I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

He walked among invisible powers: devils that mock the human form. Every door is laden with potential and once closed may never open again. Looming portals connected to where divine destinies are a dime a dozen. Perhaps his discoveries will rewrite the world. A detailed blending of the mythical and the mundane makes this a complex world.

There exists within this novel the dangerous of religious extremism that feels like a dream or a waking nightmare. A unique blend of prose and storytelling that creates a magically world that feels tangible to the reader with a relatable character who is healing from past traumas and experiencing a new world in their need to escape and find themselves again. There was a uniqueness and strangeness of the bright doors that exists within the world that felt dreamlike and mesmerising.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐕𝐚𝐣𝐫𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐚

The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera was the most intriguing debut fantasy book I ever read this year. The book also my first read from the author work.

"The moment Fetter is born, Mother-of-Glory pins his shadow to the earth with a large brass nail and tears it from him. This is his first memory, the seed of many hours of therapy to come." I love unique fantasy premises with healthy dosage beautiful prose and fantastical acts. This book is brimming with so much promises of all of that since the beginning. But I realized I got different kind of arts and sadly not my cup of tea. But it is totally me.

The storytelling style is beautiful with mesmerizing prose. The characters are complicated and mysterious. Our MC is lost guy, struggling with his new goal, try to reprocess to find himself. And city of Luriat with all the bright doors as the setting also very challenging with its complexity lore and strangeness. The plot itself make me feel that I trying to capture rain of bubbles. Very interesting and mezmering but distracting and flying away with so many loose ends. This book isnt easy read for me but I am really happy when another readers capable to enjoy this one better than me.

Thank you Netgalley and Solaris from Rebellion Publishing for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting release date: 6 June 2024

The writing style is what first pulled me in and the lush story kept me reading. The characters are well rounded and I understood who they are despite having limited knowledge of Buddhism. My only complaint is the story was slow at times but I understand not everything can be fast paced

I know it's a hack comparison to peg a South Asian fantasy to Midnight's Children, but from the strong political overtones to the sense that it could infiltrate litfic circles, I think The Saint Of Bright Doors bears it out. Not to mention the somewhat off-brand superpowers; protagonist Fetter has no shadow, can see demons but not really do much about them, and is able to float but nervous of doing so lest he be carried away into the open sky. The name Fetter points up another similarity to Rushdie, though one I could easily have missed: that was the name the Buddha gave his son, and though the word 'Buddha' is nowhere in the book, this Fetter's father is indeed a messiah, an avuncular monster known only as the Perfect and Kind despite all evidence to the contrary. So it's fair to say Chandrasekera is not unduly concerned about offending religious sensibilities, and if Westerners might think of Buddhism as more chill than certain other faiths, it's still a pretty ballsy move from a Sri Lankan author. Having been brought up by his mother to assassinate his father, Fetter instead fucks off to the big city of Luriat, finds a boyfriend, falls in with a support group of other unchosen ones, and becomes intrigued by the doors of the title - because in Luriat, any opaque door allowed to close might without warning not just permanently seal shut, but disappear from the other side, replaced with blank wall. Why that should be is unfolded gradually, though always more like poetry than a replicable magic system, one of the many ways in which this feels different from a fair chunk of modern fantasy. Its differences from older writing are of course multifarious, but one little one I found notable was that, though I've read a fair few books where characters had nipples as reactive to circumstance as Fetter's, I don't think any of them were male. Obviously, as with any book where you come to think of not just the lead but their city as a slightly frustrating friend, it becomes a bittersweet experience to have the plot progress and answers to mysteries revealed at the cost of a darkening canvas, a background hum of bureaucracy, scattershot policing and race/caste discrimination gradually escalating to prison camps and pogroms, with rabble-rousing monks gladly fanning the flames. But unlike a lot of socio-religious apocalypses, somehow life and hope always keep shining, without that feeling forced. I read this on account of seeing enough enthusiastic reviews from people I broadly trust, but none of them really prepared me for the feeling of reading it, and looking back at what I've written here, I don't think I've managed any better. It's very good, though.

(Netgalley ARC)

‘The Saint of Bright Doors’ by Vajra Chandrasekera is an ebook about a young man with predetermined destiny in an unusual world.

Fetter, a young man without a shadow, was raised as an assassin. He grapples with his predetermined fate and the complex world around him. All of this plays out in the exotic, yet familiar, city of Luriat. Luriat has a series of “bright doors” that mysteriously appear, but probably shouldn’t stay open. Fetter finds a group of like minded friends that may or may not have his best interest in mind, and he finds himself facing a seemingly impossible task.

This book has solid worldbuilding and characters with complex motivations. The deliberate pace made keeping my attention while reading a challenge, but by the end, I determined that I liked it in spite of the vague ending.

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Picking up a book for its cover is common but it was the title and the fact that this book was nominated for a fair few awards that made it grab my attention. I don’t recall having actually read the synopsis but I went in expecting a portal fantasy story and I could not have been more wrong. That being said this book has the exact quality of transporting you into a bizarre “other” world that you absolutely get compelled by. Having finished the book since it has claimed two of those awards I have got to say it definitely deserves them.

