School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-The Diviners are back, this time facing off against mysterious ghosts while at simultaneously working to uncover the sinister plans of the very real Jacob Marlowe. The Diviners struggle not only with fighting the unexplained but with bigotry and prejudice. The group of unlikely friends find comfort in each other and band together to destroy the evil that lurks in the city. While there is plenty of action, it is seeing the characters, who are relatable despite having extraordinary gifts, develop that will keep listeners coming back for more. However, some get more "spotlight" in this installment than others: Theta, whose past comes back to haunt her, and Evie, whose relationships are tested. January LaVoy once again shows her incredible range by playing a large and varied cast of characters, in addition to the creepy phantoms. VERDICT There is something for everyone to enjoy in this unique series that blends history, romance, action, and the paranormal with a bit of social commentary.-Theresa Horn, St. Joseph County Public Library, South Bend, IN © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
LaVoy reprises her excellent narration for this third volume in the series starring a diverse group of teens with extrasensory abilities in 1920s New York City. Here the Diviners fight both supernatural and human evils on many fronts while they continue to seek the truth about their own origins. The otherworldly horrors are deeply intertwined with societal onessuch as WWI, eugenics, and murderous labor disputesas well as the teens personal struggles. Despite the books length and the series ever-?growing cast of primary characters, LaVoy adeptly maintains tension throughout, fully and convincingly embodying each voice, from the individual Diviners (effervescent flapper Evie, romantic poet Memphis, determined activist Mabel, pre-teen seer Isaiah) to the chilling King of Crows and his army of vengeful ghosts. katie bircher (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
This third installment in Bray's speculative historical-fiction series continues to spin the stories of its large ensemble of supernaturally gifted characters in 1920s New York City.The patients and staff at the fictional Manhattan State Hospital for the Insane (Bray discusses mental illness in an author's note) are terrorized by murderous ghosts as the novel opens, quickly setting the tone of atmospheric horror that has characterized this epic. This draws in the Diviners, who must confront a menacing otherworldly figure called the King of Crows. The tale is told in two parts, and details of imagined government conspiracies are laced with heartbreakingly realistic injustices such as racism, anti-Semitism, and maltreatment of the mentally ill. The diverse protagonists are intricately developed; poet Memphis and his young brother Isaiah are black; Ling is Chinese and Irish-American, uses leg braces and crutches, and is both demisexual and lesbian; Sam is Jewish; Theta and Evie are white, as is Henry, who is gay. While readers might be surprised that what seems like the lead-up to a showdown between dimensions doesn't materialize, there is no shortage of action to keep them going: ravenous ghosts, Shadow Men, secret bands of anarchists, and first sexual experiences, among them.A solid middle entry that will satisfy readers hooked on this seriesand leave them eager for the next. (Historical/paranormal thriller. 14-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Ghost attacks are on the rise in this third volume of the Diviners quartet, which picks up soon after Bray's gang of preternaturally gifted teens puts an end to the sleeping sickness infecting New York City in Lair of Dreams (2015). The King of Crows, who haunted the pages of the previous novels, comes into sharper focus here, as the Diviners learn of his ugly origins and violent purpose all tied to the city's ghosts and the secret government program Project Buffalo. Now the group has coalesced into a unified team through its investigations and its work with Evie's uncle Will to increase its powers, both individually and as a group, turning these bright young things into the original ghost busters. The narrative is a many-tentacled thing, reaching into the minds of the seven Diviners as well as myriad other characters, not the least of whom are Jake Marlowe, Mabel Rose, and blind Bill Johnson. The array of voices comes predominantly from immigrants, minorities, and the forgotten dead, and within the supernatural swirls of action is a none-too-subtle indictment of the eugenics movement and white supremacy that crackles with relevance today. It is a gripping, unsettling read that peels back the shiny surface of the American dream. Like the ghosts facing the Diviners, Bray's novel has teeth.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2017 Booklist
