I received this book for free from the Publicist in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Café of Infinite Doors by Zara Marielle Published by Union Square & Co. on April 28 2026
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: Publicist
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The nitty-gritty: A magical cafe is the setting for this engaging fantasy that blends mythology and modern themes.
The Café of Infinite Doors has a fascinating premise, but it ended up being a mixed bag for me, mostly because of the characters (I’ll explain more below). I did love the touches of folklore, however, which give it a magical, otherworldly quality. In her author’s note, Marielle explains that she loosely based the Raven Goddess character on the Morrigan, an ancient figure from Celtic mythology. But the story also has a modern timeline, and I did enjoy this mix of time periods.
The chapters alternate between the past and present. In the present, we meet Marceline, a young woman who is married to a controlling man named Baxter. Marceline has no freedom at all: Baxter controls everything she does, including the way she dresses, how she takes her coffee, and her daily activities. He refuses to let Marceline get a job, since he’s hoping she’ll become pregnant soon. Marceline has convinced herself that Baxter is always right, but deep down she’s unhappy.
One evening Marceline finds herself walking through an unfamiliar neighborhood, alone in the middle of a rainstorm (thanks to Baxter), and she sees a strange door. Anxious to get out of the rain, she opens it and finds herself in a cafe. But this isn’t just any cafe. It’s a magical waystation of sorts where those who need it can come to feel safe. Doors open all over the world and appear just when someone really needs an escape. Marceline meets the proprietor of the cafe, an odd woman named Lucretia who has feathers and talons just like a bird, a cartographer named Kilda, and a French man named Sylvan—who speaks fluent English courtesy of the magic in the cafe. With their help, Marceline comes to realize that she must figure out how to get away from her husband.
In alternating chapters labeled “Long ago,” we follow two sisters in Scotland. Nine year old Bronagh’s mother is a surrogate for the Raven Goddess and has just given birth to the goddess’s daughter Quill. Bronagh grows up bitter and resentful as Quill is worshipped by the villagers and given delicious food and lavish clothes to wear, while Bronagh is sent to an orphanage after her mother dies in childbirth. Quill wants nothing more than to become friends with her half sister, but Bronagh goes out of her way to be mean and refuses to acknowledge the girl who was responsible for her mother’s death.
Eventually these two timelines come together as the connections between Quill, Bronagh, Marceline, Baxter and Lucretia are revealed.
Of the two timelines, I loved the “long ago” chapters the best. Marielle does a great job of creating a mythology surrounding Quill and her goddess mother and the dynamics created when Bronagh becomes insanely jealous of Quill’ and the way the villages worship her and make sure she has the best of everything. Meanwhile, Bronagh works her fingers to the bone and barely has anything to eat. Year after year, her jealousy grows into a lust for revenge, and this tension carries throughout the entire story.
I also loved the relationship between Lucretia and Kilda, in fact they were the only characters I liked. Lucretia is an immortal and doesn’t age, but she fell in love with Kilda, who is human, so their relationship is especially poignant because Kilda will die one day. Both of them take Marceline under their wings and give her lots of advice about life, acting as mother figures in the story.
As for the other characters, they are a mostly horrible bunch and felt very clichéd. Bronagh is mean and spiteful from the moment Quill is born, and she never loses her anger. Baxter is awful as well, and even though the author tries to get the reader to sympathize with him at the end (blaming his actions on his horrible childhood), I couldn’t bring myself to forgive him. Even worse is Marceline. Yes, I felt sorry for her, but she has absolutely no backbone and makes horrible choices. I understand on some level that her naiveté is probably very believable, and that many women who live with bullies and narcissists feel trapped and unable to get out of the relationship, but as a character in a book, I wanted more of a reason to root for her, and it just wasn’t there.
I was also expecting more of a cozy vibe to the story, especially the scenes that take place in the cafe. However, I found the cafe to be a bit dreary, for some reason, and despite loads of tea being served, I never got that cozy feeling that I was looking for. Along those same lines, there is a “sort of” romance that’s brewing between Marceline and Sylvan, but honestly it turned me off because a) Marceline is still married, and b) I wanted her to grow into an independent woman who doesn’t need a man at all! Or at least a woman who wants to find herself before she commits to another relationship.
Despite my issues, I did enjoy The Café of Infinite Doors. The last quarter of the story in particular is filled with action and tension, and I did love the way the author ended her tale.
Big thanks to Books Forward for providing a review copy.
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