The Demon's Lexicon

Starred review from July 1, 2009
Gr 9 Up-In this riveting debut novel, 16-year-old Nick and his older brother, Alan, are accustomed to life on the run. Since their father was murdered, the boys have been forced to slay demons set on them by magicians seeking the powerful charm stolen by the boys mother. Nick is furious when Alan receives a first-tier demon mark while saving a neighborhood boy. While seeking to remove it, Nick begins to suspect that his brother is lying to him about the reason for the magicians attempts to kill them and about why their mother screams whenever Nick touches her. Fans of the "Supernatural" television series will be hooked from the novels opening lines (The pipe under the sink was leaking again. It wouldnt have been so bad, except that Nick kept his favorite sword under the sink.). Even teens who dont consider themselves genre buffs will appreciate the solid writing, fast-paced plot, and sense of authenticity that Brennan gives to the shadowy world between ordinary, modern-day London and the otherworld of demons and magicians. Though Nick and Alans story is mostly resolved with Nick discovering the truth behind his fathers death and his mothers fear of him, readers will no doubt clamor for the next book in this planned urban fantasy trilogy."Leah J. Sparks, formerly at Bowie Public Library, MD"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2010
Siblings Nick and Alan have been fighting against magicians and demons for years. When Alan meets a brother and sister in need of help, only the riskiest plan can save them all. This suspenseful fantasy is fleshed out with complex characterizations. There are plenty of twists and turns until the final revelation, which tests the power of evil against the strength of humanity.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

April 15, 2009
Grades 9-12 What if the bad-boy hunk in your class was actually a sword-wielding demon slayer? Thats the enticing scenario offered up in Brennans debut, and although the results are periodically workmanlike, they will satisfy the legions currently clamoring for this brand of dark fantasy. Nick (the aforementioned hunk) lives with hisempty-shell mother and older brother Alan, but theyre constantly on the move as they huntand are hunted byevil magicians and their conjured demons. Their brutal routine is interrupted by the arrival of two teen siblings in need of help, one of whom has been marked by a demon for certain death and the other of whom fosters a growing desire for one of the brothers. Though unique, the mythology has some holes and feelsneedlessly convoluted. That said, Brennan excels when she dwells upon her characters more human emotions (desire, loneliness, loyalty), andhits her stride in the final stretch, creating several scenes of unexpected horror and piling on some truly surprising twists. Stick with it, and youll be glad you did.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2009
Nick wields a sword with power and "fierce joy." His older brother Alan, though slowed by a damaged leg, handles a gun with deadly aim, his shooting as sharp as his scholar's mind. The brothers have been fighting off magicians and demons for years, ever since Dad gave his own life to save them and their disturbed mother, the former lover of a powerful magician. Though Nick is fiercely protective of his brother, he can never understand Alan's constant kindness to others. When Alan invokes further danger by taking on Mae and Jamie, a brother and sister in need of their help, only the riskiest plan can save them all. The suspenseful fantasy is fleshed out with complex characterization, and the familiar teen angst (both Alan and Nick are attracted to fiery Mae) is heightened by the proximity of danger and Nick's devastating discovery that sweet, reliable Alan is keeping secrets. Brennan's magical England is bright with inventive details, from a haunting asylum for the demon-possessed to the enchanted Goblin Market, where sensual dancers call on the service of demons. Nick's aptitude for the seductive dance suggests a hidden nature, but there are plenty of twists and turns until the final revelation, which tests the power of evil against the strength of humanity in a surprising and moving ending.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)