#linus ward

[wildflower-otome]

Mistonia no Kibou Official Wallpapers

[wardsutton]

Happy Halloween - my latest for The Boston Globe:

[comicwaren]

From Punisher Vol. 14 #001, “The Bullet That Follows”

Art by Dave Wachter and Dan Brown

Written by David Pepose

[ikemenfangirl]

Newly Otome Game Project from Otomate Games (Nintendo Switch)

Title: Mystonia no Kibou -The Lost Delight- (ミストニアの翅望 -The Lost Delight-) By: Idea factory Language: Japanese Platform: Nintendo Switch Twitter: https://x.com/kibou_otomate Release: Undefined

Rose Cottingrey (nameable) An avenger who was robbed of her family, future, and pride.

นางเอกผู้ล้างแค้น เธอที่ถูกขโมยชีวิตครอบครัว อนาคต และศักดิ์ศรี

Game Trailer:

Illustrator: 清白かりん

🔻CAST

Edward Bernstein CV: Tamaru Astushi #田丸篤志

Alfred Creswell CV: Umehara Yuichiro #梅原裕一郎

Linus Ward CV: Umeda Shuichiro #梅田修一朗

Lucas Sullivan CV: Suzuki Ryota #鈴木崚汰

Ascot Lindel CV: Fukuyama Jun #福山潤

John CV: Shirai Yusuke #白井悠介

[haveyoureadthispoll]

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret. Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days. But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn. An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

[stinky-fuck-swag]

Aaand here's the brackets!

Wacky ass formatting, i know- Matchups under the cut, polls will be starting soon!

(note: i know nothing about like. 80% of these characters. if their names or where theyre from is incorrect, just lmk cuz i have NOO IDEAA) also i am fully aware of every mistake made in this bracket. whoops

BRACKET A, SIDE A

Henry Oak (Dungeons and Daddies) VS Normal Oak (Dungeons and Daddies season 2

Zora Salazar (Epithet Erased) VS Stink (Epithet Erased)

Anders (Dragon Age) VS Isabela (Dragon Age)

Deandra the new girl (Most Popular Girls in School) VS Peach (real life)

Randy Jade (Dialtown) VS Phonegingi (Dialtown)

Stunky (Pokemon) VS Stinkeye (Yo-kai Watch)

Reigen Arataka (Mob Psycho 100) VS Dimple (Mob Psycho 100)

Moonbeam McSwine (Li'l Abner) VS Marc Spector (Marvel Comics)

Link (BOTW) VS Lt. Columbo (Columbo)

Yoda (Star Wars) VS Shaggy (Scooby Doo)

Dob the Half Orc Bard (Oxventure Dungeons and Dragons) VS Caleb Widogast (Critical Role campaign 2)

Shinjiro Aragaki (Persona 3) VS Ryuji Sakamoto (Persona 5)

Gyro Zepelli (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure) VS Guido Mista (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)

Tokkori (Kirby right back at ya) VS Jotaro Kujo (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)

Elon Musk (real life. sadly) VS Berdly (Deltarune)

Spamton G. Spamton (Deltarune) VS Susie (Deltarune)

BRACKET A, SIDE B

The Great Mighty Poo (Conker) VS The Poop Smith (Homestar Runner)

Michael Afton (Five Nights at Freddy’s) VS Springtrap (Five Nights at Freddy’s)

Manjoume Jun/Chazz Princeton (Yu-Gi-Oh! GX) VS Datz Are'bal (Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice)

Aragorn (Lord of the Rings) VS Humans in general (Star Trek)

Captain Rockhopper (Club Penguin) VS King Micah of Bright Moon (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)

Frank Gallagher (Shameless) VS Remus Sanders (Sanders Sides)

The Riddler (Batman: Arkham Knight) VS Power (Chainsaw Man)

Charlie Kelly (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia) VS Every Dog (real life)

c!Technoblade (Dream SMP) VS c!Wilbur Soot (Dream SMP)

Harrier Du Bois (Disco Elysium) VS Bruno Madrigal (Encanto)

