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The Demon's Lexicon #2
The Demon's Covenant
Mae Crawford's always thought of herself as in control, but in the last few weeks her life has changed. Her younger brother, Jamie, suddenly has magical powers, and she's even more unsettled when she realizes that Gerald, the new leader of the Obsidian Circle, is trying to persuade Jamie to join the magicians. Even worse? Jamie hasn't told Mae a thing about any of it. Mae turns to brothers Nick and Alan to help her rescue Jamie, but they are in danger from Gerald themselves because he wants to steal Nick's powers. Will Mae be able to find a way to save everyone she cares about from the power-hungry magician's carefully laid trap? [From Borders.com]
440 pages, Hardcover
First published May 18, 2010
49 people are currently reading
3821 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Rees Brennan
70 books5,987 followersSarah Rees Brennan is Irish and currently lives in Dublin. She's been writing YA books for more than ten years, which is terrifying to contemplate! She hopes you (yes you!) find at least one of them to be the kind of book you remember.
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February 12, 2011
I made it!
Sorry, but I’ve always wanted to find one of those pics to accompany my review. Isn’t he cute? You totally want to forget he could attack you and high five him, don’t you?
Honestly, I really don’t know exactly what happened here. I was so excited to read The Demon’s Covenant after finishing The Demon’s Lexicon, but somehow I had a hard time getting through it. The beginning drew me in immediately, but then there was this looong, dragging middle part that almost made me give up. I’m glad I didn’t because again, the ending was fantastic and has me waiting impatiently for the third book now. Of course, it didn’t really live up to the ending of book one, but seriously, what could? Nevertheless, I have to admit that I’m a little disappointed. I mean, I love it when an ending takes me by surprise, but actually the whole book should be able to keep me interested and glued to the pages. And that certainly wasn’t the case here.
Somehow (and I never ever thought I would say that) reading from Nick’s point of view was more interesting than reading from Mae’s. Her narration was rather … dull sometimes. Maybe that’s because Nick is unlike any other character I encountered before ? I really appreciate that Sarah Rees Brennan didn’t change his ways for the sake of a sappy love story. He doesn’t really care about others, he doesn’t pretend, but . (I’m warning you, if you haven’t read book one (and plan to do so), DON’T YOU DARE click on this spoiler tag. It’ll ruin everything!)
And then, all the amorous complications. Honestly, what was the point? Basically we have this situation: A has this thing for C, but thinks it is better to give the relationship with E a chance because it’s easier that way. But there is also B, who is actually a really good kisser and has a serious crush on A. Later on, it is revealed that E is actually in love with D, who on the other side has feelings for F and although C seems to not really care, there are sparks flying between him and A … You are confused? You feel like you’re watching a soap opera? Yes, me too. This is actually a love square mixed with a love triangle.
That aside, I will definitely read book three because the ending here couldn’t be more open. Also, some scenes in The Demon’s Covenant really touched me - while others made me laugh hysterically. Now I really want to know how the story ends and what happens to its characters. The fact that the next book is told from Sin’s point of view doesn’t really bother me, but I’m not sure how it’ll work out because she was definitely only a minor character in the first two instalments.
Sorry, but I’ve always wanted to find one of those pics to accompany my review. Isn’t he cute? You totally want to forget he could attack you and high five him, don’t you?
Honestly, I really don’t know exactly what happened here. I was so excited to read The Demon’s Covenant after finishing The Demon’s Lexicon, but somehow I had a hard time getting through it. The beginning drew me in immediately, but then there was this looong, dragging middle part that almost made me give up. I’m glad I didn’t because again, the ending was fantastic and has me waiting impatiently for the third book now. Of course, it didn’t really live up to the ending of book one, but seriously, what could? Nevertheless, I have to admit that I’m a little disappointed. I mean, I love it when an ending takes me by surprise, but actually the whole book should be able to keep me interested and glued to the pages. And that certainly wasn’t the case here.
Somehow (and I never ever thought I would say that) reading from Nick’s point of view was more interesting than reading from Mae’s. Her narration was rather … dull sometimes. Maybe that’s because Nick is unlike any other character I encountered before ? I really appreciate that Sarah Rees Brennan didn’t change his ways for the sake of a sappy love story. He doesn’t really care about others, he doesn’t pretend, but . (I’m warning you, if you haven’t read book one (and plan to do so), DON’T YOU DARE click on this spoiler tag. It’ll ruin everything!)
And then, all the amorous complications. Honestly, what was the point? Basically we have this situation: A has this thing for C, but thinks it is better to give the relationship with E a chance because it’s easier that way. But there is also B, who is actually a really good kisser and has a serious crush on A. Later on, it is revealed that E is actually in love with D, who on the other side has feelings for F and although C seems to not really care, there are sparks flying between him and A … You are confused? You feel like you’re watching a soap opera? Yes, me too. This is actually a love square mixed with a love triangle.
That aside, I will definitely read book three because the ending here couldn’t be more open. Also, some scenes in The Demon’s Covenant really touched me - while others made me laugh hysterically. Now I really want to know how the story ends and what happens to its characters. The fact that the next book is told from Sin’s point of view doesn’t really bother me, but I’m not sure how it’ll work out because she was definitely only a minor character in the first two instalments.
July 2, 2010
Final Verdict First:
I would’ve liked this book much more if I didn’t go into it with expectations that didn’t end up being met.
The Full Review:
I read The Demon’s Lexicon almost a year ago, and although I’ve forgotten the details, what I do remember is really enjoying it. I especially loved Sarah’s characterization, the love between both sets of siblings, and the ending. I liked it enough that The Demon’s Covenant was one of my most anticipated releases of 2010.
A few months ago, there were several posts going around the book blogosphere about the unhealthy romances that have become very popular in YA these days. A couple of these posts indicated alternatives to the weak, passive, walk-all-over-me-I-don’t-care-because-you’re-hot female protagonists of these “bad” romances. The one example that stuck out to me was Mae from The Demon’s Lexicon.
Here’s the thing. I actually don’t even remember Mae that much, besides that she had pink hair, would do anything for her brother, and had a serious thing going on for Nick. She didn’t stand out to me the way the male characters did. But with the posts I mentioned above talking about her like she was in the same league as Kristin Cashore’s protagonists, I set myself up to read The Demon’s Covenant (which is told from Mae’s point of view) with expectations of enjoying some good ole girl power moments.
That’s not what happened. I’d have to go back and reread TDL, but the entire time I was reading TDC, I was thinking, “Did Mae change? Is she going to stand up to Nick this time? How about the next time? Umm, the time after that? What is going on here?!” You see, Mae is not some strong, independent, 21st century, don’t mess with me, anti-everygirl protagonist. She’s the typical piner, drooling over the wrong guy — the one who is every bit the typical tall, dark (as in hair and eyes; Nick is as white as they come), uber hot, mysterious, brooding, dangerous, (did I say uber hot already?) supernatural love interest.
Which I get, to an extent. Let’s be honest. A guy described as looking the way Nick does and being all good with weapons and able to defend his woman against the biggest, baddest forces of evil and all that is the epitome of the attractive alpha male. Most girls like this. I sure do.
But in some ways, Nick is worse than most YA supernatural alpha male love interests. The majority of them, even while wanting to suck your blood or eat your brains or whatever, are still nice to you. They may warn you away from them at the beginning, but they can’t fight their attraction to you and they can’t help but want to kiss you and hold your hand and love you. None of which applies to Nick.
Which is another problem of mine with TDC, because I remember being Nick’s numero uno fan and actually empathizing with him in TDL — but in TDC he’s watered down to this unoriginal bad boy who yells at Mae, talks down to her, puts her down, and is generally rude to her. He also physically bullies Mae, getting into her personal space and crowding her, choking her, getting on top of her and pressing his weight on her, all while yelling or baring his teeth, taunting her, and trying to scare her away from him, “for her own good.” At one point, he even invades her — at her request!! She was frightened by some magicians and wanted someone to protect her; she could’ve called Alan, the Goblin Market, whatever, but nooo, she immediately called Nick into her bedroom, and he choked her and BRANDED her, letting all other bad boys and girls know that he basically owns her now (but she asked for it and it was all for her own protection, so it’s okay).
I could go on, even give examples straight from the text (there’s plenty), but meh. Let’s just say all the aggressive, dangerous, abusive things Nick inflicts on Mae are explained away as symptoms that he’s struggling with and ultimately can’t control because of what he is (which I won’t say, in case you haven’t read TDL yet). As for Mae, she makes these comments several times like she’s strong and won’t take any crap from Nick, but that’s a big fat lie, because all she does the entire book is make excuses for him (the biggest one: he loves his brother sooo much — so he can’t be that bad!), because let’s face it — he’s the hottest guy she knows and she’s blinded by how extremely sexually attracted she is to him. She even leads two other guys on because Nick’s not giving in to her, but in the end it’s all made to seem okay because they both have huge secrets that they lie to Mae about and have their own ulterior motives for wanting to be with her.
So anyway, I still think Sarah is a talented writer; she knows how to make characters multi-faceted and nuanced (I love Alan, Jamie, Sin, and Annabel), she’s great at creating familial love, and her sense of humor makes me laugh out loud. I’m not crazy about the world building in this series, but as I’m a fan of character-driven novels first and foremost, that’s not a big deal to me. I just hope in the next book that Nick is given a chance at being more well-rounded and less of a walking stereotype, and that he gives Mae actual reasons to pine for him other than he’s super hot. I didn’t dislike TDC; I just had expectations for Mae and Nick going into it that weren’t met, and I feel like Sarah has the ability to be a standout author in YA, but at this point TDC is in the same pile with the majority of the supernatural YA that is pumped out every year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the third book and I’m still looking forward to reading it.
I would’ve liked this book much more if I didn’t go into it with expectations that didn’t end up being met.
The Full Review:
I read The Demon’s Lexicon almost a year ago, and although I’ve forgotten the details, what I do remember is really enjoying it. I especially loved Sarah’s characterization, the love between both sets of siblings, and the ending. I liked it enough that The Demon’s Covenant was one of my most anticipated releases of 2010.
A few months ago, there were several posts going around the book blogosphere about the unhealthy romances that have become very popular in YA these days. A couple of these posts indicated alternatives to the weak, passive, walk-all-over-me-I-don’t-care-because-you’re-hot female protagonists of these “bad” romances. The one example that stuck out to me was Mae from The Demon’s Lexicon.
Here’s the thing. I actually don’t even remember Mae that much, besides that she had pink hair, would do anything for her brother, and had a serious thing going on for Nick. She didn’t stand out to me the way the male characters did. But with the posts I mentioned above talking about her like she was in the same league as Kristin Cashore’s protagonists, I set myself up to read The Demon’s Covenant (which is told from Mae’s point of view) with expectations of enjoying some good ole girl power moments.
That’s not what happened. I’d have to go back and reread TDL, but the entire time I was reading TDC, I was thinking, “Did Mae change? Is she going to stand up to Nick this time? How about the next time? Umm, the time after that? What is going on here?!” You see, Mae is not some strong, independent, 21st century, don’t mess with me, anti-everygirl protagonist. She’s the typical piner, drooling over the wrong guy — the one who is every bit the typical tall, dark (as in hair and eyes; Nick is as white as they come), uber hot, mysterious, brooding, dangerous, (did I say uber hot already?) supernatural love interest.
Which I get, to an extent. Let’s be honest. A guy described as looking the way Nick does and being all good with weapons and able to defend his woman against the biggest, baddest forces of evil and all that is the epitome of the attractive alpha male. Most girls like this. I sure do.
But in some ways, Nick is worse than most YA supernatural alpha male love interests. The majority of them, even while wanting to suck your blood or eat your brains or whatever, are still nice to you. They may warn you away from them at the beginning, but they can’t fight their attraction to you and they can’t help but want to kiss you and hold your hand and love you. None of which applies to Nick.
Which is another problem of mine with TDC, because I remember being Nick’s numero uno fan and actually empathizing with him in TDL — but in TDC he’s watered down to this unoriginal bad boy who yells at Mae, talks down to her, puts her down, and is generally rude to her. He also physically bullies Mae, getting into her personal space and crowding her, choking her, getting on top of her and pressing his weight on her, all while yelling or baring his teeth, taunting her, and trying to scare her away from him, “for her own good.” At one point, he even invades her — at her request!! She was frightened by some magicians and wanted someone to protect her; she could’ve called Alan, the Goblin Market, whatever, but nooo, she immediately called Nick into her bedroom, and he choked her and BRANDED her, letting all other bad boys and girls know that he basically owns her now (but she asked for it and it was all for her own protection, so it’s okay).
I could go on, even give examples straight from the text (there’s plenty), but meh. Let’s just say all the aggressive, dangerous, abusive things Nick inflicts on Mae are explained away as symptoms that he’s struggling with and ultimately can’t control because of what he is (which I won’t say, in case you haven’t read TDL yet). As for Mae, she makes these comments several times like she’s strong and won’t take any crap from Nick, but that’s a big fat lie, because all she does the entire book is make excuses for him (the biggest one: he loves his brother sooo much — so he can’t be that bad!), because let’s face it — he’s the hottest guy she knows and she’s blinded by how extremely sexually attracted she is to him. She even leads two other guys on because Nick’s not giving in to her, but in the end it’s all made to seem okay because they both have huge secrets that they lie to Mae about and have their own ulterior motives for wanting to be with her.
So anyway, I still think Sarah is a talented writer; she knows how to make characters multi-faceted and nuanced (I love Alan, Jamie, Sin, and Annabel), she’s great at creating familial love, and her sense of humor makes me laugh out loud. I’m not crazy about the world building in this series, but as I’m a fan of character-driven novels first and foremost, that’s not a big deal to me. I just hope in the next book that Nick is given a chance at being more well-rounded and less of a walking stereotype, and that he gives Mae actual reasons to pine for him other than he’s super hot. I didn’t dislike TDC; I just had expectations for Mae and Nick going into it that weren’t met, and I feel like Sarah has the ability to be a standout author in YA, but at this point TDC is in the same pile with the majority of the supernatural YA that is pumped out every year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the third book and I’m still looking forward to reading it.
