ARC Review: Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Title: Lair of Dreams Series: The Diviners #2 Author: Libba Bray Published: August 25, 2015 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers  (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: 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?

**** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher at BEA in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ****

*** This is the second book in a series and may contain spoilers for book 1. If you haven't read The Diviners, do that and come back. ***

Lair of Dreans is a posi-tute-ly fantastic sequel that once again proves why Libba Bray is one of my favorite authors. It once again takes the reader on a captivating ride through 1920's New York with complex characters, atmospheric supernatural elements and tons of mystery.

To me this one felt much more like a supernatural mystery and less like historical fiction. I loved the emphasis on the history and ideology of the 1920's in The Diviners. It balanced real life events and figures with fantasy elements so brilliantly. And yes, Lair of Dreams does that too. It takes the reader into the world of flappers, jazz, and chorus girls. But it's a little bit in Lair of Dreams it's toned down a lot. I can see this one being more appealing to readers who may not necessarily read or love historical fiction. But for me, who loves that genre, I wanted a little bit more of the history. But I also kind of wanted a little more of the little things that set the scene in the first book. For example, the slang. Maybe that was because I'm more used to it or maybe because it was toned down. But despite it not feeling quite so immersive, Lair of Dreams takes the readers to a fantastic historical setting.

But the toned down history gave more credence to the mystery elements. For one thing, Lair of Dreams is just as atmospheric and spooky as the first book. Libba's writing is fantastic and lyrical. Whether she's explaining the plot or setting the scene it all has a dark beauty that keeps you questioning. The mystery was probably my favorite part. This book was so intricate with lots of different plot lines and mysterious elements that didn't seem connected at all but they were incredibly purposeful and important to both the larger story of the series and the specific plot of this book. It had me on the edge of my seat and I loved watching the mystery unfold in a slow and deliberate way that had me guessing until the very end.

I also really loved the supernatural elements of the story. I wouldn't go so far as to call it horror but there are definitely some spooky and dark ghosts that had me very nervous both while reading and after I finished. What The Diviners did for whistling, this book does for the song Beautiful Dreamer is all I'm saying. But the antagonist wasn't quite so scary as Naughty John but they definitely had me worried for the characters. Thankfully they have their Diviners powers to help them out. I loved seeing them explore the powers even more in this book. We of course see more of the powers of the characters who were the center of the first book like Evie, Sam, and Memphis. But in this book, Henry takes center stage. We get to learn so much more about his Diviners power, dreamwalking. We also get to meet a new Diviner, Ling Chen who is also a dreamwalker. The dream world was both interesting and atmospheric. Frankly I'm glad I don't really remember my dreams otherwise I may have been more scared by this book.

And I can't talk about the supernatural elements of this book without talking about these characters. This is a book where there are so many perspectives but it works so well. I think honestly it worked even better in Lair of Dreams. Maybe that's because I have grown so attached to all of them in the course of this book. Their all so complex and captivating. What Libba Bray does so well is balance between the fun and fancy atmosphere of 1920's New York and the dark atmosphere of the supernatural mysteries. This is mirrored in the characters and their arcs throughout the book. Sure they are fun and silly with great banter that had me laughing out loud and cute romantic moments but there is more to them then that. They also all have these complicated pasts that we are slowly learning about. I'm excited to learn more about a few of them like Theta and Sam as the book develops more. We've only got hints of them so far. But the more time I can spend with these characters, the better. They're fantastic and I'm such a fan.

But I'm a fan of this book in general. It's a hulking mass of a book but it's still a fast-paced read that I couldn't put down. It had me on the edge of my seat needing to find out not only what happens with the plot but to these characters. I can't wait to see what happens next. This book is the berries!

I give Lair of Dream by Libba Bray 9.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! If you loved the first book and you have been anxiously awaiting it's sequel you will not be disappointed. It takes you back into the world of The Diviners with an even more mysterious storyline and you get to learn more about those characters you know and love. If you like supernatural mysteries or are looking for a spooky story that will have you on the edge of your seat then check this series out.

Have you read Lair of Dreams? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: The World Before Us by Aislin Hunter

Title: The World Before Us
Author: Aislin Hunter

Published: March 31, 2015 by Random House Crown

(Amazon / Goodreads)

Synopsis:  When she was just fifteen, smart, sensitive Jane Standen lived through a nightmare: she lost the sweet five-year-old girl she was minding during a walk in the woods. The little girl was never found, leaving her family, and Jane, devastated.

Now the grown-up Jane is an archivist at a small London museum that is about to close for lack of funding. As her one last project, she is searching the archives for scraps of information related to another missing person--a woman who disappeared some 125 years ago from a Victorian asylum. As the novel moves back and forth between the museum in contemporary London, the Victorian asylum, and a dilapidated country house that seems to connect both missing people, it unforgettably explores the repercussions of small acts, the power of affection, and the irrepressible vitality of everyday objects and events.

