Somewhere Beyond the Sea

I have been looking forward to savoring this book since the moment I finished book one and as usual the author did not disapoint! T.J. Klune writes magic!

I enjoyed the first book so much, I decided to read the sequel. While it had many good parts, I feel like it was a bit too much. I had a difficult time getting through it. Still love the characters and the premise, just felt that the first book was far better.

Loved part 2 as much as part 1. I recommend this book and this author. Enjoyed every moment of this book.

Absolutely heartwarming series. This book and its prequel are wonderful reads with delightful characters. The author writes captivating stories with important life lessons

Wonderful sturdy, well made stainless steel French press!I only wish there was a bigger version!

Such a beautiful continuance of an incredible story. If you read the first book, you will not be disappointed in the second book!The rich characters, the in depth emotions, the love, the fear, the acceptance. It was incredible from page one.I'm not here to give spoilers, just a recommendation to pick this book up and read it!

If you loved House on the Cerulean Sea, you will love its sequel too! Somewhere Beyond the Sea neatly follows the continuing exploits of the captivating characters established in the first book and leaves us with another satisfying ending. I love both books and think they’re best together as a set, but the first one can stand alone easily. TJ Klune is a genius and uplifting writer who treats all of his characters and readers lovingly. His writing is inspirational!

I love love love this book and series. Print was great. Story was great. My family and I love it, even if it can be a hard read with lots of laughs and a few tears.

THIS WAS AMAZING!!!I absolutely loved the first book! I was so nervous that the second book wouldn't live up to it. I put of reading it. (I pre-ordered the book 😂) I WAS WRONG. ITS SO FREAKING FANTASTIC!KLUNE DID NOT LET US DONE!!I cried, I laughed and I cheered the characters on.The world it takes you into is amazing. Prime example, that shows a perfect reason not judge someone before you get to know them. I would love to be able to sit at the dinner table and just enjoy these characters.Two amazing dads, continuing to fight for their "gifted" children, which turns into unity against corruption.The children are absolutely amazing. Their different personalities, such fantastic senses of humor and the dad's loving them for who they are! It was such an amazing journey reading this book. I cant wait to read these books again!5/5 stars.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea completely swept me away from the very first page. This book was such a beautiful, emotional journey filled with heartbreak, hope, and the kind of love that feels both timeless and deeply real. I was completely captivated by the rich storytelling and the way the author seamlessly wove together themes of family, loss, and second chances.The characters felt so authentic and layered — flawed but fiercely resilient. Their struggles and growth pulled at my heartstrings, and I found myself rooting for them every step of the way. The setting was beautifully described, almost like its own character, adding so much atmosphere and magic to the story.What really stood out to me was the emotional depth and how the book handled tough topics with such grace and sensitivity. It wasn’t just a romance — it was a story about healing and finding light even in the darkest moments.I couldn’t put this one down and stayed up late just to see how everything would unfold. Somewhere Beyond the Sea is definitely one of those rare books that stays with you long after the last page. If you love heartfelt, beautifully written stories with unforgettable characters, this one’s a must-read.

A fun read with well-drawn characters. They were believable as fantastical creatures with the deepest of human emotions. I look forward to the next book in the series.

And I thought the first book was the best. Somewhere Beyond the Sea excels, reaches far beyond The House on the Cerulean Sea. This is the story of a group of orphans becoming a family. It’s a family of magical beings, ostracized for the differences. The saying “See Something, Say Something” is a common refrain, used by the kid’s enemies to out other magical beings. I’d like to take ownership of it, to modify it as a way to stop injustices. See an injustice, say something about the injustice; don’t let it be hidden, Say Something!Read this novel, read book one first. Before reading this novel, I reread the first. It meant so much more the second time. TJ Klune is the author. He deems himself as the Anti JK Rowland. He accepts where Rowland rejects. Why? Who TF knows why Rowland is so anti trans. As a society we’re supposed to be accepting of each other’s differences. I like to say we are - as half a Gay couple, together for 36 years, I found these novels to be inclusive, in an excellent fashion.As a reader of SF&F for over 60 years I highly recommend them.And someday I hope to have a sit down with the author to discuss his novels. Maybe at the next Gaylaxicon. We’ll see what this older man can say about his life and how he found himself.

