I put off reading this excerpt because I knew once I read it I would be frothing at the mouth for more.

Arthur and Linus have created such a beautiful home with the kids since we last saw them, and I can't wait to see them work together as a pair to fight for their rights to be a legally recognized family. This book is incredibly timely with the current challenges to LGBTQ+ families and especially those with trans kiddos.

I NEED IT

just an excerpt but had all the charm and beauty as the first one. cannot wait to read the full book

I was excited to receive this early preview. I loved the first book and all the main characters. TJ Klune has become one of my favorite authors. I am eagerly looking foward to reading the whole book in September!

This excerpt presents the first four chapters of Somewhere Beyond the Sea. The first two chapters are an attempt to bring the reader back into the world Klune presented with his prequel: a world of magical children and adults living in and around communities of non-magical people. We are reintroduced to Arthur's home of magical youth, along with the relationship between Arthur and Linus. As reintroductions go, the attempt at a birthday breakfast by the children brings back the chaos, adoration and moments of mystical delight that were spread often throughout the first novel. You also see quite a bit of sappiness on the parts of Arthur and Linus - these adults remind the reader of lovesick teenagers instead of adults responsible for the wellbeing of the children in the home. However, after two chapters, the adults return to Linus' town of Bandycross to conduct a presentation in front of Linus' former bosses of DICOMY. The plot starts to ramp up, with disloyalty hinted among the ranks at DICOMY mixed with a rumored twist to upend the purpose of Linus and Arthur's visit. From what I can surmise, there will be bureaucratic and societal pressure put upon Arthur and Linus' family, if not the magical community at large. Seeing as how this is a book meant to appeal to both adults and younger readers, I don't feel it would evolve to an all-out war, but more of a societal conversion to demonstrate safety and inclusiveness of the magical community with the non-magical community.

I'm looking forward to this book coming out in full - I just hope the sappiness is minimal.

Reading an excerpt from this book was an absolute delight. It was lovely stepping back into a world I missed and reuniting with characters I love. The children are just as lovable and chaotic as I remember them. Arthur’s POV is something I desperately wanted from the first book and I am excited to see that we finally have that. I look forward to reading this novel in its entirety.

After reading this excerpt(a bit disappointed that it is only an excerpt), I'm eagerly anticipating getting my hands on this book. I can't wait to dive in and experience the full range of emotions that TJ Klune is known for. Big thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing this ARC!

A great taste but it’s hard to comment fully when it’s just an excerpt (so I’ll give a guesstimated 4 stars) . I generally don’t make judgements on books so early into them. The last few T.J. Klune books have not disappointed though.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea brings us back to Marsyas Island and tells Arthur's story. TJ Klune's writing is as incredible as ever, bringing this fantastical story to life. The story weaves fantasy and magic together with complex social and political issues. The relationship between Arthur, Linus, and the children is as sweet as ever and I love that the children still have their fun and bold personalities. The excerpt has me so excited to read the entirety of this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this excerpt ahead of publication.

The only disappointing about this is that was an except and not the whole book. I cannot wait until I can read the full book!

I was excited to read the first few chapters of the sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea, but upon receiving my excerpt from NetGalley and peeking at other readers' reactions, I heard the news about his "inspiration" for the first book, and my rose colored glasses were shattered.

I loved THITCS, but I never thought critically about why two white men, Arthur and Linus, keep the "dangerous" kids forever orphans in the foster care system and don't make any effort to reunite the children with their individual communities or heritages.

And in this new book, it reads as a different type of twisted when the 15-year-old Sal explains the definition of generational trauma (chapter 2) and when Arthur bristles at the idea of someone accusing him of "possessing" the children (chapter 4). Cringe.

In chapter 2, Arthur says, “I wasn’t treated right when I was a child, but I was far from the only one. You have all experienced it for yourself, in one form or another. I wish I could take that from you, but I can’t. And I don’t know if I would have the right, even if I could."

It's almost as if his character is on the verge of understanding white saviorism and why it's wrong to abduct marginalized people. Almost as if TJ Klune recognizes his error and is still trying to contort and twist things to justify his books.

I'm disappointed to hear that TJ Klune exploited indigenous stories and is continuing to do so, despite the reasonable critiques that have been brought to his attention. It seems like he doesn't understand the significance of what he's done. I love that a queer book is seeing lots of love. But I also don't think this gross appropriation should be overlooked.

On TikTok, @mynameismarines explained all of this best.

The House in the Cerulean Sea was one of my favorite books of 2023 (I was late to the game, I know!), and Somewhere Beyond the Cerulean Sea is my most anticipated book of this year. I’m so grateful I got to read this excerpt! It was over so quickly but this preview was perfect. I loved that it began with a prologue to give us more insight into Arthur’s beginnings at the house, but then quickly fell into the wittiness and heartwarming story that is so familiar from where the last book left off. It flows so easily into a sequel. With only the first 70 pages, I am absolutely hooked by the plot and cannot wait to read more when this is published in the Fall. I know this will be undoubtedly be another beautiful TJ Klune book to leave me in tears in the best way.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this excerpt. I absolutely loved The House in the Cerulean Sea. It is still one of my all times favorite reads and to now have a sequel…I am over the moon. This small look into the life of Arthur, Linus and the six magical kiddos at the orphanage was too short. I need more! Everything I have read from T. J. Klune has been amazing and I’m excited for more time with these characters in particular.

The only thing I didn't love was that I gifted an exerpt and not the full book. I cannot wait to read this.

This is a very magical story that grabs you the minute you start reading. These characters are very likable and make you want to keep reading. Arthur & Linus run an orphanage and they are in the process of adopting the magical children there. Arthur was an orphan who had grown up in this house that was his orphanage, unfortunately, he did not have a good experience there. There is a magical child that wishes to join them but first he is summoned to talk about his past and this could very well destroy them.

I absolutely loved TJ Klune's other books and this one does not seem like it will disappoint. In fact, the only disappointing thing was how quick the four chapters went! I can't wait for it to come out so I can finish it!

This was such a wonderful tease!!! It had me laughing and tearing up in such few pages.

I went into it not realizing it was an excerpt and now I’m left wanting more. The emotions TJ provokes is overwhelming. I do see a political trend early on but I love the whimsical and lightheartedness of it.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Tor Publishing group for the eARC.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Please see my goodreads account for a full breakdown of the rating scale.

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley for providing an excerpt of "Somewhere Beyond the Sea."

Returning to the captivating world of Marsyas Island has been an absolute delight. The narrative, as glimpsed through Arthur Parnassus' point of view in the excerpt, promises a captivating journey.

Right from the start, I found myself immersed in laughter alongside the vibrant cast of characters. There's a sense of impending emotional depth that hints at heartbreak, adding layers of anticipation to the unfolding story.

My eagerness to dive into the complete book has only heightened after this initial taste. I look forward to exploring the full narrative and revisiting my impressions to update my rating accordingly.

Can't wait to be able to read this whole story, this is a book that I have been waiting for. The House in the Cerulean Sea was a surprising favorite of mine and this author has quickly become a favorite as well.

To be completely honest, I didn't realize this was an excerpt or I wouldn't have requested it. I really don't want to read this until I can read the full book. However, I will say that TJ Klune is an auto-buy for me and there could be a thousand books in the Cerulean universe and they would all be my favorite. :D

I loved this island Klune made from the other book! As soon as I started reading, all the characters came flooding back to me. I can’t wait to read the rest of this book!