The Art of Almost Sticking the Landing
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The Book of Doors
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Look, I am not sure how long I have been blogging, but if you have followed along for any length of time, you are probably convinced I am nearly impossible to please. That assessment is fair. Not just with books, but with life in general. Marriage, profession, academics, athleticism. I am rarely "just happy". This is likely not the healthiest emotional posture, but it has pushed me to demand more, aim higher, and routinely swing for the fences. Has this resulted in pulled muscles while attempting sex positions that no human should ever attempt? Absolutely. But you cannot fail if you never try, and I try very hard.
You might be wondering what the hell any of this has to do with a blog post about The Book of Doors. That is a fair question. Allow me to answer it with honesty and a touch of self awareness. Much like how I play Codenames, (side note: a great party game), this connection might be a stretch.
Brown absolutely swings for the fences here, and in the process probably strains something important. This is a good book. Full stop. The B+ is earned. There is a lot to like. A genuinely cool premise involving books with dangerous and fascinating powers. Some gnarly and well written death scenes. Characters who are easy to root for, alongside others who are unapologetically evil. Time travel that is handled with a level of sanity that deserves recognition. Even the romance is refreshingly restrained. Slow burn, subtle, and mercifully free of pages that make you sigh and check how many chapters you have left. Yarros could take notes.
This is not boring missionary storytelling. Brown is adventurous here. Maybe even ambitious to the point of indulgence. And that is where things wobble a bit. Like me, he still was not satisfied and went for just a little more. A couple of unforced errors creep in. Nothing catastrophic. No heart attacks. No divorces. Just moments where I stopped and thought, but why?
Still, this is a near miss, not a failure. Brown should ice his hamstrings, apologize to his spouse for suggesting one too many acrobatic moves in bed, and get some rest. With a bit more restraint next time, I think he is going to be just fine.
For those of you keeping count, that's 3 sports and sex, all in one blog post about magic books.