Lair of Dreams (The Diviners #2) Review

Hello, all!

As stated in my last post, I've quickly become engrossed in The Diviners series, so much so that once I finished the first book, I immediately picked up Lair of Dreams. I've tried to keep this as un-spoilery as possible, but still heads up.

Pub Date: 8-25-15
YA - Historical Fiction/Paranormal

Henry DuBois III has a special talent. He, like his friend Evie O'Neill, is a Diviner, and dream walking is his specialty. Unlike Evie, Henry keeps his power to himself and his best friend, Theta. Henry uses his powers to traverse the dreamland desperately trying to find his lost love, Louis but has never been successful. Until the night he meets Ling Chan. Henry has never met another dream walker before, so he's instantly intrigued, but Ling wants nothing to do with him. Ever the persistent one, Henry refuses to let up, and the pair strike a deal: Ling will help Henry if he helps her uncover the root of the sleeping sickness which is ravaging the City leaving victims in its wake.

The pair discover their powers are heightened while together, and eventually, they're successful. Henry is reunited with Louis, while Ling meets a young woman named Wai-Mae, who has an uncanny ability to manifest entire objects within the dreamscape. Despite Theta's reservations about the sleeping sickness, Henry and Ling escape to the dream world night after night. Henry to spend time with his Louis, and Ling to learn how to harness her abilities with Wai-Mae. But the more time spent with Louis and Wai-Mae, the more Henry and Ling discover there's something very off. When Henry falls victim to the sleeping sickness, it's up to Ling, Theta, and the rest of the gang to fight off another supernatural being before it's too late.

There's always that slight fear going into a second book in a series that it won't live up the the first, but boy, did this one ever! I enjoyed following Henry in this one (especially because Evie was annoying the heck out of me) and delving into his backstory. As much as I love Henry and Theta's friendship, I thought he and Ling were great together. Henry is so goofy and puppy-like and Ling is completely no-nonsense and very scientific, so watching the two of them banter was hilarious. I'm still not fully sold on Jericho and Mabel, but I'm here for the rest of the gang, and can't wait to see how they all evolve and work together. I will say, I didn't think the Veiled Woman mystery was as gripping as the Naughty John case in the first book, and there were bits I figured out beforehand, but regardless, I enjoyed this. I also can't wait to see what happens next after the bombshell that was dropped at the end. Overall, this was a solid follow up, and I can't wait to continue with the series.

Rating: 4/5