Review: Before The Devil Breaks You

Before The Devil Breaks You
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

New York City.
1927.
Lights are bright.
Jazz is king.
Parties are wild.
And the dead are coming...

After battling a supernatural sleeping sickness that early claimed two of their own, the Diviners have had enough of lies. They're more determined than ever to uncover the mystery behind their extraordinary powers, even as they face off against an all-new terror. Out on Ward's Island, far from the city's bustle, sits a mental hospital haunted by the lost souls of people long forgotten--ghosts who have unusual and dangerous ties to the man in the stovepipe hat, also known as the King of Crows.

With terrible accounts of murder and possession flooding in from all over, and New York City on the verge of panic, the Diviners must band together and brave the sinister ghosts invading the asylum, a fight that will bring them fact-to-face with the King of Crows. But as the explosive secrets of the past come to light, loyalties and friendships will be tested, love will hang in the balance, and the Diviners will question all that they've ever known. All the while, malevolent forces gather from every corner in a battle for the very soul of a nation--a fight that could claim the Diviners themselves.

Fiiiinaaaallllyyyyy! I feel like I've been waiting for an eternity for this book to come out, but it's well worth the wait, I'm not going to lie! Before The Devil Breaks You immediately pulls you in with the eerily atmospheric and creepily vivid writing. I love how rich the writing and descriptions are and I love the language and turns of phrase used. It all adds to the mental picture Bray creates for you and really puts you in to the time period. And you know...as usual it's creepy from the start, I mean...this time we're at an asylum on an island in the middle of nowhere and there's ghosts everywhere! 

All of our favourite characters return, naturally! Evie is quite possibly the most relatable character I have ever come across. Much like Evie, I talk too much, I'm too loud, and I understand what she wants and where she's coming from. I want to be someone too. So I actually find her so relatable that it hurts. I have a tendency of getting a bit too emotionally attached to her! In this particular book, she really showcased how relatable she was and we got a deeper look at her and how she thinks and feels. 

Sam and Henry are my other two favourite characters. I love them. They both crack me up, but they both have more vulnerable sides to them. Sam and Evie's bickering is hilarious but he's also quite sweet when he wants to be and we see more of him this book and what he's really like beneath his mask. Henry is just too adorable. He's there for his friends, he's always happy and cheerful and then in this book we get to see more of Henry's struggles. What he went through as a child and how it effects him, and we kind of see him lose his cool a little bit. 

Theta...well things are going pretty well for Theta but she's struggling with her power and being haunted by her past. She's so brilliantly written, and when she comes face to face with her past you're rooting for her but she's so easy to understand and empathise with. Her character and her story and emotions are very believably written. Theta goes on quite the journey this book and we really get to see just how strong she is, but you also see how much she's been through and how vulnerable she is too. Theta is quite possibly about to come over all Sabrina the Teenage Witch too, which should be interesting! 

Ling is still very blunt, and her hero worship of a certain two characters worried me for most of the book buuuuttt the betrayal to her is going to be interesting to see play out. Ling also provides some more LGBTQ rep in the book along with Henry...I don't want to spoil it, but I loved finding out that little fact about Ling, it's not a representation you see a lot in historical books. Memphis....guys I spent half of this book shouting at him about Bill. Like COME ON MEMPHIS! He and Theta have a bit of a rough ride this book but they come out the other side, and Memphis and his brother are going to be going on quite the interesting journey I think. 

Jericho.....oh Jericho. He's like Captain America for most of the book, but I had a feeling it wouldn't end well and then a certain part of the book happened. Jericho is Captain America meets Jekyll and Hyde. I had a feeling he was going to go that way and then he disappears in to the ether...where is he? What's he doing? Who knows, but I'm not sure if he'll be able to repair things with certain people and it's going to be interesting to see how he handles the changes and fits back in. Mabel...I felt for Mabel, believe me I did. But I really wanted to shake her once or twice and her new friends where largely a group of a-holes. Really didn't like Aron and I was undecided on Luis and Gloria for most of it. Let's just say they didn't make a good first impression. Alma and David both pop up again and I'm excited to see more of them (Hopefully) and what happens with them. They join Team Ghosbuster and I'm really hoping to get to see a lot more of them in the coming books! 

