Books › The diviners

The diviners
608 pages
A glitzy, jazz-soaked romp through the Roaring Twenties that slowly reveals a terrifying, blood-drenched underbelly.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a roaring speakeasy where the jazz is loud, the gin is cold, and something monstrous is waiting in the coatroom. It masterfully balances the glittering, fast-talking glamour of 1920s New York with a creeping, dread-soaked horror that genuinely chills. The prose is incredibly immersive, heavily stylized with period-accurate slang and cinematic flair that makes the city itself feel like a living, breathing character. While the page count is hefty, the steady pacing allows a sprawling ensemble cast of misfits to shine, each grappling with their own secrets and supernatural burdens. It is a perfect fit for readers who want their historical fantasy served with a side of sassy banter, occult mysteries, and unapologetic, spine-tingling terror.
- Mood
- glitzy
- dread-soaked
- eerie
- vibrant
- Tone
- theatrical
- sassy
- ominous
- wry
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- the dark underbelly of glamour · hidden identities · found family of misfits · confronting historical sins
- The writing
- Cinematic and highly stylized, the narration drips with authentic 1920s slang and lush, sensory descriptions that bring the era to life.
- The arc
- Begins with the intoxicating thrill of newfound freedom and descends into a chilling confrontation with ancient, inescapable malice.
- Who it's for
- Fans of sprawling ensemble casts, historical glamour, and genuine supernatural horror will devour this atmospheric brick of a book.
Content notes
- graphic murder
- gore
- occult themes
- historical racism
- religious fanaticism
About the book
Do you believe there are ghosts and demons and Diviners among us?
Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.
Evie worries he'll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.
As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfurl in the city that never sleeps. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened....
Description from Open Library.
Books like The diviners
See why they match
Lair of DreamsLibba BrayA glittering, jazz-soaked descent into the terrifying nightmares lurking beneath the American Dream.
Rebel AngelsLibba BrayA glittering, gothic descent into Victorian high society and the intoxicating, dangerous magic that lies just beneath its corseted surface.
The Raven BoysMaggie StiefvaterAn autumnal, slow-burn exploration of fate, obsession, and the fierce loyalty of a deeply entangled found family.
City of GhostsVictoria SchwabA delightfully chilly romp through haunted cobblestone streets that balances genuine spooks with the warmth of an unbreakable friendship.
Anna Dressed in BloodKendare BlakeA blood-soaked, atmospheric ghost story that balances visceral horror with a surprisingly tender, doomed romance.
JackabyWilliam RitterA delightfully eccentric romp through a gaslamp-lit world where the supernatural hides in plain sight.