The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera

The Saint of Bright Doors Reviews

• 
  John Mauro

  I had high hopes for The Saint of Bright Doors, but unfortunately it did not work for me. I found the book to be overly pretentious for my taste, and the main plot points all felt so arbitrary. The reader is asked to accept the nonsensical and go with the flow because...that's just the way it is in this overly self-serious novel, apparently. As much as I wanted to like this novel, I just couldn't connect with it. I hope other readers will enjoy it more.
• 
  The Speculative Shelf

  I’ve never read anything like The Saint of Bright Doors – wildly inventive, totally mesmerizing, and it upended my expectations at every turn. It reads like an established author’s career-defining masterpiece, rather than a debut novel.
  
  Vajra Chandrasekera paints a vivid picture of a city on the brink – told through the eyes of a man born and raised to be a master assassin, a catalyst of change in the world, bound for one singular purpose – but his skills dull from disuse and he strays from his destined path. The synopsis may not sound unique, but the tale and its telling are wholly original.
  
  I was so impressed with Chandrasekera’s ability to craft a complex, political, and also surreal story in such an intelligible way. I was spellbound the entire time I spent with this book and I can’t wait to read it again, just to recapture some of the awe I felt the first time around.
  
  My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
  
  See this review and others at
  The Speculative Shelf
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• 
  Amy Imogene Reads

  This is all about mysterious fantastical doors and I am very ready to be obsessed
• 
  kay

  This was such an immersive experience I'm having trouble finding words to describe it. I didn't know I had an issue with book series splitting their worldbuilding into multiple books until I finished this and realized what a richly packed story it is in just one book.
  
  Fetter's mother ripped his shadow away from him at birth and raised him to be the perfect weapon to destroy his sainted, all powerful father. He now roams the city of Bright Doors, Luriat, shadowless, unaffected by gravity and attending group meetings with the fellow unchosen.
  
  Chandrasekera writes in a visually immersive, established and absolutely beautiful voice. This is one of those debuts where the author comes out guns blazing with a consistent, polished narration and I loved every second of it. He's able to evoke feeling without overexplaining and with just a few words gave me heart palpitations and made me genuinely scared in multiple spots. I can't go into detail without spoiling but there were parallels with one of my favorite books (coincidentally from the same publisher) that made me put my kindle down for a moment (in a good way).
  
  I loved Fetter. He was real, relatable and I just fall for any character whose inner monologue gets a little petty on occasion. The worldbuilding was rich and satisfying to learn about and again, I found myself suprised at it being just enough considering it's not part of a series. (Do I need to stop reading series for a bit? Maybe.) It was chock full of interesting and unique concepts and overall a fun time.
  
  That brings me to pacing as the only thing I had issues with. It felt a bit choppy and slow in some places, and left me confused about the stakes. In the end it did get wrapped up and explained so I honestly can't complain much.
  
  If you're like me and love lush worldbuilding and to really get lost in a book, I highly recommend The Saint of Bright Doors.
  
  Thank you to tordotcom and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.
• 
  Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany)

  This is a great example of a book I admire but didn't necessarily enjoy all that much. The Saint of Bright Doors is a very innovative work of South Asian fantasy about a man who was raised to assassinate his father and the city he finds brief refuge in. A city filled with mysterious doors that he wants to learn more about.
  
  Stylistically this feels pretty unique. Moving between realism to almost dreamlike writing with transitions that don't always feel linear. It also feels very meta in a way that makes me feel like I'm missing a lot of the context. It feels inspired by the culture and politics of South Asia and blends the mystical and the modern in ways that can feel disorienting at times. I think a lot of it is intentional and there are a few bits of it where I think I know what the author is trying to get at.
  
  As a reading experience, this was very much a mixed bag. There were moments where I was interested and engaged, but also large sections where I was kind of bored or unsure what was going on. I think this one will probably be polarizing, but I could see someone really loving it if it hits them the right way. The audio narration is good. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
• 
  April

  I love intelligent books. Gorgeous cover art and I loved the premise of this book (as well as portal fantasy in general). The poetic writing was exceptional and the world building top notch. I absolutely loved it.
• 
  Laura