Submitters Brother (real life) VS Prosperity Redding (The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding)

Izutsumi (Dungeon Meshi) VS Goobleck (Just Roll With It)

Enoch O'Connor (Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children) VS Smores (real life)

Lady Macbeth (Macbeth) VS Erik (The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber musical & movie))

The Voters (Tumblr) VS Equius Zahhak (Homestuck)

Rotten Apple (Showvember) VS Loki (real life)

BRACKET B, SIDE A

Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes) VS Smudge (Cascão) (Monica’s Team (Turma da Monica))

Oscar the Grouch (Sesame Street) VS Stinky Pete (Toy Story 2)

Toko Fukawa (Danganronpa) VS L (Death Note)

Stink Bomb (Skylanders: SWAP Force) VS Slugcat (Rain World)

Thorfinn (Vinland Saga) VS Vice (Kamen Rider Revice)

Dr. Iceberg (SCP Foundation) VS Dr. Alto Clef (SCP Foundation)

Ash Ketchum (Pokemon) VS Doug Eiffel (Wolf 359)

Estinien Wyrmblood (Final Fantasy XIV) VS Alphinaud Leveilleur (Final Fantasy XIV)

Raphael Hamato (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) VS Gobber (How To Train Your Dragon)

Keaton (Fire Emblem Fates) VS Sniper (Team Fortress 2)

Bill Lenz (Black Christmas 1974) VS Stinkor (Masters of the Universe)

The Sewer Urchin (The Tick (1994 Animated Series)) VS Macaque (Lego Monkie Kid)

Barfbat (Ward (Parahumans series)) VS Kevin (Synthesizer V)

Yellowfang (Warrior Cats) VS Big Mac (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Heppokomaru (Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo) VS Captain 3 (Splatoon 3)

Buttercup (Powerpuff Girls) VS Linus (Stardew Valley)

BRACKET B, SIDE B

Jeong-Jeong (Avatar: The Last Airbender) VS Pigpen (Peanuts)

Beelzebub (Good Omens) VS Stinkfly (Ben 10)C

Hiravias (Pillars of Eternity) VS Chell (Portal)

Murdoc Niccals (Gorillaz) VS Bacterian (Dragon Ball)

Captain K'nuckles (The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack) VS Kimchi (Chowder)

Stinky (Moomins) VS Stinky (Animal Crossing)

Mitchell Shephard (Hunt Down the Freeman) VS Melly Plinius (Identity V)

Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece) VS Yato (Noragami)

THAT FUCKING THING IN YOUR BANNER (my banner lol) VS Harold (Fallout 1, 2, and 3)

Barik of the Stone Shields (Tyranny) VS Samuel Gladiator (Yandere High School (minecraft roleplay))

John Hart (Torchwood) VS Orochimaru (Naruto)

Dung Defender/Ogrim (Hollow Knight) VS Zane (Borderlands)

Pumbaa (The Lion King) VS Enki (Fear and Hunger)

Goro Majima (Yakuza) VS Sandalphon (Granblue Fantasy)

Finn Mertins (Farmworld) (Adventure Time) VS John Doe (John Doe / John Doe+)

Dipper Pines (Gravity Falls) VS Ed Sheeran (ginger people fandom)

[4ragon]

Hey hi I don't do this a lot but I think I want to make a book recommendation!

Now, if you're following me (which I'm just going to loosely assume that you are if you're reading this because why else would you be) then I'm going to assume that you share a few interests with me. Interests which include:

Found family

Stories about healing

Stories about acceptance

A weird sense of humor

Magic and fantasy

Queer love stories involving what can only be described as The World's Most Boring Man

If any of the above appeal to you, or all of them, might I recommend:

The House In The Cerulean Sea

by TJ Klune

You guys. It's so good. It's sooooo good. It's such a great take on the magical meeting the mundane. It's witty and funny and sweet and hopeful, it's well written and creative, every single character has so much life and personality, it's just. AUGH. Literally every piece of this book was tailor made for me and I adore it. Probably my new favorite book. It looks like he has another queer book about ghosts and I think that's going right into the to-read pile too, at some point.

