Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Given that "The House in the Cerulean Sea" is one of my favourite books of all time, I was both overjoyed and a bit nervous, when I found out that there was going to be a sequel. Since I don't want to give too much away, I'm just going to say: I adored this book. Arthur and Linus, as well as the children have secured themselves a permanent spot in my heart. They felt as alive and joyously individual as ever. There are some very serious moments in this book, which were almost painfully relatable, because they directly mirror the reality that a lot of people have to face. That being said: This story is as much about relentless love as it is about fierce defiance and personally, I loved every second of it.

I can't put into words how much this sequel means to me. Reading about the Parnassus-Baker family again made me so incredibly happy! A new magical child joins them, David, and he fits in perfectly! I loved the character developments and all the new characters as well. I've waited so long for this book to come out, it was turture. But if someone asked me at the end, I'd tell them put me back in it. I would do it again if I could read this for the first time again. Just go read this, it's kinda like free therapy.

I didn’t think it was possible to love this sequel as much as the first book. Turns out I love it almost more. I laughed, I cried multiple times, and most importantly I felt seen. Please, I'm begging you all: Read the Cerulean Chronicles for they are marvelous pieces of art.

Adorable and heartwarming as "The House In the Cerulea Sea", but this time with a much more serious and critical focus on the issue at hand: the oppression of minorities under an ignorant government. Is it happening in an urban fantasy setting? Yes. Does it still matter because the problem itself is not fictional? Absolutely. I understand readers critizising that during many scenes, the "preaching" of acting morally correct felt a bit forced here and there. But I am also acutely aware of the fact, that you don't find representation just like this in most urban fantasy books. And since T.J. Klune does not make a secret of being a fierce advocat for the queer community, especially its kids, I can't claim to be surprised. The rage that he felt on behalf of the trans community about recent laws being passed in the US, is more than abundantly clear in this book, and I know it will bring so much joy and comfort to so many of his old and new fans - starting off by his beautiful dedication: "This is for the trans community".

A heartfelt return to the House in the cerulean Sea and its charming inhabitants! I loved that we got to see more of the daily live of Arthur, Linus and their foster children. TJ Klune discussed some very relevant topics like homophobia and xenophobia in this fantasy context.