Fawkes by Nadine Brands

4.5/5 While I do not consider myself a pursuer of Historical Fiction, I was very pleasantly surprised by Fawkes. My personal knowledge of history is shady at best, and my complete knowledge on this topic is that I’d seen V for Vendetta. Personally, I think this makes me the perfect reader for fiction reading- I’ve got a child’s grasp on the topic and I’m willing to go along with the plot.
That aside, I was hooked pretty quickly- a color ability is passed from mother to daughter or father to son by the parent making a mask. Different colors respond to different personalities! For example, Grey likes to be commanded while Green likes to be asked. The items that are that color then follow “commands” or asks from the mask wearer- I’m in! The plot (I’m hilarious for this pun) thickens when Thomas is kicked out of his school because his father, Guy Fawkes, refuses to make him a mask. This is because Thomas has been touched by the plague- it slowly turns the infected individual to stone. But Thomas’ plague has stayed contained to his left eye.
Without going into it more than the summary available, Thomas going on an adventure to find his father, get his mask, bond with Grey and command the plague to leave his eye. Along the way, Thomas has to decide if he is going to stay loyal to the Keepers, those that bond with a single color, or listen to the Ignitors, those that talk to “White Light” and bond with all colors. The Keeper vs. Ignitor war is what started the plague, with both sides blaming the other for the outbreak. The conspirators of the plot want to take out Parliament and therefore, the Ignitor King, and free the Keepers from being hunted down, and rid the world of the tempting “White Light”. We meet many in depth characters, one of whom I think everyone will be able to relate to- a strong woman who is going to get things done her way.

The only fault I will mention is that it’s a longer book- 448 pages. I am more of a 320ish kinda gal; so I wish the story moved a little faster in the middle. That’s the only reason for the slight drop from 5 to 4.5. The story is always entertaining, and a little sassy and I found myself up until 1am reading because I couldn’t stop!

I would recommend this book to anyone that wishes they had more magic and wants to find it within themselves to be a hero.

Thomas is a teen on the verge of becoming a man, the rite of passage is to receive a mask carved by your parent. The day arrives and his father, the famous Guy Fawkes, is a no-show. Thomas takes off and heads to the capital to find his father and confront him - he has denied him his mask and humiliated him in front of his entire class.
This retelling replaces the tension between Catholics and Protestants during this period with the division between Igniters and Keepers. Keepers believe you should have one colour power and that white light is far too powerful to be involved with, however Igniters don't believe in restricting power which is so easily accessible. What makes matters worse is the plague which provides the basis of the Igniters hatred for Keepers - they believe for every Keeper killed, someone is cured from the plague.
The King is an Igniter. Guy Fawkes is a Keeper. This entire book is a fantastic and eye-opening retelling of one of the most famous foiled plots in English history. I love the fantasy element woven into a story that many people know so well - providing a narration from the plotters' point of view. No longer the bad-guys but instead portrayed as the individuals just trying to restore some balance and in the world, fighting for their right to be treated as equals.
A few major plot twists I did see coming which means I'm not going to give this book the full 5* but it was still thoroughly enjoyable.
I particularly liked the way the author was able to capture some diversity with this book despite the tale being set in a distinctly "white" race setting there was still an effort to ensure this story isn't just about white men (as is with the original). I don't think this is a book which should be classed as completely diverse but I appreciate the author's effort to include a more diverse cast.
I also loved the depth of character with our protagonist - his internal conflict really shines through in the book and I can't help but feel sorry for him. Not only does he have to deal with the two sides of his heart, but additionally he's struggling with the plague too. Knowing that his life is hanging in the balance, and yet still making decisions with himself that might just change the course of history. It was really great to see him mature throughout the story too.
The secondary characters have some great development and are really 3-dimensional - given there were quite a few people in the plot, Brandes does a really awesome job of blurring the lines so the characters aren't categorised as ones we know well and others we don't know at all. It's more of a gradient which comes across realistic and provides a nice balance of character descriptions, and enough characters to bulk to story out.
The pace of this book is fairly decent too - particularly the beginning and end. I loved the way Thomas came across his father, and I loved just how close it got to being total chaos at the end. The middle for me was a little slower but it also provided a good opportunity for scene and character development, so I guess that's forgiven.
Overall I'm awarding this book 4.5*/5, I adored the retelling; particularly the fantasy spin and alternative POV telling. The main conflict almost seemed to be within Thomas rather than a country on the verge of all-out civil war. The characters were well-developed and the story - in most part - kept to the traditional and authentic setting of England during the Stuart period. A definite recommendation if you enjoy historical fiction and fantasy; you'll get the best of both worlds here!

I really didn't care so much for this one. The story is painfully slow, the characters brittle, and Thomas irritated me to no end, but my biggest peeve was the way White Light spoke. I mean, we're in England. In the 17th century. White Light's dialogue sounded as if it lived in America in the 21st century. It was the sort of thing that jolts you out of the book and makes you wonder why you ever decided to read it in the first place.

This made me sad, because a lot of people really liked the book and I thought I would as well. The plot was a good idea. There's potential.

"Safety is an illusion, Thomas Fawkes"

* * *
3 / 5

I loved the premise of Fawkes: historical British fiction with a fantasy element. Thomas Fawkes is the (invented?) son of Guy Fawkes but added into this classic story of gunpowder and treason and plot is a really innovative magic system. But on the downside, this was a very long and slow read for the length.

"Hadn't I always dreamed of being her knight? Saving the day? Only I'd saved nothing. She'd been her own knight and I'd stood by like a gaping spectator"

Like any good English child, what I really know about Guy Fawkes is that which we tell around our yearly bonfire and sing-a-long. Obviously I knew how it was going to end, but I wasn't all that clear on the details. I'm reasonably sure that a lot of the characters were lifted from history, which was cool - I'm not a massive historical fiction reader, so I really dug recognising all the little nods to history. Who isn't from history (I don't think)? Thomas Fawkes, a guy with complex father issues, a girl he's loved from afar for years but who is essentially engaged, and who is stuck in the middle of a conflict tearing the country apart.

So we've covered the historical element, but what about the fantasy one? Parents carve their children a mask and when they become of age, the child wears the mask and bonds with a colour power. What does this mean? I'm still not exactly certain, but Keepers only bond with one colour - so if someone bonds with red then they can control things that are red - whilst Igniters have varying degrees of control over all the colours. Keepers think this is the cause of the Stone Plague - the Great Plague that instead of killing people slowly turns them to stone.

"Did murder ever free anyone? This plot was a revolution built on corpses. It wasn't how things were supposed to be"

Fawkes was definitely imaginative, no doubt about it. I loved the mix of real history with magic. But there are so many people in this book, so much going on between Thomas, the romance, the Gunpowder plot, trying to understand the magic and the cause of the conflict. I wanted to savour the complexities, but Fawkes ended up being more confusing and head-scratching than engaging. This made it quite put-down-able and took me a while to finish.

I would definitely recommend Fawkes to the YA and fantasy readers wanting to tentatively dip their toes into the waters of historical fiction. But the book was a bit weak in terms of pacing.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.

*I RECEIVED AN ARC COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*

To begin with, I requested this book because I absolutely adore the story of the Gunpowder Plot, and to read a fictional story based on historical events is always a pleasant surprise! 

After all, nothing can go wrong when the plot is based on history!

Technically speaking, I liked the author's voice and how we got to know the protagonist right from the very beginning of the book.

I also liked the magic system (?) of the novel, if it can be called as such, as the mask a person owns, gives them the ability to control an element.

I loved the descriptions of the places and the settings, although I felt that, at times, they weren't needed and felt a bit extravagant, having little use in the story in general.

In terms of characters and plot development, I loved the fact that it is impossible to actually find out who the villain of the story is.

Yes, we know that we should dislike Guy Fawkes, the protagonist's father, but I kind of understand why he makes these decisions and acts in a certain way.

On the other hand, I can't say the same about Thomas Fawkes, our protagonist, or Emma, one of Thomas's schoolmates, whose face Thomas has never seen, because she always wears her mask. 

What I mean is that it's not quite clear what kind of emotions we should feel towards the two, and I haven't decided yet whether this is a good or a bad thing.

I found the dynamics between those two characters to be a bit off. I also didn't like the fact that Thomas seemed, at least in my opinion, to be insecure and sort of flat throughout the whole novel.

I expected something more from the male lead of the book and, well, I don't think I got it.

Still, I found Emma to be more certain and secure, a female lead I could have as an icon. And that's probably what drove me off at times; the fact that the protagonist was less important in terms of plot development and revelations throughout the story, than other, less important characters. 

Or so I thought at the time...

In general, this was a quite pleasant read.

I loved the historic details and the British settings. I enjoyed the development of the plot and the characters, though I felt that there was no extra spark, a little something that could turn this from a nice book, to a phenomenal novel.

3.75 stars from me, because I loved the general idea and the magic system. And Guy Fawkes, of course!

Huge thanks to NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy of this book!

Somewhere between 3.5 - 3.75 stars.

Overall, it wasn't a bad read but the beginning of this was a little slow for me before finally picking up slightly before the halfway point. Thomas was not my favorite character in the beginning (which may have contributed to that) but I think he did grow some during the book. Emma was a great character from the beginning.

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

I love the cover of this book. when I saw it, I thought of a masquerade ball. This book is set in the 17th century London. It is a take on a group of men that organised the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. This isn’t one that I would normally read because it is a historical fiction. This one really intrigued me because you get to wear a mask that gives you the ability to communicate with colours. (Cool right?)

There is a King and two different groups the Keepers and Igniters that are wanting one another gone. This was a really unique story.

Thomas was a great character, he goes through some things that made him seem very relatable, by the end of the book he becomes very likeable. In the beginning he wasn’t as much, I like that he had a great development. He goes to get a test to see what mask he will get and he doesn’t end up getting one. So, he runs off to London in search of his father so that he can help him.

After reading this book I think that I’m going to have to dive into this genre a bit more. If there are more books like this? Then I’m defiantly missing something.

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

Guy Fawkes set in an alternative world, where bonding with a colour bestows magic-like powers. Keepers will only bond with one colour, but Igniters can wield several - the animosity between these factions goes back to the first instance of the ‘plague’ which each blames upon the other.
Thomas is Guy’s son, but since informing his distant father that he, Thomas, has contracted the mysterious but deadly plague which turns sufferers to stone there has been no contact.
Add a shot of romance, with a genuinely independant, intelligent and talented woman rather than the usual ‘fiesty’ 2 dimensional foil, helps to pull the plot forward with even more peril and urgency.
This intricately plotted and skillfully controlled book weaves the familiar tale of gunpowder, treason and plot with wider issues of identity and acceptance. Brandes is in complete control of this fantastical adventure which is sure to delight historical and fantasy fans alike.

I've been waiting for this book for a long time. Let me tell you, it was worth the wait. This genre is very different from Nadine's debut novel, A Time to Die, but she did a brilliant job in this new genre. The Gunpowder plot is a real historical event, and about 75-80% of the characters were real people. The genre, as dubbed by the author herself, is historical fantasy. The reason for this is because the characters in the book have the ability to control color when they wear their color mask. That obviously can't happen in real life, therefore, it's part fantasy. (Although, that'd be super cool). 

The whole book was very solid. The plot was airtight, the characters were beautiful, and the theme was incredible. Nadine did an incredible job of creating a story that demands to be read as quickly as possible. I love that she included societal issues that are still plaguing us today which were also present during that time period. She is a Christian author, and her Out of Time series was blatantly religious (but not in a bad way). With this book, while still Christian, it wasn't as obvious. This shows a great amount of depth and talent in Nadine's writing. It can be difficult to write both kinds of Christian books. 

As always, her characters were flawed and real. This sounds like a negative thing, but believe me it's not! The personal journey Thomas had to go on was amazing. The one complaint I have is that he seemed too rash. It felt like he didn't think out his decisions, but I would honestly chalk it up to the fact that he's a teenager. Nothing against teens, but they aren't well known for thinking things through ;) The love interest was also an interesting point. Similar to her previous books, the romance wasn't one of the main parts of the plot. In the end, it does have an impact on the ending, but the story is more focused on Thomas and his relationship with his father. WHICH I LOVED!!! There are so few YA books that discuss a teens' relationship with their parents. I really think this needs to change. Teenagers shouldn't be focused on finding their soulmate and the YA books now definitely encourage soulmate finding. 

I'm a huge fan of making inanimate objects or ideas into characters. For example, in The Lord of the Rings the one ring was a character. It didn't speak, but it influenced the actions of other characters. The same can be said of color in Fawkes. Each color is described as having needing to be spoken to in a specific way in order for it to obey you. My absolute favorite color was white. This was the only color that spoke during the book. It's so sassy and sarcastic, and I LOVE IT! I'm not going to say anymore about this because I will spoil things if I do. 

Overall, Fawkes gets a 5 star rating from me. It was such an incredible read, and I walked away feeling challenged by the ideas discussed and entertained by such immaculate writing. Job well done Nadine Brandes.

Publication date: July 10, 2018
This story combines the facts of the Gun Powder Plot in London but tells a human story through the eyes of young Thomas Fawkes, fictional son of Guy Fawkes. It takes on issues of human rights, intrigue, class wars but adds in a sprinkling of fantasy and magic. I realize I am a sucker for a good fantasy book and the Harry Potter series is evidence that millions of readers love to read about young characters finding their own magical powers.


