Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Download to your computer
|
Kindle Cloud Reader
|
To add this eBook, remove any 1 eBook from your cart or buy the 25 eBooks present in the
eBook cart
There was a problem adding this eBook to the cart
Buying Options
Digital List Price: | 577.50 |
Kindle Price: |
324.50
Save 253.00 (44%) |
inclusive of all taxes includes free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet |
|
Sold by: | Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited |


![The Ten Thousand Doors of January: A spellbinding tale of love and longing by [Alix E. Harrow]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510-xfQrBOL._SY346_.jpg)
Follow the Author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
OK
The Ten Thousand Doors of January: A spellbinding tale of love and longing Kindle Edition
See all formats and editions
Hide other formats and editions
Price
|
New from |
Hardcover
"Please retry"
|
—
|
₹ 2,050.00 |
Paperback
"Please retry"
|
₹ 1,338.00 |
Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged
"Please retry"
|
—
|
— |
-
LanguageEnglish
-
PublisherOrbit
-
Publication date10 September 2019
-
File size1191 KB
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
- The Once and Future Witches: The spellbinding must-read novelAlix E. HarrowKindle Edition
- Gods of Jade and Shadow: a perfect blend of fantasy, mythology and historical fiction set in Jazz Age MexicoKindle Edition
- A Wizard's Guide To Defensive BakingKindle Edition
- House of HollowKindle Edition
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRueKindle Edition
- The Lost Apothecary: The New York Times Top Ten BestsellerKindle Edition
Product description
About the Author
A former academic and adjunct, Alix E. Harrow is now a full-time writer living in Kentucky with her husband and their semi-feral kids. She is the author of Hugo Award-winning short fiction and her debut novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January was shortlisted for the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards. Find her on Twitter at @AlixEHarrow.
--This text refers to the paperback edition.
Book Description
This breathtakingly beautiful debut is a love letter to the written word and the power of stories to open doors to other worlds
--This text refers to the paperback edition.
Review
A gorgeous, aching love letter to stories, storytellers and the doors they lead us through . . . absolutely enchanting -- Christina Henry, bestselling author of ALICE
Many worlds, vanishing doors, mind-cracking magic: I clung to each page, searching for answers. This is one of the most unique works of fiction I've ever read - I hope there's more ahead -- 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. This book is a door I'm glad to have opened -- Kat Howard, author of AN UNKINDNESS OF MAGICIANS
A love letter to imagination, adventure, the written word and the power of many kinds of love -- KIRKUS
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
The Ten Thousand Doors of January is devastatingly good, a sharp, delicate nested tale of worlds within worlds, stories within stories, and the realm-cracking power of words -- Melissa Albert, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of THE HAZEL WOOD
The Ten Thousand Doors of January begins as a simple adventure, but like its mysteriously transportive doors, leads deeper and deeper the further you read. Each page dazzles with things to be discovered: a mansion of priceless artifacts, a secret journal, a tantalizing quest through strange and beautiful places, and a love story that spans time, worlds and magic. I couldn't put it down -- Peng Shepherd, author of THE BOOK OF M
All the magic you once knew but have almost forgotten waits in these pages for you to discover again. With a masterful voice and a spellbinding story, reading The Ten Thousand Doors of January feels like coming back to a beloved childhood classic to find it unexpectedly grew up with you. It's a deeply satisfying pleasure to read, and lingers in your heart afterwards. I loved it! -- Melissa Caruso, author of THE TETHERED MAGE
To open this book is to open a door to a brand new world that you'll never want to leave. With the masterful prose of a true Wordworker, Harrow has created a richly imagined, multi-layered narrative full of wonder, sorrow, and strength -- Jordanna Max Brodsky, author of THE WOLF IN THE WHALE
Beautifully written and absorbing . . . an ambitious, expansive story that never loses its sense of intimacy . . . a wonderful, insightful and imaginative book. I highly recommend it -- Josiah Bancroft, author of SENLIN ASCENDS --This text refers to the paperback edition.