The Saint of Bright Doors is an unconventional Chosen One story that touches on themes of autonomy, destiny and totalitarianism. At first it felt like the story didn’t have a definitive plot other than following the life experiences of the protagonist Fetter - the son of a being known as the Mother of Glory and a Saint. However, I have gone on to find out that there is much to the story that is tied to Buddhist lore and Sri Lankan culture which Chandrasekera has reimagined and reflected on through a fantastical lens.

It is hard to otherwise pinpoint any specifics and it is a slooooow read. I think I took about half a month to get through it all and the pacing of the story itself isn’t in a hurry to get anywhere but in all honesty slowly is the way you need to read it in order to appreciate it best.

My favourite aspect has got to be how the worldbuilding immediately engulfs you in much the same way as P. Djeli Clark’s Dead Djinn Universe does, though this book has an additional dose of strangeness added to the mix. It is a rendition of the modern day real world blended in with all the magical and mystical parts and it is done so well!

Admittedly I didn’t catch on to all the nuances but I found Fetter to be an interesting character to follow, the prose kept me just as engaged and the little narrator twist at the end was really clever! I will definitely be checking out whatever Chandrasekera puts out next!
Final Rating – 3.75/5 Stars

Phenomenal storytelling, stunning world building and a plot that will stay on your mind way past the last page. Wow!

With echoes of Garcia Marquez and Salman Rushdie, Vajra Chandrasekera paints a portrait of a society brimming with an underlying violence. Exquisite prose and evocative imaginary come together to give us a vivid, powerful first novel. This is not fantasy as escapism. This is fantasy as social commentary. And it is truly sensational.

This is one of those novel which are hard to review as you could write some page long review or use just some words because you still have to organise your ideas and emotions.
I will go for the second type of review: there's chaos and there's beauty, it remains with you and it keeps you turning pages till late in the night.
Great world building and storytelling, excellent character development.
Read and enjoy it, one of the best book in 2024
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Dense, chaotic, immersive, and intense. Delightfully cluttered worldbuilding making the setting feel vividly lived in and sprawlingly diverse. Almost as contradictory and scattered as the real world. The blending of modern technology levels in a secondary world setting with magic and wry takes on chosen one tropes makes this a fresh and unique fantasy. Extremely accomplished writing for a debut

The Saint of Bright Doors is a really intriguing take on urban fantasy, and the world-building is immaculate - however I didn't always feel completely connected to the narrative. Although the characters are well developed, their motivations are not always clear. There is a tonal change towards the end of the book, where it feels like a lot of previous narrative strings are abandoned - however, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The heightened pace and stakes were engrossing. This was a really interesting read, that I can see becoming even more enveloping on a second read through - I'll certainly look forward to whatever Vajra Chandrasekera writes next.

The Saint of Bright Door was a book that I’ve wanted to read for a while, both the cover and the numerous awards nominations as well as tidbits about the book made me think it might be one of my highest rated reads of this year so far. Unfortunately, while there were some elements that worked for me, the more important elements really weren’t to my liking.
The plot was almost non-existent, the book felt for the most part directionless, and it sometimes felt like things were just happening to the characters. Now, authors can get away with this if the characters are engaging enough, but the protagonist, Fetter, was uninteresting, while most of the side characters were so flat and uncharacterised I found myself struggling to differentiate between them for the first half of the book. The worldbuilding meanwhile while tantalisingly close to being fascinating, fell flat due to being either poorly explained, overly convenient or had internal inconsistencies.
This is not to say this book didn’t do some things fantastically - it did. The prose was wonderfully engaging and pulled me into the story, and I did think that - had I cared more about the characters and plot - the ending would have been fantastic. There were also a couple of more minor side characters I found fascinating, and I do wish the focus had been less on Fetter and more on his parents. Overall, while I wasn’t really a fan of this book, I do know there are some people out there who adore it, so I’d definitely check out their reviews before deciding whether you want to pick this book up.

I’m really glad I stuck with The Saint of Bright Doors till the end! I had a complicated relationship with this book, and honestly can’t say that I enjoyed reading every page of it, the process feeling like a slog at times. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, the final 20-30 pages pulls out some of the best fantasy I’ve read all year! I can’t go anywhere near explaining why for fear of spoilers, but it changed my outlook on the whole novel, and gave me a new sense of appreciation for what I’d just read.

Fetter is a really unusual choice for a lead character, as he doesn’t seem to have much internal drive to do anything by himself. From his difficult childhood with powerful and opinionated parents, to the ‘acquaintances’ he makes during his time in the city of Luriat, he seems perfectly happy for other people to make decisions for him. It’s bizarre as a reader, as it’s like he’s taking a backseat in his own story! Arguably this is partially connected to the idea of prophecy, as Fetter firmly believes the destiny laid out for him by his mother is set in stone, and nothing he does can change it. Sadly from a reader's perspective, the book felt like it had pacing issues throughout as a result of this lack of drive - there are many points where I had no idea where the story was going, but not in a good way.

