The King of Crows

The Diviners, Book 4

By: Libba Bray

Narrated by: January LaVoy

Length: 22 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's Summary

The breath-taking finale to the epic New York Times best seller, The Diviners, from Printz winner and beloved author, Libba Bray.

After the horrifying explosion that claimed one of their own, the Diviners find themselves wanted by the US government, and on the brink of war with the King of Crows.

While Memphis and Isaiah run for their lives from the mysterious Shadow Men, Isaiah receives a startling vision of a girl, Sarah Beth Olson, who could shift the balance in their struggle for peace. Sarah Beth says she knows how to stop the King of Crows - but, she will need the Diviners' help to do it.

Elsewhere, Jericho has returned after his escape from Jake Marlowe's estate, where he has learned the shocking truth behind the King of Crow's plans. Now, the Diviners must travel to Bountiful, Nebraska, in hopes of joining forces with Sarah Beth and to stop the King of Crows and his army of the dead forever.

But as rumors of towns becoming ghost towns and the dead developing unprecedented powers begin to surface, all hope seems to be lost.

In this sweeping finale, The Diviners will be forced to confront their greatest fears and learn to rely on one another if they hope to save the nation, and world from catastrophe....

©2020 Libba Bray (P)2020 Listening Library

Critic Reviews

"The producers of this audiobook might have been tempted to hire a full cast as there are more than 25 characters in this story.... The choice to leave it to [narrator January] LaVoy was inspired as she needs no supporting cast. Such is her vocal excellence that listeners will always be certain who is speaking to whom, even in chapters that have 10 distinct speaking parts. This is an audiobook one wishes would never end." (AudioFile Magazine)

January LaVoy is astoundingly good

I love this series and January LaVoy elevates it to a whole new level, she is the most talented narrator I've ever heard.

A Satisfactory, but Slightly Rushed Conclusion

The Diviners series is sure to become one of my all-time favorite book series, and certainly one of the best audio performances I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Bray touches on an array of societal, racial, and historical issues in a genuine and well-researched way, even exploring some relatively little seen themes such as asexuality, and the effect of physical disabilities on personal relationships. Besides the underlying (and sometimes not so underlying) lessons of these books, the Diviners series is fun, funny, charming, and engaging.

Bray's characters are wonderfully varied, and deeply formed, with compelling growth and catching personalities. I did find that there was something I was missing from the character interaction in this book, but it was difficult to put my finger on. Despite the length and breadth of the book, I felt like I needed more Sam & Evie, more Ling, more Memphis and Isaiah. The group didn't achieve quite the same charisma among each other as Bray has so effortlessly seemed to capture in the preceding books. That being said, one of the greatest things about this series is that now that it's over, I miss the characters.

Overall, I was satisfied with Bray's conclusion, though I found the ending felt a bit rushed, and maybe a little anticlimactic. Not my favorite book in the series, to be sure, but even so, I very much enjoyed The King of Crows, and I wouldn't have wanted to experience it any other way than having it read to me by January Lavoy. Thank you Libba Bray, for a wonderful story.

January LaVoy YES The King of Crows NO

January LaVoy comes back and is an amazing voice actor.

Unfortunately the book did her dirty. After getting me hooked the series started to lose its hold and here I was officially dropped off the side of a cliff.

Right away the main cast is divided up and go on separate adventures that had ZERO feeling of progress or development.

Honestly I'd only recommend this series as a duology.

1) The Diviners ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2) Lair of Dreams ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3) Before the Devil Breaks You ⭐⭐⭐
4) King of Crows ⭐

Very, very long, but worth the journey.

This is probably my least favorite of the series, but I think that owes a lot more to my personal preferences in pacing than to the quality of the story itself. This book is very, very long and goes to some dark places - but it’s worth it. The symbolism and imagery is spectacular as Libba Bray’s work always is. The characters are lovable and fun, even in their darker moments.

I really appreciate the representation in the cast, the message of the central narrative, and the journeys every character is allowed to go on throughout the book. And given the size of that cast, I’m also plainly amazed that Libba Bray managed to keep such crisp, identifiable personalities and ‘voices’ for each character. The voice actress is also extremely talented, and brings every character and interaction to life! She even sings the songs - well!!

If I could change anything about the book, it would be its length. If you’re looking for a light read, or a fast-paced action-adventure, this may not be the book for you. There are certainly many moments of action, but the pacing tends to slow down a good deal between big, action-y plot points.

There’s no doubt this is the most introspective of the books in this series, and while I genuinely enjoyed that about it, it could get tedious at times. I think the plot got away from her a little bit in places. There were a number of scenes (and even sequences) I might have left on the cutting room floor.

But all in all, I’m glad I listened to this book in its entirety. It took me a few false starts, but I made it, and now I’m planning to listen to the whole series again!

.... in a little while!

A Work of Art

The way this series highlights the ugly truth of American history, and educates the reader without them even realizing it at times is amazing. We truly DO live in a haunted house. The Diviners series, specifically the King of Crows, does a terrifyingly beautiful job of portraying our tragic ghosts.

January LaVoy is incredible!

Jessica

The narrator is as in credible as the story itself! I adore The Diviners

A thrilling ride !

This story had me totally invested. It was really hard to put it down.
It made me think and feel and suffer together with the diviners. I had to stop sometimes to adult and work but I did not left this world willingly. I struggled tremendously.
Enjoy!

edge of your seat

You will have no nails at the end of this book. The suspense is thrilling. January's voice work keeps you sucked into the story. I want to read the series all over again.

Interesting series

Listened to the whole series continuously. Good story line and great narrator. I am kind of sad it ended

Best of the series

This was an amazing well written conclusion. And a beautiful combination of truth and fantasy.

Brilliant narration, thoughtful story

I have listened to this entire series and was consistently blown away that each character was brought to life by a single narrator. January LaVoy's range was masterful. The story itself is more than just a fun ghost story. I enjoyed the deeper passages about our history, philosophy and mindfulness. I often paused the story to reflect on something I had just heard. It is a book that can be read on many levels, I love that. I highly recommend this series.

Heartbreaking and wonderful

A magnificent conclusion to the best series I have ever had the pleasure to consume.

best series I ever read

I hope I find more like this, I'm amazed. I am so beyond moved by this story I can't even explain it, it doesn't feel like fiction. I don't know what to do now that it's over , I hope she writes more like this

Spooky, funny, heartbreaking

There is only one bad thing about this book and the rest of the series - that it has to end. I am going to miss Sam, Evie, Theta, Memphis, Isaiah, Bill, Jericho, Henry and Ling SO much. this is the first full series I have listened to as audiobooks and I chose well. January LeVoy's performance is amazing and portrayed Libba Bray's characters perfectly to the point where I actually forgot it was just one person voicing all characters. I have also bought the hardback copies so I can go back and reread the full series one day.