Many worlds, vanishing doors, mind-cracking magic: I clung to each page, searching for answers. This is one of the most unique works of fiction I've ever read - I hope there's more ahead -- 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. This book is a door I'm glad to have opened -- Kat Howard, author of AN UNKINDNESS OF MAGICIANS
A love letter to imagination, adventure, the written word and the power of many kinds of love -- KIRKUS
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
The Ten Thousand Doors of January is devastatingly good, a sharp, delicate nested tale of worlds within worlds, stories within stories, and the realm-cracking power of words -- Melissa Albert, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of THE HAZEL WOOD
The Ten Thousand Doors of January begins as a simple adventure, but like its mysteriously transportive doors, leads deeper and deeper the further you read. Each page dazzles with things to be discovered: a mansion of priceless artifacts, a secret journal, a tantalizing quest through strange and beautiful places, and a love story that spans time, worlds and magic. I couldn't put it down -- Peng Shepherd, author of THE BOOK OF M
All the magic you once knew but have almost forgotten waits in these pages for you to discover again. With a masterful voice and a spellbinding story, reading The Ten Thousand Doors of January feels like coming back to a beloved childhood classic to find it unexpectedly grew up with you. It's a deeply satisfying pleasure to read, and lingers in your heart afterwards. I loved it! -- Melissa Caruso, author of THE TETHERED MAGE
To open this book is to open a door to a brand new world that you'll never want to leave. With the masterful prose of a true Wordworker, Harrow has created a richly imagined, multi-layered narrative full of wonder, sorrow, and strength -- Jordanna Max Brodsky, author of THE WOLF IN THE WHALE
Beautifully written and absorbing . . . an ambitious, expansive story that never loses its sense of intimacy . . . a wonderful, insightful and imaginative book. I highly recommend it -- Josiah Bancroft, author of SENLIN ASCENDS --This text refers to the paperback edition.
Product details
- ASIN : B07NGNLCD6
- Publisher : Orbit; 1st edition (10 September 2019)
- Language : English
- File size : 1191 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 385 pages
-
Best Sellers Rank:
#62,039 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,008 in Mythology & Folk Tales
- #1,564 in Myths, Legends & Sagas
- #2,785 in Historical Fiction (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
- The Night CircusKindle Edition
- The Girl in The Tower: (Winternight Trilogy)Kindle Edition
- Girl, Serpent, Thorn: a captivating Persian-inspired fairy taleKindle Edition
- The City We Became (The Great Cities Trilogy)Kindle Edition
- The Starless Sea: the spellbinding Sunday Times bestsellerKindle Edition
- A Memory Called Empire: Winner of the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novel (Teixcalaan Book 1)Kindle Edition
Customer reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
3,746 global ratings
How are ratings calculated?
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Top reviews
Top reviews from India
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in India on 11 July 2020
Report abuse
Verified Purchase
It was an absolute pleasure to read the book. I have not come across a book that puts across human emotions so subtly.
Helpful
Reviewed in India on 25 September 2019
“The Ten Thousand Doors of January” follows the story of January Scaller as she sets about on a journey to find her real identity. Being bought up on Mr.Locke’s mansion with everything in abundance, January feels an unknown sense of hollowness in her heart. She craves for freedom, an escapade and more than that the love of her distant father who always seems to be on one or the other mission assigned by Mr.Locke.
As January’s impatience in the remote mansion grows, her inquisitiveness elevates when she finds a book tucked in a hidden chest. A smallish, leather bound book with scuffed corners and dented imprints where the gold stamped title had been partially scraped off – THE TEN THOU OORS. And thus the story commences. I accompanied January on every adventure she embarked upon and found my home beyond every door that January unlocked.
January oh my darling. January. She is hands down the most bravest,endearing, intrigued and big-eyed character I’ve ever come across. Don’t even get me started on how witty she is. It’s difficult to find protagonist to look up to these days considering how most of them feel eerily similar and disconnected. But with January it is like rekindling your old friendship with a dearest buddy.
Sam. SAMUEL ZAPPIA is a fluff ball and is to be cherised at all expense. His loyalty and unrequited affection for January is irrefutable. Also, who can even hate someone who gifts a pup to their best friend. RIGHTTTTTTT????? Yep that’s what I thought too.
SINDBAD IS PRECIOUS. BAD is easily the most adorable and devoted pet that ever was. No donot at the rate me.
TEN THOUSAND DOORS sets a mild and steady pace from the start and sticks to it throughout. The characters and the story unfolds layer after layer giving you the time to relish each twist and every turn. My friend over at bookstersisters calls the story organic and that is the exact word I’d use if asked to describe the book in one word. ORGANIC. RAW. IMAGINATIVE. Throughout the reading of the book the wholly immersive feeling clung on to me. I never once felt that the characters, the story was fictional. I was with January, Samuel, Jane and Sindbad fighting the demons, swimming through the vast oceans, opening the portals of in-between and realizing the power of words.
ALIX E. HARROW showcases the value of knowledge, of stories and all the wondrous things you can accomplish with a curious mind. She also presents us a rather clear picture of how racism flourished in twentieth century America.
I am pretty positive everyone who picks this enchanting book up will end up loving it. But mostly, people like me who have found their sanctuary in books, readers with a thousands lives : THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY is written just for you.
There comes along a book once in a while that you just cannot love enough. The constant urge to caress it, your pining to devour the delicious story one more time again and again and the undeniable feeling of belonging to the story etched in it. And for me “THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY” checks all the boxes.
“The Ten Thousand Doors of January” follows the story of January Scaller as she sets about on a journey to find her real identity. Being bought up on Mr.Locke’s mansion with everything in abundance, January feels an unknown sense of hollowness in her heart. She craves for freedom, an escapade and more than that the love of her distant father who always seems to be on one or the other mission assigned by Mr.Locke.
