Gripping, unusual and fun. I brilliant sci fi tale that seemed so real as involved modern day. Great book to read.

One of the most magical stories I’ve read in a long time. Wonderfully original and one that will stay with me. I’ll be recommending this to anyone who’ll listen!

This novel began with whimsy and adventure, then took a dark and shocking turn that both horrified me and left me craving a satisfying ending. It delivered on that, but now I want more. I want to see life after the ending, without the threat of death and destruction that followed these characters throughout the novel.

It took me all of 20 pages to start caring for this cast of characters and by the conclusion I was feeling with them, not just for them. The themes of grief and moving on are so strong throughout, and the way Cassie had to learn to live despite it all struck a chord with me. Drummond, too, I wish I could follow more and see where healing takes him.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review, and apologies it’s taken a whole year to get here.

The Book of Doors follows Cassie who works in a New York bookshop, one evening a older gentleman customer in the shop who Cassie talks with, passes away in the shop, a mysterious book left on the table with a note attached gifting it to Cassie. The small book is called The Book of Doors and when Cassie takes the book home to her flatmate Izzy and they soon realise this book has the power to take them anywhere in the world as long as she just imagines the door. The problem with having a magical book though is that bad people are also looking after it, including ‘the woman’, a dangerous book collector seeking even more power from magical books, of which The Book of Doors is just one. With the help of The Librarian, Drummond Fox, who has been hiding these magical books, Cassie and Izzy must not only survive but protect the book.

I’ll start with the positives, I really enjoyed the concept of this book, that there are books out there that have magical qualities, just not the book of doors that (like any good book) takes you to infinite places, but a book of joy, a book of memories, of safety, of health, and ones that are used cruelly but could be used for good such as the book of pain and the book of illusion. As an avid book reader, books have helped me emotionally, spiritually, even physically ultimately, the infinite possibilities and worlds, the escapism of them, the belonging in them etc. With that in mind this book feels a little like a love letter to books.
The writing style also is easy to read and you can sit down and read this pretty quickly, the last part of the book in particular really consumes you
Unfortunately, there are things I did have issue with.

The main frustration with this book is that it’s one where you spend the whole time thinking ‘none of this would have happened if the MC had just listened’. From the moment Cassie shares with her roommate Izzy what the book can do, Izzy warns her to be careful, she warns her not to play with magic – and Cassie doesn’t listen because she has always wanted to travel … Then the book catches the attention of Drummond, because Cassie isn’t remotely being subtle with where and how she uses it, and he again warns her how dangerous that book is and that there are literally people out there who will kill for it. He says they need to destroy the book and she refuses. By the end of this book people are maimed and/or killed and Cassie, Drummond, Izzy and others have to scheme and plot and hide, all for a book that could have just been destroyed OR at the very least hidden in the library. It makes for a very irritating plot because it’s driven in selfishness, Cassie talks about how much the book could do good but the only person who benefits from it in the whole story is her.

With that in mind, I did not like Cassie as a MC, she wouldn’t listen to any advice or warnings, even from someone who watched their friends die because they owned magical books and who has made these books his life for years at the expense of everything. She is a grown woman with very childish tendencies. Izzy was a much more likeable character and I would have much rather the book was with her at the centre. Likewise did I need to know that the 3 main women who feature in this book are all attractive? Yes this is written by a male author. You learn that Cassie is thin, and flat chested (later on she’ll say no one has ever accused her of being thin, which confused me), Izzy is beautiful and wants to be an actress, and the villainous ‘woman’ is also beyond stunning. The 2 roommates by the end of the book will both be implied to be partnered up romantically (or at least heading that way) with other characters in the story for no justifiable reason.

Talking of ‘the woman’, the main villain in this story, she is dastardly to the point she feels more cartoon than character, you never really learn why she is so evil, why she has no human qualities at all, why she had loving parents but tortured them. She just appears on the page to steal and kill and you never really understand why she wants this power so badly or who she even is. We learn so much as the book progresses about Cassie’s relationship with her Grandad, but so little about this woman. I presume that’s the point, the vagueness, as we don’t even get a name, but it does also make her very flat. The scenes with this character also seem overly violent and gory for a book that is otherwise an easy and relatively tame read so the change in tone is a little jarring.

Overall I did enjoy The Book of Doors, I just didn’t enjoy Cassie as an MC and wished the villain was given more time. Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

"The Book of Doors" by Gareth Brown is a spellbinding debut that intertwines magic, adventure, and the profound influence of books. The narrative follows New York bookseller Cassie Andrews, whose life transforms upon receiving a mysterious book capable of turning any door into a portal to another place or time. As Cassie and her friend Izzy explore the book's potential, they attract the attention of sinister forces eager to exploit its power.
I loved the intricate plot and vivid descriptions, the twists and the turns, wondering how it would be resolved and what would happen in the end. Four stars as at times I had to really think about what was going on and I still had unanswered questions at the end. I’m hoping for a sequel!

There are magical books within this world. Books that can heal, burn, take you anywhere - and I mean literally. Take The Book of Doors - it can open ANY door, both in the past and in the present time. So when heroine Cassie realizes that, she at first travels recklessly, then with purpose, and that purpose means both the pain of loss and the need to make things right. Because there are enemies, too, who use their books for the evil needs.
But there are allies, too - her friend Izzy; Drummond Fox, the guardian of the hidden library; and silent guardian jLund.

