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justinecm's review against another edition
1.0
This book was alright. I finished it but in the end it was disappointing throughout. I disliked the characters and felt the plot was uninteresting.
silence_underrated's review against another edition
4.0
There are not many books that surprise me. This was almost a surprise. I suspected the ending but kept doubting myself right up until the last minute. I was so anxious to find out whether or not I was right that it was probably more suspenseful than it would have been had I not had an inkling of what could have possibly happened.
theladydoor's review against another edition
4.0
When I was in high school, I read a great deal of fan fiction, mostly in the Harry Potter fandom (quite simply because I couldn't get enough of that world). One of my favorite authors was Maya, who was the penname of Sarah Rees Brennan. Unlike another fanfic writer to published author (*cough*Cassandra Clare*cough), her published works do not resemble her fanfics in the way of plot or characterizations. Brennan keeps her lovely writing style and ability to build a world, but invents wholly new characters to inhabit that world.
This novel, the first in a trilogy, tells the story of the Ryves brothers, Nick and Alan, who are on the run from magicians along with their mentally disturbed mother. Their father was killed by said magicians when the boys were young, and they have been running to try and protect their mother, who is in possession of a talisman that a magician named Black Arthur (who was her ex-lover) desperately wants. At least that is what Nick thinks, until two strangers enter their lives asking for help, and his entire world is turned around based on the revelations that occur.
I strongly respected Brennan's decision to tell the story through Nick's eyes. He is not the typical narrator one sees in these kinds of books. Yes, he is magically gifted (for a reason) and handsome and confident. But he can also be cruel, selfish, and unable to understand other people's emotions, even those closest to him. Readers of fantasy are used to protagonists that are obviously good, but Nick struggles throughout the whole book with his dark side. In the end, we understand why he is the way he is, and Brennan's reveal is well foreshadowed yet still shocking.
I listened to this book as read by James Langdon, and I thought he did a good job. I'm looking forward to reading the second in this series.
This novel, the first in a trilogy, tells the story of the Ryves brothers, Nick and Alan, who are on the run from magicians along with their mentally disturbed mother. Their father was killed by said magicians when the boys were young, and they have been running to try and protect their mother, who is in possession of a talisman that a magician named Black Arthur (who was her ex-lover) desperately wants. At least that is what Nick thinks, until two strangers enter their lives asking for help, and his entire world is turned around based on the revelations that occur.
I strongly respected Brennan's decision to tell the story through Nick's eyes. He is not the typical narrator one sees in these kinds of books. Yes, he is magically gifted (for a reason) and handsome and confident. But he can also be cruel, selfish, and unable to understand other people's emotions, even those closest to him. Readers of fantasy are used to protagonists that are obviously good, but Nick struggles throughout the whole book with his dark side. In the end, we understand why he is the way he is, and Brennan's reveal is well foreshadowed yet still shocking.
I listened to this book as read by James Langdon, and I thought he did a good job. I'm looking forward to reading the second in this series.
ginnikin's review against another edition
1.0
I loved Nick, but I didn't much like this book. Too much of it irritated me or reminded me of something else--or both. The twist is interesting and puts things in a different light (in fact, the only reason I finished this is because I read the last two chapters) but isn't enough to redeem the book as a whole.
Also, the cover is ridiculous. If a swordsman tried that unguarded off-balance stance on me, I'd be able to take him out with no problem. Sheesh.
Also, the cover is ridiculous. If a swordsman tried that unguarded off-balance stance on me, I'd be able to take him out with no problem. Sheesh.
audreybt's review against another edition
3.0
Demons are real--and 16-year-old Nick Ryves and his brother Alan have spent their lives on the run from them and the magicians who summon them. The demons are hunting the Ryves family to retrieve a charm their mother stole, one that keeps her alive. When a brother and sister come to them, asking for help to remove a demon's mark dooming one of them to death, Nick is reluctant to put his life in danger to help. Bug when Alan is also marked by a demon, Nick must kill one of the magicians who've been hunting them if he wants to save his brother.
Nick, our protagonist, is disconcertingly emotionless at the beginning of the book, and speaking as a reader, it was off-putting. I could not understand why the author made the choice to have such a cold, distant narrator. But as the book progressed, and Nick's history and motivations became clear, the relationships between all the characters clicked into place. This book was a fascinating, engrossing look at what it means to be human and how the relationships we create on this earth are what really matters.
