Review : The Demon’s Lexicon
The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
Pages : 324
Genre : Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
My Rating : 
Nick and his brother, Alan, have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick’s mother stole — a charm that keeps her alive — and they want it badly enough to kill again.
Danger draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon’s mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase…and when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is des-perate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long.
Ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect that his brother is telling him lie after lie about their past. As the magicians’ Circle closes in on their family, Nick uncovers the secret that could destroy them all.
To say that The Demon’s Lexicon blew me away would be quite the understatement. After reading many positive reviews of it, I cave in and bought it without too much thought. I’m so glad I did! It was the most surprising book I’ve read yet this year.
I think the most crucial element of The Demon’s Lexicon is its ending. It gives sense to the complete book – its characters, the storylines, everything takes sense in the last few chapters. I know some people thought the beginning was a little slow. My advice : if you do but still enjoy the writing and the story, don’t despair! The ending really makes it worth it.
Personally though, I didn’t find it slow. I started reading it one night, as I was going to bed, and I was drawn in from the first line. I had a hard time putting it down! In the end, I did go to sleep, but I still managed to finish it in a 24 hours period – and yet, the story was on my mind for many days after. It’s made my mind whirl and twirl, and after finishing it I would definitely re-read it with a new perspective.
The characters were wonderfully written, and I had a clear picture of who they were. At first, they did look a little uni-dimensional (Nick the troublemaker, Alan the wise protector, etc), but as the story progressed I could see how much more there was to them. Nick is the one we follow around, and he definitely makes a captivating main character. That’s not to say his brother, Alan, or the two other siblings who join them, Jamie and Mae, aren’t interesting. Jamie’s sarcasm was particularly enjoyable.
Now, what to say about the world the author created? Mysterious, dark, and a little disturbing, it is our world filled with mystical beings who, mostly, have no good on their minds. My first thought was Supernatural meets Buffy meets something else that makes it unique. It really was different from the usual vampire or werewolf urban fantasy, and it’s also a book that I wouldn’t hesitate recommending to both boys and girls.
Can I get the next book now, pretty please? I really don’t think I can wait until next summer!
Like you I have heard so many great things about this book! I’m going to have to look for it myself soon.
Awesome review, Kay! Although I wasn’t too thrilled with the story once I finished it, it’s been playing onmy mind too. I want more Nick! Possibly more Jamie. I’ve linked to your review from mine 🙂
Great review! You have me ready to run out and read it.
I’m not sure if this book is for me, but I think my son would like it – I’m going to show him your review.
Brilliant review – definitely changed my opinion on it. Not a fabulous title but now this book looks really awesome.
I definitely want to read this one, too! Positive reviews always get to me! 🙂 The only downside is, after I’ve read a book that I know has an unpublished sequel, I get incredibly antsy and obsessed while waiting for the next one. So maybe I’ll wait until next summer to read The Demon’s Lexicon, knowing I won’t have to wait much longer for the next part of the story 🙂
This one sounds like it is right up my alley. So now I’m headed over to my library site to request it!!!
Glad you liked The Demon’s Lexicon – I know I did. And I totally agree with you how the ending changed the way I saw what had happened earlier, and how it all made sense with that one little piece of info. Things were starting to frustrate me, things like what a certain character was saying/feeling (or rather, not feeling), and then the ending knocked me out of my seat and put a whole new perspective on things.