As January’s impatience in the remote mansion grows, her inquisitiveness elevates when she finds a book tucked in a hidden chest. A smallish, leather bound book with scuffed corners and dented imprints where the gold stamped title had been partially scraped off – THE TEN THOU OORS. And thus the story commences. I accompanied January on every adventure she embarked upon and found my home beyond every door that January unlocked.
January oh my darling. January. She is hands down the most bravest,endearing, intrigued and big-eyed character I’ve ever come across. Don’t even get me started on how witty she is. It’s difficult to find protagonist to look up to these days considering how most of them feel eerily similar and disconnected. But with January it is like rekindling your old friendship with a dearest buddy.
Sam. SAMUEL ZAPPIA is a fluff ball and is to be cherised at all expense. His loyalty and unrequited affection for January is irrefutable. Also, who can even hate someone who gifts a pup to their best friend. RIGHTTTTTTT????? Yep that’s what I thought too.
SINDBAD IS PRECIOUS. BAD is easily the most adorable and devoted pet that ever was. No donot at the rate me.
TEN THOUSAND DOORS sets a mild and steady pace from the start and sticks to it throughout. The characters and the story unfolds layer after layer giving you the time to relish each twist and every turn. My friend over at bookstersisters calls the story organic and that is the exact word I’d use if asked to describe the book in one word. ORGANIC. RAW. IMAGINATIVE. Throughout the reading of the book the wholly immersive feeling clung on to me. I never once felt that the characters, the story was fictional. I was with January, Samuel, Jane and Sindbad fighting the demons, swimming through the vast oceans, opening the portals of in-between and realizing the power of words.
ALIX E. HARROW showcases the value of knowledge, of stories and all the wondrous things you can accomplish with a curious mind. She also presents us a rather clear picture of how racism flourished in twentieth century America.
I am pretty positive everyone who picks this enchanting book up will end up loving it. But mostly, people like me who have found their sanctuary in books, readers with a thousands lives : THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY is written just for you.
“The Ten Thousand Doors of January” follows the story of January Scaller as she sets about on a journey to find her real identity. Being bought up on Mr.Locke’s mansion with everything in abundance, January feels an unknown sense of hollowness in her heart. She craves for freedom, an escapade and more than that the love of her distant father who always seems to be on one or the other mission assigned by Mr.Locke.
As January’s impatience in the remote mansion grows, her inquisitiveness elevates when she finds a book tucked in a hidden chest. A smallish, leather bound book with scuffed corners and dented imprints where the gold stamped title had been partially scraped off – THE TEN THOU OORS. And thus the story commences. I accompanied January on every adventure she embarked upon and found my home beyond every door that January unlocked.
January oh my darling. January. She is hands down the most bravest,endearing, intrigued and big-eyed character I’ve ever come across. Don’t even get me started on how witty she is. It’s difficult to find protagonist to look up to these days considering how most of them feel eerily similar and disconnected. But with January it is like rekindling your old friendship with a dearest buddy.
Sam. SAMUEL ZAPPIA is a fluff ball and is to be cherised at all expense. His loyalty and unrequited affection for January is irrefutable. Also, who can even hate someone who gifts a pup to their best friend. RIGHTTTTTTT????? Yep that’s what I thought too.
SINDBAD IS PRECIOUS. BAD is easily the most adorable and devoted pet that ever was. No donot at the rate me.
TEN THOUSAND DOORS sets a mild and steady pace from the start and sticks to it throughout. The characters and the story unfolds layer after layer giving you the time to relish each twist and every turn. My friend over at bookstersisters calls the story organic and that is the exact word I’d use if asked to describe the book in one word. ORGANIC. RAW. IMAGINATIVE. Throughout the reading of the book the wholly immersive feeling clung on to me. I never once felt that the characters, the story was fictional. I was with January, Samuel, Jane and Sindbad fighting the demons, swimming through the vast oceans, opening the portals of in-between and realizing the power of words.
ALIX E. HARROW showcases the value of knowledge, of stories and all the wondrous things you can accomplish with a curious mind. She also presents us a rather clear picture of how racism flourished in twentieth century America.
I am pretty positive everyone who picks this enchanting book up will end up loving it. But mostly, people like me who have found their sanctuary in books, readers with a thousands lives : THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY is written just for you.

5.0 out of 5 stars
PERFECT BOOK THAT EVER EXISTS.
By Gayatri Saikia - PER_FICTIONIST on 25 September 2019
There comes along a book once in a while that you just cannot love enough. The constant urge to caress it, your pining to devour the delicious story one more time again and again and the undeniable feeling of belonging to the story etched in it. And for me “THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY” checks all the boxes.By Gayatri Saikia - PER_FICTIONIST on 25 September 2019
“The Ten Thousand Doors of January” follows the story of January Scaller as she sets about on a journey to find her real identity. Being bought up on Mr.Locke’s mansion with everything in abundance, January feels an unknown sense of hollowness in her heart. She craves for freedom, an escapade and more than that the love of her distant father who always seems to be on one or the other mission assigned by Mr.Locke.
