Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Disclaimer: The amazing humans at Hachette Book Group Canada were kind enough to send me an arc of The Ten Thousand Doors of January in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions below are my own.

“When I was seven, I found a door. I suspect I should capitalize that word, so you understand I’m not talking about your garden- or common-variety door that leads reliably to a white-tiled kitchen or a bedroom closet.
When I was seven, I found a Door.”

Every now and then you read a book that seems to have been created simply to nestle into your soul and make you happy. The story appears on the outside to be about one thing, but when you look closer, it is so much more. Your heart is full after reading it.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January is that book.

“It is my hope that this story is your thread, and at the end of it you find a door.”

In this story, we follow January Scaller. She lives with Mr. Locke, her foster father, in a giant mansion while her biological father travels the world on behalf of Mr. Locke searching for unique and sometimes priceless items.

This sounds like a great arrangement, right? Except, it’s the late 1800s, January is mixed-race, her father is coloured, and Mr. Locke is white. People can’t quite figure out what “colour” January is, so they are intrigued by her, but still treat her as different.

“Let this ignoble origin story stand as an invaluable lesson to you that a person’s beginnings do not often herald their endings.”

^ The same could be said for a book’s beginning versus its ending.

January misses her father greatly and in Locke’s mansion, she often feels trapped. She wanders the halls and rooms endlessly, until one day, she discovers a book in a chest. A book that will change her life forever.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January feels like a book I found in a magical chest.

“She seemed lost. I don’t mean she was lost like a child. She wasn’t worried. She was lost on purpose, I’d say.”

I’ll be completely honest, this book didn’t start out epic for me. But I was always intrigued by the story and the feeling it was building in me. It was probably around three-quarters of the way through that I started realizing I was falling for this book, and by the end, I was head over heels.

One thing I really liked was that I had no idea where the story was going to go – it was so unique and unpredictable. I loved slowly learning what this book would be about, getting to know the world, and watching the characters develop – both the good and the bad.

“There is nothing quite like the anger of someone very powerful who has been thwarted by someone who was supposed to be weak.”

While I adored the story, I appreciated even more how it made me feel. This book felt like a love letter to readers and storytellers. What are books if not doors to different worlds? Doors that we escape through to find wondrous adventures and meet exciting characters.

This book captures that feeling of wanting to run away into a new world so well, and filled my heart with so much joy.

“If you are wondering why other worlds seem so brimful of magic compared to your own dreary Earth, consider how magical this world seems from another perspective. To a world of sea people, your ability to breath air is stunning; to a world of spear throwers, your machines are demons harnessed to work tirelessly in your service; to a world of glaciers and clouds, summer itself is a miracle.”

Harrow’s writing is something else. I mean that quote above gets me every time! Harrow has a way of writing that is simply magical. The words will caress you, the chapters will cocoon you, and the whole book will fill you with wonder, joy and happiness. I think Harrow's writing style is one of my favourites, ever.

I also loved how this story is told. It is, in a way, two POVs: one is January, and the other is the book she finds. It was such a unique way to tell the story, and I loved slowly discovering more about the book and its origin.

As for the characters, January was relatable, Adelaide was intriguing, Jane was badass, and Sindbad was the sweetest and most loyal dog ever.

“Dogs, of course, are infinitely better judges of character than people.”

^ TRUE STORY!

Each character added to the story in different ways. It is a testament to Harrow’s writing that while I assumed they were all connected in some way, I wasn’t sure until it was revealed. You are given just enough information to think you know something about them, but not enough to confidently proclaim it.

“‘What kind of a name is that, January?'”
“‘Mine,’ I answered stiffly.”

I like how much we got to learn about nearly every character. Almost everyone has an intense backstory that makes you feel for them, but their stories all intertwine somehow, and it adds to the feeling of the story.

January, as our MC, definitely develops the most, and finds pieces of herself throughout the story. We get to see her grow from a reckless child to a timid teen to a confident young adult.

“I wonder sometimes how much evil is permitted to run unchecked simply because it would be rude to interrupt it.”

While The Ten Thousand Doors of January has a great story and encourages feelings of wonder and wander, it also taps into themes of power and manipulation (full trigger/content warning below). Sometimes, those who we think care about us, are actually manipulating us the most. It’s a hard thing to consider, but it’s real and it sucks.

“Maybe all powerful men are cowards at heart, because in their hearts they know power is temporary.”

So in case it wasn’t clear, I highly recommend you check out The Ten Thousand Doors of January! I promise it will grab your hand and steal you away for an adventure like no other.

Trigger/content warnings: emotional/psychological manipulation; talk of death of a parent; death of an animal; feelings of abandonment.

Thanks again to Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me this arc to read and review!

The Ten Thousand Doors of January released earlier in September, so you can grab your copy now!