We really get to delve more in to each of the main characters, and get a more in depth look at them and their thought processes and what makes them tick. We get more glimpses of their pasts, see their personalities more and more, and get to see more depth in their relationships with each other. I really do think they become closer and their relationships with each other grow and develop more over the course of this book. Particularly with Ling and Memphis and his brother all of whom are relatively new to the group. 

I have to say, I've never been sure of Woody. There's been times that I've flat out hated him and wanted to smack him one. But in this book my opinion of him changes a lot. His banter with Evie made me chuckle, and he called Sam and Evie a perfect couple and is clearly a fellow shipper so I'm pretty much willing to give him a pass for everything ever now. But he really shows his solidarity with Evie and the other Diviners and was pretty much the only one on her side at one point. He's genuinely trying to help them with Project Buffalo too. Bill...well....I have never liked him. He was shady from the start and then there's what he was doing...I've been waiting for him to get what's coming to him. I was actually disappointed in Memphis for what he did, but Bill has really turned it around. I'm actually excited to see what's going to happen with his character and see what he's capable of and how much he can develop and change as a character. 

Along with our favourites we get a couple of new characters! Connor I really felt for and I felt like his role in this book was a bit of a disappointment in the end. We finally meet the King of Crows and I'm not entirely sure what to make of him. He's slippery. We don't really see much of Mabel's new friends in this book, but I didn't like what I did see, I'd have been curious to see a bit more of them and their storyline. Arthur has always been shady to me, and he didn't get any less shady but he and Mabel where quite cute. I just wish his past had been expanded on a bit more! 

My favourite ship gets a lot of page time in this book which made me super happy. It's not that I don't like Jericho, I just feel like Sam and Evie fit better! It was a bit rocky at the start of this book, but over the course of this book my ship started sailing again and I can't even. Sam is just too sweet when he wants to be! There where some brilliant scenes between them, funny scenes, cute scenes, and some nice little romantic and steamy scenes. I like that there's romance in this book without it taking away from the main plot and I'm intrigued to see how this is going to play out. I'm hoping this will be it and there won't be anymore problems for my ship but I'm not hopeful! 

After the revelations of the last book, it was pretty obvious our Diviners where about to form their own team and I've been super excited to see that happen. This book lets us explore everyone's powers more. What they can do, what they can't do, how they can strengthen their powers and what they can do with their strengthened powers. Not to mention how they can boost each others powers too. We also get a tonne more information on what the Diviners really are and the history of them. There's so many revelations in this book and shock plot twists. 

Interestingly, we get some flashbacks to Will and Margaret's time at the Department of Paranormal and more insight in to their friendship, the Department, and Wills relationships with Marlowe and Rotke. We also get some of Margaret's past. These little tidbits being thrown in really helped to flesh out the characters, and provided some more puzzle pieces. It also finally changed my opinion of Marlowe. He was a bit shady...then he was really shady, and in this book he just comes across as more and more sinister. The more you find out about him and what happened in the past, the more you realise his character doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell of being redeemed. The amount of times I pinched the bridge of my nose while uttering the words "effing hell" because of him was astonishing. He really is....quite the piece of work. "Radiation does no harm". Really bro? Reaaaaaally? 

There's so much I've been wanting to find out and waiting to see happen and a lot of it does happen in this book. We finally get to learn some mroe about Cornelius and Liberty Anne Rathbone. Most importantly...we FINALLY get that scene. You know. The one that explains Evie's dream, and Luther and her brother and 144? Yep. That one. Sweet Jesus this book hit me with all the feels. Like I was happy that we where finally getting some answers and getting some blanks filled in but my feels took quite the hit. 

