The House in the Cerulean Sea

The House in the Cerulean Sea

by T.J. Klune

Tor, 2020, 398 page, Fantasy

As a case worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, Linus spends his days inspecting orphanages for children with magical abilities. Known for his detached reporting style, Linus is charged by Extremely Upper Management with a highly classified assignment—look into the running of Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six of the most magical and highly dangerous orphans reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. The orphanage is run by the enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who may be hiding his own secrets.

Although Linus was told to be wary of the orphanage’s inhabitants, the longer he spends at Marsyas Island, the more he struggles with maintaining the distance required to do his job. How does one keep an objective outlook when the place you’ve been assigned to investigate starts to feel like home?

This book is funny, charming, and just plain great. I couldn’t wait to pick it up at the end of a long day. Readers can’t help but fall for all of the characters who live at Marsyas Island Orphanage, who all have varied abilities and interests that keeps the plot turning in wonderful and unexpected ways.

Klune’s writing style is a mixture of charm and humor that veers between witty and sarcastic, which meant that as I read this book, I kept thinking of another favorite: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. While both books feature a child Antichrist and two great male protagonists, it’s really the writing style that makes these books a good match for each other. But you don’t have to be a fan of Good Omens to love The House in the Cerulean Sea. This book will charm you whether you want to be charmed or not.