Loved this book. From the cover, which is amazing to the story, in each of its components. The book element of historical fiction was a drawcard, and I was already intrigued by the Guy Fawkes story itself, and in the book the essence of the attempt to blow up parliament is central to the story. The additional element of the masks and colour was fascinating and the possible underlying allegorical elements kept me going right through the book. I would highly recommend this book for those who enjoy the above elements, or just a good read. So going to buy this when it is released.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3.75 stars

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

I have been following the author on Instagram for quite a while now, and when I knew that her book was available on Netgalley I had to ask for it. Plus, the cover is gorgeous and the plot seemed appealing. Historical fiction with some fantasy twists? Sign me up! And this book didn't let me down.

It wasn't my favourite read and it almost made it to 4 stars but I had to lower it down for a few reasons. First of all, I found some elements of the story a bit cliché and I found myself bored for some parts. It was good and fun but at some point I had to force myself to keep reading. Second of all, I really disliked the main character Thomas. Most of the time I was rolling my eyes at everything he was doing because I just couldn't get used to him. He didn't ruin the book, not at all, but it was sometimes hard to follow him when I couldn't even understand what he was doing and why he was doing so.

However, I did have a great time reading it and I highly recommend it for any lover of YA historical fiction here.

What I really loved were the other characters, such as Emma who I found strong and very important. I would have loved to learn more about her and to actually have her point of view at some points, but I just really loved her and she is one of the reasons of why I loved this book so much. I also loved the story, the world, the magic and how it works, but also how the author managed to add fantasy aspects to the plot when the whole thing already happened in real life. It was clever and extremely enjoyable.

Fawkes is a quick and fun but clever read, which will make you dream if you love historical fiction and fantasy. Get ready for a magical trip to the 17th century London!

I had tears in my eyes upon finishing this captivating story. Thomas Fawkes goes through such a battle--a battle that we can all relate to today: What society tells us is true vs. What we know is true. The way Nadine portrays Thomas's battle is so realistic. Each of his decisions are not snap decisions without any thought, but he wrestles with every idea, pulled in so many different directions by those he loves. I felt like I was right there, experiencing every decision with him and struggling right there with him.
Also, the story world is so vibrant. I was able to clearly picture the entire town from Nadine's amazing descriptions and clearly understand the world of color power. When I set this book down, it took a moment for me to come back to reality because it all felt so real!
I would highly recommend this book and is definitely one I have pre-ordered! A reader will not be able to easily forget this story world and these characters.

I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I cannot believe how good the book was. I can honestly say I would recommend this book to friends and family, even co-workers! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, even if I read it mostly at night (and it kept me up later than I should have been lol! just to finish chapter upon chapter.)


This book is almost 400 pages, and it felt as if each important event to happen was given enough to lead up to and occur. There was no side plot going on, so thank God for that! The writing isn't too detailed nor is it too dull and simple.


So, if you didn't know, the Gunpowder Plot is a true historical event that took place in early 1600s England. It was one of many assassination attempts on King James that failed. Brandes beautifully weaved a magical world into history, retelling the story from the point of view (POV) from the assassins' side. I'm no history buff, but I love historical fiction and that this book is filled with characters based off real people. There's Keepers vs. Igniters, so one can simply assume it's based off of Christians vs. Catholics. Brandes really did herself in.


I would like to mention that none of her paragraphs dumped info upon info about the world she created. I find it to be incessant and tedious when authors cannot figure out another way to explain what their world is like without spilling the details in thick paragraphs.That is a good sign of a talented writer! So that's you Brandes! She told us about her world throughout the story. You learn about the magic she created, and a plague named Stone Plague (supposed to be the bubonic plague, I think, but don't quote me on that....) This was also something you showed you, not just told you right out. Brandes was very inventive when it came to her book.


I'd like to mention that she took time to show different variations of prejudice; between the Keepers and Igniters, the plagued and healthy, colored skin and white skin. And Brandes didn't just throw it at you, she tied it into the story.


