The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
After decapitating a few magicians in their kitchen in front of non-magic witnesses, Nick and Alan Ryves decide that it's time to move again. The brothers have been on the run from sinister forces their entire lives, but now they have to try to protect a boy who's been marked by a demon and his annoyingly forthright older sister (Mae as in West, thank you). While Nick is not a people person, he'll lend his knife skills to keep Alan (and, by necessity, Mae and Jamie) safe. When Nick begins to question Alan's motivations, though, he digs into the past he thought he knew to try to understand a future that is suddenly uncertain. As the magicians grow closer, it will be up to Nick and Alan to figure out whether the fate of the world is worth making a deal with demons to save.
Why I Picked it Up: This book was highly recommended on a book review podcast.
Why I Finished It: The narrator fascinated me. He wasn't a particularly nice person, but he had his own logic that made a lot of sense by the time the book was over. By the time I finished the first chapter, I knew I was in this book until the end.
I’d Give this Book To: People who like stories of magic and mayhem in non-magic worlds, sarcastic narrators with chips in their shoulders, stories about brothers and families united against great evil, and action-filled capers.
**Librarian Side Note** This author has become quite popular! If you like what you read here, you should look into her Lynburn Legacy series as well.
Labels: brothers, fantasy, magic, S.F., teen reading