Fawkes – Book review

Author: Nadine Brandes

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Published: 10 July 2018

Format: Kindle e-book

Page: 448

Blurb

Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone, and the only cure to the Stone Plague is to join his father’s plot to assassinate the king of England.

Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared, but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death.

But what if death finds him first?

Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did it. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in.

The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King.

The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But backing out of the plot will send his father and the other plotters to the gallows. To save one, Thomas will lose the other.

No matter Thomas’s choice, one thing is clear: once the decision is made and the color masks have been put on, there’s no turning back.

Review:

The main thing I liked about this book is how a real historical event, the Gunpowder Plot of Guy Fawkes, has been made into a fastastical one. A very good combo of real and fiction facts. I really enjoyed the colour power concept. With optic physics and fantasy playing, I relly liked it.
The concept is interesting, the different characters are interesting. But the most interesting character is the White Light, though not a living entity but a character altogether. I felt the helplessness and the determination to prove oneself and make a mark in the world that Thomas Fawkes had.
More than the characters I liked the different events that has occurred throughout the story. The concept of colour power and the Stone Plague and the abstract personification of the White Light are the highlights of the book.
Also the setting, a magical London actually steered by colours.

My Rating: 4/5

P.S. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

    0 thoughts on “Fawkes – Book review

      1. That’s great. I like it too. But I didn’t realise this was a Historical Fiction until my colleague told me about Guy Fawkes and I read up on the internet

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