Have you ever wanted something so bad and yet it’s just out of reach? Thomas wanted love from his father and to feel like he had a purpose. However, because of the plague he was shunned and looked down upon.
There is a strong message throughout this book of good versus evil and the struggles of those who want to do what’s best. Unfortunately, what appears right might not actually be right. Thomas searches for the truth and finds friendship with someone who has secrets of her own.
Nadine Brandes has written a wonderful story of struggles, hardships of war, biases, love, and acceptance, with a twist of fantasy. This story captured my heart and I felt like I was walking around with Thomas. I felt I was going through all his struggles with him. Nadine Brandes truly has a creative way of writing and I know this will not be the only book I read of hers.
If you want to get lost in a magical world with touches of history, then this is the book for you.
I received this book from the publisher for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

I found this book hard to get through because the pacing was so slow through the first 2/3 of the book. The concept was very intriguing, but the execution was dull and at times confusing, specifically the magic system, making it very easy for me to put this one down.

Thomas was juvenile and selfish and I did not feel connected to him or enjoy his point of view very much.

Overall this was just okay. The ending picked up some but it felt a little late at that point. Great idea, so-so execution.

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

My rating: 3.75 of 5 stars

Nadine Brandes’ latest YA book was an incredible allegorical take on the conflict during the Protestant Reformation. It zeroes on just one of the many conflicts that went on at that time, and presents it in a new way with a fantasy slant.

What I loved:

Color magic
Emma. She is such a brilliant, fierce character.
The romance. This is exactly how YA romances should be—a balance between two characters, where they support each other and help each other grow.
That ending (!)
All the heart in this book.
So many YA books these days lack warmth and heart, so it was refreshing to get to read a book where characters cared deeply, loved fearlessly, and were genuine.

What I didn’t love:

It took a long time to get started. I wasn’t properly “hooked” till about 2/3 through.
All the indecision. Thomas would voice a belief in one thing, and then flip-flop about it in the next scene. It was very frustrating that it took him so long to find conviction!
Some of the sentences used very modern vernacular, and it threw me off. It didn’t happen too often, but when it did, it was jarring.
While I can’t say I loved this book as much as some of Brandes’ other work, it was still a great novel that is well worth the read. (That ending, people! I am slayed.)

3.75 stars.

Sex: mention of prostitution, whorehouses. One non-detailed kiss. Mention of mistresses.

Language: some name-calling

Violence: semi-graphic descriptions of stone plague, injuries, executions. Some are fairly disturbing.

Cultural: Infrequent use of the word “negro” in keeping with the time period. Characters also described as African.Mention of slavery, and mistreatment of Africans. Thomas sees an African for the first time, and is startled. SPOILER: one main character is revealed to be of African and English descent. END SPOILER.

Sorry but I couldn't get into the book at all. I tried though, I'm so sorry for my ADD brain.

Thank you to NetGalley and Nadine Brandes for allowing me to read and review Fawkes. I really liked this book and will be recommending it to my friends :)

I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I always love a bit of historical fiction, but this was even better. We had magic along side of plot to kill the King, there was a whole barrel of action and adventure going on throughout the whole book.
They story plot itself was amazing, I particularly loved the twist about the plague. All I can say is I was hooked from the beginning. The book is written well and has plenty of action and description going on. It isn't overloaded with character speech and we are in the mind of the main character, Thomas. We get to view the world through his eyes, and what a world it is! 

I would recommend this book, particularly if you like a little bit of historical fiction, but with a twist thrown in. I do love a good twist! It's suitable for teens and young adults (or big adults).

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

*Warning: possible spoilers ahead*

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. (Summary courtesy of Goodreads)

Cons (we’ll start with the bad and end with the good)
The first two-thirds were really slow
I didn’t like the ending
Thomas was very boring - like cardboard
Some parts were slightly cliche. For example, a character dies and then, through a convenient loophole, comes back to life. Seriously? That’s never been done before.
The plot is kind of sloppy, and just flounders on for most of the book.
What is it with the damsel-in-distress trope when they want the wimpy guy to look like a man? Making someone weak to make the other look strong - yeah. Not good.