Here is a riveting, gorgeously written novel that powerfully reminds us of the possibility that we are less alone than we might think

I really wanted to like The World Before Us. It sounded like a total me book. Historical mystery, complex and a little on the darker side. Unfortunately it didn't quite work for me. While it was on the interesting side with complex and likable characters, the slower pace and muddled plot development prevented me from really enjoying the book

One thing that did work, was the characters, I enjoyed so many of them. The World Before Us had a rather large cast of characters, that is sometimes hard too do. There were so many secondary characters but they all felt very district. Many of them only appeared briefly but they still made an impression. They were likable and interesting, really making the book all the more engaging.  No one was more likable and engaging than the main character of Jane. She really carried this book and made it what it was. What I liked most about Jane is that she is far from perfect. She's defined by her failures but she doesn't let them control her. She was determined, intelligent, and committed to finding the truth. A lot of what kept me reading despite not totally enjoying the book, was Jane. I wanted to know how her story would end. I wanted to see her vindicated. It was these characters that made this book enjoyable for me.

But the hardest thing to explain about The World Around Us, is what I didn't like about the plot because I can't really explain the plot of the book. The combination of historical fiction and mystery is not an altogether odd combination, but here it felt that way. I've read my fair share of historical mysteries where we are taken back to a different time because of a mystery or connection to the present, I typically enjoy that. But here the addition of a supernatural element made it even more confusing and muddled. It was an extremely complex plot but unfortunately for me that came off as a little too confusing. And while I was interested to keep reading because I was curious about how it would end, when the reveal did occur it didn't have to power I thought it would. But worse than that, I didn't really feel like it resolved everything. When you have a lot of different plot points at work it's important to bring them all full circle and define their connection by the end. I didn't feel that connection. It felt like two or three very different things and the only way they were connected was Jane

But perhaps it didn't have that strong an ending for me because the pacing was problematic. And while it took me so much longer to read this book than I expected, The World Around Us is the rare occasion where the book could have been longer. Or maybe it was just a little too front-loaded. I felt like the beginning if the book was just filled with exposition. The author had to establish two different storylines, and she may have gotten a little carried away. By the end it seemed hard to reel things in. It kept plotting along adding new wrinkles to the story but then it just abruptly ended. It didn't have a strong climax with falling action to wrap things up.

What The World Before Us really proved to me is that I am a much bigger fan of plot-driven stories. It's books with a strong and engaging storyline that steadily builds to something thrilling that I typically enjoy. A book can have great characters but if those characters are the ones that move things along then it's not going to be a book that I will love. I think that's a little bit what happened here. It's not a bad book, it's just not the book for me despite the really great concept.

I give The World Before Us by Aislin Hunter 7 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. If you are reading this and thinking, I love really character-driven historical fantasies where there is a lot going on then definitely check this book out. If you don't mind a more slower paced atmospheric read then invest the time in this one.

Have you read The World Before Us? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: The Quick by Lauren Owen

Title: The Quick  Author: Lauren Owen  Published: June 17, 2014 by Random House Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: An astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London   London, 1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society, and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Unnerved, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine city that greets her, she uncovers a secret world at the margins populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling “Doctor Knife.”  But the answer to her brother’s disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of one of the country’s preeminent and mysterious institutions: The Aegolius Club, whose members include the most ambitious, and most dangerous, men in England. In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction’s most dazzling talents.

 *** I received a copy from the publisher in return for an honest review. My opinion has not been affected by this fact ***

It's hard to call this book bad, but it's also hard to call it good. One thing I can definitely call it is long. Not physically long, more emotionally long. It took me all month to read it and despite enjoying a lot of things about the book I struggled a little through reading it.

One of the best things about the book was the writing style. Despite the fact that it a recent debut it reads much more like a classic than a piece if recent fiction. Like the setting of the book, it harkens back to a time long past. The prose was beautiful and engaging without a doubt. But much the classics to which I refer, The Quick just felt a little wordy and unnecessarily detailed. Perhaps my modern sensibilities can't handle something with vintage tendencies.

But for me the pacing was problematic. It started off very slow and then about halfway through, I was happy to see that it was getting very interesting but then everything fizzled at the end. I think it's biggest problem was that the beginning was just a lot of exposition. The synopsis makes you think we're dealing with only a few characters but the book is so much more detailed that that. There are many different storylines and characters being set up at the start of the book. Eventually they do end up intertwining and connecting later in the book, which was actually quite interesting.

I think what I was expecting is a Gothic mystery full of surprises but what I got was a supernatural story full of dramatic irony. Maybe I just thought the twist was obvious because of the books that this one was compared to, including one of my absolute favorite books. Maybe I was just expecting something of that caliber. Or maybe the dramatic irony was intentional or the authors inability to come out and state the obvious was more of a plot point than I thought. Either way I wasn't quite blown away by the twists and would have liked a little more mystery. 

Despite the harsh criticism I did enjoy the book. It was a good exploration into the world of the supernatural creature that inhabit this book. There was so much deep analysis of them and their mythology making me quite curious about the characters and their scientific study of the supernatural. It was an interesting spin on the genre and it's world-building. 

I think I would have liked the book so much more if thare had been a little slicing and dicing in the editing process. It's respectable and hearty 500 pages felt more like 1,000 at times and despite enjoying the plot and the characters, it was a struggle to finish. 

I give The Quick by Lauren Owen a 7 out of 10

I would recommend this books to fans of Supermatural fiction or Historical Thrillers who are invested for the long haul. This is not a book for the more casual reader, this book is an investment.

Have you read The Quick? Tell me your thoughts? Have you ever read anything that felt longer than it was? Tell me about in the comments down below! Thanks for watching... And HAPPY READING!