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A review by megsbookishtwins
The King of Crows by Libba Bray
4.0
Disclaimer: I received this free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION SPOILERS FOR THE DIVINERS SERIES AHEAD.
After the explosion that killed one of their own, the Diviners find themselves wanted and on the run from the Shadow Men, while also being on the brink of war with The King of Crows, and also having to steer clear of the KKK, the Pinkerton’s, and everyone else wanting a to claim the reward money. Isaiah receives a vision from Sarah Beth Olsen who believes she knows how to defeat the King of Crows-but she needs the Diviner’s help to do it. The Diviners must now travel to Bountiful, Nebraska and join forces with Sarah Beth Olsen to put a stop to the King of Crows and his army of dead.
I don’t often complete series, purely because there is always another story to dive into and I often end up forgetting about the next book in ther series and then the next, and so on. But, there is something so enticing and alluring about The Diviners series that has kept bringing me back despite the years long wait. I read the first novel, The Diviners back in 2016 and absolutely loved it. The glamour, the romance, the horror. It was just so atmospheric and captivating. But it isn’t just the plot that brings me back, it is all the wonderful and bold characters that are the real gem of this series.
Evie. Evie. Evie. Not a easy character to like, she is so flawed. She is pos-i-tute-ly tiring – enthusiastic, energetic, thoughtless, a liar, a dreamer, a partier and an attention seeker but she had a kindness and a sincerity to her that I really did love. But really it isn’t just Evie’s story, there is Memphis, Theta, Sam, Henry, Ling, Jericho, and so many more brilliantly developed and fleshed out characters. In The King of Crows, we see them a little differently – in seperate groups. While escaping New York they all get seperated and try and make their way to Bountiful, Nebraska. Sam, Evie, Isaiah, and Theta joining the circus and I loved Evie and Theta getting closer. Memphis, Bill, and Henry catch a train only to have to jump from it in order to escape the Pinkertons and end up in Mississippi during a terrible flood. Ling and Jericho, a pair we haven’t really seen interact much, join Alma’s all girl orchesta group on the road. The King of Crows, for me, was a less of a story about defeating the King of Crows, and more about their own personal journeys. Discovering themselves, and confronting their own personal ghosts.
Libba Bray has a actual gift in creating her worlds and the atmosphere. The 1920s ‘glamourous’ American atmosphere perfectly blended with the supernatural and eerie atmosphere. She really delves deep into the racism, Jim Crow laws, segregation, xenophobia, homophobia, anti-Semitism, poverty, misogyny, and other prejudices and bigotry of 1920s America.
The reason it is only getting four stars is purely because of it’s kind of lackluster ending. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy how and who defeated the King of Crows because I really loved that. As the book had a slow but steady pace throughout most of the novel, the last couple of chapters was kind of a whirlwind but also still didn’t really leave me satisfied. A personal opinion, but still didn’t really affect the quality of the novel much – it just meant it hasn’t been my favourite novel of the series.
The Diviners series in a genuine work of art and after all these years, it is a little sad the it has come to an end BUT it is a series I couldn’t recommend enough. Please, do yourself a favour and READ THIS SERIES.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION SPOILERS FOR THE DIVINERS SERIES AHEAD.
After the explosion that killed one of their own, the Diviners find themselves wanted and on the run from the Shadow Men, while also being on the brink of war with The King of Crows, and also having to steer clear of the KKK, the Pinkerton’s, and everyone else wanting a to claim the reward money. Isaiah receives a vision from Sarah Beth Olsen who believes she knows how to defeat the King of Crows-but she needs the Diviner’s help to do it. The Diviners must now travel to Bountiful, Nebraska and join forces with Sarah Beth Olsen to put a stop to the King of Crows and his army of dead.
I don’t often complete series, purely because there is always another story to dive into and I often end up forgetting about the next book in ther series and then the next, and so on. But, there is something so enticing and alluring about The Diviners series that has kept bringing me back despite the years long wait. I read the first novel, The Diviners back in 2016 and absolutely loved it. The glamour, the romance, the horror. It was just so atmospheric and captivating. But it isn’t just the plot that brings me back, it is all the wonderful and bold characters that are the real gem of this series.
Evie. Evie. Evie. Not a easy character to like, she is so flawed. She is pos-i-tute-ly tiring – enthusiastic, energetic, thoughtless, a liar, a dreamer, a partier and an attention seeker but she had a kindness and a sincerity to her that I really did love. But really it isn’t just Evie’s story, there is Memphis, Theta, Sam, Henry, Ling, Jericho, and so many more brilliantly developed and fleshed out characters. In The King of Crows, we see them a little differently – in seperate groups. While escaping New York they all get seperated and try and make their way to Bountiful, Nebraska. Sam, Evie, Isaiah, and Theta joining the circus and I loved Evie and Theta getting closer. Memphis, Bill, and Henry catch a train only to have to jump from it in order to escape the Pinkertons and end up in Mississippi during a terrible flood. Ling and Jericho, a pair we haven’t really seen interact much, join Alma’s all girl orchesta group on the road. The King of Crows, for me, was a less of a story about defeating the King of Crows, and more about their own personal journeys. Discovering themselves, and confronting their own personal ghosts.
Libba Bray has a actual gift in creating her worlds and the atmosphere. The 1920s ‘glamourous’ American atmosphere perfectly blended with the supernatural and eerie atmosphere. She really delves deep into the racism, Jim Crow laws, segregation, xenophobia, homophobia, anti-Semitism, poverty, misogyny, and other prejudices and bigotry of 1920s America.
The reason it is only getting four stars is purely because of it’s kind of lackluster ending. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy how and who defeated the King of Crows because I really loved that. As the book had a slow but steady pace throughout most of the novel, the last couple of chapters was kind of a whirlwind but also still didn’t really leave me satisfied. A personal opinion, but still didn’t really affect the quality of the novel much – it just meant it hasn’t been my favourite novel of the series.
The Diviners series in a genuine work of art and after all these years, it is a little sad the it has come to an end BUT it is a series I couldn’t recommend enough. Please, do yourself a favour and READ THIS SERIES.