In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.

Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

This book was not quite what it was marketed as, but it was still amazing. I was expecting a full on portal fantasy from what was talked about and while it wasn’t quite that, I was still very surprised and pleased by the story.

I fell in love with Harrow’s writing and the clear voice that she gives to each character, whether it be January herself or character’s whose voices she reads of in books. Much of the time you don’t know who is truly on the side of January and there are some people who are constantly shifting who we aren’t sure about.

While there were some plot devices that were a little predictable, it’s an adventure filled with a ton of twists and huge growth on January’s part. While I would have loved to know a few more things at the end, it was a beautiful and at times thrilling story.

Happy reading!