Drenched in glittering art deco aesthetics and gin, adorned with flappers' feathers and pearls, Libba Bray's version of New York City in the 1920s is phenomenally atmospheric.

The reader has the pleasure of following Evangeline O'Neill, an outgoing if sometimes egocentric young woman with a special kind of magical talent, as she moves from a small town in Ohio to the city she hopes will make all her dreams come true: New York. Alongside her uncle Will, his ward Jericho, her best friend Mabel, and a pickpocket named Sam, Evie explores her new home and investigates a series of gruesome paranormal murders that leave the city's inhabitants living in fear. The magic system is quite inventive, and its aspects are subtly woven into the story, adding an element of supernatural horror to the murders and an air of mystery to the magically gifted protagonists. In addition to Evie, Bray provides insights into several side characters that are set up to play bigger roles in the next few books. Personally, I appreciate all of them and am excited to see more of Memphis and Henry in particular. Similarly, I enjoyed the relationships between most of the characters; especially Henry and Theta have my heart. The one thing I did not love was the romance (any and all romance, actually, not just Evie's), which is bafflingly underdeveloped when compared to the non-romantic relationships in the novel.

While I would classify The Diviners as a character-focused work, it does have a pretty decent plot. It balances immediately relevant plot points -- concerning the increasingly eerie murders, which are no mystery to the reader but feel appropriately haunting nontheless -- with ones that contribute to the overarching plot of the series, leaving the reader satisfied yet curious, which is a rare feat. Unfortunately, the story drags quite a bit at times, making it difficult to remain motivated. I am curious to see if the pacing will pick up in the sequels, which I am hoping to get to very soon.

Ultimately, it's evident even in this first book why this series is such a beloved classic, and I am eager to see how the story will progress.