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

Fawkes had me instantly intrigued when first read the synopsis, and I knew I needed to pick this one up and dive right into it. I've always been a big fan of fictional novels that are based on real historical events, and so while I honestly wasn't too familiar with Guy Fawkes or his story, I was really looking forward to reading this one.

I decided not to research anything about Guy Fawkes before I picked this up, so that I could have complete enjoyment in Nadine Brandes' story, without getting sidetracked by whether something was historically accurate or not. And I'm really glad I made this decision, as it definitely allowed me to enjoy the book more.

Nadine has taken historical events and weaved them into a fantasy novel about a stone plague, color magic, racial segregation, and political tensions. I completely loved the premise of this novel-color magic controlling society, and political tensions arising from whether you stood on the Keeper side of color magic, or on the Igniter side. All of the magic was tied in so well with the historical events, and you could tell that the author had really done her research in the way all of the characters were portrayed and the way that the events transpired.

However, this one was unfortunately not the five star read I was anticipating, and that was mainly because I found it so hard to get into. The book drags on and on for the first half or so, and I was basically forcing myself to continue to muddle through it. Once the second half comes along, everything gets more interesting, and I found myself really enjoying the story, but it does take a long time to get to that point. I also didn't really care for the main character, Thomas, as I found him to be slightly whiny and self-righteous, and I ended up wishing that the story had been told from both his and Emma's point of view, as she was my girl, and I loved how she wasn't scared to be strong and powerful, despite her situation.

All in all, Fawkes is definitely an enjoyable read that introduced me to a side of history I was definitely not familiar with. I appreciate the fact that there is clean fantasy novels on the market like this one, as it's nice not to have to weed through a bunch of objectionable content to enjoy the rest of the story. I only wish it hadn't been quite so slow moving, and that the main character had been portrayed a little less obnoxiously.

Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐


Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the chance to have read this!

I came for a magical portrayal of the Gunpowder plot, history and fantasy entwined and family dynamics explored and I was not disappointed. What an unusual and engaging take on one of British History’s best known events. While I wasn’t Thomas’ biggest fan, I found his character journey entertaining enough to follow and I loved some of the other characters. The author really breaks down the Catholic/ Protestant divide and the argument for and against taking radical and violent action to remove a monarchy. I really loved this book.

"Fawkes" is a YA historical fantasy that sounds so interesting! Unfortunately, I could not get into it. In this alternate reality of the early 1600's in Britain, we follow Guy Fawkes's son, Thomas. Thomas caught the Stone Plague about a year earlier, which turned his eye to stone- it seems to be dormant for now, but it could potentially kill him by turning him completely to stone. What Thomas is really upset about is that he is unable to declare a color power and thus wears a colorless mask. Everyone gets to declare a color when they become an adult which gives them certain powers. These people are called Keepers.

Igniters are the enemy of Keepers, as they wield the White Color Power to do untold damage- and supposedly, they created the Stone Plague (though the fault for this is less clear). There's propaganda on both sides with very clear divisions. Thomas soon learns that his distant father, Guy, is part of a revolution set on taking down the Igniter King. However, all Thomas really wants is to declare a color power.

Thomas was really hard to like- he comes across as self-involved, petulant, and petty. I had a really hard time getting into the story mainly because I didn't care for him much. He does seem to grow as the story continues, but I really had to force myself to keep going. I did love his romantic interest- she is fiercely independent and resourceful- I wish the story had been told from her point-of-view.

I also had a hard time really imaging the altered setting with color powers and why the Keepers/Igniters were so adamantly opposed. I almost would liked more background on this to explain it to me better. Overall, I think it was very promising, but I personally could not get into it as much as I hoped I would.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This is an incredible blend of fantasy and historical fiction! There's people who wear masks and control the color that coincides with their mask. Pretty original! There's assassination attempts and a magical plague. The world building was so unique and I loved the twists to the real historical event. I enjoyed this book so much!

Thomas is Guy Fawkes son and his father is relentlessly trying to get him to join his gunpowder plot. If you remember historically, Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plot were real. The stone plague was not. Thomas has contracted the stone plague and he is desperately hoping to find a cure but keeps being distracted by the things unfolding around him. Will he join his father or fight against him?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have tried a few times to write a review of Fawkes, but each time I have just gushed and gushed about how wonderful it is and I do hate including spoilers in my reviews so I think that the best thing for me to do is to tell you to READ THIS BOOK NOW.

It's fantastic and you will not regret it.

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It was a quick read that I finished in one day while waiting on things for work. I finished it in a few hours. I loved the twist on the story and the add of the different side to it with the magic. I was invested in the story and what happened to the characters. It was entertaining, I was invested in the characters, and even though I sort of guess what was going to happen and by who - the writing kept me interested and encouraged me to keep reading.