September 1, 2010
Sequel to The Demon’s Lexicon. More demons, more magicians, more shenanigans, definitely more brothers.
I am further impressed by the underlying cleverness and sharpness of this series. We all – by which I mean sneering hipster book reviewers with more than two brain cells to rub together – can explain at great length why Twilight and its young adult paranormal spawn are terrible for their intended audience because they portray creepy or frankly abusive male behavior as sexy or romantic. (Just don’t ask what I was reading at fifteen, okay?) And that genuinely is why I can’t stand a lot of paranormal romance: the book says, “he’s following you everywhere because he wants to protect you and that means he loooooves you,” and I think, “oh my God get a restraining order you idiot.”
And the thing about this series is that Brennan reverses everything on me. One of her protagonists is a sociopath, full stop. There’s only one person in the world he loves, in the broken, obsessive, dependent way he can manage. Everyone else he hurts because he doesn’t know better, or just because he enjoys it.
And I pulled for him so hard. For his painful attempts to change, for someone just to give him the obnoxious hug he will never actually want, and yes, for his stupid doomed teenaged kissing subplot. This book knows him without flinching. I would catch myself thinking, “oh, come on, just give him a chance, he can change,” and the book would turn around and say, “no he can’t. You know he can’t. This is how he was made. Loving him isn’t going to fix him, it’s just going to suck.” But with compassion, which is what makes it all work.
Also, this book did something spoilery that so clearly grocked disability as a core identity component, rather than a tragical affliction of tragicalness. Color me impressed again.
I am further impressed by the underlying cleverness and sharpness of this series. We all – by which I mean sneering hipster book reviewers with more than two brain cells to rub together – can explain at great length why Twilight and its young adult paranormal spawn are terrible for their intended audience because they portray creepy or frankly abusive male behavior as sexy or romantic. (Just don’t ask what I was reading at fifteen, okay?) And that genuinely is why I can’t stand a lot of paranormal romance: the book says, “he’s following you everywhere because he wants to protect you and that means he loooooves you,” and I think, “oh my God get a restraining order you idiot.”
And the thing about this series is that Brennan reverses everything on me. One of her protagonists is a sociopath, full stop. There’s only one person in the world he loves, in the broken, obsessive, dependent way he can manage. Everyone else he hurts because he doesn’t know better, or just because he enjoys it.
And I pulled for him so hard. For his painful attempts to change, for someone just to give him the obnoxious hug he will never actually want, and yes, for his stupid doomed teenaged kissing subplot. This book knows him without flinching. I would catch myself thinking, “oh, come on, just give him a chance, he can change,” and the book would turn around and say, “no he can’t. You know he can’t. This is how he was made. Loving him isn’t going to fix him, it’s just going to suck.” But with compassion, which is what makes it all work.
Also, this book did something spoilery that so clearly grocked disability as a core identity component, rather than a tragical affliction of tragicalness. Color me impressed again.
May 11, 2010
A couple of days ago a package arrived in my mailbox that made it most difficult to go to work that day. I didn't end up calling in sick (I do have a modicum of will power) but it was touch and go there for a few minutes. A few deep breaths and reminding myself I could snuggle up with it later got me out the door. You see, I've been wanting to get my greedy hands on this particular book in the worst way for lo these many months and then suddenly--there it was all blue and fiery and taunting me with its irresistible Goblin Market charm. The Demon's Lexicon roared onto my Best of 2009 list at the end of last year, fairly blowing me away with its wicked strong characters, dagger-sharp dialogue, and so much heart it set my blood to pumping three times its normal speed. I could immediately tell that Sarah Rees Brennan was something special and I knew it in such a way that I didn't waste a single moment hoping the next one would be as good. I knew it would be. Alan and Nick were going to be there, weren't they? It would be written by the same witty Irishwoman, wouldn't it? Right, then. Bring on the sequel. By the by, I really love both the U.S. and UK covers of THE DEMON'S COVENANT. Given that it's sort of Mae's book, she really deserves to be on the cover. Plus, that pink hair is just excellent. At the same time, I love seeing the demon's circle on the U.S. cover and as Sin and the Goblin Market play a larger role in this one it's quite fitting, too.
It's been just about a month since Mae and her brother Jamie returned home to Exeter, shook the last lingering remnants of magic from their palms, and went back to life as it was before the brothers Ryves made their entrance and changed the rules of the world. Going to parties with her friends and flirting with the possibility of a relationship with a boy named Seb, Mae's working pretty hard to avoid thinking about the knife hidden ominously in her dresser drawer and the dangerous memories it represents. But when she stumbles across some magicians threatening her and hers once more, Mae does the only thing she can think of. She calls Alan. And, in true Alan fashion, he drops everything and comes to their aid, bringing his brother Nick with him. And now it's no longer a question of whether or not Mae can block out the past, but whether or not she can handle the present. When Alan and Nick are in town, things have a tendency to get muddled, and Mae finds herself alternately attracted to and frightened by Alan's unassumingly kind presence, Nick's overwhelmingly brooding one, and the murderously complex relationship developing between the three of them. And then there's the matter of Jamie and his propensity for attracting trouble of the most appalling kind and in the most alarming quantities. You would think that with Alan's brains, Nick's sword, and Mae's nerve they would be able to keep one scrawny, slightly emotional lad safe without tearing the whole of England apart. But when the Obsidian Circle is involved, all bets are off. And if Mae doesn't put the pieces of the puzzle together in time, she might not have a future to worry over.
I didn't think I could fall further in love with the Ryves brothers than I was at the close of The Demon's Lexicon. That ending still gives me chills. But it turns out I could not have been more wrong. You know those relationships that hit you where you live? That knock the breath from your lungs and bring tears to your eyes and a fierce smile to your face all in one fell swoop? And your emotions are pulled in six different directions at once so that you're only sure of one thing and that is that you will follow wherever they go? That's what Alan and Nick's relationship does to me. I am at their mercy. And, while all of my hopes and wishes for them both may not be possible in the end, they are strong and real and that speaks to the powerfully rich and entertaining dynamic Sarah Rees Brennan has created. My love for Mae and Jamie is right up there as well, and I was thoroughly delighted to find Mae at the core of this second installment in the trilogy. She is a pleasing and sympathetic combination of audacity and uncertainty and I felt for her and was extremely proud of her as she fought to save all the crazy, beautiful boys in her life. Not one to stay at home and gather wool, Mae (like Mae West) prefers to confront the problem head on and fret over the sticky consequences later. This serves her well in almost all aspects of her life. Her heart being the notable exception. What to do? Who to trust? Which weapon to take? Where did Jamie just go haring off to? I was right there with her the whole time. A favorite passage:
Man, I love Jamie. And I love the flashbacks we get in this tale. The past is a living and breathing entity here and it is with marked trepidation that our protagonists endeavor to parse out its meaning in the present day. And for those of you interested, Ms. Brennan makes good on her promise that this is the Make Out book. There is no disappointment in that regard. Though you may find yourself even more torn when it comes down to it. But that's the beauty of the story. It continually withstands pigeonholing and rises above expectations. THE DEMON'S COVENANT is an unbelievably satisfying and exciting second novel. It surprised me at every turn and it raised the stakes impossibly high. I gasped more times than I can count and my heart went out to each character repeatedly. And if it went out to Alan and Nick a little bit more, well that's my affair. I love them and I love this book. Not the least because it is above all about families, the bonds we form, and the sometimes feeble, sometimes illuminating ways in which we love--beyond reason, beyond blood, beyond even the bands of this world. Finest kind.
THE DEMON'S COVENANT is due out May 18th.
Reading Order: The Demon's Lexicon, THE DEMON'S COVENANT
It's been just about a month since Mae and her brother Jamie returned home to Exeter, shook the last lingering remnants of magic from their palms, and went back to life as it was before the brothers Ryves made their entrance and changed the rules of the world. Going to parties with her friends and flirting with the possibility of a relationship with a boy named Seb, Mae's working pretty hard to avoid thinking about the knife hidden ominously in her dresser drawer and the dangerous memories it represents. But when she stumbles across some magicians threatening her and hers once more, Mae does the only thing she can think of. She calls Alan. And, in true Alan fashion, he drops everything and comes to their aid, bringing his brother Nick with him. And now it's no longer a question of whether or not Mae can block out the past, but whether or not she can handle the present. When Alan and Nick are in town, things have a tendency to get muddled, and Mae finds herself alternately attracted to and frightened by Alan's unassumingly kind presence, Nick's overwhelmingly brooding one, and the murderously complex relationship developing between the three of them. And then there's the matter of Jamie and his propensity for attracting trouble of the most appalling kind and in the most alarming quantities. You would think that with Alan's brains, Nick's sword, and Mae's nerve they would be able to keep one scrawny, slightly emotional lad safe without tearing the whole of England apart. But when the Obsidian Circle is involved, all bets are off. And if Mae doesn't put the pieces of the puzzle together in time, she might not have a future to worry over.
I didn't think I could fall further in love with the Ryves brothers than I was at the close of The Demon's Lexicon. That ending still gives me chills. But it turns out I could not have been more wrong. You know those relationships that hit you where you live? That knock the breath from your lungs and bring tears to your eyes and a fierce smile to your face all in one fell swoop? And your emotions are pulled in six different directions at once so that you're only sure of one thing and that is that you will follow wherever they go? That's what Alan and Nick's relationship does to me. I am at their mercy. And, while all of my hopes and wishes for them both may not be possible in the end, they are strong and real and that speaks to the powerfully rich and entertaining dynamic Sarah Rees Brennan has created. My love for Mae and Jamie is right up there as well, and I was thoroughly delighted to find Mae at the core of this second installment in the trilogy. She is a pleasing and sympathetic combination of audacity and uncertainty and I felt for her and was extremely proud of her as she fought to save all the crazy, beautiful boys in her life. Not one to stay at home and gather wool, Mae (like Mae West) prefers to confront the problem head on and fret over the sticky consequences later. This serves her well in almost all aspects of her life. Her heart being the notable exception. What to do? Who to trust? Which weapon to take? Where did Jamie just go haring off to? I was right there with her the whole time. A favorite passage:
Mae grabbed Nick's arm and he whirled on her, then caught himself and stood looking down at her with his pulse thudding against her palm and the knife still in his hand.
She lifted her chin. "Oh, put that away."
Nick put it away. "Just making a point."
"Yes, I took your point," Jamie muttered. "Right up against my throat."
Mae looked away from Nick and walked quickly toward the wall, scrambling over it and trying so hard to make the climb look easy that she skinned her elbow as she did so. She pretended it didn't sting.
Nick did not try to help Alan over the wall this time around. He stood with his hands clenched into fists in his pockets as they all waited for Alan to get over on his own.
"I wasn't trying to hurt you," he told Jamie suddenly.
Mae reached out and touched Nick's shoulder. Her hand brushed muscle, braced and tense under her palm, for a moment. Then he shied away from her and glared.
She smiled as if this reaction was perfectly normal. "Sometimes when you pull knives on people, they get this impression that you're going to hurt them, and then they're completely terrified. Crazy, I know!"
"Okay," said Nick. He turned to Jamie and popped his left wrist sheath again. "Look."
Jamie backed up. "Which part of 'completely terrified' did you translate as 'show us your knives, Nick'? Don't show me your knives, Nick. I have no interest in your knives."
Nick rolled his eyes. "This is a quillon dagger. That's a knife with a sword handle. I like it because it has a good grip for stabbing."
"Why do you say these things?" Jamie inquired piteously. "Is it to make me sad?"
"I didn't have you cornered," Nick went on. "You could've run. And this dagger doesn't have an even weight distribution; it's absolute rubbish for throwing. If I had any intention of hurting you, I'd have used a knife I could throw."
Jamie blinked. "I will remember those words always. I may try to forget them, but I sense that I won't be able to."
Man, I love Jamie. And I love the flashbacks we get in this tale. The past is a living and breathing entity here and it is with marked trepidation that our protagonists endeavor to parse out its meaning in the present day. And for those of you interested, Ms. Brennan makes good on her promise that this is the Make Out book. There is no disappointment in that regard. Though you may find yourself even more torn when it comes down to it. But that's the beauty of the story. It continually withstands pigeonholing and rises above expectations. THE DEMON'S COVENANT is an unbelievably satisfying and exciting second novel. It surprised me at every turn and it raised the stakes impossibly high. I gasped more times than I can count and my heart went out to each character repeatedly. And if it went out to Alan and Nick a little bit more, well that's my affair. I love them and I love this book. Not the least because it is above all about families, the bonds we form, and the sometimes feeble, sometimes illuminating ways in which we love--beyond reason, beyond blood, beyond even the bands of this world. Finest kind.
THE DEMON'S COVENANT is due out May 18th.
Reading Order: The Demon's Lexicon, THE DEMON'S COVENANT
January 4, 2011
This was freaking awesome! I loved the first book, the Demon's Lexicon and wasn't all too happy at first when I found out that the second book, The Demon's Covenant would be told from Mae's POV, but as it turned out, I loved it even more.
Mae is the girl Alan and Nick helped in the first book when her baby brother Jamie got marked by a demon and they came to the Ryves brothers for help. I'm trying to keep this spoiler-free, at least the first part of my review, so I won't go into detail.
Just like in The Demon's Lexicon, the atmosphere in The Demon's Covenant is pretty dark and the world the story's set in cruel, but seeing as this time around the story's told from Mae's POV the overall feeling of the book is a little more...I dunno...cheerier? This book made me laugh out loud so often, Jamie is hilarious as well as Mae and Nick's dry comments just cracked me up. Mae's a great character, a level-headed girl, a bit of a punk and extremely likeable. She has her flaws but she means well. I enjoyed her voice immensly!
Yet again, reading The Demon's Covenant made me so, so angry. I was angry at Jamie for being an idiot, I was angry at Alan for even thinking of betraying his brother, I was angry at Gerald for being Gerald, I was angry at Nick for being a jerk to Mae, I was angry at Mae for fooling around with Alan, Seb and Nick. Did I already say that I was angry while reading this?
