Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune Series: Cerulean Chronicles #2
Published by Tor Books on September 10, 2024
Pages: 416
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Daniel Henning
Length: 15 hrs and 48 mins
Genres: Fantasy, LGBTQ
Amazon Audible
Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the hugely anticipated sequel to TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea, one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade. Featuring gorgeous orange sprayed edges!
A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything.
Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one.
He’s the master of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there.
Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there’s the island’s sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.
But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.
And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.
Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it.
I pre-ordered the audiobook of Somewhere Beyond the Sea immediately after finishing the audiobook of The House in the Cerulean Sea. It was an easy 5+ star listening experience, and I’ve been counting down the months until the sequel’s release. I’m happy to report that Marsyas Island is just as magical as I remembered.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea picks up with Arthur Parnassus and Linus Baker living happily together with the six remarkable orphans they plan to adopt: a sprite, a gnome, a were-Pomeranian, a wyvern, a green blob, and the Antichrist. They are hoping to welcome a theatrical yeti to their home, but first they must fend off an attempt by The Department in Charge of Magical Youth to separate the children.
Indulging in a lack of tolerance for things people don’t understand or can’t control can cause immeasurable damage. The story imparts the importance of acceptance as the children are encouraged to embrace their differences despite the threats from the visiting government inspector. The fight to keep their family together is both humorous and tender.
The book is told from Arthur’s perspective, and we’re given insight into his traumatic upbringing. If you thought you loved Arthur before, just you wait. He has the purest heart and the most gentle spirit. Linus has also blossomed, and it’s delightful to see how much color his life has now. The kids are as quirky, lovable, and unique as ever. It’s wonderful how the town has stepped up to support their family.
Daniel Henning gives another tour de force performance with his theatrical narration. It’s mind blowing how he is able to give distinct voices to the myriad of characters.
Recommended for fans of:
Fantasy
Magic
LGBTQ+ fiction
Underdogs
About T.J. Klune
TJ KLUNE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Extraordinaries, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it’s important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.
Wonderful review! I loved this book too. I read it in print, but I loved this narrator in the previous book — so talented!