I love Nadine and I love her writing. She has an unique ability to immerse the writer into unique worlds and to build something from nothing in our minds. I loved how she transformed this book from a children’s nursery rhyme (and maybe a bit of V for Vendetta) and I love the concept she grasped. She made this world and made me almost believe it was real for awhile. The characters were all unique and well developed. The plot was intriguing and engaging. And the pacing was spot on.



However, I did feel that in some parts of the book the author treaded a thin line between what was politically correct to say and what wasn’t. They were hard for me to read because those words had hurt some of my friends in the past and I can imagine that maybe they might hurt someone today too. However, there was a bit of a reason for it (debatable) and the book turned out fantastic in the end.



Verdict: If you liked V for Vendetta or if you like masks definitely check out this book!

Gorgeous cover (I admit the cover + the title are what drew me to the book in the first place), and also an interesting take on historical events by showing them under the colours (see what I did there) of magic rather than religion. In this alternate early 17th-century world, people are able to bond with a specific colour, and exert control over items of this colour through the wearing of a mask. The conflict arises from how people view the use of colours: Keepers (the ‘Protestants’) believe that a person should only master one colour and not give in to the ‘White Light’ that governs them all, lest greed devours them and twists their powers to nefarious ends; while Igniters (the ‘Catholics’) believe that listening to the White Light, and controlling more than one colour, is the way to go. Both factions are in conflict not only because of these views, but because of a plague that turns people to stone, with each camp blaming the other for the advent of this mysterious illness.

Enters our protagonist and point of view character, Thomas Fawkes, son of the (now) infamous Guy Fawkes, who’s been struck by this very Stone Plague and can’t wait until he gets a mask of his own, learns to master a colour, and hopefully manages to heal himself, or at least make sure the plague will stay dormant in him and never spread further than his eye. Of course, things don’t go as planned, and as he finds himself reunited with his father, the latter offers him a place in a plot meant to blow up the King and Parliament (as in, literally blow up, re: Guy Fawkes, Bonfire Night, and all that).

So. Very, very interesting premise, and I really loved reading about the London that is the backdrop in this novel—not least because I actually go very often in the areas depicted here, and I enjoy retracing in my mind the characters’ steps in streets that I know well enough. Little winks are found here and there, too, such as Emma’s favourite bakery on Pudding Lane, or a stroll to the Globe. It may not seem much, but it always makes me smile.

The story was a slow development, more focused on the characters than on a quick unfolding of the plot. I don’t know if the latter is a strong or a weak point, because I feel it hinges on the reader’s knowledge of the actual Gunpowder Plot: if you know about it, then I think what matters more is not its outcome, but the journey to it, so to speak. If you don’t know it, though, the novel may in turn feel weak in that regard, by not covering it enough. I didn’t mind this slow development, since it allowed for room for the side plot with Emma and the Baron’s household, and I liked Emma well enough. I still can’t decide whether her secret felt genuine or somewhat contrived, but in the end, it didn’t matter so much, because she was a kickass person, with goals of her own, and actually more interesting than Thomas.

As a side note: yes, there is romance here. Fortunately, no gratuitous kiss and sex scenes that don’t bring anything to the story and only waste pages. In spite of the blurb that mentions how Thomas will have to choose between the plot and his love (= usually, a sure recipe for catastrophe in YA, with characters basically forgetting the meaning of things like “priorities” or “sense of responsibility”), it is more subtle than that. Thomas at least also starts considering other people being involved, such as, well, the three hundred Members of Parliament meant to go up in flames along with the King. Casualties, and all that…

Bonus points for White Light, who we don’t see much of, but was overall engaging and somewhat funny in a quirky way. I just liked its interventions, period.

Where I had more trouble with the story was Thomas himself, who was mostly whiny and obsessed with getting his mask. All the time. You’d get to wonder why his father trusted him and invited him to be part of the plot in the first place. Often enough, he came as self-centered and constantly wavering in his beliefs. While I can totally understand that the prospect of his plague suddenly spreading left him in a state of constant, nagging fear, and therefore prone to focus on this more than on other people’s interests, the way he hesitated between which way to pursue (stay faithful to the plot, or listen to the White Light, or shouldn’t he listen to his father, but then are his father’s beliefs really his own as well, etc.) was a bit tedious to go through. Good thing Emma was here to set his sight straights, and by this, I don’t mean showing him the light (OK, OK, I should stop with the puns now), but making him aware that her circumstances are more complicated than he thinks, in his own ‘privileged’ way, even though his being plagued does contribute to a common understanding of being immediately rejected because of what one looks like.