  3.5. Vajra Chandrasekera’s debut fantasy novel The Saint of Bright Doors is an innovative standalone story with much to recommend it. Fetter, the son of a cult leader raised by his mother to take down his father, is a complex character I’d absolutely read another book about. The idea of the bright doors — their mechanics and their implications — is completely fascinating and captivated me throughout. The supporting characters were sufficiently interesting to care about, and the plot moved along at a good pace though I would characterize this story as more character-driven than plot-driven overall. I really appreciate how this novel centers and normalizes queer relationships while simultaneously acknowledging the existence of homophobia; Chandrasekera does an incredible job of acknowledging the fact that anti-gay laws not having been enforced consistently or recently doesn’t mean they’re not threatening or that they don’t impact people. This is a novel that absolutely has something to say but doesn’t feel heavy-handed in its messaging, and is wonderfully immersive and well written. In short, I really liked this, and look forward to reading more from Chandrasekera.
  All this said, a few things didn’t quite work for me. Mainly, I found some aspects of the worldbuilding a bit clunky. In particular, the inclusion of very specifically contemporary references — the internet, masking and distancing, fandoms, crowdfunding — felt out of place in this fantasy world, and I think the novel would’ve been stronger without them. There were also a few sections that felt like they dragged on more than they needed to given their non-centrality to the main plot.
  
  Content warnings: violence, death, murder, fire / fire injury, religiously motivated bigotry, xenophobia, state-sanctioned violence, mentions of homophobia, mentions of blood
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for providing an ARC.
• 
  S.E. Anderson

  An absolute masterclass in worldbuilding. This book entranced me from page one. I'm obsessed with the author's style, with the way he invites us to visit this very real world. It's surreal and strange, a world that could be ours (they have phones and planes and even the UN) but retains the mystical. I honestly can't put my thoughts together to form a coherent review, as this really was a unique reading experience unlike anything I've read before.
• 
  MJ

  This is an incredible, challenging, stand-alone fantasy, with a voice that had me captivated from page one! I will fully admit that this book was not what I was expecting. It is very concept-driven and unlike anything I’ve read before.
  
  The story follows Fetter, the son of a messianic cult leader, who is raised by his mother to one day kill his father. As an adult, he escapes his mother’s influence to go live in the city of Luriat, which is famous for its magical doors. In Luriat, Fetter gets mixed up in investigating the mysterious doors, and with a plot against the oppressive religious/governmental forces that rule the city.
  
  If you like excellent prose, fantasy that is ok with you being confused, and compelling examinations of facism, post-colonialism, religious extremism, identity, and fate, then you should absolutely check out The Saint of Bright Doors!
  
  Thanks to Tor Dot Com and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this book.
• 
  Yolanda

  I like the premise of this book but if was a little to scattershot for me to follow. I feel it could have done with a more concise plot and editing. It just was a no go for me .
  Thanks for letting me review this book to Netgalley and the publisher
• 
  Janalyn Prude

  OMG, OMG… What a great freaking book! Fettar is raised by his abusive mother who teaches him to be an assassin and after he kills his uncle who he really has no animosity towards and even has good memories from his childhood he knows this life isn’t sustainable. She also wants him to kill his dad who’s name is The Perfect And Kind a nice man but as soon as he is old enough he moves to the city I think it is called loose it is a rundown city and he attends a support group for the people called The Chosen he also starts studying the Saints in the secret doors that he learns or around this town and although they’re supposed to be cut off from everyone except the Saints he learns not all doors or is locked as they think they are and although does sometimes bring some trouble it also brings together a great book and it is where he will meet his dad he also has friends name ordinary and Leo and OMG I just love this book I wish I could wax lyrical about how great this book was really give a great summary but there is way too much is way too much plot subplot and hopefully there will be a next book I cannot believe this is a debut novel because OMG if this author is an awesome at what he does. He has definite talent the story flows and it is original just awesome! I know I keep saying that lol but it’s the word that keeps coming to my mind when I think how to describe this awesome awesome book! I thought the narrator did such a phenomenal job kudos to him he gave a five star performance and add that to a five star story and you definitely have an average of a five star listen. So freaking good! I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
• 
  Nicole

  Thanks so much NetGalley and TOR for the advanced review copy!
  
  “𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘱𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺. 𝘈𝘭���� 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘹 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘪����𝘩𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘬𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘮𝘢��𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦. 𝘏𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺.”
  
