Worlds upon worlds

The Ten Thousand Doors of January

by Alix E. Harrow 

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Redhook
• ISBN-10: 0316421979
• ISBN-13: 978-0316421973
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Publisher's Blurb:

In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.

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 artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.

Then she finds 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 turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

My Thoughts:

It took  me a few tries to get started on this. It's not a book that allows less than your willingness to immerse yourself in it. But once you do... The prose is beautiful, the characters complex, and the story captivating. January has the ability to open doors to other worlds. Herr father's mysterious employer wants to capitalize on this, but she instinctively resists his orders and his attempts to tame her. With the support of a variety of characters, a mysterious book, and her often-absent father, she finds the truth about herself. This is a story of many types of love, but romance is not the focus of the story. Possible objectionable material: Reference to same-gender relationships. Teenage rebellion. Violence. Fantasy elements (traveling between worlds). Who might like this book: Those who like mysteries and secret societies. Fans of alternate worlds. People who like a strong protagonist who happens to be female. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher, who provided an eARC for my honest review.