Books: The Demon's Covenant

Yesterday I checked The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan out of the library and finished it in about three hours during which I did not stop to breathe.

This surprised me greatly, as, after finishing The Demon's Lexicon, I picked up the 2nd book and put it down somewhat listlessly over the course of, oh, 4 months? at the library.  I opened it up, didn't care for Mae's voice in the first few pages, put it down.  I thought about things that intrigued me in the first book and found I didn't want to know how they developed.

Except yesterday I changed my mind, and today I just spent an hour reading little snippets of other teaser stuff online.  Obviously, I am in fact a sucker for a certain kind of book (brooding, angst = good, as long as not accompanied by embarrassment humor).  Also, best Goblin Market in a long long time.  Way tromps all over the one in Stardust, I think personally.  And a magical system that meets that whole "it has to cost" requirement without making me want to vomit all over cheesy tropes of self-sacrifice.  (Most magical systems that cost strike me as deeply contrived, so I admire that this one doesn't.)

( Many many spoilers of all sorts ahoy. )