Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Review: The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan


The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan

Series: The Demon's Lexicon (#3)
Pages: 400
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published: June 14th
IBSN: 9781416963837







The Goblin Market has always been the centre of Sin's world. She's a dancer and a performer, secure in her place. But now the Market is at war with the magicians, and Sin's place is in danger. Keeping secrets from the market she loves, struggling with a friend who has become a rival, Sin is thrown together with the Ryves brothers, Nick and Alan - whom she's always despised. But Alan has been marked by a magician, to be tortured as the magician pleases, and as Sin watches Alan struggle to protect the demon brother he loves, she begins to see both brothers in a new light. But how far will brother go to save brother - and what will it cost them all?





A dramatic and stunning conclusion to the trilogy! The Demon's Lexicon series is one of my favourites, and Surrender definitely did not disappoint.

The stakes have risen with each instalment in the series. The plot was at all times either intense or foreshadowing, keeping me on the edge of my seat. There were so many twists and turns that I never saw coming. Sarah Rees Brennan's books are among the few that I can't predict the ending to, and I love them for that.

I love this kind of pacing: a series of smaller complications all adding up to the final, overall problem.
I wasn't overly intrigued by Sin in the first two books, but with this one from her perspective, I grew to like her in same way I did Mae when I didn't expect to in Covenant. She gave a whole new perspective to the setting, coming from a different background. The narration switches have definitely helped the amazing world-building. 

The relationships between characters are incredibly unique and interesting. I love reading about Alan and Nick's bond - actually, just the relationship between Nick and anyone else. Being unfeeling makes for relationships that are...different.

The romance in this trilogy has been subtle; definitely there, but not the main focus. It's developed realistically given the duress the characters are typically under, making them hesitant.

A perfect ending to the trilogy. I'll miss the characters, but I'm happy with them in the place they reached. I really can't wait to see what Sarah comes up with for future books!

I give The Demon's Surrender a 5 out of 5.