Through Gates of Garnet and Gold

By Seanan McGuire

Book Overview

A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Selection

A fan-favorite character returns in this action-packed installment of the Hugo Award-winning Wayward Children series.

After Nancy was cast out of the Halls of the Dead and forced to enroll at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children, she never believed she'd find her door again, and when she did, she didn't look back. She disappeared from the school to resume her place in the Halls, never intending to return.

Years have passed. A darkness has descended on the Halls, and the living statues who populate them are dying at the hands of the already dead. The Lord and Lady who rule the land are helpless to stop the slaughter, forcing Nancy to leave the Halls again, this time on purpose, as she attempts to seek much-needed help from her former schoolmates.

But who would volunteer to quest in a world where the dead roam freely?

And why are the dead so intent on adding to their number?

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250339405
• ISBN13: 9781250339409
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Tordotcom
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.7" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Back to the world of the dead

Now, I am a big fan of Seanan McGuire (and all her many variations!) so I have read many of her books, including all of the Wayward Children novellas. This one builds on some of the other ones (unlike a few which can be standalones) so it will be more enjoyed if you have read the series and get the various backstories of some of the children from Sumi to Nancy, Kade, and Christopher and Jill. That being said, I enjoyed getting a more in depth view of the world Nancy was in as a living statue of stillness. It was a fascinating concept between the living statues and the ghosts that reside there, along with the Lady and Lord (who seem based off Persephone and Hades) and how easily balance is disrupted due to a certain serial troublemaker. I also liked a new character, Talia, previously from Yuemingyuan before coming to the school. Her story would be a fascinating one to read about! This was a fun story with the return of loved characters, a few new ones, and a fairly straightforward adventure to save the world from vengeful ghosts and about growing up and changing, despite a wish to be still. I liked listening to this audiobook. The narrator, Cynthia Hopkins, did a wonderful job in bringing the characters and their adventure to life. I am glad I got to listen to this!