Let's talk characters:


Thomas was an interesting character. He's a confused boy (and I purposely use "boy" because it was mentioned many times he hated being referenced this way, and I couldn't help but laugh each time someone said that about/to him) who is searching for the truth. I thought he was a bit selfish and perhaps reckless, but he is 16-17 years old so, I'm sorry, but I expected just as much. I love how Brandes writes how he slowly learns that most of his prejudices stem from common, shared opinions of everyone around him. I love how he fought to change the way he thought, how he wanted to come up with his own opinions, not share them with everyone else. He grew so much as a character. At first, all he thought of was his self, but, by the end, he grows in courage and begins to make his own decisions that weren't anyone else's but his own. He does things that he normally wouldn't have done before, and I don't think I've ever seen character development handled so wonderfully as his was.


Emma is my absolute favorite character in this story. She's incredibly strong as a person, and she fights for what she believes in. She sees the good in everyone, like in Thomas, she didn't see him plagued, but as the person he was. But despite her interest in Thomas, she wasn't afraid to share her different believes and ideas with him. She argued with him many times despite the time period and how women were treated, especially woman like her. She actually helped him realize what it's like to think for oneself.


Guy Fawkes....I didn't think I should talk about him, but I thought again lol! I thought his character was an ass (sorry, not sorry for the language....) at first. But then I slowly began to like him as the story carried on. Just like how Thomas was learning about truth, so was I as a reader. Guy is a person, he makes mistakes just like everyone else because he is, in fact, human. I was actually a little heartbroken by his death.]


There were plenty more characters, but none worthy enough for me to mention because even though Brandes wrote them all in wonderfully, I couldn't care less for them. Most of them were selfish and driven by that to enact their stupid Gunpowder Plot, too busy to care about what Thomas was doing.


Here are three reasons why you should read this book:



The magic is based on colors. It's unique and different from anything I've read and seen.
The character development. Chapter by chapter, Brandes threw me off with twist after twist. I jaw dropped I don't know how many times lmao! I don't want to go too deep on development because it just spoils the story for you.
One of the themes is on the judgment of someone or something based on their appearance. I think that's why Brandes used the masks....it's not a lie that she naturally pulled from today's prejudices to compare to those of the 17th century's.



So, this book will be finding a spot on my bookshelf as soon as it hits stores in July, and I cannot wait to read it again as a finished published piece. I hope you guys get a chance to read this historical fiction and share the same love as I do for it. I even got, like, a Pirates of the Carribean sort of feel from it so just another reason to read it!

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes
Available in the US July 10, 2018.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The story of the Gunpowder Plot gets an all new twist with magical color powers and a deadly stone plague. Forced to leave St. Peter’s Color School after his father fails to attend his color testing and bring him his hand-crafted mask, Thomas Fawkes heads out on his own to find his infamous father. Being the son of Guy Fawkes isn’t the only obstacle that Thomas must overcome, he is also infected with the deadly and mysterious stone plague. Unable to use one eye because it has literally turned to stone, Thomas does all he can to hide his affliction. After a treacherous journey to London, Thomas finds himself face to face with the father he has never met and becomes embroiled in a deadly plot to kill the King of England.
Along the way, Thomas runs into two of his former classmates. Beautiful and talented Emma Areben, who barely acknowledged him at school. Haughty and horrible Henry Parker, son of the Baron Monteagle. The situation only worsens when Thomas learns that Emma lives with Henry as his father’s ward and through a series of odd circumstances, Thomas becomes employed as her guard.
Thomas spends the year leading up to the notorious Gunpowder Plot guarding Emma, proving his worth to his father, and fighting off the mysterious White Light magical power that speaks to him in his mind.
The first three-quarters of this book was a very slow lead up to an exciting and interesting ending. I really enjoyed the mix of magic, politics, and teenage angst and hormones. Watching Thomas wrestle with his feelings towards his father and trying to prove his loyalty, against his own moral beliefs made for great tension.

