Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC.

The Saint of Bright Doors follows Fetter, whose shadow is ripped from him when he's a baby, and who is raised by Mother of Glory with the singular purpose to assassinate his father, religious leader The Perfect And The Kind. Fetter journeys away from his hometown and into the city of Luriat, the city of Bright Doors, where he lives anonymously for a time, and eventually finds himself in a support group of other almost-Chosen Ones. Despite keeping his head down, he becomes curious about the city around him, curious about its Bright Doors, which are as mysterious as the complex politics and bureaucracy that holds Luriat steady. However, no matter how far his curiosity and his new friends take him, at the back of his mind is always the mandates he learned from his mother, and his ultimate purpose to assassinate the Perfect and the Kind.

Beyond that, this book is impossible to describe. Chandrasekera has written a genuinely fascinating debut novel, but at times, the plot, Luriat's bureaucracies, Fetter's own motivations, and the setting in general are downright inscrutable. I personally hate leaving books unfinished, so I pushed myself to continue reading The Saint of Bright Doors until the end, hoping for some clarity, which I never found. I finished this book having absolutely no idea what was going on. I believe that is part of the point, given that Fetter himself often has no clue what's going on around him, and he is an unobservant participant in the motions of life around him, but with such complex worldbuilding, it was quite frustrating to have a narrator who was so lost the entire time. However, while this book is not going to be one of my favorites, it is certainly memorable, and I have spent the weeks since reading it still occasionally thinking back about it.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera is an innovative blend of sci-fi and fantasy. The story is pretty difficult to summarize, so forgive me if I get anything wrong. The story revolves around Fetter, who had plenty of daddy issues. He's been raised to kill his father. Currently, he lives in a futuristic city where gods and technology merge together in a new concept that I haven't seen before. The book follows Fetter's journey as he finds his place in the strange world.

Here is an enchanting excerpt from Chapter 1:

"The moment Fetter is born, Mother-of-Glory pins his shadow to the earth with a large brass nail and tears it from him. This is his first memory, the seed of many hours of therapy to come. It is raining. His shadow is cast upon reddish soil thick with clay that clings to Fetter as he rolls in it, unable to raise his head, saved from drowning in mud only by the fortunate angle of his landing. The arch of Mother-of-Glory’s knee frames what he sees next. His shadow writhes slowly on its nail. Mother-of-Glory dips her hands in that mud to gather up the ropy shadow of his umbilical cord and throttles his severed shadow with a quick loop, pulled tight. The shadow goes to its end in silence—or if it cries out, if shadows can cry out, that sound is lost in the rain."

Overall, The Saint of Bright Doors is a blend of sci-fi and fantasy that will appeal to fans of Ken Liu or P. Djeli Clark. One highlight of this book is the great premise. When I read the synopsis, I knew that I wanted to read this book right away. The idea of blending sci-fi and fantasy together was something I hadn't seen before. I did take off 2 stars before I found some parts of the book to be long and other parts to be confusing. I'm actually more of a fantasy fan, so I felt that this book was a bit too sci-fi for me. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of fantasy or sci-fi in general, you can check out this book when it comes in July.

"The books make it harder to clean and take up too much space, but he can’t stop himself from collecting them. It’s the only thing he really needs money for, living in Luriat, and to support this he works every now and then"

This line describes the problem that every book collector has so it had to be included.

I desperately wanted to love this book. The title, description and cover were enticing and hinted at such wonder however I truly struggled with it. The worldbuilding is intricate and a mix of fantasy elements such as demons and modern amenities such as email which can interrupt the story. The storyline changed frequently and while it’s very understandable as every person has their own version of the truth, it was disconcerting to think that you’ve reached the crux of the story, you are given new insight. This combined with the complex worldbuilding has me needing to re-read a few parts for understanding.

This is a wildly intense ride that fans of Piranesi would enjoy for the abstract ideas and the flight of fantasy across the worlds that have existed, do exist and can exist. Vajra has displayed a truly brilliant mind with unique ideas and this will be appreciated by fans who enjoy such fantasy.

