Book Review – Somewhere Beyond the Sea

09 Nov 2024 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , ,

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the newest book by T.J. Klune, and is book #2 in the Cerulean Chronicles. I enjoyed book #1 – The House in the Cerulean Sea – a lot and you can find my review of it here (paid links).

I read the e-book edition.

Here is the blurb:

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 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.

The ending of the first book made it obvious that there would be a sequel, but did not leave any significant hints of how that story would go. The plot in the second book tells a new story, but it is thematically a continuation of the first book. Not much time is spent on re-introducing the characters, so if you’re interested in reading this series, go back to start with the first book.

While I have to say that I didn’t like this second book as much as the first, I don’t want that to really detract from my review at all. Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a wonderful book, but the first one is truly a tough act to follow.

Linus is no longer the main driver of the story in this book, but remains pivotal as support for Arthur as he navigates the more public role he has chosen to take on. The children at Marsyas grow up a bit in this sequel, while still engaging in their endearing shenanigans.

So why didn’t this book quite live up to the expectations I had from the first one? I felt like the plot was too loosely constructed and rather unfocused. The characters on Marsyas also never felt like they were in enough danger to me. I didn’t believe that DICOMY would take the children away from Arthur and Linus, so the story lacked the tension and conflict that I wanted to see. However, this was still a book that I enjoyed, and I think that my negative nitpicking is truly a reflection of how GOOD the first book was.

I have put all of TJ Klune’s other books on my to-be-read list. Which one should I start next? Let me know in the comments (above).

Find more of my reviews here.

October 2024 Reading Wrap Up

04 Nov 2024 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

October is over and wow, did that month go by fast! I was traveling for part of the month, and between my trip and a flurry of work before and after, it has brought me to November before I was ready. Our weather here has been unseasonably warm and dry, making the autumn leaves spectacular, but also uncomfortable to burrow under blankets for reading without that fall chill. Before I look ahead at November though, let’s look back at my reading for October.

Books finished: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune, Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente, The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten, The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (paid links).

I had really enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune and you can find my review of it here. I picked up the sequel as soon as it was released. I continued to read the Outlander series, with Drums of Autumn being the fourth book. You can see my recent review of that one here. The Past is Red was a choice for a local book club and was a shorter read as a novella. While on my trip, I read The Hemlock Queen, which is the sequel to The Foxglove King (review here), then picked up the more serious The Underground Railroad as a stand-alone read (paid links).

If you read my blog occasionally, you may have noticed that I listen to audiobooks a lot. If you’d like to try an Audible membership, you can currently sign up here to get a Premium Plus membership for $0.99 (paid link).

Currently reading: The Boys Omnibus Vol. 1 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera, The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon, The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart (paid links).

I will actually finish The Boys graphic novel this month, really! I’m continuing my read of the Outlander books and I’ve head that this fifth volume is less popular with other readers, so I’ll see how it goes. So far I’m only a few chapters in. The Saint of Bright Doors won the Nebula Award and was nominated for the Hugo for best novel. I’m about halfway through that one. Then I just started to read The Gods Below after receiving the beautiful Fairy Loot edition (see my previous post about this).

What else am I hoping to read in November? Here are some of the books that I’m considering.

Dawn by Octavia E. Butler is a selection for a book club discussion at the beginning of December. It’s also time to get back to my Wheel of Time reading with book #7 – A Crown of Swords. I read one book by Mark Lawrence in the past and was very much NOT a fan of it (because of the main character). However, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn caught my interest and maybe I’ll enjoy this one (paid links).

I have had Scorpica by G. R. Macallister on my shelf for a couple of years after hearing the author speak at New York Comic-Con. I also have the second book in the series. Then lastly, I picked up The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness as an audiobook. This is the latest installment in her All Souls series. I have also been watching Netflix for the third season of the television series based on her books – A Discovery of Witches (paid links).

I have been trying to be more intentional in creating time to read since I hit that slump in the mid-summer. I find that creating the right space and atmosphere helps. Do you like to set the mood for your reading? Here are some items that I would love to have on hand on a quiet chilly day. I like to buy candles, even when I already have candles, and this Hello Fall one is available in spicy pumpkin, apple cinnamon, or morning autumn scents (paid link).

