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kate_and_books's review
5.0
“It was a night like any other, and a night like no other of my experience when I stumbled through Death’s Door”
I am a huge April White fan so straight off I’m biased.
This was just brilliant, a new Immortal Descendants but in Baltimore. You don’t necessarily have to read the other books but I would (see biased) why because it gives you more depth and background to this book here.
Alexandra “Ren” Reynolds leads a normal life or not as Edgar Allan Poe has just worked into her bar straight from 1849 into the 21st Century. It is for Ren to help him get back to his time.
The author writes her tales with such ease and sucks me in every time. She is a history buff and has taken things that have happened in history and made them her own which isn’t easy.
Poe is quite a character.
“It offends me to have a woman conduct my business for me.”
“Funny,” I said with a raised eyebrow, “it offends me to have a bigot in my house. Here’s hoping we both find tolerance.”
We have a love interest and I can’t wait to read more!
I am a huge April White fan so straight off I’m biased.
This was just brilliant, a new Immortal Descendants but in Baltimore. You don’t necessarily have to read the other books but I would (see biased) why because it gives you more depth and background to this book here.
Alexandra “Ren” Reynolds leads a normal life or not as Edgar Allan Poe has just worked into her bar straight from 1849 into the 21st Century. It is for Ren to help him get back to his time.
The author writes her tales with such ease and sucks me in every time. She is a history buff and has taken things that have happened in history and made them her own which isn’t easy.
Poe is quite a character.
“It offends me to have a woman conduct my business for me.”
“Funny,” I said with a raised eyebrow, “it offends me to have a bigot in my house. Here’s hoping we both find tolerance.”
We have a love interest and I can’t wait to read more!
queencleo's review
3.0
A fanciful What-If story set in the Immortal Descendants universe, where Edgar Allen Poe is a Clocker (time traveller, Descendant of Time) who clocks forward to 21st century Baltimore for 5 days, purely by accident
bobbysays's review against another edition
4.0
I actually really enjoyed this book. As an African American woman, sensitive topics we’re handled very well - and not at all glossed over. The tale itself was and easy read and, while not chock full of action, the existing tension and mysteries (e.g. what is George, would Ren change Poe’s fate, would she let Nick in) kept me intrigued. I’ll definitely be reading more in the series
vmars314's review
5.0
I loved meeting Edgar Allan Poe and I can't wait for more stories with Ren and Nick!
dorrj's review against another edition
5.0
This book is simply amazing! I am a fan of April White’s Immortal Descendants series and this was a welcome addition to her ongoing world. When I saw this available for pre-order, I was a bit surprised that it wasn’t going to be the second book based on her character Ringo. However, The main character Ren is just as interesting, if not more. If you have read any of the original series, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
yvo_about_books's review
4.25
Finished reading: May 13th 2023
“Believing in something is easy enough - it is anonymous, and can be done from a distance. But change requires more - it needs voices and faces, people to say the words and do the deeds.”
I was browsing books to read for the kindle challenge, and I couldn't resist adding Death's Door after reading the blurb. This novella had me as soon as it mentioned time travel and Edgar Allan Poe; while sci-fi isn't my usual genre, I tend to enjoy books with a historical angle and time travel element. I'm so glad I stumbled across this novella now, because I ended up having a fantastic time with this kindle freebie! I didn't realize that this was actually a spin off series set in the same world as the Immortal Descendants series, but thankfully it was quite easy to get the general idea of this world. In fact, it only made me more curious to return and try that series as well! The focus in Death's Door is on Edgar Allan Poe and Alexandra Reynolds, and they are part of the reason this story works so well. I loved the incorporation of historical facts about Edgar Allan Poe; they felt natural and really took the story to the next level for me. Ren makes for such a fascinating character as well, and I loved spending time with her as she tries to help Edgar return to his own time. There is also some hint at romance, but thankfully the main focus is on the time travel, Descendants world, Edgar Allan Poe and other themes including slavery/racism/misogyny. I literally flew through this novella, and I will be looking forward to read more of April White's work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Slavery, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Racism
Moderate: Violence and Alcohol
melenareads's review against another edition
5.0
**4.5 stars**
Really enjoyed this short story.
April manages to make me connect with her characters (and enjoy their journey) in a very smooth way. In this case, also adding some interesting historical facts to the mix and, as it tends to be her usual, meaningful conversations about very relevant topics.
I am missing the Immortal Descendants universe more than ever. It might be a good time for a re-read of the series.
PS: is not necessary to read the ID series before this book...
Really enjoyed this short story.