Herein lies the dilemma I have with The Saint of Bright Doors; this is a sophisticated and extremely clever novel, and one of the most innovative bits of fantasy I’ve read this year. I genuinely learned a fair amount of new vocabulary while reading this novel! To achieve that effect however, I didn’t find reading the book a wholly enjoyable experience. I’m glad the novel has had some recognition by winning the Nebula award, and I’m sure this book will find its fanbase, particularly those who like their fantasy less adventure-focused and more thought-provoking.

Ahoy there mateys! This book was very interesting but overall a failure for me.  The writing is dense, fascinating in parts, and extremely frustrating in others. The caste system and world building were very nonsensical (which likely is the point). but I wanted answers and some explanation.  The main character has no real agency and that grew tiresome.  The Doors were a letdown because they didn't seem to have a real point in the plot.  I did not like the abrupt plot twist ending.  I finished the book thinking "what was the point of Fetter's journey?"  It didn't quite walk the plank but I thought about it.  Arrr!

3.5* rounded up

This ambitious fantasy kept me reading even when I didn't entirely understand what was happening.

The Saint of Bright Doors has expansive and impressive world-building, drawing from and exploring real world concepts such as religious schisms, caste systems, the prison industrial complex and capital punishment. However, it also felt like it had left a lot still unexplained by the end. (For me, there was the initial confusion that oftens happens at the start of a fantasy book that, whilst it certainly lessens the further into the book I read, never fully went away.)

It also felt like the writing was quite dense and so I had to take my time and read it slowly to fully take in what was being said. Even then I was often left questioning which of us was not quite as clever as we thinks we are - me or the book?

Despite all that though, there was something about this book that compelled me to keep reading it. I enjoyed our main character, Fetter, and the overarching story being told. Chandrasekera'd vivid descriptions drew a great picture of Fetter's immediate world and surroundings. I also really liked the twist at the end.

Overall, an interesting read if you're looking for a complex fantasy.

Just superb. The writing was exquisite, with delicately apt turns of phase on every page; the social commentary was sufficiently divorced from direct analogy to western politics that the universalities felt true without being preachy (I don't know if the same would be true for a Sri Lankan reader--maybe in that political context it would feel equally heavy-handed). The plot itself was surprising and unpredictable, yet sure-handed and confident, with a dreamlike sequence in the prison camp that reminded me of that unforgettable sequence of 'The Left Hand of Darkness' when Genly Ai and Estraven are crossing the glacier. The word 'haecceity' was perhaps slightly overused, but otherwise I was incredibly impressed by this excellent novel.

Lots of resonances with the work of the great China Miéville in this fantasy novel, from the vast and byzantinely bureaucratic city of Luriat, which runs on a fundamental commitment to unseeing (à la Beszél and Ul Qoma in The City and the City) and which contains such meta-rejections of fantasy tropes as support groups for failed prophets (reminiscent of Perdido Street Station and Kraken), to the hypnotic voice of one such character, Caduv, and the strange "devils" which the protagonist Fetter sees but no one else can (both elements reminded me of different bits of Embassytown). And yet, as Abigail Nussbaum's review—upon which I cannot improve, so go read that instead: http://wrongquestions.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-saint-of-bright-doors-by-vajra.html—notes, Chandrasekara's novel is really about the fundamental unknowability and even the smallness of this supposedly vast canvas. A truly Miévillean novel would allow us to enjoy the experience of getting to know the city-as-character-in-its-own-right; Chandrasekara is more interested in revealing what Nussbaum calls "[Luriat's] endlessly convoluted history whose manifestation in the present seems designed to defeat any attempt at comprehension, much less repair." The Saint of Bright Doors has had a lot of attention and a lot of critics saying they can't describe it, but I can certainly tell you that it's both extremely readable, even wryly funny in places, and extremely thought-provoking. Well worth finding.

The Saint of Bright Doors 4/5 stars - 50% into the book!
I am so grateful for the publisher to send me this ebook for the paperback release next week. This book is so incredibly intruiging! The reason I havent finished it yet is because it is so unlike other books I need a lot of concentration to follow all the different layers the author is trying to convey and then still I feel a lot of metaphors go over my head!

In short this book has:
- a chosen one in therapy with mother issues
- a messiah with a cult following
- colonialism and South Asian politics
- portal fantasy through bright doors all over the city

This book is the perfect surrealistic mix of mythology and the 20th century where there are gods, monsters and demons. But the struggles our main character faces are very close to home with difficult parents, finding your own calling, world politics and reflecting on everything in therapy.

Thank you NetGalley and Rebellion for the ARC.

I was super excited to read this book. It wasn't at all how I expected it to be. Vajra Chandrasekera's 'The Saint of Bright Doors' was a surprise. It's filled with metaphors, mystery and an incredible fantasy worldbuilding. It's an unusual story that has a lot happening. From therapy sessions to defying their destiny, you really need to play close attention to the finer details of the characters and the story.

For a debut novel, this is a wonderful story. Chandrasekera's writing style is beautiful. I can't wait to read more of the author's work in the future.