“The Ten Thousand Doors of January” is the first novel of Alix E. Harrow, and it is a tour de force of lyricism. It is a portal fantasy in the same vein as the Narnia books, Alice in Wonderland, and more recently Seanan McGuire’s “Every Heart a Doorway”. It is also historical fantasy, set mostly in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Harrow is a former History professor and her understanding of the time period shows.
Protagonist January Scaller is a seven year old full of wonder and imagination. She is the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, a robber baron figure and collector of “artifacts”. Her father works for him collecting these extraordinary objects and is often absent. When we meet January she has discovered a magical door to another world that she seems to have written into existence. But Mr. Locke is having none of this story and sets about molding her into a “good girl” who would never have such wild flights of fancy.
As January grows she is molded by her guardian into a polite young lady whose only outlet for imagination and adventure is books. When she is seventeen she comes upon a particular book that changes everything. “The Ten Thousand Doors” tells a story of a girl from the American south who finds a door. A boy emerges from the door speaking a strange language and smelling of the sea. They share a brief kiss and then he is gone, back through the door. When she returns to see him again the door is gone, burnt to the ground. Determined to find him again, she seeks out the strange and mysterious corners of the world where the veil between worlds is thin enough to allow for doors.
January is content to believe the book is a work of fiction until one day Mr. Locke tells her that her father is missing and most likely dead. In her grief and desperation to escape Locke house and search for her lost father she discovers latent powers that allow her to bend reality to her will through the written word. She uses her powers to escape and soon she is on the run from a mysterious organization bent upon closing the doors.
How January’s story connects to the story of “The Ten Thousand Doors” is the mystery at the heart of this story. Along the way the author explores themes of privilege and power, race and discrimination, home and exile, and most of all the power of books and the written word.
“The Ten Thousand Doors of January” can be a slow burn at the start, but the artistry of the language kept me enthralled despite the early lack of action. There is some romance but it doesn’t overwhelm or subsume the story. The writing is usually beautiful although there were a few moments where I found myself thinking that the language had become a bit overwrought. Ultimately I was always eager to keep reading and discover the truth behind January’s past. The action also kept me interested once the book got going. January is an engaging and sympathetic character who blossoms into a true heroine.
I recommend this book for anyone who has any interest in science fiction and fantasy. In my opinion it is a modern day classic of the genre that deals with real issues through the prism of the portal fantasy. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 only because of the occasional instance where the writing crossed the line from lyrical to flowery, but these were few and far between. If you read it let me know what you think!