The Demon's Lexicon was one of my favorite books of the year. I don't buy many books, but after reading this one I had to have it. I frightened a woman in the bookstore by telling her, no doubt with a crazed expression on my face, that she really needed to read it. Fabulous! Awesome point of view, witty dialogue, fast-paced adventure, and just enough sexual tension to keep it interesting to someone who reads for relationships/emotions as much as for adventure. Plus some interesting plot twists. Good stuff. ( )

OVERALL 3/5
Though I found some of the characters compelling and original, the author's world-building and writing was strained and felt incomplete. The characters were constantly in danger of losing consistency, and some of the twists and turns thus were mildly confusing. However, it was a fun read, with plenty of hilariously snappy dialogue.

full review here: http://angeltyuan.blogspot.com/2009/1... ( )

http://tamaranth.blogspot.com/2009/11... ( )

Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com

Nick and his brother, Alan, have been on the run for Nick's entire life - and when they're not running, they're fighting the vicious magicians pursuing their mother and the powerful charm she stole. Magicians who trade lives for power. Who killed their father and left Alan with a permanent limp. And who show up yet again as soon as Nick has started to get comfortable in their new home.

This time, everything's different. A demon marks Alan, and Nick can't rest until he knows his brother is safe. Especially after one of the most powerful magician's circles delivers a warning that leaves Alan more shaken than Nick's ever seen. But the harder Nick tries to protect him, the more he realizes how many secrets Alan's been keeping from him.

No longer able to trust the one person he thought he could count on, Nick sets out to find the truth.

Unfortunately, this truth is more dangerous than most...

THE DEMON'S LEXICON is a dark, fast-paced story filled with equal parts of action and emotion - and incredibly difficult to put down once you've started. The narration, from Nick's point of view, is stark but comes with plenty of biting humor.

All of the characters have more to them than it appears at first glance, and it's easy to believe the vivid world of magicians and the Goblin's Market could truly exist amidst our own. The many twists will keep readers guessing and glued to the page, but ultimately the story rests on Nick and Alan and the intense yet tenuous bond between them. It's this relationship that gives the novel its heart, and raises it above the many other paranormal and urban fantasy offerings hitting the shelves.

Highly recommended to all! ( )

"Demon's Lexicon" had me from the start. Alan & Nick are a pair of brothers facing down magic and demons. I immediately thought of the tv show "Supernatural", which is my favorite. Turns out that they are only similar in that they are brothers dealing with the supernatural, and the story is much better for it! Alan and Nick are constantly on the run from magicians who call the demons. The demons killed the boys' father and are now after something their mother has. The boys do a good job taking care of their mother and themselves while keeping the baddies at bay. Their world gets shifted though when a girl from school shows up with her brother begging the brothers for help. The brother, Jamie, has received a demon's mark and needs it removed. Demon's marks can lead the demon's to them and can allow the demons to invade their dreams. Eventually the demon's mark will mean their death. When Alan gets a demon mark while helping Jamie, the brothers begin a quest to get both boy's marks removed. Nick hasn't got much empathy for Jamie's situation but he does care about Alan. Then Nick finds out that Alan has been lying to him and keeping secrets, so Nick digs to find out what his brother has been keeping from him and why. What comes from this discovery and the books climactic conclusion proves a quality young adult novel can be character intensive and feature paranormal elements. Yes, this book is about demons, magic, swords, and goblin markets! But the heart of the story, and the reason I will be pondering this tale for a long time, is the bond between Alan and Nick and what "brother" truly means. ( )