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

Fawkes captivated me from the first chapter. It's a fast-moving story with well-drawn characters, both fictional and those inspired by real historical figures. The magic system is great, and I especially love how it's used in the end. The rivalry between the Keepers and Igniters was a clever way to fictionalize historical circumstances. Thomas is an interesting hero with both his inner and external conflicts. Emma proves to be a great heroine with her own journey that is as surprising as it is fascinating. The inclusion of real life people such as King James, John Dee, and of course Guy Fawkes only adds to the depth of this story.

So I read a sample of this book and knew I wanted to request it. Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book before it’s release date.

This book touches on many things. Race, exploration, self awareness, equating looks to value, ect ect. Plus it has the fun twist of magic. This book has a unique magic system that I enjoyed. I would say it’s written for a middle grade audience. The characters we all unique and clearly defined. The plot was intriguing and kept me on my toes. I will say the ending was disappointing to me because I really wanted more of a happy ending but I realize that after reading the ending and added info this book was based on true events and what happened in the end wasn’t a happy ending for many. Though it was “happy” in a sense I just wanted a happy ending for certain characters. Overall I think many people would enjoy this book and it’s adventures through England with Thomas and Emma.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and it was an exciting new way of telling the story of the gunpowder plot that actually happened in England in the early 1600's. As a history major I love reading historical stories that have a touch of fantasy/magic added in. The story follows a 16 year old Thomas Fawkes who is the son of the legendary Guy Fawkes. He is starting at a school called St. Peters that is known for schooling in color magic. The different colors can control fire, wind, earth, and different compulsions. The story follows how he finally meets his father in person and becomes involved in this plot against the King of England. This was extremely well thought out and the author did research on the history to make sure that parts were as accurate as possible besides adding her own voice to the story. This book was a great read and I would recommend it to anyone that loves magic and history.

I feel bad, but my largest complaint with this book is that I just don't understand why it had to be historical fiction along with being a fantasy novel.  The author's note at the end provided a decent explanation, but honestly I just found the "historical" figures in the novel to be super distracting from what otherwise was a really interesting world and story to me.  This is maybe especially the case because one of the reasons I was drawn to this book was due to how interested I was in Guy Fawkes in high school.  I feel like I am being too harsh, but this was really hard for me to put aside while reading the book and is probably the biggest reason I could not bring myself to bump up my rating for the book.

To finish getting my complaints out of the way, the only other major thing that was a negative about this book is that I found Thomas to be too whiny for too long in the book.  While he does eventually show growth, I thought it took too long and this made it a struggle to like the character.  Once he started to turn the corner the book became a lot more interesting and was something I couldn't put down until the finish.

The strength of the book really lies in two areas for me.  The first is the world built around the color powers and the culture clash between the Keepers and Igniters.  I found myself constantly wanting to learn more about every aspect of these different people and the powers they possessed.  The other area of interest was how the book explored various forms of prejudice and discrimination.  I think it was handled in a really interesting and nuanced way and thought that the various rifts in the society were the most interesting things explored.

Overall, if you can put aside my hang up of thinking this story would have been better completely divorced from any kind of history, I think this book is worth checking out.  The story itself is quite well done and I think a lot of the ideas developed in the world are really interesting.

A dull retelling of history with magic swapped in for religion. Not enough nuances to keep me interested.

I reeeeeally enjoyed this!

It was a tiny bit slow at times and I didn't really care for Thomas (he was kinda selfish and whiny) but I loved the rest of the characters and the story was awesome. The historical fantasy aspect was great and I loved the masks, the colour powers and the fact that Guy Fawkes and the plotters were actually in the book.

Also,
EMMA IS MY QUEEN! I just loved this girl she was amazing!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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This was beyond my expectations. The blurb really pulled me in with the magic blended into 17th century London and the Gunpowder Plot, but never did I expect a mature exploration of what it means to search for truth. Nor did I expect a mirror turned to some of the most important issues that our society faces today, let alone in a book set during the 17th century.