  This was a very peculiar and thought provoking read. Was the story what I was expecting? Not in the slightest. Apart from the door mystery. Was the prose what I was expecting? Pretty much. I was hoping for something to keep me fluttery feelings and awe-worthy quotes akin to something like The Starless Sea and this provided in spades. If I could make this entire review just quotes I would. Considering this is a debit I am completely blown away. The world building is immersive, the characters are flawed and real, the words had me reeling.
  
  All that being said, this is a very interesting but challenging book to read. It has that thing where the words and sentences sometimes need to be read more than once to understand. It doesn’t read as pretentious so much as just someone was like “okay what’s a better word for seeing, oh, perceiving.” That does sound somewhat pretentious or like someone who was a little trigger happy with their thesaurus, but I personally really enjoy this style. Even though it can make reading longer, it catches my interest. Plus I like learning new, long, unnecessary words. I mean, the first page of this book just had me hooked with the floating and the shadowless boy. I would have loved for that to have been more prominent but it was magical when it popped up.
  
  “𝘐 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺, 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘚𝘰 𝘐 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘍𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”
  
  The overarching plot, one of religion and politics intermingling, was a bit confusing at times. The path above and the path behind I kept confusing and I was trying to figure out Fetter’s place among them. I don’t mind a fantasy where I’m a little lost—it somewhat helps me relate to a character who is also feeling lost and confused. This is definitely one I will have to reread at some point. I think a second run through will make it easier to comprehend.
  
  I really enjoyed Fetter as an MC. He was dynamic and funny at times, conflicted and wanting. He goes through a lot of identity struggles and growing up away from the intense childhood he had with an overbearing mother. I enjoyed his processing and journey throughout the story.
  
  Overall, a really wild read. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s worth it if you take your time!
  
  “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘥, 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰.”
• 
  Kerry

  Thank you NetGalley and Tordotcom for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
  
  Fetter spent his childhood learning how to be an assassin then ran away to the big city to try and live a normal life. In Luriat, he joins group therapy, gets a job, and studies the mysterious Bright Doors. Also, his father is like, basically a god.
  
  This was weird, and I loved it. I thought Chandrasekera's prose was lovely and immersive, and the visuals he evokes are vivid and detailed. Though he's the son of a cult leader and was trained by his mother to kill said cult leader, Fetter is, in many ways, just a guy out here trying to do his best and not have to murder anyone. I enjoyed the interiority of this novel; we spend a lot of time in Fetter's head, processing things along with him. This is certainly more of a concept/character driven novel than a plot one (and if having a strong plot is important to you, perhaps this will not necessarily be your thing), but I thought it was gorgeous and ambitious and ultimately very well executed. I certainly think this is the kind of book that I'll re-read and continue finding more bits to chew on, which is a rare thing indeed. Also, those last couple chapters? Breathtaking, perfect, I am obsessed.
• 
  Carrie Dahl

  This book landed at my door at the perfect time - world-building is the focus of my current run of reading and this dropped me into a creation unlike the others I'm working through.
  
  The book begins with an act of violence - tearing away a persons' shadow at their birth and leaving them not quite anchored to the world - and then teaching that child to be an assassin with the goal of killing a his sainted and revered father. We quickly move to Fetter as an adult, in group therapy, trying to navigate a place in the world.
  
  This book covers politics and religion, identity as both assigned by others and assigned by one's self,
  and the world that can be seen by all as well as the world that only some may see, and meshes those ideas all within the experience of Fetter we follow him through the story.
  
  I thought the writing was beautiful - many times I would re-read portions both to appreciate the writing itself and also to flush out the world that Chandrasekera built in detail. While the full "story" he tells is interesting and engaging, I found the true beauty of the story in the small details of Fetter's seeing spirits and ghosts, of the interactions between Fetter and others in the book, and the ideals that are touched on in the way the city of Luriat functions in relation to the real examples we experience in the world today.
  
  I found myself wanting more in the way of the detail and flushing out of the smaller, colorful details within the larger story. I will definitely pick up the next book that Chandrasekera writes and will be thinking about this one for awhile.
  
  Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.
• 
  Laura (crofteereader)

  The contents of the book are even louder than the cover (which is saying something because the cover is bright and colorful and eye-catching). It’s chaotic and hard to follow. As much as I was drawn in by the lush descriptions of people and places and doors, the politics, religion, and the “nature of the universe” was so hard to follow and frequently failed to answer the ever-important “so what?” that I’m pretty sure my brain just turned off and let the nice rhythm of the audiobook narration wash over me.
  
