Fawkes is definitely what it says it is - a sci fi. I found it very interesting. It starts right off with a huge bang and it keeps going from there. You are brought into a world that is fraught with danger and mystery. Fawkes is very adventurous and full of himself. He has a wonderful friend though - who tries to keep him on an even, steady - down to earth keel. Is he successful? well that is for you to judge. The book is worthwhile to read because it is spirited,, spectacular, outstanding, powerful and playful. The author made a wonderful world for you to visit and enjoy. Have fun reading. I received a copy of this book from the Publisher and Netgalley; all of the opinions expressed in this review are all my own.

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

I have such a hard time writing this review because I wanted to like this book SO BADLY. I tried really hard to keep reading, but a little voice just kept whispering not to, and I think after a month of trying, I need to just accept that this wasn't the book for me.

I don't want to put anyone off to this book though, and I think it's definitely a book for a lot of people, it just wasn't for me right now.

The premise just sounded so fantastic and I honestly loved the writing, I was just... bored. I feel like some things could have been expedited and I was honestly just wanting more from some of the characters and from the story line in general.

Thomas was also just one of the most frustrating characters in the world. I couldn't connect with him and didn't really feel for him. To me, he was whiny and felt like he deserved so much without having to do anything in order to achieve some of what he wanted.

My biggest qualm though was with the fact that there's this super interesting concept of color powers that just... never gets explained in depth and that could have been so freaking cool. You get tidbits of information as the story goes but you never really get a full explanation as to how it all works. I get that maybe she didn't want a huge info dump for that aspect, but you kinda lose a bit of the story without a full knowledge of these powers.

I feel like I've become more picky with stories over time and I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but this is where I'm at now.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for a digital copy of the book for review.

The history around the Gun Powder plot is well known here in England but the author resurrects it with new fantastical twists that ad a whole new layer to this already complex story.
The magic system is unique and held great promise however was slightly confusing in parts and had a couple plot holes that took away from it for me.
The pacing of the story was definitely much slower at the start but did pick up in the latter half of the story. Some of the story was so good that i just couldn't put the book down and other bits felt as though they were dragging slightly.
Bits of the story were dated and other bits were not and months had allegedly passed which wasn't made clear straight away.

Ultimately this was a book that held great promise for me and wasn't and, it just didn't live up to it.

Overall, it was a good read and I enjoyed the themes Brandes brought to the table, especially when it came to seeing past prejudice and racism.

My knowledge of English history is, admittedly, full of holes. So when I found out that this book was historical fiction/fantasy, I was eager to read it and get the best of both words - knowledge as well as epic fantasy.

England in the 1600s is struggling under a mysterious stone plague that turns everything it infects into stone. Birds drop dead in mid-flight. Rats are found dead in the gutter, turned into hard, grey stone. And our hero, Thomas Fawkes, is also plagued. He tries to keep it a secret but no secret remains hidden forever and eventually, he knows, the plague will spread to the point that he can't hide it anymore.

The fantasy aspect involves a divided world between Keepers and Igniters. Everyone can speak and command different colors according to their strengths and they wear masks in accordance with those colors, to show the world that they have color power.
Keepers are those who believe that everyone should have access to the dominant color known as White Light. Igniters are those who keep the power of White Light for themselves - primarily the wealthy, i.e. barons, kings, etc.

Thomas Fawkes is maskless. He's dying from the plague and his time is running out if he's going to bond with a color. But his father is the only one who can give him a mask and his father has been absent for most of his life.

We follow Thomas Fawkes on his quest to gain his mask. He gets caught up in a plot to kill the king, to turn England over to the Keepers and take down the Igniters who dominate society through only a wealthy, powerful few.

But during Thomas's adventures, he has a change of heart. He learns that people judge the color of a mask, the plagued stone face of people like him, and they don't see past those colors. He realizes that both Keepers and Igniters are wrong in a way and he's caught in the middle of it, attempting to forge his own path when White Light can be accessed by all without the need for killing and massacres.

Language: 2 out of 5 stars. Some light language, but nothing worse than "damn" or "bastard".
Sex: 1 out of 5 stars. The main female character is attacked in the dark (she handles herself quite well, she's no wilting flower).
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed it. There were aspects of the historical fiction that I'd never heard of before (i.e. England and Scotland hating each other).

I would have liked a bit more depth when it came to the conflict between Keepers and Igniters. I'm not sure how that whole us vs. them issue got started. I'm not clear on the purpose of color power. Some people wore their masks all the time, others didn't. Some of those people wearing their masks constantly were hiding their identities but others were not and I would have liked some clarification on that.