Let's start with the plot. It's not a long book, only 440 pages or so and yet nothing felt rushed. All the important events were given the right amount of time and there was absolutely no side-quest or tangential plot running in the background. The Gunpowder Plot was told and merged fantastically with the magical elements and setting. I could easily imagine London with colour power and masks.

The setting was vividly imagined and yet I cannot recall a single moment in this book when I was swamped by an info-dump.ing session. This is a very good sign of a skilled writer. Everything you needed to know about this setting was seamlessly integrated into the storytelling. The magic system was unique and the Stone Plague was an absolutely genius move. It seriously creeped me out, and the plight of the plagued was shown (not told about) to the reader very well. What I absolutely loved was how this book showed prejudice in so many different ways. There was prejudice against the Keepers, Igniters, the plagued and those of coloured skin. None of it read like a message being shoved in your face. It was quite brilliantly told, actually, and this brings me to my next point.

The characters. Thomas' perspective was refreshing. His confusion and personal search for truth were what drove this story. The way he was shown understanding that a lot of his prejudices arose from the common opinions of those around him was a delight to read. I loved how he came to terms with this issue and sought to make his own mind up on what/who was right or wrong/good or bad. Emma was my other favourite. Her strength and her own fight for her beliefs were shown amazingly, despite the fact that we only read from Thomas' perspective. Their relationship and arguments over their personal beliefs were also things I was not expecting when I read the blurb.

The writing was not overly flourished, nor was it underwhelmingly simple. It was well-balanced and very, very evocative in several parts. I think one of my absolute favourite scenes was one involving the Stone Plague (I won't spoil but it was absolutely terrifying to read).

There are several reasons why this book needs to be read by as many people as possible, but here are 3:

1. One of the main themes of this novel is the judgement of something/someone based on its/their appearance. The colour masks themselves heavily allude to this. There is a reason why I love this theme and the way it is integrated into the story. The setting is 17th century London and there is a prevalence of prejudice against anything unknown. This includes the plagued, those of coloured skin and those who hold different beliefs. It is something that is very much relevant today and I love how the author naturally put a mirror to our issues today in a novel set in the 1600s.

2. The colour powers. This is a unique magic system that may sound similar to Brandon Sanderson's but is actually very different. It is integrated very well into the setting and the replacement of the actual plague with the Stone Plague was a unique idea.

3. The character development in this short book is impeccable. There are so many twists and turns in the plot that leave our protagonist as confused as the reader about which side is right and which is wrong. And although Thomas finds his answers in a fictional setting, his journey and growth are something we can all relate to.

Overall, I'll give this one 5 stars. There were so many twists and turns but I enjoyed every moment of it. I would love to read this in hard copy and read other works by the same author. Historical fiction might just have become my new favourite genre.
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A short review on Litsy:
Unexpectedly awesome. 3 reasons to read this gem:

1. The theme of prejudice runs strong in this, The setting is 17th century London and prejudice exist against the plagued, Igniters, Keepers and those coloured skin. The author has mirrored crucial issues of today in a novel set in the 1600s.
2. The magic system is VERY well done.
3. Impeccable character development. Thomas' journey to find truth is something we can all relate to.

5/5 stars!

Hummm....
I am a little stuck for words here guys. I don't really know how to feel about this book.
It wasn't bad... but it wasn't good either.
The idea behind the book is good, but the execution was not always on point. Sadly the first 2/3 of the book bored me... it was long and dull. The last third of the book though pick up pace and got a lot better.

Thomas Fawkes is the main character in the story and the focus is almost solely on him. There is very poor secondary character development.
Thomas is turning to stone due to a plague, he flees to London to join his father on a plot against the king that will apparently end the plague. Needless to say, things don't go as planned.
If you haven't figured out yet, this is loosely based on Guy Fawkes, who here is Thomas father and the one who will be responsible for setting off 36 barrels of gunpowder under the Parliament against the Igniter King of England.
I really didn't like Thoma's character. He is meant to be 17 but I only know that because I was told at some point through the story. He sounded more like a 13 year old selfish, self-centered, obnoxious little boy. Everything he did the whole book was for himself. The only character in the book worthy of some praise describes him perfectly (and yet falls for him- *face palm*):
"He said I could trust you. But I'm not sure. I'm not sure he ever saw the Thomas I'm seeing now - afraid. Selfish. Evasive." She lifted her chin. "Stone cold."

