After my less-than-favourable reaction to Under the Whispering Door back in February, several people told me that House on the Cerulean Sea was much better and that I’d enjoy it more. So I decided to give Klune another shot. I did indeed enjoy this book more than Under the Whispering Door. Without going into spoiler territory, this is an urban-ish fantasy, in which a caseworker for DICOMY (Department in Charge of Magical Youth) is given an assignment by Extremely Upper Management to investigate an orphanage with more-dangerous-than-normal magical children, including Lucy,

Spoiler

the Antichrist

(who happens to be a six-year-old boy). It’s a story of found family, finding the home where you belong, and a very low-burn romance between Linus (the caseworker) and Arthur (the orphanage’s master). The characters were delightfully charming, even the side characters (I especially enjoyed a one-scene appearance by a stoned-out record store owner who recommends old records to Lucy), the emotions and relationships develop naturally, and the happy ending is earned. (Unlike – spoilers – Under the Whispering Door, where the happy ending felt absolutely at odds with the rest of the story). The one thing I didn’t like was the embarrassment humour at the beginning of the book – I had to really push myself past some of the early scenes. But it (mostly) fades over time. Also, the one-liners and quips are amazing. I’d forgotten how funny Klune’s writing can be. All told, a charming, funny fantasy book, albeit lower stakes than I usually read. If you’re going to reach for a Klune book, definitely grab this one instead of Under the Whispering Door.