Nick, our protagonist, is disconcertingly emotionless at the beginning of the book, and speaking as a reader, it was off-putting. I could not understand why the author made the choice to have such a cold, distant narrator. But as the book progressed, and Nick's history and motivations became clear, the relationships between all the characters clicked into place. This book was a fascinating, engrossing look at what it means to be human and how the relationships we create on this earth are what really matters.
mizwriterlady's review against another edition
4.0
Also posted on The Once and Future Reader.
THIS IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW
This is one of those stories that seems like it’s going to go one way, then it veers off road, over a ditch, through a tangle of brambles, and suddenly you’re somewhere entirely different. While I had issues with the merely competent writing style, some underdeveloped characters, and the presentation of the world, The Demon’s Lexicon was an enjoyable read, the beginning of a series I definitely feel compelled to continue reading.
What Worked for Me
Plot • • • This story comes with a “doh!” moment, that moment where you realize all the clues were there right under your nose. The thing is, this story doesn’t really give any indication that there’s a mystery you should be on the look out for (unless you read the jacket summary, which I didn’t–and I’m glad that I didn’t). There were, however, some events that make me wonder why they happened the way they did, so I did have some lingering questions by the end of the story.
World building • • • I thought the world was interesting but front-loaded; it wasn’t as potent to me in the last half of the story. This may have been because the characters’ emotional arcs took center stage. Luckily, the world building in the beginning of the story was a good foundation, so I didn’t feel too lost or placeless at the climax.
Characters • • • What endeared Nick to me was his humor. Without it, his character probably would not have been able to sustain my engagement throughout the story. I thought his character arc was fascinating, how he deals with being unfeeling in contrast to his brother’s almost endless feelings. My only issue was how the sub characters were underdeveloped. I didn’t feel their presence on the page.
What Didn’t
Writing Style • • • This is Sarah Rees Brennan’s first book, and the writing was, at least, competent. There was far too much telling for my taste, and interpretations of the character’s thoughts and actions that were given instead of implied. Since the work of interpreting the rationale behind characters’ actions was done for me, I felt left out and less engaged than if I had to interpret actions myself. However, I got a good feeling of how her writing style will change over time.
Missing Spark • • • Something just felt underdeveloped about this story. I feel like Sarah Rees Brennan could have gone deeper, brought out different aspects of this story to give it a fuller feel. At it is, the darkness of the story didn’t pack a lot of weight.
Takeaway
It isn’t something that would make my packing list for a summer vacation, but if I were with a friend at the library and they pulled it curiously off the shelf, I’d give it a thumbs up.
THIS IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW
This is one of those stories that seems like it’s going to go one way, then it veers off road, over a ditch, through a tangle of brambles, and suddenly you’re somewhere entirely different. While I had issues with the merely competent writing style, some underdeveloped characters, and the presentation of the world, The Demon’s Lexicon was an enjoyable read, the beginning of a series I definitely feel compelled to continue reading.
What Worked for Me
Plot • • • This story comes with a “doh!” moment, that moment where you realize all the clues were there right under your nose. The thing is, this story doesn’t really give any indication that there’s a mystery you should be on the look out for (unless you read the jacket summary, which I didn’t–and I’m glad that I didn’t). There were, however, some events that make me wonder why they happened the way they did, so I did have some lingering questions by the end of the story.
World building • • • I thought the world was interesting but front-loaded; it wasn’t as potent to me in the last half of the story. This may have been because the characters’ emotional arcs took center stage. Luckily, the world building in the beginning of the story was a good foundation, so I didn’t feel too lost or placeless at the climax.
Characters • • • What endeared Nick to me was his humor. Without it, his character probably would not have been able to sustain my engagement throughout the story. I thought his character arc was fascinating, how he deals with being unfeeling in contrast to his brother’s almost endless feelings. My only issue was how the sub characters were underdeveloped. I didn’t feel their presence on the page.
What Didn’t
Writing Style • • • This is Sarah Rees Brennan’s first book, and the writing was, at least, competent. There was far too much telling for my taste, and interpretations of the character’s thoughts and actions that were given instead of implied. Since the work of interpreting the rationale behind characters’ actions was done for me, I felt left out and less engaged than if I had to interpret actions myself. However, I got a good feeling of how her writing style will change over time.
Missing Spark • • • Something just felt underdeveloped about this story. I feel like Sarah Rees Brennan could have gone deeper, brought out different aspects of this story to give it a fuller feel. At it is, the darkness of the story didn’t pack a lot of weight.
