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A review by itsmeyseniab
The Diviners by Libba Bray
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was one of my most anticipated reads for the autumn season, and let me tell you it did not fail to put me in the fall mood! I was a little bit nervous to pick this one up because of all of the hype it has received, but I believe that the hype is well deserved.
The plot was SPOOKY. I loved how Libba Bray combined the supernatural, mystery/thriller, fantasy, romance and historical fiction all into one novel! In this we follow a cast of characters known as “Diviners” (those who have special abilities such as object reading, wielding fire, etc.) who are trying to hunt down someone - or something - that has murdered several people across New York City in the 1920s. I think the story itself was really fun and kept me entertained! I will say that this is more of a slow burn to start, but once I got invested I was IN IT.
I LOVED how character driven this story was. Although this is told in multiple POVs I didn’t find it hard to follow at all because each character had a very distinct voice. The two standout characters for me were Evie and Theta (the Flapper girl and the Ziegfeld girl/showgirl respectively). They stole the show every time they were in a scene and I loved how snarky they both were! I can’t wait to see all of our characters learn more about their abilities and each other in other novels!
Although I think that this novel could’ve been shortened a little bit, I appreciate how atmospheric it was and how much detail went into the 1920s setting. I truly felt like I was there and I definitely see myself revisiting this novel during this time of the year in the future! All in all, this was an excellent start to the series and I am VERY eager to pick up the next three!
The plot was SPOOKY. I loved how Libba Bray combined the supernatural, mystery/thriller, fantasy, romance and historical fiction all into one novel! In this we follow a cast of characters known as “Diviners” (those who have special abilities such as object reading, wielding fire, etc.) who are trying to hunt down someone - or something - that has murdered several people across New York City in the 1920s. I think the story itself was really fun and kept me entertained! I will say that this is more of a slow burn to start, but once I got invested I was IN IT.
I LOVED how character driven this story was. Although this is told in multiple POVs I didn’t find it hard to follow at all because each character had a very distinct voice. The two standout characters for me were Evie and Theta (the Flapper girl and the Ziegfeld girl/showgirl respectively). They stole the show every time they were in a scene and I loved how snarky they both were! I can’t wait to see all of our characters learn more about their abilities and each other in other novels!
Although I think that this novel could’ve been shortened a little bit, I appreciate how atmospheric it was and how much detail went into the 1920s setting. I truly felt like I was there and I definitely see myself revisiting this novel during this time of the year in the future! All in all, this was an excellent start to the series and I am VERY eager to pick up the next three!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Abortion and Domestic abuse