Like many other MCs, Thomas Fawkes is an idealist, albeit an extremely honest with himself idealist. He admits to being a coward and many other things besides. This honesty made me like him all the more; although, he's definitely no hero. If he had tried to hide it, I would have scoffed and the story would have lost a little something for me. As it was, the story was slow moving and pretty boring in my view. Keepers and Igniters are similar to modern-day religion with opposing views that are irreconcilable. Catholics versus Protestants many years ago is what comes to mind. This society had one way of thinking versus the other, which is pretty normal in most storylines, but this particular one was dangerous. If you were a Keeper, you had a death wish.


"The very topic of White Light has caused Igniters to hunt down and murder Keepers. Wouldn't you be wary if you weren't an Igniter?"


Thomas doesn't have strong family ties as his mother died when he was young and his father was away working on some plot. Now, Thomas is looking for answers to his Keeper background and upbringing after being raised and schooled among Igniters. Why is White Light so taboo among Keepers, while, for Igniters, it brings freedom of power and allows more power than Keepers seem to be comfortable with? White Light is the source of all power, so Keepers believe it must be locked down and ignored. Does speaking to White Light really make people power hungry or is that simply a personal trait that is not really correlated with being an Igniter? Do Keepers, or anyone really, fully understand White Light? Or is White Light truly bad? These are all questions Thomas sets out to answer for himself.



Then Emma, a girl from Thomas' school, turns up in London and kind of throws a spanner into his plans. She pushes him to ask more questions and a colleague of the plot demands they 'seek the source'. She's an Igniter, but has something she's hiding. He doesn't know whether he can trust her or not, but still allows himself to get close to her, as it allows him access to information necessary to the plot.

"My culture had affected my way of 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."

If you're involved in a plot that will change the way your society works in the long run, do you still stand up for what you know to be right in your day to day life? Or do you let that go so as not to draw attention to yourself and keep yourself free for the bigger picture?

A few times throughout the novel, Thomas enacts some heroic act - usually in relation to Emma. But I want to know - is he doing it to impress her or rather because her conviction give him the strength to be less than cowardly? I feel like it's a bit of both, really. He's like any young boy, wanting the attention of the pretty girl from school, but being also involved in such a huge plot, he has other things on his mind, as well. He wants to be brave and stand up for what he believes, the trouble is he's a coward who doesn't know what to believe yet.



“The resignation in my voice sickened me, but I clung to my knowledge of the Gunpowder Plot. It would change this. I would change this.”

All in all, I struggled to finish this book. I very nearly DNF'ed it, but was so close to the end that I forced myself on. The last 10% got better and then had a terrible ending. I wouldn't recommend this to very many people simply because I found it boring. The historical aspect was slightly interesting, but the characters that made up the story ruined the plot for me entirely. I didn't find them relatable or interesting, so I just could not get into the story. I found myself avoiding the book at quite a few points.

This book was truly beautiful. I loved the blend of magic and 17th Century London. This book was wonderfully crafted and will leave you thoroughly entertained and wanting for more.

I loved this! Fawkes is based off of the Guy Fawkes, November 5th plot. We get to follow Thomas Fawkes, the son of Guy Fawkes, on his journey to get his mask. In the process he gets pulled into the gun powder plot. It was great seeing different parts of history portrayed in a more fantastical way. The plague that spurred Thomas on to find his father and to get the mask he had been promised.
There were social issues that I feel like where relevant. Thomas had to choose between what he believed to be right, what he was learning to be right and how to live his truth. He did have help along the way. Emma, the kick ass amazing Emma. She challenged him and brought out his better side.
There was a lot of action, chemistry between Thomas and Emma, and information to keep me fascinated and wanting to read more. I absolutely loved every page of this. Definitely give it a read.

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

This review contains the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The good: The second half of the book captivated me and I couldn't put it down. The author has done a great job of reimagining a historical event with fantasy elements. What a fantastic idea! I hope she does more books like this. I love that she chose a character searching for truth from one of the conspirators of the Gunpowder plot. The added mystery behind the stone plague was well-imagined and added so much to the story, as did the Emma Areben character.

The bad: There were a couple of plot holes (more like pin pricks) that made me pause, mostly in the timeline of Thomas and Emma's outings. Also, I would have enjoyed more setting description in the first half of the book. We got a lot of name drops about London places and streets, but as I've never been there, it didn't produce a picture in my head other than that the Thames smelled really bad.

The ugly: It took me a long time to like Thomas Fawkes. Although I felt bad for him because of events in the story, I didn't like his character until a good ways into the book. (I had all the feels at by the end.) I think if the author had given us a "save the cat" moment early in the story, something to show the protagonist's hero potential, I might have bonded with him sooner. As it was, I had to force myself to read the first 35% of the book because I didn't really like him.

Bottom line: If you're reading this review and wondering if you should read Fawkes, the short answer is YES. Push through the beginning to get to the amazing story. The last half of the book more than makes up for what the first half is lacking. (Hence the 4-star review instead of a lower one).

I picked up this book not realizing that it was more than a historical fiction. It was so much more! I love the fantasy element of it, and how it fit so well with the time frame. I loved the element of magic and Thomas' journey of self discovery. I also loved the secrets that came out as the story went on, since I was not expecting some of the twists! This is an excellent, unique story.
I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

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.

Wow... just WOW... I had no idea that a simple book could get me attached to the characters. The book was amazing in so many ways. I can't put it to words. I loved how people have color masks that allow them to control color. Thomas search for the truth is something many people can relate to. It's something we can learn from. I had a bit of difficulty in the beginning though. There wasn't much explanation of what was going on, but once I read a bit and understood it, WOW! I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book. YOU WILL LOVE IT

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.