#lucifer baker-parnassus

[rajamitsu]

So I tore through both The House in the Cerulean Sea and Somewhere Beyond the Sea and when I got to this line in SBtS this was all I could think of.

Yes, Arthur Parnassus is too much of a gentleman to actually do this. …but he should have.

[adhdbisexualramblings]

Chauncey: Oh, no, we’re going to jail!

Phee: Luci’s going to jail. I’m saying I was kidnapped.

Chauncey: Hey, that’s a good plan. You and I were kidnapped.

Luci: If I’m goin’ to jail we’re all goin’ to jail!

[sharry-arry-odd]

"And what if the treasure was the friendships we solidified along the way?" Arthur asked. Lucy pulled a face. "That's the worst treasure in the world. They already were my friends. I want rubies."

The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune

[idreamofsleeping]

I’ve JUST started Somewhere Beyond the Sea and I’m already emotional I’m not making it through this alive

[bigassbowlingballhead]

6. somewhere beyond the sea

arbitrary list of the tj klune books i've read so far, ranked in order of enjoyment

ravensong

brothersong

wolfsong

heartsong

the house in the cerulean sea

[skygemspeaks]

I think part of what makes lucy so endearing is that even though he's an unholy little terror whose first response to any minor inconvenience is playfully suggesting murder, he's also just a typical little kid and he's unafraid to show it

like when he says something really cute so linus scoops him up and kisses him multiple times on the cheeks, then when he tries to put him down, lucy refuses to let go, clinging to his dad and resting his head in the crook of linus' neck and getting all sleepy and sweet

Or when he gets in trouble for making sentient mud men and linus does the typical parent thing of shouting his full name ("LUCIFER BAKER-PARNASSUS!") and lucy, who's probably never had a last name before and who has been eagerly waiting for his and his siblings' adoption to go through for the past year, just stops in the middle of running away and says, "aw, i love that name!"

he's the antichrist, but he's also just a little guy!

[mysteriouslybluepirate]

Queer Book Recommendations!!

I haven't really read a book book in years. Due to money problems and a lack of free time, audiobooks and AO3 were a MUCH cheaper option for me. But now that I'm struggling to fully read text posts on Tumblr I realize my attention span is shot. Reading novels is helping me tune out and focus in again. So I'm turning to queer novels written by my 'queer elders'.

For anyone who is struggling to get back into long form content after reading Fic for years, I highly recommend the books of TJ KLUNE (summaries of what I've read under the break).

If you are a fan of the 'escaping a shitty life and being welcomed into a found family' fanworks, this is the writer for you! All his stories center on home and feeling welcomed and loved. Of middle age and finding out who you are. Of finding love for others and yourself. He makes you hunger for that type of romantic and platonic love where people just know the real you. His stories also float by so quickly, there are so many things he does that I want to emulate his writing into my work.

Someone on Tumblr described the romances as: “what if a real life disney prince fell in love with the human equivalent of a wet paper bag?” and I agree 100%. All his protagonists are just like that, and I love them all.

(Also, this man definitely had an office job he hated, and writes office work culture as a death sentence in every one of his novels and I love it).

If you have any queer novels you love, don't be afraid to leave me a recommendation! (Especially WLW that isn't 'One Last Stop')

HAVE READ: The House in the Cerulean Sea : [An amazing love fantastical found family story (with a hint of romance)! I listened to the audiobook on Audible and absolutely loved it! I can't wait for the sequel coming out next year.]

Linus Baker is a lonely case worker for a governmental organization which manages orphaned kids who are magical beings.

One day, he's given a secret assignment to assess a special orphanage on the island of Marsyas, run by a man named Arthur Parnassus, who has secrets of his own. Among the six unique children living there, one of them is Lucy, short for Lucifer, who just happens to be the Antichrist.

Despite his initial reservations, as Linus's days pass in Marsyas, in this idyllic setting among a coterie of magical children, Linus finds himself coming across a little romance, an unlikely family and possibly even a home.

Currently Reading: Under the Whispering Door. [I know this is going to be heartbreaking, but I'm loving it, only on page 50/373. Will likely post something vague about how it made me cry lol]

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead.

Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop's owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.

But Wallace isn't ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo's help, he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.

When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Planning on reading: In The Lives of Puppets(The book is on my shelf).

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots—fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They’re a family, hidden and safe.

The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled “HAP,” he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio–a past spent hunting humans.

When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio’s former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic’s assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?

[starstickersonmyheart]

Linus and Arthur appretiation post

i finished the house in the cerulean sea a week ago * spoilers, it may not be the most intelligent or best written or most insightful book. Its just a dumb cozy fantasy. but it was so beautiful to read and i fell in love with the cute little gay romance between Linus Baker and Arthur Parnassus, obviously Lucy(Lucifer) is the best charecter ofc.He has spiders in his brain.

