This book was brilliantly! It drew me in, played with my feelings and did everything a magnificent book does. It took a historic event and gave it a greatly unique story.

The first thing that struck me about this book was its stunning cover. Even if we don’t intend to, we all judge books by their covers. I am so glad this drew me in because beneath this cover lies a unique and stunning story.

Thomas Fawkes is a brilliant main character. He is not perfect and we struggle alongside him as he looks for answers to so many questions. Questions he has had for a lifetime and some he hasn’t even thought of asking yet. All of the characters have a depth and the world that Nadine Brandes creates is vivid and truly intriguing.

Nadine Brandes takes a historic event – the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 – and creates a unique story with a fantasy twist. I knew little about the plot before I started reading this book and as soon as I finished it, I went and did some fact checking. From what I learned she did an amazing job at researching the Gunpowder Plot and turned this knowledge into a story that was so uniquely her own.

I loved everything about this book and I think that anyone with a love for history and fantasy will find the perfect balance when reading Fawkes.

Loved the elaborate world building of this novel! It is so obvious that the author did a great deal of research into the historical facts of this story.
Yes, this is a fantasy book and guess what, I could actually follow it and it kept me very interested throughout. That's saying something, because I often get VERY lost when it comes to fantasy, my brain doesn't get it.
Loved the characters of Thomas and Emma, and I adored how the author included a spiritual message that will shine for those who want to find it, but won't overpower the story if the reader is looking for a straightforward fantasy novel.
Themes of racism, acceptance, finding your worth, and learning how to listen are resonant throughout.

I was intrigued by this book after reading @booksinthevillage’s review on it a few days back. So I immediately requested a copy for review and to my surprise, it was accepted equally quickly.
What I liked about this book was the concept. The way the author showed actual history in an entirely different light by mixing it with fantasy was something I had never seen before in a book and it was very refreshing. Another major plus for me was the character of Thomas. He was an adorable mess of a boy. He was a confused, naive boy who only wanted his father to notice him and show some sign of approval. He had a lot of flaws, makes a tonne of mistakes and is completely blind to what’s happening around him. But there is growth in his character eventhough most of it is only visible in the second half of the book. He was the only character I truly connected to in the entire book.
Now to the parts I didn’t like so much. First and foremost, the details. I am usually someone who doesn’t like long drawn out explanations for everything. But this book could have been so much better with a bit more detailing. Very little background info is given and we are suddenly plunged into this fantasy world with very little preparation. It was like getting plunged in ice cold water. I was left clueless and numb for about half the book. I couldn’t understand what was happening or why it was happening.

Another major problem was the lack of character development. Except for Thomas, who was the protagonist, none of the characters have any kind of depth to them. Their actions, reactions and motivations still remain a mystery even after completing the book. The lack of complexity to the characters made it difficult for me to continue reading.

So overall, a book with a great concept but poor execution. If you are a history buff and looking for a quick, easy read maybe give this one a try. It is releasing on the 10th of July.
Rating : ⭐️⭐️.5

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

When I first heard about this book, I was so intrigued! A Guy Fawkes historical fiction with magic? Yes please! This book had everything I want in a book. Dark plots, intrigue, villains, magic, and a character to fall in love with! I can not say how much I love this book. I was hooked right from the start. Thomas really stole my heart! That cinnamon roll was truly such a well rounded character. His journey to self discovery completely touched my heart.

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes is one of those books that draws you into a world, enlightens you with its magic, and then sends you back to reality, so you can enlighten others while you glow!

Nadine used the history of Guy Fawkes and the failed attempt to blow the parliament as a base to her story, that follows Guy Fawkes’s son, Thomas, into an incredible magical journey.

‘’A foundation of truth represents what life was intended to be.’’

Thomas is about to get his mask, that is supposed to make him control one colour. He also happens to be affected with the plague, that turns his face into stone. His family are all Keepers, and he, by default is a keeper too. But things are never that simple. What will happen when he might not get his mask, and the plague is about to kill him?

We follow the journey of Thomas through a first - person perspective. He feels incomplete when he has the plague, and all his life he is waiting to get his mask, and to be able to control a colour. Any colour, even though he prefers Grey.

