Libba Bray has been one of my favorite authors since I was in high school and I first read the Gemma Doyle series. I’ve looked forward to every book she’s released since then, and was not at all surprised to fall in love with The Diviners back in 2012. I waited, and waited, and waited for Lair of Dreams, devoured it as usual, and loved it almost as much as its predecessor.
A word of caution: if you haven’t read The Diviners since its original release, I would suggest at least reading through some reviews prior to starting Lair of Dreams, because it does build upon a lot that happened in that book. It took me probably a good 50-100 pages to immerse myself in this world again, but once I did, oh it was worth it.
In Lair of Dreams, Evie O’Neill and her supernatural crime-fighting band of Diviners are back, ready to take on New York’s sleeping sickness. In this installment of the series, Naughty John is gone, replaced by a mysterious sickness that seems to lock people in their dreams. Memphis, a dream walker, is their only hope at uncovering the mystery, but what if he too gets locked in a dream?
On the sidelines, Evie has become wildly popular as the host of her own radio show. She reads listeners’ belongings on air, but when she’s alone, she experiences the devastating consequences of what happened in the last book.
Bray introduces a new character, Ling, who initially seems like too much, but fits so well once her story gains momentum. It always amazes me how she’s able to connect so many characters and weave so many different plots together. Instead of becoming a confused jumble, the connections become more and more obvious until her final message becomes crystal clear.
I loved the depictions of New York, even more than in the last book. This is possibly because I now frequently visit New York. I’m familiar with what she’s talking about. I can picture it better. It’s so magical, and I can just imagine some of these creepy things happening in the subway tunnels.
I can’t wait until the next installment comes out.
Final rating: ★★★★★
The Bibliophagist 