Having a fuzzy blanket or throw is mandatory for fall and winter reading for me. Here are a couple of throws that look nice and plush and warm. This gray one comes in a variety of colors. For a heavier option, this one shown below in dark blue fleece might be nice, and also comes in several colors (paid links).

Something would be wrong with me if I didn’t pick up new books in October. A new Fairy Loot book arrived – Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy. This is a new author and I’m excited to dive into this one soon. This special edition is also gorgeous, with foil inlay inside the cover, illustrations on the inside of the dust jacket, and printed edges.

My mother lent me The Alice Network, which appears to be a historical fiction novel about female spies during World War I (paid links). It doesn’t appear to be a fantasy or science fiction story, but sometimes that is okay.

I don’t want to think about it too much yet, but 2024 is nearly over. I am woefully behind on my Goodreads challenge for the year (31 of 96 books read). Their widget won’t even tell me how many books per week I need to read to meet my (unrealistic) goal.

What are you reading? What books are you still looking forward to reading in 2024? Let me know in the comments (above).

September 2024 Reading Wrap Up

02 Oct 2024 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Is everyone awake now? September has ended and that means that we’re entering the final quarter of 2024 and it’s time to look back at my reading for the past month!

I had another slow month, but I had to travel for work. So while that helps me read (while on a plane), it takes up time with the event and the packing and preparations. In September I finished reading Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America’s Moon Landings by Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton (review here) and The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo (paid links). I should have a review of The Familiar up later this week.

I had taken the graphic novel The Boys Vol. 1 with me on my trip, but then misplaced it when I unpacked, so I didn’t make much progress on it. It has since been found, so I should finish that soon. I’m also almost done with Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune (the sequel to the amazing The House in the Cerulean Sea) and The Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4) by Diana Gabaldon (paid links).

I recently signed up for one of those monthly subscription boxes (Fairy Loot), with the theme of this one being fantasy novels. My first delivery arrived last week and it’s a pretty hardcover of The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart.

Jewels and snakes on the edges of the pages.

I haven’t read anything by this author, but her earlier series (The Drowning Empire: #1 = The Bone Shard Daughter, #2 = The Bone Shard Emperor, #3 = The Bone Shard War) has been on my radar as a series of interest. The Gods Below looks like the first book in a new series (paid links).

I’ve included some pretty pictures of the features of this special hardcover edition.

Pretty artwork on the inside covers.

What’s up next for my reading? I’ll be traveling again, but for a vacation. While I’m sure I’ll have plenty of activities to keep me busy, I also plan to do some poolside and beachside reading.

I plan to start reading The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente this week for a book club discussion next week. I should be able to start the fifth Outlander book – The Fiery Cross soon. Then as far as other picks, I don’t know how many of these I’ll get to, but some of the possibilities include The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence, and The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (paid links).

Have you read any of these books? How do you decide what to read next? Let me know in the comments.

Book Review – The House in the Cerulean Sea

29 Aug 2024 5 Comments

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , ,

I had heard of this book, but it hadn’t been on my to-be-read list until it was chosen by one of my book clubs. The House in the Cerulean Sea is the first book by T.J. Klune that I’ve read. Find out what I thought below (paid links).

I read the ebook edition.

Here is the blurb:

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.

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.

This was one of the best books that I’ve read so far this year. Linus is a wonderful character who has no real superpowers or strengths that would typically be found in a “hero” in any other story. He follows the rules and naively trusts that those rules help guide others to do what is right. When he is tasked with a secret assignment to investigate the orphanage on a distant island, he must challenge those beliefs.

The themes in this book were timely, with emphasis on family, discrimination, and being oneself. The book also contains a touch of romance, but this is not the main focus of the story. The setting was, I think, intentionally vague in terms of the level of technology and the exact location, but for the purposes of the story that it needed to tell, that was fine.

The children and their caretaker, Arthur, were all superbly drawn individuals, with their own quirks and secrets. While the plot features quiet interactions more than flashy action and conflict, I found that there were no dull parts in the story. By the time I reached the ending, I had no idea how Linus could salvage anything from his situation. Yet the conclusion was supremely satisfying and wrapped everything up neatly, while allowing for other stories from these characters in the future.

It looks like a second book in this series – Somewhere Beyond the Sea – is going to be released in a couple of weeks (September 10, 2024) (paid link).

Have you read any books by T.J. Klune? Which was your favorite? Which one should I read next? Let me know in the comments (above).

Find more of my reviews here.

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