As January’s impatience in the remote mansion grows, her inquisitiveness elevates when she finds a book tucked in a hidden chest. A smallish, leather bound book with scuffed corners and dented imprints where the gold stamped title had been partially scraped off – THE TEN THOU OORS. And thus the story commences. I accompanied January on every adventure she embarked upon and found my home beyond every door that January unlocked.
January oh my darling. January. She is hands down the most bravest,endearing, intrigued and big-eyed character I’ve ever come across. Don’t even get me started on how witty she is. It’s difficult to find protagonist to look up to these days considering how most of them feel eerily similar and disconnected. But with January it is like rekindling your old friendship with a dearest buddy.
Sam. SAMUEL ZAPPIA is a fluff ball and is to be cherised at all expense. His loyalty and unrequited affection for January is irrefutable. Also, who can even hate someone who gifts a pup to their best friend. RIGHTTTTTTT????? Yep that’s what I thought too.
SINDBAD IS PRECIOUS. BAD is easily the most adorable and devoted pet that ever was. No donot at the rate me.
TEN THOUSAND DOORS sets a mild and steady pace from the start and sticks to it throughout. The characters and the story unfolds layer after layer giving you the time to relish each twist and every turn. My friend over at bookstersisters calls the story organic and that is the exact word I’d use if asked to describe the book in one word. ORGANIC. RAW. IMAGINATIVE. Throughout the reading of the book the wholly immersive feeling clung on to me. I never once felt that the characters, the story was fictional. I was with January, Samuel, Jane and Sindbad fighting the demons, swimming through the vast oceans, opening the portals of in-between and realizing the power of words.
ALIX E. HARROW showcases the value of knowledge, of stories and all the wondrous things you can accomplish with a curious mind. She also presents us a rather clear picture of how racism flourished in twentieth century America.
I am pretty positive everyone who picks this enchanting book up will end up loving it. But mostly, people like me who have found their sanctuary in books, readers with a thousands lives : THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY is written just for you.
Images in this review

4 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in India on 30 October 2019
A beautiful read with a prise which felt lyrical and a story which drew me to another realm.
January lived with Cornelius Locke while her father went to buy odd stuff for Locke. Stuck in that house, January came across a book which bespoke of locked doors which opened with faith and which would lead to adventures...
My first book by Alix E. Harrow, I was spellbound in the entirety of my journey down this book. Every word revealed the beauty of the writing and the way they were strung together told me the depth of the author's talent. The plot was intriguing and oh so different, it plunged me straight into January's world.
January was intelligent and sarcastic, brave and lonely, with a great sense of humor. I was quite hooked to the emotions she evoked. The pace kept to its steady stream and showed me different realms. Quite an imagination the author had to write this book.
An absolutely captivating book. It took me a few days to write this review as I was too enthralled and words escaped me.
January lived with Cornelius Locke while her father went to buy odd stuff for Locke. Stuck in that house, January came across a book which bespoke of locked doors which opened with faith and which would lead to adventures...
My first book by Alix E. Harrow, I was spellbound in the entirety of my journey down this book. Every word revealed the beauty of the writing and the way they were strung together told me the depth of the author's talent. The plot was intriguing and oh so different, it plunged me straight into January's world.
January was intelligent and sarcastic, brave and lonely, with a great sense of humor. I was quite hooked to the emotions she evoked. The pace kept to its steady stream and showed me different realms. Quite an imagination the author had to write this book.
An absolutely captivating book. It took me a few days to write this review as I was too enthralled and words escaped me.
Reviewed in India on 26 September 2019
Have I thought about stumbling upon a door to a different world more times than once? YES! That is what this book will do to you. It will make you dream of fictional worlds and not just Hogwarts, but every kind of world you have ever wanted to be a part of. I have felt involved and lost (in a good way), and my kinship with January Scaller runs deeper than any other character I have stumbled upon (at least in the recent past). This bundle of gorgeousness and magic lives up to the hype.
January Scallar, an odd colored girl is being raised by her benefactor Mr. Locke, a collector of antique objects and member of an Archeological society with hidden agendas and powerful secrets. Her father is employed by Mr. Locke in exchange for money and lodgings, his job is to travel to far off lands and collect expensive and one-of-a-kind objects for his boss. As a child, January found a door that opened to the land of seas but the door was promptly burnt down by her benefactor. Years later, she finds a book titled ‘The Ten Thousand Doors’, a journal of sorts that talks about these mysterious doors that connect different and diverse worlds, an escape of sorts but each door with a story to tell.
As January finds out more about these doors and their location, one outburst at the wrong place sends her to a mental asylum. The goal is to keep her away from all the information she isn’t supposed to know. But January soon learns that she is the child of two people inhabiting different worlds. Their story is beautiful and painful at the same time.
