The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J.Klune was the 143rd official Sword and Laser Book Club selection.
Reading period: Apr 1, 2021 - Apr 30, 2021
How/Why was this book chosen: It won a March Madness style knockout poll
| Round 1 | Match 1 | ||
| 134 votes | 64.1% | Gods of Jade and Shadow | Silvia Moreno-Garcia |
| 75 votes | 35.9% | The Cloud Roads | Martha Wells |
| 209 | Total | ||
| Match 2 | |||
| 125 votes | 59.8% | Middlegame | Seanan McGuire |
| 84 votes | 40.2% | The Eyes of the Dragon | Stephen King |
| 209 | Total | ||
| Match 3 | |||
| 159 votes | 74.0% | Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch |
| 56 votes | 26.0% | Enchanted | Enchanted |
| 215 | Total | ||
| Match 4 | |||
| 108 votes | 56.3% | Green Rider | Kristen Britain |
| 84 votes | 43.8% | The Blue Sword | Robin McKinley |
| 192 | Total | ||
| Match 5 | |||
| 129 votes | 66.8% | The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry | C.M. Waggoner |
| 64 votes | 33.2% | The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Blue Bear | Walter Moers |
| 193 | Total | ||
| Match 6 | |||
| 104 votes | 52.5% | Kiki’s Delivery Service | Eiko Kadono |
| 94 votes | 47.5% | Legendborn | Tracy Deonn |
| 198 | Total | ||
| Match 7 | |||
| 122 votes | 61.6% | The Priory of the Orange Tree | Samantha Shannon |
| 76 votes | 38.4% | The Lesson | Cadwell Turnbull |
| 198 | Total | ||
| Match 8 | |||
| 168 votes | 82.4% | The House in the Cerulean Sea | T.J. Klune |
| 36 votes | 17.6% | Lud-in-the-Mist | Hope Mirrlees |
| 204 | Total |
| Round 2 | Match 1 | ||
| 124 votes | 62.9% | Gods of Jade and Shadow | Silvia Moreno-Garcia |
| 73 votes | 37.1% | Middlegame | Seanan McGuire |
| 197 | Total | ||
| Match 2 | |||
| 126 votes | 63.3% | Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch |
| 73 votes | 36.7% | Green Rider | Kristen Britain |
| 199 | Total | ||
| Match 3 | |||
| 111 votes | 57.2% | The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry | C.M. Waggoner |
| 83 votes | 42.8% | Kiki’s Delivery Service | Eiko Kadono |
| 194 | Total | ||
| Match 4 | |||
| 69 votes | 35.0% | The Priory of the Orange Tree | Samantha Shannon |
| 128 votes | 65.0% | The House in the Cerulean Sea | T.J. Klune |
| 197 | Total |
| Semi-Final 1 | |||
| 133 votes | 56.1% | Gods of Jade and Shadow | Silvia Moreno-Garcia |
| 104 votes | 43.9% | Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch |
| 237 | Total | ||
| Semi-Final 2 | |||
| 82 votes | 35.2% | The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry | C.M. Waggoner |
| 151 votes | 64.8% | The House in the Cerulean Sea | T.J. Klune |
| 233 | Total |
| Final | |||
| 93 votes | 44.9% | Gods of Jade and Shadow | Silvia Moreno-Garcia |
| 114 votes | 55.1% | The House in the Cerulean Sea | T.J. Klune |
| Total |
Sword and Laser Discussion of The House in the Cerulean Sea
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J.Klune[]
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.