Only with my mask could I bond with a color.

But on the day when he is about to receive his mask from his dad, he learns that his father is in London, and is not willing to come.

Scared for his life, and angry at his father, he goes into an adventure to find him. His father is Guy Fawkes, a Keeper that is involved in a Gunpowder plot, which will kill the whole parliament, and most importantly, the king of England, who is the cause of the plague!

Thomas joins the plot, knowing that this is the last chance for him to survive the plague! If the king is dead, the plague would be gone. But will it?

I never imagined a single moment of acceptance could reverse a year of bitterness and prejudice.

Through Thomas’s eyes, we see a war between the Keepers and the Igniters. It might be a metaphor for the Catholics and Protestants, but I won’t go into this now. The Keepers were loyal to one color only, and Igniters wanted to control all colors. Igniters used the White Colour as a source to control all power. But White Color doesn’t obey like other colours do - the White Color makes people go crazy for power and glory. Something similar to the ring in Lord of The Rings.

‘’Igniters believe that for each Keeper that dies, one person is cured of the plague’’.

We see Thomas caught between two sides - the keepers want to be free of oppression, and the Igniters want to be free to use color speech as they wanted. On such a crossroad, Thomas wants to find the truth for himself. But there is no time, and not many people that he can trust.

‘’You’ve given me your truth. I have to find it for myself for it to become mine. And curiosity is the first step’’.

On his journey, his relationship with Emma becomes stronger. She is an Igniter, and they share different beliefs, and she also knows he has the plague. But she is still around, and she accepts his as he is. And Thomas, taught to always hide his face, because otherwise he would be killed by the Igniters, is able to relax around Emma. This will teach him to accept Emma as she is, once she tells him her secret.

I loved the character of Emma. She is a strong person, but unable to show her true self due to the fact that she is not like the others, that she is not the same. In this book it is also shown quite well how women were underestimated in the 17th century. How they were thought to be unworthy. The only bit I didn’t like about Emma is that, even though such strong character, she would have never fought for herself if Thomas wasn’t there to ‘’save’’ her.

This book is a lovely story about Thomas, and how he finds his true self, how he is not afraid to stand up for the things he believes in, how he learns that he shouldn't be hiding his true self anymore and embrace his fears, as they might turn out to be the best things that ever happened in his life.

‘’Take a breath, Thomas. There has always been fear. There will always be fear. It’s up to us to stand tall, even when the fear demands we bow to it.’’

So yes, my lovely readers, I loved this book so much! I loved the magical moments, I loved how it turned out to be an amazing plot, based on real history events. I loved Thomas’s character, and I loved Emma. I loved Guy Fawkes as well, especially in the end of the book.

If you happen to love these types of books, please get your copy as soon as you can. You won’t regret it at all!

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

First of all the setup is great.  You are given a lot of information up front, but in a way that doesn't just feel like an information dump.  It makes sense in the context of the story, and so often in fantasy, there is a boring information dump at the beginning of the story. It also seemed more like historical fiction with light fantasy thrown in, the fantasy aspects while ever-present never seemed to be at the forefront of the story.

I liked Thomas, he seemed like a typical adolescent on the crest of adulthood. Other characters, however,  I'm just going to say it Guy Fawkes is an ass.  It wasn't until the very end of the book that I even liked him a little, and because of that, I had a hard time understanding Thomas's loyalty to him, even if he is his father.   Emma is great and her relationship with Thomas is even better.  Thomas respects Emma for her abilities and I really loved that.

The story is pretty easy to guess.  This is set against the infamous plot to blow up parliament by Guy Fawkes, except this time it isn't about religion, it's about how to use color magic.  The historical elements lend themselves well to this fantasy world.  The plot (no pun intended) kept my interest and even though I knew basically how it would end, there was so much more at stake that I just had to know.