It takes a while to understand the concept of the book, even with an elaborate blurb. But as it starts making sense, it feels like a giant puzzle being solved inside your head. The author writes two stories, one within the other and each of them is full of adventure and dangers of its own. There are very few characters in this story and that is why I felt more involved. The protagonist and the antagonist emerge through their own story and it all converges at the end.
‘The Ten Thousand Doors of January’ is not an action-packed story. There are no battle scenes or strange magic being crafted, neither is the protagonist ‘the chosen one’. She is an ordinary girl, a reader like you and me who stumbles upon a secret and decides to reunite with her family by setting things right and facing the demons (not literally) she has been kept safe from. There are a lot of ‘reader’ references that filled my heart with joy. As readers we consider books to be an escape of sorts and the author combines this idea with the presence of actual doors waiting to be opened and newer worlds waiting to be explored.
Definitely recommended!
January Scallar, an odd colored girl is being raised by her benefactor Mr. Locke, a collector of antique objects and member of an Archeological society with hidden agendas and powerful secrets. Her father is employed by Mr. Locke in exchange for money and lodgings, his job is to travel to far off lands and collect expensive and one-of-a-kind objects for his boss. As a child, January found a door that opened to the land of seas but the door was promptly burnt down by her benefactor. Years later, she finds a book titled ‘The Ten Thousand Doors’, a journal of sorts that talks about these mysterious doors that connect different and diverse worlds, an escape of sorts but each door with a story to tell.
As January finds out more about these doors and their location, one outburst at the wrong place sends her to a mental asylum. The goal is to keep her away from all the information she isn’t supposed to know. But January soon learns that she is the child of two people inhabiting different worlds. Their story is beautiful and painful at the same time.
It takes a while to understand the concept of the book, even with an elaborate blurb. But as it starts making sense, it feels like a giant puzzle being solved inside your head. The author writes two stories, one within the other and each of them is full of adventure and dangers of its own. There are very few characters in this story and that is why I felt more involved. The protagonist and the antagonist emerge through their own story and it all converges at the end.
‘The Ten Thousand Doors of January’ is not an action-packed story. There are no battle scenes or strange magic being crafted, neither is the protagonist ‘the chosen one’. She is an ordinary girl, a reader like you and me who stumbles upon a secret and decides to reunite with her family by setting things right and facing the demons (not literally) she has been kept safe from. There are a lot of ‘reader’ references that filled my heart with joy. As readers we consider books to be an escape of sorts and the author combines this idea with the presence of actual doors waiting to be opened and newer worlds waiting to be explored.
Definitely recommended!
Top reviews from other countries

V. O'Regan
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Deeply Enchanting Tale
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 September 2019Verified Purchase
“If one follows the stories, one will nearly always find a doorway buried at their roots.”
My thanks to Little Brown Book Group U.K./Orbit for an eARC via NetGalley of Alix E. Harrow’s historical fantasy, ‘The Ten Thousand Doors of January’, in exchange for an honest review.
This was a wonderful, deeply magical tale. I loved it so much and subsequently purchased both its hardback and audiobook editions. Its cover art is exquisite and provides a taste of what is to come when you open its pages.
It begins in 1901 and its narrator, seven-year old January Scaller, has grown up in Mr. Locke’s sprawling Kentucky mansion, which is filled with strange artefacts and treasures. January’s father, Julian, is travelling the world on behalf of Mr. Locke acquiring new treasures. When January turns seventeen she discovers a battered leather bound book inside a blue Egyptian chest located in Mr. Locke’s Pharaoh Room. Its cover is stamped in gold letters: ‘The Ten Thousand Doors’.
She describes its distinctive smell: “This one smelled unlike any book I’d ever held. Cinnamon and coal smoke, catacombs and loam. ..... It smelled like adventure itself had been harvested in the wild, distilled to a fine wine, and splashed across each page.”
This inspires January’s imagination and a number of times she references ‘Alice in Wonderland’ though reflects “People never got to stay in their Wonderlands, did they? Alice and Dorothy and the Darlings, all dragged back to the mundane world and tucked into bed by their handlers.” This certainly resonated with my own childhood feelings when enraptured by such stories.
Interspersed with January’s account are extracts from the book that tells tales of secret doors that link worlds and those gifted individuals who are able to open them becoming walkers between the worlds.
This is just a slight taste of the wonders within this superb coming of age story. It is an enchanting tale of folklore, magic, adventures, love, and myriad worlds. A literary fantasy that I fell completely in love with. Harrow writes beautifully and brings her characters and settings vividly to life.
I rather envy new readers who will have the adventure of discovering ‘The Ten Thousand Doors of January’ for the first time.
Very highly recommended.
