| Beneath the Sugar Sky | |
|---|---|
 Cover of first edition | |
| Author | Seanan McGuire |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Wayward Children |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Tor.com |
| ISBN | 978-0-7653-9358-6 |
| Publication date | January 2018 |
| Preceded by | Down Among the Sticks and Bones |
| Followed by | In an Absent Dream |
Beneath the Sugar Sky is a 2018 fantasy novella by American author Seanan McGuire. It is the third book in the Wayward Children series and introduces Rini Onishi, the child of Sumi, who was murdered in the series's first book, Every Heart a Doorway.
Plot
Beneath the Sugar Sky begins at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children as the school's day-to-day activities are interrupted with the arrival of Rini Onishi, who claims to be Sumi's child, despite the fact that Sumi was previously murdered and did not have a child at the time of her death. Rini explains that Sumi grew older and had a family in the world of Confection. However, because of Sumi's death on Earth, Rini and other family members are disintegrating as they are dependent on Sumi's now non-existent future. As such, classmates Christopher, Kade, Cora, and Nadya venture out to revive Sumi and in the process, save her future family in the world of Confection.
Reception
Reviews
Beneath the Sugar Sky received starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus Reviews. [1]
In a starred review, Booklist's Erin Downey Howerton called Beneath the Sugar Sky "phenomenal" and highlighted the character of Cora as the story's "true standout", given "her keen sense of observation and quiet bravery". Downey Howerton also discussed how "McGuire suggests entire universes in a few spare sentences," as well as how "the delightfully diverse cast of characters is similarly conjured". [2]
Publishers Weekly referred to the novel as "a lush, darkly whimsical adventure full of wonders" and indicated that "readers will be thrilled to see old friends and meet new ones in this scrumptious tale that emphasizes acceptance, kindness, and the enduring value of friendship." [3]
AudioFile reviewed the audiobook, writing, " Michelle Dockrey's smooth narration invites listeners to jump into this third installment of the Wayward Children series". They highlighted how "Dockrey ably portrays the confusion and wonder of new student Cora, whose perspective anchors the story, while also deepening the characterizations of Cora's companions--most notably Rini, who is all high-pitched, petulant insistence". [4]
Awards and honors
| Year | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | BooktubeSFF Award for Short Work | Nominated | [5] |
| Hugo Award for Best Novella | Nominated | [6] [7] | |
| World Fantasy Award for Novella | Nominated | [8] [9] |
References
- ^ "Beneath the Sugar Sky". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ Downey Howerton, Erin (2017-12-01). "Beneath the Sugar Sky". Booklist. Archived from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire". Publishers Weekly. 2017-12-11. Archived from the original on 2024-03-29. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "BENEATH THE SUGAR SKY by Seanan McGuire Read by Michelle Dockrey | Audiobook Review". AudioFile Magazine. March 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "BooktubeSFF Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2019-07-17. Archived from the original on 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "2019 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 28 July 2019. Archived from the original on 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
- ^ "2019 Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2019-08-19. Archived from the original on 2023-10-23. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "World Fantasy Awards 2019 | World Fantasy Convention". Archived from the original on 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
- ^ "2019 World Fantasy Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2019-11-03. Archived from the original on 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
| Beneath the Sugar Sky | |
|---|---|
|
Cover of first edition | |
| Author | Seanan McGuire |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Wayward Children |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Tor.com |
| ISBN | 978-0-7653-9358-6 |
| Publication date | January 2018 |
| Preceded by | Down Among the Sticks and Bones |
| Followed by | In an Absent Dream |
Beneath the Sugar Sky is a 2018 fantasy novella by American author Seanan McGuire. It is the third book in the Wayward Children series and introduces Rini Onishi, the child of Sumi, who was murdered in the series's first book, Every Heart a Doorway.
Plot
Beneath the Sugar Sky begins at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children as the school's day-to-day activities are interrupted with the arrival of Rini Onishi, who claims to be Sumi's child, despite the fact that Sumi was previously murdered and did not have a child at the time of her death. Rini explains that Sumi grew older and had a family in the world of Confection. However, because of Sumi's death on Earth, Rini and other family members are disintegrating as they are dependent on Sumi's now non-existent future. As such, classmates Christopher, Kade, Cora, and Nadya venture out to revive Sumi and in the process, save her future family in the world of Confection.
Reception
Reviews
Beneath the Sugar Sky received starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus Reviews. [1]
In a starred review, Booklist's Erin Downey Howerton called Beneath the Sugar Sky "phenomenal" and highlighted the character of Cora as the story's "true standout", given "her keen sense of observation and quiet bravery". Downey Howerton also discussed how "McGuire suggests entire universes in a few spare sentences," as well as how "the delightfully diverse cast of characters is similarly conjured". [2]
Publishers Weekly referred to the novel as "a lush, darkly whimsical adventure full of wonders" and indicated that "readers will be thrilled to see old friends and meet new ones in this scrumptious tale that emphasizes acceptance, kindness, and the enduring value of friendship." [3]
AudioFile reviewed the audiobook, writing, " Michelle Dockrey's smooth narration invites listeners to jump into this third installment of the Wayward Children series". They highlighted how "Dockrey ably portrays the confusion and wonder of new student Cora, whose perspective anchors the story, while also deepening the characterizations of Cora's companions--most notably Rini, who is all high-pitched, petulant insistence". [4]
Awards and honors
| Year | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | BooktubeSFF Award for Short Work | Nominated | [5] |
| Hugo Award for Best Novella | Nominated | [6] [7] | |
| World Fantasy Award for Novella | Nominated | [8] [9] |
References
- ^ "Beneath the Sugar Sky". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ Downey Howerton, Erin (2017-12-01). "Beneath the Sugar Sky". Booklist. Archived from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire". Publishers Weekly. 2017-12-11. Archived from the original on 2024-03-29. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "BENEATH THE SUGAR SKY by Seanan McGuire Read by Michelle Dockrey | Audiobook Review". AudioFile Magazine. March 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "BooktubeSFF Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2019-07-17. Archived from the original on 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "2019 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 28 July 2019. Archived from the original on 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
- ^ "2019 Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2019-08-19. Archived from the original on 2023-10-23. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "World Fantasy Awards 2019 | World Fantasy Convention". Archived from the original on 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
- ^ "2019 World Fantasy Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2019-11-03. Archived from the original on 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2024-04-12.