(i cant spell if you hadn't noticed)

anyway, Linus and Arthur really have a beautiful connection, like wheres my Linus, its the type of Romance that isn't perfect, its just absolutly perfect, ofc.

by the end of the book, they are engaged to be married, and although there is only one short kiss seen (extremly disapointing ) its just such strong connection you can really see why they love each other. AND THERE 45 SO ITS LIKE THEY FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE AFTER LIKE A WHOLE LIFE <3 and the way that they take care of the children is very well done in my (entirely uneducated) opinion.

I highly recomend it if that sounds like your thing.

[readingforsanity]

The House in the Cerulean Sea | TJ Klune | Published 2020 | *SPOILERS*

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 unidentified 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 realizes that family is yours.

Linus Baker is an ordinary man working an extraordinary job. He is a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. These children, deemed strange and unusual by ordinary people, are kept in orphanges or schools until they hit adulthood, where they would then be registered with the Department in Charge of Magical Adults, where they can be monitored in everything they do, everyday.

When Extremely Upper Management requests Linus for a special assignment, he begins to question what their motives are. He is told that he would spend a month on the island of Marsyas, where an level four orphanage is being run by a man named Arthur Parnassus. In his tutelage are six magical youth. Linus is given their files on what is known of them.

There is Talia, a garden Gnome who is 246 years old. She is considered strange as Gnomes are typically male and not female. She keeps a wonderful garden on the property surrounding the orphanage, and despite her hardened demeanor is actually quite a joy to be around. There is Theodore, a wyvern, one of the few left of his kind, who keeps a hoard of treasures that he finds or takes, usually in the turret of the orphanage where he sleeps, or under the couch. He only lets the most trusted of people see it. Next we have Phee, a young forest sprite who remained next to her dead mother who had starved to death until she was rescued and brought to the orphanage. With the help of an island sprite, she has been able to control her powers, which for someone so young is rumored to be quite strong, something also unheard of and quite feared. There is Sal, a young broken boy, the oldest of the lot at 13, but who had been through so much. Within the last few months, he had been shipped to several different orphanges, and the more times this occurred, the less he felt like he was being accepted and at home where he was. His magical being is a Pomeranian, which he turns into when he is scared or angry, and after being struck by the master of his last orphange, was sent to the island, where he feels a bit more accepted but is still scared to come out of his shell. There is Chauncey, whose magical being isn't quite known or understood, but he resembles an octopus. His greatest desire in life is to become a bellhop and help people, and he does a wonderful job practicing with others in the orphanage as well as with Linus upon his arrival. And lastly, and quite honestly the biggest shock for Linus, is Lucy, short for Lucifer. He is titled as being the Antichrist - his mother deceased and his father is the devil himself. He is a 6 year old boy struggling with many emotions, and isn't quite sure how to handle the nightmares that occur, but with Arthur's help, these nightmares have become few and far between.

When Linus arrives on the island, he is determined to get to know the children in an unbiased way, as well as Arthur. He is unsure of Arthur's past, as his file had been suspiciously lacking in information. But, Linus begins to get to know the children, and Arthur, and his time on the island begins to open his once closed-off mind to the wonders of each of the kids.

During the week, he observes them during their schooling and personal time. He is invited to see their rooms and spaces that are theirs, and with a little determination, he earns the trust of Sal, who was once terrified that he had been there to send him away once again.

As the month goes on, Linus finds himself opening up more and more. And to his surprise, he also learns that Arthur is a magical being: a Phoenix, the last of his kind. Linus is absolutely floored by Arthur's beauty and their flirting becomes stronger and stronger. And through perserverance and Linus's help, Arthur is able to take the kids into the village where they are despised so much.

But, at last, Linus's time with with the children and Arthur has come to an end. Zoe, the island sprite, is devastated at Linus's choice to leave, and while Linus himself is hesitant to do so, he knows that the orphanage relies on his final report findings.

When he returns back to his home and his regular life, Linus feels lost. He explains to Extremely Upper Management that the orphanage should remain open, and that they should remain with Arthur, who has become a father to these children who have otherwise been burned by the government.

After weeks of hearing nothing, Linus learns that they had agreed to keep the orphanage open, and with that, Linus packs up his desk and quits his job, determined to return to the island, which he does, where he is accepted with open arms. He and Arthur begin a relationship, and everything is fine. It is when the mayor of the village comes to the island with a request to take in a new, undocumented youth, whom is a Yeti named David, that we learn that Arthur and Linus have decided to put in a petition to adopt the six children in their care together, and that Linus has officially moved into the home with the family he now loves so much. It is also alluded that he and Arthur will get married, and they can live their happy lives in the Cerulean Sea.

[vkelleyart]

“When something is broken, you can put it back together. It may not fit quite the same, or work like it did once before, but that doesn’t mean it’s no longer useful.”

