Publisher: Margarter McElderry 2 June 2009
Order on Amazon right
here5 out of 5 Stars *****
Nick and his brother Alan are on the run with their mother, who was once the lover of a powerful magician. When she left him, she stole an important charm – and he will stop at nothing to reclaim it. Now Alan has been marked with the sign of death by the magician’s demon, and only Nick can save him. But to do so he must face those he has fled from all his life – the magicians – and kill them. So the hunted becomes the hunter…but in saving his brother, Nick discovers something that will unravel his whole past…
Okay, so I love the cover. Boys with black hair and menacing will always have a special place in my heart. Authors take note, put a hot boy on your cover and I am guaranteed to buy your book. I love the text and the colors instantly grab your attention.
First off, I think I should let you all know, I read this book a few months ago and have been recommending it ever since. I decided to do a re-read even though my pile of books is taking over my house; it’s like alien invasion only with books. The world Sarah manages so perfectly to create is unbelievable, I know I won’t do the book justice but I sure am going to try. The way the characters were so artfully formed, how well she constructed this world where the abnormal co-exists with the normal. This books still whirls round my mind now, so many months after first reading and for a first time novelist, this is groundbreaking stuff.
The story follows the life of Nick, our 16 year old main character, from a 3rd person narrator. He lives with his brother Alan and his crazy insane mother, Olivia. They seem to be a normal family, living a mundane existence, but this is far from the truth. First off , Olivia is a magician, born a human but with mounds of power and magic. Ever since Olivia stole a talisman from a powerful magician, they have been on the run. Nick and Alan’s dad died the same night protecting them, and Alan got crippled. Nick is the fighter of the family, preferring swords and knifes as his weapon of choice. He will do anything to keep his brother Alan safe. But Alan isn’t as powerless as Nick thinks he is; he is a shooter and hardly ever misses his target. Well, let me just say, from my point of view, hot boys who use swords are keepers. Together, the brother’s work together to keep their mother safe, although one of them wishes she would hurry up and die.
Nick is such an angry, cold angsty boy. The narrative is disturbing and bleak, constant thoughts of killing and suffering whirling through his mind. The anger spills over when his brother Alan is marked by a demon. Enter Jamie and Mae. Jamie has been marked twice by a demon, one more mark and he will be dead, and Alan decides to help him. Maybe because he has a crush on Mae or maybe just because he is such a loving and thoughtful boy. Either way, Nick is not happy with this choice, unable to understand the concept of real emotions. Soon the hunted become the hunters, and the boys along with Mae and Jamie take their lives into their own hands, to pursue those who are looking for them. No more about the plot, because I don’t want to spoil it for you all.
The characters in this book are the reason why I loved this so much. Even though the story is told in third person narrative, each person’s views and feelings shine out of the pages. Nick was the perfect character to lead this amazing tale. Through his eyes we can see this world full of love and of feelings and of connections, and know what he is missing. Understand why he gets puzzled around people who care for others, appreciate how truly special love can be and how much of a role it plays in normal every day existence.
The demons in this story are as well formed as the characters. They want to seduce humans to gain possession of them to get out of the world they hate into ours, to get a taste of what it is truly like to be a person, to be human. The way they are described makes me feel like Sarah has actually seen demons, they are that three dimensional, like they really could exist from her descriptions alone. I was amazed at how her writing was so strong and powerful, how it made everything in the book seem so real.
So, I have another book added to my pile of must reads. I am counting down the days for the release of The Demons Covenant. I know Sarah will achieve the impossible once again; I man how could she not. People with this talent were born to write and I am so glad she decided to out pen to paper. Oh, and a big plus for me? It’s set in the UK, the UK, where I live!! You will never comprehend how excited I was to read a book set in my home country. Especially a book as outstanding as this one.
Our awesome friends and affiliates at Twilight Moms for working so hard on their New Moon Premiere Party (The New Moon Experience Salt Lake City, Utah Nov 19th-20th)! They have a HUGE two day New Moon Movie Premiere Party happening in Salt Lake City. Many of us are big fans of SM and the Twilight Saga. Many of wish we could be up there for all the fun they've got in store. 
Posts