Other
Why did Emma stay so loyal to Henry? I’ve always wanted to know what she saw in him.
I never really connected with the setting, but I can’t put my finger on why.
For some reason I thought Thomas had to choose between his girl and his father, but that’s not true. It’s not even her family. It’s just some guy who is trying to force Emma to marry someone she doesn’t want to, and who isn’t particularly nice for most of the book. Then, when Thomas needs some internal conflict, this guy gives him a job and Thomas suddenly grows a conscience.
Which brings me to another point. It was never really Thomas’ choice. I can’t say more - because, spoilers.

Pros
The last third was awesome
There were some great plot twists, which I can’t mention because of spoilers
Emma was really cool - one of those plot-twists I was talking about
And that plot twist at the end! Awesome stuff.
The colour magic thing was cool, but there were a few problems that were never really explained.
There were some really cool allegorical elements with the White Light and colour powers, etc

It was disappointing as I have been eager to read this book since I heard about it, and it didn’t come even close to what I thought it would be like. I have read another book by Nadine Brandes - A Time To Die - and I loved it. This one just wasn’t as good. All that said, I did enjoy it enough to buy a copy when it comes out. Maybe I will get more out of it the second time through.

I've been very eagerly anticipating Nadine Brandes' newest release. Her Out of Time series was so good, so impactful. Those books have stayed with me and I'm still thinking about them. So to say I've been excited to see what Brandes had in store next, would be a vast understatement.

First off, how absolutely stunning is that cover? It's so eye-catching and perfectly fits the story! I love, love, love it!

The world building is so fascinating, unique, and intricate. It did take me a minute to get acclimated to the world, but once I did... oh my gosh... I was completely immersed and didn't want to surface back to the real world anytime soon.

And the characters! Wow! So multifaceted! Thomas did get on my nerves at times in the beginning, but I could understand where his bad attitude was coming from. He really grew as the story progressed and I loved watching that growth. By the end of the story he became one of my favorite male protagonists that I've read about lately. And Emma! I really admired her. She's a fierce, independent, strong, and kind young lady. She's awesome.

One of my favorite quotes from the book was, “You can't judge an entire group of people by the actions of a few.” It symbolizes, what I felt to be, one of the core messages of the book and an apt reminder for us right now.

I can't say enough good things about Fawkes! It's all kinds of awesome. It's a book I know I'll want to reread again and again. I highly, highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

Interesting premise and unique storytelling! At times it was a little slow and I found myself skimming, but I cared about the characters and the outcome! The author took time and care with historical facts and as a history teacher I loved that!
As far as fantasy goes it’s rather light. It’s more of a clean YA historical fiction. It’s full of moral messages and comments on social & family problems. I think many will find this relatable and enjoyable!
I look forward to future books by this author and I would definitely recommend this book to students!

Thank you netgalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!

A work of staggering and ineffable imagination, Fawkes bursts like a kaleidoscope of gunpowder and colour blasting a perfectly rendered London with indelible aplomb.

An endearing and all too fallible hero shoves away his famous father's shadow to become the hero of the moment. Dizzying and immensely gratifying, Fawkes balances romance, redemption, friendship and sacrifice in a brilliantly evocative way.

My brain hurt in the best way at the complicated threads of this tapestry and in a lesser voice, it might well have fallen apart. Lucky for us, Brandes builds her world in deft and careful bricks so that the intersection of fact and fiction is seamlessly ingrained. I was so excited for this tale and now I can see why.

I haven't read anything like this for a long time. .. and I doubt I will again.

A book to sit and savour in a dark corner by candlelight while the world fizzes away and a fictional one replaces its ordinary canvas.

What an absolutely phenomenal read!!

Nadine Brandes and her work "Fawkes" places readers back in time to 1605 through apt narrative and vivid descriptions in the heart of one of the biggest plots in history that had the potential of shaking a country to its core. It also conveys a rare kind of magic...the kind that makes you read all through the night because the words are spellbinding. Even the next day, the words don't release their hold, but rather entice you even more into the story that you're left with no option than to re-read.