A perfectly fine read, but ultimately forgettable. Fawkes by Nadine Brandes is a fantastical young adult retelling of the Gunpowder Plot, and Fawkes focuses on the son of Guy Fawkes, Thomas.
I did enjoy all of the historical aspects of the book, and it was apparent that Nadine Brandes has done her research. Brandes throws magic into the mix, which adds a level of excitement and unpredictability to the plot. We know historically what happened with the Gunpowder Plot, but while reading Fawkes we aren’t sure if Brandes will follow history exactly or change it up. This made the story feel fresh, and I’m loving the magical historical retellings popular in young adult fiction now.
Fawkes feels like a title that I would’ve loved had I read this when I was a young adult. This is very much a young adult title. The themes are applicable to young adults, and it isn’t filled with gore, sex, or language. There are many young adult books out there that feel written with adult readers in mind. Or perhaps I should say that the books are marketed towards young adults, but have very adult scenes in them (for example, books by Sarah J. Maas). Fawkes felt very much like a title that was written with teen readers in mind, and this actually was quite refreshing, but to be honest I did feel that the book was a bit young for me (I’m in my late 30s).
Now let’s talk about the magic and the world Fawkes is set in. I kept writing down the terms as I read, so I could keep everything straight. The magic of Fawkes involves being able to speak to and control colors (“color power”). There is a war of sorts between Keepers, who believe that you should only be able to control one color, and the Igniters, who believe that you should be able to control multiple colors at once. The Igniters are in power, and Fawkes and company are Keepers, so that’s the central drama of the book. I thought much of the magic here was fine, if a bit too much of a mashup between popular books (ie, Harry Potter, Divergent, Red Rising, and A Song of Ice and Fire all came to mind while I read this).
For the characters, Thomas Fawkes is a nice lead character. It was nice to read YA told from a guy’s point of view, and Thomas was a likeable hero. Guy Fawkes and his rebel friends are given a lot of time here, and I kept mixing them all up. None of them ever stood out enough to me in terms of personality in order for me to have an opinion about them either way. And because of this lack of connection towards the rebels, I didn’t really care much who sat the throne, or if the Keepers were going to be successful in their endeavor.
My favorite character was Emma Areben, a classmate of Thomas's, who was smart and capable, and she really reminded me of Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series. Which was great! We need more solid and strong female leads that aren’t afraid to be intelligent and opinionated. I enjoyed her scenes and thought her story was where the heart of the book was.
While there were many enjoyable things about Fawkes, I couldn’t connect with the central conflict of the book (Keepers vs Igniters), and therefore truly couldn’t muster up any excitement while reading this. It also felt a bit young for me, but that just means that it truly is a young adult read. I think I would’ve gotten more out of this had I read it at a younger age.

Bottom Line: A fine read that failed to excite.

I don’t know what I expected from this book, being pretty familiar with The Gun Powder Plot from my days at school, I think I was expecting it to be a whimsy historical read. But what I got was and incredible fantastical interpretation.
I really enjoyed the characters, although did find Thomas hard to like at times. There was great female rep in the form of kick ass ladies.

Overall it was a really solid YA fantasy with some great historical elements and plenty of twists and turns.
The plot was engaging, the world building was incredible and the characters were brilliantly developed.

I didn't have any knowledge about the Gunpowder plot before reading Fawkes. I had heard the name Guy Fawkes yes, but that's all. I couldn't even place that name with anything historical. So while Fawkes was an entertaining read, I also learned a lot! Though I think I should leave out the magic and the Stone Plague if I shall share my knowledge about the Gunpowder Plot someday.

Magic. What I liked probably the most in this book was the magic. I think it was completely different from the other magical books! I don't think I have ever read a book with color magic in it. And you can't even wield your magic if you haven't been given your mask. Special mention for White Light, there's one sassy colorpower!

The Plot. At first I thought the whole book would be just Thomas trying to prove himself worthy of his father. And in the end I think it kind of was. But there were such twists and turns in this plot that I haven't even thought would happen! Besides the unexpected one, there were also some that could be realized before the actual revelation.
The Keepers are fighting for their own freedom. To be free of oppression and be able to wield just one color and not be hanged for it. While the Igniters fight for their believes and they want to be free to wield more than just one color, all of them. They all have their own stories they believe in and therefore they all think their ways of approach is right, that their cause is more important than the others'. Thomas has a lot of thinking to do while he tries to decide which side he is on or if their is the golden middle road for him to go.
I mean even I couldn't decide whom was right and who was not! But once I made some realizations, my thought were enlightened.

