Reviews with content warning for Death - The Diviners

This series has been literally my all-time favorite series since I first read it years ago, and after getting hit with a random urge to reread it, I'm thrilled to report that it still holds up!! This is a series that rewards careful rereading, and I'm biting drywall at some of the things I only just realized this time around. There's so much history and research packed into every page (which I concede could make it feel like a slog to anyone who's not into or used to reading dense historical fiction, but that's a selling point to me tbh), all of the characters are so unique and fun, and the spooky ghost-story vibes of this first installment in particular are just unmatched. I've read this book countless times before, and I'll likely read it so many more in the future.

This whole series is just so criminally underrated, I am frothing at the mouth, please come read these totally normal books that I am totally and completely normal about. ~~Also people need to stop being so mean to Evie; on god I'm gonna get that girl some grief counseling and an ADHD diagnosis and then you'll all be sorry!!~~

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cady_sass's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Oh man, here’s another one where I may get decimated by the booktube / booktok girlies. I was SO INTO this for the first 70%. This is a long ass book and I think I read that chunk in like 2-3 days. Then….. we lost the plot. I could not stay interested or engaged. It goes from plausibly supernatural in a fun way to completely off the wall unbelievable bonkers in a way that I simply can not keep up with what’s happening. I borrowed the audiobook to try to help myself just power through the last quarter of the book and it did not help. It took me 2 weeks to get through the last quarter and I just … idk, it’s not satisfying. I’m still confused. I want to reread it and see if its better/makes more sense the second time around, but also absolutely not because this book is SO long?! The internal struggle is real.

I think I’m not the right audience. Is this something that could make sense to someone else who enjoys a more deeply fantastical story? Probably. Am I that person? Absolutely not. I am a light fantasy type bitch and i thought you had me, but then you lost me. Rip my brain cells

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leastsquares's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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queerseer's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is thrilling, lovely, terrifying, sad, and diverse. It explores a society beyond the standard straight white rich viewpoints so prevalent early 20th century New York City, and has a lot to offer in terms of religious, supernatural and occult mystery and history. You’ll learn period-accurate slang, references and daily activities and it makes the setting that much richer. In fact, there’s SO much in the way of intrigue and fast-paced terror and brilliant characters…that I was kind of disappointed to reach the end and realize it was set up for a series. I, personally, feel exhausted from the adventure I just read and wish that the book had either been longer or gone differently to tie in all the backstory at once. Great standalone story, but not one I have any interest in learning more about afterward.

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