The Demon's Covenant

** spoilers for those who haven't read The Demon's Lexicon**

Mae Crawford is still trying to come to terms with the last couple of months. Her brother Jamie discovered he had magical powers. Nick discovered he was a demon trapped in a human body. Mae wants everything to go back to normal, but Jamie is suddenly getting close to Gerald, the new leader of the Obsidian Circle. Normally she wouldn't really care who her brother hangs out with, but when he suddenly befriends the leader of the group of magicians that tried to sacrifice them just a few weeks ago. This is bad and even worse is the fact that he tried to keep it from her. She turns to magician-hunter brothers Nick and Alan. In exchange for Nick's help and protection, she agrees to try to teach him to act more human. The Obsidian Circle wants to harness Nick's powers and use him against them, so the hodge podge outcast group must band together and fight. What can Mae do to help when she's not a fighter? Can she manage to save her brother?

Honestly, I was disappointed when I heard that The Demon's Covenant wasn't told through Nick's perspective. The first book was amazing and Nick was a big part of that for me. Also, second books in a trilogy tend to not really have plots of their own and only serve to set up the final book. I reluctantly started the book, but it didn't take me long to finish it and I enjoyed it as much as the first. Mae was an unlikely protagonist because she's only a human with no real fighting skills or any kind of magical powers. She wasn't all that memorable to me in the first book except for her ability to dance at the Goblin Market and her pink hair. However, she proved to be powerful and strong in her own way and definitely memorable. She was snarky, sarcastic, and exceptionally brave. This book expanded the readers' view of Mae, Jamie, and their home life. It was simply hilrious how their mother is completely prim and proper, the complete opposite of her children. As the book goes on, you can see where her children get their bravery, confidence, and fire from.

Of course, it wouldn't be a teen novel without a love triangle. Mae had feelings for both of the Ryves brothers and there were many a steamy moment between her and both of them (not at the same time). For me, Alan didn't hold a candle to Nick in any way. Alan just seemed like a huge liar with very little redeeming qualities. At least Nick couldn't lie even if he wanted to. Nick was just a more compelling character because he isn't fully human and to see the world through his eyes is truly unique. The diary passages of Nick's father were especially interesting because it shed light on what Nick was like as a child, how his family treated him, and how he treated them.

Although much of the novel was dark and gloomy, humor and wit was present in just about every single page. The dialog between the characters felt authentic and was also infused with wit and snarky humor. All of the characters, no matter how minor they were to the story, had dimension, flaws, and their own distinct voice. This was Sarah Rees Brennan's greatest strength and I can't wait to read more from her.

The Demon's Covenant was every bit as good as The Demon's Lexicon and featured an unlikely, but awesome character, Mae. Like the first book, through all the demons and magicians, this book was about family and what it is to be human. I can't wait to read The Demon's Surrender!

My rating: 4.5/5 fishmuffins