The King of Crows

Yeah this went by fast

3,5 stars

It's taken me years to finally get done with this series, and with a sigh of relief I have made it.

That is not to say I did not enjoy the series, because I did, and I will absolutely be re-reading it, but to know the ending of a story that has been taking up space in my brain for so long I am happy to be able to turn the final pages and know what happens to characters I feel like I know so intimately.

I've seen some reviews about how slow this book was compared to the others, but I honestly didn't notice or feel that at all. The writing was so beautiful and the social commentary was so interesting that I really felt like it was the perfect length.

I find I am usually let down by endings to series, too, feeling that the conclusion doesn't live up to the suspense being built up, but again, I didn't get that feeling with this book either. I think it ended exactly as it should have, and I'm both saddened and glad of this.

i can’t remember the last time a series shook me to the core like this. in a way, i felt like my bibliophile sixteen year old self again. also, i was definitely crying for the last 20% of it ;——; full review to come

Maybe for of a 3.5 but uhh, I can't believe how ... just okay this was. I Loved Before the Devil Breaks You so much (and this whole series) but this was .. so boring? At one point it was almost a chore to pick it up. Nothing happens for most of it, the characters just wander around. All the momentum from the end of the last book is lost. Some of the character arcs didn't make sense to me and the climax was unsatisfying and way too easy/quick. I don't even want to talk about it, it hurts me to not give this a five star after waiting literally ten years for this series conclusion.

★★★★ 4 I-can't-believe-it's-over Stars! OH.MY. It's been like what? 4 years? 5 years? One of my most favorite series ever has ended! Gloriously. Magnificently. Positudely. What an elephant's eyebrows this series is. The friendship game is on point. The diversity of characters is amazing (I LOVE Henry). The plot kept me at the edge of my seat and I just love the quiet spookiness that the pages brought. But, OK, to be absolutely honest, though. The ending just gave me the... wait, that's it? kind of moment (it's as if the editor rushed Ms.Bray to hand in the manuscript and so she just submitted what she had with her asap). That's probably because the whole book was like a friggin rollercoaster to me. But anyway, I'm so glad I finally get to see what happened with all the chracters that I love. AHHH I'm so sad it's over! For those who haven't heard of the Diviners, it's about a gang of teenagers with a subtle superpower set in the 1920s. It's creepy, funny, endearing, and you gonna love it.

UPDATE FROM REREAD SEPTEMBER 2022 every time I finish king of crows a small part of my soul dies because I have to say goodbye to this world again. I think my fundamental problem with this book is that it isn't books 1-3. There were moments that because I'd read it before, didn't affect me as much as they would if this was new in which case I would have physically sobbed like a baby but there were also scenes that I'd forgotten that still made me gasp (view spoiler)[I forgot woody died and I didn't realise I cared about him that much until he was gone (hide spoiler)]. Some of it was absolutely PHENOMENAL like I will never get over 'Sermon' and the river analogies but also a lot of it read like a draft that hadn't been finally proofread (my copy had a sentence repeated randomly at one point (view spoiler)[and doc called jericho jericho at one point without knowing his name was jericho (hide spoiler)]) and I still don't understand who the king of crows is ???? but all in all, still my absolute favourite book series of all time, still emotionally invested in everything that happened, and will definitely be rereading it again. it's 1.30am and I am a broken person

oh that ending gave me chills man.. libba bray is so unbelievably good at telling 19 different stories at once and making them all weave so perfectly together

This book satisfied the following 2020 Sugarpop requirements: [1] A book with a bird on the cover, [2] A book that's published in 2020, [3] A book set in the 1920s. This series has been a dark, poetic adventure from start to finish. This final installment in the series was nothing if not what we expected - a final showdown between the King of Crows and the Diviners. While I did enjoy it, I'm going to rate this 4 stars on Goodreads. It was a great book and I think the ending was satisfying, but there were elements of the book that took me out of the story. Lets start with the positives. I absolutely love Libba Bray's writing style when she's writing horror. It's amazing. I want to read a full book of her ghost stories. They're poetic and creepy and they have just enough of that chilling description to keep you rooted to the page. I love them. I love how she works them in anecdotally to show how this is happening all over the country to normal, average people who did nothing to incite the direct rage of these ghosts. I also love how she describes these ghosts, alongside her main villain for which this book is named. I will never forget how incredible the description of him is the first time they met properly in book three and it has always stuck with me. Her main villain is a tulpa-like manifestation of all that is wrong in America at the time (and currently, as most of the issues are still present dangers to people in modern times, though not to the same extent). I love the characters - most of them - and how they're three-dimensional people. They have flaws and qualities that make them jump off the page. I am also glad that there were casualties of the ending, since it was such a big thing to have happen. And, overall, I like how it ended. It felt right. The cons: I didn't enjoy every person having an epiphany about going home who wasn't originally from New York. Seriously, I just wanted to roll my eyes every time they ever so conveniently made it so that someone could hit their home town. I'm all for it if it tied into the plot, but it seemed more like emotional baiting to me than being fully necessary to the story. I did appreciate that it let them explore the turmoil that the country was dealing with, but I don't think it needed to be a checklist of home towns to do that. It seemed too stitched up, too perfect. I like a good open ending, personally. I don't need every i to be dotted, every t to be crossed. I also think that the characters were a bit willfully ignorant regarding Sarah Beth. Like that was REALLY obvious and I felt like I was getting smacked in the face a bit every time she said something suspect. It wasn't to the point of being talked down to as a reader, but it wasn't good enough that I'd consider it good suspense. (You want good suspense? Those ghost stories, man. Magnificent.) I also feel like there was a lot of stagnation. The other books constantly keep you jogging toward that answer, that goal. This book? This book the ending literally captures them and forces them into the final confrontation. I simply felt there was a whole lot more that they could have done to keep the energy going. I also feel like all that traveling was 100% because the author wanted to be melodramatic and have the final confrontation happen in Death Valley. All in all, I'm glad I've read it. I'm glad the characters got a satisfying ending. I'm glad that the King of Crows was finally thwarted. I'm glad to be keeping this on my bookshelf. Was it the best ending I've ever read? No. But it was the ending Libba Bray intended. Would I recommend this series to others? Wholeheartedly yes.