Characters. At the beginning of this book I was already moaning and thought that I would yet again read a book with MC whom I don't like one bit. Thomas felt like a little kid sulking because he can't get candy from the store today. But he definitely grew through the story and he was more of a man than a boy at the end.
Emma, oh I love her! She's such a role model to look up to! The courage she has to try and make things right no matter what it causes to happen to her. I want to be like her.
As for the others, I really didn't care that much about them. Just enough to keep the story going and know what's happening and who is who but not more than that.

All in all this book was very good! I enjoyed my time reading it. It is historical fiction which is one of my favorite genres but it also has magic! And who doesn't like magic?

Having not long ago read through my Sons homework on Guy Fawkes and the gun powder plot I had the story and detail quite fresh in my mind so I was interested to try this book when I saw it.
The plot is retold through historical fantasy and by Guy Fawkes Son. The masks and colour power used added a fictional and magical side to the story. The world building was cleverly done and pulled me in. I would happily recommend this book.
My thanks go to the author, publisher and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review.

I don't even know where to begin, I want to gush so hard! I am so stingy with my 5 star reviews, but this is a no-brainer. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

I said when I was about 10% into the book that I felt like I was reading what may become the YA book of the summer and I back that statement fully.

Fawkes literally has everything you could possibly want in a story - Fantasy. Historical Fiction. Magic. Villains. Sword fights. Awkward romantic advances. Jealousy. Daddy issues. Gallows. Painting. FIERCE ASS FEMALE CHARACTERS. MALE CHARACTERS WHO SUPPORT FIERCE ASS FEMALE CHARACTERS.

Fawkes is a fantasy re-imagining of the Gunpowder Plot of 11/5/1605 (Remember, remember, the Fifth of November) where instead of religion, the treason and fighting is over how to rightfully control color and the power of objects of a specific color. And instead of the infamous Plague, it's a plague that turns you to STONE. Seriously, how have you not opened a new tab to pre-order this book yet??

I honestly don't have anything to complain about other than it's a standalone *as of now* so we won't get to see more of Thomas and Emma.

FAWKES is a YA novel that combines the historical Fifth of November plot to kill King James I of England with a fantasy world where humans can control colors very much like the force on Star Wars. A fascinating tale ensues, following Thomas Fawkes, the infamous Guy Fawkes' son, through the streets of London as he joins the gunpowder plot in hopes of ridding himself from the dreaded stone plague that is slowly turning him to rock.

Brandes' writing is descriptive and she builds a full, believable world set in the early 1600s. The color power system, internal struggles of the main characters and overall story arc were well developed. The story plot line of color power was built heavily on the historical fight between the Catholics and Protestants which really added a lot of depth to the novel that I was not expecting.

As much as I enjoyed the story, it never had the strength to fully absorb me into it. As someone who cannot usually put down a good book, I had to force myself to take time to read this book. The story didn't really pick up for me until about page 300. Also, the romance could have been much more, well, romantic.

However, that could just be me. I can definitely tell that this book will have a strong following in certain aspects of the YA demographic. I was probably just not a part of the demographic and that is why I didn't appreciate it as much. Otherwise, it was really, really well done.

If you aren’t familiar with Guy Fawkes Day, every year in England on 05 November, citizens burn Fawkes’ effigy to celebrate his failed attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605. Fawkes tells the story of Thomas Fawkes, Guy’s son, with a fantasy twist. In this world, folks have powers based on colors. Some folks can manipulate some colors, others all colors, which leads to different magical schools of thought and serves as a stand in for the Catholic-Protestant tensions of the time.

