Series: The Demon’s Lexicon Trilogy #1
Publishing year: 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
Nick and his brother, Alan have
spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their
mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The
magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick’s mother stole-a
charm that keeps her alive-and they want it badly enough to kill again. Danger
draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help.
The boy wears a demon’s mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase…and
when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is desperate to save him. The only
way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for
so long. Ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect
that his brother is telling him lie after lie about their past. As the
magicians’ Circle closes in on their family, Nick uncovers the secret that
could destroy them all. This is the Demon’s Lexicon. Turn the page.
Review:
I picked this book up on a whim
at the library. I didn’t think I would like it but I was short on time to pick
another and needed something to read the next day. How many times do I need to
be told that first impressions are misleading? Sure, this book started out a
little weak, and I rolled my eyes about Mae’s references to the occult and Wicca.
I wasn’t too keen on the idea of talismans either. This book was reading like
dozens of others…and then it changed.
The main protagonist Nick is the
kind of character I don’t encounter often. He was so cold, but not maliciously
cruel or even manipulative. Well later, he was a tad manipulative concerning
Alan and Mae and he did torture someone so maybe he’s cruel too. To clarify, he was without any emotion aside
from anger, or at least that’s all he knew how to convey.
I like how the plot twist at the
ending snuck up on me. It was a quick and stunning realization. In other words,
it was a duh moment. All the little oddities that had been poking my brain with
a sharp stick had piled up and then suddenly they were explained and for equal
measure tied up with a neat purple bow. Now for those oddities.
1. The
differences between the two sets of siblings in The Demon’s Lexicon were
interesting to me since I’m an only child. I didn’t find it odd that Nick was
emotionally unavailable to everyone, his personality just screamed antisocial.
Whenever he avoided contact with his brother, Alan it came off as unusual to
me. Expressly when Mae and her brother Jamie arrived on the scene and I saw
their casual displays of affection. Mae would ruffle his hair or place a light kiss
on the top if his head in passing and earlier in the book Alan had tried
similar actions only to have Nick edge away.
2. Nick’s
relationship with his mother was downright chilling. Their situation is unusual
but for most of the book the hostility and distance between them goes
unaddressed. I thought it might be because he wasn’t really her son, or
something along those lines. I was close but no dice. Several times Nick
remarks to Alan, that he shouldn’t pursue whatever plan he’s currently
formulating because if anything happens to Alan then Nick won’t take care of
their mother. He even says he’ll kill her a time or two. And he meant it.
3. Nick’s
amulet burns his skin. This doesn’t happen to Alan, Mae or Nick’s mum. For a
second I considered the possibility that he might be a magician, but the mum is
a magician and her charms don’t burn. This was a nagging mystery throughout the
book.
4. It
isn’t supposed to be easy to summon a demon. At the Goblin Market, volunteers
dance hoping to summon a demon successfully to make a deal. For example, to
remove the demon mark placed on Jamie. However, even if the ceremony is done
with flawless precision, it isn’t always a success. In my terms, I would
describe demons as very fickle creatures. Still Nick has never had trouble
summoning Anzu or Liannan, the two demons who have given their names to him. At
a later point in the book, he even summons Liannan without the required dance,
just as a magician would.
All the clues were there, and I
felt like smacking myself at the end. If I had been paying better attention I
might have been able to guess the ending but that doesn’t change how much I
love it. I started out without favoring any one character, not even Nick. By
the end though I can say I am fully engrossed with this character and the
subtle changes he made by the end of the book.
“He felt grounded and at home
already under his brother’s gentle human hands.” That is the last sentence of
this book and I have strived diligently not to give away any plot spoilers.
Except maybe one. As you can tell from the quote, Alan is touching Nick, and
for once Nick is not edging away. Alan is stroking Nick’s hair to comfort him
and it is working. At this point, I honestly believe that Nick is capable of
feeling emotions other than anger.
Question: Do you feel that
sibling relationships are portrayed accurately in fiction? Can you think of two
examples, one that captured it perfectly, and another that was off the mark
entirely?
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