#Bookreview Knocking on disappointment’s door

“The Book of Doors” by Gareth Brown, which promised to be an interesting blend of fantasy, time travel, and the classic battle of good versus evil, completely failed to capture my imagination.I did not make it past the first five chapters, because life is too short to read something you do not enjoy.

But just because it wasn’t for me, does not mean it won’t find an audience, predominantly I suspect with young adult readers who don’t normally choose the fantasy genre.

If you enjoy the likes of Robert Jordan’s ‘The Wheel of Time’ series for example, then this novel is not for you.

The book was promoted as being similar to ‘The Night Circus’ by Erin Morgenstern, which was a risk that I don’t feel paid off because it sets really high expectations.

I was drawn to this story by its beautiful cover and a story premise that had huge potential.

Cassie Andrews inherits ‘The Book of Doors’ after a customer dies at the bookstore where she works.

This seemingly ordinary book possesses extraordinary powers, able to transport Cassie and her friend Izzy to any destination (and time) through closed doors.

Unbeknown to Cassie, the book is part of a unique collection scattered throughout history, each imbued with distinct magical abilities.

Pursued by various factions, including the enigmatic ‘Librarian’ Drummond Fox and a mysterious ‘Detective’ on a secret mission, Cassie and her companions race to locate these books before they fall into the wrong hands.

Among their adversaries is a ruthless ‘Woman’ whose quest for the books has left a trail of death and destruction.

But despite this really promising storyline, I found the characters flat and the plot clunky. The long discriptions of the places Cassie visits and the food she eats felt unnecessary and just annoyed me.

It will more than likely get turned into a very average series on Netflix.

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