Angriness aside, I had a blast with this book. I love Breannan's writing style, it sucked me in completely and in my opinion she does an awesome job of making you understand how the narrator thinks and feels. I adore Nick, Mae and Jamie. Alan and Sin not so much and I'm pretty bummed about finding out that the third book will be told from Sin's POV. How am I supposed to lust after Nick if Sin's the narrator? *pouts* Well, I'll definitely be reading the third book as soon as it comes out and hopefully Brennan will be able to surprise me yet again and make me, despite my dislike of her, relate to Sin.
Sorry, that's all I can say without being spoilery so if you haven't read book 1 and 2, you should probably stop here.
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Ok, so this is more me rambling than reviewing but anyway, here goes:
I loved how Jamie and Nick got closer in this book and how Jamie switched his loyalities from Alan to Nick. Sure, Nick's still pretty much heartless but he told Jamie that he'd be his friend and he acts like it. He protects him and helps him learn how to defend himself. Another part I loved was how Nick wanted to learn how to act human. Brennan does such a great job of making the reader understand how Nick, well, doesn't understand what makes us humans tick.
The entries in Daniel Ryve's diary really got to me. They were so cruel sometimes and heart-wrenching. We get to see how devoted Alan has always been to his baby brother and even though I don't like adult Alan much, little Alan really grew on me.
A lot of people seem to have issues with Mae but I don't share their feelings. Their major problem with her seems to be that she let's Nick treat her, well, not exactly like crap, but not very nicely either and they think she's stupid for clinging to the hope of him being at least a little bit human and having feelings. Her crush on him might be a little stupid, and pretty unhealthy, yes, but if I remember correctly we learned in the first book that Nick does indeed like her, within his means of liking someone. Mae feels obligated to him because he helped her save her brother and that's why she wants to help him in return. It's not like she lets some drunkard treat her like shit and beat her up, Nick's a demon after all, so in my opinion there's no reason to go all feminist on her ass. She's also not completely naive. She does realize that he can't love her back the way she wants him to and tries to get her feelings under control.
Furthermore, look at what Nick did in this book. Sure, he acted like a jerk towards Mae almost until the end but he showed at least some kind of feeling when he begged Alan not to leave him, when his price for making the bargain with Liannan was to be allowed to heal Alan's leg. There seems to be at least a little bit of hope for him. He does care for something and he's trying. I don't think I'm expressing myself very well here but I hope the message gets through anyway.
Last but not least, I have to make an announcment: I realize this is weird and I hope you don't judge me too harshly but I just can't help it. I want to marry a 16-year-old. A 16-year-old demon, to be precise. I want to marry him and have his babies. There, I said it.
JK, this was a childish and immature thing to say but anyway, I loved this. Awesome read!
Mae is the girl Alan and Nick helped in the first book when her baby brother Jamie got marked by a demon and they came to the Ryves brothers for help. I'm trying to keep this spoiler-free, at least the first part of my review, so I won't go into detail.
Just like in The Demon's Lexicon, the atmosphere in The Demon's Covenant is pretty dark and the world the story's set in cruel, but seeing as this time around the story's told from Mae's POV the overall feeling of the book is a little more...I dunno...cheerier? This book made me laugh out loud so often, Jamie is hilarious as well as Mae and Nick's dry comments just cracked me up. Mae's a great character, a level-headed girl, a bit of a punk and extremely likeable. She has her flaws but she means well. I enjoyed her voice immensly!
Yet again, reading The Demon's Covenant made me so, so angry. I was angry at Jamie for being an idiot, I was angry at Alan for even thinking of betraying his brother, I was angry at Gerald for being Gerald, I was angry at Nick for being a jerk to Mae, I was angry at Mae for fooling around with Alan, Seb and Nick. Did I already say that I was angry while reading this?
Angriness aside, I had a blast with this book. I love Breannan's writing style, it sucked me in completely and in my opinion she does an awesome job of making you understand how the narrator thinks and feels. I adore Nick, Mae and Jamie. Alan and Sin not so much and I'm pretty bummed about finding out that the third book will be told from Sin's POV. How am I supposed to lust after Nick if Sin's the narrator? *pouts* Well, I'll definitely be reading the third book as soon as it comes out and hopefully Brennan will be able to surprise me yet again and make me, despite my dislike of her, relate to Sin.
Sorry, that's all I can say without being spoilery so if you haven't read book 1 and 2, you should probably stop here.
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Ok, so this is more me rambling than reviewing but anyway, here goes:
I loved how Jamie and Nick got closer in this book and how Jamie switched his loyalities from Alan to Nick. Sure, Nick's still pretty much heartless but he told Jamie that he'd be his friend and he acts like it. He protects him and helps him learn how to defend himself. Another part I loved was how Nick wanted to learn how to act human. Brennan does such a great job of making the reader understand how Nick, well, doesn't understand what makes us humans tick.
The entries in Daniel Ryve's diary really got to me. They were so cruel sometimes and heart-wrenching. We get to see how devoted Alan has always been to his baby brother and even though I don't like adult Alan much, little Alan really grew on me.
A lot of people seem to have issues with Mae but I don't share their feelings. Their major problem with her seems to be that she let's Nick treat her, well, not exactly like crap, but not very nicely either and they think she's stupid for clinging to the hope of him being at least a little bit human and having feelings. Her crush on him might be a little stupid, and pretty unhealthy, yes, but if I remember correctly we learned in the first book that Nick does indeed like her, within his means of liking someone. Mae feels obligated to him because he helped her save her brother and that's why she wants to help him in return. It's not like she lets some drunkard treat her like shit and beat her up, Nick's a demon after all, so in my opinion there's no reason to go all feminist on her ass. She's also not completely naive. She does realize that he can't love her back the way she wants him to and tries to get her feelings under control.
Furthermore, look at what Nick did in this book. Sure, he acted like a jerk towards Mae almost until the end but he showed at least some kind of feeling when he begged Alan not to leave him, when his price for making the bargain with Liannan was to be allowed to heal Alan's leg. There seems to be at least a little bit of hope for him. He does care for something and he's trying. I don't think I'm expressing myself very well here but I hope the message gets through anyway.
Last but not least, I have to make an announcment: I realize this is weird and I hope you don't judge me too harshly but I just can't help it. I want to marry a 16-year-old. A 16-year-old demon, to be precise. I want to marry him and have his babies. There, I said it.
JK, this was a childish and immature thing to say but anyway, I loved this. Awesome read!
April 18, 2018
HELPPP I LOVE THIS SERIES SO DAMN MUCH
I'VE BEEN YELLING FOR THE LAST HUNDRED PAGES IM SO SHOOK
based on enjoyment alone this would probably be a 4.5-5 star but admittedly there are many flaws I noticed even in my blind fangirl haze of book love. mae's pov is interesting solely for getting an outside perspective on nick, but the book loses thematic focus. I'm really trying not to dislike mae bc she's one of the only girls in the series, but I don't get what her character is supposed to be about at all, and it doesn't really feel like a streamlined/focused story that ultimately makes it Her Book. there's nothing that screamed for her pov in particular.
not to be biased but jamie's pov would have been approximately 1000000x more interesting! he has clearer thematic development than mae! his relationships (with gerald and nick) are also way more interesting and involve way less romance!!! I don't want to read about mae's romantic angst when I could read about jamie discovering his magic and meeting with gerald/the magicians and coming to terms with his power vs his sense of dependence and helplessness!!! his arc was so great but it was mostly behind the scenes and I'm getting more annoyed the more I think about this!! we could also have been given a closer inside look into the magicians' plotting as well as alan's! we likely wouldn't have missed much of the conflict between alan and nick!! and the reader could have been conflicted by/swayed toward gerald along with jamie instead of straight up hating him, creating more emotional tension!!!! I'm going to stop now but!!!!! justice for jamie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(also, apparently the next book is sin's pov? WHO DOES THIS. nothing against sin but she's barely even a mc and )
related to the lack of focus in mae's perspective, there was just too much going on in the story. this is like a million stories in one: each character has secrets and motives and their own thing going on, and there are more magician's circles introduced. it all comes together by the end, but I kept having to stop and tally what was being planned, what everyone believed was going to happen, and how they felt and what their loyalties were. I actually did like most of the storylines, but I was losing track of them and many felt like they didn't receive due focus. again, mae's pov doesn't do this any favors because many plotlines don't involve her as a centerpiece. it feels like these things are happening around her, and that makes it harder to follow.
issues aside, I LOVED THIS. I feel like I have to give it at least 4 stars just on the strength of how much I enjoyed it despite everything. I nearly gave it 4.5 just as a gut reaction. I loved all the characters (... except mae) even more. jamie is my heart and soul and I would die for him; I absolutely loved his character arc, if you can't tell . nick and alan's relationship is my favorite thing. "in two worlds, there is nothing I love half as much as you" -- KILL ME. jamie and nick's friendship was unexpected and lovely but I really wish we'd seen more of how jamie's trust and affection developed (again.... jamie pov.........).
I've said this at least a thousand times but I love srb's writing style and it's better in this book than the last one imo. she's hilarious but she has such a way of capturing relationships and emotions, and of striking the balance between humor and genuineness.
the romance was more prominent in this book than the last one, but somehow besides the annoyance at mae's pov on principle I don't think I minded it as much. I mean, most of the potential relationships were still boring, but the level of complexity of their romantic entanglements made it a lot more fun as I was reading it, if only because it was entertaining trying to pick through it all. this isn't even a love triangle anymore (and srb is the only one who can make love triangles moderately bearable), it's like... a love cube-tetrahedron hybrid. objectively this is a similar problem to the overstuffed plot, but tbh it was just ridiculous and I loved it. would trade in an instant for jamie pov, though.
lmao I hate that this review was mostly complaining (then again isn't this what happens whenever I accidentally get overly invested in a series //glances at trc) but trust me I am in love. the fact that I'm still giving this 4 stars shows how in love I am tbh
anyway if the next book disappoints me im going to cry so come thruuu srb
I'VE BEEN YELLING FOR THE LAST HUNDRED PAGES IM SO SHOOK
based on enjoyment alone this would probably be a 4.5-5 star but admittedly there are many flaws I noticed even in my blind fangirl haze of book love. mae's pov is interesting solely for getting an outside perspective on nick, but the book loses thematic focus. I'm really trying not to dislike mae bc she's one of the only girls in the series, but I don't get what her character is supposed to be about at all, and it doesn't really feel like a streamlined/focused story that ultimately makes it Her Book. there's nothing that screamed for her pov in particular.
not to be biased but jamie's pov would have been approximately 1000000x more interesting! he has clearer thematic development than mae! his relationships (with gerald and nick) are also way more interesting and involve way less romance!!! I don't want to read about mae's romantic angst when I could read about jamie discovering his magic and meeting with gerald/the magicians and coming to terms with his power vs his sense of dependence and helplessness!!! his arc was so great but it was mostly behind the scenes and I'm getting more annoyed the more I think about this!! we could also have been given a closer inside look into the magicians' plotting as well as alan's! we likely wouldn't have missed much of the conflict between alan and nick!! and the reader could have been conflicted by/swayed toward gerald along with jamie instead of straight up hating him, creating more emotional tension!!!! I'm going to stop now but!!!!! justice for jamie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(also, apparently the next book is sin's pov? WHO DOES THIS. nothing against sin but she's barely even a mc and )
related to the lack of focus in mae's perspective, there was just too much going on in the story. this is like a million stories in one: each character has secrets and motives and their own thing going on, and there are more magician's circles introduced. it all comes together by the end, but I kept having to stop and tally what was being planned, what everyone believed was going to happen, and how they felt and what their loyalties were. I actually did like most of the storylines, but I was losing track of them and many felt like they didn't receive due focus. again, mae's pov doesn't do this any favors because many plotlines don't involve her as a centerpiece. it feels like these things are happening around her, and that makes it harder to follow.
issues aside, I LOVED THIS. I feel like I have to give it at least 4 stars just on the strength of how much I enjoyed it despite everything. I nearly gave it 4.5 just as a gut reaction. I loved all the characters (... except mae) even more. jamie is my heart and soul and I would die for him; I absolutely loved his character arc, if you can't tell . nick and alan's relationship is my favorite thing. "in two worlds, there is nothing I love half as much as you" -- KILL ME. jamie and nick's friendship was unexpected and lovely but I really wish we'd seen more of how jamie's trust and affection developed (again.... jamie pov.........).
I've said this at least a thousand times but I love srb's writing style and it's better in this book than the last one imo. she's hilarious but she has such a way of capturing relationships and emotions, and of striking the balance between humor and genuineness.
the romance was more prominent in this book than the last one, but somehow besides the annoyance at mae's pov on principle I don't think I minded it as much. I mean, most of the potential relationships were still boring, but the level of complexity of their romantic entanglements made it a lot more fun as I was reading it, if only because it was entertaining trying to pick through it all. this isn't even a love triangle anymore (and srb is the only one who can make love triangles moderately bearable), it's like... a love cube-tetrahedron hybrid. objectively this is a similar problem to the overstuffed plot, but tbh it was just ridiculous and I loved it. would trade in an instant for jamie pov, though.
lmao I hate that this review was mostly complaining (then again isn't this what happens whenever I accidentally get overly invested in a series //glances at trc) but trust me I am in love. the fact that I'm still giving this 4 stars shows how in love I am tbh
anyway if the next book disappoints me im going to cry so come thruuu srb
May 12, 2010
This was really tremendously fun, interesting, surprising, &c. I liked it quite a bit more than The Demon's Lexicon, I think - fewer segments of awkward writing, and I prefer Mae as the POV. Twisty, unpredictable, satisfying plot and some wonderful, likable, non-standard characters, too. Not a five star book because there were some overly foreshadowed bits, the magic systems occasionally seem a bit handwavey, and it just didn't have the weight for me that five star books do - but man, this was great.
January 30, 2011
Original Review HERE
Warning: this review contains spoilers for the FIRST BOOK because I can’t review the second without spoiling the first one. The spoiler completely ruins the experience of reading the first book and if you haven’t yet but still plan to read The Demon’s Lexicon I urge you to avert your eyes NOW. You have been warned!
