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emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Somewhere Beyond the Sea has just as many feel-good moments as The House in the Cerulean Sea, if not more -- I probably teared up at least 10 different times.
However, this sequel dives more deeply into the institutional and historical roots of oppression, and the impacts of the resulting traumas on both individuals and communities. Both books emphasize the power of forming small pockets of safe spaces to heal within a world of persecution, but in Somewhere Beyond the Sea, the characters additionally take steps to dismantle systems of oppression.
It's worth addressing the criticism the author received for drawing inspiration from the historical and ongoing genocide of First Nations people by the Canadian government. In particular, Cerulean has been criticized as a white savior narrative, and for the allegory of magical ability as race coming across as simultaneously trivializing native peoples and othering them as non-human. These critiques are not unfounded. At the same time, I believe the sequel effectively addresses at least two of these issues: First, the centering of a magical character as narrator emphasizes that while allyship is valuable, oppressed people are in the best position to understand their struggles and needs, and are quite capable on their own; second, the explicit and implicit references to oppression and abuse make clear that there is no whimsy in trauma.
Ultimately, while The Cerulean Chronicles initially appear to be only fairytales where love conquers all, the second installment reveals the underlying darkness.
Is it fancifully optimistic wish fulfillment? Yes. Are the characters all wise beyond their years and incredibly emotionally intelligent / well emotionally regulated despite having barely begun to heal from their trauma? Yes.
And so what?
However, this sequel dives more deeply into the institutional and historical roots of oppression, and the impacts of the resulting traumas on both individuals and communities. Both books emphasize the power of forming small pockets of safe spaces to heal within a world of persecution, but in Somewhere Beyond the Sea, the characters additionally take steps to dismantle systems of oppression.
It's worth addressing the criticism the author received for drawing inspiration from the historical and ongoing genocide of First Nations people by the Canadian government. In particular, Cerulean has been criticized as a white savior narrative, and for the allegory of magical ability as race coming across as simultaneously trivializing native peoples and othering them as non-human. These critiques are not unfounded. At the same time, I believe the sequel effectively addresses at least two of these issues: First, the centering of a magical character as narrator emphasizes that while allyship is valuable, oppressed people are in the best position to understand their struggles and needs, and are quite capable on their own; second, the explicit and implicit references to oppression and abuse make clear that there is no whimsy in trauma.
Ultimately, while The Cerulean Chronicles initially appear to be only fairytales where love conquers all, the second installment reveals the underlying darkness.
Is it fancifully optimistic wish fulfillment? Yes. Are the characters all wise beyond their years and incredibly emotionally intelligent / well emotionally regulated despite having barely begun to heal from their trauma? Yes.
And so what?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Xenophobia, Grief, Abandonment
Minor: Physical abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Clear allegory addressing politics today othering LGBTQ+ and acknowledging all the historical atrocities of government, including Indigenous colonization and genocide. So it resonated with me deeply, but what I loved most about this book is the promise that a third must be coming based on the ending.
I’m so distraught about the state of humanity in the US right now. This book tells me to remain hopeful and believe in the righteousness and goodness of people who will stand in solidarity with us. With elections only a couple of weeks away and the MAGA party (I refuse to call them Republicans) setting up to destroy and rebuild the country in its pre-Civil War image, hope is a hard resource to find right now. The most I hope for is that this author is right - that we have the right to hope that our citizenship will be defended and allowed to live in peace with the full authority to exist as we are - someday.
I’m so distraught about the state of humanity in the US right now. This book tells me to remain hopeful and believe in the righteousness and goodness of people who will stand in solidarity with us. With elections only a couple of weeks away and the MAGA party (I refuse to call them Republicans) setting up to destroy and rebuild the country in its pre-Civil War image, hope is a hard resource to find right now. The most I hope for is that this author is right - that we have the right to hope that our citizenship will be defended and allowed to live in peace with the full authority to exist as we are - someday.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I'm sure I'm biased because I'm a fan of Klune, but I really enjoyed this sequel. It honestly wasn't what I expected, but who he dedicated this novel to immediately told me my assumption that this would be another extremely cozy, funny fantasy, was incorrect.