Also, let’s be honest, Guy wasn’t exactly Father of the Year either, and the story didn’t focus much on developing his ties with Thomas. They were united through the plot, but that was pretty much all, when this could’ve been a wonderful opportunity to reunite them differently, in deeper ways, too. There just wasn’t enough about him, about his personality, and in turn, this lessened the impact of Thomas’ decisions when it came to him.

Another issue for me was the magic system. I got the broad lines, and the reason for the Keepers/Igniters divide, but apart from that, we weren’t shown how exactly this magic works. It is, I’m sure, more subtle than simply voicing an order to a specific colour, and there seems to be a whole undercurrent of rules to it, that aren’t really explained. For instance, why can the masks only be carved by the biological father or mother of a person, and not by an adoptive parent (or even by anyone else)?

Mention in passing as well to language: sometimes, it veered into too modern territory (I mean 20/21st-century modern English specifically, not ‘but Shakespeare’s English was technically Modern English, too’ ;)). I think it was especially prevalent in Thomas’ discussions with White Light, and I found this jarring.

Conclusion: 3 stars, as I still liked the story overall, as well as the world depicted in it, despite the questions I still have about it. I was hoping for a stronger story, though.

This fantasy telling of the son of Guy Fawkes. I found the idea of using color magic to be intriguing. Its something I've only seen once before (The Belles - But it was used quite differently in that novel). This is a story of morals and taking sides. This book is perfect for anyone looking for YA fantasy historical fiction. I've never read anything quite like it, which felt really unexpected when reading a retelling of a very famous historical event. There were so many aspects that I loved. There was a plague (people turning to stone), color magic, fearless characters, even some family drama. Overall, I would definitely recommend it.

I struggled to connect with the protagonist, Thomas and felt that he lacked his own voice. I struggled to read from his perspective, finding it tedious and rather dull. Thomas was in this constant state of confusion, never making a choice, this frustrated me because his reasons for abstaining from choosing a side never really made sense. I found his actions quite immature, add this to his selfishness and incessant complaining meant that I didn’t really like him.

I also found the relationships and characters of each of the plotters was rather weak. Aside from their names (the names of the real historical figures), there wasn’t anything real about them.

In the end Thomas' ability to annoy me and the under developed relationships lead to me not finishing the book at all.

I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't finish this book. The book was too confusing, the magical system was not explained soon enough not the connection to the historical Guy Fawkes. I feel like the book would have been better if it had only the magical system in an unaltered Elizabethan setting or only the guy falkes part of the story. I felt like the masks where a week attempt to connect the magic system and Guy Fawkes.

In a parallel England, 1604, Thomas Fawkes is booted from St Peter's Colour Academy, unable to gain a mask. Which means he is not able to speak to any colour. He's not a Brown, able to communicate with dirt and soil, or a Green, with healing abilities, or a fiery Red, or even a Black, able to slip into the shadows. A Black, like his father. Guy Fawkes. Deciding to seek out his estranged father and demand his help, Thomas heads to London - where he soon becomes a part of the Gunpowder Plot. A plot to end the current reign - and save Thomas from the Stone Plague.

I think that I, along with several other non-Brits, have very little knowledge of the Gunpowder Plot. Just like non-Swedes might not have that much knowledge of the assassination of the Theater King. Which was what drew me to this book in the first place; even if it's a magical version of the original event, it stays quite true to the order written in history books.

Thomas is an interesting character, fueled by his need for acceptance by his father, to be allowed to wear a mask, and his survival instincts. He wants to live. All this combined makes him blind to what people with other viewpoints mean, at least for some time, which also feels real. True. Such feelings are strong and difficult to get past. You really do need another strong feeling to help that along. Such as love.

Enter Emma, Thomas' acquantaince from school whom he gets to know better in London. I would have liked to see even more of her, see further development, because I really did enjoy what she brought to the table. She's not a traditional 17th century girl - and perhaps her rebellion had to be tamed a bit to make things work.