- Linus, The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Special birthday art of one of our favorite scenes from THITCS for my dear @argylefetish / @penpanoply (without whom I might never have read this book)! She’s not only a handlettering master and my giveaway collaborator, but also just the most genuinely positive and warm person I’ve ever met. Like Linus, she is too precious to put into words, and I’m so grateful she’s a part of my life.

[lorethebookworm]

* when Lucy gets his first crush and asks for advice *

Arthur : just be yourself

Lucy : "be myself"? Dad I have one day to win my crush over. How long did it take before you guys started liking me ?

Linus : couple weeks

Phee : six months

Talia : jury's still out

Lucy : see, dad? " Be myself". What kind of garbage advice is that?

[insert-original-pseudonym]

Fanart for House in the cerulean sea.

I freakin love that book. not the final product, very rough sketch.

Lucy (personal favorite)

Sal

Theodore

Talia

Chauncey

Phee

I really loved this book, it made me so happy and it was just perfect.

[pretty-boy-omar]

Me when I first meet the "problematic" kids in the Marysas Island orphanage:

I understand why Arthur values them so much 🥺

[embooks]

I just finished The House In The Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune and let me tell you, it's the most wonderful thing I've ever read. Please give it a chance, you won't regret it.

Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book:

“Humanity is so weird. If we’re not laughing, we’re crying or running for our lives because monsters are trying to eat us. And they don’t even have to be real monsters. They could be the ones we make up in our heads. Don’t you think that’s weird?” “I suppose. But I’d rather be that way than the alternative.” “Which is?” “Not feeling anything at all.”

[pridepages]

Magic in the Ordinary: The House in the Cerulean Sea

I just finished reading TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea. I have some thoughts.

Here there be spoilers!

A review on the cover of my copy of The House in the Cerulean Sea equates the experience of reading the book to “being wrapped up in a big gay blanket,” which pretty much nails it. This book is pure joy, but there is a particular aspect that deserves love and praise: the journey to queer parenthood.

Queer people are no strangers to found families. To this day, many of us find that we are alienated from the ones we were born into. Even the ones of us lucky enough to still have our biological families often feel like this is a part of our lives that they don’t fully understand or relate to, and being the ambassador or educator to the LGBTQ+ community is exhausting. In the end, all of us need to find our people--the ones who make us feel wrapped up in a big gay blanket. 

But queer parenthood is something beyond that common need. Not all of us want to become parents. But for the ones who do, we often have to forge our own path. We may need donors. We may look to adopt. Our structures will not have commonly understood narratives. But The House in the Cerulean Sea offers us a version of the story that affirms our journey to parenthood and the bonds that make our families just as strong, if not stronger, than any.

The House in the Cerulean Sea follows the journey of Linus Baker. He works for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY) in an ambiguous “city” in an unidentified country. This world is one of magical realism: it is accepted that magical non-human individuals exist. When they become wards of the State, they go to facilities overseen by DICOMY. Caseworkers like Linus are sent to make sure the facilities are up to scratch. As our story begins, Linus is sent to the Island of Marsyas--and a very particular orphanage.

Linus is a gentle soul, lonely and longing for connection--even though he can’t see it yet. He revels in the simple joys of music and a plot of sunflowers in front of his home. He is a career caseworker who genuinely wants to help people and believes that in his capacity at DICOMY that’s what he’s doing. On Marsyas, Linus meets six children who force their way into his guarded heart: Talia, a gnome with a talent for gardening, Phee, a sprite honing her connection to nature, Chauncey, a mysterious slug creature who dreams of working in a hotel as a bellhop, Sal, a pomeranian shape shifter with the soul of a poet, Theodore, a wyvern, and Lucifer “Lucy,” the antichrist with a love of old records. Minding them all is the master--Arthur Parnassus who is a phoenix and was once himself a ward of DICOMY.

This is not a book of great, thrilling adventures. If anything, it is the opposite. The magical abilities the children have set them apart in the harshest way. The way “normal” humans perceive magic is a thinly veiled metaphor for racism, homophobia, and any other prejudice that sets people apart. We as readers have to learn the same thing Linus does: we are more than our extraordinary characteristics. They may be part of our identities, but what’s more important is that we cultivate love and simple joys in life. Joys like dancing in a kitchen with our friends to golden oldies. Joys like admiring the flowers our loved ones grow. Joys like hearing a poem written from the heart read aloud by someone finding their voice. And when we do, we realize “there can be magic in the ordinary.”

The ordinary is a kind of magic for queer people. Some of us dream of simple moments like making dinner with a spouse who loves us, struggling through bedtime fights with a houseful of kids. Such domestic dreams sometimes feel far beyond our reach. But there is strength and courage in pushing back, in finding partners to build those lives with and creating our happiness in defiance of expectations. After all, “why can’t life work whatever way we want it to? What’s the point of living if you only do it how others want you to?” 