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor and Vajra Chandrasekera for giving me the opportunity to review this book before its release

Fetter was born, had his shadow ripped away from him by his mother, and was raised from birth to kill his father and destroy the cult that the man created in his image. After living the life that had been chosen for him, Fetter chooses to walk away and reject that destiny for a life of his own in the city of Luriat. Unrest and changes are coming to the city, however, and what happens will change the course of his life forever.

I really enjoyed this book. Good characters, beautiful writing, and a fascinating world where anything seemed possible drew me in early and kept me happily reading to almost the 3/4 mark. Things got very complicated at that point and I slowed down to try and understand what was going on, but I wasn't unhappy about the change of pace (and suspect others might not even encounter it at all).

This is an exciting book from an author I am going to be watching closely in the future.

Wow. This book blew my mind. As an avid reader it truly is a special feeling when you come across a book that is nothing like you have ever read before.

I found the writing style and storyline hard to follow at times, which is not a detriment to the book but just because the world building is so unlike anything else I’ve experienced before.

Overall, this book was totally fascinating and I’m so glad I picked it up. I had such an interesting experience as a reader while working my way through it - and for that alone, it is a solid 5 stars for me.

I’ll be ordering myself a hardcopy for my own shelves and will recommend it to all of my book worm friends!

Thank you, Tor Publishing Group, Tordotcom, and Netgalley! And tor for my life.

This review has taken me longer to write than mine usually do, because I am just. in absolute awe and have not yet figured out how to write a coherant review. Absolutely all the stars, but just. awe. Vajra Chandrasekera is an absolute genius and I have to read his backlist. And his future list. And anything else.

This is a glory of a debut novel, and it's . . . .

Only two other books have made me stand back in wonder at a certain twist, and to say which would give it away. Chandrasekera's bright, deft hand filled a world both unfamiliar and comprehensible, by taking us along fetter's travels, learning with him, and hurting with him.

Mother-of-Glory, Fetter, the therapy group of unchosen chosen ones, Fetter's friends-- they all lived and breathed, deep and true and real. I could not and did not want to pause reading the book to do anything else, such as sleep, shower, or see family. The world grew with and beyond Fetter, vast and expansive, and less-main characters caught my eye easily, as compelling in their own right as any protagonist.

I cannot wait to buy this book.

2.5 stars rounded up.

I finished the book and said to myself well. That was a really interesting read and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. And that is still true; It took me about a month to get through 30% of the book and then about a week to get through the rest of it which is not normal for me. There were so many concepts and ideas that existed but never fully came to anything. What I mean by that is that there were stories within stories that could have been their own books. Instead, they were just chapters and somewhat confusing within the larger world building. For instance, I found the story that mother of glory tells halfway through the book to be the most fascinating part of the entire tale and would have really appreciated something along those lines. However, I can appreciate how intricate this story and novel is and all of the various pieces to be woven in and out. This is definitely going to be a polarizing love it or don't love it book. I don't think most people will be in the middle and I can't say if I recommend it or not. Mostly because it's truly going to be tailored to your fantasy tastes in reading.

La novela de debut de Vajra Chandrasekera me ha dejado con sentimientos encontrados, porque tiene picos de enorme interés pero a la vez también sufre de valles de tedio, dando lugar a una obra muy irregular en la que se atisban puntos muy atractivos que no se han logrado cohesionar en un todo homogéneo.


The Saint of Bright Doors tiene un comienzo impactante, cuando la madre de un recién nacido le arranca la sombra para que sea un mejor instrumento en su venganza contra el padre. Los primeros años de Fetter serán de adiestramiento en el arte del asesinato, todo con el fin de conseguir el objetivo último de su madre.

Tras este arrollador principio, el libro se sume en un estupor vacío de emoción. Y con estos altibajos continuará toda la lectura, con momentos tan atractivos como el club de ayuda a los “casi elegidos” de la miríada de religiones que pululan por la novela y otros que no sé si denominar de relleno pero que son romos como un cuchillo de goma EVA.

