Alix E. Harrow

Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This one was just not for me. For the age of the protagonist, the writing and dialogue was rather juvenile, and the story never really took off. Some fairy tale retellings manage a new, interesting take on the original, but I think the author wanted to write a feminist literary analysis of fairy tales and then built a plot around it. I'm all for fun discussions of what our stories say about our society, beliefs, and values, but I think in terms of tone, this was just difficult to engage with. If I did recommend this to someone, I'd go for a younger age group.
… (plus d'informations)

“I believed in the black gleam of the ink in the night, in the strength of my own fingers wrapped around the pen, in the reality of that other world waiting just on the other side of some invisible curtain. I believed in second chances and righted wrongs and rewritten stories. I believed in Samuel’s belief.”

I love everything about this book. I love the title, the whimsical cover, the book within a book trope, the enchanting characters, the hauntingly beautiful language. This book is everything I want a book to be. And it’s my first read of the year; I just can’t imagine that it’ll get any better than this gem.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January is about a semi-orphaned girl raised to be good with a devoted dog named Bad. Like the best heroines, January (a name I’m unabashedly obsessed with) longs for freedom and adventure and truth, which is in contrast to her borrowed privilege and sheltered, isolated existence inside the gray estate of Locke House. In short, January longs to be the hero of her own story, but the abandonment by her father and her captivity as a collector’s item in Locke’s museum force her to fall in line with the wealthy benefactor’s expectations of her—be good, be quiet, don’t indulge in fantasies. Through the smuggling of stories, though, January finds a small red thread of impossible hope. This new and fragile faith allow her to cross the Threshold, setting off on an adventure through ten thousand doors to find the truth she’s searching for. In the end, it’s the power of words that save January and the many worlds she crosses into.

This book is about the power of words and stories, it’s about hope in the midst of hopelessness, it’s about adventure and love and enchantment. It’s about all the things that make a satisfying journey through the world of books.… (plus d'informations)

A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow is book two in the Fractured Fables series. I recently read the first book and decided to take the plunge into the second novella. Alix has written an adult rendition of the Snow White fairytale. I enjoyed stepping back into Zinnia Gray’s life where she has been assisting various Sleeping Beauties in other dimensions for a few years. All the while continuing to navigate her illness with the ever reliable tactic of denial.

Unexpectedly, Zinnia finds herself deposited into the life of Snow White’s wicked stepmother. The evil queen has learned how her story ends and she demands to find another ending. Throughout their suspenseful shenanigans, Zinnia gets to know the wicked stepmother she calls, Eva, which teaches her another interpretation of this fairytale.

I liked the alternative perspective Alix told in this story. I also think she wrote an ending that is definitely more applicable to readers. Zinnia learns many lessons on her travels that she can apply to her own life, back home with her friends and family. It was nice to see Zinnia’s character grow. I certainly appreciate a message I can carry with me once I close the book that final time.

While reading this series, I couldn’t help but wonder how much of Alix’s personal experiences were included in this story? For example, Zinnia often refers to her college degree and a professor who taught classes on fairytales. I’m just curious...is there a sprinkle of Alix in Zinnia’s character?

The hardcover edition of this book is a work of art. There are beautiful black and white images throughout the pages.

I have photos and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog… (plus d'informations)

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Horrow is a great novella for fans of a fairytale reimagining of Sleeping Beauty. Zinnia Gray has a rare illness that doctors don’t know much about, except that others with the same illness have not lived past age 21. For Zinnia’s 21st birthday, her best friend, Charm, plans a special celebration for Zinnia with a complete sleeping beauty experience. The birthday party takes place in a tower with a spinning wheel. Zinnia pricks her finger on the spinning wheel and she finds herself in another world with a young woman hopeful to change the course of her destiny.

Alix takes a historic fairytale and turns it into a modern telling of the story. Zinnia pulls at my heart strings; to be such a young woman fighting a rare illness that has her, and her parents, feeling like death is constantly at her back door is agonizing. Her best friend, Charm, is an amazing friend determined to save Zinnia’s life by solving the mystery of her illness. The conclusion of the story was terrific. A satisfying, yet unexpected ending, with a beautiful revelation. I love seeing characters grow.

The hardcover edition of this book is a work of art. There are beautiful black and white images throughout the pages.

I have photos and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog… (plus d'informations)