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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
An absolutely beautiful, loving ode to stories everywhere. I'm honestly inspired to model all my writing after Alix E. Harrow's. Her descriptions are so lush and magical, and she has such a brilliant command of language, characters, and plot. I didn't expect to be so immediately enchanted and drawn into the world (or I suppose, worlds) she crafted, but this book made me excited to walk to class just so I could listen to a little more (I HIGHLY recommend the audio book by the way. January LaVoy completely brings these characters to life). This book is perfect for adventurers, for dog-lovers, for history nerds, and for girls who feel out of place and in-between. This book is for all the lovers of fantastical worlds, and for those looking for magic in the mundane. More than anything, this book is a skeleton key. Open the door, and see where it takes you.
Didn't enjoy this book at all. The characters didn't feel particularly engaging. The structure of reading a book within a book didn't wow me and took me out of the main story completely.
I recently joined a book club, and for our January 2025 pick, we chose The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. It’s not a book I’d normally gravitate toward, as I usually prefer epic fantasy with darker themes. That said, I found aspects of it really enjoyable. The concept of magical doors leading to other worlds is fantastic, and Harrow’s writing is undeniably beautiful—dreamy and poetic in a way that adds a touch of magic to the whole story. However, some parts didn’t quite click for me.
The story felt a bit slow for my taste and took a while to pick up, which made it hard to stay fully engaged at times. I also had trouble connecting with the characters and understanding some of their decisions. And while January’s journey was intriguing, I never felt completely invested in her or the relationships surrounding her. Honestly, I found Adelaide’s journey far more compelling and would have loved for Harrow to dive deeper into her storyline.
Overall, it’s a decent book with some stunning moments, but it didn’t sweep me away. If you love descriptive, literary fantasy, you might enjoy it more than I did!
The story felt a bit slow for my taste and took a while to pick up, which made it hard to stay fully engaged at times. I also had trouble connecting with the characters and understanding some of their decisions. And while January’s journey was intriguing, I never felt completely invested in her or the relationships surrounding her. Honestly, I found Adelaide’s journey far more compelling and would have loved for Harrow to dive deeper into her storyline.
Overall, it’s a decent book with some stunning moments, but it didn’t sweep me away. If you love descriptive, literary fantasy, you might enjoy it more than I did!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was such an interesting and clever book. It was a little bit historical fiction, a little bit fantasy, a little bit adventure story, and a little bit tragic love story. It was well-written and kept me drawn in the whole time. I loved how the seemingly unrelated story lines came together so well. Such a fun read!!
ModernMrsDarcy.com #MMD pick for February 2020.
I’m not a big fan of FANTASY but this book was FANTASTIC — a FANTASTICAL delight. Excellent choice!
Also • Recommended in ModernMrsDarcy.com 2021 Fall Book Preview #MMDBookClub
I’m not a big fan of FANTASY but this book was FANTASTIC — a FANTASTICAL delight. Excellent choice!
Also • Recommended in ModernMrsDarcy.com 2021 Fall Book Preview #MMDBookClub
This was boring. It was interesting when the characters would actually speak, but it was mostly just flowery details about everything and I just wanted to scream “get on with it!”, but it never did. It just kept going and going.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is definitely one of the best I have read thus far in 2025. It’s reminiscent of the Night Circus but entirely unique. An excellent story with strong character development, a bit slow at the start. Main character is January, who is in the care of wealthy Mr. Locke while her father, Julian, travels and collects artifacts for the Locke estate. A creative, innovative story - you won’t be able to stop reading!