Los mensajes contra el racismo y el clasismo de la sociedad inventada por Chandrasekera son extremadamente pertinentes y certeros, así como la extremadamente afinada crítica a las religiones, de las que parece haber una increíble profusión en este mundo. No duda en ningún momento en enfocar la hipocresía subyacente a todas ellas, que dicen renunciar al poder pero al que realmente se aferran como una sanguijuela hambrienta.

Los momentos en los que hace su aparición la magia son tan destacados que cambian totalmente el curso de la narración, por no decir el de la historia. Pero hay que reconocer que el autor prefiere no abusar de estos para no reducir los capítulos a una concatenación vacía de deus ex machina.

The Saint of Bright Doors me parece una novela fallida en algunos aspectos, pero aún así creo que seguiré leyendo la obra del autor, porque necesitamos riesgo en el género para dar lugar a obras novedosas e interesantes.

This is certainly the most strange and uniquely written fantasy books I've ever read.

This book follows Fetter who has recently moved to Luriat, a city which holds many 'bright doors' - doors that cannot be opened and beyond which is unknown. But Fetter battles with the destiny he was brought up to fulfil , and whether or not he wants to follow it.

That is the most basic way I can explain the plot, as there are so many different elements to this story that I can't summarise.

I feel very conflicted about this book; The writing was sublime, and I loved the stunning worldbuilding - especially the mix of modern technology and societal practices and the fantastical world of Luriat's bright doors.
On the other hand, this was a very challenging read. Though my confusion may have been fault of my own, I felt that half way through the book I didn't really know where this book was going - but not in an 'unpredictable mystery' way, but in a 'this book doesn't have a clear plot' way.

So I am torn. This may require a re-read in the future to fully appreciate it, and I am very much looking forward to the author's future work - and this is extremely impressive and ambitious for a debut book.

DNF 67%

Very sorry for this decision, but unfortunately there was nothing that would make me stay to end this story. The idea was amazing, yet the writing made me too confused, I could not focus over the plot nor characters. Maybe one day I will give it a second chance.

DNF at 70%

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for a review.

I’m sorry I can’t finish this. I hardly ever DNF this far into the book but I am so disinterested in finishing this book. I didn’t hate 100% of this book, so I’m going to start with the points I did enjoy.

The setting of the book is very interesting. I loved hearing about the different cultures and religions that the residents of the cities belonged to. The book had so much potential to (even minimally) explain/expand on ANY of these concepts. I also liked certain aspects of the MC and his upbringing. The first three chapters were so promising, and you get a glimpse at how the MC was raised to be a tool for his mother’s machinations. Again, so so so much potential.

Unfortunately, the book drops the ball on all of this. The world-building is so minimal and nothing is explained. I understand that all the nonsense rules are supposed to be symbolic of how convoluted governments of this type are. It just comes across as lazy writing.

The “plot” is non-existent and the MC just goes with whatever happens to him. He is written with the “chosen one rejects his destiny”, but it is taken way too far; the MC doesn’t have any drive to do anything. He always seems to simply be there while things happen around him. It quickly becomes frustrating because he was had so much potential.

I was so excited for this book, but unfortunately it fell very flat for me. I hope this finds readers who will enjoy it.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

I don't know what I just read. I'm not being sarcastic: I was both fascinated by The Saint of Bright Doors and thoroughly baffled by it.

The bravura opening, in which Mother-of-Glory, the mother of Fetter, amputates his shadow with a nail, after which he's tethered to the earth only by consciously practiced intention -- otherwise he'd float up and, he fears, endlessly away -- set me up to expect fireworks, and I got them.

Mother-of-Glory raises Fetter to be a magician and an assassin, and off page, he commits any number of practice murders. The end goal is to commit the Five Unforgivables, chiefest of which is patricide. All this in a town, Acusdab, where devil doctors (wizards? wannabe wizards?) practice and where devils, which only Fetter can see, lurk everywhere. Feeder devils cling to the sides of buildings, creeping Fetter and me both out.

