#90 in Fantasy
The House in the Cerulean Sea
- 432
- Pages
- about 8 h
- Reading time
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Editor’s note Linus Baker is a caseworker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, forty, single, careful, and he is sent for a month to an orphanage on an island to report on six children the Department considers dangerous: a gnome, a wyvern, a boy who turns into a Pomeranian, a green blob who wants to be a bellhop, a forest sprite and a six-year-old who is the Antichrist. The man who runs the place is Arthur Parnassus, and the book is about Linus deciding whose side he is on. T. J. Klune published it in 2020; it won an Alex Award, sold in the millions and got a sequel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, in 2024. Gentle by design, which is either the point or the complaint.
About the book
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days. But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn. An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place―and realizing that family is yours.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.6 across 2,083 ratings. With that many, the reader vote carries 93% of the weight and the score stays at 8.5 — the Fantasy average of 8.0 barely moves it.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.8 | 16 | 1% |
| Hardcover | 8.6 | 2.1K | 99% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“Linus Baker is efficient and follows the rules and regulations set out by the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth. He takes assignments to evaluate the living conditions of magical children placed in orphanages, ensuring their health and safety. Because of his efficiency and attention…”
“this book is so lovely and charming, i would recommend this to basically everyone who loves the found family trope and wants a bunch of lovable characters in their story”
Frequently asked
How long is The House in the Cerulean Sea?
It has 432 pages — shorter than 69% of the ranked books in Fantasy.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Fantasy — and a score of 8.5, the closest to this book.