  I always have a hard time with stories that lack a main driving plot, and this one was no exception. It was interesting to see an almost satirical look at how people bend over backwards to “other” each other (the caste system in this fictional city was wild and incomprehensible by design) and the pointed jabs at wealthy socialites landed well. But once we finally wandered around so much that we circled back to the problem presented at the beginning, it ended so suddenly that I was just confused. And then it was over. And I was left trying to cobble together any meaningful thoughts to put in this review.
  
  {Thank you Tor.com for the ARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
• 
  Quinn Lawrence

  I really really enjoyed this book! I'll admit I got a bit lost in the last third, but found my way back by the end. I've never read anything like this, and am really looking forward to Vajra Chandrasekera's other books. If you find yourself getting lost in the same section, please power through, it is absolutely worth it!
  
  The world building of this book is complex, but in a way I'm not sure it's meant to be entirely understood. The layout of the continent and countries wasn't always clear to me, nor were the various cultures/religions, but for the most part this wasn't important for the greater plot. There are a few places the reader should know, but they're easy to keep track of.
  
  Chandrasekera manages to mix modern technology with cities and places that feel that they should be ancient. I can't think of any other book that has the same vibes to the writing, and it really was incredible.
• 
  lucius

  thanks to the folks at Tor Publishing for providing this ebook via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
  ***
  
  I'm at a loss for words
  This was so good.
  The Saint of Bright Doors is a very complex story, about family, and magic, and the releationship between one self and one's destiny.
  This is the story of Fetter, a young man raised by a mother who trained him to kill his father, but years later when he makes a life for himself away from the trail of blood and betrayal that surrounded his childhood, everything changes when Luriat, the beautiful magical city with a very cool secret, is preparing to receive an important religious figure on tour, this being none other than Fetter's own father. His past is catching up with him.
  Told through a very peculiar pair of eyes and an enthralling writing style (that deserves 5 stars on its own), you see the political intrincacies of the city's politics and religion, the magic sweeping all around, the relationships between the characters and how they bend and/or break and the growth and constant change of our main character.
  This is a story about fathers and sons and mothers, and rebels and politics, and doors and paths, and lovers and friends, and devils and saints, and angels and monsters, and immigrants and allies, and doctors and shadows, and learning and loving and hating.
  Will Fetter fulfill the destiny was throwin into him? Will he fail? Will unknown forces do it in his stead? FIND OUT WHEN THIS BOOK COMES OUT!!
  
  CONTENT WARNING: This book contains contents that may trigger sensitive readers like violence, religious fanatism, talks of matricide and homicide, slight sexual behaviour and exorcism.
• 
  Elias Eells

  A truly remarkable debut. Dreamlike and delicious, a book that is both of a place and deeply surreal. Perfect for readers who enjoy a strong character study, fraught familial dynamics, religious trauma, and Weird Fiction. Reality and unreality blur alongside the mundane and supramundane. This is a book that I look forward to rereading in a few years. A rich text that put me in mind of a watercolor painting, the sort of thing that bleeds through and blurs at the margins, while being defined by strong lines and bright colors.
  
  I'll have more to say in the summer, when the book is released, and a new drink too!
• 
  Deb Rachel

  The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera is a richly packed story with intense world building and multi-layered themes. This story will resonate with readers who love a exotic tale of a shadowless son being groomed to kill his own father. This debut novel doesn’t hold anything back, and is equally bold as it is emotional. I found the book challenging to read in parts but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it. I am looking forward to the next in the series. Four out of five stars for an epic read!
  
  Thank you to Tor Publishing Group via NetGalley for this arc. I read it voluntarily and all views are my own.
• 
  Tana 🌻 Cozyreadings

  I tried, I really really tried! That first part with the shadow being taken away and him getting trained by his mother was amazing. If only the rest of the book stayed that way. In it's place I got a confusing world, and very over the top writing. Normally I'm all for this type of writing, flowery writing, purple writing or whatever you want to call it: I eat it up. Here however I felt like it just made everything sound pretentious. Not for me sadly.
  
  Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  blok sera szwajcarskiego

  DNF 67%
  
  Received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for honest opinion.
  
  Very sorry for this decision, but unfortunately there was nothing that would make me stay to end this story. The idea was amazing, yet the writing made me too confused, I could not focus over the plot nor characters. Maybe one day I will give it a second chance.
• 
  Kitkatreads

  Unfortunately this book was a dnf for me. I really liked the concept of the story but the writing/ world building was too confusing and hard to follow and I couldn't keep track of what was actually happening. I really wanted to love this book but sadly it wasn't for me. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for a review.
• 
  Siavahda

  Another confusing masterpiece from 2023!
  
