I am a big fan of the Wayward Children series. My only problem is that the series is still ongoing, so I have to wait for the next book to be published before I can read more. So imagine my delight to discover that not only are there three Wayward Children short stories, they’re all available to read for free on Tor.com! Here’s some mini-reviews of the three of them – plus links to where you can read them for yourself.
In Mercy, Rain (Wayward Children #2.5) by Seanan McGuire
Jack seems to get an inordinate amount of time in the Wayward Children series, but I really don’t mind because she and her world of the Moors are great. This story is very short and incredibly atmospheric, and really reminds me of the early books in the series (which, since it’s meant to be set just after book two, makes perfect sense). It feels like a single scene of how Jack met her girlfriend Alexis that Seanan just couldn’t make fit in Down Among the Sticks and Bones but that she liked and thought was important, so she added some context and rich descriptions to the beginning and called it a short story. And personally, I think it worked very well. The Moors are fascinating anyway, and this reveals some details (or just reminded me of details that I forgot) and provides some more characterization for Jack’s mad-scientist mentor. It’s a fast, dark, and wonderful read and I enjoyed it very much.
Trigger Warnings: Death, child death, mental illness, body horror, romantic partner death (mentions), emotional neglect
Juice Like Wounds (Wayward Children #4.5) by Seanan McGuire
In my review of In an Absent Dream, I complained that the book was too short because one of Lundy’s friends straight-up died and you only find that out in dialogue after the fact. I guess Seanan McGuire heard my complaints, because this is the story of the great quest that lead to that death. As anticipated, it was wrenchingly sad, although I think it would have had even more impact if I’d read it directly after In an Absent Dream. It was also very lyrical and heavy on the feelings of being a child – specifically the invincibility and belief that nothing truly bad is going to happen to you – but significantly less atmospheric than I expected. Which is a disappointment, because I love the goblin market that Lundy goes to and I wanted to spend more time there. But this is a short story, not a full book, and for what it is it really works. Fantastical and heartwrenching, as every Wayward Children story tends to be.
Trigger Warnings: Injury, death, child death, blood, body horror (mild)
Skeleton Song (A Wayward Children Story) by Seanan McGuire
Christopher has been in several of the Wayward Children books so far, mainly the ones set at Eleanor West’s actual school, but he’s never been a major character. I mentioned in my review of Come Tumbling Down that I wouldn’t mind if he got his own book. But he got his own short story and honestly that’s good enough. His adventure in Mariposa, the world of music and dancing skeletons, is very straightforward and follows the pattern of the other stories set in the magical worlds – though it was light on how and why he came through the door in the first place and focused more on what he found there and how he fell back out. Every wayward child’s world is a place that connects to their struggle in our world, but Christopher having an illness heavily implied to be terminal and walking through a door into a world where death is not only not to be feared, but is a beginning of something better beyond the bounds of flesh, is the most obvious one so far. This is like a shortened and condensed version of a full Wayward Children book and I think it could have easily been made longer, but it also works as a short story. And if you’re missing your Wayward Children fix, it’s definitely worth reading.
Trigger Warnings: Death, body horror (mild), terminal illness (mentions)
Bluejay Reads 