Synopsis: Lundy enters a portal world where "fair value" is the most important thing.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My thoughts:

Firstly, I really enjoy this series. It is definitely one I have loved reading and plan to continue reading.

I really liked Lundy's portal world. It is interesting and I liked how the fair value system worked.

I thought this book had a slow start and it took me a little bit to get into it compared to others in the series. I think that this book being told in the omniscient narration style can sometimes pull me out of the story. These are told almost like a fairy-tale and that can sometimes make it difficult to be in the moment with them.

My biggest complaint about this book is that there are so many times in it that I just wanted more. We are told this really cool thing happened but we aren't in the moment for it. It is almost like a timeline note or a paragraph of explanation of something I think would have been cool to see. There are epic battles that were fought and we are only told they happened and it is glossed over. As a reader I wanted to be there for those epic battles. I wanted to see the fighting first hand. I felt the time in her portal world overall was underdone and I could have spent double the time in her world learning more about it. Partly because I genuinely enjoyed it but also partly because so much of what happened felt like a footnote. Not only is this annoying but it also made it more difficult as a reader to fully understand the ramifications of a decision Lundy has to make that is paramount to the story.

I found the ending of this book to be fitting but I didn't like it. This book ended up being a sort of sandwich for me. I didn't love the beginning or end but the middle was soooo good. ( )

Ah, love Lundy. It was great she got her own book. And to the Goblin Market. ( )

Ok, so this just isn't how books work. McGuire leads us up to the climactic battle and then...the next chapter opens the next day as they recouped from their wounds. Not just once but again and again throughout the book. I know this is a Thing she's doing on purpose, perhaps focusing on the interstitial days that actually make up a life? But it's jarring and distracting and I never did like Lundy that much anyway. The setting, as always, is fascinating and creative but I just could not get into this. ( )

This fourth book of Wayward Children made me so happy and so very sad. The beautiful worlds Seanan McGuire can envision makes me envious to not have found my own door if only just to be able to see the places that have become so real in my heart. ( )

I actually found this one depressing and don’t think I’ll continue.

The writing is really lovely and it’s littered with poignant phrases and moments and very memorable worlds but I find these books unsatisfying, so I think I’ll end my journey here. ( )