by T. J. Klune
Part of Cerulean Chronicles
First published 2020
Linus Baker lives alone at forty with his records and his scheming cat. He works as a case worker for the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, monitoring children in government orphanages. His quiet routine shatters when Extremely Upper Management assigns him a classified mission. He must travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage to evaluate six residents: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, a green blob of unknown origin, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist himself. His job is determining whether these children pose a threat to humanity. On the island, Linus meets Arthur Parnassus, the orphanage's protective caretaker who guards his charges fiercely. As Linus spends time with the children and grows closer to Arthur, he uncovers hidden truths about the island and its inhabitants. The children reveal themselves as more than their dangerous classifications suggest. Linus faces an impossible decision between following orders and protecting the family he never expected to find.
Genres: fantasy, contemporary, adult-fiction, comedy, found-family
Vibes: cozy, emotionally-resonant, heartwarming, humorous, intimate, whimsical
Tropes: chosen-one-subversion, enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, found-family, slow-burn-romance
Setting: Marsyas Island Orphanage, Department in Charge Of Magical Youth
Period: contemporary
396 pages · Paperback · Tor Books