I also tend to like the books I read to have a little more female representation. There was Grandmother Fawkes who was briefly mentioned and Emma. While she was certainly feisty and could handle herself, she needed some girl friends or something. The poor girl was surrounded by misogynistic men. I know it's historical fiction and at the time period, it was considered "shameful to be so dependent on a woman". But at the same time, you're working in fantasy elements. It couldn't hurt to have females not be considered disgraceful and weak.

Overall, it was a good read and I enjoyed the themes Brandes brought to the table, especially when it came to seeing past prejudice and racism.

So this is my very first review for Netgalley and I really wanted it to be a positive one. But unfortunately it isn't.

I had this book on my wishlist for a very long time. The description sounded great and the cover is just mind-blowing! so when I got the possibility by Netgalley to read it, I took it straight on.
Historical fiction isn't a genre I normally read, but if it is written well. I'm in for it. This book tho had a lot of ups and downs.

What did I like?
- I loved Emma. She is such a strong character and I loved how she stood up for herself and made it all the way to the school and learning the color magic.
- i liked the combination of fiction with history. It wasn't your standard twist on history and I enjoyed that very much.

What didn't I like?
- The color magic part. It felt very chaotic and just unrealistic. I didn't really get how everything worked and just was all over the place.
- Thomas the main character. I just didn't feel for him at all. At some point I actually wished he would die of that damn plague already.
- The pace of the story. Some parts were highlighted by dates and then all of a sudden the story claimed to be 3 months later, but no date was mentioned. It just felt weird and i think it would have been better to leave the dates out all together then sometimes do and sometimes don't.
- For a long time it felt like absolutely nothing happened. Just a lot of moaning and self-pity from Thomas, but nothing actually happening. It was maybe around page 300 that the pace quickened, which made it feel like the writer just wanted to end the story as fast as possible.

So would I recommend it? To fantasy and young adult readers (who are the people i know are swooning over this book) no I would not. Historical fiction lovers? Yes I would.

Title: Fawkes
Author: Nadine Brandes
Ch: 49
Pgs: 448
Genre: Historical fantasy
Rating: 3 Stars

I discovered one thing while reading Fawkes that historical fantasy isn’t a genre that I really don’t like. Give me either fantasy or historical fiction. That being said Fawkes was an interesting read. It was a novel about the Guy Powder plot to kill King James of England, but with a fantasy twist. The novel was well written and Nadine Brandes does an awesome job of weaving history, fact, myth with fantasy to give u a unique story.

Even though I didn’t love it I would still recommend it to anyone who don’t mind historical fiction mixed with fantasy. Thomas and Emma were characters that despite their faults were easy to like. They both had a lot to overcome and growing to do and by the end of the of the book you can she the growth. They are different at the end of the book than they were are the beginning.

Just because I did not like this book doesn't mean I am not looking forward to Nadine's next book. Just because someone doesn't like one book by an author that your going to dislike all books by that author.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

So... this book wasn't my favorite, if you couldn't tell from the rating. It has a really interesting plot, but it just didn't work.

- The characters were canned, boring, and had no personality. Especially Thomas Fawkes, the main character and narrator. I honestly couldn't have told one character apart from another, and I didn't especially like any of the characters. Even Emma Areben, who most people seem to like, wasn't that much more interesting to me than the rest of the characters. As for the actual people involved in the plot, I didn't really see any of them as Thomas's "friends," even though that's how he kept referring to them. Oh, and Thomas's relationship with his father? That's practically nonexistent, and I really wasn't a fan.

- The color powers were just confusing. Essentially, in the world of Fawkes, people obtain magic by using color power. They essentially bond with a color of their choice and Keepers bond with only one color while Igniters tap all the colors through their use of White Light. But that still doesn't explain how exactly color power works on multicolored objects, or where color power comes from at all. Apparently, people are supposed to use their masks to get color power, but you can only get a mask made by a mother (if you're a woman) or a father (if you're a man) who can also use color power. Which didn't really make sense to me because the magic was also in the blood of Igniters, and also what happens if one of your parents isn't around for any reason? There were just so many plot holes in how color power is addressed and explained.

- The war between Keepers and Igniters also had me confused. The Keepers represent the Catholics and the Igniters the Protestants in one of the many wars of religion in 17th-century England (Kirkus), and I got that. And I love history (the wars of religion was one of my favorite topics when I was studying European history in high school), so I was super interested to find out how Brandes would represent the Catholic-Protestant conflict, but... there's no logic to the way she represents it. There's really no difference between the Keepers and the Igniters, and it's just so ill-explained I wasn't even invested in either side or in the war at all.

