Cerulean Chronicles - Review
Link to the author's (T. J. Klune) personal website
Book 1: The House on the Cerulean Sea
Book 2: Somewhere Beyond the Sea
Blurb: (From Book 1) A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.
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.
Review: This is my second time reading something from this author. As in the previous case (under the whispering door), it drew me in with some fabulous cover art and an interesting premise. It then left me beaming with joy. I was a smiling drunken loon getting sunburn in the park while reading a large portion of the first book. Throughout the majority of the series and continuing to some time afterwards I felt content. Content in that I was reading a story with a overwhelmingly positive message. This message was maintained despite the worrying reality it mixed in to its fantastically crafted magical world.
The first installment especially is extremely well written, although that might be biased as this is one of the rare series that I'd suggest taking a small break between books. I find myself appreciating the self-reflection and writing less when it's not placed in-between something else. I would blanketly recommend this series for everyone. It was entertaining, wholesome, and perfectly handled some difficult themes, where I particularly appreciated how fantasy elements were incorporated in that regard. I am extremely interested in how the series continues, and have high hopes that it's going to continue to maintain the absurdly high quality of the first two installments. Read this if the blurb appeals to you!