Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire

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Seanan McGuire is back with another installment in the Wayward Children series. In this stand alone novella, Regan discovers a doorway leading to the Hooflands after facing a devastating betrayal by her best friend. In a world inhabited by centaurs and unicorns, Regan’s appearance can only mean that something big is going to happen as humans are seen as true heroes and must begin their heroic journey immediately. But as time goes on, Regan convinces her new centaur family that she isn’t a hero, merely a young girl who wants to be accepted for who she is and to find a place where she truly belongs. 

This novella truly can be read without any knowledge of the previous installments in the series, though all of the books are definitely worth reading. Like the other books in this series, McGuire takes great care to create relationships between characters that are loving, kind, and accepting. Regan learns from her parents that she is intersex after an emotional discussion about her lack of physical development as compared to her friends. Her parents are incredibly honest and supportive in answering Regan’s questions and remind her repeatedly that she is perfect as she is. After Regan shares this information with her best friend Laurel, Laurel’s shameful and outraged reaction sends Regan reeling. It’s through this haze of hurt and disbelief that Regan discovers her doorway, as all the series’ characters do. On the other side, Regan is seen as a hero and any differences she may have from her new family solely stem from her being human and have little or nothing to do with her gender. Regan’s humanity makes her a target for other centaurs to capture and be taken to the fabled queen, but Regan’s newly found family accepts her belief that she isn’t a hero and provides her protection and training. The world building is incredibly well done and I loved the support and love found among the cast of characters. One of my favorite parts of the world is in the Hooflands, Regan learns that unicorns are silly creatures that need constant attention from their farmers, the centaurs, and this information is a delight to watch unfold.

McGuire has given us a wonderful twist on the classic “horse girl” trope and plays with the classical hero’s journey. Regan has no desire to be a hero, even as all the centaurs around her firmly believe that she is the harbinger of some big change as all humans are heroes. It’s an honor for Pansy to have been the first to see her and claim her as her own. It’s no surprise then, that when the time comes for Regan to fulfill her hero’s duty, she does it her way without any regrets. 

Perfect for young adult fantasy readers, this is a wonderful invitation to pick up this amazing series. 

If you would like to add this book to your collection, you can find ordering information here:

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.