Review | Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire

Source: Spotify audiobook hours. This is a review of my reading experience.

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold is the eleventh book in the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire.

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?

I adore the Wayward Children series, and I look forward to reading the new installment every January. The Wayward Children series follows children who have gone through a fantasy portal into another world that is a better fit for them. Due to circumstances, these children are forced to return to their original world where they must cope with the heartache and loss of losing their new "home".

While Through Gates of Garnet and Gold is the eleventh book in the series, Seanan McGuire does a great job setting up the story for those who decide to jump straight into this series via this installment. I don't recommend starting here, but we are getting pretty far into the series now.

I loved getting to see some old favorite and not so favorite characters in Through the Gates of Garnet and Gold. These books and these worlds and these characters are such a precious thing.

I felt like something was missing in book #10, and I felt it again here in Through Gates of Garnet and Gold. I can't put my finger on it, but I think it's a lack of something truly new? Or things have become repetitive? I say this every time I read a new installment, but I wish this series would last forever. That being said, these are starting to fall into the 3 star range for me.

So, overall, I love this series so much and never want it to end, but I'm also ready for something more.

⭐⭐⭐★★
3/5 stars