Finally, the fantasy element added to the historical element will hopefully get readers to want to read more about this time and seek out those primary sources that tell more stories about the real people living in those times. The one thing that is missing that I would have liked to see are resources of primary sources to learn more about Fawkes, his co-conspirators, the Plagues and the monarchy as there are teachable moments packaged in an engaging story.

#FawkesNadineBrandesFawkesBook #NetGalley

Do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK! This is one of the best blends of historical fiction and fantasy world building that I've read yet! I've already personally recommended this book at least a dozen times and this will likely remain my favorite read of 2018.

- The characters are well developed and consistent. I wanted to know them and be friends with them. Really. I did.
- Ms. Brandes did her research and the historical accuracy is spot on! Loved the tension of this real life event and had a hard time waiting to look things up until I finished the book, just in case I saw spoilers.
- The fantasy vs reality = Amazingly blended!! I am still in awe at the genius with which this story is written. Using the tension of the two classes of magic to counter the real life struggle between the Catholic and Protestant Churches is perfection!

I can't say much more without giving away spoilers. But if you are a fan of historical fiction and fantasy, this is the book for you! Highly recommended.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit that the primary reason that I requested this book was the amazing cover as well as the title. I wasn't too sure what it was about other than that there was a magical component.

It takes place in England during the 1600's mid way through King James' reign. It is loosely based on events that actually did occur in history and features the actual people involved. However, there is a bit of a twist and this is where I began to lose a bit of interest since it was dragged out. There are colours, there are masks. People earn their masks and are therefore able to control their chosen "colour" (Keeper) or "colours" (Ignitor). There is a war between these 2 factions to determine who is right and who is wrong (why can't we all just get along?). There is also the misconception that when a person from one faction kills another from the other faction, someone with the Plague (you turn to stone and then you can die), which is running rampant, gets healed.
I was trying to make sense out of history. I couldn't decide if this story was a metaphor for race, religion, power, or cycle back to religion...I like my neat little categories. I actually read up on the topic just to get a better grasp of it.
Featured in this story, is the son of the infamous Guy Fawkes who goes in search of his father in order to get his mask, and therefore come into his own power. He becomes embroiled in an assignation plot, while at the same time figuring out who he is, who he wants to be, and who/what he is actually fighting for.
It was a good read, but like I said previously, a bit on the long side for what it is. I did enjoy it and would recommend to those who'd like to add a bit of flare to British history.

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

The short summary of this book sounded so interesting, historical fiction mixed with magic. However, the story left me frustrated and not caring about the characters. The main character, Thomas, seemed so unintelligent. I found his narrating short-sighted and annoying. In a story where truth was so important, I never felt convinced that Thomas had found the whole truth. It didn’t feel absolute and universal but temporary and man-made.

Then the whole plot to blow up Parliament and the king didn’t make sense for solving problems. The plotters didn’t talk about what to do after. For taking over a year planning, they were incredibly short-sighted as well. Maybe this is historically accurate, but it didn’t make me sympathetic to them.

This book was pretty clean with some violence and no language or sex. In some places the writing felt unpolished, like I was reading a draft. It was a nice idea, but this execution fell flat for me.

I struggle with how to rate this alternative history/fantasy book. Brandes writes an interesting story, built around Guy Fawkes and the failed gunpowder plot in 16th century England. Yet it's the real historical details that the author tries to weave into her fantastical story that for me ultimately took away from an otherwise well-written book. It wasn't the details of daily life in 16th century England that I found problematic. It was when real historical personages such as Luther were woven into the plot that I lost the depth of Brandes creative world-building, where color power is key to social standing and is also the trigger for wars of religion over how this power should be controlled. The story has depth as it shows atrocities committed by true believers on both sides, while the goodness of white light shines through.

I did like the book, and so I do recommend it to lovers of historical fantasy.

Review based on an ARC received through Netgalley.

I adored this. It had a few lulls, but otherwise was the perfect, engaging historical thriller I have wanted for quite some time. There's so much to love about this story: the setting of 1600's London, the mystical world of powers revovling around masks and colors, the legends of vigilantes, and of course, Emma and Thomas, the figureheads of this story. I can't say much about them since much of what made them great characters is tied closely to the plot of this book, but I can say that you won't read anything else like this.

2,5 stars

I was so excited when I saw Fawkes on Netgalley. Not only did I recognize the author’s name from instagram, but everything about the synopsis screamed my attention. Stone plague, masks, color magic. And better yet, a historical fantasy that I have been meaning to get into more. Unfortunately this one left me feeling very conflicted on how I feel.