If you know anything about my reading preferences (I read mostly fantasy), this next thought is a bit shocking: the fantasy elements really ruin this book. Unfortunately, the world building is really shallow. You’ll be left with loads of questions about color power like: What if something is more than one color? Paint? How does that work? Why can’t someone who can control Green also control Blue and Yellow? Or vice versa? And so on.
I really wish the book had been written as straight historical fiction. A point about religious persecution could have been made (that was perhaps attempted, but for me it didn’t land). The story might not have dragged for the first three quarters of the book. Add to the weird pacing and lackluster worldbuilding the fact the main character manages both to be extremely judgmental and lack any convictions for most of the book, and you’ve got a book that really isn’t fun to read. I found myself skimming just to get through it.

With that being said, I did enjoy the last quarter of the book. The pacing picks up, Thomas develops a backbone, we get to spend some time with my favorite character (Emma!), and Guy Fawkes gets a tiny bit of development.

This wasn’t for me, but perhaps some folks will be swept away by the romance and intrigue. For fans of historical fiction that can look past the weak fantasy elements. 2 stars. It was ok.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson, HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Netgalley for the free eARC, which I received for review consideration. Fawkes will be available for purchase on 10 July, but you can put your copy on hold today!

Being a long time history fanatic, going into this book, I knew a fair bit about the Gunpower Plot.
When I found out that there was a historical retelling of the Plot with a fantasy twist, I knew I had to jump all over that! I remained hopefully optimistic that I would enjoy Fawkes, and then I read the first chapter...

Seriously. THAT is how to start a story. I knew after just a few pages of glorious descriptions and already likeable characters that I wouldn’t be able to put this book down. Thomas stole my whole heart immediately and I loved reading his story.

I find so often that YA books are mostly told from the female perspective, or a multiple POV situation; so, I was really happy to have a full book with a male POV. Thomas is charming and funny and, as I said, completely likeable. You root for him the entire time. Your heart aches when his aches. You’re happy when he’s happy. Brandes did a flawless job with having us connect with him.

A fantasy world-building within a historical setting can sometimes be tricky to pull off, but Brandes did so stunningly. It was almost completely believable. I felt like I was starting to rewrite 17th century British history in my head because I so wanted her world to be true. I won’t give anything away because I honestly wouldn’t be able to do it justice. Brandes does a beautiful job at laying out the powers in her world.

Knowing so much about the actual Gunpowder Plot, I appreciated the obvious effort and (what I can assume was) tireless research that went into all of the historical truths that were instilled throughout the story. I found it delightful.

I can’t help but hope and wish that Nadine Brandes will continue writing historical retellings with a fantasy twist. It’s apparent after reading Fawkes that she truly shines with capability.

Fawkes comes out on July 10, 2018. I recommend you all read it! It won’t disappoint. This is definitely a contender for one of my top 10 reads of the year.

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

Sorry to say but I just didn’t connect with this story. I found myself skimming and reading fast, just to see if it got better. It didn’t, for me anyway.

Excerpt:]
As most of the books on NetGalley, “Fawkes” interested me because of its cover. The electric colors (especially the gold), the mask in the center, the castle in the background…I wanted to know what type of story this was. It was definitely a fantasy/magical sort of book, and it had all the makings of a great story, especially since it’s supposed to be a standalone. There aren’t many fantasy novels like that out there. I also rarely see male POVs in YA fantasies too, so that was a nice twist.

However, I just never felt immersed in the story. I thought it was cool, what the color powers allowed their hosts to do, but I just didn’t get it. The only significant thought I had was, “Well, WHY do the color powers exist? What is the point?” I suppose these questions could be asked about any fiction novel, but for this one in particular I wasn’t sold on the idea that having a mask = manipulating the world through the use of color…? The whole structure of the colors – Yellow, Brown, Green, Black and so on – was not explained as it should’ve been. There was no real depth of explanation, which would’ve been nice since the entire story revolved around the workings of the color powers.

I wasn’t sold on the idea of White Light having a “voice.” Whenever it would chuckle or be sarcastic inside Thomas’s head, I wondered, “But HOW? How can a disembodied voice, with no obvious gender or sex, have a voice? It’s a COLOR, for Pete’s sake!” I was both confused and slightly annoyed because, to me, it didn’t make sense. There wasn’t that suspension of disbelief for me.
[Full review on my blog!]

