The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, 1)

A NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER!
A 2021 Alex Award winner! An Indie Next Pick! The 2021 RUSA Reading List: Fantasy Winner!

DELUXE EDITION—A beautiful new paperback of one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade, The House In the Cerulean Sea by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune! Now with aqua blue sprayed edges and fun extras!

"I loved it. It is like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket. Simply perfect."
—V. E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author

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.

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Published Sep 23, 2025

432 pages

Average rating: 8.2

3,996 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

🌻 Nicole🌻
Dec 29, 2025
10/10 stars
I loved the sweet book. I fell in the with this family
MandiCole11
Oct 29, 2025
6/10 stars
3.5
FCMink
Oct 12, 2025
10/10 stars
Unique and fabulous.
K Olson
Jan 14, 2025
4/10 stars
After reading a rather heavy historical fiction novel I was looking for something lighthearted to read. I decided to try this fantasy novel for something different and because of all the great reviews. I realize I am in the minority here but I didn’t love this book. For one it seemed like the author spent a lot of time “teaching” his audience through one character- Arthur. I also struggled with the portrayal of the antichrist character Lucy. While at points the writing was humorous in many other ways it seemed to be mocking Christian beliefs, in particular that evil exists.
nremmert
Feb 07, 2024
One of my favorite books I’ve ever listened to. Not sure I would have enjoyed it as much as I did if I would have read it myself.

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