Doorways

From the age of 12 till about 45, Science Fiction was a big part of my life. I attended numerous SF-conventions and even became editor of a magazine (that was first published in 1965 and still exists). I've met a lot of my favorite authors too. Then, there came a time all that was published, was Fantasy - and I don't like Fantasy so much. I begun reading more and more thrillers and even the occasional chicklit.
So here I am. Reading a book that ticks almost all boxes!
Doorways is a bit of SF. A bit of Fantasy. It has humor. It is sort of a thriller. And there is even romance.
How wonderful! In Doorways we have an interesting plot and very well described characters. Bermuda, the 'hero' of the story, is quite likable and you cannot help feeling for him during his ordeals. But Argyle! I cannot help but liking him a lot. He reminded me of Fafhrd, the character created in the 1930's by SF-author Fritz Leiber.
Sometimes I had to think of the movie Man in Black and I think Doorways could make a good movie too.
All in all, I hope to read more from this author and certainly more of Bermuda's adventures.

I was anxious and thrilled to start this book. The first third was a bit slow but after that it picked up speed like a amazing roller coaster, one of the best books I've read on this subject in recent memory!!

The only other 'sci fi' books I've ever read were The Hunger Games series which were amazing. Other than those, this is not my genre of choice at all.

However I read this after seeing some five star reviews and recommendations.

This book was interesting and intriguing and the descriptions have me a real sense of the characters and the suspense of the Others and their dark world.

Bermuda was a great character (although I'm not sure we needed quite so many descriptions of his tattoos!)

The book was engaging and I did enjoy it although fans of sci fi will no doubt score it much higher.

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy to read. This is my no strings attached review.

This is a fascinating novel that has at its heart the concept of another world. A world of power and threat that has helped the earth in years gone by but contains rouge elements that would seek to live among humans and even take this world for themselves.
Maintaining the peace and restrciting the movement of 'Others' across the threasehold that links the two co-existing worlds are a group of special agents who have a sidekick in the form of an Other who has chosen to work alongside them as a peacekeeper.
Matters begin to breakdown as one evil 'Other' strives to create a doorway that no-one can close which will bring about the destruction of humankind and leave the others to dominant this planet.
Much of the story has merit and the writing is tense and dramatic. I couldn't quite suspend my own sense of reality and accept the battle to avoid catastrophe for the species and for Bermuda to save the world.
Perhaps with a nod to a Bond or a Harry Palmer the reality of one man, albeit with a powerful warrior invisible to other humans as a backup, standing between oblivion and the end of life as we know it was ludicrous and such a close call as to wonder how humanity can survive a day longer.
The trouble with the protagonist, Franklyn "Bermuda" Jones is he is so human and flawed, clearly unable to overcome his nemesis in early encounters. Not universally accepted as BTCO's finest agent and very fortunate to keep his licence I find his physical ability to stand up after all his declared injuries increadible to fight on as the last hope for humanity somewhat unbelievable.
It is a shame as the concepts are brilliant and the ideas muted and referred to within some clever characterisation shows some thought and real promise of a strong series. However, that all these ideas were compressed into this novel rather spoils it as with a few episodes leading up to this climatic struggle would have meant that this plot unleased in book 3 or 4 would have been much more dramatic and credible.
A great story not quite executed to maximise its originality; hopefully there is more to come as this author appears ultra talented in an ability to create a whole new reality full of threat and danger.
A world in which the shadows contain a hidden menace is a interesting idea, like embracing a new species of maleviolent borrowers.

Superb!
This is a superb fantasy thriller. I found it took a few chapters to get into, but afterwards I could hardly put it down. Packed full of action (and "Others"), the book falls into the fantasy genre but possesses a certain frightening plausibility, mainly I suspect because most incidences occur at locations familiar to many of us. It is based around the concept of two different dimensions existing on Earth, invisible to one another, knowledge of which is known to but a few and portals between the two dimensions carefully monitored to control transference.
Robert Enright strikes the correct balance between real world and Other world characters as he introduces and develops the personalities of the lead character "Bermuda" Jones and his BTCO partner (and protector), Argyle. The novel is based in London (and Hertfordshire) and centres on resolving the recurring mystery of persons who go missing in mysterious circumstances every second day. The police are at a total loss to explain the reasons for their disappearance and possess no clues as to where the victims are.
Step in reluctant BTCO (Behind The Curtain Organisation) Agent, Bermuda Jones and his assistant Argyle. They face an evil culprit whose objectives have frightening implications. Both lead characters have depth and Bermuda a rustic sense of humour and a very non PC approach to life. I don't usually read books of this genre but really enjoyed "Doorways". Without hesitation I would recommend this book to readers looking for a novel with a difference. It is a very entertaining and imaginative read.

Bermuda has a rare gift. He can see 'others' monstrous beings from a world living in parallel to earth, called the Otherside. Even more impressive to those int he know is that he has been able to go to the Otherside and has returned. These skills make him one of the top agents at the BTCO, an organisation that monitors and corrects others activities on Earth. For this job he works alongside Argyle, an other that helps protect Earth from his own kind. Together they are a formidable team as they are very good at solving cases quickly, though not always very subtly. When people from all over London start disappearing, seemingly into thin air, Bermuda and Argyle are sure it is the work of an other. However with no connections between the victims and not a lot of evidence there isn't a lot for them to go on. The only thing linking the cases is the appearance of a crude 12 sided start symbol at every place where someone has disappeared and the sudden appearance of a scary other called Barnaby. But what does the 12 sided symbol mean, who is Barnaby and what do either of them have to do with all the missing people. Somehow Bermuda & Argyle have to unravel the mystery before more people disappear.

Firstly I don't tend to read a lot of science fiction but having heard a lot of good reviews on Twitter i decided to read it and i am so glad i did as i genuinely rate this as one of the best books i have ever read!

The reader is thrown straight into the story as the book opens with Bermuda & Argyle investigating a strange others incident. I was immediately intrigued and quickly developed a soft spot for the two very different main characters. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next and if they would be ok. They both have other problems, aside from work, which they tackle throughout the book which gives the reader more of a sense of their overall character and makes it easier for the reader to connect with them. Barnaby, the villain, was one of the best villains i have come across as he was very scary and eery. The description of his black eyes will stay with me for a long time. His ability to turn up anywhere without people seeing him helped add to the tension of the book as you were never completely aware of where he was going to turn up next! The banter between the two main characters is very funny, as is Argyle's attempts to understand Earth and the human race. This contributes a lot to the humorous moments in the book and provides some relief from the tense main story. The author shows great skill, in my opinion, in switching seamlessly from scary to funny without it seeming forced. The use of London's landmarks was also really well done. I like how the BTCO headquarters was under the Shard and how the others market was tucked away behind a wall. It helped make the the otherside world seem more real and the idea of another world living in parallel with Earth more plausible.

This is the first book by Robert Enright I have read and it definitely won't be the last especially as, I believe, there is a sequel to this book in the works. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a great story with memorable characters and lots of actions. Don't let the science fiction genre put you off as it is much more than that.

Huge thanks to Urbane publishers, the author and Netgalley for a copy of this book. Read it I don't think you'll be disappointed!