Down Among the Sticks and Bones
Hugo Award nominee 2018.
A novella.
A new stand-alone dark fantasy tale from the world of Every Heart a Doorway: what happened to Jack and Jill before they tumbled into Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.
This is the story of what happened first.
Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter — polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.
Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter — adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tomboy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.
They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.
They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you for a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.
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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 second book of the Wayward Children series, Down Among the Sticks and Bones, tells the backstory of Jack and Jill, the twins who appeared in the first book. The beginning was like a Grimm’s fairy tale, and the ending was like something out of a classic horror novel. The series’ title aptly captures the twins’ essence and helped me understand what happened in the first part and why. In that sense, it’s a very successful sequel.
I was a bit bothered, however, that toward the end the author introduced strong emotions that weren’t sufficiently grounded in a believable way. This may be because the book is so short. The story didn’t quite reach the level of the first book, but it did awakened my interest in the backstories of the other characters. I plan to read the third book as well.