It was only a few days ago that I talked about how 2010 has been a great reading year for me. The Demon’s Covenant is another addition to an already incredible line up. It feels like it was only yesterday that I discovered The Demon’s Lexicon a book that inconspicuously crept into my top 10 last year after its world and its characters became so alive to me, I was able to remember the smallest details after months of reading it. The Demon’s Covenant has been on my Most Wanted list since then and I was both anxious and terrified of reading it. Would it, could it, be as great as its predecessor? The answer is a resounding YES, a million times YES, and not only that: I find that it is even better.
I hereby declare Sarah Rees Brennan to be a freaking genius. For writing characters that become so alive that I feel like I know them, that make me care so much for their future as though they are real people, for making it possible to establish such an emotional connection with fictional people, I hereby declare that this writer has just joined the list of Ana’s Great Ones. Her name is now set in stone which means, I will read anything she ever writes because we (her writing and I) have crazy chemistry. It is possible that I am behaving like a fan-girl. It is possible that I am not in total control of my thoughts and actions because they have turned to mush after finishing this book. It is possible that I am wearing my heart in my sleeve. It is possible that you think I am exaggerating and it is very possible that I am. But this is what Good Books do to me and I wouldn’t trade this feeling, this experience, for anything in this world. I want to nurture it and above all I want to be able to spread it. So here it goes.
The Demon’s Covenant is very much a second book in a trilogy – by expanding on the first book’s storylines and setting the stage for the final act. It picks up a few weeks after the events at the end of The Demon’s Lexicon and the characters are still suffering the aftermath of what happened then. They are still struggling with the discovery that Jamie is a magician (and if you remember, most Magicians in this world are not Good) , with Mae’s feelings after she has killed someone to protect her brother and with the Twisterific revelation that Nick is in fact, a demon (and if you remember, the one thing that could be worse than being a magician, is definitely being a demon).
The story opens with Mae trying to go back to a normal life when she discovers that her brother is meeting with one of the magicians from Obsidian Circle, Gerald. Terrified that she might lose him, she contacts the brothers Nick and Alan to ask for their help once more and then all attempts at normalcy go down the drain; she is dragged back into the midst of a fight between Circles, a fight between brothers, and into the magical world of the Goblin Market – a world she would do anything to forget but which she is reluctantly fascinated by and attracted to.
The first thing of note in The Demon’s Covenant is the change in narrator . Nick is no longer the voice or the eyes from which this story is narrated making the sequel completely different from its predecessor and yet still fundamentally similar. The difference comes from of course, the narrative voice as instead of Nick’s cold, detached point of view, we get Mae’s deeply emotional one. I thought the choice of picking Mae as the narrator (as opposed to say, Nick again, or Alan) was extremely interesting and at first I wondered why. Then it hit me, even though they are miles apart in terms of humanity (or lack of) , Nick and Alan actually share something. They are both outsiders looking in. Nick, as the non-human, puzzled by emotional conundrums which he doesn’t have and Mae as the only one who does not possess magic, or fighting skills. Her narrative is poignant because of considerations such as what can she possibly offer to the group?
As Nick’s observations of others spoke loudly of how they felt, the same can be said about Mae. Her eyes observe everything and relate to the reader: the strange tension between the brothers, Jamie’s loneliness, the allure of the Goblin Market. Sometimes her observations are not as keen as she would like to believe but that might as well come from being deceived by others but also because of self-denial. She battles with her own heart for most of the book, trying to find normalcy she can’t possibly have after all that has happened and love in the arms of people which she doesn’t truly love. If you read the first book, you know that Alan has a crush on Mae and that Mae has a crush on Nick. At one point in the book, Nick tells her that she would be crazy not to pick Alan but the heart wants what the heart wants, folks. In some sense, Mae is as an unreliable narrator as Nick was but for completely different reasons. That to me, was awesome. As awesome was her strength, her resilience and her gift for action and plotting and above all, her capacity for understanding and connecting. Her understanding of Seb, a guy who could be scorned off as a bully but who is embraced by her or her friendship with another fantastic secondary female character, Sin of the Goblin Market (who is to be the narrator of the final book) . And even though, she is understanding and accommodating that does not make her feeble. I absolutely LOVED how her reactions to discoveries she made about people (I am being cryptic on purpose!) throughout the book were very firm and yet still well-balanced.
As fascinating as the narrative voice was, and how the world-building is incredibly compelling with added dynamics and politics within the Goblin Market and across the Magicians Circles nothing surpasses characterisation. What strikes me the most though in the world created by the author, is the complexity and the greyness of her characters. These are complex human beings making morally questionable decisions all the time. They all know for example, that Magicians are bad and kill humans to use their body to bring demons into the world in order to control their powers and yet, both Mae and Jamie are attracted to the use of magic.
Alan, who is my favourite character by far, is someone who would do anything, and I mean, anything for his brother Nick. He kills, maims lies, manipulates, and goes behind people’s backs to get what he wants. He unleashed a demon in the world. Yes, it is all for love and devotion but…does that make it right though? Probably not, but reading his father’s diary and how Alan has loved and cared for Nick from day one, just about broke my heart. Everything he does is for Nick but he also seems to have an unlimited amount of love to give to anybody who would accept. His actions in the end of the book (another twist, although not as mind blowing as the first one, but still, a good one) shows us that. I found myself consumed with love for Alan and the ONE thing I want the most is for someone to truly, deeply LOVE him.
Breaking my heart is something that I need to get used to though when it comes to this series. With every single scene of sibling affection between Nick and Alan or Mae and Jamie; with the ardent need that both Mae and Alan have for Nick to show some sign of humanity; with Nick’s obvious urgency for trying so hard to appease Alan even though it goes against his own nature and for his vulnerability; for Jamie’s hopeless crush; and so on and so forth, I got continuous heart twinges.
What is it that makes us human, I asked myself reading this book over and again. It is the emotions we feel? The capacity for connection? To make mistakes and err and fall and get back on our feet again? Nick might not feel the right emotions – but he is devoted, protective of the ones we considers “his”, does that not make him slightly human? Alan is human and is so clearly emotional and yet he can be as cool and detached as Nick if necessary – does that make him less human?
I don’t know the answers; I am terrified that the answers to those questions will come in the final book and it will break my heart into tiny little pieces. All I know is that I want the best for these characters . The Demon’s Covenant is definitely not a book about plot – in fact, when push comes to shove, little happens in the way of moving the story forward and all that was necessary to set the third act, is contained in the last few chapters. The majority of The Demon’s Covenant is about the characters’ and their motivations, and about love. Loving who you shouldn’t love, people being worthy of being loved even when they don’t think they are or the seemly endless capacity for sibling love that both Mae and Alan have. As such it is a feast for the readers who like me, are inclined towards character-driven stories.
I was a huge, giant MESS when the book ended and still I could have begged for more. I am consumed with love for these characters, flaws and all (or even because of that), terrified for their future because their world is bleak and the prospect of happiness is not that great, and yet, still hopeful for all of them, but above all for Alan. On Ana’s corner of the Smuggliverse there is one thing that I say to the books I love and cherish above all and which I consider to be the greatest compliment I could ever give: THIS IS WHY I READ. This book goes straight into my top 10, without a shadow of a doubt.
Warning: this review contains spoilers for the FIRST BOOK because I can’t review the second without spoiling the first one. The spoiler completely ruins the experience of reading the first book and if you haven’t yet but still plan to read The Demon’s Lexicon I urge you to avert your eyes NOW. You have been warned!
It was only a few days ago that I talked about how 2010 has been a great reading year for me. The Demon’s Covenant is another addition to an already incredible line up. It feels like it was only yesterday that I discovered The Demon’s Lexicon a book that inconspicuously crept into my top 10 last year after its world and its characters became so alive to me, I was able to remember the smallest details after months of reading it. The Demon’s Covenant has been on my Most Wanted list since then and I was both anxious and terrified of reading it. Would it, could it, be as great as its predecessor? The answer is a resounding YES, a million times YES, and not only that: I find that it is even better.
I hereby declare Sarah Rees Brennan to be a freaking genius. For writing characters that become so alive that I feel like I know them, that make me care so much for their future as though they are real people, for making it possible to establish such an emotional connection with fictional people, I hereby declare that this writer has just joined the list of Ana’s Great Ones. Her name is now set in stone which means, I will read anything she ever writes because we (her writing and I) have crazy chemistry. It is possible that I am behaving like a fan-girl. It is possible that I am not in total control of my thoughts and actions because they have turned to mush after finishing this book. It is possible that I am wearing my heart in my sleeve. It is possible that you think I am exaggerating and it is very possible that I am. But this is what Good Books do to me and I wouldn’t trade this feeling, this experience, for anything in this world. I want to nurture it and above all I want to be able to spread it. So here it goes.
The Demon’s Covenant is very much a second book in a trilogy – by expanding on the first book’s storylines and setting the stage for the final act. It picks up a few weeks after the events at the end of The Demon’s Lexicon and the characters are still suffering the aftermath of what happened then. They are still struggling with the discovery that Jamie is a magician (and if you remember, most Magicians in this world are not Good) , with Mae’s feelings after she has killed someone to protect her brother and with the Twisterific revelation that Nick is in fact, a demon (and if you remember, the one thing that could be worse than being a magician, is definitely being a demon).
The story opens with Mae trying to go back to a normal life when she discovers that her brother is meeting with one of the magicians from Obsidian Circle, Gerald. Terrified that she might lose him, she contacts the brothers Nick and Alan to ask for their help once more and then all attempts at normalcy go down the drain; she is dragged back into the midst of a fight between Circles, a fight between brothers, and into the magical world of the Goblin Market – a world she would do anything to forget but which she is reluctantly fascinated by and attracted to.
The first thing of note in The Demon’s Covenant is the change in narrator . Nick is no longer the voice or the eyes from which this story is narrated making the sequel completely different from its predecessor and yet still fundamentally similar. The difference comes from of course, the narrative voice as instead of Nick’s cold, detached point of view, we get Mae’s deeply emotional one. I thought the choice of picking Mae as the narrator (as opposed to say, Nick again, or Alan) was extremely interesting and at first I wondered why. Then it hit me, even though they are miles apart in terms of humanity (or lack of) , Nick and Alan actually share something. They are both outsiders looking in. Nick, as the non-human, puzzled by emotional conundrums which he doesn’t have and Mae as the only one who does not possess magic, or fighting skills. Her narrative is poignant because of considerations such as what can she possibly offer to the group?
As Nick’s observations of others spoke loudly of how they felt, the same can be said about Mae. Her eyes observe everything and relate to the reader: the strange tension between the brothers, Jamie’s loneliness, the allure of the Goblin Market. Sometimes her observations are not as keen as she would like to believe but that might as well come from being deceived by others but also because of self-denial. She battles with her own heart for most of the book, trying to find normalcy she can’t possibly have after all that has happened and love in the arms of people which she doesn’t truly love. If you read the first book, you know that Alan has a crush on Mae and that Mae has a crush on Nick. At one point in the book, Nick tells her that she would be crazy not to pick Alan but the heart wants what the heart wants, folks. In some sense, Mae is as an unreliable narrator as Nick was but for completely different reasons. That to me, was awesome. As awesome was her strength, her resilience and her gift for action and plotting and above all, her capacity for understanding and connecting. Her understanding of Seb, a guy who could be scorned off as a bully but who is embraced by her or her friendship with another fantastic secondary female character, Sin of the Goblin Market (who is to be the narrator of the final book) . And even though, she is understanding and accommodating that does not make her feeble. I absolutely LOVED how her reactions to discoveries she made about people (I am being cryptic on purpose!) throughout the book were very firm and yet still well-balanced.
As fascinating as the narrative voice was, and how the world-building is incredibly compelling with added dynamics and politics within the Goblin Market and across the Magicians Circles nothing surpasses characterisation. What strikes me the most though in the world created by the author, is the complexity and the greyness of her characters. These are complex human beings making morally questionable decisions all the time. They all know for example, that Magicians are bad and kill humans to use their body to bring demons into the world in order to control their powers and yet, both Mae and Jamie are attracted to the use of magic.
Alan, who is my favourite character by far, is someone who would do anything, and I mean, anything for his brother Nick. He kills, maims lies, manipulates, and goes behind people’s backs to get what he wants. He unleashed a demon in the world. Yes, it is all for love and devotion but…does that make it right though? Probably not, but reading his father’s diary and how Alan has loved and cared for Nick from day one, just about broke my heart. Everything he does is for Nick but he also seems to have an unlimited amount of love to give to anybody who would accept. His actions in the end of the book (another twist, although not as mind blowing as the first one, but still, a good one) shows us that. I found myself consumed with love for Alan and the ONE thing I want the most is for someone to truly, deeply LOVE him.
Breaking my heart is something that I need to get used to though when it comes to this series. With every single scene of sibling affection between Nick and Alan or Mae and Jamie; with the ardent need that both Mae and Alan have for Nick to show some sign of humanity; with Nick’s obvious urgency for trying so hard to appease Alan even though it goes against his own nature and for his vulnerability; for Jamie’s hopeless crush; and so on and so forth, I got continuous heart twinges.
What is it that makes us human, I asked myself reading this book over and again. It is the emotions we feel? The capacity for connection? To make mistakes and err and fall and get back on our feet again? Nick might not feel the right emotions – but he is devoted, protective of the ones we considers “his”, does that not make him slightly human? Alan is human and is so clearly emotional and yet he can be as cool and detached as Nick if necessary – does that make him less human?
I don’t know the answers; I am terrified that the answers to those questions will come in the final book and it will break my heart into tiny little pieces. All I know is that I want the best for these characters . The Demon’s Covenant is definitely not a book about plot – in fact, when push comes to shove, little happens in the way of moving the story forward and all that was necessary to set the third act, is contained in the last few chapters. The majority of The Demon’s Covenant is about the characters’ and their motivations, and about love. Loving who you shouldn’t love, people being worthy of being loved even when they don’t think they are or the seemly endless capacity for sibling love that both Mae and Alan have. As such it is a feast for the readers who like me, are inclined towards character-driven stories.