My thanks to Little Brown Book Group U.K./Orbit for an eARC via NetGalley of Alix E. Harrow’s historical fantasy, ‘The Ten Thousand Doors of January’, in exchange for an honest review.
This was a wonderful, deeply magical tale. I loved it so much and subsequently purchased both its hardback and audiobook editions. Its cover art is exquisite and provides a taste of what is to come when you open its pages.
It begins in 1901 and its narrator, seven-year old January Scaller, has grown up in Mr. Locke’s sprawling Kentucky mansion, which is filled with strange artefacts and treasures. January’s father, Julian, is travelling the world on behalf of Mr. Locke acquiring new treasures. When January turns seventeen she discovers a battered leather bound book inside a blue Egyptian chest located in Mr. Locke’s Pharaoh Room. Its cover is stamped in gold letters: ‘The Ten Thousand Doors’.
She describes its distinctive smell: “This one smelled unlike any book I’d ever held. Cinnamon and coal smoke, catacombs and loam. ..... It smelled like adventure itself had been harvested in the wild, distilled to a fine wine, and splashed across each page.”
This inspires January’s imagination and a number of times she references ‘Alice in Wonderland’ though reflects “People never got to stay in their Wonderlands, did they? Alice and Dorothy and the Darlings, all dragged back to the mundane world and tucked into bed by their handlers.” This certainly resonated with my own childhood feelings when enraptured by such stories.
Interspersed with January’s account are extracts from the book that tells tales of secret doors that link worlds and those gifted individuals who are able to open them becoming walkers between the worlds.
This is just a slight taste of the wonders within this superb coming of age story. It is an enchanting tale of folklore, magic, adventures, love, and myriad worlds. A literary fantasy that I fell completely in love with. Harrow writes beautifully and brings her characters and settings vividly to life.
I rather envy new readers who will have the adventure of discovering ‘The Ten Thousand Doors of January’ for the first time.
Very highly recommended.
36 people found this helpful
Report abuse

Shal
1.0 out of 5 stars
Tedious, dross........
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 October 2019Verified Purchase
I found this book, tedious and not particularly well written so I abandoned it half way through. I should add that I very rarely give up on a book (rare as hens teeth) but there are too many brilliant books just waiting to be read to waste anymore time trawling through this rubbish, sorry! I note all the rave reviews for it but some people are easily pleased.
Each to his own, I guess.
Each to his own, I guess.
39 people found this helpful
Report abuse

little bookworm
3.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting mix of genres
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 November 2019Verified Purchase
We first meet January Scaller when she is seven years old, when accompanying her guardian on his travels, January comes across a Door to another world. It will be another ten years before she learns the true nature of Doors through a strange book she stumbles across. Yet reading its story, January discovers not only the magic and wonder of others worlds, but also her own origins.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January is an interesting mix of fantasy, adventure, romance and historical fiction. At its heart it is a coming of age story, a story about a young lady discovering who she is and her place in the world, or perhaps I should say worlds. Race and social status also play important roles in the story, and in many ways the book is an ode to stories themselves and the power of words.
The prose and descriptions in this book are quite exquisite, however it is a slow read, the pace taking a while to pick up and for the story to really get going. Furthermore whilst I liked this book, I can't say that I loved it, and to be honest from the reviews I had read, I had been expecting something more.
Whilst the story is imaginative, with a lot of scope and potential, I'm not sure this was actually fully realized. Furthermore, for some reason I simply couldn't connect to any of the characters as well as I should have done, including January herself. I also wasn't that keen on the 'big bad' in the story, the reveal of which really wasn't that surprising, and which I had pieced together very early on.
Overall this was an interesting read, if a little bizarre at times. Alix Harrow has a lovely way with words, however I felt the central story itself was actually somewhat simplistic, albeit told in a very extended way.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January is an interesting mix of fantasy, adventure, romance and historical fiction. At its heart it is a coming of age story, a story about a young lady discovering who she is and her place in the world, or perhaps I should say worlds. Race and social status also play important roles in the story, and in many ways the book is an ode to stories themselves and the power of words.
The prose and descriptions in this book are quite exquisite, however it is a slow read, the pace taking a while to pick up and for the story to really get going. Furthermore whilst I liked this book, I can't say that I loved it, and to be honest from the reviews I had read, I had been expecting something more.
Whilst the story is imaginative, with a lot of scope and potential, I'm not sure this was actually fully realized. Furthermore, for some reason I simply couldn't connect to any of the characters as well as I should have done, including January herself. I also wasn't that keen on the 'big bad' in the story, the reveal of which really wasn't that surprising, and which I had pieced together very early on.
Overall this was an interesting read, if a little bizarre at times. Alix Harrow has a lovely way with words, however I felt the central story itself was actually somewhat simplistic, albeit told in a very extended way.
31 people found this helpful
Report abuse

OLT
5.0 out of 5 stars
I need to find the Door to a world where I can give this book more than 5 stars.