The whole idea of colour powers was very clever, but I would have liked it explained better. A chart, maybe, of what the different colours could do. You got to see a few at work, and there were mentions of what other things might be possible, but as someone who loves a good encyclopedia... yes, a chart would have been nice.
(let me know if there is one in the published version, as this was an ARC!)
Also liked the allegory that the two groups of people - the Keepers, believing that each person should only command one colour, and the Igniters, believing that you can manipulate many colours by communicating with White Light - are basically the catholics and the protestants warring over England. Nicely done!

Overall, I did enjoy this story and do recommend it for people who like a bit of history - and a bit of magic.

A deliciously clever historical fiction, infused with masks and colour magic in order to revisit the fiery tale of The Gunpowder Plot. Filled with a magic lore I have previously not seen/or heard of before in fiction, Fawkes is a refreshing take on the period, complete with 'forbidden' love, friendship, family and honour.

This was so good! I loved the magic, the characters, the relationships, the history of it, I could go on and on! It was such an original concept and I enjoyed every second of it.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review is of an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

Would you like an easy to understand history lesson about Britain's Gunpowder Plot and what led up to it? Well, here it is. All you have to do is remove the magic, change the Black Plague to the Stone Plague, and substitute "Protestant" for the word Igniter and "Catholic" for Keeper. Seriously, it is almost that simple. Brandes does an excellent job of bringing real historical events and people into this fantasy. The two characters who where killed with one bullet? Yeah, they really existed and they really did die that way, believe it or not. I hate to say it, but I might have actually learned more about the society at the time of the real plot from this book than I never did from a history book. Well played, Ms. Brandes, Well played indeed.

Some people my criticize the main character, Thomas, as being self-centered and whiny. He is ... very much so, In fact, at the beginning of the book, he's not very likable at all. But he's young and part of the plot of the novel is how he grows into a better person. He has faults he has to overcome and sometimes they raise their ugly heads. But the Thomas as the beginning of the book is a completely different creature than the Thomas at the end. And I liked seeing him grown and change.

Definitely an exciting, enjoyable, and surprisingly educational read.

As an Anglophile, I am always eager to learn more about English history, and I didn't know anything about Guy Fawkes before this novel aside from the general knowledge of his assassination attempt and that England now has Guy Fawkes Day (or Bonfire Night) in remembrance of the day he was caught.
I went into this novel knowing very little about the subject matter and what the fantasy twist would do to the historical world. The concept of color power was a bit confusing at first, but the more I read about it, the more sense I made of what color power meant in this world. It means control. Some people choose to use more power than others, to control more than one color. They are called Igniters. Those who choose the more traditional path of only bonding with and controlling one color are called Keepers. Essentially in historical terms, these are the Protestants and the Catholics respectively. I really liked how Nadine Brandes took the conflict between religions and transformed it into a war over physical and mental power in the world. I think that as a historical fiction, this book both educates and intrigues, which is really what I look for in the genre. I feel that a good historical fiction will leave me feeling like I have enjoyed a great book while also learning some facts I had never known before (or learned in school briefly, and forgot). My only criticism is that Thomas' romance felt a little forced, like it had to be there because YA seems unable to function unless there's a struggling romance in the midst of the plot. I guess this is kind of a criticism of the genre itself, but I don't know that it was entirely necessary for this story to have an underlying love story. That aside, Thomas' story had me hooked and I can see why there was so much hype around this release! If you like historical fiction and YA, this is definitely the book for you.

I have to admit, Fawkes was a bit of a disappointing read for me. It had interesting ideas and concepts that almost drew me in, but ultimately was a slow read that never really picked up. After getting about half way through I decided to DNF the book because I just couldn't get into it. Maybe some other time I'll try to finish it because perhaps I just wasn't in the right mood for it. I did find the idea of the masks and the white magic intriguing, but the main character wasn't likeable enough for me to stick it out.

We can hope that readers of Fawkes will be inspired to look into the true story of the gunpowder plot and in so doing appreciate the great research and sly tweaks that went into creating this magical alternate reality, in which the Plot is undertaken by not Catholics but a group of "Keepers" who believe in the control of only 1 color, against the Inciters, who use white light to control all the colors. The young characters created for this story fill in certain gaps of mystery that are lost to history as well as give us a lively narrative thread to follow down the plot. Even though we all know how it ends, Thomas's personal journey from a boy to a man gives Fawkes a new, compelling reason for this classic history to be told again. Recommended for readers interested in history, alternate history, magic, and for history teachers who want to demonstrate how stories can be retold. Also should be considered in discussions that consider why or how it matters that the author chose to remove religion and replace it with magic. Does this have an impact on modern readers' reactions to the story?

