Review: The Demon's Lexicon

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Nick has always felt different. He is a 16 year old boy with an older brother who is devoted to him and a head-case Mom who can’t even stand to look at him. Nick was raised in a family that knows magic is real. His Dad was murdered by a magician. That magician was trying to get a charm from his Mom. Nick, his brother, Alan, and their Mom have been on the run ever since. Renting cheap flats and only staying until something magical appears in the vicinity and then they are off and running again. But this time, a sister and brother from Nick’s school appear on the scene and believe Nick and Alan might be able to help with the nightmares and weird mark appearing on Jamie…but helping them gets Alan marked by a demon as well. So it’s a race against time to get the marks removed and not be caught by the Magician that killed Nick’s Dad.

I had tried to read this book a while ago and just couldn’t get into it. However, I picked it up this time and couldn’t put it down. The story moves fast and from the beginning you feel like you aren’t getting the whole story. There are too many holes and convenient excuses. So the reader is looking for clues as to what is going on. The big reveal wasn’t a surprise…I knew it was coming, but what I didn’t know was the how. Lots of surprises pop up in the last third of the book…most I didn’t see coming. Now I want to know where Rees Brennan is going to take it from here.

Because this is part of a trilogy, this first book is a lot of backstory/mythology and world building…and a lot of twists and turns. The world is decidedly dark and full of bad magicians and demons…which makes for wicked fun. Nick is constantly struggling with his feelings/emotions, or lack therein. Alan is a “do-gooder”, but also a very talented liar. A cautionary tale of brotherly love, that grabs and won’t let go.




View all my reviews