Was sad to learn this was only an excerpt because it was so good! Oh how I missed Linus and the gang!! The excerpt left off on a cliffhanger and I’ll be thinking about it u til its release in September.

I was given a four chapter exerpt of Somewhere Beyond the Sea by NetGalley, author TJ Klune and publisher Tor/Forge.

What little I have read of the follow-up to House on the Cerulean Sea was amazing. We are brought back to our favorite island with our favorite magical children, along with Arthur and Linus. This magical story is given more so from the perspective of Arthur, and his dealings on the island when he was a magical youth, and their attempt to make the laws surrounding magical youth more managable.

The first four chapters had me engrossed in the story, and I truly look forward to reading the full story when it is published. I am, however, disappointed that I was only given an excerpt, as I was expecting the full story when I received the email stating I had been approved to be one of the ARC readers. While my disappointment only lasted for a short-time, I really hope I am given the ability to read the full story.

Thank you to NetGalley, TJ Klune and Tor/Forge for the opportunity to provide my honest feedback surrounding Somewhere Beyond the Sea!

A lovely continuation of The House in the Cerulean Sea! While short, this excerpt was enthralling. It provided a peak into Linus and Arthur's new life with the children as well as beginning to dig into the conflict of the novel. I am so excited for the remainder of Somewhere Beyond the Sea and look forward to its release!!

Thank you to Net Galley and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this excerpt of Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune in exchange for my honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this sample of the sequel to one of my favorite books! I cannot wait to read how this journey continues!

TJ Klune can do NO WRONG I TELL YOU!
Thank you for this teaser I am so so excited for the rest of this story!!!! As always, the writing is charming, the characters heartwarming and the story enchanting.

TJ Klune could write a dictionary and I’d be the first in line to read it. Going back to this world and these characters, even in just an excerpt, felt like going home. The House in the Cerulean Sea is such a special and meaningful book to me, and the brief glimpse we get from the excerpt has me salivating to get my hands on the full book!

AN EXCERPT! What a tease! But even with just a tease I’m SO SO excited for this book and know without a doubt that it’s going to be as brilliant and heart warming as the first book ♥️ September cannot come fast enough , you know I’ll be snatching it right up!

*ARC EXCERPT provided kindly by the publishers on NetGalley, only feelings about the first 4 chapters are included in this review*

YALL, I am so happy to get to be back in this magical beautiful world! In just the first 4 chapters I have already laughed, cried, and smiled endlessly! If you loved House in the Cerulean Sea this second installment is already set up to give you all of the cozy feels while also tackling some big/heavy topics that are still relevant in today’s world. I CANT WAIT to get my hands in the rest of the novel!


*instagram post of the review will be up on 4/5, the link to the bookstagram account is listed below*

If the opportunity to read the full novel as an ARC is offered, I would love to be considered!

A sequel to House in the Cerulean Sea, Somewhere Beyond the Sea promises just as much warmth and hope as its predecessor. I was so happy to have familiar characters with their wit and heart show up in this excerpt and am beyond excited to get my hands on the full novel when it is released. The first few chapters gave some background to Arthur and the house and promises more tidbits that we didn't get in the first story.

5/5 stars.

I cannot wait to read the whole thing. This was such a wholesome return to the world of House in the Cerulean Sea. At first I was a bit confused when we we were with the prologue but it just gave some insight into how Arthur began the orphanage in general. I cannot wait for the release.

This is going to be SO GOOD. 🤩
Even just these first couple chapters transported me right back to all my favorite characters and his first book in the series. The descriptions are beautiful, the emotion is so vulnerable and real and the plot keeps you reading. CANNOT WAIT!

I received an advance review excerpt for free via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Incredible tease! “The House in the Cerulean Sea” is one of my favorite books and this excerpt has calmed my fears that the second book in the series would fall short. I’m so excited for the full book.

I am so excited for the rest of this book! This excerpt was great. Beautifully written, it immediately pulled me back into this magical land. I can't wait to see what happens next for the crew.

This teaser has me so excited for the rest of this book! I adore everything Klune writes and so far this is no exception. It's sweet and wonderful and poignant and I am so thrilled for more of this book, especially from Arthur's POV!

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune is the sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea. While I don’t think that one would need to read Cerulean Sea prior to Somewhere Beyond the Sea to understand the context, it is definitely helpful.

