Review--Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

 

The longing of dreams draws the dead, and this city holds many dreams.

After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. With her uncanny ability to read people’s secrets, she’s become a media darling, earning the title “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” Everyone’s in love with the city’s newest It Girl…everyone except the other Diviners.

Piano-playing Henry DuBois and Chinatown resident Ling Chan are two Diviners struggling to keep their powers a secret—for they can walk in dreams. And while Evie is living the high life, victims of a mysterious sleeping sickness are turning up across New York City.

As Henry searches for a lost love and Ling strives to succeed in a world that shuns her, a malevolent force infects their dreams. And at the edges of it all lurks a man in a stovepipe hat who has plans that extend farther than anyone can guess…As the sickness spreads, can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld to save the city?

In this heart-stopping sequel to The Diviners, Printz Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray takes readers deeper into the mystical underbelly of New York City.

I finally, finally picked up Libba Bray's Lair of Dreams! It's been ages since I read The Diviners, but after a few summary recaps I felt like I got the gist of the story and was able to get a sense of what happened previously. I forgotten how rich in history and storytelling this series was! It's a whirlwind of characters, multiple plots, but it all eventually connects seamlessly together!

There's something strange happening in New York, it's happening slowly, but there are cases of people who are not waking up after going to bed the night before. They are dreaming and something in their dreams is keeping them there. Henry is a dream walker and on one of his "trips" he meets Ling, who is also a dream walker, but he has never met another one before, so he is intrigued. Ling seems to have a better handle on her abilities, so he wants her help to find his boyfriend, Louis. The dreamscape that they transverse can be accessed by all who dream, so he thinks with her help he can locate Louis.

Then we have Evie being a radio star and bonafide Diviner, and she's becoming radio famous quickly. There's still drama going on between her and Jericho as she didn't want to pursue anything with him while her best friend is in love with him. Then we get Sam coming to Evie wanting her help in reading an item that belonged to his mother as he is determined to find her.

I won't lie, there's a lot going on in this book and we have maybe 8 different third person point of views going on, but yet, I will say, it's not that confusing. These characters pretty much all interact with one another in some way. Ling is the newbie to the group and doesn't officially meet everyone until later, but at 600+ pages one can pretty much expect a heavy plot going on. That Bray is able to do this in a way that is not overwhelming or confusing helps greatly as everything that is going on separately for one character connects to the bigger picture!

There is mystery, there is romance, there is some comedic relief, and there are plenty of secrets. There were some perspectives of shady characters looking for the Diviners, but as to what their plans are, it is too soon to say. Bray also lays a lot of ground work to what is heading towards her grand finale! Granted I still have 2 books of the series to go, but I am see a lot of foreshadowing going on and I am deeply intrigued to see where it will all lead.

If you enjoy intricate storytelling with multiple points of view, this is a series you will want to check out! I love that though it's a historical fiction kind of story with the occasional name drop, it's also still very heavily a paranormal read! Not only do these characters have unique powers, but there's also ghosts! Spooky scary ghosts and I should also forewarn you to not read this too late at night because it can get pretty eerie! Lol. I'm prone to nightmares on occasion if I read or see something too spooky before bed, hence the warning!

As for the romance, it's sparse, but sprinkled through out. Evie has a fake dating game going on, then there's Jericho pining for Evie even though she turned him down, and Theta has her beau who also has his own secrets. Seriously you guys, this series is just wrapped up in secrets and mysteries and of course magic! I cannot wait to read the rest of it!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars