Book Review: The Ten Thousand Doors Of January by Alix E. Harrow

‘The Ten Thousand Doors of January’ by Alix E. Harrow was published in 2019, followed several connected narratives, one following a young woman called January, from childhood who was raised by her foster father in a grand estate while her biological father hunted for treasures across the world.

The other narratives follow the lives of a young woman called Ade, a white, American woman who meets a young, baffled, black boy that wasn’t dressed for the weather, in her garden, and seeks to find him in the future, and a young man called Yule Ian, said boy from Ade’s garden. What connects these three stories is Doors.

Doors are interconnecting pathways between worlds which allow you to pass through. They are described essential to change and development in the world, a constant flow of movement and energy.

The story is beautifully written, with a primary focus on young January as she finds out her father had gone missing and strives to find answers to questions that haunted her, primarily related to his absence in her youth. With the help of her father’s friend, Jane, a black woman that lived among leopard women, and the local shopkeeper’s boy, Samuel, and her trusty dog Simbad, or Bad for short, January embarks on an adventure to open doors and have her questions answered.

The language and imagery was often beautiful and evocative. However, I found the plot reasonably slow-moving and wasn’t gripped quickly by the sequences that took place in the novel. I only felt the tug of an incoming adventure after reading the best part of 120 pages. I’m glad I finished it, though, Harrow has a strong command of language and told a beautiful, poignant story of love beyond the boundaries of space and time.

Although it wasn’t a favourite of mine, Harrow’s storytelling made it a pleasurable, if not potentially forgettable fantasy novel. But my opinion is only one! This could be your new favourite book!