended up not being for me.

The description is totally right in getting this book. It just nips the drama and spins it around in such a modern take that the reader just can't stop reading the book. Another great voice picked up by Tor. I am jealous. Very jealous.

This book is very much vibes over substance. That isn't a bad thing at all, I'm just letting you know. I loved the first hhalf of it, the writing was engaging and the myteries were really well set up. I also loved the worldbuilding! And a whole group of almost chosen ones? Such a great concept. Unfortunately when it came to actually uncovering mysteries and wrapping up plot threads the book lost some of it's magic for me. It just trickled at a very slow pace without really advancing the plot and then the resolution came way to quickly. Lovely read, just with a rather weak second half.

I'm torn on this one. "The Saint of Bright Doors" is definitely unique in it's own way. The author's prose is beautifully crafted, and the world-building is rich and imaginative. Chandrasekera explores complex themes with a deft touch, inviting readers to ponder the boundaries of reality, though his voice may sound pretentious from time to time. I liked how the author examines themes like facism, colonialism and extremism in a vivid city, but the main plot was not holding together for me and this couldn't be saved by the beautiful prose.

"The Saint of Bright Doors" might appeal to more die-hard fans of speculative fiction, but I was expecting a little more action and this book was probably not for me. However I will be following the author's future endeavors, as his style is captivating and he has some great ideas brewing there, so maybe his next book will be more successful with me.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- the concept is intriguing and has a lot of potential, but i felt it fell too flat for my liking. the writing style Chandrasekera shows throughout the novel is stunning in its own right, if not pretentious in a few instances, but that wasn't what deterred me from the book. it was more of the execution of the story, which felt lackluster and bare boned when telling the story. i have no doubt that I'll look into Chandrasekera's next works, but it was unfortunate that this wasn't for me.

A good debut for Chandrasekera. The world is vibrant and vivid. But it lacks an interesting factor for me. The premise is mid. The characters are also mid.

But I do like what Chandrasekera is doing with this debut novel. Great representation!

Such beautiful prose. The story is unique and engaging as are the characters and setting. The cover is just stunning. An all round winner for libraries.

Fetter was raised to kill with thebultimate goal of assassinating his father, the seeming divine leader of a religious organization. In this world of secret magics, doors that cannot be opened, and convoluted political and religious hierarchy, Fetter aspires to leave his past behind. But before long he finds himself acquainted with rebels and on the path to encounter his father, despite spending his young adult and early adulthood trying to forget the mandate engraved into him by his violent mother.

This is a fascinating magical realism novel set in a seemingly South Asian inspired world. While, overall I thought it was interesting and makes you think about apathy in an unjust world, I felt like there was so much going on that it's hard to wrap things up neatly. Ultimately, it's Fetter's life story as his violent past is left behind and he becomes a spy. But there were so many elements, the doors, people who study them, all these religious sects, magic, and power that I couldn't really wrap.my head around the whole. But still, overall, I liked the story and the ending.

Thank you to Tor Books and Netgalley for the gifted copy!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book that I had mixed feelings for. I found Vajra's writing style very unique, almost mesmerising, and the way he was writing the story moving between reality and an almost otherwordly way captured me but I also found it a bit disorientating to keep up with. I am a big fan of the esoteric and the spiritual and was intrigued by the interwoven culture and mystery of South Asia along with the more political side and although I feel I kind of grasp the concept what Vajra was trying to do with this story, I felt I had to really push myself to finish it and it ended up feeling like a bit of a chore.

I know this author has published some fascinating stories previously but unfortunately overall this didn't grip me.

With the world building I found it to be inconsistent and not really knowing exactly what it wanted to be since there were things in our modern times placed in this book which ended up making it feel jarring and awkward which pulls the reader out of the story.

The pacing was a hit or miss. There were a lot of moments where it was at a slow pace and then all of sudden it would pick up its pace.

I definitely did not hate the saints of Bright Doors but I also did not love it. It was okay and honestly pretty forgettable. I read this book back in July and am finally sitting down to write reviews on many titles and this was one that needed reviewing. I had a vague idea of the book but when it comes down to it I cannot recall everything in the
book.

Honestly, I feel if this book was more fleshed out on the world building and on executing the plot points better then I probably would have enjoyed this book more and would have not found it be unforgettable.

This was one of those books that I just got sucked into. It gave me such a hang over! It provided a unique point of view that I absolutely loved, and I highly recommend this to anyone looking for something a little strange.