Set in the early 1900s, January Scaller lives as a ward in the sprawling mansion of Mr. Locke, a wealthy collector of exotic artifacts. Her life changes when she discovers a leather-bound book that describes Doors: physical thresholds between worlds. She learns that her father, Julian, travels across the globe searching for these portals, while a secretive society works to seal them to maintain order. January navigates these hidden gateways to uncover her mother’s origins and her own ability to write new realities into existence.
This novel serves readers who appreciate historical fantasy centered on the mechanics of storytelling and archival discovery. It appeals to those interested in how linguistics and written narratives shape personal identity against the backdrop of colonialist gatekeeping. Readers finish the book with an understanding of how institutional power attempts to categorize the world and how individual agency can dismantle those rigid boundaries through the reclamation of family history and literal self-expression.
Balanced in tone; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Escapist Adventurer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2019
- Language
- EN