Reviewed in the United States on 11 August 2019
I confess to being an escape reader most of the time. I need to read plots and characters in words made up by somebody else to drown out my own thoughts, which are usually grim these past few years. Sometimes my escape read has a really great plot or appealing characters; sometimes it's well written. I rarely find a book that has a superior plot and also exceptional, superior writing. I can think of only three such that I've read in this past year: Diane Setterfield's ONCE UPON A RIVER, Lyndsay Faye's THE PARAGON HOTEL, and Natt och Dag's THE WOLF AND THE WATCHMAN.
And now we have this debut novel by Alix Harrow. It is everything I look for in fiction. Beautiful writing; clever, unique plot; interesting characters; a world I can lose myself in. You can read this on many levels. If all you want is a thumping good fantasy/adventure, it's here for you. If you want a coming-of-age tale, it's here. If you want a love story, there's some of that also. And if you want an allegorical commentary on society and its biases, injustices and strictures, look no further.
This is January Scaller's story and it begins in 1901 in Vermont when she is seven. January, the daughter of a black father, Julian Scaller, and a white mother whose name and existence are unknown to her and us at the beginning, is the ward of wealthy collector Cornelius Locke, her father's employer. Julian is sent off around the world to find treasures and valuable artifacts for Mr. Locke, while January lives a lonely life, rather like Locke's curious pet, possession, or curiosity as a mixed-race girl.
She is pampered, as a rich man's ward, but her life is contained and confined. When she discovers her first magic Door at the age of seven, she enters the threshold of a new world for a brief moment, until she hears Locke calling to her and she passes out of that world again, but not before picking up a silver coin she will keep hidden.
This is not the kind of behavior Locke prescribes and January is required to behave appropriately until, at the age of 17, she discovers a leather-bound journal, THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS. There's a whole world, or perhaps one should say "worlds", out there just waiting to be discovered and explored if one can only find the Door to enter them. "Because there are ten thousand stories about ten thousand doors and we know them as well as our names. They lead to Faerie, to Valhalla, Atlantis and Lemuria, Heaven and Hell, to all the directions a compass could never take you, to 'elsewhere'".
And "certain words written by certain people" hold power. This "word magic" can open doors, to effect change, to free and open minds. Is January one of those "certain people"? Perhaps it "isn't healthy for young girls to grow up with their heads full of doors and other worlds."
So January breaks away from her confines and sets out on her quest. To find her father. To learn about her mother. To know things. To be free. To find a place to belong. And we readers go along for the ride.
As I said earlier, you can choose to read this as a rollicking fantasy/adventure, with certain people searching for Doors and new worlds and other more powerful people looking to stop them and close all those Doors, because Doors "overturn order" and "instigate all sorts of trouble and disruptions."
Or you can read this as a coming-of-age story about a girl who needs to find out more about her father and mother in order to understand herself.
Then there's the fantasy's allegorical level with social commentary about racism and classism, about the rich and powerful oppressing the less powerful, about the need for freedom and change, and about the power of the written word in all of this.
But, most of all for me, there was the simple delight of reading an excellently written book. A book I savored and read slowly, quite the change from my usual race to a book's finish line denouement.
And now we have this debut novel by Alix Harrow. It is everything I look for in fiction. Beautiful writing; clever, unique plot; interesting characters; a world I can lose myself in. You can read this on many levels. If all you want is a thumping good fantasy/adventure, it's here for you. If you want a coming-of-age tale, it's here. If you want a love story, there's some of that also. And if you want an allegorical commentary on society and its biases, injustices and strictures, look no further.
This is January Scaller's story and it begins in 1901 in Vermont when she is seven. January, the daughter of a black father, Julian Scaller, and a white mother whose name and existence are unknown to her and us at the beginning, is the ward of wealthy collector Cornelius Locke, her father's employer. Julian is sent off around the world to find treasures and valuable artifacts for Mr. Locke, while January lives a lonely life, rather like Locke's curious pet, possession, or curiosity as a mixed-race girl.
She is pampered, as a rich man's ward, but her life is contained and confined. When she discovers her first magic Door at the age of seven, she enters the threshold of a new world for a brief moment, until she hears Locke calling to her and she passes out of that world again, but not before picking up a silver coin she will keep hidden.
This is not the kind of behavior Locke prescribes and January is required to behave appropriately until, at the age of 17, she discovers a leather-bound journal, THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS. There's a whole world, or perhaps one should say "worlds", out there just waiting to be discovered and explored if one can only find the Door to enter them. "Because there are ten thousand stories about ten thousand doors and we know them as well as our names. They lead to Faerie, to Valhalla, Atlantis and Lemuria, Heaven and Hell, to all the directions a compass could never take you, to 'elsewhere'".
And "certain words written by certain people" hold power. This "word magic" can open doors, to effect change, to free and open minds. Is January one of those "certain people"? Perhaps it "isn't healthy for young girls to grow up with their heads full of doors and other worlds."
