With 69,854 votes, just ahead of Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar with 68,564 votes, T.J. Klune’s Somewhere Beyond the Sea won the Readers’ Favourite Fantasy at Goodreads.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea. It’s not uncommon for sequels to win, and they may even have an advantage in that book one builds the reader base for book two then to please.
Bronwen may be among the first to remind us that Stephen King’s The Wind Through the Keyhole which is a few books into the Dark Tower, won in 2012.
Other examples are Sarah J. Maas‘s A Court of Mist and Fury, book two of A Court of Thorns and Roses won the Young Adult Fantasy in 2016, and then the next book in the series, A Court of Wings and Ruin won the next year.
Why did “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” win?
The flippant answer to why Somewhere Beyond the Sea is that it got 1.8% more votes than The Familiar.
First, let’s examine Book One, which resonated with readers for several reasons, primarily its heartwarming and optimistic tone. The novel offers a comforting escape to many readers through its whimsical setting and endearing characters in a world often filled with negativity. Perhaps we can relate to that?
In the story, we see themes of found family, acceptance, and kindness, which seem to have deeply touched readers. Perhaps we can all do with a bit of hope and acceptance. The by-the-book, Linus Baker, learns to embrace the extraordinary while dealing with the challenges of societal norms. The novel’s gentle humour and heartwarming relationships probably helped too!
“The House in the Cerulean Sea” addresses significant social issues. The book explores prejudice, discrimination, and the fear of the unknown through the (safe for the reader) experiences of magical beings ostracised by society. This approach enables readers to connect with these themes and reflect on their own biases without being head-on. There’s a book-loving global audience of readers looking for inclusivity and acceptance of escapism too.
Finally, charming and unique characters must also be credited with the book’s success. From the adorable and mischievous children with magic to the enigmatic and kind-hearted Arthur Parnassus, T.J. Klune’s characters popped. Fans probably found themselves invested in the characters’ adventures and, with that emotional connection, were (hopefully) rooting for their happiness.
“Somewhere Beyond the Sea,” as a sequel, had the advantage of building upon the world and characters introduced to us in “The House in the Cerulean Sea“. To succeed, Klune had to take readers back to the heartwarming atmosphere and revisit the charming cast, including Linus Baker, Arthur Parnassus, and the kids. Klune, as it happens, developed these characters and their relationships further, providing resolutions to lingering questions while introducing new plots to overcome. The continuation of a well-loved story likely contributed to its success in the Goodreads Choice Awards.
“Somewhere Beyond the Sea” also returns to the social commentary introduced in the first book and once again tackles prejudice, acceptance, and discrimination against magical beings. These are important issues for many, and Klune delivered on a promise by offering escapism and social commentary.
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