One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was seeing all of the Diviners coming together, and working together towards boosting their powers and handling what was coming and putting all the pieces together. They're like the Avengers meets Sherlock Holmes. The truth about Project Buffalo and what it did and how the Diviners came to be finally came out in all it's glory and it was something I'd suspected. We've had plenty of hints and tidbits dropped and it's nice to finally get some payoff in this book. Most things are laid out in this book which helps to set up for the next books, and kind of shifts us from part one of the story, as it where, on to part two. Like one story ac comes to a close and then we're all ready for things to step up next book. 

Things get a little bit Most Haunted in the asylum. When I read the synopsis I was picturing an old, abandoned one, but I think the occupied one was more terrifying to be honest. Seeing how the patients where treated and what they where there for. Some of them didn't even need to be there. The Asylum also kicks off our merry band of Diviners going full Ghostbusters too! 

The detail in this book is extraordinary, and not just with the historical facts. History permeates this book down to the tiniest details that you wouldn't even think twice at. It's mind blowingly well researched. The places, the food, the makeup, the nitty gritty, tiny little details that we see a tiny glimpse of, or are just mentioned in passing yet must have taken a good deal of time to research. So much effort goes in to these books to make them authentic and historically accurate, which is why I don't mind the wait between books!

But the plot details are extraordinary too! For the first two books, we've gotten hints about various different things and characters and their pasts and so on, like Theta for example as well as Sam and James and Henry and everyone. All these little hints and tidbits have helped us start to form a picture, and some of them come home to roost in this book. I love how things have carried over from the previous books, to be more embellished upon or fully revealed in this book. How the hell does Bray keep track?!

I have to say, this book was creepy. But I think the scariest thing about this book was all the truth in it, and the knowledge that in some respects....things really haven't changed all that much in this day and age. There's just so many relevant things in this book to do with multiple things, eugenics, inter-racial couples, domestic abuse but particularly racism, it's very well done and shown...but it also makes you think about how things have or haven't changed. Regardless it does well to educate on the various issues it brings up.

Before The Devil Breaks You has a steady pace that steams along towards the end. This one broke my heart a little bit, I have to say. Fair warning...there's some character deaths. There's also some shock plot twists and plenty of betrayal and explosive arguments. The Diviners understandably have enough of being lied to and kept in the dark and break out on their own. Things take a darker and deadlier turn as things go downhill towards the end of the book. We end with one kidnapped, and Diviners swiftly losing popularity in the city. I'm not going to lie, things are looking pretty dire and desperate at the end with multiple characters having to flee.

Before The Devil Breaks You sets up the next book, while answering questions and filling in blanks. It raises the stakes and turns things down a darker and more serious path as well as giving us an idea of the coming fight. I'm eagerly awaiting the fourth book already! These books really are decadent with the writing and the detail and how everything fits together so well and this one is no exception!

There weren't any new songs in this book to add to my playlist, buuuuttt back when I reviewed Lair of Dreams I made a playlist with all the songs I could find on Spotify that come from the first two books, check it out:

Spooktober Recommends: Murder

Hey guuyyys! 

So it's very nearly Halloween which means this is pretty much the last recommends post, I've got one left but it's different to these ones! I should also remind you guys that my giveaway ends tomorrow, so head to my Twitter and check out the pinned tweet before it's too late! 

SO. Today's recommends post. Murder....*evil laughter* 

Can't have Halloween without some blood and guts and murder! 

1. Nevernight

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

Okay so I had to include this because it's a completely brilliant, blood soaked read and I just feel like it's a great Halloween read because of all the blood and gore and murder and the atmosphere. Plus I really love this book and everyone needs to read it like NOW. 


2. The Diviners

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first. 

Yet another of my favourite reads! This is perfect for Halloween, it's so creepy and like...I read it in one go because I kept reading and then it hit four am and I was like...well...I'm too freaked out to sleep so I'll just finish it off...and there we go! Genuinely such a good read you guys! 


3. Made For You

Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital to discover an attempt has been made on her life. But who in her sleepy town could have hit her with their car? And why? Before she can consider the question, she finds that she's awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people's deaths when they touch her.

While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old friend, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva's power to keep her friends - and themselves – alive. But the killer is obsessed and will stop at nothing to get to Eva…

This is the first book I read by Melissa Marr, and so far the only one, some of her others are on my list I just haven't gotten around to it yet! I loved this, it was so well done and really kept me guessing until the end! 