First of all can we talk about the absolutely stunning cover? Just absolutely breath taking, the Houses of Parliament, a traditional Guy Fawkes mask, combined with the blue and gold is perfection.

And beneath that beautiful cover the book doesn't disappoint.
As a Brit, The Gunpowder Plot is a story we are told as children and celebrate every year (we're complicated) and has always interested me. I love a historical event based story with a twist and the twist here is that instead of being Catholic/Protestant, the separation of people is Igniters/Keepers and how they wield their magic. Historical and Fantasy blending 2 of my favourite genres.

Thomas, son of the famous Guy Fawkes, needs his father to make him a colour mask. When he doesn't, Thomas heads to London to find him and get a mask. Instead becoming part of the Gunpowder plot and a servant to his school bully and his fathers ward, Emma, who Thomas is intrigued by.

Thomas can be a bit selfish, angsty and whiny. But Emma is a fabulous, strong, female not quite lead, and although flawed she is fierce. The relationships between characters were well developed and the story was well paced and not rushed. I felt Thomas' struggle to find the 'right' side as the story twists and makes you question which side that is. Being mask less and his infection of Stone Plague adds further to his issues of discrimation, further adding to the conflict between different sectors of society, making them relevant to the prejudices of todays society too.

I enjoyed Fawkes and look forward to reading the Out of Time series.

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

This book has so much in it that I love, so I'm just going to start with that. I've been a fan of YA fantasy since...well since I was the age that YA is usually geared towards. However it was very rare that something as good as this came along, especially something that included real life historical events.

The plot of this book comes together really well, winding the historical facts in with the fiction, and the fantasy weaving it all together in one beautifully written package.

The magic within the book is encompassing and wonderful. It was interesting to read how the masks help the users control, or invigorate their magic. 

The writing in this book, and the descriptive nature carried me through the streets of London at a time very different from now. It had me clutching my eReader in fear for Thomas, a character I grew to care about extremely quickly. 

This is definitely one of my favourite books I've read this year. I wished for more the minute I turned the last page, and then proceeded to order a copy to be delivered to myself on release day. After all I am definitely going to lend it to everyone I know as soon as I can.

And I will be reading more of Nadine Brandes' books for as long as she keeps writing.

I was very excited to read this book--the cover was great and the synopsis sounded very interesting. After the first chapter or so, everything seemed to slow way down. I would put the book down and have a hard time picking it back up, because nothing exciting seemed to be going on.
Then Thomas began to really get on my nerves. He was impatient, impulsive, petulant, and whiny. It was difficult for me to identify and sympathize with him. If Thomas had not acted like a spoiled 12-year-old, I would have enjoyed this book much more than I did.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

I will say, this book did not captivate me at first. I liked the premise, and I slogged through for that reason only, but the beginning felt slow and confusing. It does pick up toward the end, but you need to put in the hard yards first.

I personally knew only a very little about Guy Fawkes and the plot before going into this book, which was probably a good thing. I experienced the story without going 'that's not what happened' because the author explains at the end that of course she took some license with the story. I quite enjoyed this era, and felt like the plague being replaced with the stone plague worked well in this almost magical world. I say almost, because although powers exist here, I never got that real fantasy feel of 'I want this power' or 'I want to see this place'. Fantasy books for me NEED this, but I felt like the masks in this world were so overlooked by the characters there was no point in having magic at all.

I also felt like the pacing was way off; somehow I missed that a whole year had passed within the book! It just...doesn't feel like a year's worth of story somehow. I also didn't like Thomas, and he's the main character. His indecision made him less of a character than sat Emma, who kicked ass throughout, or Henry, who's unknown qualities and activities made him more interesting.

For me it was the other characters, and the quality of the writing that makes this a three star read. I would add that the White Light 'speaks' to the characters in their minds, and there is NO indication that it is the White Light speaking which is confusing. I think it needs to have quotation marks or something around it.

Anyway, a good read but not outstanding for me. Three stars.

Did not finish. Historical inaccuracies made for a disappointing experience.

What.a.read! This is one of those books that you stay up all night reading.

Thomas Fawkes has a problem: he’s turning to stone from the Stone Plague that infected his eye. If he doesn’t do something about it, he will turn into a statue. When a solution presents itself, it might be the craziest plot he’s ever seen. He is to join his father in a plot to assassinate the king of England, the Gunpowder plot. The plan is to use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow him up. The problem is that by doing so, he will kill the family of the woman he loves, but if he backs away, both his father and his followers end up on the gallows. Which side will he choose and which one can he live with?