Thomas, Emma, Guy, and all of Brandes characters burst forth from the page directly into your imagination and relentlessly follow you though the story. One of the elements I liked the most about "Fawkes" is that there is not a single character that falls into a 'type.' Everyone from main to supporting is well rounded and infused with a dose of mystery and the unexpected.

Would HIGHLY recommend "Fawkes" to all readers. Just be warned.....prepare yourself to finish this book the moment you start!

This book was a bit slow for me and took me a while to finish. I felt bored and would pick it up and put it down many times.

First of all, the cover is absolutely beautiful! When I read the synopsis of this book, It really caught my attention. Here is something that is new and intriguing! When I actually started reading though, it was very hard for me to follow. color power? I really wish that whole story concept was left out of the book or maybe even explained better. i was really confused. For me it took away from the plot and I actually couldn't finish reading the book. I was disappointed because the author thought of a new idea to bring the guy fawkes story into light.

This YA novel centers around two brilliant premises. The first is the setting, England on the eve of the Gunpowder Plot (1605) and the origin of Guy Fawkes Day. The second involves a fascinating new system of magic in which power arises from the various colors, focused by specially constructed masks, constructed by the practitioner’s same-sex parent. A third strength arises from the protagonist narrator, son of the conspirator Guy Fawkes, and his inner turmoil as he is drawn deeper and deeper into a plot to blow up King James I’s Parliament.
Therein, however, lie the book’s weaknesses. Few Americans, unless they are English History buffs, are familiar enough with the Gunpowder Treason Plot to appreciate the cultural, political, and legal aspects. The plot in the book follows the historical order fairly closely but not always in the most logical fashion. Magic is tacked on to historical events; practitioners use their powers only when they don’t change the way things really happened. But any world in which people wield those powers is going to operate very differently than ours, and that requires careful working through all the implications of those powers, which I see little here.
The attempt to translate the historical Protestant-Catholic struggle into a battle between those who adhere to the color system (“Keepers”) and those devoted to the primal White Light (“Igniters”) is awkward and often confusing. The real struggle was based not only in religious dogma but in politics, arising from the establishment of the Church of England with King Henry VIII and consequent independence from Rome. Queen Elizabeth, Henry’s daughter, did much to establish religious tolerance, although even her emphasis on secular loyalty could not eliminate the plots to restore a Catholic ruler. Without the context of the struggle, the rift between Keepers and Igniters, each hating the other for no apparent reason, come across as superficial. This is all the more so because for most of the story, I had trouble remembering which side was which. Everyone has access to the White Light (which is a snappy, smart-ass voice, quite apart from any references to direct experience of the divine, which also strikes me a reversal of the Catholic-Protestant quarrel). Anachronisms of speech and social attitude added to the confusion.
Besides the system of magic, this story includes a supernatural “Stone Plague” that infects the victim and gradually ossifies both skin and internal organs, resulting in death. Somehow Igniters have concluded that the plague is the fault of the Keepers and the only way to bring it to a halt is to slaughter all of them. Since no one offers any other explanation for how this disease works, and apparently the magical healers are just as ignorant and incurious, this persecution is arbitrary and baffling.
Despite its significant shortcomings, this novel has many appealing moments. If it sends readers to the history books to find out what really happened, or generates conversations about prejudice and religious persecution, so much the better.

I really enjoyed this book. It had a unique plot that infused fantasy and magical elements with historical events. This book was very absorbing and I found myself unable to turn away needing answers and on the edge of my seat waiting to find out how the events would all come together. I had no knowledge of the historical events so for me it was all a surprise but I enjoyed the infusion of important quandaries about morality and beliefs.

My sister recommended this book to me after I had seen the cover and quickly moved on. After her recommendation I picked this up and I'm not quite sure what to say about this book. For being a (somewhat embellished) historical true story, I must give it credit. I admire the author's attention to historic detail.

Having said that, I wasn't that impressed with the story line. For a book about using color power to manipulate objects, I would have preferred more instances in which color power was used. The conspiracy theory was interesting enough but I would have liked color power to be used more than just casually mentioned and rarely seen.

I recommend this book for ages 13 and up for some violence.
But I do give this book a three star rating.