4. The Naturals

Cassie Hobbes is not like most teenagers. Most teenagers don’t lose their mother in a bloody, unsolved kidnapping. Most teenagers can’t tell who you are, where you’re from and how you’re likely to behave within moments of meeting you. And most teenagers don’t get chosen to join The Naturals.

Identified by the FBI as uniquely gifted, Cassie is recruited to an elite school where a small number of teens are trained to hone their exceptional abilites.

For Cassie, trying to make friends with the girls, and to figure out the two very different, very hot boys, is challenging enough. But when a serial killer begins recreating the details of her mother’s horrific crime scene, she realises just how dangerous life in The Naturals could be...

If you love Criminal Minds you're going to love this, it's like a YA version of Criminal Minds and it's so good! I breezed through this in one go, and the sequel, I've been waiting ages for the paperback of the third one to come out for ageeesssss now! 


5. Jackaby

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

I'm about to start this one very soon, and I've heard nothing but good things about it! I do love a historical read, especially when it sounds as fun as this one does! And ya know....murder with a supernatural twist! 




6. Stalking Jack The Ripper

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world. 

This book was SO DAMN GOOD you guys! It was really, really creepy yet I found myself reading it at night mostly like an idiot! I loved the writing, I loved the plot and the research that went in to it and I loved Audrey Rose, she was a brilliant main character and her romance with Thomas was freaking adorable! 

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

Lair Of Dreams

Lair Of Dreams

Rating: 5/5

Buy or Borrow: Buy!!!!!

Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Scroll down to the bottom for a treat I've cooked up for you all! Enter the world of the Diviners!

After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O'Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Now that the world knows of her ability to "read" objects, and therefore, read the past, she has become a media darling, earning the title, "America's Sweetheart Seer." Everybody loves her, and they love her "engagement" to Sam even more, little do the public know that it's all a show. 

Letting the cat out of the bag may not have been the best idea Evie has ever had...what with the Shadow Men lurking around every corner keeping tabs on her and her friends.

It would seem that not everyone is so accepting of the Diviners abilities....

Meanwhile, Henry comes across another Dream Walker, Ling, and the two venture deeper in to dreams than they ever have before, pushing their powers to the limit. Perhaps not the best idea when the City is gripped by a spreading sickness, the Sleeping sickness, where people go to sleep and never wake up. Tensions are high as the residents of Chinatown are blamed but it becomes increasingly obvious that there's a malevolent force out there fuelling the sickness. 

Can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld and catch a killer?

Okay guys, I tried to give you a little bit more of a synopsis than GoodReads or Amazon had without entirely spoiling the book, I should have used the back cover of the book itself but I finished reading the book at 5am and so this review is being written after a nice long sleep, some time to wallow in the hangover and so on. So the book is nowhere near me. Basically. I hope my synopsis suffices. 

I have waited years for this. Literally, the Titanic 84 years GIF is incredibly appropriate. I had to re-read Diviners so I could remember what had happened. I've got to be deadly honest here. After all of that wait, I found the book to be a worthy sequel, not quite as good as Diviners, but then this book is a whole other ball game and I'll explain that later, either way, I still enjoyed the book. However, I know Diviners wasn't everyones cup of tea and this one may not be either. Fans I think will be pleased. 

We pick up the story 2 months after the end of Diviners and you're immediately transported back to the world, it's like being reunited with old friends. This book focuses more on Henry and Ling which is both good and bad. I wanted to know more about Henry and through this book I did, but at the same time I was sad not to see more of Evie but we did get to see a decent amount of her! Anyways, Evie has a radio show and everything and I couldn't help but smile when it was her first scene and she was doing the show and just being Evie. I should also mention that this is the book that decided whether I am Team Jericho or Team Sam. But more on that later! 