Absolutely brilliant! I stayed up until dawn reading this one, between the action and the heart-stopping moments, I couldn’t put it down!

The plot is great, complex, very well developed and packed with action. The premise of the book is the Gunpowder plot, a true event that took place in England in early 1600s where a group of Catholic traitors plan to assassinate the Protestant king. If you don’t know anything about this particular event, I suggest you only research after you read the book. Discovering it through the eyes of Nadine Brandes, who mixes history with fantasy and fiction, is absolutely worth it. Plus, it keeps the suspense until the end of the story. The pace starts by being very fast, then it slows down a bit in the middle and then it’s just full speed ahead. It gives the reader enough space to breathe and process the past occurrences without breaking out of the story itself.

The characters are the story in this case. It’s like they completely ran out of the author’s control and have a life of their own, they are the plot and the plot revolves around them. They rule the plot, but the plot doesn’t control them. Weird, I know!
Thomas Fawkes, the main male lead, isn’t a very likeable character for me and in the end, I couldn’t completely connect with him. He does bring some spice to the story and I do believe he has a strong character and inner strength; he just needs to grow up a bit more. I felt like he complained a lot during the novel. Even though he has some reasons to, he sounded like a whiny kid. Plus, I couldn’t keep up with his actions and decisions, some of them were incomprehensible to me.
On the other hand, Guy Hawkes is something else entirely. He’s a complex, unpredictable and mysterious type of character. I actually re-read most of the scenes with him. Guy is guided by his sense of bringing justice to the Catholics being prosecuted by the Protestant church. He’s moved by his strong morals and values and in the end, it makes him a memorable character. The main female character is awesome and she reveals herself an important piece of the game. She’s one of the reasons I go so attached to the novel. I cannot go into more details of the characters without spoiling the story, so I will let you discover more of them on your own!

The style of writing is compelling, clean and uses the vocabulary of the 1600s perfectly. Brandes does an amazing job with the descriptions, it’s like you can see a picture of the places and the people. Masterfully done!

Fawkes is a fun read, mixing fiction and history perfectly while keeping a great level of action and suspense throughout the story. I recommend it to the fans of historical fiction with a twist and for those you enjoy the setting in 17th-century London. I can tell you, my friends, the trip to this world is totally worth it!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Thomas Nelson and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book.

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

In a world where, when you come of age, you are presented with a mask that will allow you to control colour (control brown, you can control brown items, mud, bricks etc, blue you can control water, red, blood and so on), there are two belief systems, the Keepers, who believe you should only control one chosen colour, and Igniters who believe you should be able to control them all.

Thomas is still maskless, at the fault of his father not turning up to present him with one, and worse, infected by a spreading plague that slowly turns its unfortunate bearers to stone. Shunned by society, he sets out to find his father, and join him in a plot to assassinate the king and stop the plague. But his fathers views differ to the woman he loves. Who is right, who is wrong and who can he trust?

I really loved this book. It was original and the colour power idea was both interesting and thought provoking. Fawkes has an underlying message of looking beneath the ingrained ideals of society, and even the people we love, to search for your own truth and your own beliefs. Thomas’ dilemmas revolve around deciding what is right, how far he would go to stop the plague and what version of the history he’s been taught is really true. Most of all, he has to decide between doing what he believes is right, saving the woman he loves and the desire to win his fathers pride. Emma, the woman he loves, is brave and daring, even while being forced to act as a noble woman. Although she has opposing views to Thomas, she too believes she is fighting for what is right.

Fawkes is intriguing, with interesting characters and clever concepts. I loved the way the fantasy aspects of the book were mingled in with real history. Part conspiracy and betrayal, part moral anguish with a splash of magic. I highly recommend it!

This is every ya/fantasy lover's dream book. This has action, espionage, history, and a bit of romance. I enjoyed it and I think any one who loves this genre will enjoy it as well.

Really cool fantasy novel. I can't believe I got to read this for free -it was honestly so good, and I recommend this to anyone who wants to read fantasy.

You have to experience this book for yourself...my words cannot do it for you. Read it NOW....you will so glad that you did. I'm not kidding!!!

The thing that got me to read this book was the cover (and yes I am a judge a book by it's cover type of person). This book is historical fiction and fantasy put together and let me say I loved it since those are two out of my top three genres that I read. I loved the characters (especially after realizing the Guy Fawkes was in this book), the storyline, and how everything fit together, I honestly wasn't expecting much but boy was I wrong. Favorite thing? The masks/ power. Yeah, yeah, yeah something like that has been done before but this just was different in it's own way and if it's done right it can be done so many great ways like in the story.

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.