The House in the Cerulean Sea

By: TJ Klune

Narrated by: Daniel Henning

"Daniel Henning is a great narrator for this quirky and theatrical audiobook.... Henning revels in a cornucopia of characters, diving into nuanced voices and colorful moments with accents and growls, tone shifts and whispers.... This is definitely a title for those who enjoy fantasy stories replete with gnomes and witches and all in between." (AudioFile Magazine)

Lambda Literary Award-winning author TJ Klune's breakout contemporary fantasy

Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He's tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world.

Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place - and realizing that family is yours.

Chicago Tribune Best Books of the Year - 2020

Amazon.com Best Books of the Year - 2020

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books

"1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in." (Gail Carriger, New York Times best-selling author of Soulless)

©2020 TJ Klune (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

ALA Alex Awards Winner (Adult for Young Adults), 2021

Chicago Tribune Best Books of the Year, 2020

Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, 2020

Beautiful story

There is so much I love about this story. I loved Linus’ journey of self discovery throughout the whole book. The children are delightful and Arthur is absolutely wonderful!
Daniel Henning was a completely unknown narrator to me. He really brought this book to life. His voices for Arthur and Linus were perfect!

A wonderfully story of hope and found family.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is a masterpiece that is a simply perfect read in these uncertain times. It’s themes revolve around acceptance, inclusivity, love and found family. It is a story for adults as much as it is for children twelve and above. There is much to learn here and much to be taught. I adored every beautifully written word and the narration was spectacular. The narrator’s choice of voices are perfection and delightfully highlighted each characters personality.
I can not recommend this novel and audiobook more highly.

Abandoning three hours in ...

I really enjoy TJ Klune's style and humor. If I were in a place these days to read a tangible novel I would certainly finish this story based on what I've heard so far. Three hours in I haven't yet been introduced to whatever the conflict may be - if any. That's unusual for Klune. All the same, I want to get there and learn more. I may pick up a paperback if I ever manage to have a shorter commute.

Unfortunately, narration is so much a part of my enjoyment and Daniel's performance here is not my cup of tea, Daniel reads the story to us as if he were reading a children's book to his 4 year old. Crystal clear annunciation but overly emphasized phrasing that does not make sense in context. For outer dialogue, I should hear a natural-sounding conversation between characters as if I were a fly on the wall listening in. I don't get that from this narrator.

The most perfect book ever!!

Words cannot express how much I love this book, but I’ll try! A wonderfully heart warming story about love, found family, and learning the power that an ordinary person has. TJ Klune writes the best books and this is another amazing one in his career! Also Daniel Henning does a great job with the performance!

Loved it!

A great story preformed wonderfully. A story about self discovery, acceptance, and prejudice among many other things. A #mustread for all. #YesiReads