This book was the bane of my October, and therefore I knew I needed to do a full review for it. I still don’t know why it was so difficult for me to get through, but it took me more than two weeks to finish, which is absurd considering most books take me two days, max. It just refused. I blame ghosts.
Because this is the second book in The Diviners series, there will be spoilers for the first book. If you haven’t read book one yet, I kindly suggest you stop reading now unless having books ruined for you is your thing. If that’s the case, keep on reading, but know that I am definitely judging you.
About Lair of Dreams.
After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. With her uncanny ability to read people’s secrets, she’s become a media darling, earning the title “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” Everyone’s in love with the city’s newest It Girl…everyone except the other Diviners.
Piano-playing Henry DuBois and Chinatown resident Ling Chan are two Diviners struggling to keep their powers a secret—for they can walk in dreams. And while Evie is living the high life, victims of a mysterious sleeping sickness are turning up across New York City.
As Henry searches for a lost love and Ling strives to succeed in a world that shuns her, a malevolent force infects their dreams. And at the edges of it all lurks a man in a stovepipe hat who has plans that extend farther than anyone can guess…As the sickness spreads, can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld to save the city?
My Review
Oh jeeze, this book. Let me just start off by saying that I DID enjoy it. Quite a bit, in fact. But man oh man was it hard for me to get through. Reading slump aside, this is just a much heavier book than I usually read. There is a lot of mystery and intrigue, not to mention mysterious deaths at every turn, and that’s a lot to pay attention to. The content itself is dark and sometimes difficult to read about and that, too, makes it harder to read. This is not a bright and cheery book, which comes as no surprise considering the first book is much the same. Definitely fits into the “gothic” category.
Despite the content, I did love that we got expanded POVs in this book. Our old faves are back – Evie, Sam, Jericho, Mabel, Theta, Memphis, Henry – and the addition of one new character, Ling. The story shifts its focus away from just Evie and we devote a lot of time to Henry and Ling, both Dream Walkers and both capable of amazing things. We see a little more of Theta and Memphis and their growing relationship, and even some of Mabel (who is still obsessed with Jericho) and Jericho (who is still in love with Evie).
Of course, we still get plenty of page time devoted to our prime Diviners, Evie and Sam. Not going to lie, I definitely shipped those two from the moment Sam picked Evie’s pocket in book one, and seeing their relationship start to blossom was awesome. That being said, I will admit that I don’t like Evie a lot of the time, as a person. She is selfish and stubborn and makes the dumbest choices. But who doesn’t like to read about a flawed character? I just hope we get to see her grow as the series progresses.
All in all, I did enjoy this at the end of the day. I will certainly be picking up Before the Devil Breaks You, but maybe not right away. I know it’s going to be just as dark as this one – probably darker all things considered – and I am just not ready for that right now. I will, however, strongly recommend this to anyone who loves a well-written story with a dark, gothic, vibe. If you want a book that might keep you up at night, this should definitely make it onto your TBR.
Megabunny Reads 