Lair of Dreams - Libba Bray

Title: Lair Of Dreams

Author: Libba Bray 

Format: Paperback

Rating: 4.5 Stars 

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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.

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Hey reader friends!  Let's talk dreams!  

This book is the second in The Diviners series, and while I liked The Diviners just *slightly* more than Lair of Dreams, I want you to know I did love this whole book through and through.  I rated it 4.5 stars because the beginning was a bit slow, but in my opinion is really picked up and it ended with a bang.  

While I did struggle with Evie through this book, I think that's okay because I feel like she might have a lot in store for her in the last two books of the series.  In this novel, she's basically drinking all the time, blows off her friends, ignores her obvious love interest Jericho and continues to try and pawn him off on someone he's not romantically interested in and ignores her uncle for the entire book. That being said, I do think that she showed some changes in this book. Not good changes, but I think what happened to her had to happen. I think (and I could be wrong) that Evie might have a lot of changes coming for her in the next two books.

I loved watching the development of Ling and Henry's characters, and the development of their friendship. Ling is very....blunt and while she doesn't seem very abrupt, she's abrupt enough that I could see how some people might struggle with her. Henry seems to bring out this side to her that others might not see, though, and I loved that!  I also loved watching what happened to them while dream walking, from Ling being sort of detective like in her discover of who Wei-Mei really was to watching Henry learn what really happened to his love Louis.  

There was so much build up in this book, and some twists that may be only slightly obvious - and I was really surprised by some of the things that happened.  Looking back on a few things, they make sense, but when reading, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat.  The story was well plotted and well developed and once it got started, it was fast paced and there was a lot going on.  The story follows each character and their story so well, and weaves each characters arc into a story that left me needing to finish this story NOW.

Outside of the characters I already mentioned, I also loved seeing the character arcs of Memphis, Theta, and Isaiah. Mabel and some of the other characters were important to the story, but my favorites were those I mentioned above and Memphis, his brother, and Theta.  I liked learning more about Theta and her past, and watching her relationship with Henry change as well.  I loved watching Isaiah grow and learn more about himself and what he can do. He's so young, and still has such a long way to go in his life (assuming nothing happens to him) and I can't wait to see where he does go. Memphis really seems to be in a struggle because he has some stuff going on that he hides, and I love watching him grow with that struggle and the things he hides. I love watching him and Theta develop in their relationship even if they are not sharing much about that relationship with others.  

I think there were a lot of changes for the characters at the end of the Diviners, and that led to many of the characters feeling down, and going through some emotional changes and likely some emotional trauma. And the author delves into all that so well, and is sensitive to where each character is and where they should develop to.

On the last note: Bill, the "darling" gentleman that hangs out on the street, is absolutely going to rip shit open, I can just tell. I don't want to spoil anything if you haven't read this book yet, but holy shit this guy is just causing all sorts of havoc, and I definitely have suspicions about him.  That being said, he is important to the story and moves the story along so, so well.

I am so glad that I finally got to reading this book, and if you have never read it, please please do that. The characters, their development, the changes, the story and plot, the writing - it will all draw you in and create a reading experience you will absolutely enjoy!