Nadine Brandes's "Fawkes" enters the scene with an intriguing premise, reimagining the historical figure of Guy Fawkes within a fantastical, color-based magic system. The concept itself is undeniably creative and holds a great deal of promise for a unique historical fantasy. The idea of people being able to see and manipulate specific colors, each tied to an emotional or moral quality, is a clever twist that initially drew me in, offering a fresh take on magical abilities. Brandes demonstrates an imaginative flair for world-building, particularly in conceiving this nuanced system of "colors" and their implications for society.

There were moments when the book's ambition and unique magic system truly shone through, providing a glimpse into the compelling story it could have been. The underlying themes of rebellion, loyalty, and justice are present, and the historical backdrop adds a layer of depth that many fantasies lack. For readers who are specifically drawn to unconventional magic systems or unique historical retellings, there might be elements here to appreciate in its originality.

However, "Fawkes" ultimately struggled to ignite for me. While the color magic system is fascinating, its application and internal logic often felt inconsistent or underdeveloped. I found myself frequently questioning the rules and limitations, which pulled me out of the immersive experience. The characters, despite their significant roles, remained largely underdeveloped. Their motivations, especially Fawkes's own, often felt opaque or inconsistent, making it difficult to truly connect with their struggles or believe in their evolving allegiances. Their emotional journeys felt rushed, and I yearned for more depth and nuance in their portrayal.

The plot, while attempting to build tension around the historical events, often felt clunky and predictable. Key dramatic moments lacked the emotional weight they deserved, and some of the narrative choices seemed to prioritize pushing the plot forward over allowing for meaningful character development or logical progression. The pacing, at times, felt erratic – either dragging in exposition or rushing through pivotal scenes that required more breathing room. The dialogue, too, occasionally felt stiff or expository, hindering natural character interaction.

In essence, "Fawkes" is a novel with a brilliant, vibrant concept at its heart, but its execution ultimately falls short. While the premise and initial world-building spark curiosity, the underdeveloped characters and inconsistent application of its unique magic system prevent it from becoming a truly engaging or memorable read. It's a book that shows glimmers of what it could have been, but ultimately leaves the reader wanting more substance and refinement to match its imaginative core.

I really really like the concept of using real life events in history and give them a nice new layer added with some fantasy elements to create a retelling. I liked Romanov by this author when I read it a while ago and Fawkes was one I was always really curious about as well. It turned out to also be a really fast paced read. Overall, it felt a little chaotic at times though and I missed some flow in the writing development, but it was a fun read nonetheless.

Nadine Brandes never disappoints! Great pacing, great plot, and a satisfying ending. I will definitely be picking up more of her books in the future

This is only a few years old oopsies. I'm attempting to catch up on my old Netgalleys and this was available at my library so I gave it a go. I really loved this premise of Colour power and being able to control the colours. Normally it's elements, so this was something unique. I also like a historical setting, and 1600s isn't a normal time period that we get to see. Another nice change. I enjoyed the pacing of this book, I felt like I got to know Thomas and Emma. I appreciate being inside Thomas' head because I feel like normally we would be put inside Emma's for a story like this.

I loved the concept but did not like the execution. I couldn't understand the magic system in the depth I wanted to, so my enjoyment and my connection to the characters were lowered.
For a novel set in 1604-1605 the language is quite modern.
It read super fast but sadly was quite predictable in the plot directions and twists.

I would like to thank the publisher Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the digital copy of this book for review purposes.

Historical fantasy is now officially one of my favorite genres! Fawkes was just so fun and creative and interesting and well written!

I had to DNF this book. It wasn’t for me.

I liked the writing style but it wasn’t what I thought it would be. I will give this author another try.

I loved this authoress’s novel
“Romanov”, so I was hopeful to read this book. But unfortunately I did not like it. Maybe it is because Fawkes is an earlier work, so certain greenness of the author is a given. But I find this novel being preachy - the Christian motive is very, very thinly veiled, and not in a good way as the authoress pushes the plot towards the morality message she prefers (nothing against a good message, but here I find it being quite obvious). Sure, this is a retelling of real historical event (and a fantasy YA at that), not a history book, but I like more nuanced writing. I woud also love some side motives to be played more (like the loneliness is always masking society and the pain of the stone plague).
Other than that, the fantasy motive is quite fresh, I like the colours idea and the idea of masks is very charming visually.