- The way race was discussed in this book comes from a good place, but it essentially ended up being explained in a very simplistic way. This book essentially says, "racism is bad," but it doesn't even scratch the surface in discussing how the daily lives of black people in England were affected, despite featuring black characters. The book's discussion of race also focused almost entirely on Thomas's reaction as a white person to Emma's blackness, which I found disappointing as a woman of color. I think that this kind of narrative can work in some situations, but it just didn't here, and I think the book would have been a lot more interesting had been from Emma's perspective. Although I must say I was glad to see a YA fantasy that features characters of color that are depicted in a positive light!

- Oh, yeah, and the instalove? Just no. I don't like instalove, and although there wasn't a ton of romance in this book, the little that was there was all instalove.

+/- The only kind-of positive is that the last twenty or so pages were engaging, but then again, that's twenty pages out of a three-hundred-something page book. The climax was really interesting, and explored a little about how both sides (Keepers and Igniters) had their flaws, but ultimately, it seemed like one side was seen as more "right" than the other, which, given the religious allegory, seemed inappropriate. The rest of the book wasn't that engaging either--it was mostly all the same stuff repeated over and over--and unfortunately I was kind of bored throughout.

I know this review has been pretty negative, and I don't like writing negative reviews, but I really wasn't a fan of Fawkes. I've heard better things about Brandes's other books, though, so maybe I'll try those when I get to the bottom of my endless TBR pile. If you pick up Fawkes, I hope you end up liking it better than I did. 1.5/5 stars

It's a little hard for me rate this book because I'm torn over my feelings for it. Fawkes for me was what I like to call an "up and down" book. This means that I would really enjoy parts, but then I would start to get bored. However, right before I would reach the point where I would just quit the book out of boredom, something would happen that would draw me back in. So while I ultimately enjoyed the book and I'm glad that I made it all the way through, there were enough parts throughout that didn't hold my interest and that made me consider just putting the book aside for good that marred the reading experience for me a bit. However, I do want to add that I really did enjoy the author's writing style and if/when she publishes another book in the future, I would definitely be willing to check it out!

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

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for a digital copy of the book for review.

When it comes to historical fiction, I can be very picky but the book boasting a fantastical retelling of the infamous Gun Powder Plot had my immediate attention. When I started reading, I had some trouble with the slow pace and the vague details surrounding the existence of Color Power in this fictional world. However, once I got more & more details, I settled in for the ride and thoroughly enjoyed myself!

The plot follows Thomas Fawkes, estranged son of the famous soldier, Guy Fawkes. In a world where the elite harness a magic called the color power & control objects with particular colors using coordinating masks, Thomas has been studying to receive his mask (usually administered by a parent or guardian) while also hiding a secret; he is suffering from the Stone Plague (fun take on the actual plague!) which is gripping England and growing in strength. On the eve of his masking ceremony, it appears that his father will not be sending a mask. Expelled and feeling heartbroken, Thomas sets out to look for his father in London to force him to provide him with a mask but instead ends up embroiled in an assassination plot, discovering a shocking truth about the plague and so much more!

My favorite thing about the book was Thomas's character development. In the beginning he came across as annoying and whiny but he quickly proves himself resourceful and a deep thinker. His relationships with the other characters are used as an instrument to convey a number of ideas regarding individuality, integrity, faith & belief in a cause and even race & politics. The book is divided into three portions and due to the slow moving plot, the writing seems to drag a bit in the first half of the book but then the pace picks up in the other half and I honestly wanted to keep reading.

I think the author has accomplished an amazing feat of merging together fact & fiction in this story. It's true that not much is known in detail about Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators, but Brandes seamlessly includes her characters and ideas while still maintaining the integrity of many of the actual occurrences. Which is why I thoroughly enjoyed the concluding parts of this book.

The author announced on her Instagram that she'll be doing a Princess Anastasia re-telling titled Romanov next, and I'm already looking forward to that!

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

I loved this book. I knew I would like it, the whole premise was something that was so me. I was really excited to start reading it and I had high expectations which were not let down. This is a thrill ride, y'all. Great characters, great storyline. I felt like I was there when I was reading this and I...don't know a better compliment to give an author than that. Just brilliantly written. I can't wait to see what else this author puts out because it will be going on my shelves, for sure. Also, the cover for this book? Beautiful. One of my favorites of the year thus far.

Thank you for the early copy.

I picked this up because of the strange cover. It was an interesting and well done novel. I recommend this for fans of historical fiction with a twist!

I chose to read this book before bed. What a mistake because I ended up staying all night reading it. I don't think I can describe the book without spoiling you so you just have to read it!

(published also at speculativechic.com)

Remember, remember the fifth of November. You've heard that one before, right?

