Every Heart a Doorway
Hugo Award 2017, Nebula Award 2016.
A novella.
New York Times Bestselling author Seanan McGuire presents a fresh take on the portal fantasy genre that blends Alice in Wonderland, The Magicians, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests
Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.
But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.
Nancy tumbled once, but now she's back. The things she's experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West's care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.
But Nancy's arrival marks a change at the Home. There's a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it's up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of things.
No matter the cost.
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Seanan McGuire
Seanan McGuire is a name that resonates with readers of urban fantasy, horror, and science fiction, known for her deep explorations into the dark and strange corners of the world. But while many recognize her for her October Daye and InCryptid series, Seanan’s literary prowess extends far beyond her most famous works. Under the name Mira Grant, she delves into gripping dystopias and terrifyingly believable horror with a touch of speculative brilliance. As A. Deborah Baker, she ventures into the whimsical and profound, creating rich, layered worlds that ask the reader to think deeply while being swept away in adventure.
Wayward Children
In the Wayward Children series, Seanan McGuire invites readers into a world where children discover doors to alternate realities—worlds that feel more like home than the one they were born into. But when they return to the mundane world, they find themselves lost, unable to reconnect with a reality that feels increasingly foreign. It’s a story about being somewhere you don’t belong and longing for a place that can never be returned to.
Wayward Children consists of eleven primary books, and includes one additional book that complement the series but is not considered mandatory reads and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Reviews and Comments
The first book of the multi-award-winning series, features an imaginative crossroads of different worlds: a boarding school where special children and young people are “safe” until they can return to the place they long for—or learn to adapt if they cannot. The story features intriguing fantasy elements, for which the author deserves credit. The characters, on the other hand, are fairly typical YA characters with their typical struggles. None of them sparked any particular interest. It follows in the footsteps of, say, Narnia and Alice in Wonderland, and I hope that the story and world will develop in a more multidimensional direction in the sequels.