Waykeeper Chronicles : The Midnight Waymaker: The Midnight Waymaker

Some doors only open at midnight.

Twelve-year-old Juniper Soraya has learned to keep everything she owns in three cardboard boxes. Six foster homes in four years will teach you that: never unpack, always know where the exits are, and never, ever let yourself believe you'll be chosen.

Then, on the night before another move, a carousel appears in the empty lot outside her window—midnight-blue and gold, its horses already turning, a silver-white fox with a glowing lantern waiting beside it. In her pocket is a golden ticket she never saw arrive.

The Midnight Waymaker travels between five impossible worlds: a kingdom of floating candy islands, a desert crossed by city-sized turtles, a forest of living clockwork, a lake that reflects the truth you've been hiding from yourself, and a circus trapped beneath an endless eclipse. Scattered across those worlds are the shards of a shattered star—and only children who are truly lost can find them.

But Juniper isn't the only one searching. The Ringmaster was a lost child once, too. What he became is what Juniper might become, if her fear of being left behind ever wins.

To bring everyone home, she'll have to do the one thing she's spent her whole life avoiding: choose to belong—out loud, on purpose—and believe she deserves it.

The Midnight Waymaker is a heartfelt, beautifully written middle grade fantasy adventure about found family, courage, and the quiet magic of being truly seen. Perfect for readers who love portal fantasy, magical adventures, and emotional stories with heart.

A magical carousel that appears at midnight
An unforgettable found-family adventure
Five spellbinding worlds to explore
A tender story about belonging, hope, and finding home
Book One of the Waykeeper Chronicles

Step onto the carousel. The journey begins at midnight.