Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Summary (from Goodreads):

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." But not everyone is so accepting of the Diviners' abilities...

Meanwhile, mysterious deaths have been turning up in the city, victims of an unknown sleeping sickness. Can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld and catch a killer?

Review:

If you’ve read my blog before, you know Libba Bray is my favorite author today. I got to meet her for a second time this year at BEA. She came to do a special talk in the librarian’s lounge just for librarians. And I was in the front row…I’m an extremely lucky person. I love what I do for a living. And I love blogging on the side. I get to meet a lot of authors. For some reason though, I always find myself stumbling in Libba’s presence. I’m pretty sure I said something like, “You’re the best,” and then looked at the floor like an idiot.

All embarrassment aside, I have loved everything this woman has written. Everything is different. And each story has such fantastic characters. I read her books, and wish I could write like her. Needless to say, I’ve been waiting for this one for some time. The pub date kept getting pushed back further and further (it officially comes out in a couple weeks). I practically pounced on this ARC when it was handed to me at that librarian’s lounge. And I’ve definitely hugged this thing a few times.

Again, came this magnificent New York setting. I felt like I was there, listening to the 20’s slang. Everything was Jake while I watched my favorite characters sipping soup in China Town, partying in famous hotels, and sipping sodas in Harlem. The city, itself, is a character, and I never forgot about it.

There were some new characters and more supernatural-related deaths. While book 1 involved a serial killer and I didn’t think this could get much darker, this one involved a ghost who killed people by asking them to dream. People would fall into an endless nightmare and die in the real world.

All the love triangle elements I loved from book 1 were still there. So were the mysteries about an enormous conspiracy. Throw in some seriously creepy folks who have their eye on all the diviners, a diviner radio show, a fake engagement, plenty of illegal booze, budding romances, serious twists, and even more questions about Evie’s uncle and just exactly how he’s involved in everything.

There’s so much I still seriously need to know and I can’t wait for the next book, which I have a feeling will deal a lot more with the conspiracy. It was also great getting to know the other characters better. While the book didn’t center too much on Theta, I feel like I know her a lot better. I certainly know and love Henry more. Ling was an amazing addition to the cast. Sam became even more interesting. And a little more was explained for Jericho’s behavior too. I also can’t forget the amazing Memphis (who has a super evil diviner living in his home and making friends with his kid brother).

There are so many layers to this book. There are so many characters and points of view. I felt like a fan girl by the end when they all got together. I couldn’t believe they were all in one spot. It was such a fun ending. I wish it lasted longer. And that’s saying something. This book is a monster at 690 pages (or at least the ARC is).

This is one fun, beautifully written story. It was hard to put down, yet at the same time I had to put it down after a time to soak it all in. The characters were amazing. The city was amazing. And the mystery has me asking so many questions. I love the darkness and the romance of it all. I can’t wait for the next one. I give it a 10/10.