
The House in the Cerulean Sea
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 62,826 ratings
Price: 17.71
Last update: 04-03-2025
About this item
"Daniel Henning is a great narrator for this quirky and theatrical audiobook.... Henning revels in a cornucopia of characters, diving into nuanced voices and colorful moments with accents and growls, tone shifts and whispers.... This is definitely a title for those who enjoy fantasy stories replete with gnomes and witches and all in between." (AudioFile Magazine)
Lambda Literary Award-winning author TJ Klune's breakout contemporary fantasy
Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He's tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world.
Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light.
The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place - and realizing that family is yours.
Chicago Tribune Best Books of the Year - 2020
Amazon.com Best Books of the Year - 2020
A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books
"1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in." (Gail Carriger, New York Times best-selling author of Soulless)
Top reviews from the United States

5.0 out of 5 stars TJ Klune may be my new favorite author
I have sat with this review for a couple of days because I simply don't have adequate words for how wonderful this book truly is. TJ Klune is a storytelling genius and I will read every single book he ever writes from here on out. Magic flows from his fingertips.
I have been reading for over 40 years and this is easily one of my Top 5 most favorite books I have ever read. I laughed, I cried, I laughed a whole lot more and I shed so many tears of happiness.
The children that he created for this story may be magical creatures, but they are children none the less and many times I had to remind myself that they were "magical creatures" who look so different from those of us mere humans. These children are beautifully written, beautifully unique and they have all lived through far too much tragedy in their short lives. Well....Talia is an exception to this statement, as she will tell you she is quite capable of taking care of herself at 263 yrs old. While Linus reminds her that Gnomes don't reach maturity until 500 years old, Talia isn't phased by him or his lack of faith in her ability to take care of herself. HAHAHA!
Linus lived a mundane and lonely life before DICOMY (Department in Charge of Magical Youth) assigned him to a special top secret, Level Four nonetheless, case at a secret orphanage on an island. He packs up his cat, Calliope, hops on a bus and train and heads off on his assignment. Little does he know that his life is about to be turned upside down, sideways and everything he thought he knew about life is about to be thrown out the window.
Once he arrives at the orphanage, he meets Talia, the Gnome, Phee, a forest sprite, Theodore, a wyvern, Chauncey, a jelly like critter of unknown origin, Sal, a were-Pomeranian and Lucy, short for Lucifer the anticrist, along with their caregivers, Arthur and Zoe. Everyone is leery of Linus, some more than others. I won't give any spoilers by telling you more about the characters. What I will say is that each child is beautiful in their own unique way, each child teaches Linus something important about life and I hope you see the lessons, as they made me love them even more. Some characters developed more than others, I would've liked to have seen more of Phee, but I understand why we didn't, as Sprites are very solitary and her relationship is more with Zoe than anyone else in the book. I have to admit I had a favorite, while I loved them all and each one had a storyline that gave me tears of either empathy, love or both, Talia was my favorite fierce, mischievous and independent little girl. She reminded me of myself and I think there will be a character in this book that will remind you of yourself. I think there's a piece of us in many of the characters if we really pay attention to them.
Linus learns so much about himself and life as he spends a month on the island and adventures into the nearby village with the children, Arthur and Zoe. There's prejudice, bigotry, compassion, empathy, recognition and growth throughout this story. It really is a great representation of humans and how diverse we are. Despite these children being written as magical creatures, they are unique, they are different from the average human and this book depicts how humans judge others based on preconceived ideas, appearance and stereotypes. It is hopefully an eye opener for some to judge less and love more, while it's a reminder to all of us to be kind, loving and remember that our uniqueness makes us beautiful in our own special way.

5.0 out of 5 stars A book with a message of kindness and love... absolutely wonderful!
The story revolves around Linus Baker, a caseworker with the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He leads a dreary, by-the-book life, checking up on the orphanages under the department’s care and making sure they’re operating by following the extensive guidelines. He’s known for his detailed reports and it’s because of that he’s tasked by Extremely Upper Management to go to the Marsays Island Orphanage to check up on its caretaker, Arthur Parnassus, and the six unique, magical children that live there.
Linus’s life changes just going out to the orphanage. He’s always wanted to go to the sea–and that’s where he ends up on an island surrounded by the sea. As he gets away from the city, he gets out of the gloom and rain and into the sun. It’s really a Wizard of Oz moment as his world goes to color from gray. Linus’s journey of self-discovery is the heart–or one of the hearts–of this story and his progression into the light is part of what makes this story so great. He finds that there’s much more to life than rules and regulations. There’s a need for kindness, compassion and understanding.
The kids at the orphanage are an incredible array of characters that I think could only spring from TJ mind: Lucy–or Lucifer; Talia the gnome; Chauncey, a green blob with eyes on stalks who just wants to be a bellhop; Sal, a shapeshifter who when nervous becomes a tiny dog; Phee a forest sprite and Theodore, a wyvern who hordes buttons. The kids and Arthur have formed an amazing family. The kids have come here from other orphanages for various reasons and Arthur does his best to protect and teach them. Perhaps most importantly that they don’t necessarily have to be who people think they should be–like Lucy doesn’t have to give in to the idea that he’s the destroyer of the world.
Early on Arthur challenges Linus and it really sets Linus off on his journey. “I think if you open your eyes, you’ll see what’s right in front of you rather than what’s listed in a file,” Arthur says. And boy are Linus’s eyes opened. The children are all incredible with their childlike wonder, their massive sense of protection for each other and, even though they’re all young, they are well aware that the world doesn’t really want them–especially the town that is across the sea from the island.
TJ’s created six distinct characters that you can’t help but fall in love with from Theordore’s delight in buttons to Chauncey’s bellhop dreams and his protective urges towards Theodore. And there’s Lucy, he’s wildly funny as he pushes Linus’s buttons sometimes, but as you see his other facets, including a love of classic music from the 50s and that he knows that the could really cause damage you want to wrap him up in a hug and protect him.
As Linus spends his time with Arthur and the kids, he starts to see how messed up Extremely Upper Management is and that made the rules aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. And when it comes to that hateful town, he realizes that there are changes needed, changes he needs to speak up for.
Oh, and there’s a super sweet, terrific romance that blooms between Linus and Arthur too. The book isn’t a romance, but the spark between these two is pure romance and it feels like old school courting. That’s not to say they don’t have problems–oh my do they have issues to take care of–but it’s a beautiful part of the story.
Yes, I love everything about "House in the Cerulean Sea"–Linus self-discovery, his romance with Arthur and the delightful kids living at the Marsays Island Orphanage. There’s something in this book from everyone and this book can be read by all ages. My hardback sits on my shelf of all-time favorites, that’s how much this book means to me.