The book starts us of with Thomas. Thomas has the stone plague in his face, where as the name suggests, he is partly turning to stone. He tries very hard to hide this so he won’t be send away from school before his masking ceremony. When he receives his mask he will be able to call upon one color and use their magic. Unlike others however he believes as a keeper in only calling and bonding with one color. The majority and his king are igniters and belief in bonding with the color white who can help them use all the colors. It is a silent war where keepers are being prosecuted.

I really, really liked the idea of a stone plague, needing a mask to use magic and of the color magic. In the basic level that was incorporated well into the book. However for a 400+ book I felt that we could have gotten a lot more depth on the use of colors. Also I would have liked to have gotten more information about the keepers and the color white. It was suggested a few times that they went way back but this was never deepened out in anyway.

The book is slow. The first 300 pages are slowly setting things up in the world. Which is understandable with a historical fantasy. We have to see where it fits into our history and how the magic works into that. Unfortunately nearing the middle part I felt that it got excruciatingly slow to the point where I found little enjoyment in picking this book up. I can truly love a slow book but I need to feel as if we are heading somewhere, as if I am being submerged into the world and in this case it just wasn’t. The last 100+ pages really stepped forward again and gained momentum. This was the kind of thing that I was expecting of the book. Excitement, intrigue. But by then it was too late and my interest had already wavered too much.

I think one of the biggest problems as to why I could not really submerge myself into the world is that I didn’t care for our main character Thomas. He is mister plain. There was nothing to catch my interest about him and if you would ask me to describe his personality I would stumble. I guess he was headstrong and stubborn.

Instead I felt more of an interest in Emma who stood out in this historical fantasy. Not only because of her skin color but also because of who she was. Strong, trying to find the way in a society so incredibly restrictive of every essence of who she was, poc and female. Her view on the world and the color war was also very different and I think the story would have been so much more vibrant from her point of view.

**4.5 stars**
Thomas wants to be able to be just like his father, Guy. The only problem? He hasn't heard from his father in years and he is the famous Guy Fawkes. At times he even wonders if his father is who he says he is. In this world, one can control certain things based on what color their magic is tied to. Thomas wants the power of grey, the only problem? He has a plague, not the Bubonic plague, but something worse. It's slowly turning him into stone. Will he be able to be bound to his color power in time, or will his plague make him not able to bond with it, and kill him? 

The setting, 17th century England, is written so wonderfully. You can tell how much Brandes did her research, to make sure that events lined up correctly, and even down to the simple meticulous details of every day living.

This novel makes you question everything that you think to be true. You'll wonder who to trust, who to listen to, and who to follow after. 

Nadine has a way with words that is almost musical, when writing her fight scenes there is something really essentially beautiful about the way in which she commands her writing. There is a charming poetic voice that is tucked away like a jewel in the middle of a sea of words. 

This is another author to be on the lookout for, I can tell that she will be one of the next YA fantasy Queens that we associate with Victoria Aveyard, Sarah J. Maas, and Claire Legrand.

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

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the sending me this for free in exchange for an honest review.

This book takes place in England in the 1600's plotters discontent with the king . This book follows what is called the "Gunpowder Plot"

Guy Fawkes is a very complex man but one of my favorite characters is Emma. It is hard to give a lot of story line with out giving some of this book off. It was very enjoyable. I am not sure if the book was the kind I like to read or if is just because I had just finished a totally different world in another book before this one. I would say be ready to dive in when you start.

3.5 Star**

"Remember, Remember, the 5th of November..." This is an unforgettable tale, looking inside a fictionalized version of the story of Guy Fawkes, based on real facts. However, this story takes a twist on the immortal story in that it melds the story of the Gunpowder Plot with Harry Potter-style magic and mystery and adds a spell-binding aura to it. The novel follows Thomas Fawkes, son of Guy. He is studying color magic at a school when he is struck with the "stone plague", a fictionalization of the real Bubonic Plague. He then travels to London to find his father, inevitably getting caught up in the Gunpowder Plot to destroy Parliament.
This book is un-put-downable. I was skeptical at first, seeing as it was very far-fetched and being a fan of historical fiction that doesn't stray far from the truth. Aside from the magical elements, the story is very true to the facts and is very well written. If you are a fan of books like The Magicians or Harry Potter, this novel is a must read!

I really enjoyed this novel! The whole concept of the masks and colors was very unique. A small note, I really appreciate the historical aspect to this work of fiction. The plot has a small basis on an actual event. What? I won't say because I don't want to give anything up.The only complaint I had was that the middle slowed down and was a little talky, which made me not one click this but otherwise I immensely enjoyed it. I did enjoy the character development was spot on and that the author did a tremendous job of making you care about the cast and wanting to read more of their story. all in all 4 stars.