Thomas is the son of the great Guy Fawkes. In the beginning the story feels a lot like a young adult version of The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss—a young man in a world of magic is determined to find his place in the world until he’s displaced and then embarks upon a journey, which leaves him penniless and a street urchin. Unfortunately, that’s where the similarities end.

In Fawkes, the reader doesn’t learn much about the main character within the eight chapters other than he is Thomas, the son of the great Guy Fawkes, and he has been cursed with the Plague. In this world, it happens to be not black death but stone, which petrifies the skin and spreads until total petrification occurs. Also Thomas comes across as a whiny, entitled, petulant whinger.

Not learning much, developing a connection with or liking the main character of a book makes the reading a touch uncomfortable. Thomas spends a lot of time mulling over being kicked out of the school he was attending on the day he was to be given his mask and ‘colour’ power. He often leans on the fact that he’s Guy Fawkes’s offspring… A fact which is mentioned a lot.

But looking past that, the storyline is interesting enough to keep the reader engaged, in this fantasy/historical 16th century England where a war is brewing between Igniters and Keepers. Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did it.

What Thomas knows for sure is that the stone plague, which currently infects only one eye, is spreading. If he or someone doesn’t find a cure, he’ll end up a lifeless statue. His only option? Find his father! When he does, Fawkes convinces Thomas to join his gun powder plot, start a revolution, and use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter king which he claims will end the plague.

The Positives
– The cover is stunning and it’s what drew me to this book in the first place.
– The character of Guy Fawkes… He oozes charisma and strength. He is a very complex father character with loads of layers.
– The fact there are historical figures from the real plot involved in this fictional plot.
– The magic system, the masks, the colours, and the power.
– The villain, I can’t say much because spoilers!! But your jaw will hit the floor.

The Negatives
– Thomas, the main character. The one we are supposed to love, the main driver of the entire story is whingy, he’s whiny and just a tad unlikable.
– Hearing strange voices and ‘The White Light’ god was annoying.
– The religious undertones, the keepers being Catholic and the infighters Protestant.
– The book had a very slow beginning and middle.

If you like historical fiction blended with fantasy, this is the book for you. But if you’re like myself and you don’t enjoy this type of genre, perhaps this isn’t the book for you. When reading the synopsis of Fawkes, this reader was completely enthralled and excited, it’s just that upon reading the novel it was very slow going and very long.

Reimaginings are always my jam. But Fawkes is a reimagining of one of my favorite people Guy Fawkes. V for Vendetta is one of my favorite films of all time so I was beyond excited to read Fawkes. Having the son of Guy Fawkes be the narrator was really something I enjoyed. Something I did not expect was the magic system and how well that worked for the story. It was an ingenious way to include magic in an actual historical time period. A great secondary cast, and great plot I was into this book from the beginning. I truly enjoyed Fawkes and can't wait to recommend it come July 10th!!! Thank you for the opportunity to review it!

Fawkes is the second book I've read by Nadine Brandes and it was great! I found the characters interesting and the plot was unique. Even though it is historical fiction, there were elements of fantasy -- which I really enjoyed.

I liked the romance part of the book, but it wasn't what made the story for me. The masks and the color powers were crazy/unique and that was what made the book memorable for me. I was surprised by some of the things that happened in the book and the ending was very well done.

All in all, I found this to be a wonderful read and recommend Fawkes.

*I received a complimentary eBook copy of this book for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Fawkes is on one hand a coming of age story, where Thomas has to face the harsh world we call reality and find his own way, his own beliefs, his real identity despite the odds or what others want him to be. On the other hand this is the retelling of the Gunpowder Plot – which took place in the early 17th century and its goal was to blow up the Parliament with King James – spiced with some fantasy. Hence, if you know Guy Fawkes’ story, then you know how this book will end. If you don’t, then I don’t advise making research on it before reading Fawkes, unless you want to spoil the ending for yourself. Besides, you don’t need that kind of knowledge to understand what’s going on, since we see everything through Thomas’ eyes practically from the start. Besides once I learned about the real historical events that took place, I couldn’t think of Keepers and Igniters anything else but catholics and protestants. Which makes White Light a metaphor for God. Thus religion gives a whole another level to the depth of the book, even though it is never mentioned directly. But let’s go from the start.

