Through Gates of Garnet and Gold

Wayward Children #11

by Seanan McGuire

A fan-favorite character returns in this action-packed instalment 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?

Genres: Fantasy, Novella, Young Adult, Audiobook, Adult, Fiction, Queer

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 6, 2026

About the author

Hi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.

Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).

I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(

Reviews

[Lala BooksandLala]

NANCYYYYYYYYYY

[emma]

reading a book in this series every year is my favorite tradition

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

this felt like such a delightful callback to the first book with the return of Nancy and a few other surprising cameos!

[Alina ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

☆☆☆☆

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold is another great installment in Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series, and one that reminded me why I’m so attached to these characters and this world. I really loved picking back up with Nancy again, she remains one of my favorite perspectives in the series, and it felt grounding to return to her after some of the more experimental entries.

One of the biggest joys of this book was the inclusion of surprise characters. Without spoiling anything, the appearance of a character from what is, so far, my favorite book in the series genuinely delighted me and added an extra emotional layer to the story.

I listened to the audiobook, and while it was mostly good, I did struggle with Kade’s narration. I honestly can’t remember if this was an issue for me in previous audiobooks, but this time around I found his narration distracting and not at all how I hear the character in my head. That said, it wasn’t enough to ruin the experience overall.

Despite that small complaint, this was still a strong, enjoyable entry, and I am obviously committed to continuing this series until the very end. McGuire has built something special here, and I’m always happy to step back through the doors.

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love this series, but i haven’t been the biggest fan of the last couple novellas. i was so excited for the return of Nancy, but something was missing for me. of course i loved having all the characters back together again, especially seeing Kade and Nancy’s reunion. Jill is still out wrecking havoc apparently, but i am glad that Nancy came to the realization that she wanted to actually experience her life, instead of living in stillness. i’m hoping the next one will be in a more whimsical world.

⤞ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Macmillan Audio for the alc, all opinions are my own.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nancy makes a reappearance in this one and the gang gets back together! Nancy had been happy in the Halls of the Dead as a living statue, until the ghosts that haunt the halls began attacking people. Now she needs help from the crew she left behind to save the rest of the statues and stop whatever is going on. This installment didn't strike a deep chord the way others have, but it was a fun mystery and I enjoyed seeing everyone back together. The audio narration is pretty good. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Brok3n · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reunion of old friends and enemies

The typical novel in Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series is the story of one particular child, about the world that child's portal led them to, about the adventures they had there, and about how, in most cases, they were ejected. I say, "typical" because this structure is not universal. Also, the child in question may not be new to us. Wayward Children is unusual in that its stories often come to us pre-spoiled. That is, we often know, even before we get a novel devoted to a child, how the story of a particular child will turn out from their appearance in earlier novels.

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold is not one of those. In fact, it's not even the story of a particular child. We do meet a new child, Talia. She passed through a world called Yuemingyuan, where everything is about moths. She fell out or got kicked out -- I don't quite remember, even though I just finished the book yesterday. And this is the problem with Talia: Garnet and Gold is not her story, and she barely matters at all to the story that is told, so it's hard to care much about her.

I actually quite enjoyed the story that was told. The story begins with an old friend, Nancy, who is where she wants to be, in the Halls of the Dead. Bad things happen there and Nancy returns to Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children. Nancy recruits a bunch of children to join her quest to figure out and fix the problem in the Halls of the Dead. Eleanor's school rules forbid quests, but readers know by now that is a rule that is honored more often in the breach than the observance.

We know most of the children of the quest from previous Wayward Children books. (Talia is the only exception.) We also meet some other characters from earlier books in the course of the quest. I won't spoil who they are, except to say that they are some of the most entertaining characters from the earlier books.

So that was all fun -- a mostly straightforward portal adventure novel with fun plot twists and enjoyable reunions with old friends and enemies.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for an Advance Reader Copy of Through Gates of Garnet and Gold. Release date 6-Jan-2026.

Blog review.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold
by Seanan McGuire
I love this whole series and was excited to read this book. It was good but I think it was the lowest rating I gave any of the books in the series. Definitely good but she normally knocks it out of the park!

[The Captain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ahoy there me mateys! This be the 11th book in the series.  While I try to post no spoilers, if ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

I say this every time I finish one of these novellas but I seriously could read dozens of books set in the various worlds.  This is the 11th book and deals with Nancy from books 1 and 3.  This book should not be read as a standalone.

