REVIEW Somewhere Beyond the Sea (The House in the Cerulean Sea #2) by TJ Klune

Somewhere Beyond the Sea (The House in the Cerulean Sea #2) by TJ Klune
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: September 10, 2024
Format: Hardcover (Personal Library) + Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Tor Books

The long awaited sequel to TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, was well worth the wait. Following the events of the first book, Linus Baker is settling into life on Marsyas Island with the kids, Zoe, and Arthur. However, after an attempt to change the minds of the public via testimony to the government goes awry, their way of life is threatened and they must work together to make sure the children are not taken away.

 
All of the children have their own personalities, and it wove together beautifully to create the tapestry that is those on Marsyas Island. David, the newest member of the family and a young yeti, was adorable in his mannerisms and love for the dramatic arts. Readers are introduced to some of the difficult moments in Arthur and all of the childrens’ pasts, and it was both heartbreaking and encouraging to see what they’ve overcome. The author makes very strong commentaries on the idea of what a family should like (spoiler: there’s no one right answer), foster care, and government. In the acknowledgement section, the author mentioned that he wanted to be the antithesis to J.K. Rowling, and I think he achieved all of that and more. 

Daniel Henning did an excellent job of bringing the story to life with his performance in the audiobook. I loved how he captured Lucy’s mischievousness, Chauncey’s radiant love for life (and being a bellhop), and Sal’s growing maturity and determination to protect his brothers and sisters. I’m also quite impressed with how he brought Arthur’s phoenix to life.

Overall, an excellent book and a great close to the story of Marsyas Island. I loved the twists and turns, and how the book closed. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy found family, diverse casts of characters, LGBTQ+ romances, and a little bit of magic in the everyday life. 

REVIEW When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Release Date: May 14, 2024
Format: Hardcover (Giveaway, Under the Covers Book Blog) + Audiobook (Library)
Publisher: Tor Books (Macmillan Audio)

“That kind of sacrifice creates a debt, and there’s nothing magic likes better than the great hollow of a debt.”

Veronica Roth’s When Among Crows was an interesting and unique foray into fantasy and Slavic mythology. If you can go into this book without reading the synopsis, I highly recommend it as there are some spoilers present for such a short book. 

The characters were interesting, but it took a while for me to be invested in their journey. Dymitr, Ala, and Niko don’t fit into the molds thrust upon them. Dymitir has been trained to hunt monsters his entire life, but needs their help to complete his quest. Ala is a Zmora (a creature who eats fear) and is compelled to join Dymitr’s quest based on a drive to end her curse. The final member of their trio, Niko is a bit of a mystery and I was surprised by his point of view chapters but he rounded out the group well. At first, their trip is one of necessity but it ends up turning into an emotional found-family situation.  

The worldbuilding was the most unique facet of the book, and what captivated my attention. The setting was a blend of modern and a medieval knight’s quest. I really liked seeing the community of paranormal creatures that blends within the underground of Chicago. The magic system was also really cool. Baba Jaga is such a legendary figure, and it was cool to have her be the central figure of the quest. My only complaint about the characters and the worldbuilding was that I wanted more; there was so much opportunity for more character development, and to go deeper into the worldbuilding and the culture. However, for a novella length story it did its job well and I was overall satisfied.  

I would recommend When Among Crows to fantasy readers who are looking for something short, on the darker side, and filled with references to folklore and mythology. Narrators Helen Laser, James Fouhey, and Tim Campbell did an excellent job bringing the story to life (and definitely helped with the pronunciation of words I was unfamiliar with).  Thank you to Francesca at Under the Covers Book Blog for my giveaway copy of the book! I appreciate the opportunity to read and review the book immensely. 

REVIEW Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes #1) by Travis Baldree

Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes #1) 

by Travis Baldree
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: June 7, 2022
Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)
Publisher: Tor Books

Travis Baldree’s debut novel Legends and Lattes is a unique cozy fantasy novel perfect for curling up and reading under a blanket with a nice hot drink. After a lifetime of quests and adventures, orc Viv has finally decided to hang up her blade and retire. Her goal for retirement? Introduce the city of Thune and its residents to the finer points of (gnomish) coffee. 

Instead of expansive worldbuilding, most of the story takes place in or around the coffee shop. Readers are treated to the step by step creation of the shop - from the initial inception, opening day, and the eventual growth of the menu and the customer base. While this is undoubtedly a fantasy, I think it’s very accessible for those who don’t normally read in the genre. Any fantastical references are explained, and it’s very easy to picture the various coffee shop patrons with the way the author describes them. 

It’s not often an author manages to make every character in a book likable, but Travis Baldree did just that. While the main characters are all very different on the surface, they all have one major thing in common - they all defy expectations of who others think they ‘should be’, and they are all looking for a place to belong. As someone who enjoys the “found family” trope, this was a highlight for me. I also particularly enjoyed Amity the dire-cat, and seeing the development of Tandri and Viv’s relationship. 

