This is not to say that he hesitates to use his power for personal gain. Henry, like most Diviners, wants to conceal his supernatural abilities. Through Henry, the author provides a look into gay culture in the 1920s. He makes a living playing piano in various downtown bars, even performing during a drag ball at Webster Hall.

The narrator introduces the reader to Henry Dubois. However, her status threats the anonymity of other Diviners, including Homeless Bill who once had the ability to kill people just by touching them, and her once dear uncle, Henry, whose business, The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult (or informally, “Museum of Creepy Crawlies”) is financially struggling. She’s so busy throwing parties that she hardly has time to see her best friend, Mable, even though the two live in the same building. The press loves her, dubbing her “America's Sweetheart Seer.” A radio network offers her an hour-long show. Her gift is perceiving the secret history of anything she touches - from plates to cars to people.

In protecting herself and savings others, Evie has unwittingly revealed herself to be a Diviner. This third-person perspective is used throughout Lair of Dreams. The opening is an extended description of the tunnels and bridges that connect New York City, the various immigrants, speakeasies, pickpockets, and the sense of an underworld constantly growing right underneath or near the heart of Manhattan. Bray was inspired to set the story in 1927 after finding a photo of her grandmother from that year. Lair of Dreams continues in 1920s New York City. Diviners are people with supernatural skills, from flying to moving objects to combating ghosts. In the previous book, The Diviners, the young protagonist Evie O’Neill (who has psychic gifts) was kicked out of her small hometown and sent to New York City, just to later escape the grip of the Pentacle Killer, a serial murderer. Its themes include conflicts with the paranormal, the price of fame, racial injustice, and the nature of dreams. It was praised for its clever dialogue and historical accuracy. The series reached number one on bestseller lists in several countries. Lair of Dreams (2015) is the second fantasy novel in The Diviners series by American author Libba Bray.

Lair of dreams