So January breaks away from her confines and sets out on her quest. To find her father. To learn about her mother. To know things. To be free. To find a place to belong. And we readers go along for the ride.
As I said earlier, you can choose to read this as a rollicking fantasy/adventure, with certain people searching for Doors and new worlds and other more powerful people looking to stop them and close all those Doors, because Doors "overturn order" and "instigate all sorts of trouble and disruptions."
Or you can read this as a coming-of-age story about a girl who needs to find out more about her father and mother in order to understand herself.
Then there's the fantasy's allegorical level with social commentary about racism and classism, about the rich and powerful oppressing the less powerful, about the need for freedom and change, and about the power of the written word in all of this.
But, most of all for me, there was the simple delight of reading an excellently written book. A book I savored and read slowly, quite the change from my usual race to a book's finish line denouement.
493 people found this helpful
Report abuse

A. Whitehead
4.0 out of 5 stars
A story about doors, both external and internal
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 August 2020Verified Purchase
The Ten Thousand Doors of January is Alix E. Harrow's debut novel, following a string of successful short stories (including the Hugo-winning A Witch's Guide to Escape). The book is sits comfortably in the "portal fantasy" genre, a well-trodden field wherein sits everything from The Chronicles of Narnia and The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant to Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry series. However, whilst most portal fantasies are about the mysterious new world the protagonists find beyond the portal, The Ten Thousand Doors is about the process of finding the doors and ensuring their survival. Very much a case of the journey being more interesting than the destination.
The book also extends this approach to the lead character of January Scaller, whose oft-absent father and entirely missing mother leaves her feeling incomplete and unrealised. As the book progresses, the portals become vehicles for her journey of self-discovery; she gains a greater understanding of her past and her family as she crosses the portals.
It's a fine approach, further helped by the narrative unfolding in two strands. The first strand is a first-person adventure narrated by January herself, unfolding over many years as she grows up and tries to learn more about her deceased mother and her often-absent father. The second is the book-within-a-book that January is reading, about a young girl growing up decades earlier who finds a way of travelling between worlds, a power that January realises that she also shares and is something that other people want to control...or destroy.
The two narratives reflect on one another as they unfold in tandem, each informing on the other. Credibility is a slight issue here - January seems to be obsessed with the book, but only reads the next chapter when it's dramatically convenient to the advancement of the plot, rather than say blasting through the whole thing in a few hours like any sane reader - but this feels like a pedantic complaint about what is essentially a fairy tale for adults.
There are other complaints - there are moments of Dickensian misery that occasionally insert themselves in a near-non sequitur manner, such as a slightly out-of-place episode taking place in a lunatic asylum - but these are constrained. After a slow start, The Ten Thousand Doors of January unfolds through splendid prose and elevates itself from a simple adventure to a meditation on the power of words, the art of storytelling and the reaffirmation of that old Tolkien idea of every journey of a thousand miles starting with a door, and wondering what's beyond it.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January (****) is an intriguing book, mashing up traditional portal fantasy with the parallel universe strand of science fiction and using both as a vehicle to muse on story, identity and family. It's a book that does little that's new, but instead remixes a lot of existing ideas to create a compelling narrative.
The book also extends this approach to the lead character of January Scaller, whose oft-absent father and entirely missing mother leaves her feeling incomplete and unrealised. As the book progresses, the portals become vehicles for her journey of self-discovery; she gains a greater understanding of her past and her family as she crosses the portals.
It's a fine approach, further helped by the narrative unfolding in two strands. The first strand is a first-person adventure narrated by January herself, unfolding over many years as she grows up and tries to learn more about her deceased mother and her often-absent father. The second is the book-within-a-book that January is reading, about a young girl growing up decades earlier who finds a way of travelling between worlds, a power that January realises that she also shares and is something that other people want to control...or destroy.
The two narratives reflect on one another as they unfold in tandem, each informing on the other. Credibility is a slight issue here - January seems to be obsessed with the book, but only reads the next chapter when it's dramatically convenient to the advancement of the plot, rather than say blasting through the whole thing in a few hours like any sane reader - but this feels like a pedantic complaint about what is essentially a fairy tale for adults.
There are other complaints - there are moments of Dickensian misery that occasionally insert themselves in a near-non sequitur manner, such as a slightly out-of-place episode taking place in a lunatic asylum - but these are constrained. After a slow start, The Ten Thousand Doors of January unfolds through splendid prose and elevates itself from a simple adventure to a meditation on the power of words, the art of storytelling and the reaffirmation of that old Tolkien idea of every journey of a thousand miles starting with a door, and wondering what's beyond it.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January (****) is an intriguing book, mashing up traditional portal fantasy with the parallel universe strand of science fiction and using both as a vehicle to muse on story, identity and family. It's a book that does little that's new, but instead remixes a lot of existing ideas to create a compelling narrative.
7 people found this helpful
Report abuse