The Demon's Covenant is the second book in The Demon's Lexicon trilogy. Some spoilers are unavoidable, so go read The Demon's Lexicon immediately. You've been warned.
(The Demon's Covenant will be officially released on Tuesday, but Amazon sent me my copy Friday.)
The Demon's Lexicon was the second book that I reviewed this year, and reading The Demon's Covenant has only reinforced for me that Sarah Rees Brennan's trilogy is in a class by itself.
The Demon's Lexicon was told from the Nick's point of view; Nick and his older brother Alan had spent their lives on the run from the magicians who had killed their father. When Mae and her younger brother Jamie come to Alan for help with the demon's mark on Jamie, Nick is reluctant to get involved. The only thing he cares about is protecting Alan.
The Demon's Covenant switches to Mae's point of view, and takes place several weeks after the end of The Demon's Lexicon. Mae discovers that Jamie is in trouble again, and she calls Alan (and Nick) for help. The magicians want to recruit Jamie as one of their own, and Mae isn't sure that Jamie wants to resist. Meanwhile, there are clearly problems between Alan and Nick after the events in the first book. Mae is desperate to help both of them, and to save her brother. Can she rescue all three, or will she have to choose?
One thing that really makes this trilogy stand out is the relationships between the two sets of siblings. If I were to teach this in a class, I might ask questions like "What is family?" and "What is loyalty?" and "Would you save the world if it meant killing your brother?" This book also leaves me pondering what it means to be human, and what it means to feel love. And though there are moments that I might sacrifice both Alan and Jamie, it is also clear to me why Nick and Mae never would.
Another thing that I love about this trilogy is that even though it can be dark and intense, there is humor laced throughout. The danger in these books is real, and characters suffer and die, and Nick and Alan have had a pretty bleak childhood, but there are also some very funny parts, especially in the dialogue. Jamie and Nick are unintentionally hilarious and their unlikely friendship was one of my favorite parts of the book.
The Demon's Covenant is also rare in that it left me primed and excited for the next book without feeling dissatisfied with this one. While these books aren't exactly stand alone (how could you not be desperate to read them all?), they are complete in and of themselves. Relationships advance, conflicts are resolved, battles are fought. There is a feeling of conclusion at the end, even if the players are merely resting between battles.
I can't rave about this trilogy enough. It's brilliant. I can't wait to read book three. Honestly, I can hardly wait to read books one and two again. Read them. Read them NOW.
Edition I Read: Hardcover
Where/How I got it: Amazon
Total Books Read in 2010: 75
Will I Make This Available to my Students?: Yes, next year.
Other Books Read but not Reviewed (yet): Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers trilogy (The Summoning, The Awakening, The Reckoning)
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