Takeaway
It isn’t something that would make my packing list for a summer vacation, but if I were with a friend at the library and they pulled it curiously off the shelf, I’d give it a thumbs up.
belles_bookshelves's review against another edition
3.0
I usually don’t trust books with pouty lipped guys on the cover (No offense guy on the cover. For any other reason I’m sure you'd seem attractive, but right now you’re on a cover and I don’t trust you). My theory has yet to be debunked. It was really hard to finish reading this. I debated just stopping, but I had some guilty conscious issues. Luckily I did eventually get to the end, which was definitely the best part of the book.
Quick Overview: Nick and his brother Alan with their half crazy mother have been on the run from magicians their whole lives, and have been on their own since their father died. The most persistent magician is Black Arthur, the man who drove their mother mad. He's after a charm she took and is willing to do anything to get it back. Things get even more dangerous when Mae and her brother Jamie come for their help after he's marked by a demon. Nick doesn’t care about helping people and doesn’t care much for them bringing their problems too. He’s only interested in keeping him and his brother safe. The always caring Alan insists on helping them though, and as a result is also marked by a demon. Now instead of running away from magic Nick and Alan, along with the useless tag-alongs, must go looking for magicians to take off the marks. Nick has always seen Alan as the only constant thing in his life, but as secrets slowly start being revealed he realizes Alan has been lying to him, and begins to wonder what else he’s been hiding.
The book is set in present day and as usual, magic is going on right under our stupid noses, we just don’t see it because…well, we’re stupid. The characters bothered me the most. You hear a lot about how hot Nick is. You’d think the author would trust you to understand the first five times within 100 pages it was said. The book is told in third person, but you’re only told Nicks thoughts, which don’t differ much from either anger or… oh wait, that’s about it. Nick is constantly annoyed, angry, or completely void of feelings at any given moment. It’s just tiring to see nothing else but rage page after page. Most times though, I felt Nick had a point, and his logic made sense(maybe not a good sign). Alan was my favorite, but whenever he did something particularly self-sacrificial I’d just want to slap him. I’d probably hate Mae and Jamie too if I were Nick. Actually I just hate Mae. She’s pushy and naïve and was a HUGE pain in my behind. She reminded me of those girls who smoked in the bathroom, drawing scary pictures on their hands and saying they are witches hoping that if they believe it enough then it might actually be true and thus making them the ultimate bad-a**. Jamie was witty and funny, but didn't sound authentic most of the time. It's like he was used as the designated comic-relief-gay-guy. Same with Mae (not the gay part, the not sounding authentic part). Mostly though I was annoyed: Alan protects everyone and has a crush on Mae, who doesn’t deserve him. Mae is missing sections of her brain so she flirts with both Alan and Nick. Nick hates Mae, but she’s kinda hot and he knows no girl can resist his hot bod, but wait that’s not okay because Alan likes her. Hold up, Nick is pissed at Alan so maybe he doesn’t care. Jamie cracks a joke. Nick remembers he hates everyone. Especially Jamie. And Mae. And his crazy mom. Repeat.
I’m a huge sucker for action scenes and this book had enough of those to satisfy me. What I really liked seeing though was the relationship between Alan and Nick. They both want to protect each other and sometimes you see how one does a better job than the other. I feel like I should point out that I thought the whole cheek kissing thing was weird. I know their brothers. They’ll hold hands on the others death bed, and touch their head if the other is unconscious, but under no circumstances have I ever known a male over the age of 12 to kiss another male relative on the cheek. Maybe that’s just me, but moving on. The actions of the characters make sense at the end. Not to sound like a smarty pants but I guessed at the “big secrets” pretty early on, as I think a lot of people did. I admit, some stuff I didn’t guess ahead, but it wasn’t mind blowing. The villain was a bit disappointing at the end too. Still, how all that stuff eventually played out was smart and original. The description was done well; you get a real feel for the characters feelings and the atmosphere.
So in all, the book was hard for me to get through, but the end tied it up well. The whole brotherly bond thing was nice to see. You don’t read many books that depict that. The title is pretty cool and smart. If you’re someone who usually reads books with these types of characters then I’m sure you’ll love it. I admit that I’m kinda resentful at how many and pep talks I had to go through to finally convince myself to finish it. Not sure if I’ll finish the series seeing as I still hate Mae. Maybe if the next cover doesn’t have a pouty lipped boy. We’ll see.
