The Diviners

Book Title: The Diviners

Author: Libba Bray

Series: The Diviners #1

Date Started: July 21st 2019

Date Completed: August 14th 2019

Genres: Historical, Mystery, Romance, Horror

Quality Rating: Four Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars

Final Rating: Four Stars

Review:

This book has been on my kindle for years, I have the second novel as a digital ARC, and I'm so glad. I devoured this book, everything from the mystery to the politics to the romance. It's historically rich, enjoyably written and teeming with varied characters with their own vast backstories. As I was reading it, it almost felt like a well-made television show, spanning several side plots but with a strong focus on its main storyline pulling it through.

The writing was well researched, with a nice blend of real-world things and creative license in what was presented. But the real politics and representation - and the experiences of different communities during the 1920s - was what really elevated this book. It felt very real, and therefore even the fantastical elements were more believable. My issue is that there were some really obvious jumps in logic and a couple of mistakes in the order of events in a scene. Whether they were overlooked in editing or just weird choices, they staggered me and totally pulled me out for a moment. It's still worth it, they're little annoyances more than anything else, but it did strike me as weird for a finished book to have what were very obvious and easy-to-fix flaws.

What this book absolutely succeeds in is mixing the supernatural genre with 1920s New York. In some ways not too hard, in others near impossible. But the supernatural mystery was chilling and engaging rather than just there for the scare factor. The whole book is very atmospheric, in its creepy scenes but also on the booming New York streets and the back alleys. It's Bray's ability to contrast these that makes everything work in the end.

The way Bray explores all these different atmospheres and environments is through her cast of characters - and it's a big cast. At the heart of it is Evie O'Neill who is utterly fascinating. She's spoilt, selfish and annoying at the best of times. Yet there wasn't a moment I didn't root for her. Even more, she's clever and brave and can be exceedingly kind. Maybe it says more about our society than the book that I'm so surprised Bray managed to pull that off, but to have a female character who is at times dislikable and still see her as a complex person worthy of being the heroic protagonist was a breath of fresh air and a high merit for the novel.

Unfortunately, I do have to admit that the final climax felt like a bit of a let down since, having spent the book learning about all these different characters, only two of them (and eventually one) were at the finale. I'm sure that at the end of the series there's going to be an explosive finish with everyone coming together for one massive standoff for good and evil, but even having the majority of the primary cast absent at the end of this first installment felt disappointing. I wanted more of everyone; I didn't want any of their stories to end.

I'm already reading the second book and loving it, so if that isn't a recommendation I don't know what is. There are some frustrating blips in this series, but overall it is a highly entertaining and worthwhile read that you can race through or take your time with.