If I could I would rate this book at 10 Stars! This author has the ability to hit the topic directly on the head! The writing is beautiful, the characters are so realistic, dialog is not only excellent, but the children's dialog is spot on for that age group...as well as showing how intelligent the child characters are in the storyline. Not only is this book for the LGBTQ+, but specifically to the Trans community. I, as a humble reader, would state that this book should be on every parents reading list (straight and LGBTQ+). And more specifically, it should be read by every straight person around the world! It is that good! Thank you TJ Klune for writing a wonderful, beautiful and courageous story! I hope it is the most read story of the YEAR!Reasons I enjoyed this book:Wonderful characters /Great world building /Original /Easy-to-read /Entertaining /Action-packed /Unpredictable /Inspirational /Romantic /Whimsical /Funny /Page-turner /Witty

"The House in the Cerulean Sea" is one of my favorite books. It was wonderful. Since I love the book so much, I was undecided about reading 'Somewhere Beyond the Sea'. What if it was a bad sequel? Well, thankfully it wasn't. However, it was not as amazing as its predecessor.We have so many characters returning. Arthur Parnassus and Linus Baker are now an item and are in the process of adopting those amazing magical children. Also, a new child is coming to live with them. He is a Yeti who enjoys theater and who makes you want to protect him.We also have the "Department In Charge of Magical Youth" sending a new investigator to Marsyas Island to evaluate if Arthur Parnassus can continue keeping the kids around. DICOMY believes Arthur wants to keep the kids and plans to use them to take over the world.I listened to the audiobook, which I thought was narrated fabulously. I love all the children (especially Luci), and every time they were present, they just made me happy.So why not a five? I thought the conflict's resolution was just too easy and too perfect.Would I read another book with these characters? Absolutely!!Cliffhanger: No4/5 Fangs

The House in the Cerulean Sea is one of my favorite novels. It feels like coming home, like being loved, like being seen and I think it’s such an important novel to read for anyone. I’ve read it twice and will probably continue to go back to it my whole life.Somewhere Beyond the Sea did not hit home for me as much. It felt sort of rushed, a lot of the humor felt forced. The message was still important, but it was more or less the same thing we learned in THITCS, just more drawn out. I feel like TJ Klune was so focused on being anti-JKR and continuing his success that the story we could have gotten would have been way different.That said, it’s not like I won’t recommend SBTS. While it was sort of the same message, there were different nuances to it that I think is important for anyone willing to change their perspective. We see a side of Arthur, Linus and all of the children that really make it a decent sequel, but I had much higher hopes following how well received THITCS was. If TJ Klune writes a third novel in this series (and I genuinely hope he doesn’t; we should leave it on the slight uphill it ended on) I hope it’s wildly different from what SBTS gave us.

A forest spite.An Amorphous green boy.A shifter.The Antichrist.A garden gnome.And a wyvern.What do they have in common?They have all stolen my heart.Like many other readers, I fell in love with the whole cast of The House in the Cerulean Sea, particularly the magical children in the orphanage on Marsyas Island. Are the children maddening at times? Absolutely. But Arthur Parnassus, and his partner, Linus Baker, have the patience of saints, and learned to pick their battles with the children. Instead, the two allow the children to explore their individuality and not be afraid to take risks.In this installment, DICOMY (Department in Charge of Magical Youth) has begun investigating Arthur and the orphanage he runs. We the readers know that Arthur is the first adult to provide these unusual kids a safe haven, so for him to be challenged, was concerning. And the orphanage is on high alert, when an investigator from DICOMY comes to stay with them.What could possibly go wrong?*cringes*The group as a whole try their best. But when Arthur learns of DICOMY's true intentions, it is difficult to contain the phoenix within him. I admired how they all handled this news and how they reacted. Could their actions ruin everything? OF COURSE. But who wouldn't react the way they did.One of the reasons TJ Klune has a firm place on my Favorite Author list, is how he manages to make me so invested in the unusual characters he creates. I wanted to hug the yeti, David (a new addition) and stop his ice cube tears. I wanted to cheer on Zoe as she established her claim on the island. And of course, I wanted to protect all the wildy crazy kids at the orphanage. I'm often leery of sequels, especially when the first book is so beloved. But Klune managed to match my adoration with this new installment.Books have always been the perfect escape for me, and this one delivered the heartwarming feels I so desperately needed. A MUST READ for all fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea!!

The House in the Cerulean Sea was the first book I ever read by T.J. Klune a few years ago. I loved it and have since read the other two fantasies he wrote following it, which I also greatly enjoyed. So I was more than excited to read Somewhere Beyond the Sea, which is a follow-up to The House. It can be read as a standalone but it's always best to read The House first. I appreciated all the context that was included, as it had been a while!Sequels aren't always better than the first novel, but this one is an exception! I loved so much about this novel: Relevancy to real life, teamwork between the characters, all the love, true villains to deal with, humor, creativity, etc. Some parts reminded me of The Parent Trap, when the girls go camping with their dad and Vicki. (Yes, I'm talking about the original movie, although I know the same things happened to Meredith in the remake.) That's all I will say. Like me, you'll be applauding for all the magical youth in this novel. And the newest addition to the group is fabulous!Some parts of the story definitely had my blood boiling, perhaps because they were so relevant to real life. While I know what message he was trying to convey, it also had parallels to another situation that has been going on for the past year. There were some lines that could apply to either. In the meantime, I can tell you that the villains are really well done and I love seeing how they are dealt with.It was so great being reunited with everyone and getting to know the characters even better, this time through Arthur's perspective. In a recent interview with T.J., he hinted at writing a third novel. I really hope that happens!I highly recommend this novel! Even if you're not into fantasy (like me), it's such an incredible story that you will be easily captivated and fall in love with these characters too. (Especially Chauncey...)(Trigger warning below.)Movie casting suggestions:Arthur: Neil Patrick HarrisLinus: Lee PaceZoe: Rutina WesleyMs. Marblemaw: D'Arcy Carden********TW: Mentions of child abuse from the past. Villain projecting gender norms on people.

