About the Book
Title: Somewhere Beyond the Sea
Author: T.J. Klune
Series: The Cerulean Chronicles #2
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 416
Edition Read: Hardcover
Dates Read: May 13 – 18, 2025
Blurb: 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.
Review
It was so nice to continue in this story world. I really loved The House in the Cerulean Sea and this time we get to hear things from Arthur’s point of view, which made it even better.
I love Arthur’s character so much. He fights for the rights of magical people, not just for himself, but for all the children in his charge. He knows what it’s like to face discrimination and will do whatever it takes to protect them from the world while still letting them experience life to the fullest. The children of the story are the same loveable collection of misfits who now accept into their fold another magical child. What I loved best about that is that they do so wholeheartedly. It’s not a question of whether or not this new child will be part of their family, it’s just a question of when. It’s a beautiful example of inclusiveness and understanding.
There are also a lot of examples of bigotry in the story, much of it stemming from the very government body that is supposedly there to “protect” them. In this day and age, that really hit close to home. So many people are treated horribly due to just being different: different race, religion, sexuality. It’s sad that some people are that afraid of things that they don’t understand, and showing how that fear turns into something much more sinister was illustrated perfectly in this book. It’s an uphill battle, but it is something absolutely worth fighting for.
Underneath it all is Arthur, who is a rock of love and stability for these children, and Linus, his husband, who once worked for the same government entity and now fights alongside the children for their right to be recognized simply as people. It’s a story of found family and how these bonds only make you stronger. I don’t know if there will be any further books in this series, or if it will stay as a duology – this story was nicely wrapped up, but I would also love to see the further adventures of the kids as they grow. There are so many stories that could be told, but I will also be satisfied if this is the end. It was a beautiful journey.
GoodReads rating: 5 stars
Categories: Books I've Read
Life With No Plot 
I don’t know if this is the end of the Cerulean Series either, but I do love this found family
Right! A part of me wants to know more and spend more time with these characters, but also the two books are perfect together on their own. I’m torn.
Hope we eventually know