Anyway. I dunno. I'll post the blurb from Good Reads under a read more in case any of you want to know more. If you trust my reading tastes, which hey, maybe you can glean from my writing tastes, then definitely grab this book from the library. (Only real TW is mentions of child abuse and neglect, but nothing graphic.)

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

[sugoiney-weaver]

Contrary to popular belief, the sigils used in technomancy aren't actually that complex. Through generations of research, development, and refinement, we've been able to create systems that allow us to cant our intentions in almost-plain language (often English) using symbols that are already well-familiar to they laity, which then translate those intentions into their most basic datagrammical forms: 1s and 0s.

So the sigils themselves aren't actually complex compared to other schools of magic like summoning circles, hexes, and wards. They do of course require a greater investment in equipment than your basic components like iron, chalk, salt, herbs, etc. But all the hard work has already been done by technomancers of the past, from The Right Honorable Countess Ada Lovelace; to Alan Turing, Officer of the British Empire, and more modern wizards like Linus Torvalds and William Gates.

As a matter of course, we must raise the barrier of entry to this most dangerous discipline, so these wizards have created several layers between the basic binary sigils and the plain language that we deliver to The Machine. Some say that we should make these languages easier to learn and teach, while others say that it feels really cool to know things that other people don't

[bowokshop]

The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Linus Baker leads a quiet life. At forty, he has a tiny house with a devious cat and his beloved records for company. And at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, he's spent many dull years monitoring their orphanages.

Then one day, Linus is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and given a highly classified assignment. He must travel to an orphanage where six dangerous children reside, including the Antichrist. There, Linus must somehow determine if they could bring on the end of days. But their guardian, charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, will do anything to protect his wards. As Arthur and Linus grow ever closer, Linus must choose between duty and his dreams."

This novel literally felt like a cup of hot chocolate by the fireplace. It was so fluffy and sweet and nearly burst my little gay heart at the end ❤️. I felt so connected to the main character, Linus, and each of the children - I did feel, however, Arthur's character could have been expanded upon further as he is so integral to the storyline (but lets hope this happens in the upcoming sequel).

The writing was so easy to read, I read this book in about 2 days (which at my pace, is insanely fast). The use of dialogue and the stream of consciousness style seemed to really itch my brain right in terms of getting content across. For some reason, I really love the way Linus keeps saying "Oh dear" throughout the story - even with his extraordinary character development, that one quality seemed to stay constant (and just made him more lovable, in my opinion).

Overall, I could not agree more with V.E. Schwab's review - "...like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket." - that is EXACTLY what it felt like. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to inject some warmth back into their lives.

[nostalgic-manatee]

I see you like the veggies a lot XD What other fandoms are you into? :>

Yes, I love the veggies, but I'm into other stuff too!

I'm into a bunch of Nintendo games (Mario, Kirby, Animal Crossing, etc), especially Mario. I'm really big into the Mario & Luigi RPG series for... Uh...

For the... Gameplay...

I'm also a huge Peanuts fan and I'm also a fan of Dog Sees God (a Peanuts parody play), which is weird because a lot of Peanuts fans despise it haha. It's Peanuts but dark, angsty and gay. It's an acquired taste.

It starts off at Snoopy's funeral and Lucy's in a psych ward for setting a girl's hair on fire, if that gives you an impression of how dark it gets, so don't say I didn't warn you. I don't like what they did with Peppermint Patty, Marcy and Linus though. I'm mostly in it for Charlie and Schroeder.

I got tired of drawing, so here's a list of some other things I'm into:

- Scott Pilgrim

- Starkid musicals (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals/Black Friday and Twisted, mostly)

- Bare a Pop Opera (musical)

- Starry the Musical

- Drawn to Life (1st and 2nd game, the 3rd is garbage I'm sorry)

And the Christian produce, of course. A lot of the fandoms for the stuff I'm into are mostly dead, sadly, but that won't stop me from making fanart for them in the future.