I happened to read the first of this series just two weeks before this book came out. Perfect timing on my part. I really enjoyed the continuation of the story and the determination for equality, regardless of who you are. The story makes you smile, laugh and cry - exactly what a book should do. Highly recommend the two book series.

📚 102/100 (2024 Reading Goal)📖 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙖✍️ 𝗧𝗝 𝗞𝗹𝘂𝗻𝗲🎧 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: Story,𝗧𝗝 𝗞𝗹𝘂𝗻𝗲: Introduction, Acknowledgements⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱:All the same characters from the previous book + new ones, created family, story from Arthur’s perspective, queer representation, humor, perseverance, love𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲(𝘀):“I won’t lie to you. The road ahead will not be smooth. No matter what I—we say, there will always be those who refuse to accept the truth. They surround themselves with like-minded people, and it creates an echo chamber that’s nigh on impossible to escape. A feedback loop that never ends.”“But I believe the greatest weapon we have at our disposal is our voices. And I am going to use my voice for you, and for me. Hate is loud. We are louder.”“That’s the funny thing about those in power. They underestimate everyone beneath them, even knowing their secrets are heard by someone.”“You have to trust me. Trust us. We may be kids, but we’re your kids, Dad. You made us all believe we could do anything. Now you have to trust us to do that.”“Hope is the thing with feathers, yes, and hope is the thing with fire.”𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄:This story, at its heart, is a love letter to the trans community. Yes, it’s a continuation from 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙚𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙎𝙚𝙖, but there’s a beautiful and powerful message embedded in every single page. TJ Klune has something to say about the hate he sees towards transgender peoples, and he is shouting at the people in the back.It’s like a dream returning to Marsyas Island; these characters have felt like family to me and I loved getting to visit the inhabitants once again! There’s a magical child that has been in hiding, and Arthur and Linus want to be David’s forever home. But David has had a very difficult life and trust will not come easy.Besides working on making David feel safe and integrating him into their family, the adults on Marsyas Island also have to contend with the new director of DICOMY. Jeanine Rowder has made it her mission to ruin Arthur’s reputation as well as remove the children from his and Linus‘s care. Miss Rowder immediately appoints a new case manager to report the goings on on the island in the hopes it will be Arthur’s undoing.With all these adults going around, making decisions, they forgot to ask the people who this would impact the most, they forgot to remember that there are seven individuals who want to have a say in their life-the children. And the children are tired of being left out of the conversation. The children are going to take matters into their own hands and speak in voice so loud, they will no longer be ignored.This book made me laugh, this book made me cry, and this book paints such a clear picture of where we are failing our children and where we need to start listening. Hate is not inherent, it is learned, and the adults in the room need to start doing a heck of a lot better if we want to see a world that is inclusive and accepting of all.Daniel Henning is an incredible narrator, giving each and every child their own voice, identifying each, and every adult in the story. If you listen to the audiobook, there are some fun surprises with how the story is told. Definitely a must listen! TJ Klune also narrates the introduction and the acknowledgments and his voice is incredibly powerful.

There are some authors you read and you have a full on emotional breakdown in belief that you do not deserve them.That is TJ Klune. He brings me to my knees with each and every book he publishes.Each and every time, without fail, I fall more and more in love (and destroyed) in all the best ways possible.My first Klune book was The House in the Cerulean Sea, this was the beginning of the end. After concluding, I realized, I will never ever read a book that would touch my soul the way that this one did. It was game over. I was a thriller loving, murder seeking, black soul who had just fallen in love with? idealism? fantasy? family? Well, when I heard the news that Somewhere Beyond the Sea was being written I knew there was no way I could wait, I HAD to get my hands on this book.Although this is only an excerpt, I can tell you I love it, I can't wait, I am completely and totally freaking out.I find myself in the grocery store line and chatting it up with the person behind me "hey, did you know TJ Klune is coming out with a sequel", Starbucks, neighborhood bar, you name it, im shouting it..Everyone needs to have this on their wishlist!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.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 headmaster of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six magical and so-called dangerous 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. And 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; Zoe Chapelwhite, the island’s sprite; 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 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.Most