Overall, this was an excellent novel and I’m excited to read the next installment, Bookshops and Bonedust. Travis Baldree’s passion for his novel came through in his performance as the audiobook narrator. If you want an epic fantasy complete with an in depth plot and epic worldbuilding, this might not be your cup of tea. However, if a blend of Hallmark meets Dungeons and Dragons adventure sounds like something you’d enjoy, then I definitely recommend checking out all that Travis Baldree and Legends and Lattes have to offer. 

About the Book

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

About the Author

I love stories, and I love telling them.

I’m the author of Legends & Lattes, a low-stakes cozy fantasy novel.

I’m a narrator too, and I’ve loved the art since I first heard Frank Muller’s legendary work. I’ve lent my voice to hundreds of books (including my own).

I live with my wife, two kids, and dog in Washington State, and I get up every morning excited and grateful to do this job.

I’m also an erstwhile veteran game developer, and it’s possible you’ve played something I’ve made. Torchlight, Fate & Rebel Galaxy have sold millions of copies on desktops and consoles. I remain the co-owner and CEO of Double Damage Games.

The Extraordinaries (The Extraordinaries Trilogy Book 1) by TJ Klune

 

The Extraordinaries (The Extraordinaries Trilogy Book 1) by TJ Klune

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: July 14, 2020

Format: Audiobook (library)

Publisher: Tor Teen

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The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune is a quirky, queer superhero love story. I had this book recommended by so many fellow bookstagrammers that I absolutely had to pick it up. After reading Wolfsong and The House in the Cerulean Sea, I went into this with high expectations and I was not disappointed. 

Our main character, Nick Bell, is the biggest fan of Nova City's resident "Extraordinary" Shadow Star. When he's not writing the top-rated fanfic in the Shadow Star Fandom, he's dealing with all the complexities of his ADHD brain and the strain in his relationship with his father following the death of his mother. We have the best friend Seth who is precious and must be protected at all costs (and also very obviously in love with Nick). To round out the main cast of characters, we have their female best friends Jasmine “Jazz” Kensington and Lola “Gibby” Gibson. 

The characters were a highlight of the book. There is Nick’s dad Aaron, who is a police officer and struggles to interact with his son at times following the death of his wife. He’s not an absent parent by any means though, he does his best to be there for his son in every way possible despite working (i.e. after Nick comes out, he demonstrates how to put a condom on using a banana as a demonstration much to Nick’s horror). We have Nick, who has the best lines in the book and is completely clueless about how much Seth cares about him. There’s also the whole cast of supporting characters in the book, who really show up after one of the main characters is injured and lands in the hospital. There’s nothing I can really critique with the characters in this book because everything was as close to perfection as humanly possible. 

Michael Lesley is going to be one of my new favorite audiobook narrators ever. He has a very upbeat and humorous style when he reads. Between his narration and TJ's witty writing style, I found myself laughing a lot while reading. While I can’t comment on the gay rep in this book due to not belonging to that community, I can comment on the ADHD representation (having the condition myself) and it was spot on. Lesley did such a great job narrating Nick’s inner rambles and monologues. I really related to it, and all the moments that referenced Nick’s ADHD felt very natural (and not like it was thrown in to hit some type of “diversity” quota). 

If you've read Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea and Green Creek series before, you should expect a very different vibe from The Extraordinaries. It’s a very lighthearted and humorous read, but it also addresses some heavy and serious stuff (i.e. parental death). I highly recommend this book to any young adult fans of the superhero genre. There are no intimate sex scenes, but there are some descriptive makeout moments and the main character does have some slightly sexual tones to his inner monologues while fantasizing about his crush. 

About the Author

TJ KLUNE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Extraordinaries, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.

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The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: March 17, 2020

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Tor Books

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“Because even the bravest of us can still be afraid sometimes, so long as we don’t let our fear become all we know”

The House in the Cerulean Sea is such a heartwarming book. It felt like a warm hug while I was reading. 

Linus Baker is a social worker in the Department in control of Magical Youth (also known as DICOMY), who is regularly sent out to evaluate magical orphanage’s under DICOMY’s control. He does everything by the book and is known for meticulous, detail-filled reports. One day, he is sent to evaluate the orphanage of Marsyas Island, filled with the most unique children in the system and under the care of Arthur Parnassus. His time on the island with the children, Arthur, and island caretaker Zoe Chapelwhite changes the way that Linus looks at the world and what he wants for his future. 

The adults in the story are important but my favorite part was the kids of the orphanage. Chauncey is such a pure little soul, and his dream of becoming a bellhop is adorable. Talia’s sass and quips are to die for. The way they and the other children have come together like siblings and made their own little quirky family was beautiful. One of my favorite “found family” books ever!

If you’ve been thinking about reading this book and wondering if it lives up to the hype, it is undoubtedly worth the read and completely lives up to expectations. 

About the Author

TJ KLUNE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Extraordinaries, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.

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