by T. J. Klune
First published 2024
Arthur Parnassus has built a loving home on Marsyas Island for six magical children who society deems dangerous. The former orphan now serves as master of this unusual refuge, supported by his partner Linus Baker, a onetime caseworker, and their friends Zoe Chapelwhite and Mayor Helen Webb. Arthur works to shield his children from the pain he once endured on this same island. When authorities summon Arthur to speak publicly about his troubled past, he must lead a fight for the future of all magical people. The challenge intensifies when a new child seeks to join their family, one who embraces being called a monster, the very label Arthur has fought to protect his children from. Arthur faces a crucial moment where his family will either strengthen or shatter. The sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea follows Arthur as he battles for the life he wants while doing the work to preserve it.
Genres: fiction, family, fantasy, 21st-century, adoption
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, social-outcasts
Setting: Marsyas Island
Period: 21st-century
416 pages · Hardcover · Tor Books
Content warnings: child-abuse