The Irresponsible Reader

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold

by Seanan McGuire

DETAILS:
Series: Wayward Children, #11
Publisher: Tordotcom
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
Format: eARC
Length: 148 pgs.
Read Date: December 23, 2025

What’s Through Gates of Garnet and Gold About?

We watched Nancy get her door and get to go home 10 years ago (in publication time, I’m a little unclear about how long it’s been in Eleanor West’s School’s time, as is at least one student). And aside from a quick “hi,” a few books later, that was pretty much the end of her story.

Until now, obviously, otherwise, why would I start by talking about her?

She’s back, and there’s a rule-breaking quest involved. The twist this time is that Nancy has been sent by The Lady of the Dead. Something…someone…is attacking people like Nancy in the Halls. People who have come through their own Doors from their own worlds to their true home. The dead are left unmolested and undisturbed. But it’s the other living people there who are being attacked. Nancy’s friends (or as close as living statues have to friends), are being killed and they need help.

This is a first for Eleanor West and her students–but they can’t say no. They don’t want to. Kade, as almost always, the leader of the group. Christopher, who is more comfortable with the dead than anyone other than Nancy, and his bone flute come along as well. There’s no way that Sumi, Nancy’s old roommate, is going to pass up this opportunity. Talia demands to be part of it, too. She has no skills that seem to make sense for this task*, but she’s done the math. Going on a quest with other students is just about the best way to guarantee getting her Door when it’s completed. So no one had better stop her. I, for one, hadn’t done this connection–and I’m guessing many of the other students haven’t either, or there’d be several others clamoring for a change.

* Naturally, it turns out that it’s good she came along.

An Introduction to the Series

McGuire’s been clear from the get-go that this series can be read in any order–and that’s true enough. But I think there are a couple of books that should be read in a particular order, regardless of what she thinks. And you’re just better off in general going in publication order.

But let’s say that this is the first book you pick up–you’re in for a treat. In an Introduction of sorts–not really a prelude or prologue–a couple of pages before chapter one, whatever you want to call them–McGuire introduces this series, sketches the function of the Doors, the impact they make on those who pass through. Those who want them back, etc.

This isn’t a “The Story So Far…” kind of thing–but it’s the closest that this series is going to get. I hope we get these exact pages–or ones very like them–from here on out.

I Needed a Fresh Dose of Sumi

Sumi is one of the characters who appears with greater consistency than others in this series–and I, for one (but am probably not alone), am so grateful for that. Her weaponized optimism, utter lack of regard for social niceties, unwavering positivity, and generous affections emphasize all the good things to be found in a person and situation. She also brings a level of comedy and heart to every scene she’s in. She can also be profound, usually unintentionally, and add emotional weight to a scene when you didn’t realize it needed it.

And when she gives a warning–you know things are serious. But the reader gets to chuckle the way she does it.

Obviously, we needed Sumi if we’re going to spend time with Nancy (we’re going to need Kade for similar reasons). But I personally needed a dose of her in general. And while what we got was sufficient, I’m hoping it’s not too long before we spend time with her again.

So, what did I think about Through Gates of Garnet and Gold?

After last year’s Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear, I assumed we’d get something good, but not great for this book–we were due for McGuire to take her foot off the pedal a bit and coast a little. I’m very glad that McGuire wasn’t thinking like that and brought us another stellar installment in this series.

I mean, I was sold from the instant I saw that Nancy was coming back–and McGuire did right by this return. When Nancy got her door again, I wasn’t prepared for that to happen. I didn’t realize we were going to spend so little time with most of these characters, just enough to fall in love with them as characters, and then watch them go on to the next chapter of their lives–and that we’d very likely be done with them (aside from an occasional glance at most). I’ve embraced that when it comes to these books, and it no longer gets to me so much that we walk away from them. But I’ve always wanted more Nancy.

So, sure, that made me an easy sell for this book–but that didn’t mean I was guaranteed to rave over it. It just made it very likely.

I didn’t really understand what Nancy saw in the Halls of the Dead before, nor do I think I truly understood what was involved. This world made a lot less sense to me than any of the others, and I really wasn’t that interested in it other than as it served as Nancy’s true home. But we got to see much more of it than we have previously, we get some more mature description of it from Nancy (and her Lady). I see the appeal, the attraction. Or at least I understand where some would. Personally? The only world I’m less interested in is the underwater world that Nadya introduced us to last year (I just don’t think I could get over being underwater). But now, I get why Nancy and the others want to be there.

What the questors and readers learn about the forces attacking–and their plans–is pretty unsettling, and tells us a little more about McGuire’s universe and the stories she’s telling. In a way that made me uncomfortable and pleased me at the same time. You’ll have to read it yourself. But it’s such a fantastic touch.

As usual for this series, McGuire balances whimsy and danger, joy and weeping, with skill and aplomb. For Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear, I wrote:

This is definitely one of the stronger books in this series that is on a great roll lately, I commend it to your attention. As with just about every book in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone or as an entry point (but I strongly encourage reading at least Every Heart a Doorway before any of the others). I was sad when it ended—not because of the way it ended, I just wasn’t ready to move on. I predict I won’t be alone in that.

That’s a pretty good way to wrap up this post, too. With one significant difference–I need to know what happens after the last page, preferably now. It’s not a cliffhanger (this is not one of those series), in fact it’s a perfectly fitting ending for this novella. But I really need the next page–and fear McGuire is going to make us wait a bit before she gives it to us.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Tordotcom Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

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