I posi-tute-ly adored this series! I loved the strong cast of characters and how everything, right from the first book, was leading to the end of this one. I loved the strong messaging throughout the book, which is super relevant to today (2021) despite being published a little while ago. It’s also sad it’s still relevant. I loved each character’s arc, and their redemptions. I loved the ending and who ended up together. I loved everything about this series and I’m so glad I picked it up!

Wow. What a finale! This is the book that made me love the series.. don’t know if that’s great for the series if the best one is the last one, but I don’t care because it makes me want to reread it from the beginning. YA, horror, sci-fi, and fantasy all in one plus a lot of social commentary and life lessons.

Am I sad that this series is over? Yes, yes I am. I'm way too attached with the characters now. The beginning and the end is uh-may-zing, but man, the middle is so goddamn boring, I literally almost dozed off multiple times while listening to the audiobook. And sometimes the characters annoyed me so, so much I want to smack some sense out of them.

this was good but sooooo long. i mean not only numerically, physically, but because such a significant part of the novel is travelling (one of my least favourite tropes / devices in fiction) - also as a state of mind. either way, i liked that libba bray did not shy away from incorporating the very much historical facts of racism and the rising eugenics movement and the kkk and homophobia, in her book; all appeared well researched, historically. i do believe it was relevant, given that she has both characters who are poc, as well as lgbt+ - and putting this to the forefront is important, given that such topics remain extremely relevant nowadays. however, as a white person, i cannot be the judge of how successful she was in this - even though i was pleasantly surprised that it was a very conscious choice, particularly as she is a white author. beyond that, i wish the book had concentrated a bit more on the deliciously creepy details that made me love the first book so much. i honestly feel like a lot of the travelling parts could have been either cut out or transformed to feel more purposeful for the characters' development. [spoiler]one such example that is fresh in my mind is memphis realising that he never gave away his power to the king of crows, but rather to all the people he had healed throughout his life, and that he could harness it back. it felt like there wasn't much build up to this but it was rather sudden towards the end. which is a shame because this was such a long book. and i can't help but wonder, could this have been incorporated better, narrative-wise, with him being the voice of tomorrow? or did it perhaps fly over my head entirely?[/spoiler] however, i still think this was a good ending of the series. in spite of my one complaint and that i enjoyed the first book the most, it is still amazing to think how far this series has transformed.

The audiobook is great. The story on the other hand didn't fully convince me in this. It just didn't really conclude in a satisfying way for me sadly. But I mean still obviously a good book with really strong characters.

I don’t know how to feel… Just empty

3.75 - started off with a 4 and the build-up was SO GREAT, not saying the ending was bad or anything, it just fell a tad shorter than the rest of the book. Still, appreciate how Bray has woven bits of current issues in society into a fiction book set 100 years ago, relevant. Very glad I chose to listen to the audio version, splendid experience.

An absolutely incredible and ambitious series. I love it so much. Beautifully woven fact and fiction and history.