The magic element drove me nuts from the very first page. It didn't always make sense. The concept is simple, there is color magic and a person might be able to control one or more colors. But it takes a while for it to make sense in this particular story. And when it does it sounds like something taken out of a juvenile book.
Eventually we learn there are Keepers, who only yield one color each, and Igniters, who yield more than one color at once. Thomas starts off fighting for and with the Keepers, but than falls in love with an Igniter girl.

The Igniter girl is Emma. She was interesting to read: fierce, truthful, loyal, independent. All the makings for a fabulous heroine. She would have made a better character than him. Her only fault really was to fall in love with Thomas.

The book get a lot better towards the end. The focus shifts from self-entered Thomas to Emma and to the magical elements, and the pace of the book pics up with more action and a stronger plot. A little to late for a better rating though...

(review up in the blog soon)

Okay, so first of all, a MASSIVE thank you to Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book!!!!!

Now let's talk review.

Wow! I read the Out of Time series not long before blasting through Fawkes, and while they're both very different (and I think that in general I liked OoT a little better) they both have a distinctive Nadine feel to them. So that was really awesome.

The premise of this book is the Gunpowder plot, a real event in England in the early 1600s where a group of plotters discontent with the king (he was a Protestant; they were Catholic; the Protestant church at that time did shameful thing to Catholics.) Guy Fawkes was one of the leaders of that plot, and November 5th in England bears his name. If you don't know anything about the Gunpowder Plot, don't look it up before you read this book. I, I'm afraid, knew a little bit about it, so some of what happened didn't come as a surprise. But! It was still a great book!!!!

LIKES
-Guy Fawkes himself. Like just HOLY WOW. Talk about the complex dad character. You kind of have to read the thing to know exactly how awesome he is, and his character arc...man, this is my kind of character.
-EMMA. I can't really say anything about her because SPOILERS HAHA HER EXISTENCE IS A SPOILER but still. I loved her so much. <33333
-The fact that the real plotters were the characters of this book!
-While there's both Keepers (the side Thomas and his father are on) and Igniters (the side Emma and her family are on) within this story, both are portrayed as having major faults and not being totally in the right OR the wrong. Keepers are a persecuted minority, and Thomas and his father fight for them, but Brandes still shows that there are fundamental flaws with them that cannot be explained away simply because they're the minority. Igniters are in power and technically, supposedly, in the right, but their method of holding onto power and the way they torment anyone different is not once depicted as a good thing. Which I LOVED. Both sides were wrong, but neither side was TOTALLY wrong. This made it complicated. And I loved that.
-Just the whole historical fantasy aspect. That was so cool.
-The color masks/powers! I found that whole concept amazing.
-THE VILLAIN. I will not tell you who it was or anything about them...but holy cow it was so so neat when VILLAIN is revealed and I just start shrieking. Heh heh...I totally didn't scream in the middle of the doctor's office or anything like that....

DISLIKES
-So, Thomas himself really was whiny and selfish for a long time? He does have some character development, but since this is a standalone where there's already a TON happening he doesn't get a ton. I didn't HATE him...I just didn't love him, either.
-The whole White Light thing just kind of weirded me out a bit. (view spoiler) This is probably just a matter of taste, in all honesty, but it was still a little weird to me.
-The book was a TEENSY bit slow in the middle.

All in all, four stars, and I definitely recommend this one! Thanks again to Netgalley for providing a free copy! All opinions are my own.

WOW!! Okay. It was the cover that drew me in. Then, the title. Fawkes as in GUY FAWKES??? I then wondered if it would be possible to weave a brilliant magical element into history. The short answer: yes. For the long answer, keep reading.

Typically, I avoid historical fiction. Mainly because I feel like it's been there, done that, read that. But this...mash it up with some magic and apparently, I. AM. SOLD.

