In this third book in the series, we returned to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. When a girl falls from the sky into the pond behind the home, that's not too unusual. However, this girl, Rini, claims she is the daughter of Sumi, a girl who died years before this Rini could be born. Rini was born anyway, living life up until now in the realm of Confection. However, she has to find her mother and bring her back from a world without magic, in order to continue existing. Considering she's already starting to lose parts of herself, time is of the essence.
I absolutely love this series. I've read other books by Seanan McGuire, and it feels like in these stories, she lets loose with her imagination. The stories flow, pulling together unforgettable characters and fascinating worlds. I appreciate, however, that she also takes an opportunity to inject some seriousness. For example, in this book, you have the realm of Confection (which is just as weird as you'd think). However, for all of the nonsensical nature of Confection, what's at stake for Rini is deadly serious. I also appreciate that there's a bit of social commentary in this book, brought by the character of Cora, who is overweight. I really liked Cora.
McGuire includes a lot of detail, although it's never overwhelming; your mind and imagination fill in a lot of things. There's a good sense of adventure in this story, as well as some thought-provoking things about friendship, patience, and rising to meet challenges. Yes, all in 174 pages.
I had been waiting for this book this year, and wasn't disappointed. I'm just hoping there are more to come in this series!
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