We don’t have to listen to the voices that scream that who we are makes us unfit to love and raise children. Nor are those children any less ours for having arrived in our care through unconventional paths. It does not matter that Arthur Parnassus was assigned the care of the children by DICOMY: he teaches them lessons. He schedules time for his kids to explore their own pursuits, exercise their imaginations, and to learn skills like teamwork. He holds family dinner with conversations where they all communicate and share. They build up each other’s self-esteem. When the children go wrong, he quietly corrects them without making them feel like they are bad or undeserving. Arthur is always affirming his belief in his kids’ ability to choose to be better people every day of their lives--whether that means overcoming their fears or fighting their worse natures. His care is trauma-informed, respecting the pain in each child’s background while still nurturing them towards growing and thriving. And that kind of unconditional love and nurturing, Linus insists, is what makes Arthur Parnassus “the best damn father” those kids could have.

Above all, The House in the Cerulean Sea reminds us that every one of us deserves to be loved as the everyday miracles we are. Constantly, Linus’s refrain is “I don’t know how to be anyone but who I already am...It’s not much, but I do the best I can with what I have.” Which absolutely baffles Arthur, who cannot help but effuse to his love “You silly, delightful man...How I cherish you.” “You dear, dear man. How I adore you.” The love they share with each other and for each of their children--for everything they are--is the solid foundation for a home that is joyful, nurturing, and fulfilling. 

Some of us yearn for grand love affairs. Some of us long to spread our wings and have fleeting passions. And some of us hope for warm, quiet hearths with spouses and children to share them. The House in the Cerulean Sea is a love letter to this last group: someday, may we all turn “Don’t you wish you were here?” into that “life that chose you back.”

[siriuslyreads]

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune: A Review

Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea

Author: TJ Klune

Genre: LGBTQ Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Release Date: March 17, 2020

Format: E-Book (though I own the physical)

Synopsis:

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.

Review: (Spoilers Here)

I’ll start by saying, this is one of my all-time favorite books. The found family in this book is something that I adore, and I dream of (though I’ve never been a fan of children). The feelings this book makes me feel just make my day better. It is everything that is needed for a soft comfortable hug at the end of the day. Some Content/Trigger Warnings: major prejudices (against magical beings, but still), and descriptions of child abuse (specifically through severe isolation).

The family in this consists of Arthur, Lucy, Talia, Phee, Chauncey, Theodore, Sal, and Zoe. Each of these magical beings is on Marsyas Island due to their abilities and the world forcing them into isolation in order to ‘protect them and others’. This is a common theme in the book. There are signs all over the city and the town that say “See Something, Say Something” as if having magical abilities is somehow a crime that needs to be reported on, and DICOMY and DICOMA (Department in Charge of Magical Youth/Adults) wants to ensure all magical beings are documented. It makes you question how in the world this would be acceptable in society and why there are not riots/protests.

Enter Linus. Linus is a DICOMY case worker who works with ��orphanages’ in order to ensure that the children are being taken care of.  Our story begins with him being assigned to visit the Marsyas Orphanage in order to investigate Arthur and the children. In the beginning, Linus holds the same prejudices that the rest of society does, and who wouldn’t? When it is shoved in your face day to day that this is being done for the good of all, it is easy to ignore the discomfort of it. When he arrives and is met with Lucy (AKA Lucifer, the anti-Christ (but we don’t use that word in this house)), he holds certain prejudices against the 6-year-old for who the child is, and who the child can be. It asks the question: nature vs nurture. By the end we can see that (at least in this case) nurture won as Arthur is Lucy’s father, regardless that his biological father is the devil himself.

Each of the children in this book are in the ‘orphanage’ due to their peculiarity. We learn throughout this book the true bond that the children have with each other, with Arthur and with Zoe. Even though Arthur is not their true father, he sees them as his children and will stop at nothing to care for them. Zoe is much the same, she failed Arthur when he was a child and when he returned to open the ‘orphanage’ in his former hell, she offered to help however she could. And Linus becomes someone who cares so deeply for the children and for Arthur that he stands up to those he was fearful of in the beginning.

A part in this book that always touched me: “A home isn’t always the house we live in. It’s also the people we choose to surround ourselves with. You may not live on the island, but you can’t tell me it’s not your home. Your bubble, Mr. Baker. It’s been popped. Why would you allow it to grow around you again?”

Isn’t this how we should all live our lives? Surrounding ourselves with our home, regardless of the place we reside? Popping the comfortable bubble that surrounds us in order to fully experience the wide world that we inhabit? No, there may not be magic in the world, not in the wand waving and shape changing way, but magic is out there for everyone who is willing to pay attention.

Be sure to look out for TJ Klune's next book: In The Lives of Puppets coming out April 25, 2023.