I love how Bray opens these books, and this opening was not as creepy as Diviners (when I went to re-read Diviners my bedroom light flickered as I was reading the first chapter so it was extra creepy), it was more haunting and it gave me chills. I was also incredibly curious about where the place was and who the person was. I was literally burning with curiosity the whole book and like the plank I am I didn't put it all together until way later than I should have but then as with Diviners, Lair of Dreams is full of plot twists and turns that you don't see coming. You have to just sit tight and hold on. 

I continue to love the creepy little POV's of the victims. The first book was all murdery so to me, was very very creepy, like "may have trouble sleeping" creepy. But this one was creepy don't get me wrong, but on a lighter level, I just found it all to be more haunting. Especially as I found myself fully immersed in the world and could practically hear the music in my head. 

The plot definitely thickens in this book. You've got Evie's radio show nemesis and I have my suspicions about her...allegiances, shall we say? There's other fake Diviners coming forward and Evie and her gang are being tailed by creepy Shadow Men. Then there's Sam who's enlisted Evie to help him find out more about Project Buffalo and his mother and what they find is...chilling to say the least. The stakes are getting higher and higher and the web more intricate. Just starting the book I had a horrible sense of foreboding after the dark suit people at the end of last book, and then this entire book I had a sense of something bad was about to happen. Not just because of the dodgy blokes but how the ghosts where acting. This series is definitely building towards something big, like a certain big bad you could say, but I'm not sure whether it will arrive in book 3 or 4. 

Like Diviners, Lair of Dreams has a very rich, very intricate plot. It's complex. There's threads from the first book, threads from the overarching storyline, and then the threads from the plot of this book and for each character and their own lives. All of these threads are woven together in to a plot that is quite frankly as moreish as something really moreish that you like to eat. Basically. You keep wanting to go back for more, and the fact that it has a fairly clipping pace makes it easy to just binge read the book. Literally I read it in two days. I did stay awake until 5am reading it to finish it but shhhh. 

The thing I love is that the books are clearly very well researched. I found myself fascinated by the trains in this book as I had no idea they'd existed before the subway. The information isn't shoved at you all at once in one giant info dump though, it's everywhere. Dialogue, world building, little mentions. You learn all of this knowledge that's threaded in to the plot and it's such a fascinating and rich time, there was so much going on. I loved seeing the news headlines in the book, some of which I know where true because back in school I remember learning about the two people and their evolution theories. When you read Diviners, or Lair of Dreams you get a real feel for the time and New York in that time. You get a feel for the political/religious/social climate, and in this book in particular you get a real feel for what it was like for a certain ethnic group and it was shocking on it's own, let alone when you sit and think about what it must have been like for the person. Or maybe that's just me and it's an actor problem, putting myself in other peoples shoes.

Amongst all this history, the speakeasies, jazz, flappers, racism and suspicion, a supernatural element and story is woven in without seeming out of place. It's seamlessly threaded in, driving the story. The ghosts, Diviners and general occultness doesn't seem at all out of place, it seems like it belongs there, in this long ago New York. For me this book was a whole other ball game. It's mainly focused on the dream walkers, which should be obvious from the whole sleeping sickness thing, and so there's more chapters of Henry and Ling. I think this book was less creepy because it wasn't some serial killer out murdering people, it seemed to be a plague of some sort and you knew something creepy was going on, but it was more....I kind of want to say mellow than the other book in that there where no cut up corpses all over the place. It's got to be said, the dream sequences had a definite dream-like quality to them. I think people who loved the complete creepyness of Naughty John are going to be a bit put out by the change in gears, but then this change keeps the world fresh I think. Rather than having raging serial killers everywhere. 

The blend of historical, supernatural, romance, horror and humour is still a blend that is very well done and that I enjoyed reading every minute of. It's such an interesting blend of genres and I'm struggling to recall if I've come across it before Diviners or not. Either way, Bray makes the genres work together and a lot of the time I'm laughing out loud, usually at something Sam or Evie said. Or in this case trying NOT to laugh out loud because it's a ridiculous time of night. I also think the ghosts and other...things in this book are an original take, I kinda felt like this book at points was like a 1920's episode of Supernatural! It's got to be said, it's one of those books where you end up shouting at the book and the characters things like "NOOO NO DON'T DO THE THING" for instance. 

