Review: A Portal Fantasy You’ll Not Soon Forget

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Opening Line: “When I was seven, I found a door. I suspect I should capitalize that word, so you understand I’m not talking about your garden-or common-variety door that leads reliably to a white-tiled kitchen or bedroom closet. When I was seven, I found a Door.” - The Ten Thousand Doors of January

And so begins the story of January Scaller. But really this is a story about Doors to elsewhere, a book within a book, and ultimately, the lengths we go to for those we love. 

“You see, doors are many things: fissures and cracks, ways between, mysteries and borders. But more than anything else, doors are change.”

As someone who grew up on the likes of Narnia, I LOVE a good portal fantasy steeped in magical realism. And The Ten Thousand Doors of January is firmly on my list of favorite reads of 2022. I finally picked it up after it was recommended to me so many times (shout out to Kam especially!). 

Quick things to know: 

• There are multiple “worlds”

• The writing is enchanting, not flowery. It’s the type of book that stays with you long after you’ve closed the pages.

• It is a story that traverses racism, so check trigger warnings.

January Scaller is a young girl growing up in a benefactor’s wealthy home, who treats her like a unique doll to dress up and prance around his salons (ick!), while her father, who works for the same man, travels the world looking for special “artifacts.” These may or may not be stolen treasures. But from where?  

Her father disappears for months on end, until one day, he sends Jane to protect January. But from what? 

When a book falls into January’s hands, she begins to question everything, and she discovers a yearning for a place she truly belongs. Yes, it’s a book within a book. A love story from writer to reader. 

The lyrical writing, the gorgeous visualizations, and the deep focus on a few characters, make this a must read for me. Plus, there’s a very good dog, named (Sin)bad.     

“Perhaps I keep writing because I was raised in a world where words have power, where curves and spirals of ink adorn sales and skin, where a sufficiently talented word-worker might reach out and remake her world.”

This book makes you wish Doors truly existed. Who knows? Maybe they do…

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