The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Published: September 10th 2019 by Redhook
Review:
Myth: 3.5/5
This was a classic story about stories. I liked the different lores around the doors and the in-between spaces. January’s story and her learned history fit so naturally in with the position in which she finds herself in early 1900’s America.
The writing was magical but I didn’t quite find myself sucked into the story itself. I think that some of that had to do with the first third of the book sort of being about January learning her history, while things are definitely happening in the present as she’s learning this, it sort of felt like stasis to me for her character as she couldn’t properly move forward until she finished learning her history. Once she had that piece, the story did gain a bit more momentum.
Magic: 3.5/5
I think that my favorite line in this story was the general vibe that “it’s easier to break the rules of the universe if you’re unaware of said rules to begin with.” I thought that this fit well with the story and eventually January even made it her own, even when she had other options.
Overall: 3.5/5
A book about the power of words and story, January and her parents take us on a magical adventure through many worlds.