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes, 448 pages. Thomas Nelson, 2018. $17.

Language: G (1 swear, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: g; Violence: PG (some deaths, battles)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS – ADVISABLE; HS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Thomas Fawkes may have the Stone Plague, but he is sure that when he gets his Color Mask he will bond with Grey and be able to conquer his disease. His father, the legendary protector Guy Fawkes, refuses to send his mask, however, and Thomas must trudge to London to find his parent, whom he has never met, and force the gift from him. In London Thomas finds a whole different world – one of rebellion and intrigue. Keepers like Thomas and his father, believe that a person should only bond with only one color. Igniters, on the other hand, believe that every color should be available to every person with talent. And the King is an Igniter who is allowing Keepers to be hunted down and killed. Thomas’s own father is involved in a plot against the king. More than loyalty is tugging at Thomas – there is also a girl.

Brandes has layered on the danger and brought a new life to a historic figure. She skillfully builds her world and teaches us the rules without wallowing or lecturing. For such a long book, it flows well and kept my interest. The romance is present and even important, but never takes over the limelight from all of the other threads. It looks like her next book is an alternate look at Anastasia Romanov – can’t wait!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

This book was really clever and original. I had never read anything about Fawkes and the Gunpowder plot, so this book was definitely refreshing. I personally really enjoy historical fiction and this book was well written and fit beautifully into the genre.

This was a fun retelling of the Guy Fawkes story, with a magical twist. The story centers on Fawkes' son, Thomas, who is involved in the Gunpowder Plot. There is, of course, a girl; a noble-born rival; betrayal; and lots of danger.

I (mostly) likes Thomas as a character, though at times I found his "that's not fair" attitude a bit tiresome. I did love Emma, a brave, self-possessed character with a secret of her own who I would follow into a revolution. The character of Guy Fawkes was interesting, if not quite as explored as I might have liked him to be, but perhaps the mystery serves to perpetuate his mythology.

Overall, this was a good story, and I look forward to more from this author.

One note of negativity: I got so tired of the word "plot" I wanted to gouge my eyes out.

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*

Regardless of the fact that Fawkes was one of my most anticipated reads, I went into it completely blind. I wanted to be surprised and had a vague idea of its premise, which is my favorite way to go into any novel, particularly Fantasy. That being said, I was truly shocked by how well thought out everything that made up this book was and could not get over how interesting the plot proved out to be!

The story follows Thomas and is set in King James's England but, there's a twist. It's being torn apart by a stone plague that was born of greed and arrogance. Colors make up a person's identity and provide each individual with virtue and honor, as well as powers based off of the masks that they wear and what color they're drawn to the most. Sounds simple enough, right? Of course not! Igniters have been abusing the powers they acquire for every color for their own purposes, whereas Keepers restrict themselves to one because they feel like using more than that goes against their values. As a result of their conflicting beliefs, war had been brewing between them for years, until King James, an Igniter, ascended to the throne and started executing Keepers for what they believed in. Thomas is caught in this whirlwind of different perspectives and things become even worse for him when his father doesn't show up to deliver the Mask he'd carved for him, like he was supposed to. Determined to find out why his father denied him the right to own a Mask and master the element that would've come with it, he sets out on a journey to London in order to find him and ends up tangled in a web of conspiracies that lead him straight to unusual allies, sinister plots and unexpected truths he's less than ready for...

First of all, I have to admit that, the beginning was a bit slow and even though it kept me on the edge for what would happen next, it took me a while to get invested in the plot and that is the reason why this novel got four stars from me, instead of five. After the first couple of chapters though, the pace picked up and the plot started getting even more interesting as the story progressed! I immensely enjoyed the way it was written and the author's vivid descriptions kept me entertained throughout the novel! I cannot express how impressed I was with the setting of the novel and how the Magic System in it worked!

Second of all, the story itself was presented in a way that drew you in and made you feel things. Anger at Thomas's father for not being there the one time his son really needed him to, frustration at how he was treated and pure elation when he came out of it all triumphant!

As a character, Thomas was more than likable and I ended up respecting him even more after every chapter that I read! He was quite mature for his age and I really fell in love with him throughout the novel! He handled difficult situations better than anyone would have and I really enjoyed watching him grow as a person and become who he was meant to be! Things didn't work out as he'd been expecting them to and they took a turn for the worse when he had to leave everything he grew up with behind because of a step back he wasn't responsible for but, he turned them around in the end and proved that he could more than handle everything life threw at him!

