The house in the cerulean sea

A magical island. A secret mission. A dangerous secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devilish cat and a collection of old LPs. As a case worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, he spends his days ensuring the well-being of children in government-run orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management, he is given a very peculiar and top-secret assignment – to travel to the Marsyas Island Orphanage, home to six dangerous children: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a pomeranian-werewolf, and the Antichrist. Linus must overcome his fear and determine how likely it is that they could bring about the end of the world.

But the children aren't the only mystery on the island. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who would do anything to protect his charges. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-buried secrets begin to surface, and Linus must decide whether to destroy the home he's found for the children and Arthur, or watch the world go up in flames.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting, masterfully crafted story about a journey and the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place – and realising that you belong there too.