Wayward Children
#4003.95 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 11 books Status Ongoing 2016–present Reading commitment High Seanan McGuire Last reviewed 2026-08-11
Overview
A sequence of novellas following children who found doorways to other worlds: Fairyland, the Moors, the Halls of the Dead, Confection, Prism, the Goblin Market, Nonsense and Logic, and were sent home again. Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children in New England exists to help (or at least shelter) the ones who don't fit back into the mundane world; most of the series follows its students and staff, told in a mix of direct sequels, prequels, and stand-alone side-stories set among its ever-growing cast.
Portal fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (11 works) counts toward ranking
Wayward Children Seanan McGuire
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Every Heart a Doorway | 2016 | 1 | core | 3.80 (108,074 ratings) |
 | Down Among the Sticks and Bones | 2017 | 2 | core | 4.13 (51,741 ratings) |
 | Beneath the Sugar Sky | 2018 | 3 | core | 3.84 (47,433 ratings) |
 | In an Absent Dream | 2019 | 4 | core | 4.15 (37,880 ratings) |
 | Come Tumbling Down | 2020 | 5 | core | 3.90 (30,230 ratings) |
 | Across the Green Grass Fields | 2021 | 6 | core | 3.80 (24,541 ratings) |
 | Where the Drowned Girls Go | 2022 | 7 | core | 4.03 (20,402 ratings) |
 | Lost in the Moment and Found | 2023 | 8 | core | 4.31 (17,088 ratings) |
 | Mislaid in Parts Half-Known | 2024 | 9 | core | 4.06 (13,157 ratings) |
 | Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear | 2025 | 10 | core | 4.00 (10,044 ratings) |
 | Through Gates of Garnet and Gold | 2026 | 11 | core | 3.78 (6,302 ratings) |
Core Canon = all 11 published novellas (Tor.com/Tordotcom, 2016-2026), per the collection/short-form-as-Core precedent (this series' primary reading unit has always been the novella, not the novel). Book 12, "A Song of Sugar Sparrows" (planned January 2027), is announced but unpublished as of 2026-08-11 -- isn't counted here yet; watch for its publication.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Wayward Children? Wayward Children's Core Canon is 11 books.
- What is the reading order for Wayward Children? Publication order, starting with Every Heart a Doorway. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Wayward Children finished? Ongoing (2016–present).
- How much reading does Wayward Children take? High reading commitment (estimated from 11 Core Canon books · ~1,916 pages).
- How is Wayward Children ranked? #400 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 366,892 reader ratings across 11 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #400?
Ranked #400 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.95 across 11 core books.
- Backed by 367k reader ratings.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 3.78 to 4.31.
- Less than 0.01 behind #399, Fire and Hemlock (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 11 books · Ongoing · 367k ratings · Ranks #400 overall
Good choice if you want a long-running portal fantasy universe that's still ongoing, with new books still coming.
Reading order
Publication order (11 Core Canon books)
- Every Heart a Doorway (2016)
- Down Among the Sticks and Bones (2017)
- Beneath the Sugar Sky (2018)
- In an Absent Dream (2019)
- Come Tumbling Down (2020)
- Across the Green Grass Fields (2021)
- Where the Drowned Girls Go (2022)
- Lost in the Moment and Found (2023)
- Mislaid in Parts Half-Known (2024)
- Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear (2025)
- Through Gates of Garnet and Gold (2026)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- Nebula Award (Best Novella), 2016: won: Every Heart a Doorway
- Hugo Award (Best Novella), 2017: won: Every Heart a Doorway
- Locus Award (Best Novella), 2017: won: Every Heart a Doorway
- British Fantasy Award (Best Novella), 2017: nominated: Every Heart a Doorway; Nominee, not winner: the 2017 BFA Best Novella went to Victor LaValle's The Ballad of Black Tom (per sfadb.com/British_Fantasy_Awards_2017); Wikipedia's infobox on this book is misleading/incorrect on this point.
- Alex Award (Selection), 2017: won: Every Heart a Doorway
- World Fantasy Award (Best Novella), 2017: nominated: Every Heart a Doorway
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Suggestions computed from what Wayward Children and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Invisible Library Portal fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 3.97
- Guardians of the Flame Portal fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 3.92
- The Dragon Knight Portal fantasy / Comic fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 3.88
- Barsoom Portal fantasy / Sword & sorcery · Complete · High commitment · 3.82
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.95 across 366,892 ratings on 11 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Wayward Children admitted as a single-author universe (novella sequence, Core Canon) accepted 2026-08-11
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-11
Rule: Core Canon = all 11 published novellas (Tor.com/Tordotcom, 2016–2026), per the collection/short-form-as-Core precedent: this series' primary reading unit has always been the novella, not the novel. Book 12, “A Song of Sugar Sparrows” (planned January 2027), is announced but unpublished as of this admission (2026-08-11); not registered per Article 2.