One of the other things I enjoyed was seeing how all the characters are connected, meaning the ones that don't know each other and haven't actually met. It's really ingenious how it's been done, and then towards the end of this book you could see it all coming together and it's made me so excited for the next book! Not to mention the bit near the end where it catches you up with the characters after events, it's really set up some threads for the next book! 

The world building is the best thing about this book, it's such a rich and lively time and the author brings it to vivid life. You really feel yourself sucked in to the world, you can practically hear the music, smell the smells no matter whether it's one you'd want to or not! I think the references to music, books and movies of the time, even only in passing, for instance a character noting what someones reading or mentioning a historical figure, definitely helps immerse you in to the world, at one point I found myself adopting flapper-esque fashion while reading and slipping out a slang word or two. Although I was sad there where less song mentions and lyrics in this book than Diviners! Either way you can feel the glamour of the time. 

There's a fair amount of slang in the book, and I remember the first time I read Diviners, it seemed so strange to me. On the re-read and while reading Lair of Dreams it just seems natural now. I've found myself slipping some in to everyday conversation, like I said, and just getting the oddest looks, and being like "uuuhhhhhh it's for an acting job". The author makes the slang words seem normal, it's not overdone and seemingly out of place. The author has created a very authentic portrayal of the 1920's with very authentic characters and dialogue. 

I'm in love with the writing. I couldn't read the book without finding some quotes that really spoke to me and where just so beautifully written. There's a lot of thought behind the words which can be seen in certain sections of the book. The writing is so compelling and rich and evocative that it really is the final piece that brings you in to the world of the book. It has such a pull that you can't stop reading and get lost in the world. 

I've got to warn you, this book was heart breaking. Or at least, I thought it was. The "villain" in this book, if you could call it that, genuinely makes you feel for it. It was such a sad story and one that was all too true at the time of the books setting. It's such a contrast to Naughty John who just.....ugh. Hated. But then it got worse because there was a scene nearer to the end of the book, and you're all going to need some sort of coping mechanism, chocolate, wine etc. I'd had a suspicion that I became more and more sure about as the book went on, and it was confirmed, and I love the character so much and the scene genuinely made me shed a tear or two. I NEVER cry when reading. Ever. Books don't generally set me off but this one really, really did. I was just like "Why so cruel Libba, why so cruel?!". 

Speaking of characters, the characters in the book are so incredibly full of depth, with rich and detailed back stories that I love delving in to and always find myself wanting to know more. I think a few questions where answered by delving in to the past of Will and Addie and even Sam some more, not to mention Henry, but I think there's still so much more to know! 

I find myself connecting to Evie and relating to her the most. There's a quote from her that I shared on my Tumblr and literally, that is me. That is how I felt for sooooo long and it was there in words on the page. She's definitely my favourite, she's lively and brave when she needs to be, she's loyal I mean look what she did for Mabel?! But there's more to her beneath the flapper veneer. After what happened last book, she's definitely dealing with a lot, we're talking nightmare material, and she's living for the moment after everything with her brother. She wants to forget what happened and I get that on an entirely other level, she doesn't want to remember all the things she's seen and it makes me sad the others don't get that. She's trying to cope with all the bad things she's seen and experienced in the only way she knows how. 

There's not much Jericho in this book, or Mabel again. Jericho I'm still intrigued by, he's a bookworm but he had that huge reveal last book and I'm interested to see where that's going to go. I find Mabel to be kind of dull but after this book I think she's going to take a surprising turn and I'm excited to see that, see her break out from everyone else's shadow. Theta, like all the other characters, has a very interesting backstory and I'm intrigued to see more, especially as she's dealing with her little secret and trying to stop it. I love her friendship with Evie and Henry. This group has all come together by happenstance and I'm interested to see how Theta is going to handle her power. Theta is the kind of fierce protective friend that also tells it to you straight and I love her to bits! Memphis has a whole lot going on with his brother and another, rather sinister character, and I'm really desperate to see more of him! Henry is another favourite, we delve in to his past more and some questions are answered. He's such a lovely person and I'm always rooting for him. We get huge Henry POV's by the way guys! Get excited! Ling is the Chinese girl we met very briefly in the first book I believe, she has her own POV as well and offers us a lot of insight in to life for the Chinese at the time, which wasn't all that great. She was fascinating to me because of her interest in science, and how she's trying to use science to explain her power. She's also delightfully blunt. 