Eventually, Fetter has had just about enough and sets out to make himself a non-murderous life in the big city. Luriat has its upside, mainly that Fetter isn't obliged to kill anyone on the daily, but it's also, as Fetter slowly learns, a dystopia. Everyone is classed by race and caste, denoted on their identity card, which also, ominously, bears a haecceity in the form of a number string. Thanks to TSoBD, by the way, for teaching me this word: it means "thisness," or whatever quality makes something or someone unique. That Luriat's government denotes hacceity by means of a number string is almost enough in itself to tell you what you need to know -- and no, I don't think it's meant as a swipe at social security or NHS numbers, though the more I think about it the harder it gets not to read it that way.

Other important features of Luriat:

There's a sectarian war going on. The exact nature of the sects was never entirely clear to me, but both exist in some relation to Fetter's father, the Perfect and Kind, a sobriquet you might find yourself thinking is a little heavy-handed in its irony. Anyway: pogroms, enthusiastically supported by the police. People, generally monks and their more enthusiastic followers, beat other people to death or burn them alive. And if you think the US has a savage and overlarge carceral system, wait till you see Luriat's.

Nobody ever closes a solid door; everyday doors always have a pane of glass, at a minimum, because solid doors that close eventually, unpredictably, turn into bright doors, which don't open and on the other side of which there's only a blank wall. Fetter, needless to say, turns out to have a special relationship to bright doors. The mystery of bright doors is, eventually solved, to the extent that we learn what's behind them, but if we ever get what I might call an origin story for them, I missed it.

I won't say more about Fetter's father, a. because it's complicated and I can only write so long a review, and b. because of the aforementioned bafflement. Also, there are revolutionaries, but I'm not sure what they wanted apart from the overthrow of Luriat's government. The Saint of Bright Doors is imaginative, for sure -- I can't fault Chandrasekera on the ground of creativity -- but ultimately it overloaded me; whenever I thought I might have gotten a grip on the worldbuilding, something new and/or disorienting appeared or happened. What is the secondary character Ulpe going off to do, toward the end of the book? It seems to be a suicide mission (I promise this is barely a spoiler), but what it is or what it aims to accomplish -- if you've figured that out, do let me know.

The tl;dr is that I don't know whether I just read a brilliant book that I'm not smart enough to understand, or an almost-brilliant book, by a smart and talented writer, that doesn't quite cohere. Four stars, for boldness in the attempt.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Voluntary, honest review, etc.

The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera is a remarkable and captivating novel that transports readers into a world filled with mystery, drama, and transcendence. The story is set in the city of Luriat, a place where everything is more than it seems and where divine destinies are commonplace. The narrative revolves around the central character, Fetter, who was raised as a weapon to kill his father and has a troubled past.

One of the most impressive aspects of this novel is the way the author weaves together elements of fantasy, mystery, and existential exploration to create a rich and engaging world. The concept of invisible powers that mock the mortal form and the idea of Bright Doors, portals through which a cold wind blows, are particularly imaginative and add to the mysterious atmosphere of the story.

Fetter's journey from his rural hometown to the city is a central theme of the novel and provides a unique lens through which to examine the idea of identity and purpose. As he navigates the unfamiliar and often bewildering world of Luriat, he discovers more about himself and his place in the world. The author does an excellent job of slowly unraveling the mysteries of Luriat and the supernatural elements of the story, building tension and suspense throughout the book.

The character development of Fetter is another standout aspect of the novel. Throughout the story, he evolves from a weapon with a troubled past to a complex and fully realized character with his own hopes, fears, and desires. His interactions with the other characters, including his therapist and fellow members of a revolutionary cadre, are well-written and add depth to the story.

The Saint of Bright Doors is a thought- provoking and truly imaginative novel that will stay with readers long after they have finished reading it. The themes of identity, purpose, and the interplay between the mundane and the divine are explored with sensitivity and nuance, making this a must- read for fans of speculative fiction.