I was a huge, giant MESS when the book ended and still I could have begged for more. I am consumed with love for these characters, flaws and all (or even because of that), terrified for their future because their world is bleak and the prospect of happiness is not that great, and yet, still hopeful for all of them, but above all for Alan. On Ana’s corner of the Smuggliverse there is one thing that I say to the books I love and cherish above all and which I consider to be the greatest compliment I could ever give: THIS IS WHY I READ. This book goes straight into my top 10, without a shadow of a doubt.
May 24, 2010
Sarah's first book The Demon's Lexicon will go down in history as one of the greatest young adult urban fantasy books to ever hit the shelves. I was mesmorised and compelled with how she structured this magical story into something that seemed to come to life on the pages. She managed to create a world within the world we all know, create characters that you can root for regardless of their motives. For me, when an author has an exceptionally amazing debut novel, the second book in the series always has to be striking, it has to stand out and shine on it's own as well as complimenting the first book. I never had any doubts this book would be all that and more.
Honestly, I expected to feel more distant from this book, because of the change in our protagonists voice, which has switched from the cold hard insight we got into Nick's mind, to the caring and fiesty mind of the one and only Mavis aka Mae. This was one of those moments that makes you understand how much time and planning must have gone into this story, because Mae's voice is so drastically different from Nicks, they are at opposite ends of the specturm. Where Nicks voice was cold, unfeeling and distant, not understanding the nature of humans, Mae's voice was full of warmth and emotion and love. For me, this only further proved how much of an unreliable narrator Nick had been, because after the bombshell at the end of the book, I started to question his observations of those around him, because he was seeing them in a totally different light than that what would be expected. In the same breath, I found Mae to be unrealiable, because she has the emotion and is invested in the outcome of the events that unfold, and like her brother Jamie, she is trusting, even when her trust should be doled out in small measures.
Mae is like a shing star, she burns bright. She is snarky and kooky and unafraid. But mostly she seems to be the most perceptive of the bunch. Her observations of her friends behaviour, of the differences between Nick and Alan, of the strange tension between them, were startingly accurate. Same with her reluctance to accept her brothers new found friends. My favourite character trait is her ability to see the good in people that others may overlook, even if it means her having to struggle to control her own emotions. Could she ever love someone who may not or could not love her back, can she have what she wants without the gift coming with a thorn in it to hurt her whilst she's not looking.
I can't finish this review without mentioning the dialogue, which may well be my favourite quality of Sarah's immense talent. Her ability to create these conversations and interactions with her characters in a way that makes them beleivable, even if they are talking about magic and demons, is just beautiful. Mae, Jamie, Nick, Alan and all the other secondary characters all have voices so distinct and precise, I could pluck them off the page and know who was talking. The dialogue is quick and snappy and most of all, its hilarious. She can have me in stiches struggling for breath, then breathless with emotion. Do, I know where this story is going to end? No, I don't know, but I know the journey with these extraordinary characters is one that I would take time and time again. Amazing doesn't quite cover it on this occasion.
Honestly, I expected to feel more distant from this book, because of the change in our protagonists voice, which has switched from the cold hard insight we got into Nick's mind, to the caring and fiesty mind of the one and only Mavis aka Mae. This was one of those moments that makes you understand how much time and planning must have gone into this story, because Mae's voice is so drastically different from Nicks, they are at opposite ends of the specturm. Where Nicks voice was cold, unfeeling and distant, not understanding the nature of humans, Mae's voice was full of warmth and emotion and love. For me, this only further proved how much of an unreliable narrator Nick had been, because after the bombshell at the end of the book, I started to question his observations of those around him, because he was seeing them in a totally different light than that what would be expected. In the same breath, I found Mae to be unrealiable, because she has the emotion and is invested in the outcome of the events that unfold, and like her brother Jamie, she is trusting, even when her trust should be doled out in small measures.
Mae is like a shing star, she burns bright. She is snarky and kooky and unafraid. But mostly she seems to be the most perceptive of the bunch. Her observations of her friends behaviour, of the differences between Nick and Alan, of the strange tension between them, were startingly accurate. Same with her reluctance to accept her brothers new found friends. My favourite character trait is her ability to see the good in people that others may overlook, even if it means her having to struggle to control her own emotions. Could she ever love someone who may not or could not love her back, can she have what she wants without the gift coming with a thorn in it to hurt her whilst she's not looking.
I can't finish this review without mentioning the dialogue, which may well be my favourite quality of Sarah's immense talent. Her ability to create these conversations and interactions with her characters in a way that makes them beleivable, even if they are talking about magic and demons, is just beautiful. Mae, Jamie, Nick, Alan and all the other secondary characters all have voices so distinct and precise, I could pluck them off the page and know who was talking. The dialogue is quick and snappy and most of all, its hilarious. She can have me in stiches struggling for breath, then breathless with emotion. Do, I know where this story is going to end? No, I don't know, but I know the journey with these extraordinary characters is one that I would take time and time again. Amazing doesn't quite cover it on this occasion.
October 4, 2010
The Demon's Covenant, the second book in a trilogy, takes place a few weeks after the events that occurred in The Demon's Lexicon. It follows Mae, only a secondary character in the first one, who now has to deal with the fact that her brother, Jamie, has magical powers and is being recruited from magicians everywhere, including the deadly Obsidian circle, now run by Gerald. Mae once again enlists the help of of brothers Nick and Alan, who are entangled in their fair share of dangerous magical dealings themselves. If you had not read the first one yet, I suggest not reading the rest of the review, as it is impossible to discuss this one without mentioning some major plot twists of the first book.
It took me forever to get into this book. It took me five days just to get through the first half (which is incredibly slow for me). But just around the halfway point, I sat down to read it for more than five minutes at a time and actually got sucked in. I'm not a big fan of the writing, I think that's it. It's in a limited 3rd person POV, which is a little strange. I'm spoiled with first person. I also don't like Mae too much.
Come to think of it, I like hardly any of the characters. Nick is an ass (albeit a hot one), Jamie's out-of-place flamboyancies can get annoying, and Mae is just frustrating. I like Alan though. He's sexy in a smart, nerdy, one-step-ahead-of-you way. But I'm glad the book isn't in his perspective or else I wouldn't get the joy of his deceptions and motives being revealed. I'm not really attached to any of the characters. I feel distanced from all of them, despite the fact that Nick and Mae have narrated. If they died, I would just shrug my shoulders. I do like how Brennan seems intent on sticking with her characterizations of the first book. Nick's a demon, incapable of human emotion, and goddammit he will stay that way. Romantic touchy-feelyness be damned.
This book is a helluva a lot more complex than the first one, especially with the characters and their romances. I nearly drew myself a chart. Everyone is in love with the wrong person (except Nick who can't love anybody) and it turned out to be nearly Shakespearean in proportions. Everyone also had their own motives and plans. I didn't know where to look or who to trust.
Perhaps my weak mind finds this series kind of overwhelming, but I just don't understand the magic system. I mean, I get it, but not really. I'm confused as to where a magician's power ends and a demon's power begins. How is it that Jamie can wield magic if he's never made an offering to a demon? Does the magic ever run out? Where do the demons go? How do people get to know about the magical universe if they are not magicians, messengers, or demons? Are those the only magical beings? I just don't understand. I also could not understand the action sequences for the life of me. I was all "Wicka wicka what?" And all the *ahem* witty dialogue coming from the peanut gallery was a little distracting.
Overall, I do kind of like this series. It's not bad, but not a favorite of mine. I definitely will continue on to the next installment. But if you absolutely despised the first installment, I doubt it'll get much better for you. If you did like first one, but largely because of *sarcastic swoon* Nick, then you probably won't like this one as much as you have less of him and more of our pink-haired heroine.
It took me forever to get into this book. It took me five days just to get through the first half (which is incredibly slow for me). But just around the halfway point, I sat down to read it for more than five minutes at a time and actually got sucked in. I'm not a big fan of the writing, I think that's it. It's in a limited 3rd person POV, which is a little strange. I'm spoiled with first person. I also don't like Mae too much.
Come to think of it, I like hardly any of the characters. Nick is an ass (albeit a hot one), Jamie's out-of-place flamboyancies can get annoying, and Mae is just frustrating. I like Alan though. He's sexy in a smart, nerdy, one-step-ahead-of-you way. But I'm glad the book isn't in his perspective or else I wouldn't get the joy of his deceptions and motives being revealed. I'm not really attached to any of the characters. I feel distanced from all of them, despite the fact that Nick and Mae have narrated. If they died, I would just shrug my shoulders. I do like how Brennan seems intent on sticking with her characterizations of the first book. Nick's a demon, incapable of human emotion, and goddammit he will stay that way. Romantic touchy-feelyness be damned.
This book is a helluva a lot more complex than the first one, especially with the characters and their romances. I nearly drew myself a chart. Everyone is in love with the wrong person (except Nick who can't love anybody) and it turned out to be nearly Shakespearean in proportions. Everyone also had their own motives and plans. I didn't know where to look or who to trust.
Perhaps my weak mind finds this series kind of overwhelming, but I just don't understand the magic system. I mean, I get it, but not really. I'm confused as to where a magician's power ends and a demon's power begins. How is it that Jamie can wield magic if he's never made an offering to a demon? Does the magic ever run out? Where do the demons go? How do people get to know about the magical universe if they are not magicians, messengers, or demons? Are those the only magical beings? I just don't understand. I also could not understand the action sequences for the life of me. I was all "Wicka wicka what?" And all the *ahem* witty dialogue coming from the peanut gallery was a little distracting.
Overall, I do kind of like this series. It's not bad, but not a favorite of mine. I definitely will continue on to the next installment. But if you absolutely despised the first installment, I doubt it'll get much better for you. If you did like first one, but largely because of *sarcastic swoon* Nick, then you probably won't like this one as much as you have less of him and more of our pink-haired heroine.
May 15, 2010
I went into this without reading any reviews, so a very fresh blank slate and the lingering memory of my love for The Demon’s Lexicon. The Demon’s Covenant? Even better.
But how is this possible? Could it be because the writing has grown exponentially? That humour is subtlety interlaced perfectly? That the characterization is mind blowing? The plot was oh-my-god amazing? The climax that will rival the one from DL (that is saying something!)? And the make out scenes (oh man, the make out scenes!) with the love triangles? *swoons a bit*
The answer to all of the above is a big fat YES. Sarah Rees Brennan is an undoubtedly clever author capable of weaving a fast-paced, action-filled novel that doesn’t surrender to sequel-syndrome.
The characters are arguably my favourite part of the novel (since I loved everything..) because being a sequel, it gives way to character development that sometimes goes overboard in middle-novels. Brennan keeps this in check and unveils true intentions layer by layer in a way that keeps you guessing and doubting the whole time. Each character becomes alive a jumps off the page (and into your heart).
The writing in this one never distracted me, and kept me engaged and flipping the pages well into the night. Although I don’t have an elephant's memory of DL, I do think that this time around, the writing improved by leaps and bounds, showing the author’s tremendous growth. Action scenes were concise and clear, and the descriptions, especially of the Goblin Market were unique and vivid. The whole magician/demon world created was fantastic.
Parting thoughts: I can NOT wait for the next book!!! Oh, and there are a few new sub-plots introduced and loose ends...and a huge loose end just setting up Book 3.
4.8/5 – because it ties with two of my favourite books this year. It has an engaging plot with endless twists and turns, wonderful writing, and characters you aren’t embarrassed to wear a ridiculous suit for if that meant cheering them on and falling in love with them. If you are by any chance thinking of the next paranormal book to read, pick up this series now. Read The Demon’s Lexicon first, and keep a jar handy for all the bits of your brain when you get your mind blown.
To read a full, in-depth review on my blog, click here.
But how is this possible? Could it be because the writing has grown exponentially? That humour is subtlety interlaced perfectly? That the characterization is mind blowing? The plot was oh-my-god amazing? The climax that will rival the one from DL (that is saying something!)? And the make out scenes (oh man, the make out scenes!) with the love triangles? *swoons a bit*
The answer to all of the above is a big fat YES. Sarah Rees Brennan is an undoubtedly clever author capable of weaving a fast-paced, action-filled novel that doesn’t surrender to sequel-syndrome.
The characters are arguably my favourite part of the novel (since I loved everything..) because being a sequel, it gives way to character development that sometimes goes overboard in middle-novels. Brennan keeps this in check and unveils true intentions layer by layer in a way that keeps you guessing and doubting the whole time. Each character becomes alive a jumps off the page (and into your heart).
The writing in this one never distracted me, and kept me engaged and flipping the pages well into the night. Although I don’t have an elephant's memory of DL, I do think that this time around, the writing improved by leaps and bounds, showing the author’s tremendous growth. Action scenes were concise and clear, and the descriptions, especially of the Goblin Market were unique and vivid. The whole magician/demon world created was fantastic.
Parting thoughts: I can NOT wait for the next book!!! Oh, and there are a few new sub-plots introduced and loose ends...and a huge loose end just setting up Book 3.
4.8/5 – because it ties with two of my favourite books this year. It has an engaging plot with endless twists and turns, wonderful writing, and characters you aren’t embarrassed to wear a ridiculous suit for if that meant cheering them on and falling in love with them. If you are by any chance thinking of the next paranormal book to read, pick up this series now. Read The Demon’s Lexicon first, and keep a jar handy for all the bits of your brain when you get your mind blown.
To read a full, in-depth review on my blog, click here.
November 18, 2010
I wish I read this book sooner, I enjoyed this a lot. I even laughed out loud a few times. Maybe I have an odd sense of humor but quotes like this one crack me up.
"Mae’s first impulse was to die of shame, but she realized after a hot, stomach-clenching moment that this was probably impractical."
Seriously. XD
Mae's voice is interesting, she's smart, funny and I want to know where the hell she buys those awesome shirt of hers. Can't say I liked this slightly more slutty side of her (she got more lip than a girl in a kissing booth), but I could relate to where all this was coming from.
I really hope things will work out with... well somebody.