April manages to make me connect with her characters (and enjoy their journey) in a very smooth way. In this case, also adding some interesting historical facts to the mix and, as it tends to be her usual, meaningful conversations about very relevant topics.
I am missing the Immortal Descendants universe more than ever. It might be a good time for a re-read of the series.
PS: is not necessary to read the ID series before this book...
mistwithanie's review
4.0
Dear Reader Podcast Review
https://pod.co/dear-reader-podcast/book-talk-deaths-door-by-april-white
https://pod.co/dear-reader-podcast/book-talk-deaths-door-by-april-white
onemanbookclub's review
5.0
Check out my blog, One Man Book Club
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
April White writes the stories I want to read!
I hope you'll check out her Immortal Descendants series. It's time travel, shape-shifters, and vampires (who don't sparkle). It brings to life the people and places we only know from history books and gives them color and personality we didn't know we needed. In these stories we walk the streets of Jack the Ripper's London, climb the Tower of London with Queen Elizabeth, fight along side Joan of Arc, and crack Nazi codes in 1940 France. Sounds fun, right?
That's because it is.
Death's Door was an unexpected trip back into the world of the Immortal Descendants. It's a bite-sized story full of exactly those things that make April White's books such a treat. This time there's a twist: the historical figure we get to rub shoulders with IS the time traveler, and he travels forward in time to meet us instead of us traveling back to meet him!
Did you know Edgar Allan Poe could travel through time?
Death's Door kicks off a new series of stories set in the world of the Immortal Descendants where there are new characters to meet and new adventures to find. Strong HERo's with morals and a message have become April's calling card, so you can be sure that's what you'll find here as well. All signs point to some future romance, too.
The Immortal Descendants are packed full of the stuff I love to read, and Death's Door is a very, very welcome addition.
I bet you're going to love it too.
No content concerns. Best for 14 and up.
Happy Reading!
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
April White writes the stories I want to read!
I hope you'll check out her Immortal Descendants series. It's time travel, shape-shifters, and vampires (who don't sparkle). It brings to life the people and places we only know from history books and gives them color and personality we didn't know we needed. In these stories we walk the streets of Jack the Ripper's London, climb the Tower of London with Queen Elizabeth, fight along side Joan of Arc, and crack Nazi codes in 1940 France. Sounds fun, right?
That's because it is.
Death's Door was an unexpected trip back into the world of the Immortal Descendants. It's a bite-sized story full of exactly those things that make April White's books such a treat. This time there's a twist: the historical figure we get to rub shoulders with IS the time traveler, and he travels forward in time to meet us instead of us traveling back to meet him!
Did you know Edgar Allan Poe could travel through time?
Death's Door kicks off a new series of stories set in the world of the Immortal Descendants where there are new characters to meet and new adventures to find. Strong HERo's with morals and a message have become April's calling card, so you can be sure that's what you'll find here as well. All signs point to some future romance, too.
The Immortal Descendants are packed full of the stuff I love to read, and Death's Door is a very, very welcome addition.
I bet you're going to love it too.
No content concerns. Best for 14 and up.
Happy Reading!
bananatricky's review
4.0
Not recommended if you haven't read the Immortal Descendants series.
This is a short novella, written in the COVID period, based on the strange disappearance of the author Edgar Allan Poe for five days just before he died. April White imagines that Poe was a Clocker, although he didn't know it, who travels to present day Baltimore where he meets an extraordinary woman called Alexandra Reynolds aka Ren.
I'll be honest, I have the memory of a goldfish and I have no idea if Ren is a character from the Immortal Descendants or not. If not, then there is a lot of reading between the lines about Ren's history but I kind of like that. Being British I am not as familiar with Poe's work and life story as US readers might be, and I enjoyed learning about him in the novella and in April White's author's notes at the end.
I am definitely looking forward to reading more of the Baltimore Mysteries.
This is a short novella, written in the COVID period, based on the strange disappearance of the author Edgar Allan Poe for five days just before he died. April White imagines that Poe was a Clocker, although he didn't know it, who travels to present day Baltimore where he meets an extraordinary woman called Alexandra Reynolds aka Ren.
I'll be honest, I have the memory of a goldfish and I have no idea if Ren is a character from the Immortal Descendants or not. If not, then there is a lot of reading between the lines about Ren's history but I kind of like that. Being British I am not as familiar with Poe's work and life story as US readers might be, and I enjoyed learning about him in the novella and in April White's author's notes at the end.
I am definitely looking forward to reading more of the Baltimore Mysteries.