Quick Overview: Nick and his brother Alan with their half crazy mother have been on the run from magicians their whole lives, and have been on their own since their father died. The most persistent magician is Black Arthur, the man who drove their mother mad. He's after a charm she took and is willing to do anything to get it back. Things get even more dangerous when Mae and her brother Jamie come for their help after he's marked by a demon. Nick doesn’t care about helping people and doesn’t care much for them bringing their problems too. He’s only interested in keeping him and his brother safe. The always caring Alan insists on helping them though, and as a result is also marked by a demon. Now instead of running away from magic Nick and Alan, along with the useless tag-alongs, must go looking for magicians to take off the marks. Nick has always seen Alan as the only constant thing in his life, but as secrets slowly start being revealed he realizes Alan has been lying to him, and begins to wonder what else he’s been hiding.
The book is set in present day and as usual, magic is going on right under our stupid noses, we just don’t see it because…well, we’re stupid. The characters bothered me the most. You hear a lot about how hot Nick is. You’d think the author would trust you to understand the first five times within 100 pages it was said. The book is told in third person, but you’re only told Nicks thoughts, which don’t differ much from either anger or… oh wait, that’s about it. Nick is constantly annoyed, angry, or completely void of feelings at any given moment. It’s just tiring to see nothing else but rage page after page. Most times though, I felt Nick had a point, and his logic made sense(maybe not a good sign). Alan was my favorite, but whenever he did something particularly self-sacrificial I’d just want to slap him. I’d probably hate Mae and Jamie too if I were Nick. Actually I just hate Mae. She’s pushy and naïve and was a HUGE pain in my behind. She reminded me of those girls who smoked in the bathroom, drawing scary pictures on their hands and saying they are witches hoping that if they believe it enough then it might actually be true and thus making them the ultimate bad-a**. Jamie was witty and funny, but didn't sound authentic most of the time. It's like he was used as the designated comic-relief-gay-guy. Same with Mae (not the gay part, the not sounding authentic part). Mostly though I was annoyed: Alan protects everyone and has a crush on Mae, who doesn’t deserve him. Mae is missing sections of her brain so she flirts with both Alan and Nick. Nick hates Mae, but she’s kinda hot and he knows no girl can resist his hot bod, but wait that’s not okay because Alan likes her. Hold up, Nick is pissed at Alan so maybe he doesn’t care. Jamie cracks a joke. Nick remembers he hates everyone. Especially Jamie. And Mae. And his crazy mom. Repeat.
I’m a huge sucker for action scenes and this book had enough of those to satisfy me. What I really liked seeing though was the relationship between Alan and Nick. They both want to protect each other and sometimes you see how one does a better job than the other. I feel like I should point out that I thought the whole cheek kissing thing was weird. I know their brothers. They’ll hold hands on the others death bed, and touch their head if the other is unconscious, but under no circumstances have I ever known a male over the age of 12 to kiss another male relative on the cheek. Maybe that’s just me, but moving on. The actions of the characters make sense at the end. Not to sound like a smarty pants but I guessed at the “big secrets” pretty early on, as I think a lot of people did. I admit, some stuff I didn’t guess ahead, but it wasn’t mind blowing. The villain was a bit disappointing at the end too. Still, how all that stuff eventually played out was smart and original. The description was done well; you get a real feel for the characters feelings and the atmosphere.
So in all, the book was hard for me to get through, but the end tied it up well. The whole brotherly bond thing was nice to see. You don’t read many books that depict that. The title is pretty cool and smart. If you’re someone who usually reads books with these types of characters then I’m sure you’ll love it. I admit that I’m kinda resentful at how many and pep talks I had to go through to finally convince myself to finish it. Not sure if I’ll finish the series seeing as I still hate Mae. Maybe if the next cover doesn’t have a pouty lipped boy. We’ll see.
booknookghost's review
5.0
Originally published at: http://yabooknook.tumblr.com/
Sarah Rees Brennan is a genius of cruelty and making my heart hurt while I laugh and enjoy it.
I picked up THE DEMON’S LEXICON after reading UNSPOKEN, half to deal with the emotional trauma the absence of UNTOLD was causing and half because the premise sounded really interesting. Thing is, though, that I already knew how the first book ended.
And I mean, I knew a MAJOR spoiler.