Her brother Jamie is hilarious, he's the kind of younger brother I'd like to have for some reason. Mostly because I know I would be ferociously protective of him.
And last but not least, Nick. I went back and forth from wanting to kiss him to wanting to kill him but if I'm honest with myself... there isn't a thing he could do wrong in my book, he's just so... I don't even know, he's Nick, what more can I say? And he has a Vanquish. That's so awesome I feel the need to say it twice: He has a Vanquish. Okay, one more time: A VANQUISH. I know that car lost a lot of it's cool after we found out Sparklepeen owns one, but I actually knew the car existed before it became public knowledge. I'd like one in black please.
"Mae’s first impulse was to die of shame, but she realized after a hot, stomach-clenching moment that this was probably impractical."
Seriously. XD
Mae's voice is interesting, she's smart, funny and I want to know where the hell she buys those awesome shirt of hers. Can't say I liked this slightly more slutty side of her (she got more lip than a girl in a kissing booth), but I could relate to where all this was coming from.
I really hope things will work out with... well somebody.
Her brother Jamie is hilarious, he's the kind of younger brother I'd like to have for some reason. Mostly because I know I would be ferociously protective of him.
And last but not least, Nick. I went back and forth from wanting to kiss him to wanting to kill him but if I'm honest with myself... there isn't a thing he could do wrong in my book, he's just so... I don't even know, he's Nick, what more can I say? And he has a Vanquish. That's so awesome I feel the need to say it twice: He has a Vanquish. Okay, one more time: A VANQUISH. I know that car lost a lot of it's cool after we found out Sparklepeen owns one, but I actually knew the car existed before it became public knowledge. I'd like one in black please.
June 11, 2010
I was less pleased by this book than by its prequel. I thought it was more polished in some ways, but it didn't give me that visceral, heart-pounding, tingling excitement that I get from books that I really like (and that The Demon's Lexicon gave me).
Part of that is due to the ending, which isn't quite a cliffhanger, but which very much has a feeling of unfinished business about it. And I feel like a stereotypical pre-teen boy for even mentioning this, but there is way too much kissing in this book! I'm as much a fan of kissing as anyone, but it gets ridiculous pretty fast here.
Still, it was an enjoyable read (I especially loved that the shift to Mae's pov allowed for more scenes in which female characters interacted with each other), and I'm looking forward to the final book in the trilogy.
Part of that is due to the ending, which isn't quite a cliffhanger, but which very much has a feeling of unfinished business about it. And I feel like a stereotypical pre-teen boy for even mentioning this, but there is way too much kissing in this book! I'm as much a fan of kissing as anyone, but it gets ridiculous pretty fast here.
Still, it was an enjoyable read (I especially loved that the shift to Mae's pov allowed for more scenes in which female characters interacted with each other), and I'm looking forward to the final book in the trilogy.
November 9, 2010
Sequel to the excellent The Demon's Lexicon. It took me nearly six months to crack it open, because I was so terrified that I wouldn't like it.
FEAR NOT. review tbc.
FEAR NOT. review tbc.
September 9, 2024
I mean, yeah, sure, Mae is a bit 2010 learned-helplessness-of-a-girl-YA-fantasy-protagonist but isn’t that a little bit slay still…
November 9, 2015
4.5 stars.
I am just so happy.
So happy.
I pretty much knew I would love this series. I did. But I had no idea what I was in store for.
NONE.
And I think that's a good thing. It means that expectations were met-and exceeded. I think it's pretty crazy that I was kinda spoiled for a few things(Thanks, sister!) and yet still was completely enamored by everything that was going on. This is, hands down, the best brother/sibling book I have ever in my life read. EVER. And, it must be said, I cried at every journal entry. Every. Single. Damn. One.
So essentially, READ THIS BOOK. You won't regret it, I promise. I mean, sure, it wasn't perfect; it had some issues. The love triangle that is more like a hexagon is a bit absurd, for example. But for some insane reason, I can work past, with practically zero effort, everything that I thought could have been better. I don't really care about them, because nothing upset me and every other beautiful amazing thing made up for it more than enough. That is rare, my friends.
Now come the spoilers...
I am just so happy.
So happy.
I pretty much knew I would love this series. I did. But I had no idea what I was in store for.
NONE.
And I think that's a good thing. It means that expectations were met-and exceeded. I think it's pretty crazy that I was kinda spoiled for a few things(Thanks, sister!) and yet still was completely enamored by everything that was going on. This is, hands down, the best brother/sibling book I have ever in my life read. EVER. And, it must be said, I cried at every journal entry. Every. Single. Damn. One.
So essentially, READ THIS BOOK. You won't regret it, I promise. I mean, sure, it wasn't perfect; it had some issues. The love triangle that is more like a hexagon is a bit absurd, for example. But for some insane reason, I can work past, with practically zero effort, everything that I thought could have been better. I don't really care about them, because nothing upset me and every other beautiful amazing thing made up for it more than enough. That is rare, my friends.
Now come the spoilers...
May 28, 2010
“The covenant is binding. There is no escape.”
Danger is closing in all around Mae. In one corner the magicians lie in wait, biding their time until Jamie is inducted into their circle-whether he wants to be or not. Alan, secretive as ever, considers a disastrous bargain with a demon, knowing full well the ramifications of his actions. Meanwhile, Mae can’t help but be lured in by the seductive pull of the Goblin Market, But Mae is not a magician. She's just an ordinary girl thrown into a maddening world of magicians and magic. And once again she must face some difficult decisions. Except this time the stakes are even higher. Can Mae stay alive long enough to save them all?
The Demon’s Covenant solidified Mae as one of my all time favorite literary heroines. Nick, being the main point of view character in The Demon’s Lexicon was unable to provide the type of introspection that Mae could easily bring to the table. While I identified with Nick, I tended to view the others as he did - with a detached annoyance. With Mae it was different. Through her eyes, I got a deeper understanding for not only her character, but for all of those surrounding her. It was a smart move on the part of Sarah Rees Brennan and in my opinion, brought the series to a whole new level.
Strong, feisty and loyal to the end, I respected the depths of Mae's courage. The choices she was faced with were not easy. But she handled them in a believable way. I sympathized with her and rooted her on the whole time. In fact, from page one I was on her side. When things got really dicey, I wanted to jump in and help her. Her love for Jamie was almost heartbreaking- I loved how there was nothing she wouldn’t do to save him. I admired that. Bonds of family love ran deep in this book. I also want to note how compelling the diary entries of Alan's father were. The diary allowed tremendous insight into Nick and Alan's relationship. Heart-breaking and illuminating, I walked away from this book with a renewed appreciation for just how much Alan sacrificed for his brother. It was the most compelling component of the novel for me.
Sarah Rees Brennan impressed me with her use of strong imagery and world building in The Demon’s Covenant. There were so many examples of vivid imagery in the book, it was hard to pick just one to illustrate. In this example below, I could actually feel the sensation of being under a magician’s spell; my arms and legs held frozen by the will of someone with dangerous power.
“The magician brushed by Mae and suddenly she could move, as if she was made of ice and his touch was hot enough to change her to water." - page 11
Humorous moments like this next example helped balance out the dark aspects of the story and give the reader a chance to catch their breath.
"The magic bounced off Jamie and earthed itself harmlessly in the ground at his feet.
Jamie jumped back all the same, and Mae found him catching her hands, grip desperate for a moment until he remembered himself. Then he stepped away.
“Thanks, Laura” he said unsteadily. “I always wondered what a tiny heart attack would feel like, and now I know. Very refreshing!” - page 56
What does it mean to be human? How far would you go to protect your family? The Demon’s Covenant is so much more than a fantasy novel about demons and magicians. It’s one with numerous layers to peel back, examine and reflect upon. Throughout its pages the bonds of friendship will be tested, family loyalties will be defined, and alliances formed. For romance fans-you will not be disappointed. A strong undercurrent of romantic tension runs rampant throughout the entire novel. It ratchets up to a fever pitch in a final scene that made my heart pound wildly. Only Sarah Rees Brennan could make me fall for a demon! Trust me, you want to read this book.
My understanding is that book three will be told from Sin’s point of view. Sarah Rees Brennan- I can’t wait!
Danger is closing in all around Mae. In one corner the magicians lie in wait, biding their time until Jamie is inducted into their circle-whether he wants to be or not. Alan, secretive as ever, considers a disastrous bargain with a demon, knowing full well the ramifications of his actions. Meanwhile, Mae can’t help but be lured in by the seductive pull of the Goblin Market, But Mae is not a magician. She's just an ordinary girl thrown into a maddening world of magicians and magic. And once again she must face some difficult decisions. Except this time the stakes are even higher. Can Mae stay alive long enough to save them all?
The Demon’s Covenant solidified Mae as one of my all time favorite literary heroines. Nick, being the main point of view character in The Demon’s Lexicon was unable to provide the type of introspection that Mae could easily bring to the table. While I identified with Nick, I tended to view the others as he did - with a detached annoyance. With Mae it was different. Through her eyes, I got a deeper understanding for not only her character, but for all of those surrounding her. It was a smart move on the part of Sarah Rees Brennan and in my opinion, brought the series to a whole new level.
Strong, feisty and loyal to the end, I respected the depths of Mae's courage. The choices she was faced with were not easy. But she handled them in a believable way. I sympathized with her and rooted her on the whole time. In fact, from page one I was on her side. When things got really dicey, I wanted to jump in and help her. Her love for Jamie was almost heartbreaking- I loved how there was nothing she wouldn’t do to save him. I admired that. Bonds of family love ran deep in this book. I also want to note how compelling the diary entries of Alan's father were. The diary allowed tremendous insight into Nick and Alan's relationship. Heart-breaking and illuminating, I walked away from this book with a renewed appreciation for just how much Alan sacrificed for his brother. It was the most compelling component of the novel for me.
Sarah Rees Brennan impressed me with her use of strong imagery and world building in The Demon’s Covenant. There were so many examples of vivid imagery in the book, it was hard to pick just one to illustrate. In this example below, I could actually feel the sensation of being under a magician’s spell; my arms and legs held frozen by the will of someone with dangerous power.
“The magician brushed by Mae and suddenly she could move, as if she was made of ice and his touch was hot enough to change her to water." - page 11
Humorous moments like this next example helped balance out the dark aspects of the story and give the reader a chance to catch their breath.
"The magic bounced off Jamie and earthed itself harmlessly in the ground at his feet.
Jamie jumped back all the same, and Mae found him catching her hands, grip desperate for a moment until he remembered himself. Then he stepped away.
“Thanks, Laura” he said unsteadily. “I always wondered what a tiny heart attack would feel like, and now I know. Very refreshing!” - page 56
What does it mean to be human? How far would you go to protect your family? The Demon’s Covenant is so much more than a fantasy novel about demons and magicians. It’s one with numerous layers to peel back, examine and reflect upon. Throughout its pages the bonds of friendship will be tested, family loyalties will be defined, and alliances formed. For romance fans-you will not be disappointed. A strong undercurrent of romantic tension runs rampant throughout the entire novel. It ratchets up to a fever pitch in a final scene that made my heart pound wildly. Only Sarah Rees Brennan could make me fall for a demon! Trust me, you want to read this book.
My understanding is that book three will be told from Sin’s point of view. Sarah Rees Brennan- I can’t wait!
June 30, 2020
June 30th, 2020:
This is one of my favorite books of all time, and I'm so glad I re-read it. All of the scenes with Nick interacting with people (especially Alan) are just SO incredible and make me weepy and emo. The plot of this book is kinda weird and Mae can be occasionally annoying but I literally could not give two shits because I love this book A LOT.
Nick is also that #badboyaggressive throughout this book, but I actually didn't mind it as much as I did the first time. Not that I don't think he shouldn't be aggressive, but maybe I was just expecting him to act all dickish towards Mae and it didn't effect me as much. There's still like one scene where the language used ain't GREAT that definitely still needs to be called out.
I can't wait to finish the trilogy! I know the last book is from Sin's POV which is kinda disappointing because like I don't care about her sorry not sorry but as long as Nick and Alan are there I DON'T CARE!
December 14th, 2017:
So this series is literally like my heart and soul and I love it to pieces.
I gave this book five stars because there was stuff I loved about this book that I loved more than the first one, and some things that I disliked more than the first one as well.
What I loved:
I LOVE ALAN AND NICK. Like I love Mae and Jamie but fo realz I could read a whole book of just Alan and Nick doing stuff. Their relationship is the backbone of the series and they carry it so well. I LOVED Daniel Ryves's journal SO much and how we got to see how much Alan has always loved Nick, even when they were children. I loved Jamie and Nick and their banter, I loved Mae and Nick, I just. These characters bruh.
The humor is amazing I laughed out loud so many times. Nick's humor especially. ("You can't spell demon without EMO")
I thought I was going to be upset that this book was from Mae's perspective instead of Nick's, but I actually really enjoyed it. I really feel like I know her character WAY more now, and it was nice to see Nick from a different person's eyes.
That thing I didn't love:
(this will def be getting spoilery so)
So I really loved Mae and Nick's romance, but there were definitely some parts...... Like, part of me knows that this book was written about ten years ago, and in that time the BAD BOY WHO IS MEAN BECAUSE HE DON'T WANNA HURT YOU thing was way more popularized then. I mean, Nick was 100% that. I mean, another part of me is like "well, he has a legit reason and that reason is because he literally doesn't know what emotions are and stuff so like how can he know" but there were a couple scenes were I was like "EEHAHS Maeeee I dunno bout this." Like, don't get me wrong--Nick is my favorite character in this series, and of course there is nothing in the book that is un-consensual in any way, but there was still some stuff that I knew if this book were published today people would leap at it. I just wish there was a bit more talk about it in the book? Like there are two parts of this book I can think of where Nick is wAYYY too aggressive. Once Mae is specifically like, "I asked for this demon mark so we j chilling" and I was like "alright that's okay then?" even though I wish it had actually been talked about between the two of them. But there was another part earlier on where Nick gets frustrated and yells at her, and later he's like "Sorry for yesterday--" but then Mae cuts him off and is like "ITSFINE." And I wanted to be like, "It's not fine! Make that bitch apologize!" Anyway. While I tried to ignore it because I love this book so much, this stuff is still important and I felt like I should still mention it.
