The Doors of Midnight is the second instillment in an epic fantasy series with stories within stories and a compelling storyteller at its centre.

R. R. Virdi has an incredible skill at winding tales and knowing exactly when to draw you in further and when to push into a different story. I adored how well this was woven together with the thrilling action and spellbinding magic.

Ari is such an enjoyable main character and I love the chance to see him reflect on the mystery and legend he has created with Eloine. The story is quite repetitive in terms of the actions of the main character, however the wider cast of characters changes throughout the retelling and bring a new dynamic to each quest.

I particularly enjoy when Ari is creating community to those often left behind and his ability to find family in so many different corners of the world is truly special to witness. I will say that I especially love when he is back at the Ashara and I cannot wait to see where this story will go.

I would highly recommend this to lovers of epic fantasy inspired by the Silk Road and its amalgamation of cultures.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Gollancz for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

Although the first book of this series was brilliant, I found myself struggling with this one in part because of its sheer size, its similarity to the first book and the slow pace. This was a DNF at 45%

This was mythical and almost lyrical in its tale, reminiscent of "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss or "A Plague of Giants" by Kevin Hearne. While the main character was sometimes hard to understand, the plot as a whole was intriguing and made for an enjoyable read.

This book was so beautifully written. The prose really brings this tale to life
I loved the tension in this book especially Ari in the present. There were some moments where I was OMG NO WAY and I loved it. Ari delving deeper into what made him a legend making a choice that would have serious repercussions on him but doing it anyway for friends. The exploration of the magic system— I loved it all.
There was one moment within the story that seemed a little like we were going backwards to where Ari had been in book 1. It’s a small gripe from me and I did love the outcome from it and it was pretty cool.
I cannot wait to reread this as I feel things are layered in here that will lead to book 3 and perhaps future books.

An excellent tale. One full of revenge, storytelling and the love of storytelling. Beautiful.

My rating would be 4.5 but it doesn’t allow me half stars.

Wow!! The second installment of this epic saga was just amazing!! R.r.virdi has a way of keeping the reader engaged whilst fully exploring some deep topics . It is a slow paced book but never felt like a drag! I'm so excited for book 3

A massive fan of The First Binding, getting the chance to read this early was something I was not willing to pass up, and the rate I devoured this was insane! Virdi's skill as a writer have clearly grown and developed, and with each read, hints and easter eggs reveal themselves, tying back to the first book, and almost certainly to many others to come. A pleasure to read, and an author who is redifining epic fantasy in the modern era.

I started reading this book not realising it was book 2, but I was immediately drawn in. However, I quickly realised I was in the middle of something and not the beginning, so I went looking for the first book. Once I read that one (and loved it), I came back to The Doors of Midnight.

This was such a fantastic read. While there are definitely still elements of KKC here, there are also a lot of differences. This story is different, even if it is similar. And the way the author brings this story to life makes it unique, which I think is one of the premises of these books.

I love Ari's adventures. There is some character growth, but he remains rash and stubborn and reckless. He does things without thinking and relies on his luck. However, he does begin to control some of the bindings to some degree. One of the main redeeming features of Ari is his loyalty to his friends. And his stubbornness to do what is right to ensure that they are protected and kept safe, despite the consequences, I find to be one of his redeeming qualities.

The prose is beautifully written. It is slow-paced, except for the action scenes. This is a long book, but for all of that, I didn't want it to end, and I just kept looking for time to immerse myself in this Silk Roads world that the author has created.

I honestly can't wait until the next book is released.

The Doors of Midnight picks up pretty seamlessly from the conclusion of The First Binding, Ari now finds himself locked in prison, accused of the murder of the Prince of Etaynia and with a new audience of prisoners and continuing ‘friendship’ with Eloine, we hear more stories from his past that circle around the events taking place in the Palace in the present.

Virdi continues this tale with the same melodic, slow paced weaving of beautiful prose and world building that he established in The First Binding. If you are looking for a fast paced, action packed, plot based story, then this is not the series for you but, if you are looking for character growth, development and maturity, beautiful prose and most importantly stories within a story then you definitely need to pick up this series.
In this book we learn so much more about Ari’s past continuing from the his eventful first season at the Ashram and continuing on his journey to discovering more about Ashura and his own origins. Virdi delivers much more depth of story-telling, conjuring intrigue and depth as we learn more about the history, myths and legends of Ari’s world, which he skilfully links to events in Ari’s present, linking the two to provide greater insight into Ari’s motives and choices.