Klune does a great job of summarizing all of his characters from their individual personality quirks to their specific line of magic. Not only is each character introduced with the same descriptive accuracy as the previous book, Klune once again expertly portrays youthful innocence and acceptance. I personally loved the descriptions of the children growing and maturing. The conversations being had are hilarious and very relatable to real life! While there is much comic relief, the story as a whole addresses several heavy social themes. Both the young and old characters converse with one another about their fears of inadequacy and encounters with people who try to belittle them for no other reason than appearing different on the surface. Each character has felt their otherness and has found solace in one another. They created their own safe space when their society and government has done everything they can to ostracize them.

The way Klune writes their conversations are endearing and portrays these magical children as simply children. The characters are relatable at a core level. As an adult with children of my own, I still remember having the same fears as these characters when I was young. Regardless of being a parent, “Am I enough?” is a question that I believe most people have asked themselves at one time or another. This is a common theme throughout Klune’s books and he does a wonderful job of expressing this through his characters.

In The House in the Cerulean Sea, Klune lays the foundation for systemic racism within his magical fantasy world, that truth be told, is not so different from the society in which we all live in. While Cerulean Sea gives an exemplary example of how the younger generation can make changes within their societies, Somewhere Beyond the Sea tackles the injustices on a broader, governmental level. Klune forces readers to not only question their values, but to also want to do things to make change happen. He shows that one voice matters.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea starts with Arthur Parnassus, head of his magical orphanage, leaving the safety of his island to go to parliament to testify about his own trials within the magical orphanage system. In doing so, he hopes to bring change for his children. Klune shows how one person, one voice, one life can affect the lives of many others. Somewhere Beyond the Sea continues his mission to improve our society by reminding us of our own self worth. Arthur is one person who makes change within his society, as Klune does the same in his. Klune shows us that we have power with our words and where children are safe, they will thrive. One voice can become a duet and then a trio, then a quartet, then a chorus, and maybe one day a whole ensemble.

I highly recommend Somewhere Beyond the Sea to anyone and everyone who enjoys comedic humor with a bit of social commentary mixed in. Somewhere Beyond the Sea does definitely have much more overt social commentary than Cerulean Sea, but I don’t think it is so in-your-face that one wouldn’t enjoy the book as a whole. Klune has done such an amazing job at bringing his characters to life that I want to be friends with all of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the first four chapters of this book!

It’s been 3.5 years since I read The House in the Cerulean Sea, and this book instantly brought me back to that cozy, sweet and silly found family. The first four chapters re-introduce Linus, Arthur and all their children so that it felt like I never left — I had a dumb grin on my face while reading and squirmed from adorableness. It also sets up the main conflict in the story really well and left me feeling very impatient because I want to inhale the whole book ASAP. But now I have to wait until September for the rest *heavy sigh*

Review of excerpt:

My only complaint is that the excerpt is far too short and leaves off on a tantalizing cliffhanger, and now I have to wait for the book to be published!

I was instantly transported back to when I read House in the Cerulean Sea a few years ago and reminded of how much I loved it. The characters are just as endearing and I just want them to be happy. It was lovely to see how Linus has settled into the island and found his place with all of them. The kids were endearing and horrifying in equal measure (as kids often are) and I was frequently torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to say awwww and wanting to facepalm at their interactions and mischief.

The stakes are quickly revealed to be high, and I can't wait to see where this new adventure takes Arthur, Linus, and the kids.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing an early copy of the excerpt for review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a sample! Such a tease to only have a small portion of this book. I can't wait for the release.

Oh my gosh this excerpt was absolutley delightful. I thought I couldn't wait for the book before but now I really don't know how I am supposed to make it to September. TJ Klune is such an excellent writer that you are immediately immersed in the world he created. I loved the glimpse of domestic life with Arthur, Linus, and the kids. I am so looking forward to Arthur's story. I will be anxiously awaiting the release!
Thank you so very much to T.J. Klune, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for giving me the chance to preview an excerpt of this book!

This book begins with a solid follow up on where the previous book left off. It's relevance to ongoing debates about who controls the fates of children, especially those who don't conform to social standards around gender/sexuality or neurodivergence, is quite clear. But the book doesn't dwell in moralism, instead keeping the reader focused on the events and characters at hand. I think this book has excellent pacing and a rich cast of characters. I can't wait to read the rest.