After finishing the final installment to one of my new favorite series, I am definitely feeling conflicting feelings. There is no denying that this is one of the best series I have ever read, but the final book left me feeling...empty? Unsatisfied? Let down. Stay with me as I attempt to get my thought into words. Let's start with a summary. The diviners are now wanted criminals. The very people who used to love and worship them, are now eager to bring them into "justice" after the death of Sara Snow, the new American sweetheart. After a rather vile speech given by Marlowe himself, everyone is eager to claim the money prize after turning in the diviners alive. Needing to make a quick exit, the diviners combine their powers in order to escape the angry mob. Unfortunately, everyone is split in different directions. They plan on rejoining up in Bountiful, Nebraska. Each group of diviners eventually get there after a rather lengthy journey. In Bountiful, they meet up with another diviner named Sarah Beth Olson who claims she knows how to stop the king of crows. Isaiah is immediately drawn to her because they share the same powers. The diviners soon learn that not everything is what it seems and that sometimes trusting the wrong people can lead to devastating consequences. The final show down between the diviners and the king of crows will finally arrive and not everyone will walk away alive. **Spoilers ahead** Things I liked - Libba Bray is an AMAZING writer. She can spin a sentence like none other. The amount of imagery she weaves throughout her story truly makes her book come alive. - The diviners are such awesome characters! They are flawed, make mistakes, lie...which makes them human. We see their struggles, but we also see their humanity and how they strife to do the right thing. I love how diverse and different each character is. - The storyline over all four books (for the most part) is extremely addicting and satisfying. I loved learning more and more about project buffalo and seeing how morally grey each character is. - The creepiness in the series is wonderful! Bray has a twisted brain and I'm super here for it. - This is the first time ever that the character chose the love interest I wanted them to choose! Sam an Evie just make sense. Jericho is a good guy, but not for Evie. - Love Memphis and Thetta. Things I Didn't Like - There was a lot of traveling in this book, which is fine. However, I felt like have the book was the diviners trying to meet up and then when they finally did...nothing much happened. We waited some more and when the final battle took place it was....underwhelming. - The death of Isaiah was GUT WRENCHING. But I loved it...I didn't really like how she brought him back. I felt like it was more impactful that he was gone. - Jericho's death was rather pointless. I knew he would die, but he shouldn't have gone out like that. I wanted it to be...more. - We have been reading about Evie trying to save her brother since book one basically. When we finally got that moment, it felt rushed and once again underwhelming. - I honestly don't know what happened to Mrs. Walker. She had been such a key player and then...nothing. I also was a little unsure what happened to Marlowe. - The ending is just rushed, almost as if she forgot this was the end of the series. However, judging by that ending I'm assuming there is going to be some sort of spin off? Or it is the set up for a new book series that might have appearances of the diviners? I hope so, because it was not a great ending for such an amazing story. I'm sad that the story is over (maybe over?) because I truly did love the series, but the last book let me down in some ways. There were awesome parts to this book and I truly did like it overall, but I think I have to sadly give it a 3.5 stars overall. Can't wait to see what is next for Libba Bray.

В заключительной книге серии The Diviners мы встречаемся с героями ровно там, где расстались в третьей книге, но удивительным образом повествование теряет в темпе – и, к сожалению, так и не приобретает его обратно до самых последних глав. Всё происходит медленно и, прямо скажем, довольно бессобытийно, а вставки с привидениями, где какая-нибудь фраза вроде Ghosts are everywhere начинает каждый абзац, и вовсе придают налет тягомотности. Грустно это признавать про одну из своих самых любимых серий, но четвертая книга кажется в ней лишней. Ничего не происходит в истории – герои просто шатаются по стране. Ничего не происходит в плане развития персонажей – ничего сверх того, что мы и так уже знали о них, никаких изменений, никаких сложных выборов. Ничего не происходит даже в плане романтики – вся милота пришлась на предыдущие книги, в этой мы имеем две недоразвитые захудалые истории, зачем-то связывающие главных героев с третьестепенными персонажами. Ну и конец, конечно, предсказуем – наши победили. Не то чтобы я хотела какой-то другой концовки, но после 500 страниц ничего эмоций на переживание победной концовки у меня не было. Отдельно непонятно, зачем в конце появляется Гитлер (в любой непонятной ситуации всегда упоминай Гитлера) – то ли намек на то, что сколько злодеев ни побеждай, всегда появится кто-то новый, то ли задел на какую-то новую серию, где герои с суперспособностями евгенического происхождения будут месить Третий Рейх. В общем, спасибо Либбе Брэй за завершение истории. Остальное пойду заем оладушками.

3.5 Very proud that I finally finished this series! Unfortunately this last book was a bit of a let down but I still enjoyed the ride overall :)

She fucking did that

4.5

The concept and characters of this were so amazing. The plot and execution were so not. I'm not sure if I regret ever reading this series. I feel really connected to some of these characters but the magic system was so uninspired and just loose and everything just felt made up with no consequences??? Like I wasn't satisfied just annoyed. Things just happen and we have to accept it. Well sorry, I won't

I loooooved the characters. (Edit: but sometimes their decisions were just plainly stupid...) But as all books in this series it's pacing was just not that great. I think I wouldn't have enjoyed it if I hadn't listened to it as an audiobook (which is btw great!) The conclusion felt a little too easy though I liked the theme behind it a lot. All in all a series that will get you sucked into the golden 20s with characters you just can't help but fall in love with.