by Gareth Brown
A debut novel full of magic, adventure, and romance, The Book of Doors opens up a thrilling world of contemporary fantasy for readers of The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Night Circus, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown with just a tinge of darkness.
Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a lonely yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading.
But this is no ordinary book...
It is the Book of Doors.
Inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawings, it promises Cassie that any door is every door. You just need to know how to open them.
Then she's approached by a gaunt stranger in a rumpled black suit with a Scottish brogue who calls himself Drummond Fox. He's a librarian who keeps watch over a unique set of rare volumes. The tome now in Cassie's possession is not the only book with great power, but it is the one most coveted by those who collect them.
Now Cassie is being hunted by those few who know of the Special Books. With only her roommate Izzy to confide in, she has to decide if she will help the mysterious and haunted Drummond protect the Book of Doors—and the other books in his secret library's care—from those who will do evil. Because only Drummond knows where the unique library is and only Cassie's book can get them there.
But there are those willing to kill to obtain those secrets. And a dark force—in the form of a shadowy, sadistic woman—is at the very top of that list.
A debut novel full of magic, adventure, and romance, The Book of Doors opens up a thrilling world of contemporary fantasy for readers of The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Night Circus, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown with just a tinge of darkness.
Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a lonely yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading.
But this is no ordinary book...
It is the Book of Doors.
Inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawings, it promises Cassie that any door is every door. You just need to know how to open them.
Then she's approached by a gaunt stranger in a rumpled black suit with a Scottish brogue who calls himself Drummond Fox. He's a librarian who keeps watch over a unique set of rare volumes. The tome now in Cassie's possession is not the only book with great power, but it is the one most coveted by those who collect them.
Now Cassie is being hunted by those few who know of the Special Books. With only her roommate Izzy to confide in, she has to decide if she will help the mysterious and haunted Drummond protect the Book of Doors—and the other books in his secret library's care—from those who will do evil. Because only Drummond knows where the unique library is and only Cassie's book can get them there.
But there are those willing to kill to obtain those secrets. And a dark force—in the form of a shadowy, sadistic woman—is at the very top of that list.
Reviews-
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December 4, 2023
Brown debuts with a riveting tale of adventure, magic, and the long process of grieving. Cassie Andrews, a mild-mannered bookseller in New York City, inherits the mysterious eponymous volume from a deceased customer. Discovering its magical ability to transport her to any place she envisions, Cassie, accompanied by her spirited roommate, Izzy, embarks on an adventure. However, as they realize the perilous potential of the book, they find themselves entangled with an enigmatic man known as the Librarian, who protects a collection of similarly magical books, and pursued by malevolent forces seeking the power of the Book of Doors and all the other volumes like it. Brown conjures a magical atmosphere that filters through even the plot’s more mundane moments while also expertly handling difficult themes of loss and pain. With an endearingly quirky cast and a lightning quick pace, this is sure to suck readers in. Fans of Alix E. Harrow’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January will be especially hooked. Agent: Helen Edwards, Rights Agency. -
Miranda Raison performs this magical adventure set on an alternative Earth, where a collection of mysterious books gives special powers to those who possess one of its volumes. When a customer dies in the bookstore where she works, Cassie discovers that he's left her an old, leather-bound work called THE BOOK OF DOORS, which can open almost any door across the world. In portraying supporting characters from all over the globe, Raison is challenged by a range of accents that she doesn't always pull off. But she maintains the story's tense atmosphere and racing plot. She also captures the sinister antagonist and Cassie's deep love of books. K.D.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
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June 1, 2024
Bookseller Cassie Andrews is closing up her bookshop one night when one of her regular customers dies. As she grieves, she's astonished to find a mysterious book inscribed to her in his possession. Later, while catching up with her spunky roommate Izzy, Cassie describes a trip to Venice she'd taken years ago. She opens their door with the book in hand and is astonished to find the Venetian street she'd just been describing. Walking through transports her there immediately. Suddenly, a whole world is open to Cassie and Izzy as they gleefully open doorways and travel through. Cassie soon draws the attention of desperate and even deadly people who want the book for themselves. Luckily, Cassie finds help from Scottish librarian Drummond Fox and a hodgepodge of compatriots. To say more would ruin the many surprises, twists, and terrors in Brown's uniquely magical debut. Narrator Miranda Raison masterfully envelops listeners in Cassie's epic tale, balancing a myriad of accents ranging from Southern United Statesto South African, giving each character additional personality and depth through inflection. VERDICT A complex, deftly plotted novel full of brutal violence and great joy, the bonds of friendship, and unique magic. Highly recommended.--Katie Lawrence
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
