The Demon's Covenant

Hahahaha!

Now that I’ve ruined the book with that song (which, unfortunately was playing in my head through-about-the first 80 percent of the reading), I’ll tell you all about “The Demon’s Covenant”.

This book is the sequel to the fun fun “Demon’s Lexicon” and it happens to be even better than the first book. I’m not going to discuss much of the plot, since I don’t want to spoil anyone who hasn’t read “Lexicon” (and if you haven’t, please, please got out and get it RIGHT NOW. In fact, stop reading this and run off to the bookstore. Shoo, shoo).

Sarah Rees Brennan is young- but she sure is a better writer than many of the YA authors out there. In fact, she may have just overthrown Holly Black in my mental throne of “what every YA author should aspire to”. “Covenant”, just like “Lexicon” is hard to get into at first, but once you’re hooked, you won’t regret it.

Brennan has the three elements I think are most important in any book (or any book that I’d like to read, anyway): believable characters, interesting plot, and humor.

First, characters. There are four main characters, but I think every person/demon that crosses “Covenant” is just as well-developed, original and believable. No YA archetypes here! Her characters are funny without being annoying, good without being unbelievable and flawed without being villains. They just are- people. It amazes me how someone as young as Sarah (she’s a few months older than me) can have such a good grasp on what it means to be human: all of our nuances and insecurities and feelings. Brennan’s knowledge of how different people function not only allows her to imagine up very real teenagers, but also to dissect and strip every one of those human elements in order to present someone that lacks them. Her characters are people: the way they move, the way they talk, the way they feel, the mistakes they make. They aren’t by any means perfect or simple. They lie, they pretend, they cheat and they have about a million opposite feelings at once. X will loose his humanity in the same degree that Y will gain it and- in the end- you realize that for all their differences they pretty much stand on the same step of the moral ladder.

Then, there is plot. I won’t go on about this because I don’t want to spoil anything. Suffice it to say that there are multiple climaxes (and that is good in any context, hehe). I thought I saw the end coming, but didn’t. This is a total page-turner.

Finally, there is humour. Sarah is one funny funny Irish gal, and thus, all of her characters have a sense of humour (as varied as those senses of humour may be). On the one end, there is Nick with his sardonic one-liners, on the other there is Jamie, whose elaborated wit is usually aimed at ridiculing himself. I like Jamie and Nick’s relationship. The way they make each other laugh. It kind of reminds me of M. and me, or my sisters and me. I think all relationships- all GOOD relationships- should be based largely on humour. I like the way Brennan displays her wit because it is so very very believable and young.

Anyway, not much else can be said without spoilering those who haven’t picked up the series, so I’ll just end with the song that is really the one that belongs with the book (just so you can forget about that first one, he).