Eloine continues to play a significant role in this story, which initially had me a little bewildered, but their relationship and dynamic are so interesting. It would appear that there is more depth to this that we cannot yet see, Virdi tantalises the reader with ifs and maybes that I’m confident will come to light at a later point – the ah moments!

This is definitely a second book and not a completing work but, that isn’t a bad thing here – this world is so immense and the challenges that Ari faces are all just facets of the overarching story, and I am most definitely here for Book 3 as soon as it’s released. The Doors of Midnight is a solid sequel to The First Binding that cements and shows maturity of writing that contribute to creating stories within a story that immerse you in a world of magic and fantasy.

I found this book to be a real mixed bag. Good bits, not so hood bits and a lot in between too. I think if you love books that have many stories within tied by a little thing to keep it in the bounds of the same nook, love vivid, engaging yet almost untouchable almost ethereal stories then thos ones for you. It's very well written but I definitely felt a disconnect however I think that's just a personal preference as a reader thing.

This is quite a hard book to review as there were parts that I absolutely loved and others that I was much less keen on.
I really enjoy Virdi's writing style although at times the lushness of the descriptions did seem a little bit over the top. Mostly though, his descriptions were atmospheric and really set a scene that I could visualise. I really enjoy the framing structure too. It's very similar to several other books but especially Kristoff's Empire of the Vampire series which I love and when it's done well, it's brilliant.
The problem with the frame here is that I was far more invested in the story in the past rather than the events taking place in the present. The characters, setting and dilemmas all seemed vivid and engaging.. I was always reluctant to leave the past and return to the castle and its dungeons.

However, my main problem with The Doors of Midnight is the character of Ari. He never really came alive for me. I'm definitely a character driven reader and Ari just didn't engage me. He becomes more skilled during the book but didn't show any sign of character growth. He does things and then moves on and it gets a bit repetitive after a while. This, together with the continuing echoes of Rothfuss made it less enjoyable than I had hoped. I was a bit puzzled that while the author credits Jim Butcher with inspiration, he doesn't mention Patrick Rothfuss who surely provided much of the inspiration for this and the the previous volume.
Thank you as always to Net Galley and the Publishers for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5☆


Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.



This will likely turn out to be an unpopular opinion, but that doesn't really matter much to. me. I found this book so much stronger and more enjoyable than book 1 and have given a whole extra star accordingly.

We pick up not long after the end of book 1, with Ari at the Ashram in his retelling and around the palace in the present. There are a lot of things this book did really well. My main issue with book 1 was the pacing and what felt like a wait to get to the Ashram. There are no pacing issues here, at least not ones that took up the first 60% of the book. 


Without giving too much away, Ari develops as a character in many ways, and the author answers several of my questions and concerns about this book. The plot and setting took a twist I was not expecting, which was great. This, and his subsequent meeting with a myth, will likely draw comparisons to NotW/WMF again, but this is very well done and takes a much different path - it is all the better for it.

I had two concerns with where the story was going with book 1. Firstly, Eloine - why tell her his story? Why not someone else? We start to get a glimpse of things here, a hint of something deeper at play in the world and that their dynamic and the telling of his story may have deeper implications, not least concerning the Ashura. 

My second centred around a feeling of being almost cheated. Ari had earned several titles ny the close of The First Binding, none of which were deserved, all of which were lies. Whilst this was the tagline, it did not make for a satisfactory conclusion. In many ways, his titles are more deserved on the sequel, and his aura has definitely built. More is dangled about the Ashura, and the consequences of his choices in book 1 also come to fruition.