I found the beginning a bit slow and a little confusing as I waited for the story and world to be built up a bit. But it didn't take long to get my bearings and ultimately, I flew through this book.

I read so many books from the female point of view, so finally getting a magical story from a male POV was fantastic in itself. The idea of him being Guy Fawkes's son who also was turning to stone and needed a mask to be cured...brilliant. At times he was less than likable (as are most characters, I think), but those moments were mostly when he complained about his mask. Which, I understood the WHY, but the world definitely had larger problems. The addition of historical figures was pretty dang cool, I must say. And events, for that matter. Brandes did a great job at weaving the magical elements into true events. Obviously you cannot change pieces of the past, but she put a spin on them that made this story unique. I must mention that Emma was probably my favorite character. A young female in Victorian times who most likely had expectations set upon her, but wanted more than those things. She was many things, but I most admired her backbone.

The magic was one of the coolest things I have come across in fiction. Color magic is something I've never experienced up until now, and it was far more epic than how I make it sound. It's brutal and gruesome at times. It also works for the good, of course. I liked the idea of a 'dangerous' magic, too, that half of the world wanted nothing to do with.

The story itself has some twists and secrets. Not hard to guess for the most part, but most of that probably is due to the historical aspect and the fact that those things cannot be changed.

I really, really enjoyed this! I would recommend it to those who enjoy YA fantasy and are looking for new magical ideas.

I read most of this book in a day! This hasn't happened since winter break.

Fawkes is a novel that not only tells the historical story of the plan to blow up parliament but also has a fantasy twist on it that deals with color power, and a plague.

Thomas Fawkes is one of those characters that I wasn't sure if I was going to like or not. I ended up loving him! Seriously he's my new book boyfriend (he's passed Creswell from Stalking Jack the Ripper). Why do I love him so much? Well because not only does he grow and change throughout this book, he's not obsessed with being the hero, all he wants it to be free, and he's good-hearted and doesn't let other people make decisions for him or sway his opinion one way or another. He goes out and finds his own truth, and does what's right even if it harms the people he's grown to care for.

I'm not a romance person, but this relationship that happens in this book. OMG! So natural, so caring, and I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP!!

Now time to talk about the history in this book. I'll fully admit that I don't know a lot about the plot to blow up parliament, okay let's be honest, I only knew the song. That's beside the point though. What is the point is that you can tell Brandes did a lot of research for this book to get everything right. From start to finish I was enchanted by this book, and how even though it is a fantasy novel, the history in it was real and yes a few things were changed, but most of it is true.

As for the fantasy color power ability. I loved it! Fantasy can sometimes take me a little while to get into and understand the complexities of it. A quarter of the way into this book I understood what the colors powers were and why they are so important. Brandes did such an amazing job of letting us know what was happening, without it being too much info at once. The beauty and the intricacy of the masks and the color power were so amazing sounding that I cannot wait to see all the fanart that comes from it.

This book has so many intense moments that had me on the edge of my seat, having to know what was going to happen next. I cannot wait to see how everyone else reacts to certain moments because they were just so so good.

I want to read this book again already. I cannot wait for it to come out so I can own a physical copy!

I was intrigued by the concept of the book and that is the reason I picked it. It is a combination of a historical fiction and fantasy. I liked how the author took the known story of Guy Fawkes and added to it the fantasy elements of color power.
It was a fascinating read. Even though I knew how the story will end for Guy Fawkes and the assassination plot, I wanted to know how the story will evolve for Thomas (& Emma).

#Fawkes #NetGalley

I absolutely was drawn into this story from the very first page. The author did a great job of introducing the main character and his personality in a way that made you understand his heart. I was not familiar with the Gunpowder Plot. This book tells the story from the perspective of Thomas Fawkes, the son of Guy Fawkes. The story is written with enough truth that you can get the general idea, but then adds a bit of a fantasy flair that adds even more interest to a story full of intrigue and conspiracy. I love how the author handles difficult political and social problems that are easily relatable in current events. I also enjoyed Thomas' journey in discovering the truth for himself and his decision to do the right thing even though it forced him to make a difficult decision between the truth and his own father.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and fantasy. I have already pre-purchased a copy for myself because it was such a great read. And that cover!!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

You know how some books make you forget you need to eat and sleep? Well, this is one of those.