[thecomputermagazine]

Science, Technology and Engineering Part 2

Good YouTube Channels about Science, Technology and Engineering, please note the author of this post/page may not agree with everything put out, by the below YouTubers or share their beliefs, their world view or ideas on Science, Technology and Engineering

Technology and Engineering

2GuysTek https://www.youtube.com/@2GuysTek

ALPHA TECH https://www.youtube.com/@alphatech4966

Art of Server https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofServer

A To Z Tech https://www.youtube.com/@atoztech2023

Artificial Mind https://www.youtube.com/@artificialmind-ii2jf

Ask Leo! https://www.youtube.com/@askleonotenboom

Action Retro https://www.youtube.com/@ActionRetro

andy kirby https://www.youtube.com/@andykirby

apalrd's adventures https://www.youtube.com/@apalrdsadventures

BensTechLab https://www.youtube.com/@BensTechLab

Ben Heck Hacks https://www.youtube.com/@BenHeckHacks

Boston Dynamics https://www.youtube.com/@BostonDynamics

bigclivedotcom https://www.youtube.com/@bigclivedotcom

Budget Nerd https://www.youtube.com/@BudgetNerd

Britec09 https://www.youtube.com/@Britec09

Byte My Pi https://www.youtube.com/@bytemypi2918

Computerphile https://www.youtube.com/@Computerphile

Cathode Ray Dude [CRD] https://www.youtube.com/@CathodeRayDude

Crosstalk Solutions https://www.youtube.com/@CrosstalkSolutions

Carter Hurd https://www.youtube.com/@CarterHurd

Christian Lempa https://www.youtube.com/@christianlempa

Craft Computing https://www.youtube.com/@CraftComputing

Code With Ryan https://www.youtube.com/@codewithryan

cobuman https://www.youtube.com/@Cobuman

Computer Knowledge Base (by Cobuman) https://www.youtube.com/@cobumankb

CyberCPU Tech https://www.youtube.com/@CyberCPU

Cameron Gray https://www.youtube.com/@camerongray1515

clabretro https://www.youtube.com/@clabretro

colinfurze https://www.youtube.com/@colinfurze

David Bombal Tech https://www.youtube.com/@DavidBombalTech

David Bombal https://www.youtube.com/@davidbombal

Dave's Garage https://www.youtube.com/@DavesGarage

Davy Wybiral https://www.youtube.com/@DavyBot

DIY Perks https://www.youtube.com/@DIYPerks

DTeK https://www.youtube.com/@DTeK

deramp5113 https://www.youtube.com/@deramp5113

DPS Computing https://www.youtube.com/@DPSComputing

element14 presents https://www.youtube.com/@element14presents

EEVblog https://www.youtube.com/@EEVblog

ElectroBOOM https://www.youtube.com/@ElectroBOOM

ExplainingComputers https://www.youtube.com/@ExplainingComputers

ETA PRIME https://www.youtube.com/@ETAPRIME

Everything Smart Home https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingSmartHome

Free Documentary - Engineering https://www.youtube.com/@FD_Engineering

Fran Blanche https://www.youtube.com/@FranLab

freeCodeCamp.org https://www.youtube.com/@freecodecamp

FiberNinja https://www.youtube.com/@FiberNinja

GreatScott! https://www.youtube.com/@greatscottlab

Geerling Engineering https://www.youtube.com/@GeerlingEngineering

Hardware Haven https://www.youtube.com/@HardwareHaven

Hak5 https://www.youtube.com/@hak5

HandyDadTV https://www.youtube.com/@handydadtv

Insider Tech https://www.youtube.com/@InsiderTech

Ideal Idea https://www.youtube.com/@Ideal_Idea

Ionic1k https://www.youtube.com/@Ionic1k

John Ward https://www.youtube.com/@jwflame

John Hammond https://www.youtube.com/@_JohnHammond

John Warren https://www.youtube.com/@johnwarren2556

Julian Ilett https://www.youtube.com/@JulianIlett

Jeff Geerling https://www.youtube.com/@JeffGeerling

JerryRigEverything https://www.youtube.com/@JerryRigEverything

Jenny 'Wanglink https://www.youtube.com/@JennyWanglink

Janus Cycle https://www.youtube.com/@JanusCycle

KTZ Systems https://www.youtube.com/@ktzsystemsR

K R A L Y N 3D https://www.youtube.com/@kralyn3d

LGR https://www.youtube.com/@LGR

Lesics https://www.youtube.com/@Lesics

Linus Tech Tips https://www.youtube.com/@LinusTechTips

Lawrence Systems https://www.youtube.com/@LAWRENCESYSTEMS

Level1Linux https://www.youtube.com/@Level1Linux

Learn Linux TV https://www.youtube.com/@LearnLinuxTV

Please also check out the WordPress version of this web post

Science and Engineering https://computerandtechnologymag.wordpress.com/2023/10/20/science-and-engineering/

Science and Engineering https://christiangittings.wordpress.com/2023/09/26/science-and-engineering/

[wildflower-otome]

Mistonia no Kibou Ball Outfit Official Icons

[doctorguilty]

I can't take any more of these "what do you mean 'queer sci-fi adventure' isn't a summary? how can I say anything else without spoiling it? what more do you want to hear other than it's gay?" threads like I'll give you a hint, stop making ao3 your only reference in the world for literature. And I don't even mean you need to read a single book on paper in the entire world (as much as that would probably benefit you) but just google some books and learn by example???

I went to Amazon and clicked LGBTQ+ stories, browsed what's popular in a couple genres.

In Sci-Fi and Fantasy, The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune:

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

In Romance, One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston:

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.

But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

Do you understand these are very different stories, with different plots, and different tones? Even though they're both about gay characters in with science fiction elements to the story? And the summary doesn't "spoil" the whole story, it tells you what the story is about? That literature isn't meant to be compressed into tropes and tags?

And like, you don't have to write a several paragraph summary like a professional publisher. I could boil this down to, "August doesn't believe in finding love until she meets a stunning punk rock girl named Jane on the train, who looks and acts like someone straight out of the 1970's. Turns out, Jane had a time travel mishap and needs August's help getting back." Those two sentences still tell someone more than "wlw romance with time travel" which could be about, literally almost anything.

Like, please, just take a break from browsing ao3 tags and browse a bookstore or browse books online, learn something, c'mon now

[comicwaren]

From Punisher Vol. 14 #003, “The Other Side of Terror”

Art by Dave Wachter and Dan Brown

Written by David Pepose

[mediaevalmusereads]

The House in the Cerulean Sea. By TJ Klune. Tor, 2020.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Genre: fantasy, lgbtqia

Part of a Series? No

Summary: Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

***Full review below.***

Content Warnings: references to suicide and child abuse, dark humor, prejudice

Overview: This book was recommended to me by a friend, and since I was in the mood for a found family story, I picked it up. What started out as a light-hearted, almost whimsical tale about a bunch of magical children quickly became a touching story about acceptance and love. While I don't think there's anything new about the plot itself (I've read a lot of stories about magical kids at boarding schools or orphanages), the characters are so endearing that it was difficult to put this book down. So, because of the characters, the whimsical prose, and the heartfelt message about acceptance, this book gets 4.5 stars from me.

Writing: Klune's prose style is infused with whimsy in that it's playful and simple without feeling underdeveloped. The author uses humorous names such as Extremely Upper Management while having characters utter phrases such as "oh dear" and "oh bother," which lightens the tone overall. This lightened tone meant that nothing felt particularly threatening, yet Klune still invites readers to become invested in the plot and the characters' well-being and creates stakes that are not rooted in life or death situations. This makes the book perfect for those wishing to avoid more grimdark tales where death is around every corner.

Plot: The plot of this book follows Linus Baker, a 40-something year old caseworker whose job involves investigating orphanages that house magical children. Linus is selected to investigate a top secret orphanage - one led by a mysterious guardian named Arthur Parnassus - in order to determine whether or not the children are being properly cared for. Upon his arrival, Linus quickly discovers that these children are unlike any others he has known, and his by-the-book worldview is quickly challenged when he suspects Arthur of hiding a dangerous secret.