In conclusion, The Saint of Bright Doors is an impressive and highly recommended novel that will captivate and challenge readers. With its vivid setting, rich characters, and compelling storyline, it is sure to become a classic of the genre.

Firstly the outline and idea for this story is really interesting and unique and I do think it can work well but this was just not for me. The execution didn't work for me, because the book just threw you into this world instead of being intrigued I was just left confused and I could not get engaged in the story because I did not have a clue what was going on. This might just be me and I do think this book will be right for some people, but sadly not me.

Firstly thank you for this opportunity but this book was not for me. I simply did not like it. I disliked the concept. The writing style. The execution. I couldn’t stay engaged in the story. The characters were disconnected.

This is an incredible, challenging, stand-alone fantasy, with a voice that had me captivated from page one! I will fully admit that this book was not what I was expecting. It is very concept-driven and unlike anything I’ve read before.

The story follows Fetter, the son of a messianic cult leader, who is raised by his mother to one day kill his father. As an adult, he escapes his mother’s influence to go live in the city of Luriat, which is famous for its magical doors. In Luriat, Fetter gets mixed up in investigating the mysterious doors, and with a plot against the oppressive religious/governmental forces that rule the city.

If you like excellent prose, fantasy that is ok with you being confused, and compelling examinations of facism, post-colonialism, religious extremism, identity, and fate, then you should absolutely check out The Saint of Bright Doors!

Thanks to Tor Dot Com and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this book.

This ended up on my DNF shelf after reading over 1/3 of the book and trying several times to pick it back up. I just found Fetter and Mother-of-All-Glory disturbing and disconcerting. I will try again but, honestly I don't think this is something I will ever finish completely. This is very dark, very twisted, and though I'm sure that Fetter finds redemption of some sort it's just not for me. I tried, I like Dark Fantasy, actually, I typically like anything I can get my hands on to read. However, there are a few times that a book finds it's way into my hands or onto my Kindle that I just can't get into no matter how hard I try.

But to be fair - I will say the writing is not bad, the story line is not terrible. The characters are well thought out and for the most part (from what I did read) are fleshed out well.

Soon after he was born, Fetter’s mother cut off his shadow. Ever since then he’s had to focus really hard on gravity to stop himself from floating away. This lightness makes it easy for him to pass unnoticed: perfect for the task his mother has planned for him. She wants him to kill the Perfect and Kind, one of the ten most influential saints in the world and also Fetter’s father. As soon as he is able, Fetter escapes her influence and hides from his destiny in the city of Luriat. There he helps immigrants with their paperwork, attends group therapy, builds relationships, and studies the mysterious bright doors. Until news starts to spread that the Perfect and Kind is coming to town…

Fetter doesn’t seem to have any agency in his own life, content to just let the changing winds sweep him in one direction or another. He takes the opportunities that come to him, but never seems to seek them for himself. There is a clear trauma from his childhood, but no anger. This passivity makes for an interesting character and a reasonably unpredictable plot. As a reader we do not know what the main character wants so how can we predict the decisions he will make?

The setting of this world is simple, with plenty of quirks thrown in to keep things interesting and clearly label it as a fantasy. The most interesting of these quirks is the bright doors. We learn just enough about them to satisfy initial curiosities, whilst still leaving us desperate for more. In fact, much of the novel is like this. It is written with a very close narration style which means that we only see the details that the protagonist is interested in. Fetter has no interest in the complex hierarchies of Luriat or the rituals of his father or the rebellion of his friends. A fairly shallow character, he is only interested in the things which directly affect him. I think that this makes for a realistic world-view and avoids overloading the reader with excess information and world building.

One of the most successful aspects of this book is the plot twist, which was both surprising and unsurprising at the same time. There are hints of it early on if you know what to look for, but I won’t risk any spoilers – you’ll have to read it for yourself!

Really beautifully written and strange in a way that's very captivating and enticing. There were some confusing moments that felt like info flying in too fast, but it was all good.