I have been a fan of Brandes' work since "Romanov," and this novel was not quite as good, but still brought interesting light to a period of history that I'd not heard much about before.

The color magic was kind of confusing, as were the Christian analogies.

In all however, I liked the main character and the love interest quite a lot, and I grew to love the parent-child relationship (once broken) restored.

Although I went into this book knowing it was YA, it read more like a middle grade book at best. I know some who would love this story and it was intriguing yet a bit slow. I personally couldn't push through most of it as the characters felt one dimensional to me. The fantasy storyline was unique and fantastic, so I would still recommend it.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

I enjoyed this book, well enough. It kept me engaged, although it is definitely for a YA audience. I would have LOVED it at 15!

THIS. BOOK.

I really wasn't sure what to expect from it. I knew it was written by a human I love - who also happens to have written a trilogy I love. I knew it was historical AND fantasy - two things I love. But I couldn't envision exactly how Nadine would pull it all together. She did, friends.

This book brought me as close to tears as I've ever come reading a fiction book. I've realized what brings me to tears is not so much the tear-jerking moments as the epic truths. I love when characters come to those *aha* moments - when they speak out or embrace or grow into a fundamental truth that brings about life change. My healer's heart just gets all giddy.

This book is not only beautifully researched and written - with lovable characters, exciting action, and colorful magic (literally) - but it has the perfect pairing of heart and mind. If you're looking for escapism, you can get that here. But if you're looking for depth, dive right on in.

This book has it all.

Fawkes is the perfect history buff and fantasy lovers dream. Fawkes is based on a real person named Guy Fawkes. I have no knowledge of this character but the author takes this character weaves a magical tale set in london, with a devasting plauge that changes people to stone and weaves in color magic. If that doesn't intrigue you then maybe you should pick up another book.

I loved how much is packed into this one story, you get historical references and the magic system is weaved into perfectly. The magic system in this story is based on masks which are made by fathers and given to sons or mothers given to daughters. We have two sides fighting against each other all in the farce of believing in how they fell magic should be used. Those who are loyal to one color or those who wield all colors and follow the white color.

The author did a amazing job of pacing this story out and keeping me entranced that almost wish their was more story to read. Pick this one up right now.

A wonderfully intriguing read fusing together the infamous Gunpowder Plot and magical realism. Though the story was framed with some historical truth, my favourite character – Emma – was a figment of Brandes’ imagination. I enjoyed most of the characters interactions, though I would have enjoyed further backstory to some of their actions – I felt that certain moments and decisions lacked depth and explanation. I would recommend this to fans of historical fiction with a twist!

As historical fiction, I liked this book fine enough. Sadly, the fantasy elements, in particular the magic system , I found to be lacking and that was what I was interested in in the first place.

The protagonist is too much a blank slate for me. I couldn’t connect with and his wants/desires.

The plot was alright but moved slowly and lacked a real punch to bring my rating up to anything above 3 stars.

I’m eager to try this authors other book Romanov though, maybe I will connect more with it.

I loved this book so much! I have such an appreciation for retellings, but sometimes find that they can be repetitive. This was a fresh take on a very underrated/underappreciated time in history. Following the story of Guy Fawkes son, you are introduced to an incredible world and magical framework. Completely obsessed.

i didn't like this story at all. i felt like it just dragged the whole time. i didn't like any of the characters due to them feeling so one dimensional. i ended up having to DNF it halfway through due to being so annoyed.

I definitely recommend this breathtaking book! Don’t come to it expecting a normal historical fiction, or a normal fantasy book. It’s absolutely unique and most certainly worth the time it takes to read. If you think the cover looks amazing, just wait until you see what’s inside.

So to prevent turning to stone Thomas Fawkes needs to join his father on a quest to murder the king of England. Sounds like a fine and steady plot to me. I was instantly drawn into this book, enjoyed every last part of it. Its partly based on the Guy Fawkes history: his son is now the one to take out the king to remove the plague that hits him and to help his father that cannot come to the masking.

I really like how a mask connects the wearer to a color. Its a unique way of using a magical world. It is a great story about finding yourself within a magical world!