In this installment, Nancy has been in the Halls of the Dead for years and was sure she would never leave.  However, the living statues are being killed and the Hall is being overrun by the vengeful spirits.  The Lord and Lady of the realm ask Nancy to run and find help.  She ends up back in Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children and asks her old friends to help her save her world.

I have to admit that I did not like this installment a lot.  There seemed to be something missing and I was not as engaged with the story.  Part of it was the author's choice to bring back multiple characters besides Nancy.  I was never expecting to see them again and it felt more like the ending of a series or tying up loose ends.  Part of it was learning more about the Halls of the Dead and how it was run.  Nancy may feel comfortable there but frankly I felt the Lord and Lady kinda sucked.  And then there was the ending which I did not like at all.  It seems to have negated everything the Doors stand for and Nancy's journey in particular.  Are none of the children, except Jack, supposed to have a happy ending?

That said, there were parts I liked.  I enjoyed the reason for the vengeful ghosts getting out of hand.  I enjoyed watching Sumi aggravate the Lord and Lady with truths about their behavior.  I enjoyed the Moth girl.  I still would like to see Christopher get his own book.  This may have been a weaker book but I still want more.  Arrrr!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Raquel Flockhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Doors are magical things. Always. It doesn’t matter whether they connect two familiar, well-known rooms or two entirely undiscovered spaces: to travel from one distinct location into another simply by passing through a portal, whether bound in wood or carved from stone, is a magical act.”

It feels like a New Year’s tradition to have a new installment in the Wayward Children series released during the first week of each year. Through Gates of Garnet and Gold is the eleventh novella, and ten installments after starting the series with a book about Nancy, the author once again features her as the protagonist. Nancy returns to Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children to seek the help of her friends to end the threat in the Halls of the Dead, where the living statues among the dead are being murdered by ghosts.

As with every odd-numbered entry in this series, we follow the cast of characters on a quest. As I always mention in my reviews of these novellas, the odd-numbered installments aren’t my favorites, as I’m not the biggest fan of quest-driven stories, and I find it much more interesting to explore the different worlds in the even-numbered ones. Even so, I must say I’ve been enjoying the latest novellas set in the current timeline, and I’m happy to say I liked this latest one as well.

Yes, Through Gates of Garnet and Gold is quite predictable, but it’s always fun to see what these characters are up to, and there was even a surprise cameo I wasn’t expecting. I also have to say that I didn’t see the ending coming, but I quite liked that twist. Special mention to the beautiful prologue, which is about doors and how they can mean different things to different people—McGuire has a gift with words, that’s undeniable. More next January!

Previous installments:
1. Every Heart a Doorway ★★
2. Down Among the Sticks and Bones ★★★
3. Beneath the Sugar Sky ★★
4. In an Absent Dream ★★★★
5. Come Tumbling Down ★★★
6. Across the Green Grass Fields ★★
7. Where the Drowned Girls Go ★★
8. Lost in the Moment and Found ★★★
9. Mislaid in Parts Half-Known ★★★
10. Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear ★★★

Short stories set in this series:
4.5 Juice Like Wounds ★★★
7.5 In Mercy, Rain ★★
7.7 Skeleton Song ★★★

[Melanie (meltotheany)]

omg nancy

1.) Every Heart a Doorway ★★★★★
2.) Down Among the Sticks and Bones ★★★★★
3.) Beneath the Sugar Sky ★★★★
4.) In an Absent Dream ★★★★★
5.) Come Tumbling Down ★★★
6.) Across the Green Grass Fields ★★★★
7.) Where the Drowned Girls Go ★★★
8.) Lost in the Moment and Found ★★★★★
9.) Mislaid in Parts Half-Known ★★★
10.) Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear ★★★★

[Sunny Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the weaker wayward children books but I love a lot of these characters. The wasian chinese girl was kinda silly like what the hell sure

[h o l l i s · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, despite a really strong start with the prologue, this one felt a little.. rushed? Not very polished? I know it's an ARC but still, I can't imagine much content will be added to smooth things out.