This is one of my favorite books of all time, and I'm so glad I re-read it. All of the scenes with Nick interacting with people (especially Alan) are just SO incredible and make me weepy and emo. The plot of this book is kinda weird and Mae can be occasionally annoying but I literally could not give two shits because I love this book A LOT.
Nick is also that #badboyaggressive throughout this book, but I actually didn't mind it as much as I did the first time. Not that I don't think he shouldn't be aggressive, but maybe I was just expecting him to act all dickish towards Mae and it didn't effect me as much. There's still like one scene where the language used ain't GREAT that definitely still needs to be called out.
I can't wait to finish the trilogy! I know the last book is from Sin's POV which is kinda disappointing because like I don't care about her sorry not sorry but as long as Nick and Alan are there I DON'T CARE!
December 14th, 2017:
So this series is literally like my heart and soul and I love it to pieces.
I gave this book five stars because there was stuff I loved about this book that I loved more than the first one, and some things that I disliked more than the first one as well.
What I loved:
I LOVE ALAN AND NICK. Like I love Mae and Jamie but fo realz I could read a whole book of just Alan and Nick doing stuff. Their relationship is the backbone of the series and they carry it so well. I LOVED Daniel Ryves's journal SO much and how we got to see how much Alan has always loved Nick, even when they were children. I loved Jamie and Nick and their banter, I loved Mae and Nick, I just. These characters bruh.
The humor is amazing I laughed out loud so many times. Nick's humor especially. ("You can't spell demon without EMO")
I thought I was going to be upset that this book was from Mae's perspective instead of Nick's, but I actually really enjoyed it. I really feel like I know her character WAY more now, and it was nice to see Nick from a different person's eyes.
That thing I didn't love:
(this will def be getting spoilery so)
So I really loved Mae and Nick's romance, but there were definitely some parts...... Like, part of me knows that this book was written about ten years ago, and in that time the BAD BOY WHO IS MEAN BECAUSE HE DON'T WANNA HURT YOU thing was way more popularized then. I mean, Nick was 100% that. I mean, another part of me is like "well, he has a legit reason and that reason is because he literally doesn't know what emotions are and stuff so like how can he know" but there were a couple scenes were I was like "EEHAHS Maeeee I dunno bout this." Like, don't get me wrong--Nick is my favorite character in this series, and of course there is nothing in the book that is un-consensual in any way, but there was still some stuff that I knew if this book were published today people would leap at it. I just wish there was a bit more talk about it in the book? Like there are two parts of this book I can think of where Nick is wAYYY too aggressive. Once Mae is specifically like, "I asked for this demon mark so we j chilling" and I was like "alright that's okay then?" even though I wish it had actually been talked about between the two of them. But there was another part earlier on where Nick gets frustrated and yells at her, and later he's like "Sorry for yesterday--" but then Mae cuts him off and is like "ITSFINE." And I wanted to be like, "It's not fine! Make that bitch apologize!" Anyway. While I tried to ignore it because I love this book so much, this stuff is still important and I felt like I should still mention it.
May 31, 2010
I'm just going to go ahead and say it: Sarah Rees Brennan is frickin' brilliant. An evil genius to be sure who has managed to infuse her books with such wit and candor that I find myself wholly ruined for anything else. I don't know how the woman does it but she has managed to blow my mind. Yet again. After naming The Demon's Lexicon as my Favorite YA Fantasy of 2009, I began the endless wait for the release of The Demon's Covenant, not quite sure where Ms. Brennan would take me next, but fully willing to stick around for the ride.
Let me also take a moment to verbally adore this astoundingly cool UK cover. Stormy London, Nick kicking somebody's trash on the bridge, and a pink-haired Mae watching it all. It's not the one my copy came with - which makes me infinitely sad - but is most excellent and is the version I NEED for my own collection.
Not much time has passed since Mae and her brother Jamie have returned home after successfully facing down an entire Circle of deadly magicians led by enormously powerful Black Arthur. In her head Mae knows Jamie is now safe, thanks in large part to the help of Alan and Nick Ryves, but Mae can't help but remain tense, constantly looking over her shoulder, waiting for the next attack to appear. When the unthinkable does actually happen and Mae discovers magicians circling Jamie again, she panics and calls the only people who she trusts implicitly to help. Like the cavalry, the Ryves brothers swoop back into Mae and Jamie's life without a thought. Ready to protect, ready to defend. Mae has always had trouble staying in complete control when it comes to Alan and Nick and this time proves to be no different. She's torn and stuck in the middle of their ever-increasingly explosive relationship and above all, ready to do anything to rescue the ones she loves from harms way.
After falling hard for the Ryves brothers in The Demon's Lexicon, I will admit to some slight hesitation upon discovering that The Demon's Covenant centers around Mae. Who I also liked, just maybe not as much. But boy howdy - I changed my mind. She is something else. Fiercely determined to stick by and protect Jamie, their relationship is something to behold. Truly, Sarah Rees Brennan is a master at crafting sibling relationships because even Nick and Alan take their crazy, volatile brotherhood to a new level. I am over the moon about both those guys. One brother is supposedly the normal, nice, good guy - but who in actuality is a consummate liar; while the other is seen as evil and wicked but who actually cannot lie and is full of loyalty.
Bit of a conundrum, ain't it?
And the twists just keep on coming. Once again, Sarah Rees Brennan manages to catch me completely off guard with her unforeseen ending, leaving me shaking my head over the sheer brilliance of it all. I can't even begin to imagine where she plans to go next, but I know I'm in for whatever it is.
Let me also take a moment to verbally adore this astoundingly cool UK cover. Stormy London, Nick kicking somebody's trash on the bridge, and a pink-haired Mae watching it all. It's not the one my copy came with - which makes me infinitely sad - but is most excellent and is the version I NEED for my own collection.
Not much time has passed since Mae and her brother Jamie have returned home after successfully facing down an entire Circle of deadly magicians led by enormously powerful Black Arthur. In her head Mae knows Jamie is now safe, thanks in large part to the help of Alan and Nick Ryves, but Mae can't help but remain tense, constantly looking over her shoulder, waiting for the next attack to appear. When the unthinkable does actually happen and Mae discovers magicians circling Jamie again, she panics and calls the only people who she trusts implicitly to help. Like the cavalry, the Ryves brothers swoop back into Mae and Jamie's life without a thought. Ready to protect, ready to defend. Mae has always had trouble staying in complete control when it comes to Alan and Nick and this time proves to be no different. She's torn and stuck in the middle of their ever-increasingly explosive relationship and above all, ready to do anything to rescue the ones she loves from harms way.
After falling hard for the Ryves brothers in The Demon's Lexicon, I will admit to some slight hesitation upon discovering that The Demon's Covenant centers around Mae. Who I also liked, just maybe not as much. But boy howdy - I changed my mind. She is something else. Fiercely determined to stick by and protect Jamie, their relationship is something to behold. Truly, Sarah Rees Brennan is a master at crafting sibling relationships because even Nick and Alan take their crazy, volatile brotherhood to a new level. I am over the moon about both those guys. One brother is supposedly the normal, nice, good guy - but who in actuality is a consummate liar; while the other is seen as evil and wicked but who actually cannot lie and is full of loyalty.
Bit of a conundrum, ain't it?
And the twists just keep on coming. Once again, Sarah Rees Brennan manages to catch me completely off guard with her unforeseen ending, leaving me shaking my head over the sheer brilliance of it all. I can't even begin to imagine where she plans to go next, but I know I'm in for whatever it is.
May 17, 2010
The Demon's Lexicon was told from the Nick's point of view; Nick and his older brother Alan had spent their lives on the run from the magicians who had killed their father. When Mae and her younger brother Jamie come to Alan for help with the demon's mark on Jamie, Nick is reluctant to get involved. The only thing he cares about is protecting Alan.
The Demon's Covenant switches to Mae's point of view, and takes place several weeks after the end of The Demon's Lexicon. Mae discovers that Jamie is in trouble again, and she calls Alan (and Nick) for help. The magicians want to recruit Jamie as one of their own, and Mae isn't sure that Jamie wants to resist. Meanwhile, there are clearly problems between Alan and Nick after the events in the first book. Mae is desperate to help both of them, and to save her brother. Can she rescue all three, or will she have to choose?
One thing that really makes this trilogy stand out is the relationships between the two sets of siblings. If I were to teach this in a class, I might ask questions like "What is family?" and "What is loyalty?" and "Would you save the world if it meant killing your brother?" This book also leaves me pondering what it means to be human, and what it means to feel love. And though there are moments that I might sacrifice both Alan and Jamie, it is also clear to me why Nick and Mae never would.
Another thing that I love about this trilogy is that even though it can be dark and intense, there is humor laced throughout. The danger in these books is real, and characters suffer and die, and Nick and Alan have had a pretty bleak childhood, but there are also some very funny parts, especially in the dialogue. Jamie and Nick are unintentionally hilarious and their unlikely friendship was one of my favorite parts of the book.
The Demon's Covenant is also rare in that it left me primed and excited for the next book without feeling dissatisfied with this one. While these books aren't exactly stand alone (how could you not be desperate to read them all?), they are complete in and of themselves. Relationships advance, conflicts are resolved, battles are fought. There is a feeling of conclusion at the end, even if the players are merely resting between battles.
I can't rave about this trilogy enough. It's brilliant. I can't wait to read book three. Honestly, I can hardly wait to read books one and two again. Read them. Read them NOW.
The Demon's Covenant switches to Mae's point of view, and takes place several weeks after the end of The Demon's Lexicon. Mae discovers that Jamie is in trouble again, and she calls Alan (and Nick) for help. The magicians want to recruit Jamie as one of their own, and Mae isn't sure that Jamie wants to resist. Meanwhile, there are clearly problems between Alan and Nick after the events in the first book. Mae is desperate to help both of them, and to save her brother. Can she rescue all three, or will she have to choose?
One thing that really makes this trilogy stand out is the relationships between the two sets of siblings. If I were to teach this in a class, I might ask questions like "What is family?" and "What is loyalty?" and "Would you save the world if it meant killing your brother?" This book also leaves me pondering what it means to be human, and what it means to feel love. And though there are moments that I might sacrifice both Alan and Jamie, it is also clear to me why Nick and Mae never would.
Another thing that I love about this trilogy is that even though it can be dark and intense, there is humor laced throughout. The danger in these books is real, and characters suffer and die, and Nick and Alan have had a pretty bleak childhood, but there are also some very funny parts, especially in the dialogue. Jamie and Nick are unintentionally hilarious and their unlikely friendship was one of my favorite parts of the book.
The Demon's Covenant is also rare in that it left me primed and excited for the next book without feeling dissatisfied with this one. While these books aren't exactly stand alone (how could you not be desperate to read them all?), they are complete in and of themselves. Relationships advance, conflicts are resolved, battles are fought. There is a feeling of conclusion at the end, even if the players are merely resting between battles.
I can't rave about this trilogy enough. It's brilliant. I can't wait to read book three. Honestly, I can hardly wait to read books one and two again. Read them. Read them NOW.
November 10, 2010
I was ok with the Demon's Lexicon. Not particularly in love because none of the characters felt enticing or real to me, but I do enjoy SRB's writing and wit and was willing to give Covenant a try. It definitely didn't win me over much. The plot seems more intricate and the characters slightly more richly portrayed than the first novel, but I hated the narrative.
Mae is someone that the author tries so hard to make admirable, appealing, and original that she ends up coming across as contrived, selfish, and boring. She's terribly dull as a character with no personality qualities or special abilities except a repeated obsession with raves and dancing (literally every page has some mention of her past/present/future engaged in these pursuits) and some strange appeal to the men in this story. I'm still not clear why either Nick or Alan like her, maybe because she talks like a smartass (but then so does everyone). Her pink hair sounds awful (how often must she dye the roots?) and although she seems skilled at making out, I'm not sure that qualifies as something more than a superficial attractive quality.
And seriously, I started thinking towards the end that this girl would be willing to make out with anything and anyone. Hot kiss scenes are fun, but not between boring characters and not when there's one almost every chapter with a different guy.
Strangely, SRB's extra stories online plus the diary entries by Daniel Ryves in this book were awesome. They possess a charm and depth of story and feeling that seems absent from the actual text of the books (probably due to an un-compelling narrator in this case).
I have higher hopes for Demon's Surrender as Sin seems like an actually interesting personality and a true kick-ass female. However, I'm pretty sure there's going to be an Alan/Sin pairing (based on how predictably cliche the couples are in this trilogy) and I'm not keen on that. What's wrong with just having Alan and Nick stay together forever without being torn up by side girl characters? The brother's dynamic is the one aspect of this story I love but which continues to be spoiled by random crushes and all-too-convenient romantic sidelines. Maybe it'd be fun if they were actually convincing and not so obvious, but oh well. I'll probably finish the trilogy just for the heck of it.
BTW, the US covers are pretty ugly imo, at least compared to the UK ones which have lovely art. I mean Sin looks like an anorexic 30-year-old in this picture, and the flames are so cheesy and photoshopped.
Mae is someone that the author tries so hard to make admirable, appealing, and original that she ends up coming across as contrived, selfish, and boring. She's terribly dull as a character with no personality qualities or special abilities except a repeated obsession with raves and dancing (literally every page has some mention of her past/present/future engaged in these pursuits) and some strange appeal to the men in this story. I'm still not clear why either Nick or Alan like her, maybe because she talks like a smartass (but then so does everyone). Her pink hair sounds awful (how often must she dye the roots?) and although she seems skilled at making out, I'm not sure that qualifies as something more than a superficial attractive quality.
And seriously, I started thinking towards the end that this girl would be willing to make out with anything and anyone. Hot kiss scenes are fun, but not between boring characters and not when there's one almost every chapter with a different guy.
Strangely, SRB's extra stories online plus the diary entries by Daniel Ryves in this book were awesome. They possess a charm and depth of story and feeling that seems absent from the actual text of the books (probably due to an un-compelling narrator in this case).