I know a book is good when I can’t stop thinking about it, when it takes on a life of its own inside my head. This book is robust fiction, and the tough issues that come up in the course of the story are issues we still face today. The issues are handled in a hopeful and honest way, and I loved that the book made me think, and think deeply, while also being entertained.

Everything about the book is perfect. Every element—foreshadowing, story twists, character growth, witty writing, and satisfying ending—they’re all there. The setting of early 17th-Century England is fascinating, and a lot of the history is true. The fantasy element blends smoothly with the history.

The story was one wild ride, and I loved it! It was unpredictable, and I had fun trying to guess what new developments and plot twists meant and what was going to happen and who the bad guy was. Many times the story had me on the edge of my seat. Not many books make me feel the depths of emotion that this one did. Often I was absolutely terrified for the characters.

The characters are each distinct and fascinating. The internal journey Thomas goes on is genuine and organic as he explores his world and searches for truth. Thomas starts out so sure of what he wants and what’s right in the world but then begins to question everything. By the end, there were no easy answers, and what answers he did find came at a cost.

I loved the writing style which was fresh and full of life, sometimes funny, sometimes insightful, always creative. I didn’t notice a single cliche. The difficult subjects and circumstances that come up are handled masterfully by the author.

The writing was never awkward or obvious but instead maintained a wonderful subtlety which made the reading of it a puzzle and an adventure. It fired up my imagination and I enjoyed deciphering and analyzing the meaning behind situations and also what characters were really feeling and thinking beyond what they chose to share. Because of its depth, this book is in every good way like a classic.

This is a book that changed me because it made me think about things in a new way. It made me ask myself thoughtful questions and made me look at history in a new light, but also helped me see our own time in a new way. The themes of truth, hope, freedom, and seeing beyond stereotypes are compelling and complex and exciting.

I knew right away I’d give this book four stars, but gradually as the book went along, it grew better and better and I knew I’d give it five stars. It’s a new favorite of mine. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I think you will, too, especially if you like the genres of historical fiction and/or fantasy.

Ever since I heard about Nadine Brandes and the Out of Time series, I have wanted to read them. Well, I haven't read that trilogy yet because some country's (*coughCanadacough*) shipping is ridiculous, but I just got a review copy of Fawkes--Nadine's latest novel. And, oh my goodness, it's beautiful. The cover is captivating and intriguing, and I really didn't read anything about the book before plunging in. After reading the book, I just sat back and marveled at the way Nadine placed history and fantasy in the same book and how skillfully they were woven together. And yes, there is a deeper meaning to this story, than just the Keeper-Igniter war.

Thomas character was special. He struggles with the Stone Plague, but even more so with his purpose, mission, and loyalties. He seeks to love his father and be worthy of him even though he's been hurt badly by him. And when he finally makes his own decisions about right and wrong, he realizes that it may cost some people their lives.

I love the idea of color masks as a way of showing people's unique gifts and talents. The characters of England each have a color power, granted to them only by the color test and by a individual mask created and formed by a parent. The child is raised to learn to mold with his mask and use the colors he/she has bonded with to bring peace (and war where necessary) in the world. Thomas doesn't have a mask yet, and to gain one will take more courage, risk, and sacrifice than he imagined. But he has the strange advice of the White light, along with Emma's counsel and his father's experience to guide him.

I love the relationship between Thomas and Emma. It's definitely not forced and it grows and strengthens because of challenges. And in the end, both Thomas and Emma see that being vulnerable and honest with each other leads to love in a way they didn't expect.

This book is packed with meaning for the Christian, and is captivating and full of history. But looking back at history, we can also learn something for today and for our futures.

Thank you, Nadine! Now I really want to read the Out of Time series. ;)