BOOK REVIEW - THE DEMON'S COVENANT by SARAH REES BRENNAN - THE DEMON'S LEXICON TRILOGY # 2

By: Sarah Rees Brennan

Published By : Simon & Schuster

Released: Available Now

Details: Paperback from library , 440 Pages

RATING: 5 SMEXI NICK & WITTY JAMIE STARS!!

Book Blurb : Goodreads

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?

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle :

Nick, Nick, Nick. You are such a complex, well written character, you have such a streak of originality to you. We love reading about the moody, broody YA genre guy, the bad boy. The guy who has layers like an onion, as you peel them back, they make your eyes water from the pain and hurt we find. Nick is a much more complex character. As the reader we want him to be a more compliant guy, easier to get along with, easier to love....less dark...nicer.

But, this is not Nick.

   He was devastatingly beautiful, Mae thought, and “devastating” was the word: she could see storms and cities burning in his eyes.

Nick tries a little , as much as he can understand. We see little peep holes of wanting to show Alan , Jamie and Mae a Nick they can be more at ease around. There are these moments we see of Nick that show us how hard Alan has worked at being the big loving brother. The constant teaching, nurturing , love and pride he has shown Nick over the years, pays off. It reflects in something Nick says or does.

But not often.

Nick wants Mae to read Daniel's journal out loud to him. In these letters/journal entries we find words that are heart breaking. We understand Alan much more and what he has lost and what he has found and what he tries so hard to hang on to. We see Daniel, Alan’s father’s fears for something he doesn’t understand....but grows to have affection for. We see the little boy Alan, who is this caring , responsible little guy with an enormous heart, always trying to do the right thing.

Nick and Jamie, I love these two together and their banter. Sometimes I think Nick treats Jamie like a brother, he just doesn’t realise it. Getting Jamie to exercise makes for some LOL moments with their banter.

   “You and swords,” he remarked brightly. “Compensating for something?”
   The corner of Nick’s mouth curved upwards a fraction. “No.”

~~~~~~

   “Well , you’re too scrawny to be any good with a sword.”
   “I prefer to think of myself as slender,” Jamie told him.
Nick gave Jamie a blank look, then said, “Come on. I’ll drive you to my place and teach you how to throw knives.”
   “What!” said Jamie. “Why?”
   “Because I am a sweet and caring individual who is truly concerned about your welfare,” Nick drawled.

~~~~~~

   “Mae, he made me go out for a run, Jamie called out. “Tell him I don’t run!”
   “Jamie and I are lilies of the field.  We toil not, neither do we jog," Mae informed Nick. 
   ....... “Turns out he does run,” Nick drawled. “Given an incentive. And he wouldn’t be so out of breath if he hadn’t kept shrieking.”
   “That was not a shriek,” Jamie said with dignity. “It was a husky masculine cry of terror.”
   “Maybe you should start with something a little more soothing,” said Mae, patting Jamie’s back.
   “Yes, soothing,” Jamie said gratefully. “ Less knives. More Yogilates!”

Alan has made a big decision. He wants a brother who can live a normal life. He will do whatever it takes, lie , bargain and fight for the person most important in his life. Even if it means hurting those people he calls friends.

   “Nick.”
   Nick glanced over his shoulder.
   “In two worlds,” said Alan quietly, “there is nothing I love half as much as you.”

The Demon’s Covenant is told mainly from Mae’s pov. I enjoyed being in Mae aka Mavis’s ( Just don’t call her Mavis) head. She is a strong character who just wants to help. To be there for this group of guys who are just all so different. But can she fix what is broke?

Jamie is just a huge joy to read his dialogue. He has some wonderful LOL scenes throughout this book. He really is a great character.

   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.”

~~~~~~

   “Where’s Nick?’
   Mae glanced around and saw Nick thump a wolf in its snarling face with his elbow, and then palm a dagger. “ He’s punching wolves.”
   “Good, good,” said Jamie. “I know he likes to keep busy.”



Mae is a bit all over the place. You can see she needs a guy in her life. She tests the water with Seb, Alan and tries with Nick. Mae and Nick have a great verbal sparring connection. I thought the scenes with Mae and Nick together doing what Nick requested of Mae were both funny and touching.

   “I came to gaze on your sleeping face. Only you had the blanket over your head, so I just had to gaze at a lump I thought was your sleeping face, and that turned out to be your shoulder. Which just wasn’t as special.”
   “Your life is hard.”

~~~~~~

   “You decent?’ Nick asked from behind the door.
   “Yeah.”
   “Pity,” he said.......

~~~~~~

   “That’s ridiculous,” Nick told her. “ I’m clearly the bombshell of the group.”
   Mae laughed and held out her hand.
   “What?” Nick demanded warily. “I’m not sure I’m ready for more hand-holding.”

~~~~~~

   “Oh, yeah,” said Nick. “My battle cry would be ‘For blood, vengeance, and my undeniable good looks!’”

I always love visiting the Goblin Market. I am intrigued with all the interesting characters that we meet when we visit it. Calling forth demons by dancing in the circle, meeting the Piper. I quite like the Piper. A little scary with his abilities.

Gerald is still wanting power mwah ha ha haaaaa!!! I keep forgetting he is only in his early twenty's. Around Alan's age. Sometimes I like him and sometimes I fear him. He is a sneaky villain who has quite a bit up his sleeve.

Seb is a great sub character. The more I read, the more I liked, the more I felt for him. A couple other sub characters will surprise you.

Sin is still a very interesting character to me, and now............ the stakes just got higher. I am looking forward to scooping up my copy of The Demon’s Surrender , the final book in this awesome trilogy. Told from Sin’s POV .

* whispers* I just have to return this book to library as I am in librarian trouble with it mega overdue, then I can borrow TDS. My bad:D

Sarah brings such humour to this book and the twists are both fun and devastating. I love how Nick is written. I love how much work she has put into this world her character's live in. I do have a most excellent adventure when I am immersed in the pages.

Oh...in case you are interested there is a rather smexi rooftop scene aka SRS with some hot K.I.S.S.I.N.G!

   “Mavis . Mae,” he said at last. “I don’t know. You have to tell me. Is this right?’
   “Yeah,”........

Michelle