Through Gates Of Garnet And Gold (Wayword Children book 11 by Seanan McGuire (book review)
Once a series has reached eleven volumes, even if they are slim novella-length books, it is likely they have accumulated a faithful readership. Either that or the potential followers have turned elsewhere. There will be some who have not yet experienced the intriguing worlds behind the Doors to other realities. For those new to the series, ‘Wayward Children book 11’, there are Doors which open for some young people and allow them to enter realms that suit their temperament. Sometimes their world will reject them and they are decanted back into our reality where they no longer fit. The lucky ones end up attending Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. This is the anchor for the series.
The focus for ‘Through The Gates Of Garnet And Gold’ is the Halls of the Dead. It is the world of Nancy Whitman. The inhabitants of the Halls are living statues. Nancy has spent years perfecting stillness only changing her pose at required intervals. Nancy takes pride in her ability. There are ghosts in the Halls as well. Most are benevolent, angry ghosts are kept out. Then the living statues start dying, consumed by a malevolent spirit, attracted by any movement. Nancy flees back to the Home to get help.
Once Nancy passes through the Door in the basement of the Home, she meets up with characters followers of the series will have met before. A group of them accompany Nancy back to the Halls of the Dead with the intention of helping solve the situation. Since the resolution involves events that happened in earlier volumes there tends to be a lot of repetition for the sake of the newcomers to the series. For this reason, this volume doesn’t have the intensity of other books in the series. The worlds encountered on the other sides of the Doors are fascinating and quirky. These and the characters that visit them, are the reasons the series continues to enchant.
Pauline Morgan
June 2026
(pub: TOR, 2026. 146 page small hardback. Price: $24.99 (US), $34.99 (CAN), £14.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-250-33940-9)
check out website: https://torpublishinggroup.com/through-gates-of-garnet-and-gold/