The Ten Thousand Doors of January is magical read full of beautiful description, enchanting moments and an epic quest. It’s the perfect fantasy for autumn/fall.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Alix E. Harrow
Themes: Fantasy, Historical, Young Adult
Reading Format: Hardback
Pages: 384
3 1/2 STARS
Thank you to Orbit Books for sending me a copy of this book to review.
I was so desperate to read this book, it gave my Alice in Wonderland and The Wayward Children vibes, so I thought it would be right up my street. The cover is absolutely stunning and certainly sets up the book to be just as beautiful, which it is! The writing is like taking a long walk down a cosy lane filled with flowers, whilst being sat in your armchair. It’s the perfect blend of description and magic to make the reader feel cosy and safe whilst reading it, but also intrigued.
At first, I thought this book started a little slow, but the action soon kicked off. We needed a longer introduction to set up where this story was going and who January is. I like that strong young ladies are being written about more and more and really enjoyed seeing January develop from a curious and playful little girl, into a bold and adventurous young lady. I enjoy the sub-characters a lot, especially Bad the dog, who has my heart. There is a strong little squad going throughout this book, led by January and each with their own goals, which makes them believable as a paring.
At the heart of this book is a storybook that aligns very strongly with January’s own life, talking about fantasy doors to other realms. As soon as you talk about other lands that can be explored, I want to know more. For all the description in this book, I felt we didn’t see enough of these other worlds, that is the only thing I would have changed. Overall though, this was a fun and enjoyable read that was beautifully written.
If you’re able to, pick this book up during autumn and read it over a rainy a day, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!
