"A stunning fever dream of a story that feels completely real – don't miss this fantastic thriller debut." — Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author
“Brown’s debut is an immersive and enchanting story of friendship, defining one’s future, and the mystery that life can hold. Fans of Alix E. Harrow will find this novel delightful.” — Library Journal (starred review)
"Those who love books about books and enjoy paranormal fantasy with a touch of romance will be enraptured." — Booklist (starred review)
"A brilliant page-turner - a clever and beautiful novel about the power of books, and a tribute to those who champion them." — Sunyi Dean, bestselling author of The Book Eaters
"A whirlwind journey that opens doors into other worlds but also into the heart of the human experience." — Kirkus Reviews
"A real page-turner - incredibly ambitious and inventive, The Book of Doors is a great read." — Rosie Andrews, bestselling author of The Leviathan
“The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown is a stunningly visual read. Engaging, poetic, and beautifully phrased, its evocative imagery and well-thought-out characters lend to an adventurous tale brimming with possibility. The fight against a truly sinister villain will keep readers turning pages all the way to the end!” — Charlie N. Holmberg, Wall Street Journal Bestselling author
"A magical, mesmerizing adventure from the very first page. This is an extraordinary debut, rich with atmosphere. I think we've discovered something special. I dare you to step inside The Book of Doors, you won't want to leave." — A. J. West, author of The Spirit Engineer
"The Book of Doors is a beautiful, unputdownable love letter to books and the power they hold in their pages. I loved it." — Beth Lewis, author of The Wolf Road
“The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown is so good! A brilliant concept executed with mind-blowing precision, this intricately plotted book is breathtakingly clever, cinematic in scope and full of magic, wonder and heart.” — Anita Frank, author of The Good Liars
“The Book of Doors has everything — magic books, fascinating time loops, dreadful villains and likeable protagonists. Yet this is no children’s book, this is a book aimed squarely at adults. It’s clever, fast-paced and so very, very dark. I absolutely loved it.” — M. W. CRAVEN, author of the Washington Poe series
★ 01/19/2024
DEBUT Cassie Andrews lives a quiet life in New York City, working evenings at a local bookstore and crossing paths with her energetic, day-working roommate Izzy when time allows. When Cassie's favorite customer dies, she's left with a strange book filled with symbols and pictures, called the Book of Doors. She soon discovers that the book can take a person to any place and time, if they can visualize it. Cassie is delighted to travel wherever—and whenever—she wants, but Izzy fears the immense power the book holds. A mysterious man named Drummond Fox tells Cassie the truth about her book and the others that exist with delightful and disturbing powers, but she finds herself on the run from power-hungry collectors. When Cassie ends up trapped beyond her friends' help, she must find a way to escape and secure her future. The multiple points of view develop each of the characters, creating a fully realized and magical world. VERDICT Brown's debut is an immersive and enchanting story of friendship, defining one's future, and the mystery that life can hold. Fans of Alix E. Harrow will find this novel delightful.—Kristi Chadwick
2023-12-06
A debut novel about a bookseller who discovers the real power of books—if they’re magic.
When an elderly customer dies at Manhattan’s Kellner Books, Cassie Andrews finds herself in an inexplicable situation. In Mr. John Webber’s possession is a small, leather-bound book in a language Cassie doesn’t recognize. There are a few lines in English: “This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door.” And then: “Cassie, This book is for you, a gift in thanks for your kindness.” Cassie shows the book to her roommate, Izzy, who’s wary. And yet, when Cassie thinks of a door she once saw on vacation in Venice, that door opens for her. Naturally, there are people who want this powerful book, and soon enough the underworld of rare book collectors is buzzing. Drummond Fox, known as the Librarian, happens upon Cassie using the Book of Doors, thanks to his own Book of Luck. But while Drummond seeks to protect books like Cassie’s, there are others—notably, someone known only as “the woman”—who seek to use them for evil. Drummond is eager to show Cassie the danger she’s in by revealing the full potential of the Book of Doors: “You can open a door to the past….That’s why people will want your book.” What follows is a multilayered exploration of how the book can influence past, present, and future, and how individual choices can have unimaginable rippling effects. Fans of books like Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore will love this world, though by the end Brown has moved from his initial focus on magical books toward a case study of the rules of time travel. One unexpected aspect is the gory depiction of torture at the hands of “the woman” and the books she possesses. These scenes are jarringly at odds with the initial tone of wonderment, but if you stick with it, you’ll reach a conclusion that’s both disorienting and deeply satisfying.
A whirlwind journey that opens doors into other worlds but also into the heart of the human experience.
