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?
God I love this series. Seanan McGuire was already one of my top favorite authors, but she has been knocking it out of the park with these books. If you’re already deep in the series, then know that this is a worthy addition and Nancy is back! If you’re new, basically Seanan wrote a series of novellas about kids who fall through doors to other worlds, have adventures, and return to Earth. Think of how bad the Lion, Witch, Wardrobe kids must have struggled after living entire lives as adult royalty before returning to WWI England as 10 year olds. Basically, one of these kids returns, grows up, and starts a boarding school for kids like her. To help them adjust, help them heal, and help them get back to the world they fell into if they want to. The series is all about these kids at this school. The series also posits that basically all the stories we have IRL about stumbling to other worlds for adventures are real and the result of doors existing between universes. The idea is that the doors only appear for and open to children who don’t fit well here, leading them to a world that fits them. The only requirement is that you Be Sure. Some of the worlds are lovely and kind, some are harsh and punishing. But they each fit the child they call, and change them to their core. And it’s a tragedy each time a child finds themselves back on Earth, cut off from their true home, stuck as children in a world that doesn’t understand what they’ve gone through.
Does this appeal to you? Then Book 1 is called Every Heart a Doorway. It’s a novella, it’s short, and you won’t regret picking it up.