Thomas attends St. Peter’s Color School and is about to receive his mask and color power – to bond with a color, he needs to get a mask from his dad. For Thomas it’s not just simply a rite of passage into adulthood, but also a life or death kind of situation. He has the Stone Plague (Keepers and Igniters blame each other for the disease which endangers England and takes more and more victim), which while it had been dormant for two years now, can spread anytime and kill him really slowly. He already lost his left eye to it, and his only hope is to bond with Grey so he could command the plague to recede. His hopes however are shattered, when Guy Fawkes, the famous warrior and well-known Keeper fails to show up thus condemning Thomas, who gets thrown out of school. The young men is not so intimidated however, and he sets out to London in search of his father and his rightful legacy – a mask. Upon the first night he arrives to the city – a bit too conveniently – he manages to find his father he never really knew and finds himself in the midst of a scheme later known as the Gunpowder Plot. Catesby, Wintour, Percy, Fawkes and a few later added plotter are faithful Keepers, who believe Igniters are the ones to blame for the plague, and that they are chased and executioned one by one. They believe Igniters are all power-hungry because of their involvement with the White Light. Keepers kept the White Light hidden for centuries fearing its power and its influence over people, while Igniters think everyone should get free access to White Light and master to command as many colors as they want. White Light, however has its own mind and is not entirely happy with how things are.

Thomas, wanting to earn his father’s approval, joins to the plot and tries to make himself useful. When he stumbles upon one of his old schoolmates, Emma, who is being attacked by two men also gets an opportunity to secure a job. He becomes caddy to Baron Monteagle, and escort of Emma. During their time together, Thomas slowly learns that Igniters and Keepers aren’t all that different, and that he and Emma has so much more in common than he thought. He also starts to question his beliefs, his motives, his comrade’s motives and morals.

“My culture had affected my 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.
How many of us acted and spoke out and fought for beliefs that we held because our environment told us to? As much as I wanted to blame my England, I knew the blame sat with me. I hadn’t trained myself to discern. To examine. To seek the source.”

As his friendship with Emma strengthens, his personality matures and from rash young boy he becomes a sobered young man by the end of the book. His character has a nice arc and as the plot moves forward, as hardships are being thrown at him, he learns to overcome them all, no matter how dire the situation seems to be. I like how the relationship between Thomas and Emma builds – they slowly learn to trust, to accept, to compliment each other until they become a force to reckon with. And once again I find myself liking a female side character much more than the male protagonist – or any other male characters for that matter. Emma is intelligent, kind, has a strong willpower and a refuses to accept her fate or the place society would shun on her. If they knew her secret.

Fawkes has many layers and under the obvious surface of the plot there is a depth worth exploring. This book deals with questions of religion, society, acceptance, loss, what it means to give your life for your beliefs and that every coin has two sides. War and hate aren’t always the solution to solve the problem, and sometimes one person, one decision can change the course of events.

Despite all the depths and topics covered, it also has faults. The magic system is not explained much, and we never learn exactly why masks are needed to bond with a color. Okay, knowing the relation between Guy Fawkes and masks, this choice seems pretty obvious, but Brandes could have come up with some kind of explanation. She put a lot of thought into her characters and at least with Emma (and I don’t mean me liking her the most) she could surprise me, but the ending was pretty predictable. Especially if you know how that plot ended.

Fawkes blends real historical events from 17th century England with fictitious characters and fantasy elements. The world building is seamless, London almost leaps off the pages. Nadine Brandes did her homework right and thoroughly researched the era and the events. The result is an intriguing, page turning story where you can’t help but go through a wide range of emotions together with the characters. Mentally slapping Thomas on the head or hugging him close or cheer him on. And adoring Emma for her courage and glowing personality, wishing you could see the world through her eyes. Fawkes is the perfect choice for everyone no matter how old or young, who like their historical fiction magical and thoughtful, which is a bit heavier on the character building side.