tw: animal killings

EDIT: Everything about this book was so intriguing even though I kind hated the ending (for reasons unrelated to the plot). Which is the main reason I continued this series and I have no regrets. One of the most atmospheric books that I have read (or I might just really have a thing for old school set stories) and a good starting point in entering racism as an open discussion in fantasy.

Upon further consideration I have moved my rating to a 3.5 star. This particular book just wasn’t something that was overly mind blowing or unique to me but spoiler alert: [b:Lair of Dreams|16060716|Lair of Dreams (The Diviners, #2)|Libba Bray|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560630223l/16060716._SY75_.jpg|21848181] is a new favorite :>

I DONT SHIP THEM THOUGH LOL

Spoiler

Evie and Jericho I mean

please don’t spoil me if they do end up getting together or not, i’ll enjoy my suffering

“How do you invent a religion?” Evie asked.

Will looked over the top of his spectacles. “You say, ‘God told me the following,’ and then wait for people to sign up.”

This seriously reminds me of The Infernal Devices (we even have a WIll and James here too)… which I am currently *rereading right now xD but make it about cults instead of angels

they even reference the same classics with some of the quotes (I'm not mad)

— overall thoughts: 3.5 —

I know the cults/spirits thing kind of makes it dark but the way the characters act, together with the time setting, gives it a quirky feel.

The narrator for the audiobook was one of the best solo performances I have listened to so far. I could literally pick out who was the character talking without them having to say who they were. *cue applause*

plot: ★★★☆☆
I'm having a really hard time deciding whether or not I want to say if I liked the plot. Like, I enjoyed it... but... it was still kinda weird to me. But it is about cults and that really has never been my thing.

It’s actually set in the gregorian era (1920s, i had to search it too don’t worry) as opposed to the victorian era that TID is set in. The mystery, if we can call it that, errr wasn't my favorite aspect but I'll go with it. I want to know what happens with the rest of the series since the conflict does get solved by the end of this first book.

Also that ending... oh my I hated it. You know what I'm talking about if you read it. You don't have to agree with me but you know it.

writing style: ★★★★☆
that naughty john song still haunts me a bit… definitely just a bit…

I don’t think I am well versed enough in history to comment on the historical accuracy of everything but to someone like me it was painfully obvious enough that a lot of research was poured into the creation of the world of The Diviners.

”Often the monsters we create in our imagination are not nearly as frightening as the monstrous acts perpetrated by ordinary human beings in aim of one cause or another.”

pacing: ★★★★☆
its slow paced at some (maybe a lot of) parts but it allowed for some great world building so I actually didn’t mind it. I felt more submersed in the world and like I was there in that time period, ya know?

world building: ★★★★★
speaking of world building: it is impossible to miss what time period the plot is set in… and by that what I mean is people are racist and anti-feminist and IT SHOWS

One of the most subtle but still striking examples of this is this Isiah quote:

“I ain’t scared”
“‘Not scared,’ Memphis would have said”

themes: ★★★★☆
Like I said: cults.

...but also racism and feminism issues are tackled. They were woven into the story pretty flawlessy in my opinion but it was still in the way that you can't ignore it. The commentary was interesting and that's actually a side that TID doesn't really touch so much on so I liked that it was present in this series.

characters: ★★★☆☆
mmmm am I attached to all of them? I’m still considering it. But Theta and Henry definitely have a special place in my heart.

I was so ready to defend Evie from everyone who had negative things to say about her, until she pullled something at somewhere around the 80% mark... and i understand why people have been iffy about her. I also found her character to be inconsistent towards the ending even though I absolutely loved her at first so make of it what you will.

my loose comparison of Tessa Gray and Evie O'Neill:
- their powers are both related to touching an object of another person. bonus: they can find out things about said person when they use said powers
- they both came from a place where their life was bad(?) and travelled to the "big city"
- Tessa loves reading, Evie hates reading
- Tessa has a consistent character development, Evie started off strong but ended up needing a man after all

There were a lot of times when the characters fell flat to me but I have come to terms with the fact that it is a slow paced story. So I have hopes that I will see more character developments in the rest of the series.

We love a found family trope in any kind of book though and even if they aren’t quite up to the Six of Crows level yet I heard really good things about their dynamics as the series goes so... I am here for it! It should be noted our main group aren't all together for the most part of the story. So that added to my curiosity since I wanted to see what would happen when they finally meet.

page turner: ★★★★☆
What kept me driving through this book is honestly the fact that it was so atmospheric to listen to. I just felt there with the characters.

There are certain aspects that reminded me of V.E. Schwabs writing but it’s still different so even if you aren’t a fan of V.E. Schwab I would suggest trying this book out. Especially if you want something with a lot of "real world issues" being tackled, even subtley.

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