by Nadine Brands
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Publication Date: July 10th 2018
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pages: 448
ISBN: 9780785217145
Genre: Young Adult | Historical Fiction | Fantasy
Source: Review Copy
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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. 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. (Goodreads)
I first discovered Nadine Brand on Instagram, and when I realized that she was the author of Fawkes, I was instantly curious! So much about this book drew me in, including the absolutely stunning book cover, (I can’t resist a gorgeous cover, don’t judge me), as well as by the summary for the book. When a review copy arrived on my doorstep, I absolutely couldn’t wait to check the book out. This book was definitely an interesting read!!
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.
If that first line of the summary doesn’t pique your interest, I don’t know what will. Imagine a world where there is a plague that will literally turn you to stone. That is the world in which the main character, Thomas, lives. It’s a brutal world, one filled with hatred and violence, as well as prejudice and intolerance, which felt so relevant to the world today. But in between all of that, there is hope as well.
There are some interesting characters in this story, and though I didn’t really get attached to any of them, I quickly found Emma becoming a favorite, and I would love to know more of her story. The setting for this book was very well described, and I enjoyed the historical feel to both it and the storyline. The fantasy aspects of the book were interesting as well. I’m not sure I completely understand how the ‘color power’ works, but it was interesting to read about.
Overall; Though I had some issues connecting to the main character of the story, I did find Fawkes to be a creative and unique read! I can’t say that I’ve read any book like this before now, and I enjoyed the parts that made it different. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more books by Nadine in the future!
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