The only real upside, other than the beginning, was seeing a whole host of familiar faces from various stories up to this point; but the flipside to that is it was something of an awkward ensemble and the reunions didn't really land. We just crammed in quick backstories and summaries and teased things to come whilst also trying to plot and resolve the current conflict. It didn't work.

No matter how these instalments have gone, and most have been middling, I've always said that there was enough to keep me reading on. But I think we've come to an end on that. I think, like Nancy, though I've been in and out and in again — in my case, able to acknowledge some of the really poignant or important messaging within these stories but never managing to love them the way so many others do — I think it's time to let go. We'll see if it sticks but for now? It's enough; I’m sure.

** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. **

---

This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the pre-release copy of Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire. Below you'll find my honest review.

Another trip through the Doors, not to Confection, not to the Moors,

This time a trip to Nancy's home, so close in nature to Christopher's bones.

The ghostly specters are riled up mad, the end for the statues gruesome and bad,

so back Nancy goes to the school for her friends, to get help to stop these untimely ends.

Off on a quest, a handful of them go, their bravery and courage and cleverness show.

Seanan's done it again, this book's a delight! Now hurry and go read all that she writes!

Highly recommended, especially if you've read the rest of these (this one does spoil prior books!)

[Mel Lenore · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted this one to work better for me than it did. I think in the end, these are too short and too on the nose for me. I want more of the plot, the relationships, and to see the diversities in the character rather than just being told. Unfortunately, the length doesn't really allow for that. I always find the worlds so cool, but half of the 200 page book is set there, so we really don't get to see a lot. Sadly for me, I think this book may be last in the series, but I do see why they are so well loved. I want more of Down Among sticks and Bones. Though I did enjoy seeing a familiar face...

[Loran (Inked with Curiosity)]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
YES YES YES
screaming crying throwing up
this may have cured my depression

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I do wish these books were longer I still find them to be magical and love them, even when I’m cursing that they are over all too soon. I listened to the audiobook for this one and the narrator did a good job. I was glad to see a bit more of Nancy, I did think we weren’t done with her (and I imagine still not, but then I always want to see more of the core characters). I don’t want to go more into the plot, I would worry about spoiling it. I will say it was fascinating to visit the Halls of the Dead in this world, it is one of the doors I understand the least.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Seanan McGuire has one fan it is ME. If Seanan McGuire has no fans I am DEAD.

Nancy found her way home to the halls of the underworld, but a new danger sends her back to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children in search of help.

It's always so hard to separate my feelings for each individual book in this series from my diehard love for the world and the series in general. I did miss Nancy and Kade, Sumi, and Christopher who we didn't get a lot of in the last few books. McGuire's writing is god tier as ever, directly out of a fairytale and solely focused on ripping my heart out of my chest. I hope we get a book on Talia's world because it sounds beautiful and the high-reason worlds are always my favorite.

Another wonderful addition to a wonderful series that I hope never ends!

Thank you to Seanan McGuire and Tordotcom for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Young Adult Fantasy, and this is the 11th book in the Wayward Children series. I have read the first ten books in this series before picking up this book. I read this book by listening to the audiobook for this book, and I loved the audiobook. We got to visit with some characters that show up in other books in this series which I always love. I really enjoyed this book, and I am so happy I decided to keep reading this series. I loved this series for a long time, but I did not enjoy the last couple of books from this series. I loved the characters in this book. I got pulled right into this book, and this book was filled with action and drama. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

[AndaReadsTooMuch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy!!!!!! We get more Nancy!

Nancy returns to Evelyn’s Home for Wayward Children with one of the three forbidden things… a quest. Something is killing the living statues in Nancy’s chosen world, and it’s clear that she’s the only one that can help her beloved serene and still world. It feels at odds to be in the world of the dead and fear dying, but there are just as many living residents as there are dead. Every living thing wants to survive, and in the world of the dead right now, that isn’t a guarantee. I am not ashamed to say I teared up at the end. This was a beautiful love letter to living. Seanan McGuire once again manages to capture the essence of difficult topics and spin them out into gorgeous tapestries. I’m in awe.

Now I’d read the physical copies of all the previous books, this is my first audiobook experience with the Wayward Children. It is clear I was sorely missing out. The narrator, Cynthia Hopkins, is an absolute treasure! I adored the way she narrated Sumi and Kade. (That was so spot on for Sumi in my head when I read Sumi.) Their character voices are absolutely PERFECT. Now I’ve got to go back and listen to all of the books!