  Rtc!
• 
  jordan!

  that was a delight <3
• 
  Emma Cathryne

  This was not the book I was expecting from the first chapter. Chandrasekera sets up a tale of generational retribution and mesmerizing supernatural intrigue. Fetter has been named and raised by his mother for the sole purpose of killing his all-powerful father, a sainted and unkillable religious icon. However, Fetter's life veers off course when he departs for the cosmopolitan city of Luriat and becomes entranced by the mystery of its brightly painted doors that never open and and cause strange physical reactions.
  
  What I was anticipating as a high-action revenge thriller, the story reveals itself as a slow-burn political allegory, no less fascinating but not quite as bombastic. Luriat's eldritch dystopian government and endless cycle of plagues and pogroms is a fascinating case study of a world on the brink of revolution, and Fetter serves as a guide and interpreter for the various corners and hierarchies of the city. As enthralling as the story was, I found myself drawn in by some of the details that were given less attention, such as the frightening demons scouring the streets that only Fetter can see. For example, there is a brief interlude after Fetter is tossed in prison during which he encounters and "exorcises" a demon from a person - this was one of favorite parts, wonderfully spine-chilling, but wasn't paid much attention following the end of the subplot.
• 
  ancientreader

  I don't know what I just read. I'm not being sarcastic: I was both fascinated by The Saint of Bright Doors and thoroughly baffled by it.
  
  The bravura opening, in which Mother-of-Glory, the mother of Fetter, amputates his shadow with a nail, after which he's tethered to the earth only by consciously practiced intention -- otherwise he'd float up and, he fears, endlessly away -- set me up to expect fireworks, and I got them.
  
  Mother-of-Glory raises Fetter to be a magician and an assassin, and off page, he commits any number of practice murders. The end goal is to commit the Five Unforgivables, chiefest of which is patricide. All this in a town, Acusdab, where devil doctors (wizards? wannabe wizards?) practice and where devils, which only Fetter can see, lurk everywhere. Feeder devils cling to the sides of buildings, creeping Fetter and me both out.
  
  Eventually, Fetter has had just about enough and sets out to make himself a non-murderous life in the big city. Luriat has its upside, mainly that Fetter isn't obliged to kill anyone on the daily, but it's also, as Fetter slowly learns, a dystopia. Everyone is classed by race and caste, denoted on their identity card, which also, ominously, bears a haecceity in the form of a number string. Thanks to TSoBD, by the way, for teaching me this word: it means "thisness," or whatever quality makes something or someone unique. That Luriat's government denotes hacceity by means of a number string is almost enough in itself to tell you what you need to know -- and no, I don't think it's meant as a swipe at social security or NHS numbers, though the more I think about it the harder it gets not to read it that way.
  
  Other important features of Luriat:
  
  There's a sectarian war going on. The exact nature of the sects was never entirely clear to me, but both exist in some relation to Fetter's father, the Perfect and Kind, a sobriquet you might find yourself thinking is a little heavy-handed in its irony. Anyway: pogroms, enthusiastically supported by the police. People, generally monks and their more enthusiastic followers, beat other people to death or burn them alive. And if you think the US has a savage and overlarge carceral system, wait till you see Luriat's.
  
  Nobody ever closes a solid door; everyday doors always have a pane of glass, at a minimum, because solid doors that close eventually, unpredictably, turn into bright doors, which don't open and on the other side of which there's only a blank wall. Fetter, needless to say, turns out to have a special relationship to bright doors. The mystery of bright doors is, eventually solved, to the extent that we learn what's behind them, but if we ever get what I might call an origin story for them, I missed it.
  
  I won't say more about Fetter's father, a. because it's complicated and I can only write so long a review, and b. because of the aforementioned bafflement. Also, there are revolutionaries, but I'm not sure what they wanted apart from the overthrow of Luriat's government. The Saint of Bright Doors is imaginative, for sure -- I can't fault Chandrasekera on the ground of creativity -- but ultimately it overloaded me; whenever I thought I might have gotten a grip on the worldbuilding, something new and/or disorienting appeared or happened. What is the secondary character Ulpe going off to do, toward the end of the book? It seems to be a suicide mission (I promise this is barely a spoiler), but what it is or what it aims to accomplish -- if you've figured that out, do let me know.
  