The second instalment is far superior and corrects the issues I had with book 1, whilst creating further intrigue and a deeper world. It is still his interest in ancient history, myth and legend that I find the most intriguing in this tale, along with the relationships with other characters he develops along the way (and the implication that they are no longernin his life when we switch to the present, which is no less perilous than the retellings of his most dangerous episodes of his past). The events of the present, rather than being slightly irritating in breaking up the retelling of the past in book 1, now feel like they serve as purpose. The link between his pursuits here tie into his motives ever since he was a child, and continue to drive his choices and actions the present also posseses far higher stakes, therefore feeling less like filler.

The overindulgent writing still appears at times but comes across more as a part of Ari's personality to me this time, which works much better. Whether this is a conscious choice, the author maturing, or a better editor, I'm not sure, but all of this meant I loved the second instalment and cannot wait for book 3. It wouldn't go a miss to know how many books are intended for the series moving forward either.

I absolutely loved this, even better than his first which says a lot. Virdi is such a beautiful writer. If you enjoyed the first you won't be disappointed with this - Highly recommend

I absolutely adored the first book so I was super excited to dive into this one and it did not disappoint.

I love the style of writing where it’s a storyteller sharing their past adventures. I had my doubts that R.R Virdi would be able to pull it off a second time but he did!

I especially enjoyed the character growth of Ari in this book. I also enjoyed the beautiful writing throughout the story, it really makes the reader have to sit and think.

This book isn’t faced paced, so if you are into slower paced longer fantasy that focuses on character development but still has an intriguing plot that doesn’t let you stop reading, this is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an E-Arc of this book.

I came to Etaynia in search of the most important thing in the world. A story. A secret— the sort best held and better kept from the world. But I met with a prince instead. The second the stories will say I've killed.
And I did not find the story I came looking for. I wound up in the most dangerous one of all.

The Storyteller is locked up in a prison, accused of murdering the Prince of Etaynia.
From here, he tells more of his past which found him Etagnia and found him alone with a dead body.

Retelling the past, Ari completed his first season of the Ashram - place of learning the wonders of the world, and more than that—magic. Ari has one year to apprentice himself under Rishi Ibrahm to prove he has some level of control in the major bindings. Otherwise he faces the Crow nest or execution.

I was worried that this wouldn’t live up to my love of book one. Especially due to the criticisms that it was a copy of Name of the Wind and The First Binding was so well done because of this. Whilst I disagree that Virdi’s success is bought off NotW, this book cements Virdi as one of the most talented authors in my eyes.
His prose is gorgeous. Beautiful, touching, and insightful. Think Ken Liu.

Ari learns to look beyond himself and see what he’s missing out on as he constantly chases one thing after another. You can see he has such a big heart and just wants to help everyone and protect the weak.
The framing narrative allows this to be both a coming-of-age and a reflective political murder mystery.

Friends are the breath left to us when we run out of our own. They're the mirrors we need when we cannot see ourselves clearly. They point out our little flaws and, in times, the larger ones we must tend to. And, of course. they help us out of trouble as much as they help us into it.

The framing device is executed perfectly and allows Virdi to really explore the idea and importance and magic of storytelling.
A storyteller's job is to offer reprieve and escape to those who need it most.
Ari set out to hide his identity in stories told and expanded and grown, so he can lose his true self and walk hidden among others. To be so great a myth that the real man vanishes - a thing unbelievable.

Loneliness is a sort of poverty of the heart and soul. Many people confuse this with solitude. They are not one and the same. One is chosen, and in that space of aloneness, one can flourish, and one can heal. The other is a space shaped from the things lacking, and in that lack you are locked away to suffer— alone.

Whilst book two of the Kingkiller chronicles sees Kvothe becoming a sex god, Virdi seems to poke fun at this as Ari learns more about his world and magic in a legendary realm beyond the Doors of Midnight.

I did prefer the first 60% of the books. After this, it felt slower and episodic, trading stories and morals.

However, this is definitely a strong four stars, and I cannot wait to see what Virdi does next, even if I did feel slightly disappointed by the ending as nothing monumental to the overarching StoryTeller plot felt resolved.

Thank you to Gollancz for providing the arc in exchange for a review!!

I think this was a solid next book. I do think it was a bit too long and could have used some refinement but I think this is a solid next installation.

Virdi has created such a great world and story within his books. Rich in fleshed out and fantastic characters, in depth world building. A book that truly transports you into another world.
Would love love love to read more form this author!