I have higher hopes for Demon's Surrender as Sin seems like an actually interesting personality and a true kick-ass female. However, I'm pretty sure there's going to be an Alan/Sin pairing (based on how predictably cliche the couples are in this trilogy) and I'm not keen on that. What's wrong with just having Alan and Nick stay together forever without being torn up by side girl characters? The brother's dynamic is the one aspect of this story I love but which continues to be spoiled by random crushes and all-too-convenient romantic sidelines. Maybe it'd be fun if they were actually convincing and not so obvious, but oh well. I'll probably finish the trilogy just for the heck of it.
BTW, the US covers are pretty ugly imo, at least compared to the UK ones which have lovely art. I mean Sin looks like an anorexic 30-year-old in this picture, and the flames are so cheesy and photoshopped.
January 1, 2011
Sarah Rees Brennan's sequel to
The Demon's Lexicon
is seriously good. I have to admit that I had a hard time with The Demon's Lexicon and here's why: Lexicon is written in third person singular and it follows the movements of Nick Ryves. Nick is so cold, so unemotional, and I had a really difficult time connecting with him or even really caring about him. By the time I got to the end of the book I had realized that my reaction to Nick was really just evidence of Ms. Brennan's brilliance. And I'm still amazed that she wrote him so well.
So, for The Demon's Covenant I was prepared. Now, I understood. The second book in the trilogy follows Mae, and I found her to be a much easier fit for me, but I also found that now that I understand why Nick is the way he is I just like him so much more. Covenant deals with the repercussions of book one's conclusion. Jamie is being recruited by magicians. Alan feels like he has to do something about Nick. A couple of demons want their just (so they say) desserts. Nick is trying to deal with what he is, and Mae is smack in the middle of the two brother's issues. The relationships between the characters are becoming richer, and the plot is thickening.
And, Angie, if the girl I'm thinking of is the one you are gunning for for Alan, I completely agree. I'd love to see more of those fireworks.
So, for The Demon's Covenant I was prepared. Now, I understood. The second book in the trilogy follows Mae, and I found her to be a much easier fit for me, but I also found that now that I understand why Nick is the way he is I just like him so much more. Covenant deals with the repercussions of book one's conclusion. Jamie is being recruited by magicians. Alan feels like he has to do something about Nick. A couple of demons want their just (so they say) desserts. Nick is trying to deal with what he is, and Mae is smack in the middle of the two brother's issues. The relationships between the characters are becoming richer, and the plot is thickening.
And, Angie, if the girl I'm thinking of is the one you are gunning for for Alan, I completely agree. I'd love to see more of those fireworks.
January 23, 2011
Once again, I shall not even pretend to be the least objective about Sarah Rees Brennan's work. I was hard pressed not to squeal like a shameless fangirl when copies of the French edition of book 1 came in at the agency I used to work at. I think my colleagues noticed my enthusiasm nevertheless, perhaps the frantic hugging of the book tipped them off, or maybe they're just particularly receptive. Who knows?
The first title of the Demons trilogy, written from Nick's point of view was a pure treat. Book two, written from Mae's point of view was just as good! SRB deconstructs so many clichés and happily flushes them down the drain it's hard to pinpoint all of them. Here are a few: a heroine that has no magical ability, uses her wits to make things happen and is not afraid to take matters into her own hands to get what she wants; a love triangle that's not really one. This story is not about who Mae's going to pick. In fact, she may not 'pick' anyone, there might not a happily settled couple at the end of this series! But, if you really must know, if I were Mae I'd pick Alan, but that's beside the point really. If there a is love story in this series, the Reeves brothers are probably its protagonists (and no, I'm not talking about slash... well, not necessarily...). *ahem* Continuing on the flushing of clichés, SRB's gay character is not just here for comic relief. He stands as a main character in his own right.
If you've enjoyed book 1, you don't need me to tell you to go read this NOW! But just in case: GO READ THIS NOW!
The first title of the Demons trilogy, written from Nick's point of view was a pure treat. Book two, written from Mae's point of view was just as good! SRB deconstructs so many clichés and happily flushes them down the drain it's hard to pinpoint all of them. Here are a few: a heroine that has no magical ability, uses her wits to make things happen and is not afraid to take matters into her own hands to get what she wants; a love triangle that's not really one. This story is not about who Mae's going to pick. In fact, she may not 'pick' anyone, there might not a happily settled couple at the end of this series! But, if you really must know, if I were Mae I'd pick Alan, but that's beside the point really. If there a is love story in this series, the Reeves brothers are probably its protagonists (and no, I'm not talking about slash... well, not necessarily...). *ahem* Continuing on the flushing of clichés, SRB's gay character is not just here for comic relief. He stands as a main character in his own right.
If you've enjoyed book 1, you don't need me to tell you to go read this NOW! But just in case: GO READ THIS NOW!
November 6, 2012
Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com
A month ago, Mae thought she was happy with a normal life. Then she and her brother, Jamie, stumbled into the lives of Nick and Alan Ryves, and she discovered a world of magic she can't forget. She longs to return to the charms and dancing of the Goblin Market even as she tries to adjust to coming back home.
Unfortunately for Mae, there's a darker side to the magic, where demons lurk and magicians offer the lives of others to gain power. One of the most ruthless magician circles wants Jamie to join them, and isn't willing to take no for an answer. Even though she knows she should stay away from the Ryves brothers, who bring as much danger as excitement into her life, Mae can think of no one else to turn to for help.
But as Nick and Alan become increasingly at odds, and the magicians set into motion a plan that could destroy both them and the market she loves, Mae finds that it may be up to her to save them all.
THE DEMON'S COVENANT is an excellent sequel to THE DEMON'S LEXICON, expanding on the world shown in the first book of the trilogy and letting readers see it from a different, more human perspective. Mae is an admirable and relateable heroine, strong but not without her vulnerabilities, determined but struggling with uncertainty, and willing to do whatever she can to protect those she cares about.
The plot will keep readers guessing, and the ending will leave them begging for the trilogy's final volume. A wonderful addition to the YA shelves.
A month ago, Mae thought she was happy with a normal life. Then she and her brother, Jamie, stumbled into the lives of Nick and Alan Ryves, and she discovered a world of magic she can't forget. She longs to return to the charms and dancing of the Goblin Market even as she tries to adjust to coming back home.
Unfortunately for Mae, there's a darker side to the magic, where demons lurk and magicians offer the lives of others to gain power. One of the most ruthless magician circles wants Jamie to join them, and isn't willing to take no for an answer. Even though she knows she should stay away from the Ryves brothers, who bring as much danger as excitement into her life, Mae can think of no one else to turn to for help.
But as Nick and Alan become increasingly at odds, and the magicians set into motion a plan that could destroy both them and the market she loves, Mae finds that it may be up to her to save them all.
THE DEMON'S COVENANT is an excellent sequel to THE DEMON'S LEXICON, expanding on the world shown in the first book of the trilogy and letting readers see it from a different, more human perspective. Mae is an admirable and relateable heroine, strong but not without her vulnerabilities, determined but struggling with uncertainty, and willing to do whatever she can to protect those she cares about.
The plot will keep readers guessing, and the ending will leave them begging for the trilogy's final volume. A wonderful addition to the YA shelves.
June 30, 2010
This book didn’t work nearly as well as the first one in the series. The number one reason why was that this is told from the point of view of Mae – one of the secondary characters from Demon’s Lexicon. I felt wishy-washy about her before and that didn’t really change now. The strength of the first book was Nick . He (he’s a demon in a human body) is interesting. Mae – not so much.
The first 2/3rd of the book dragged for me with not much happening. There are also a number of coincidences that I found hard to believe.
Nick himself seemed really inconsistent. He doesn’t understand human behavior, especially emotions. But then he makes really sarcastic remarks that are entirely based on understanding human behavior and the emotions of the people around him. Drove me nuts.
As the end drew nearer, Mae finally did begin to shine just a bit. (minus the part about Mae’s mother. Dumbest plot twist ever!) I think if it wasn’t for the last 1/3 of this book, I would have only given it two stars.
My other big beef though is that the plot hinges on the exact same (it’s hard to explain this without giving it away) long-term behavior by Alan (Nick’s brother) as the first book did. But since we now know some really big facts about Alan, I knew how to view what he was doing. Therefore, I knew all along how the ending would work out. So of course, it wasn’t very satisfying.
On the other hand, I still want to know about Nick, so I will be reading the next (and final) installment.
The first 2/3rd of the book dragged for me with not much happening. There are also a number of coincidences that I found hard to believe.
Nick himself seemed really inconsistent. He doesn’t understand human behavior, especially emotions. But then he makes really sarcastic remarks that are entirely based on understanding human behavior and the emotions of the people around him. Drove me nuts.
As the end drew nearer, Mae finally did begin to shine just a bit. (minus the part about Mae’s mother. Dumbest plot twist ever!) I think if it wasn’t for the last 1/3 of this book, I would have only given it two stars.
My other big beef though is that the plot hinges on the exact same (it’s hard to explain this without giving it away) long-term behavior by Alan (Nick’s brother) as the first book did. But since we now know some really big facts about Alan, I knew how to view what he was doing. Therefore, I knew all along how the ending would work out. So of course, it wasn’t very satisfying.
On the other hand, I still want to know about Nick, so I will be reading the next (and final) installment.
August 5, 2010
I put off reading the first book in this trilogy because I thought I would like it and didn't want to be disappointed, but then I ended up adoring it. Then I rushed out to get the second one but avoided actually reading it for ages because I feared it wouldn't be as good as the first. But as soon as I finally picked it up, the trepidation of being disappointed faded away.
The plot doesn't hold together quite as well as the first [actually, this is unfair; it holds together perfectly well as long as you make certain assumptions about a certain character's motivations based on character traits firmly established in the first book:], but the focus on quick dialogue and relationships is just as honed as the first, making this a compelling read.
The characters are dealing with the consequences of decisions made and risks taken at the end of the last book, the Alan and Nick dynamic remains just as heartbreaking as we learn more about what Alan has sacrified for Nick...and what Nick is willing to sacrifice for Alan, and problems are solved in this book that only cause the four central characters bigger problems that will need to be dealt with in the third, which I'm greatly looking forward to.
The plot doesn't hold together quite as well as the first [actually, this is unfair; it holds together perfectly well as long as you make certain assumptions about a certain character's motivations based on character traits firmly established in the first book:], but the focus on quick dialogue and relationships is just as honed as the first, making this a compelling read.
The characters are dealing with the consequences of decisions made and risks taken at the end of the last book, the Alan and Nick dynamic remains just as heartbreaking as we learn more about what Alan has sacrified for Nick...and what Nick is willing to sacrifice for Alan, and problems are solved in this book that only cause the four central characters bigger problems that will need to be dealt with in the third, which I'm greatly looking forward to.
May 18, 2010
This was an amazing, fast paced read. I picked the book up on Sunday and finished it in one day. Yes it is that good! The story of Mae, Jamie and the Ryves brothers continues essentially one month after the end of the Demon's Lexicon. I can't say too much because I don't want to give anything away. This story while clearly a transition book still has a great story to tell. There are times I wanted to scream at some of the of the characters wondering how they make the choices they do. Then there are times that your heart breaks hoping for someone to be more than they are or can be. These are the true hallmarks of a great read. For the characters this book is more about discovering who they are, how it came to this and what the hell happens now? Sarah Rees Brennan still delivers on the things you never saw coming which is one of the main reasons I love her stories. Her characters are deep but still carry the traits and insecurities of teenagers even though they are lives are filled with crazy things.
May 28, 2010
3.5
Ok, I have a lot of issues with this series. It's overly wordy, but also strangely under-explained - several scenes had me wondering 'wait, wtf just happened?' and I'm still not 100% clear that I can explain the premise, although that could be because I've forgotten a lot of what happened in the first book. Instead of talking naturally, three of the main characters just drop sarcastic one-liner after sarcastic one-liner, which gets really tiresome, really fast.
But even as I was rolling my eyes at the lamer parts, I still kept reading, because I wanted to know what was going to happen. I liked this book better than the first one, probably because the narrator wasn't an unfeeling sociopath, which made it a lot easier to empathize with. I liked the emphasis on familial love and friendship. As much as I complain about the dialogue, the humor did make me laugh on occasion (for example I loved the use of the word "enterpainment." It's high time English speakers got our own version of schadenfreude.)
I'll be very interested to see where the final book goes.
Ok, I have a lot of issues with this series. It's overly wordy, but also strangely under-explained - several scenes had me wondering 'wait, wtf just happened?' and I'm still not 100% clear that I can explain the premise, although that could be because I've forgotten a lot of what happened in the first book. Instead of talking naturally, three of the main characters just drop sarcastic one-liner after sarcastic one-liner, which gets really tiresome, really fast.
But even as I was rolling my eyes at the lamer parts, I still kept reading, because I wanted to know what was going to happen. I liked this book better than the first one, probably because the narrator wasn't an unfeeling sociopath, which made it a lot easier to empathize with. I liked the emphasis on familial love and friendship. As much as I complain about the dialogue, the humor did make me laugh on occasion (for example I loved the use of the word "enterpainment." It's high time English speakers got our own version of schadenfreude.)
I'll be very interested to see where the final book goes.
March 19, 2010
This book had me bewitched and most enthusiastically bewildered: it made me me howl with laughter even as it broke my heart in the most satisfying of ways while I waited for the plot to give me up its secrets (and boy, were they satisfying too). It's also a book that understands itself very well: well-paced, witty, lyrical snark with a heart of gold, a fantastic plot and glorious characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed the developments in the characters and their interactions with each other and their world. I liked them so much that I cried my mascara off, and laughed so hard I fell off my chair.
I'll expand this review when the book is released to give a more detailed account. For now, though, I want to leave a reaction post that will entice everyone else in the world to read it.
I thoroughly enjoyed the developments in the characters and their interactions with each other and their world. I liked them so much that I cried my mascara off, and laughed so hard I fell off my chair.
I'll expand this review when the book is released to give a more detailed account. For now, though, I want to leave a reaction post that will entice everyone else in the world to read it.
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