Book Review: The Ten Thousand Doors of January
This is one of those books that I waffled back and forth on reading. On the one hand, the plot descriptions I read left me lukewarm; on the other hand, the reviews came pouring in that this book was delightful, a really wonderful debut. Then I found it on sale in Barnes & Noble, and my grabby hands made my decision for me.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January is the story of January Scaller, who grows up in the house of her guardian, Mr. Locke, while her father travels the world on her guardian’s business. Everything changes when she finds a strange book left for her, a book which tells a magical tale of other worlds accessed through mysterious doors. And as January experiments with her own developing magic, she discovers that there are people who want to close all the doors — and will hurt her to accomplish their goals.
This one has a really strong literary feel — while it is quite obviously a portal fantasy, its roots lie more deeply in literary fiction. The focus is only on the speculative elements insofar as they impact the specific characters, and there are two well-defined and highly emotional arcs at the core of the novel.
The first is a romance across worlds, as we learn the story of Adelaide/Ade and her mysterious boy from the world that smells like an ocean. Through the mysterious book January finds in her guardian’s house, we learn of Adelaide’s determined trek across our world, into and out of multiple other worlds, on a grand quest to find her one true love. (It’s a little unrealistic that a boy Ade met for a scant few minutes would turn out to be her soulmate, but that’s not really the point here.) This romance has a bittersweet ending; you’ll likely be able to guess where it’s going fairly soon, but that doesn’t detract from the beauty of the story.
The second major arc revolves around January herself, coming of age and into her power. It’s about her taking back the power she’s ceded away unknowingly through the years and defining for herself who and what she wants to be. This is the “present-day” plot, equally as engaging as the more “historical” romance, and it twists and turns repeatedly throughout the novel, leading up to an emotional confrontation with her greatest enemy.
As you would expect from a more literary novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January features fascinating, detailed, and tragic characters. January, at the center of the book, starts as a precocious and engaging child and evolves from there into a smart and increasingly independent young woman. She’s not afraid to stand up to her enemies, to demand that reality shift to accommodate her will, and the magic she discovers she possesses dovetails nicely into her personality.
If I’m being honest though, Jane is the scene-stealer in the novel. Sent by January’s father to serve as a governess of sorts, Jane is exactly the sort of woman you want on your side in a scrap. She turns out to be far more of an ally than January ever expected, and her tragic backstory will have you aching for everything she has lost.
January’s guardian, Mr. Locke, is also fascinating, insofar as he represents the power of a (mostly) average white man with money. He wields it almost carelessly, especially at the beginning of the novel, with little regard for how that power treats January (who is not Black, but also definitely not white). If the novel had continued on in this fashion, I might have lost some interest, but revelations toward the middle of the book add new dimensions to Mr. Locke that makes his actions and intentions more sinister. (His name is also rather pointedly chosen).
The only real downside is that, perhaps a touch ironically, the world feels thin in places. As I said above, it’s not really the focus of the book, and it shows. I understand the choice, but it would have been nice to get more detail on the supernatural elements of the book. What creates the doors between worlds? How are they formed? Other forms of magic are also clearly real, and make several appearances in various forms throughout the novel, but its usages are very subservient to the plot. Vampires exist too, apparently — so what else is possible? (I’ll be honest — vampire guy was a bit of a letdown). Perhaps I’ve gotten too accustomed to more codified, straightforward magic systems, but I won’t lie that it bugged me a little.
Still, this is an excellent standalone book for when you just don’t want a trilogy. It’s comforting in its HEA ending, romantic and sweet, and for a debut novel in particular, it really is above average. If portal or romantic fantasy are your jam, definitely check this one out.
Grade 4.25/5 stars
Memorable Quote:
“The Door opens.
It happened just as it had when I was seven and still young enough to believe in magic. The pen nib swirled around the period and the universe seemed to exhale around me, to shrug its invisible shoulders. The light streaming through my windows, gone dim and watery with afternoon clouds, seemed suddenly more golden.
Behind me, the hinges creaked open.”