Sam is probably my other huge favourite. When we first met him in the first book I had no idea he'd be such a big part of the story and in this book we see way more of his past and it only thickens the plot and adds more questions. Sam makes me laugh too much, but he and Evie together have me laughing out loud and snort laughing and rolling on the floor with their banter. Sam has the best one liners and always has a snappy comeback but then he also has a darker side when it comes to dealing with his familys past, and in this book it was nice to see another side of him until it was all ruined because the author was like "here have some angst to make the wait for the next book even worse". 

Time to talk about the romance. The thing about the romance is that it's not the main point of the story, it's just one thread and it's not always in your face. I went in to the book undecided on whether I was Team Jericho or Team Sam, and with the romance usually taking a backseat I was expecting to be 50/50 the whole time. But no. This book has made me Team Sam. Sam and Evie may just be my OTP. Why? Because in the first book you didn't really see Evie and Jericho falling for each other per se. Or at least I didn't. In this book, I really enjoyed watching Sam and Evie banter and then start to fall for each other as the charade went on. So how things where left has left me a little heartbroken. Like I'd love for them to continue the charade in the next book, but I have a feeling Sam will go back to being a douche and they'll be all separate and I'll be sad. I'm personally hoping he'll fight for Evie because they where so cute together it was insane. I got more of a feeling for their romance then Evie and Jericho's I guess you could say. 

The ending of the book and how things where left, not just with my new OTP, has left me wondering how I'm going to cope with the wait for the next book. I just really need Sam and Evie to be all cute and non angsty and things to be fixed. Then there's the threads building up the next book and I'm just like "You can't just leave me hanging?!". I seriously have one hell of a book hangover and I really don't know how I'll handle the wait for the next book. I mean if it's three years again, I might have to do an Evie and resort to drinking a lot of gin. 

Lair of Dreams is a worthy sequel to a book that has lodged it's place in my heart as a favourite. Opening up the book and starting to read was like being reunited with old friends. The world building was beautiful, sucking you in to the world of the book with the help of it's overpowering atmosphere that wraps you in it's thrall. The writing is beautifully compelling and evocative, the characters full of depth and as lively as the times they live in. The romance fun to watch develop, and completely cute. Although there is an impending love triangle, I have every confidence it's going to be well done and a hard one to call. The plot is rich, complex and has a pull that keeps you reading until all hours. It also keeps you guessing, as you navigate the twists and turns of the plot! All in all, Lair of Dreams is a decadent yet hauntingly creepy book, that leaves you wanting more! Please don't make us wait three years again Libba! 

So, now my pesky review is out of the way I'm sure you all want to know what this treat is? This idea I mentioned having? It was actually inspired by the book. All of the lyrics in it, or songs mentioned, I was curious and wanted to check them out, then I realised, perhaps other people would want to know too! Not to mention other things, like buildings and people mentioned so behold my bright idea! 

Linked right below here is a pinterest that I have filled with pictures of New York in 1926 or at leas the 1920's, as many buildings, people, books, movies as mentioned in the book as I could find, as well as a few other interesting things to give you a feel for what Evie's world is like!

I have also created a playlist on Spotify containing all the songs mentioned in Diviners and Lair of Dreams, there are less from the second book but they're all there! I've tried to find the version closest to the time of the book I can, some where harder than others and so some aren't from 1926 exactly but from around about the right time. Actually I think the only song not from 1926 might be the last song which is 1910. Anyways, the songs are in the order they appear in Diviners and then through to Lair of Dreams so you can read along if you like! Enjoy :) 

Get to know the time of The Diviners over on....pinterest!

Follow Alisha's board The Diviners on Pinterest.

Listen to the music of The Diviners right there!