Short Fiction Friday: Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire

Oh, what's that? It's time for another Seanan McGuire post? Yep, it is. The kids at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children are back!

Ever since the killer was stopped at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, things have quieted down some. Life has returned to normal, as normal as normal can get for kids who have returned from various worlds of whimsy, fairy, and horror. But their lives are upended once more when Sumi's daughter, Rini, falls from the sky. Literally.

It seems Rini and her world are in big trouble. See, when Sumi was killed she hadn't yet defeated the Queen of Cakes, setting everyone in Confection free from a reign of terror that's meant to come to an end. Worse yet, Sumi hadn't yet met her husband or given birth to Rini, which means that Rini's very existence hangs in the balance. And so, Sumi's friends have no choice but to enter Rini's world and try and fix things.

Oh, so fun! And a bit sad too. I love these characters so much and love the stories and worlds that McGuire has built for all of them. Kade is back, as are Christopher and Nadya. And there's a new character who gets ample face time here as well: Cora. Together, with Rini by their side, they travel through multiple worlds (yes, more than just Confection!) to try and find a way to save Sumi, Rini, and everyone in Confection.

If you haven't read this series yet, go out and buy all three books. Do it this instant! They are just phenomenal in every possible way. And trust me, you'll gobble them up in probably one sitting. They're that good (and that short, too).

This one is particularly gobble worthy considering Rini's world is literally a candy land. Everything is candy and baked goods! But in a sugary world, everything is clearly not sweet. Confection is ruled by the ruthless Queen of Cakes, someone Sumi defeated. And yet, with Sumi's untimely death, the Queen of Cakes has returned. Or never left, whichever way you want to look at it.

Beneath a Sugar Sky is a trippy, confection filled read. But it's got more than that. It and the whole series have so much heart! These are characters who don't fit in, until they find a place where they do. And those places are taken from each and every one of them. Most of them spend their days at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children trying to find a way back to the worlds they've left behind. They're misunderstood, they're abandoned, and the only place they now fit it is amongst the other kids like themselves. And oh, the feels I have for each and every one of them!