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A review by margeryb
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
2.0
This is a testament to how much a writer can grow because about a decade after Sarah Rees Brennan published this, she'll publish 'In Other Lands' which is book I gave five stars on this very website (and in my heart, lol).
The Demon's Lexicon, while having serviceable sentence-t0-sentence writing and a fair backbone of a concept, fell apart on a lot of storytelling elements. It definitely has a case of a saggy middle, which the characters treading water for a long while before the climax. A lot of the dialogue is stilted and unnatural (excluding Jamie, whose reactions of mixed sarcasm and horror to the new supernatural world he has just been opened up to were a highlight). While the characters had a lot of secrets, they didn't have a lot of depth. While brooding a fair amount, our protagonist didn't do a lot to resolve the climax or really push much of the plot along. The plot was pushed along by the brother off-page.
Had to force myself through it. Will not be reading the rest of the series. However, I will not be giving up on Rees Brennan's future books.
The Demon's Lexicon, while having serviceable sentence-t0-sentence writing and a fair backbone of a concept, fell apart on a lot of storytelling elements. It definitely has a case of a saggy middle, which the characters treading water for a long while before the climax. A lot of the dialogue is stilted and unnatural (excluding Jamie, whose reactions of mixed sarcasm and horror to the new supernatural world he has just been opened up to were a highlight). While the characters had a lot of secrets, they didn't have a lot of depth. While brooding a fair amount, our protagonist didn't do a lot to resolve the climax or really push much of the plot along. The plot was pushed along by the brother off-page.
Had to force myself through it. Will not be reading the rest of the series. However, I will not be giving up on Rees Brennan's future books.