  The tl;dr is that I don't know whether I just read a brilliant book that I'm not smart enough to understand, or an almost-brilliant book, by a smart and talented writer, that doesn't quite cohere. Four stars, for boldness in the attempt.
  
  Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Voluntary, honest review, etc.
• 
  Michaela Whitney

  I received a copy through NetGalley for review.
  
  So this was a very interesting book. By the last 65% I finally got to a point where I was enjoying it because it was sort of making sense. But there was a good 10 times I seriously considered putting this down. Upon finishing it the only thing I can loosely, and I mean loosely compare this to was Lani Taylor's Strange the Dreamer. It sort of has that quality of writing and plot-ish to it on flow.
  
  I'm not even sure if I can adequately describe the plot. I'm going to try!
  
  Fetter is our main character. His mother was once an ordinary woman whose path was changed by a powerful, manipulative man- his father otherwise known as the Perfect and Kind. Who essentially learned enough of histories and magics from other cultures, and possibly world's that he literally altered it to suit his own needs.
  A prophetic zealot, who shaped the world, re wrote it and stripped entire people's, lands and cultures of their history, and memories.
  His mother- Mother-of-Glory (thus renamed by her husband, who left them) raised their son Fetter to become a weapon to end him. Crafted from childhood to subvert his teachings, and destroy them and end his life.
  His shadow is cut from him at birth. And I wonder if it was an effort to literally separate Fetter from the world his father remade in his wants and image. To unmoor him.
  
  The plot deals with violence, colonialism, plague, revolution, genocides, prisons, castes, government control and manipulation, stolen lands-magics, memories, what happens when you rob an entire world of their history, their cultures, to have everything you ever know re-written without your knowledge.
  It's a very interesting commentary.
  
  And while I had trouble keeping with the constant changing on the plots, plots that were sometimes ripped out from under us, due to the Bright and the Kind's meddling at some points.
  But I really did appreciate the writing.
  And the growth Fetter goes though to pull away from what both his narcissistic and manipulative parents want from him, shaped him by force and both by absence. His parents are awful, horrible, selfish people.
  
  It's a commentary on the absolute worse things that exist in this world, and a character who chooses another path for himself.
  And a shadow self who chooses something completely different, to set their other self free at last.
  
  It was a heavy book, even for me. If any of these subjects are hard for you, I'd recommend you skip. Many parts were not easy to read.
  
  But in the end, was incredibly well done.
  I'm only deducting a last star for having to really struggle through this plot that finally, finally got there in the end.
  
  
• 
  Eitan

  I received an ARC of this book from Tordotcom in exchange for an honest review. This review will not contain any spoilers.
  
  This book was not what I expected, mostly for good. The first chapter sets up a classic, if conflicted, Chosen One--so far, so normal. The second chapter is a beautiful single-paragraph time skip--a little more unusual, but still one of my favorite devices (see: The Traitor Baru Cormorant, among others). By the third chapter we have left the mythic tone behind and moved into what feels like a Soviet-era bureaucratic dystopia. Even having been told that this novel was about former Chosen Ones growing up, the tonal shift was striking given that I expected something more in the style of American Gods--myths infusing the modern world with their own styles and sensibilities. Instead, despite names like Fetter and The Perfect and Kind, the rhythms of the story feel closer to the modern world (with subplots about pandemics, refugees, government changes) than to an imagined past. To support this change of pace, Chandrasekera's prose is wry in a way I've come to associate with writers obliquely criticizing dictatorships, full of double meanings and implications that allude to the broader world of the novel without spelling out its rules for the author. Several lines got a genuine chuckle--"without possession, nine-tenths of the lore are already lost" was perhaps my favorite. I spent an unreasonable amount of time trying to anagram "Acusdab" before finally accepting that it probably had no meaning, likely a fitting commentary on the themes of the book. The plot tends to meander and mix ideas in a way similar to the prose; there are sections which recount old myths, passages about work permits and funding for academic research, a long and hallucinogenic bike tour through an internment camp. Despite the specters of prophecy and destiny that haunt the first chapter, and the unresolved question of the doors, the novel takes its time getting to the "plot-heavy" portions of the book, and I enjoyed reading its unhurried account of life in the in-between crossroads city of Luriat. If anything, I found the ultimate resolutions to the ostensibly central questions--how will Fetter kill The Perfect and Kind? what do the doors do? who will be in power by the end?--less satisfying than the journey towards that resolution. Inconclusive endings are a quirk I tend to enjoy, and I feel like this book might have benefited from fully committing to its early theme of upending the Chosen One narrative. Maybe what matters most is neither our destiny nor our reaction to it, but simply the course life takes independent of the forces that drive it.
  
