The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, January Scaller feels little different from the artifacts that decorate his sprawling mansion: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place. But when she finds a strange book - one that tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure, and danger - for the first time, January realizes she can escape her story and sneak into someone else’s….
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This book brought back the wonder of reading in my life. Reading has always been my chosen means of escape and entertainment but lately some of the books I’ve read have been missing that absolute magic that lingers long after you’ve closed the last page and wished so badly that it wasn’t over. This book did that for me. Alix E. Harrow is a genius with words and she creates such multi-dimensional characters that her books are the kind of book that you can find yourself asking “what if this were real? What if what she wrote actually exists?” January was a very special character and the worlds locked inside this book were phenomenal. I will now be searching for my own blue Door to take me to the word of the Written. If you’re looking for a fantastic tale about magic hidden within our world, a little bit of treasure hunting, some historical fiction, and a highlight on the imbalance of power through classes and race, look no further, I’ve found your book!
This book follows the point of view of young January from the age of seven until the age of seventeen. Spanning ten years of her childhood growing up under the thumb of Mr. Locke. Her mother is gone, and her father leaves for months at a time to treasure hunt for Mr. Locke and the secret society to which he belongs. January, as a young girl, discovers a Door (with a capital D, that’s important) in the middle of a field that takes her…elsewhere. But as she grows older she thinks maybe that was a dream. Yet the faster the years pass by, the more mystery surrounds her. Who are Mr. Locke’s mysterious and slightly terrifying friends? Why does he want her in the society? Why, if she’s like a daughter to him, does he treat her as if she were one of his exotic artifacts? As she discovers these secrets, she’s plunged into a world of danger and must find the correct Doorway’s to get to home and to safety.
The plot in this was grand! So many small tidbits throughout became such large plot twists later on that I almost need to go back and read the foreshadowing that I missed. The entire premise of these Doors, all around our world that lead to others and using that to explain some of the strange and unexplainable things we have in our world, made so much sense that I’m half convinced that it’s all real. It’s also a premise that fits in with other “in our world” fantasy worlds. Who is to say that one Door January comes across doesn’t lead to Narnia? Or Middle earth? I also loved the fact that this book was a palimpsest of an earlier story. The book within a book had me hooked and is probably one of the reasons I was so invested in January figuring out the mysteries surrounding it. I didn’t have one problem with this plot.
Now let us get into what we know is my favourite part about a good book: characterization. January was such a great character because she wasn’t clueless and she wasn’t all-knowing. Let me explain. January was kept under a guise of “protection” her entire life so she believed in her guardian wholeheartedly. No matter how many times she was used for her skin colour to his benefit, no matter how often he treated her lesser (keeping her in a tiny room on the third floor of his MANSION?!), no matter how many times he imprisoned her in her room, she loved him and never doubted his love for her. I think this helped us get into the mindset of what it’s like in the mind of someone who has been gaslighted and groomed for so long, the truth seems impossible. She was also very largely kept from the truth of her race. She knew she looked different but it isn’t until she’s older and in the real world that she realizes just how separated Black people are from the rest of the world. Seeing her make these discoveries is heartbreaking because she spent so long thinking she at least somewhat belonged just to find out that the world as a whole does not agree.
Jane was another fantastic character. At first I wasn’t sure what to think but she became the very thing January most needed, an adult figure that wouldn’t lie to her no matter how harsh reality. Her fascinating past and her journey to get to where she needs was heart-rending but yet as much as she wanted to achieve her own goals, she never used January. She always helped her and I think this highlighted a huge difference between Jane and Mr. Locke. Both had their own agendas but Jane never used January, whereas Mr. Locke, who practically raised her, felt like he needed and had no choice but to use January to get what he wanted. I think all the characters were very well-rounded and I really enjoyed the parallel comparisons between certain characters, especially through role models for January. And without too many spoilers I have to say, Yule Ian and Ade were the true-beating heart of the book. I can’t get into them so much without spoilers but I will say, their fairy-tale-esque story and the character development of who they became throughout the years was beautiful and heartbreaking. It gives you the viewpoint of “what happens after happily ever after?”.
I absolutely adored this book which isn’t surprising since Alix E. Harrow is such a phenomenal author. I think she’s definitely an instant-buy author for me. Read this book. Not if you have any preferences, just in general, I think no matter your literature tastes, this book is a great fit for everyone. 5 stars.