Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune – uplifting cozy LGBTQ fantasy

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a heart-melting, uplifting cozy LGBTQ fantasy about love, kindness, and the power of family.

Previous book in the series –

The House in the Cerulean Sea

Synopsis

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.

Review

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a fun, touching, and heartwarming cozy fantasy sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea that I found even more enchanting than its predecessor. Told from Arthur’s point of view, this story follows his journey as he continues to build a home filled with warmth, love, and acceptance.

The writing is flawless, blending humor, emotional depth, and powerful themes of kindness, healing, and resilience. At its core, this story is about overcoming past traumas, embracing unity, parenting with compassion, and fighting against bigotry.

The book opens with Arthur’s return to Marsyas years prior, preparing the orphanage for a new start. Now, as he faces a government testimony about his painful childhood, hoping to inspire change for magical beings, the authorities twist it into an “investigation”. Manipulated into revealing his true form, Arthur soon finds himself subjected to yet another inspection, this time a cold-hearted new head of DICOMY and DICOMA is determined to remove the children from his care. The new inspector sent to Marsyas is no Linus Baker and she cannot be swayed by Arthur’s kindness which creates a formidable struggle.

I so so loved Arthur’s perspective throughout the book. His vulnerability, the weight of his past, and his journey made my heart ache for him. His insecurity and doubts relating to being a parent was heart wrenching and I hated government for putting that seed of doubt. It took series of events and love from Linus and resilience of children for him to realize he is not alone in this fight. He is the best parent one can ever ask for and one can see the proof of it in the way children have grown.

The story beautifully conveys that true parenting means listening, nurturing independence, and trusting children to face the world. Arthur’s growth also highlights the message that we are not responsible for others’ wrongdoings.

Linus’s steadfast love and kindness, which truly feel like his own form of magic, only add to the depth of the family they’re building. And it was delightful to see Zoe play a larger role in the story, with surprising revelations about her character.

The children are my absolute favorites, especially Lucy. Lucy is most powerful kid and also the heart of this family. He and Sal showed wisdom and kindness beyond their years. I loved them being nice to people who meant harm to them and not just because it was right thing but because they chose to be nice in hope it will change people.

Their questions, counter arguments and all conversations with adults were enlightening. The new kid, David, also finds his place in this quirky family, growing in confidence and self-acceptance by the book’s end. Together, the children bring humor and joy to balance the book’s emotional intensity.

There were many fabulous moments in the book that I loved – Linus’s Birt, Arthur’s testimony, Linus’s proposal, showing David his room, Arthur letting out phoenix and healing from the past trauma, mud people, whole village gathering to help Arthur and Children, Zoe’s revelation, and wedding.

The climax, filled with tension and an unexpected turn, showcases how Marsyas changes the world and how Arthur finally finds his true home with Linus and the children.

Overall, Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a heart-melting, uplifting cozy LGBTQ fantasy about love, kindness, and the power of family.

What to expect from Somewhere Beyond the Sea–

Uplifting cozy LGBTQ fantasy
Found Family
Healing from Past Trauma
Parenting
Acceptance and Belonging
Unity and Resilience
Fight Against Bigotry
Power of Family and Love and Kindness
Many Humorous and Heartwarming Moments

My favorite Quotes

“I am found because I refuse to be in black and white, or any shade of gray. I am color. I am fire. I am the sun, and I will burn away the shadows until only light remains. And then you will have no choice but to see.”

“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.”

“I prefer to think of standing before a vast lake on windless day: the surface smooth until one of us-say, you, Sal-picks up stone and tosses it into the water. What happens then?”
“It causes ripples,” Phee said
“Yes” Arthur said. “And you, Phee, picked up your stone and threw it along with Sal? And the rest of you did the same? The ripple wound bounce off each other, spreading in new direction, growing as more people toss their stones in. And if we keep on doing it, who knows how far the ripple could reach in the end?”

Sal nodded “So we keep on throwing stones until someone listens.”
“I don’t know why we just don’t throw stones at them,” Thalia muttered. “Seems to be a waste of a good rock if you ask me.
“Because violence is never the answer.” Arthur said.
Thalia smiled sweetly. ” But it can be the question.”
“It can,” Arthur allowed. “But I believe the greatest weapon we have at out disposal is our voices. And I am going to use my voice for you, and for me. Hate is loud. We are louder.”

“If you go into a situation expecting the worst, it may cloud your ability to see what good can come from it.”

“I’m an adult who does adult things, like taxes and laundry and being sad for no reason.”

“Confidence is silent. Insecurities are loud.”

“Even the smallest of things can change the world, if only one is brave enough to try.”

“When I lived in the city, I dreamed in color, of places where the sea stretched on for miles and miles. But what I didn’t expect was that the color didn’t come from the ocean, or the trees, or even the island itself. It came from all of you.”

“I worry all the time about the children. I worry about them when they sleep. When they wake up. When they run, when they eat, when they laugh or cry or sneeze. When they ask questions or when they answer questions. What does that make me?” Linus snorted. “That makes you a father.”

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

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