Linus, a man accustomed to rules and structure and proper behavior, is wary of the children at first, but he begins to fall in love with them and their guardian as he spends more time on the island. Among the other children are a wyvern, a gnome, a forest sprite, a shapeshifter, and a gelatinous, tentacled child named Chauncey. One of the children, Lucy, is listed in his files as the Antichrist, or the son of the Devil. This tension is exacerbated by the extremity of the children’s magical natures.

The town on the mainland is openly hostile towards magical beings, and relations between the townspeople and the orphanage are strained. It is populated by Arthur Parnassus, the children, and Zoe, an island sprite whose powers are tremendous and closely linked to the island. The orphanage is located on Marsyas Island, isolated from civilization other than a small town on the mainland. Werner, a young, handsome member of Extremely Upper Management, warns Linus to “beware” and to leave no detail out of his reports. He will be sent to the orphanage for a month, during which he will send thorough weekly reports. It lodges six children who are considered “extreme” cases. At the meeting, Linus is given top secret clearance to review an unusual orphanage run by Arthur Parnassus. Early in the novel, he is unexpectedly summoned to a personal meeting with Extremely Upper Management, elusive figures that are often whispered about but rarely seen. He is cautious in life and careful with his words, making him particularly well suited for the inflexible structure of DICOMY.

Linus himself is a serious, solitary man with a preference for order and clarity. Linus’s job is to follow up on incident reports and make suggestions regarding the fate of the children and the homes. Some of these children have powers such as telekinesis, and some are from non-human species, many of which we would consider mythological.

Linus Baker is a case worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY), a governmental agency that monitors the behavior and well-being of magical children living in orphanages and group homes.

A house in the cerulean sea