Lair of Dreams (The Diviners, #2) by Libba Bray

Lair of Dreams (The Diviners, #2) by Libba Bray

Something is attacking sleepers during their dreams. They enter another realm, tempted by their deepest desires and then become haunted by their greatest fears, and never wake up.

“For dreams, too, are ghosts, desires chased in sleep, gone by morning. The longing of dreams draws the dead, and this city holds many dreams.” pg 9, ebook.

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All of your favorite characters from The Diviners are back on the case while dealing with drama in their personal lives. And readers are introduced to a new diviner, a talented dream walker named Ling.

“Ling often spoke to the dead in dreams, but these men weren’t like any dead she had known. ‘What do you want?’ she’d asked them, afraid. ‘Help us,’ they said, and then the sky exploded with light.” pg 19, ebook

Even as the characters face the menace in their dreams, something even bigger and darker is on the horizon, threatening the future of the entire country.

Lair of Dreams is a story by itself, but it leads to a bigger story arc and the third book in the series.

Libby Bray has created a richly detailed world of Prohibition-era New York with flappers, flasks and speak-easys. She effortlessly transports the reader from Harlem to Chinatown and back again.

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Evie O’Neill, now “America’s Sweetheart Seer”, is just as sassy as she’s always been. But she’s come a long way since the last book and stepping into her power has given her a smidgen of gravitas.

“Evie only told the object holder what he or she wanted to hear. People wanted entertainment, yes, but mostly they wanted hope.”pg 23, ebook

Fans of Henry get to learn more of his backstory. Theta and Memphis continue to develop their relationship, while Memphis’ brother, Isaiah, faces a shadowy menace of his own. Mabel and Jericho receive less attention in this installment, but they do have some development too.

My complaint with Lair of Dreams is that I found the dream sequences repetitive. It slowed the forward motion of the plot to a plodding pace. Other than that, the characters are fantastic and the dialogue is snappy.

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It is a fun historical fiction and fantasy novel for young adults, but readers have to practice some patience during its reveal.

Check out my review of the first book in the series: The Diviners (The Diviners, #1) by Libba Bray

And thanks for reading!

The Diviners (The Diviners, #1) by Libba Bray

The Diviners (The Diviners, #1) by Libba Bray

The Diviners is a surprisingly complex young adult novel about a returned evil, supernatural powers, secrets and mystery. It is set during the Prohibition Era in New York.

“A faint glow emanates from that dark, foul-smelling earthen tomb. Yes, something moves again in the shadows. A harbinger of much greater evil to come.” pg 10, ebook.

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Evie, the heroine of our tale, has the ability to read people, emotions and past events from objects. She is a diviner, a snappy dresser and one of the most delightful characters I’ve read about this year. And how!

After an unfortunate reading of an object from one of the most powerful families in her hometown, Evie is sent to be with her uncle Will in New York. He runs a museum of the occult and supernatural. Jericho, his ward, lives in the museum with Evie’s uncle. Jericho has a, you guessed it, secret past.

“Last but not least, here is the place where we spend most of our time: the library.” Jericho opened a set of mahogany pocket doors, and Evie let out a whistle. She’d never seen such a room. It was as if it had been transported here from some spooky fairy-tale castle.” pg 34, ebook.

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Evie’s best friend, Mabel, has a major crush on Jericho. Evie attempts to play matchmaker, help her uncle’s museum succeed and help solve the occult-related murders that are occurring all over New York City.

Meanwhile, Memphis is a numbers runner for the top man in Harlem. He has a secret past as well and a nightmare that haunts him each night.

Theta, a showgirl for the Ziegfeld follies, is running away from her dark past and towards the bright lights of New York. Her roommate has, gasp, secrets too.

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As the characters’ lives begin to intertwine, they race to stop a killer and, potentially, the end of the world.

Highly recommended for fans of young adult fantasy. The Diviners is a magical trip through the past and a world where ghosts and supernatural powers are real.