I don’t think i could have dealt with this book if I hadn’t. As it was, it blew half my brain to smithereens and the other half to goo. It was that good.
Nick Ryves is our main character in this first book and he is, to say the least, um, sullen. A little cold-hearted (lol) and very impulsive. He has no time for anybody’s shit and doesn’t understand why he should. He was such a compelling voice. I have never felt so much for a character—except maybe Kami and Jared, funnily enough. And it wasn’t just love or anger for him. It was at him. Nick made me so fiercely mad and so fiercely concerned and deer gawd it was like he was real.
But it’s not just Nick. This book (all three of them, actually) focus heavily on Nick’s relationship with his brother, Alan oh alan you little conniving motherfucker i love you and Mae and Jamie and, eventually, Sin. All characters that made holes in my heart and then wedged themselves in there until I was crying and wailing and eating oreos like there was no tomorrow. They’re so complex and real and so painfully fictional. Why. WHY.
One thing I really appreciated in this book is how diverse the cast was. Nick was… Nick--I’m sorry anything else is a spoiler--, Alan was disabled, Mae was that one kid with pink hair (fantastic), Sin was a WOC, Jamie was gay. But they weren’t just that. They were people, with lives, with stories, not tied down to adjectives. They weren’t just stereotypes.
And the plot. The plot! Remember how I said I knew a pretty major spoiler? And this book still completely surprised me? Yeah. There’s a reason for that.
You all know by now I’m a big fan of Sarah Rees Brennan—and it’s not just because she’s a fabulous person, and hilarious, and has the best accent, and shimmies on chairs pretending to be a flapper although that’s very awesome. She earned all this respect. SRB is a fantastic writer, who pulls you in and wrings you dry of all feelings, hanging by your fingertips while all the best stories unfold around you.
And if you don’t think that’s the best thing then I don’t know.
I read all three books in this trilogy in three days while writing a Cancer Bio paper that I may or may not have procrastinated for far too long. You should, too.
Sarah Rees Brennan is a genius of cruelty and making my heart hurt while I laugh and enjoy it.
I picked up THE DEMON’S LEXICON after reading UNSPOKEN, half to deal with the emotional trauma the absence of UNTOLD was causing and half because the premise sounded really interesting. Thing is, though, that I already knew how the first book ended.
And I mean, I knew a MAJOR spoiler.
I don’t think i could have dealt with this book if I hadn’t. As it was, it blew half my brain to smithereens and the other half to goo. It was that good.
Nick Ryves is our main character in this first book and he is, to say the least, um, sullen. A little cold-hearted (lol) and very impulsive. He has no time for anybody’s shit and doesn’t understand why he should. He was such a compelling voice. I have never felt so much for a character—except maybe Kami and Jared, funnily enough. And it wasn’t just love or anger for him. It was at him. Nick made me so fiercely mad and so fiercely concerned and deer gawd it was like he was real.
But it’s not just Nick. This book (all three of them, actually) focus heavily on Nick’s relationship with his brother, Alan oh alan you little conniving motherfucker i love you and Mae and Jamie and, eventually, Sin. All characters that made holes in my heart and then wedged themselves in there until I was crying and wailing and eating oreos like there was no tomorrow. They’re so complex and real and so painfully fictional. Why. WHY.
One thing I really appreciated in this book is how diverse the cast was. Nick was… Nick--I’m sorry anything else is a spoiler--, Alan was disabled, Mae was that one kid with pink hair (fantastic), Sin was a WOC, Jamie was gay. But they weren’t just that. They were people, with lives, with stories, not tied down to adjectives. They weren’t just stereotypes.
And the plot. The plot! Remember how I said I knew a pretty major spoiler? And this book still completely surprised me? Yeah. There’s a reason for that.
You all know by now I’m a big fan of Sarah Rees Brennan—and it’s not just because she’s a fabulous person, and hilarious, and has the best accent, and shimmies on chairs pretending to be a flapper although that’s very awesome. She earned all this respect. SRB is a fantastic writer, who pulls you in and wrings you dry of all feelings, hanging by your fingertips while all the best stories unfold around you.
And if you don’t think that’s the best thing then I don’t know.
I read all three books in this trilogy in three days while writing a Cancer Bio paper that I may or may not have procrastinated for far too long. You should, too.
tehani's review against another edition
4.0
So, this was a good read, but tell me, did anyone else think it felt like Supernatural fanfic?