Like many other MCs, Thomas Fawkes is an idealist, albeit an extremely honest with himself idealist. He admits to being a coward and many other things besides. This honesty made me like him all the more; although, he's definitely no hero. If he had tried to hide it, I would have scoffed and the story would have lost a little something for me. As it was, the story was slow moving and pretty boring in my view. Keepers and Igniters are similar to modern-day religion with opposing views that are irreconcilable. Catholics versus Protestants many years ago is what comes to mind. This society had one way of thinking versus the other, which is pretty normal in most storylines, but this particular one was dangerous. If you were a Keeper, you had a death wish.


"The very topic of White Light has caused Igniters to hunt down and murder Keepers. Wouldn't you be wary if you weren't an Igniter?"


Thomas doesn't have strong family ties as his mother died when he was young and his father was away working on some plot. Now, Thomas is looking for answers to his Keeper background and upbringing after being raised and schooled among Igniters. Why is White Light so taboo among Keepers, while, for Igniters, it brings freedom of power and allows more power than Keepers seem to be comfortable with? White Light is the source of all power, so Keepers believe it must be locked down and ignored. Does speaking to White Light really make people power hungry or is that simply a personal trait that is not really correlated with being an Igniter? Do Keepers, or anyone really, fully understand White Light? Or is White Light truly bad? These are all questions Thomas sets out to answer for himself.



Then Emma, a girl from Thomas' school, turns up in London and kind of throws a spanner into his plans. She pushes him to ask more questions and a colleague of the plot demands they 'seek the source'. She's an Igniter, but has something she's hiding. He doesn't know whether he can trust her or not, but still allows himself to get close to her, as it allows him access to information necessary to the plot.

"My culture had affected my way of thinking without my consent,How many other things had it shaped without my knowing it? It made me want to examine things - to seek the heart of matters. Of skin color, of Keepers, of Igniters, of White Light, of all my assumptions."

If you're involved in a plot that will change the way your society works in the long run, do you still stand up for what you know to be right in your day to day life? Or do you let that go so as not to draw attention to yourself and keep yourself free for the bigger picture?

A few times throughout the novel, Thomas enacts some heroic act - usually in relation to Emma. But I want to know - is he doing it to impress her or rather because her conviction give him the strength to be less than cowardly? I feel like it's a bit of both, really. He's like any young boy, wanting the attention of the pretty girl from school, but being also involved in such a huge plot, he has other things on his mind, as well. He wants to be brave and stand up for what he believes, the trouble is he's a coward who doesn't know what to believe yet.



“The resignation in my voice sickened me, but I clung to my knowledge of the Gunpowder Plot. It would change this. I would change this.”

All in all, I struggled to finish this book. I very nearly DNF'ed it, but was so close to the end that I forced myself on. The last 10% got better and then had a terrible ending. I wouldn't recommend this to very many people simply because I found it boring. The historical aspect was slightly interesting, but the characters that made up the story ruined the plot for me entirely. I didn't find them relatable or interesting, so I just could not get into the story. I found myself avoiding the book at quite a few points.

This book was truly beautiful. I loved the blend of magic and 17th Century London. This book was wonderfully crafted and will leave you thoroughly entertained and wanting for more.

I loved this! Fawkes is based off of the Guy Fawkes, November 5th plot. We get to follow Thomas Fawkes, the son of Guy Fawkes, on his journey to get his mask. In the process he gets pulled into the gun powder plot. It was great seeing different parts of history portrayed in a more fantastical way. The plague that spurred Thomas on to find his father and to get the mask he had been promised.
There were social issues that I feel like where relevant. Thomas had to choose between what he believed to be right, what he was learning to be right and how to live his truth. He did have help along the way. Emma, the kick ass amazing Emma. She challenged him and brought out his better side.
There was a lot of action, chemistry between Thomas and Emma, and information to keep me fascinated and wanting to read more. I absolutely loved every page of this. Definitely give it a read.

I received an e-ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up this book not realizing that it was more than a historical fiction. It was so much more! I love the fantasy element of it, and how it fit so well with the time frame. I loved the element of magic and Thomas' journey of self discovery. I also loved the secrets that came out as the story went on, since I was not expecting some of the twists! This is an excellent, unique story.
I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.