This debut novel introduces to readers to a Britain with a dark underbelly of magic in which magicians call forth demons to increase their powers. Working with the demons causes a form of addiction in which the magicians need more and more power.

It is in this world that we find Nick, a 16-year-old, who has spent all of his life on the run with his older brother Alan and their mother, who is struggling with emotional issues. Their father was murdered many years earlier by Black Arthur, the leader of a circle of magicians and one of the most powerful in the country. Black Arthur has a special interest in the boys' mother because they were once romantically involved. She fled after feeling the harshness of his rule for too many years. The boy's father took her under his wing, and it ended up costing him his life. Alan was also severely injured in the process.

To make matters worse, the boys' mother left with a magical charm that Black Arthur wants back. It is because of this that they have spent so much time moving from one place to the next. Things become even more dangerous when Alan earns a demon mark while helping another boy. Alan, forever the hero has a weakness for lost causes even when they place him and his family in danger.

Alan and Nick find themselves hunting down a magician in order to remove the mark, but become entwined with another pair of siblings. Mae is a girl about Nick's age who has a younger brother named Jamie who is also demon marked. As much as Alan wants to help, Nick would be more than happy to leave the other siblings behind because he would rather focus on his brother's needs.

As they delve deeper into finding a resolution for Alan and poor Jamie, it quickly becomes clear that Alan is hiding something about their family past ... something that will totally change everything for the characters.

Nick is the perfect brooding hero that is evident in many of today's supernatural books and shows. He has closed himself from feelings largely because of his tough life. His relationship is interested in that it mirrors the often contentious ties that brothers have with each other, but made even more extreme because they are polar opposites.

The tale is one that is richly woven, and seems to parallel the Harry Potter books with the idea of this secret magical society that most of us know nothing about. With that said, the tale seems to have a lot more in common with the CW's popular show Supernatural. Magic is a dark force with ties to demons, and people with questionable motives seem to be the most successful.

The novel ends with a surprising twist as the author drops the fantasy version of a "red herring" into the tale. It is a twist that will totally change how the characters are viewed and where the story must go. This is definitely worth a try, though it is not a breezy read. Brennan nicely weaves in a complex backstory about the family and the magical communities of England as the story progresses.