Mixed feelings.
The world setup in the novel is absolutely charming. The books with special abilities are well-used trope in stories, but this take is fresh and interesting.
But the psychology of the characters is weak and the novel reads like YA without any romantic relationships. The characters can miss their friends and older relatives deeply, but there is loneliness intervowen in their bones, so to say. They are lonely, can and live alone (or with very limited circle of friends) and they accept their loneliness - practically every one of them. Sad and strange.
The plot is losing its steam within the second part, and rapidly at that. There are loopholes within plotting, too (like the time travel possibilities). Setup is great, but the ruthless editor could do wonders with the performance and tempo of the story.

Beautifully written book, packed with adventure and sets your imagination on fire. Love that books are central to the magic and love the dynamics between Cassie, Izzy and Drummond. Very enchanting and enjoyable read

🎧Audiobook Review🎧

#adprproduct

I want to thank NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book.

🪄Magical realism
⭐Unique
⏳Time Travel
🌍Adventure

I was initially drawn to this book because of the title, I love books about books and this one was a pleasant surprise.

The best way to sum this one up is to imagine the unique magic system of Babel (except this is books with power) and the intricate time travel of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. It's a journey from start to finish that will leave you reeling!

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

I adored this book. Every single bit! I got completely wrapped up in the magical feel of this and the was instantly transported into the world. I thought the writing was extremely clever and thought out and I felt the whole world stood up. The characters were interesting and I wanted to know more about all of their lives. 5 star read for me!

A great book and one for book readers everywhere. My only niggle was the amount of characters that came in and at times it was hard to keep up with who was who.

I honestly don’t know where to even start with this review. The Book of Doors was so much more than I ever could have expected. I initially picked up The Book of Doors because the premise sounded intriguing and I loved the idea of magical books. I did not expect to find such a beautiful, magical journey with so much heart. I honestly loved this book so much, and I cannot recommend it enough.

The Book of Doors follows the story of Cassie, a young bookseller who comes to possess a small journal titled ‘The Book of Doors’. She soon discovers it is a magical book that can help you to travel anywhere with only a picture of a doorway in mind. Any doorway can travel to anywhere. But there are book hunters looking for the magical books, and everything is about to get all the more dangerous.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. I mean how amazing would that be? To just be able to open any door and find yourself anywhere in the world. Any point in time… it would just be so amazing. Right from the start, I was just sucked into this whole idea. I loved that it was set in our world and the whole thing just seemed to plausible. If anyone knows where I can find a book of doors can you all just let me know?

The first half of this book was good… but the second half. HOLY SHIT! It was twist after twist. It was just unputdownable. I couldn’t read it fast enough, but at the same time I just didn’t want the book to be over. This is honestly not the sort of book I usually pick up. I’m usually a high fantasy, whole new world kinda girl but something about this one made me pick it up… and rightfully so because it’s genuinely a masterpiece. I wasn’t expecting it to get quite so dark and emotional. I was fully expecting this whole fun journey across the world, but this book is so much more. It definitely gets darker in the second half and that is what made the whole thing unputdownable to me. There were events happening that had me gasping and sat with my mouth agape unable to believe what had just happened.

The Book of Doors is honestly such a phenomenal debut. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is such a heartwarming, beautiful tale that is woven together expertly. Gareth’s writing is so addictive and once you start this book, you will find it hard to put down. It truly is a modern masterpiece and the love of books is always there at the forefront of everything. I adored evert single moment of this book and I can’t wait to read more of Gareth’s work in the future. If there’s only one debut you’re going to read this year, make sure it is this one.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown seems to have received mixed feedback, with readers, pointing out issues in world-building and character depth. Im in agreement with those who didn't enjoy it. The magic system was confusing, as key elements were left unexplained, and the antagonists lacked complexity. Although the fast pace and snappy dialogue kept the story moving, this came at the expense of character development, particularly with the one-dimensional villains​

Despite its promising premise, the book fell short in delivering a fully immersive and coherent narrative.

Enjoyable fantasy debut.

Pros
An original premise that was well executed.

Cons
Some of the descriptions jarred a bit
I, personally, don’t really like excessive violence and gore so I struggled with parts of this book.

*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher ***

A moving story of mystery and magic.

A slow start, but stick with it and the story unfolds into a beautifully written book about Cassie, a young woman who is gifted a truly magical book that will turn her life upside down.

This book had so much promise and potential, and I really fought through to finish it, hoping it would somehow get better. But it didn't. Every aspect was disappointing. For a book centered on the relationship between two women, it lacked depth of emotion. The villain wasn't even given a name. The writing was disappointing, giving more depth to croissants than the characters.

Genuinely one of the best books I have read in a long time.
Its my read of 2024 so far.
I'm recommending it far and wide.

The Book of Doors is an immersive and spellbinding read which wholly captivates the reader and takes them a way to a magical world. The world building by Gareth Brown in this book is nothing short of wonderful.

The Book of Doors seamlessly blends mystery, fantasy, and a touch of the surreal, keeping reader hooked throughout.
This book is a must-read for anyone who loves to lose themselves in a beautifully crafted world. An absolute treasure!

This book is brilliant. I could not put it down. It had me captivated from start to finish.
The author writes in a way that made me feel that everything that was magical was real. The endless twists and turns contained within each chapter all tied together so that there were no questions that I had went unanswered. There is a lot going on and normally this would confuse me but this was written in a way that everything flowed.

An excellent first book.

I even read all the acknowledgements because they were funny, honest and from the authors heart - not just a list of names and habitual thanks.

A brilliant book about powerful books!

I really liked the concept and the time-travelling aspect to it too. I also loved that it was all nicely tied-up by the end of the book.

It was well-written with great characters and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a great read!