Gigantic thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio (Drew, you’re a real one!) for the gifted ALC and the opportunity to review this amazing book. All opinions are my own. My opinion is that if you’re not already reading this series, you need to get on it asap!

[Laura]

NANCY IS BACK! OMGGGGGGGG

[ada]

it's tradition

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wayward Children series always brings something fun for me to the table. The worlds the kids go to are the big draw for me as I love seeing the cultures in these other realities. Through Gates of Garnet and Gold takes us to a place we have already seen in Nancy's land, The Halls of the Dead, but this time it is not the place of silence or stillness it once was something has changed and the spirits are restless.

Nancy needs help, sent by the Lady of the Halls, she travels through a door back to the school for Wayward Children to ask for help. There are a few rules in the school and no questing is one of them. But the kids at the School for Wayward Children are use to breaking all the rules, that is one of the reasons they are there after all and so Nancy finds that some of her friends are eager to help Nancy save the Halls of the Dead. Including a new character we haven't read before, Talia, who once was in a land of moths. She is adamant that she is going to go along on the quest, kids that go on quests eventually find there doors again and she is determined to do anything to find her door.

“Being absolutely sure is hard on the human heart...We’re creatures of contradiction, and that’s how we survive. We need a little nonsense in us to cut all the routine away. And nonsense is like acid for certainty.”

I always enjoy seeing the kids in the books and traveling to new worlds. While we did get a deeper look and understanding of the Halls of the Dead I can't say that it was my favorite world. Christopher, Sume, Kade and Talia all head off to help Nancy with the rogue ghosts killing the statues. Sume is still one of my favorite characters and I love her nonsense logic sometimes. I also was grateful she gave the Lord and Lady of the land a piece of her mind on their behaviors. The villain made sense and I liked the resolution and help from a ghost that was known to the readers.

A few things of note. This is not a good stand alone story you need to have at minimum read all the books with Nancy in them, 1 and 3 at a minimum. I have read these stories over many years, so some of the details are not as clear to me as I would have liked for a few of the characters brought up. I probably need to commit to a reread soon to recapture many of the smaller details.

I didn't really like the ending. I think it is going to work for some who possibly have romantic aspirations for a couple of the characters. But for me I was kinda sad for Nancy's final choice? That said I'm still interested in stories in this world and hope to see Christopher get a stand alone or Talia's world seemed so interesting. I also wouldn't mind another trip to the goblin market. All the worlds are really different and interesting so I will continue on with the series.

Narration:

Performance: ★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: beautiful music coming into and at the end of the story.

Cynthia Hopkins has narrated the books Nancy was previously in and so she does make sense for this installment. That said she isn't as polished as some of the other narrators selected for this series. Jesse Valinsky has been my favorite narrator in the series for me. I was able to tell her voices apart but sometimes the pacing choices seemed a little off for the overall performance of the story. She is still a good narrator, she just didn't evoke emotions in me like some of the other narrators in the series. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced audio copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Mandy (Bookishlove85) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost started this review by saying, I wish I had a new installment of this series every month because I enjoy it so much. But I think that would take away the wonder and whimsy if I had too much of it. So instead I’ll continue my yearly tradition of reading the latest volume in one sitting as soon as it releases. This one was so good, per usual, with Nancy’s return and the new quest. It was so bitter sweet seeing all of the crew back together. This series has a forever spot on my favorites shelf and it’s been something I look forward to each year as it continues. I won’t be ready for it to end whenever it does. But for now I’m living vicariously through our fave characters as they go on the hunt of their doors. And if there’s one thing I know about this series, it’s how SURE I am of my love for it. 😉🥰

[Theo Logos · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No Quests” my ass! Eleanor West seriously needs to strike that rule off her list already. Any rule that’s violated as flagrantly and often as that one is at the Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children can neither be taken seriously nor respected. Because, of course, the usual suspects are off on yet another quest, this time to the Halls of the Dead, where an old favorite villain is wreaking havoc among the ghostly still statues (and they would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for those meddling kids!)

[Birte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful as always. I loved seeing Nancy again and getting the interactions between her and the other children, as well as seeing more of her world.

