Scan barcode
A review by snarkywench
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
3.0
The Demon's Lexicon has been handed a double-edged sword in the masses of YA blogger excitement that it has received. Hype can be a dangerous thing and in this case it left me feeling a little disappointed. Not because the novel was bad, on contrary is a great read but I was expecting more.
That being said, Brennan did a whole lot of things right in this debut effort. Nick is a singularly interesting character. He's prickly, selfish, judgemental and filled with a rage that won't ever been quenched. I wholeheartedly loved this character from word go. He's dark, complex and can quite capably rationalise any decision he makes with a bark that is in no way as bad as his bite. He is quite simply a deliciously intriguing, relatable and smoking hot.
My issue is largely with the other characters. I simply didn't care. Brennan did such a great job in rooting the narrative from Nick's perceptive, that I fully bought into the other's uselessness. Even Alan, undoubtedly Nick's only care in the world, left me a little ambivalent. Mae and Jamie frustrated me because they frustrated Nick. The superior crafting of Nick left the others distinctly inferior in my eyes. That being said, the humour that was infused in the randomness of their predicament is great as it the portrayal of each character's motivations. It's just that Nick is such a dominant creation that the others are mere spectres.
The novel sets a cracking pace with event after event of situations that make the brothers situation all the more dire. The reader gets caught up in the intrigue, the danger and the mysticism that dominates the story. Like many reviews have pointed out, it takes some time to get riled up but the story unleashes like no other.
The Demon's Lexicon is a novel that I really enjoyed reading. Brennan's concept is fabulous with a deep mythos attached and a meaty twist that I didn't predict. Her characterisation is great, though more use of Olivia would have been fabulous. The author's got a detailed eye that makes Nick's journey a whirlwind of awesomeness. I will be hanging out for the sequel.
That being said, Brennan did a whole lot of things right in this debut effort. Nick is a singularly interesting character. He's prickly, selfish, judgemental and filled with a rage that won't ever been quenched. I wholeheartedly loved this character from word go. He's dark, complex and can quite capably rationalise any decision he makes with a bark that is in no way as bad as his bite. He is quite simply a deliciously intriguing, relatable and smoking hot.
My issue is largely with the other characters. I simply didn't care. Brennan did such a great job in rooting the narrative from Nick's perceptive, that I fully bought into the other's uselessness. Even Alan, undoubtedly Nick's only care in the world, left me a little ambivalent. Mae and Jamie frustrated me because they frustrated Nick. The superior crafting of Nick left the others distinctly inferior in my eyes. That being said, the humour that was infused in the randomness of their predicament is great as it the portrayal of each character's motivations. It's just that Nick is such a dominant creation that the others are mere spectres.
The novel sets a cracking pace with event after event of situations that make the brothers situation all the more dire. The reader gets caught up in the intrigue, the danger and the mysticism that dominates the story. Like many reviews have pointed out, it takes some time to get riled up but the story unleashes like no other.
The Demon's Lexicon is a novel that I really enjoyed reading. Brennan's concept is fabulous with a deep mythos attached and a meaty twist that I didn't predict. Her characterisation is great, though more use of Olivia would have been fabulous. The author's got a detailed eye that makes Nick's journey a whirlwind of awesomeness. I will be hanging out for the sequel.