I'm not a huge fantasy reader, honestly. I was when I was younger, but the past few years I haven't been as into it. That said, I loved the Demon's Lexicon, as well as the second book in the trilogy The Demon's Covenant.
I think what I took away most from the books was how effectively Sarah Rees Brennan used the third person. It's traditional in fantasy, and I tend to prefer first, but I felt so close to the narrators of both books--particularly Nick--that the POV was a benefit not a drawback. Also, it's quite something to say one is close to Nick when you discover the truths about him that come out later.
Alan is one of the secondary characters, and he is SO well-fleshed out. You love him, but sometimes you want to slap him in the head because having been in his brother Nick's head, you see what he's missing. The way SRB pulls this off works so well.
There are times when I think a lot of drama could be avoided if characters would flat out say something, but that's life.
To deal with the disability element--because that's what I do--Alan's injured leg is dealt with wonderfully, and the reversal of a certain trope I hate made me very happy. I didn't necessarily like that Nick's dyslexia is sort of explained by who he is--shades of Percy Jackson--but on the other hand it adds a layer to his character, as well as sparks later interactions, that helped me get into the story. Catch-22.
The dialogue is witty and fantabulous. Can't wait for the third book next month!
I had trouble following some of the battle scenes, but I always do, so it's on me.