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realize how much I wanted to see Nancy again until we got more of Nancy’s story. I will say things aren’t “resolved” in this book BUT it does a really good job at poking holes in the accepted “fact” that people’s Doors lead them to where they most belong. Kade was a bit disappointing this time, but I can’t wait to get Talia’s story and Christopher and Sumi (and certain other returning faces that mentioning by name would constitute spoilers) really carried things.

While the lack of resolution does leave the book feeling rather incomplete, it is leading us toward a good (and inevitable) nearby ending. It might not be the next book, but I think it’s coming soon…

Also props to Sumi for calling out that what people “need” isn’t always good for them if they’re not also being cared for. She’s annoying but she always has the most poignant observations.

{Thank you TorDotCom for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review}

[Christina Pilkington · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I always look forward to January because I know I’ll have a new Wayward Children book to read!

My favorite books in the series are when the children go through portals into different worlds. And that sorta happened here? The first part is set at the school, but we also get to go to Nancy’s Halls of the Dead. While I especially enjoyed the last half in the portal world, it went by so quickly that I wished we’d spent more time there instead of having so much lead up in the beginning.

This felt like a set up book to me. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you read every book in the series and are connected to all the characters. I can see how this story is necessary to the overarching plot line of the series.

I did enjoy a lot of the character interactions and seeing some characters whom we haven’t seen for awhile. But some readers might find this story too rushed with not as much time in the portal world as they’d have liked.

You definitely have to read all the rest of the books in the series first! Some of these books can be read on their own without needing extra context, but this won’t make a lot of sense if it’s read by itself. But I love when a longer series gets complex in a good way where past books make the current book’s reading experience that much richer.

I was able to both read this digitally and through the audiobook. The narrator is Cynthia Hopkins who’s narrated several other of the books in this series. She was great! Her performance definitely elevated my reading experience.

And now I have to wait another year for the next book! If you haven’t read this series yet or if you’re not caught up, I’d highly recommend this next installment in the Wayward Children series. It feels like it’s nearing a conclusion, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it ends!

*Thank you to NetGalley, Tordotcom and Macmillan Audio for the digital and audio arcs. All opinions are my own.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children has three rules: No Solicitation, No Visitors, and No Quests. But as longtime readers of this series know, the children themselves frequently challenge that third rule. In this installment, Nancy, the main character from book one, returns from the Halls of the Dead once again in search of help from her old friends to save the world she loves.

These books are fairly short and quick-paced, which makes for a fast read. I didn’t really care for or about the newest character, Talia, which is unfortunate because she’s the most likely candidate for protagonist of the next book (though I’m sure that in her own book she’ll be a more sympathetic character.) Luckily the other, more beloved regular characters made up for it, including one that I was not expecting to see in this novel (but probably should have, given what I knew of the premise.)

The writing in this book is as gorgeous as always in this series. Although I do have a minor gripe about this thing in McGuire’s writing I’ve noticed (and I read pretty much everything she puts out) where characters take an overly long moment to talk through something where realistically, they probably wouldn’t or shouldn’t. Sometimes it can be dismissed as fun banter, but at other times, it just rings false to me and ruins my suspension of disbelief. Case in point: in this book, there’s a scene where a character says a couple of clever lines as a lead up to telling another character that they urgently need to run. A situation where you need to urge someone to run is pretty uniformly not a good time for a few quips just for funsies. It stuck out as unrealistic and threw me out of the story.

I didn't like this one as much as some of the others, but it was still really good. The books in this series are always a lovely little respite from reality, even when there’s mortal peril involved, with lots of found family feelings. Four stars.

I received an advance copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Me, My Shelf, & I · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favourite Wayward Children book, but it's also nice to see some of the old characters again and go on another adventure.

Audiobook Notes:
This was a very bad audiobook, and I imagine that somewhat impacted my feelings. While the narrator has distinct voices for everyone, none of them fit the characters at all and I didn't enjoy the cadence she spoke with. I looked it up and apparently she's voiced other Wayward audiobooks, but I don't think I'd listened to those ones before. Cannot recommend this narrator at all.

But I know I've listened to another narrator, perhaps for book 1? And she did a good job because I remember thinking how she captured Sumi's voice and energy similar to how I would have. So there's definitely good audio narrators for this series, just not Cynthia Hopkins unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for granting me an audio ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.