Ratings38
Average rating4.2
***Shortlisted for the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards for Best Novel*** 'A gorgeous, aching love letter to stories, storytellers and the doors they lead us through . . . absolutely enchanting' Christina Henry, bestselling author of Alice ACCORDING TO JANUARY SCALLER, THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO RUN AWAY FROM YOUR OWN STORY, AND THAT'S TO SNEAK INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S . . . In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr Locke, she feels little different from the artefacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored and utterly out of place. But her quiet existence is shattered when she stumbles across a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page reveals more impossible truths about the world, and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own. 'One of the most unique works of fiction I've ever read' Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author 'A gorgeously written story of love and longing, of what it means to lose your place in the world and then have the courage to find it again' Kat Howard, author of An Unkindness of Magicians 'Devastatingly good, a sharp, delicate nested tale of worlds within worlds, stories within stories and the realm-cracking power of words' Melissa Albert, author of The Hazel Wood 'The Ten Thousand Doors of January healed hurts I didn't even know I had. An unbearably beautiful story about growing up, and everything we fight to keep along the way' Amal El-Mohtar, Hugo Award-winning author 'Beautiful, achingly gorgeous ode to storytelling, magic and family' S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
Reviews with the most likes.
Gorgeous book–from Gothic mystery to Young Indiana Jones adventure–with characters I could cheer for throughout every page.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a treasure???an enchanting, wondrous, magical, exquisitely written standalone portal/historical fantasy set during the early 1900s. It's an ode to words and stories, imagination, dreamers and outsiders, and being who you are when society does its best to shape you into someone you're not. It's an ode to the power of story???how it can take up residence in one's soul, showing them something true and meaningful. And it is itself that type of story.
In short: I loved The Ten Thousand Doors of January.
Full Review on My Website
Realistically, I would say 4.5 but I rounded up. I liked the concept and the characters. I also liked that characters injuries stuck with them, instead of being insta-healed by the plot. The structure of the book has been done before but I still liked it. I enjoy stories within stories.