I very much enjoyed that this plot was about found family and forming bonds in the face of prejudice. Magical children in this world act as a stand-in for oppressed minorities; they are tracked by the government and are treated more or less like second class citizens, to the point where many of them endure verbal and physical assaults. While nothing too graphic happens on page, Klune doesn't necessarily censor the struggles the children face - there are references to child abuse and government oppression, and some of the children are treated as monsters rather than individuals. It's easy to see this book as a commentary on modern-day prejudices against POC and lgbt+ people, though the message against discrimination itself is not particularly revolutionary or complex. Still, it was nice to read about, and the messages about love and acceptance were more frequent and vastly outweighed the "don't be prejudiced" message.

Characters: There are quite a few characters in this book, so I'll group some of them together in order to make this review an appropriate length.

Linus, our main protagonist, was easy to like because he had a clear arc and a big heart. Linus has lived his entire life bound by rules and regulations, but after 17 years at his job, he is more alone than ever. The children at the orphanage challenge his regimented life and quickly show him his value, and I loved watching Linus find his self-confidence, accept that rules are imperfect, and make real human (or whatever) connections.

The children were likewise very endearing. Many of them had a dark sense of humor but were simultaneously scared of things like spiders and snakes, and the juxtaposition make them feel like complex beings. I also loved that all of the children had individual interests but could come together to enjoy a meal or go on an adventure together. It made them feel like their own characters while also being part of a group.

Zoe, their sprite caretaker, was fun in that she was fiercely protective and unafraid to speak her mind. I loved that she pushed and challenged Linus without crossing any lines, and I loved her devotion to both the children and Arthur, their guardian.

Speaking of Arthur, he was also easy to like because of his gentleness and care. Arthur is particularly good at advocating for the children and makes a point of teaching them to accept themselves for who they are. My only criticism is that I think Klune could have done more to develop the relationship between Arthur and Linus; as it stands, I feel like we're told that the two have feelings for one another, but I think more could have been done to show how those feelings tip from mutual respect to romantic.

TL;DR: The House in the Cerulean Sea is a delightful, heart-warming, found family story that puts acceptance at the center of its narrative. While I do think some things could have been tweaked and the overall message could have been more complex, this is a light, optimistic novel that is sure to delight lovers of queer fantasy.

[justicefanged]

a kiss to make the other stop being stubborn //platonic

Visits to the healers' ward were commonplace for Linus, but if you thought that meant he actually behaved himself as required, you would be...sorely mistaken.

"Oi, would ya quit wavin' that blasted thing in my face, I don't need it!"

Ah, yes, just another Monday.

The healers really did try to have patience. You sort of had to when you were attached to the church like this, but it was a great struggle to all on duty whenever the Mad Dog came in. More often than not, unless it was severe -- and, in some cases, it had been -- Linus didn't want to go anywhere near the healers for aid. People of the cloth tended to make him a bit nervous for starters, and for injuries he deemed small, he preferred to let them heal on their own instead of through the use of staves.

Linus didn't think he needed any special attention for his current wound -- lovely gash across the face, barely missing his eye but close enough that the healers were insisting. And he was not shutting the hell up about it, which was, as one could imagine, causing a bit of a ruckus in a part of the monastery that should have been peaceful and restful.

"I swear, ya try to light that Saints' damned thing up in my face one more bloody time an' I'll--!" Linus' vitriol was stopped in its tracks by the sudden but overall gentle press of lips against his brow. His ranting sputtered off into a confused, slightly pained noise as if he'd bit his own tongue by accident. It hadn't been one of the healers, they were a bit too aggravated with him at the moment to attempt something so...gentle and out of left field.

Linus was able to catch a somewhat sorrowful expression and long, dark hair before the blinding light of a heal staff took up his vision.

Fucking hell, who was that? He owed them for such a dirty little trick to get him to play nice...