Linus Baker works as a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He is forty, has high blood pressure and lives alone with his cat, Calliope. When he is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and given as a Class 4 classified case, Linus doesn't know what to expect. The first case file he opens on the platform at Marsyas belongs to the Antichrist, and Linus soon thinks himself in over his head. But as his investigation into the Marsyas Ophanage blossoms so to do new relationships until Linus finds himself questioning love and duty.

I have to say I was very disappointed with this. The premise and the characters are all very lovely, and the story is very meaningful - relatable themes of prejudice, segregation and a drive for change - but it felt like nothing really happened. For me personally nothing gripped me until page 300, only 100 pages from the end. I don't think any story should be written like that and for this reason I found myself underwhelmed. I wanted to put it down and read something else but was told to try and get halfway; by that point I just wanted to finish it so I could read something else.

The language used was rather clever at times to give the story a fairytale-esque atmosphere. But when it came to the dialogue of the children, especially Lucy who is six years old, it just didn't feel realistic, it felt overdramatic and had too big words for a six year old child, even if he is the antichrist.

Klune did have some very good quotes at times which I underlined, very insightful and worked well in context to the story and the message it was trying to convey. Ultimately, that goal was met. The ending was bittersweet and ended in a way that all fairytales end... A happy ever after.

Personally, this just wasn't for me and I'm gutted because I was so excited for it.