It's been a very difficult few years, as so many politicians, authors, etc have been extremely vocal about their disdain for specific members of the LGBT+ community. And I really felt like Klune was fed up and ready to use his skills as a writer to express this. That's what this book is. The politics are heavy, the analogy to real life is no longer charmingly blurred, and Klune does not mince words. I can understand why some people might find this repetitive and too in your face, but as someone who has watched friends suffer and fear for their own safety, some even having to leave their homes due to discriminatory laws- I didn't think it was over the top at all.
I laughed, I cried, and in the end, I'm left with the hope that change can happen if we fight for it. The children were just as delightful as the first book and their growth was realistic and sweet. There wasn't much romance in this one, but the little bits we did get were sappy and adorable.
It's a difficult read, which I didn't expect prior to starting. But I hope people will still give it a shot, because it's good. We need books like this. And I'm so happy it was Klune who took on the challenge.
It's been a very difficult few years, as so many politicians, authors, etc have been extremely vocal about their disdain for specific members of the LGBT+ community. And I really felt like Klune was fed up and ready to use his skills as a writer to express this. That's what this book is. The politics are heavy, the analogy to real life is no longer charmingly blurred, and Klune does not mince words. I can understand why some people might find this repetitive and too in your face, but as someone who has watched friends suffer and fear for their own safety, some even having to leave their homes due to discriminatory laws- I didn't think it was over the top at all.
I laughed, I cried, and in the end, I'm left with the hope that change can happen if we fight for it. The children were just as delightful as the first book and their growth was realistic and sweet. There wasn't much romance in this one, but the little bits we did get were sappy and adorable.
It's a difficult read, which I didn't expect prior to starting. But I hope people will still give it a shot, because it's good. We need books like this. And I'm so happy it was Klune who took on the challenge.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Sexism, Abandonment, Colonisation
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Genocide, Homophobia
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Just as The House in the Cerulean Sea was uplifting so too is Somewhere Beyond the Sea. The story continues with Arthur and Linus and a new member to the Parnassus-Baker family. David, a yeti, who is unregistered. DICOMY is back, loudly exclaiming their hateful laws, but as Arthur says “they may be loud, but we are louder” and that is a really important message for us to remember. There are so many good people in the world and they need to be loud and stay positive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Colonisation
Moderate: Genocide
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Heartwrenching, hilarious, and will make you cry happy gay tears.
Giving this book 4.75 instead of my original 5 given the fact that the author based this off of cultural genocide. Yikes.
Giving this book 4.75 instead of my original 5 given the fact that the author based this off of cultural genocide. Yikes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love this duology (with House in the Cerulean Sea) so much!! These characters are so relatable and wonderful 🥰🥰❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, Grief
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent
Minor: Genocide, Racism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Colonisation
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Genocide
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Child abuse, Genocide
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was a bit worried after not really liking ‘In the Lives of Puppets’ that this sequel would disappoint me, but it was absolutely phenomenal! It does the job of letting the characters we’ve come to love really shine while also telling a story that is relevant and so important to our world right now. Klune makes no secret of the parallels he seeks to draw between the fight for the rights of magical beings and those of trans/queer people, saying it outright in the dedication and acknowledgments. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that story antagonist Jeanine Rowder’s middle name was Katherine or Kristine or Kimberly, either. It’s obvious but still massively enjoyable.
Despite having a clear stance, Klune makes a point of, through the telling of the story, engaging with questions like “why can’t we just force people to see things our way, if it would bring about net good?” and “is any echo chamber safe or productive to be in?” The story doesn’t get lost in preaching, but is made vibrant through the struggles and triumphs of the characters. The stakes do feel higher, and you do understand that the world isn’t magically set right in the end—but it is, somehow. I loved getting to see more of Linus and Arthur and everyone else, and having the story from Arthur’s perspective was so excellent. I felt his fire—in the anger, fear, courage, and love—and couldn’t have asked for more.
Despite having a clear stance, Klune makes a point of, through the telling of the story, engaging with questions like “why can’t we just force people to see things our way, if it would bring about net good?” and “is any echo chamber safe or productive to be in?” The story doesn’t get lost in preaching, but is made vibrant through the struggles and triumphs of the characters. The stakes do feel higher, and you do understand that the world isn’t magically set right in the end—but it is, somehow. I loved getting to see more of Linus and Arthur and everyone else, and having the story from Arthur’s perspective was so excellent. I felt his fire—in the anger, fear, courage, and love—and couldn’t have asked for more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide