A review by mimosaeyes
Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman

5.0

I've been longing for this series to return to a focus on Dream and the other Endless, so I was pretty sure I would like this volume. My goodness - I love it. I love the range it has. At various times, it is funny or philosophical or tragic or quaint. It engages with themes like mortality, loss and grief; counterbalancing these heavy topics is the child-like presence of Delirium (who used to be Delight - a concept that continues to haunt me). We meet a host of fascinating characters and learn a little more lore about familiar ones. Several arcs that have been foreshadowed in earlier volumes come to a head here, drawn together into a moving and masterful whole. In the introduction/conclusion, Peter Straub says Gaiman is on a plane of his own in terms of range, depth and command of narrative. I wholeheartedly concur.