A review by rg9400
The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera

adventurous challenging fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

This is a hard book to review. On one hand, it's very fresh and unique, confident in not following any rules of the genre. On the other hand, I struggled to stay engaged as the story dropped threads and picked up new threads every few chapters. There is a certain lack of narrative thrust, particularly in the second half, that tends to deflate any tension I was feeling in the book. At its core, the idea of the book is fascinating, an epic fantasy about rebelling against a father that seems almost godlike that is set inside a world that feels almost the same as our current one, even in terms of politics and societal norms. For example, there is social media and online dating. The reader just gets thrown in, and there is no attempt to justify rules or why things work or exist the way they do. I actually appreciated just how confident Vajra was in his writing and worldbuilding. I also really liked the political tumult throughout the city, and how it feels like just a part of everyday life for all of its inhabitants. We have group therapy with the Unchosen/Almost Chosen, and even the multicultural and diverse religions feel so matter of fact. Rebellion and sedition are just normal activities. By not putting extra weight on these concepts that could dominate other books, Vajra is able to build a vibrant world that does truly feel refreshing. Even when we get to studying doors, I was really enjoying the story, and all the different origin myths throughout the book were also things I thought were done very well. However, in the second half of the book, our character ends up moving a lot, and the world seems to shift dramatically while offscreen. Side characters that were compelling disappear, and I struggled to understand what the first half was really building towards. The matter-of-fact approach in this section of the book feels more like a negative, causing the plot to move very fast without giving enough weight or time to breathe towards moments that did feel like they should have been significant. I get not giving significance to the tropes and staples of fantasy to take another approach, but *something* should feel like it has more purpose to it as the replacement. The ending just sort of happens, and at that time, I was left thoroughly confused with what I had just read. Not from a comprehension perspective, just from what it all was trying to achieve. I actually think the book is not particularly dense, and the prose is fairly clear while still having a unique style to it. However, I didn't fully grasp if there was more of a thematic depth to the story, especially because my understanding of Sri Lankan history and circumstances is very limited, and the author might have been pulling from that with his multicultural, multifaceted city. I want to say I liked this book because of how unique it is and how confident it is in its uniqueness. However, my own personal enjoyment wasn't super high by the end of it. I do think the first half is fantastic though, and I wish the author was able to deliver something that built off that, though I do want to read more into what he was trying to do since I still don't fully think I get it.