Also, I absolutely live for the secondary characters introduced in the novel. They were many but, they all had a purpose and weren't just created to stand by and serve no cause. On the contrary, every single character in Fawkes was created for something specific that was eventually revealed at some point in the book. I'm not going to get into too much detail about them because that would ruin the whole experience of getting acquainted with the story itself for those of you who want to give it a chance!

Overall, I'm more than glad that I decided to go into this one without seeking out any reviews on it, which is kind of ironic given the fact that I'm sitting here writing a review for it but, I feel like you're free to read it without being spoiled in any way, shape or form! And I seriously cannot recommend it enough!

One misstep and it could all go up in flames...

I fell in love with Nadine Brandes's fiction with her dystopian Out Of Time series so when I heard that her next book would be a historical fantasy, fantasy historical, well, whatever it is, I knew that it was going to be good. But Fawkes wasn't good.....it was great! It was wonderful! It was Amazing! Can you tell that I loved this book? With the absolute perfect blend of historical detail, Jacobean era England, and fantasy this book was exciting and so very hard to put down.

To be honest, I was so immersed in the story and what was happening to Thomas that I was quite a ways into the book before I realized that there was a lot more going on than just the obvious. The story was a fun and fantastical retelling of the Gunpowder Plot, which I actually had heard of before, and all of the religious controversy that marked the era.

Nadine Brandes may be a YA author but her books, Fawkes included, will definitely appeal to readers if all ages. Her intriguing characters, action-packed prose, and the light dusting of romance, in Fawkes made for a fun read that I found nearly impossible to put down. At nearly 450 printed pages this book is a fairly long one but it sure didn't seem that way while I was reading it, I kept turning the digital pages on my Kindle so fast my fingers were almost smoking. This is definitely a book I would recommend for any reader, boy or girl, YA age or not...

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

Dark Magic! 16th Century England! Historical Fantasy! All of this is fantastic!

Remember, remember, the fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, 'twas his intent
To blow up the King adn the Parliment;
Threescore barrels of powder below,
Poor old England to overthrow.
By God's providence he was catch'd,
With a dark lantern and a burning match.

So I read this just in time for Guy Fawkes day and it was PERFECT.

The main character is an incredible cinnamon roll who deserved the world. Also, disability representation.

This book immediately caught my eye and interest!! The book started off great. Unfortunately, for me it took on too many directions. Then mid way through the book the action dwindled and I lost interest. By the end, I was reinvested in the story.

I received a copy from Netgalley for my fair and honest review.

This review will post on The Blogger Girls on November 4, 2018.

Fawkes is a unique and magical retelling of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 where a small group of rebels attempt to assassinate the king of England with buried barrels of gunpowder.  The book tells of the plot from Thomas Fawkes’s POV...the fictional son of Guy Fawkes, although it is possible Thomas actually existed.

The magical additions to the plot are a little difficult to follow at first.  Thomas has pretty much been abandoned by his father at a school to learn color magic.  Color magic can only be used and summoned with the possession of a handmade mask created by a person’s father.  Guy has refused to create a mask for Thomas so Thomas decides to chase him down in London and demand his mask. Once in London, Thomas gets sucked into a plot with Guy and his buddies to murder King James.  This all stems from a complicated history of beliefs and animosity between the Igniters and the Keepers...hard to fully explain but it involves a stone plague and the use of color magic and who is doing the right or wrong things with their magic.  Yes, it’s all convoluted and a little hard to follow. Oh, I forgot to mention that Thomas has been inflicted by the plague and believes the only way to cure himself is by obtaining his mask and using color magic on himself. Will that even work?

From what I can tell, the author does a very creative job at recreating true, historical events into a complex, fictional story.  My issue with this plot is that I wasn’t very interested in the plot. Plus, I wasn’t a fan of Thomas going along with a plot of murder.  Not to mention that the story overall was mostly depressing!

I did enjoy the romance between Thomas and Emma...even though Emma’s secret was blatantly obvious from the beginning.  Emma was a badass female and the story possibly could have been more intriguing if told from alternating Thomas and Emma’s POV.  

With all that being said, kudos to Brandes for pulling off a good retelling of an overall depressing story.  It does have a happy ending...kinda.