1) The Diviners ★★★★

content warnings: loss of a loved one, gore, violence, murder, violence against animals, domestic violence, rape, the KKK, racism, anti-semitism, xenophobia, ableism, sexism, slut shaming, alcoholism, PTSD, medical procedures
representation: main character with PTSD, black side characters, jewish side characters, gay side character, biracial (chinese-irish) disabled side character, side interracial relationship, black blind side character


“Besides, things you loved deeply could be lost in a second, and then there was no filling the hole left inside you. So she lived in the moment, as if her life were one long party that never had to stop as long as she kept the good times going.”


Have you ever wanted to read a book with a vibrant setting, complex characters, an engaging mystery and spookiness, while also having your heart torn out on a regular basis? Well, buddy, do I have the series for you.

This series is incredible and must be read by everyone immediately. And if you do read it (as you should), you have to read it in audiobook because January LaVoy is quite possibly the greatest voice actor working currently and makes a one-woman show sound like a full-cast. Also, this book does suffer from some pacing issues at the start and listening to the audiobook almost entirely gets rid of that issue.

Lair of Dreams takes place a few months after the first book and follows the main characters from the last one (plus a few new characters) as New York begins to suffer from something known as the sleeping sickness.

This book is just as magical and atmospheric as the previous book, but in a different way. The Diviners had a spooky vibe to it while this book has a more eerie vibe to it. I think this is largely because of the antagonists. The first book had a ghostly-religious-murderer, whereas for most of this book the antagonist is the sleeping sickness itself. It's not until the final act of this book that we discover who the true antagonist is, and due to the nature of that antagonist and their backstory that eeriness remains.

As with the previous book, the characters are easily the stand-out of this and is why myself and majority of other readers don't mind the pacing issues as much as we probably should. The characters are so well-crafted, and feel so real and developed. Evie now has a radio show, the Sweetheart Seer, and is dealing with her PTSD by drinking and partying; Memphis is trying to keep his brother safe while also keeping a steady relationship with Theta; Jericho deals with bodily autonomy and blackmail, while also struggling with his love life; Sam is trying to find his mother and discovering that he has Emotions; Mabel is unsure as to who she is and only gets more confused as her friendship with Evie seems to unravel; Theta is struggling with her powers growing stronger and trying to keep her past under wraps; Henry meets another dream walker and attempts to reconnect with the love of his life. Then we also meet a new character, Ling, a nerdy disabled Chinese-Irish dream walker who tries to help Henry while also dealing with her own issues.

Not only are these characters fantastic, but as are their relationships with each other. Whether its platonic, familial, romantic or antagonistic, they're drawn so well and developed to perfection. When there's conflict, even when it's super petty, it makes sense because you understand these characters so well and you get that even if they're being stupid, they're also reacting exactly as they would.

Let's move onto my romance thoughts because I have A LOT OF THEM
⇢ Evie/Jericho: Hate it, want it to burn in a trash fire,

Spoiler

glad it doesn't seem like it's going to be endgame.

⇢ Evie/Sam: I was already shipping them hardcore and this book only intensified those feelings.

Spoiler

I love fake relationships, and their kisses made me all soft.

⇢ Memphis/Theta: They're both my children and I just want them to be happy!!
⇢ Mabel/Jericho: This could've worked but I just don't like it :/

Spoiler

Luckily, it also seems like this won't be endgame either.

⇢ Henry/

Spoiler

Louis

: These two made my heart break literally every page I read that included them.

Spoiler

I called pretty much from the start that something in the dream world was off, and therefore something with Louis was off, but that doesn't mean I was prepared to get my heart so savagely torn out by Libba Bray.

Those are my main thoughts. I'm pretty sure Henry, Ling and Mabel all get new(ish) love interests in the next book so I'm hyped for that.

I love this series and can't wait to move onto Before the Devil Breaks You, but I'm also not prepared to wait several years for the fourth (and final) book. This series is literally killing me and I'm very okay with it.