Before the Devil Breaks You

Bray, Libba. Before the Devil Breaks You. Book 3 of the Diviners series. 2017. 552p. ISBN 978-0-316-12606-9. Available at FIC BRA on the library shelves.

Having defeated the sleeping sickness that was affecting people in Chinatown and beyond in Lairs of Dreams, the Diviners discover that they have been lied to by Evie’s uncle Will and by Sister Walker about the origins of Project Buffalo and their involvement in it. Angry at the deceptions that seem to be piling around them, the Diviners break with the Museum of the Paranormal and begin investigating on their own.

The Shadow Men from the defunct U.S. Department of Paranormal are now working with Marlowe and his companies, as they attempt to reopen the gate to the world of ghosts. The King of Crow, meanwhile marshalls his forces of desperate ghosts and directly confronts the Diviners on the battleground of Ward’s Island, where one of the city’s insane asylum houses Luther, a soldier who served with Evie’s brother and who attempted to kill her, and Connor, another teen who has special abilities.

Isaiah is still threatened by old man Bill Johnson, who is slowly sucking life out of him to heal his blindness. Memphis finds himself caught in gang warfare between Papa Charles and his White rivals. Theta discovers that her husband Roy, whom she mistakenly believed dead, has found her and is blackmailing her. Jericho moves in with Marlowe and becomes the subject of an experiment. Mabel falls in with a crowd of anarchists bent on destroying Marlowe. Ling and Henry continue to surf the dream world, but even they cannot find the answers they seek. Sam Lloyd finds himself trailed by the Shadow Men, while the elderly sisters in the Bennington are about to pay the King of Crow’s price.

As enemies with different agendas surround them on all sides, can the Diviners remain united in their desire to put a stop to Project Buffalo and prevent the King of Crow’s dominion over humans?