  Four out of five stars. An interesting, genre-bending novel with several striking passages and ideas.
• 
  Denise Ruttan

  I've read several books this year by South Asian SFF authors and I've noticed they veer toward a particular very cerebral style, full of gods and devils who walk among us in the real world, which is often more terrifying than the supernatural plane. "The Saint of Bright Doors" is no exception in this style, so it may not be for everyone, but I've come to appreciate this voice.
  
  "The Saint of Bright Doors" is the story of child assassin Fetter, groomed by an abusive, semi-immortal mother to be a weapon in her plan for vengeance against his father, a cult leader who has godlike powers. This is a mirror universe to ours, with all our same modern technology and social media but different geography.
  
  Fetter escapes his mother's clutches and finds himself in the repressive town of Lariat, the background horrors of the military dictatorship fueled by his father's influence. Fetter falls in love with a young lawyer named Hej, in a city where queer love is illegal, and finds himself a support group for the children of gods who have been unchosen for their sacred destinies. He's a child assassin who has vowed not to kill anymore, he doesn't have a shadow and he can see devils that others can't. I loved Fetter's character and his relationship with Hej.
  
  The bright doors around the city are studied, feared and worshiped; no one knows quite what they mean. Could they be portals? Objects of worship or disdain? Just a door? Dangerous? I found the science behind the bright doors quite interesting.
  
  A lot of things about the narrative structure didn't really fit together, in the end, so I had kind of mixed feelings about this book. I felt like the bright doors could have played a bigger role in the plot, and I didn't like that it was an urban fantasy. The modern technology didn't really drive the story forward. If modern technology is used, I wanted more contrast between it and the supernatural plane; but it was almost incidental to the story. I was confused by the universe at first partly because of the modern influences. But it would have been hard to pull off the Kafkaesque futility of government bureaucracy without that level of technology.
  
  What was really interesting about this story was the fallen superheroes seeking redemption, the bright doors, the various religions and the magic they inhabited so that you couldn't quite tell what was real and what was not, and the almost Kafkaesque nature of the government Fetter's friends were working to overthrow.
  
  All in all, this was an intriguing read and a fascinating universe.
  
  Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Manish Gaur

  The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera is a remarkable and captivating novel that transports readers into a world filled with mystery, drama, and transcendence. The story is set in the city of Luriat, a place where everything is more than it seems and where divine destinies are commonplace. The narrative revolves around the central character, Fetter, who was raised as a weapon to kill his father and has a troubled past.
  
  One of the most impressive aspects of this novel is the way the author weaves together elements of fantasy, mystery, and existential exploration to create a rich and engaging world. The concept of invisible powers that mock the mortal form and the idea of Bright Doors, portals through which a cold wind blows, are particularly imaginative and add to the mysterious atmosphere of the story.
  
  Fetter's journey from his rural hometown to the city is a central theme of the novel and provides a unique lens through which to examine the idea of identity and purpose. As he navigates the unfamiliar and often bewildering world of Luriat, he discovers more about himself and his place in the world. The author does an excellent job of slowly unraveling the mysteries of Luriat and the supernatural elements of the story, building tension and suspense throughout the book.
  
  The character development of Fetter is another standout aspect of the novel. Throughout the story, he evolves from a weapon with a troubled past to a complex and fully realized character with his own hopes, fears, and desires. His interactions with the other characters, including his therapist and fellow members of a revolutionary cadre, are well-written and add depth to the story.
  
  The Saint of Bright Doors is a thought- provoking and truly imaginative novel that will stay with readers long after they have finished reading it. The themes of identity, purpose, and the interplay between the mundane and the divine are explored with sensitivity and nuance, making this a must- read for fans of speculative fiction.
  
  In conclusion, The Saint of Bright Doors is an impressive and highly recommended novel that will captivate and challenge readers. With its vivid setting, rich characters, and compelling storyline, it is sure to become a classic of the genre.