Wednesday, September 4, 2019

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: The Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow



Full Disclosure:  This book was read as an e-ARC (Advance Reader Copy) obtained via Netgalley from the publisher in advance of the book's release on September 10, 2019 in exchange for a potential review.  I give my word that this did not affect my review in any way - if I felt conflicted in any way, I would simply have declined to review the book.

The Thousand Doors of January is the first novel of author Alix E. Harrow, who just won this past year's Hugo Award for Best Short Story.  That story, A Witch's Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies, is a powerful story about a lost boy among adults who have the tools (a magic book hidden away by a librarian) that can help them find their way and while it wasn't my pick for the Hugo, it certainly was not unworthy of the award.  That story was actually the first I'd heard of Harrow, who's apparently written a short list of short fiction over the past few years, but it was impressive enough as a story for me to be interested when her first novel showed up for request on NetGalley.

And The Thousand Door of January shares some themes with that short story but uses those themes in different ways to create a very different tone, ending on an optimistic if little bittersweet tone.  It takes a not unfamiliar take on portal fantasy, marries it to a conflict between the status quo of the past and change of the unknown future, and centers the story around a young heroine who is really well done.  And more, a heroine whose story I really cared about, which is one of the best things I can say about a story.


--------------------------------------------------Plot Summary------------------------------------------------------
 January Scaller, a girl of strange non-white complexion, grew up at the turn of the 20th century with her father nearly always away - away on trips around the world, searching seemingly for strange foreign objects to bring back to his employer, the wealthy Mr. Locke.  January always wished to go with her father, but instead she grew up in the care of Mr. Locke, who assured her it was for her own good.

And then, age 7, she found a Door to another place.  And while that door didn't last, it wouldn't be January's last encounter with the Doors, and they, along with a book titled "The Ten Thousand Doors", would change her life forever, sending her on a journey to discover who she really is, and what the Doors really are.....and why Mr. Locke and his friends seem determined to do anything to stop her....
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The Thousand Doors of January is a book that combines elements from many many past books into its story.  You have the idea that there are doors that appears to many other worlds (ala classic portal fantasies), you have the idea of old people fighting against anything that threatens change from the status quo - to say nothing of racial oppression and inequality - you have the idea of love and growing up, you have the idea that writing is magic and power....etc.  And it combines all of these elements into a truly terrific story, with this story told by its protagonist, January, from some point in the future, as part of a book (well, the book you're reading, of course).

And January is just so damn wonderful.  This is her story, the story of her struggling with what is essentially captivity despite occasional glances at the outside world, and then her discovery of what else is out there, and the truth of who she is.  And oh does Harrow make it so hard not to care for January, and to feel sad when she's sad, and to feel happy when she's happy.  January is brave, adventurous, intelligent and creative, but despite the magic she finds herself involved in, she feels like a real person, which again makes her emotions so deadly to the reader - or at least to me - because while I mentioned this book does end on an optimistic note, the journey is far from fun and games and she goes through some really rough times.

Of course her journey is accompanied by a number of characters, some of whom are developed well, some less so.  But the book devotes significant time to the story of two other characters, Adelaide and Yule Ian, who are characters in the in-universe book January finds (and perhaps more).  And their stories are really well done, as a young woman who searches for doors constantly and a young man who grows up researching and trying to discover the truths behind the doors, for his own hidden purpose. It's a lovely story at first, until the truth of it comes out, to devastating emotional effect, but great payoff - the reader will figure out where it is going fairly quickly, but it doesn't blunt any of the effect.

The plot is really well done, juggling the story within the story as well as January's own story to really strong effect.  Certain plot elements and twists you may see coming, but they're executed well and still had emotional impact and it all adds up to an ending that is pretty perfect - hopeful and yet bittersweet, so as to not make cheap any of the difficulties and hardships January endured in her childhood: this ending is earned and earned well.  If I had any complaints, it's that the boy who comes along with January as her only friend isn't really developed as a person outside of January's orbit, although the twist in the ending perhaps kind of justifies that now that I think about it.

Yeah, I really really liked this one and recommend a purchase when it comes out.
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