I'll be honest, I didn't know that much about Guy Fawkes before I watched V for Vendetta a few years ago. After I watched the movie, I went looking for books about the Gunpowder Plot, but there wasn't much out there. So I was pleasantly surprised to discover that somebody had decided to finally take a look, albeit through the lens of fiction, at this interesting moment in history. I was not disappointed.

Discussion: I enjoyed this novel. It was a fun read! I want that to be clear. That said, I need to address a few of the problems that I had here.

I understand that writers take artistic and stylistic liberties with their fiction, especially in historical fiction. That said, there were some moments that completely threw me out of the idea that this story was supposed to be taking place in the seventeenth century. These always took place when a certain "character" was speaking. I don't expect authors to actually write historical fiction in Olde English (can you imagine how difficult that would be?), but I also don't expect to see a sarcastic side character speaking as if it is fresh from 2018 and full of snark. I like snark. I also like a bit of consistency with my storytelling. Therefore, having one character who was so modernly antagonizing at some points and mystically wise during others made me a little discombobulated. That character? Is the voice of white light. Stay with me here.

The premise mentions "color powers," and what that refers to within the context of the novel is the idea that, in this version of history, humans are almost all capable of practicing magic by bonding with different colors. These colors, it seems, can speak to the people that bond with them most closely. Each color has its own purpose and uses. When a teenager finishes their education, their same-gendered parent presents them with a handmade mask that allows them to control colors and use their power (mothers make masks for their daughters and fathers for their sons). I liked the entire idea of color magic, but it wasn't fully explored or explained enough for my own taste. I wanted more information, but sadly never got it, as our protagonist is young and still learning about this magical practice himself.

I was a little disappointed by the lack of female characters. There was exactly one named female character who was a part of the story. Naturally, she was also a love interest. I was more than a little disappointed when the dialogue included the phrase "worry like a woman." I realize that the time period of the story had certain views, but if Brandes can address racial issues, why not add a more progressive stance on feminism as well? The notes at the end of the novel state that Brandes wished to be as close to history as possible, and that's fine. Still, a fierce woman joining the Gunpowder Plot would have been an excellent addition, in my humble opinion.

That said, what Brandes ended up focusing on the most -- Thomas and his desire for a relationship with his father, true power, and a way to rid himself of the Stone Plague -- made for a great YA book. The coming-of-age aspect of the story was nicely framed around Thomas and his conflicting beliefs: follow what his father taught him or follow his own instinct? This is an important decision that teenagers and young adults must all make at some point, and the fact that Thomas's internal struggle had potentially dangerous real-world consequences made the story of his growth compelling.

In conclusion: As I stated when I began this review, I enjoyed this book a great deal. Yes, I had some issues, but it was a fun story. I'm not sorry that I read it, and I'll be looking for more of Brandes' fiction in the future. And, even though the story wrapped up very nicely at the end, I hope there's a sequel. I'd like to see more of Thomas and maybe learn more about color magic.

(link will be active as of July 31, 2018)

Who will he betray? His father? His king?

Wow! Loved, loved, loved this mesmerizing reimagining of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Have you ever loved a book so much, you could wait to talk to your friends about it? Fawkes is the type of book that makes me want to grab coffee with friends to discuss every aspect of how this book manages to pull in so many ideas and ideals, so much of what is true in the world, and how it makes us look differently at so many things. Not to mention, it’s just an awesome story in its own right. (I was so fired up about Fawkes that I gifted it to my BFF and bought my own copy to share it with my daughter, so we could all discuss it.)

All the intricacies of the real life Gunpowder Plot weave their way through Fawkes, creating a brilliant tapestry threaded with danger, ambition, and magic. The magic system is a cornerstone of the story, while Thomas Fawkes’ relationship with his father is another. The story opens as Thomas, a boy of 16, is abandoned yet again by his father, whom he has not seen in 13 years. His father is absent at Thomas’s coming-of-age ceremony, in which he was to have presented his son with a mask he created especially for his son’s emergence into adulthood. It is a life-altering lapse that causes Thomas to be expelled from his school, unable to claim his use of magic or finish his education and pursue a profession. Worse than that, it leaves Thomas stranded with no recourse for healing the plague that has turned his left eye to stone.

Thomas journeys to London to confront his father and finds himself embroiled in the Gunpowder Plot. It is a journey that takes him from his start as a young, self-centered, frightened, and somewhat cowardly boy to a conflicted conspirator questioning the beliefs and attitudes foisted upon him by others. He is a boy starting to believe there is more to magic and murder than he’s been told, a boy who begins to question the loyalty that he has to men who may have very little loyalty to him or the truth.

Fawkes investigates the motives and truths behind the Gunpowder Plot, how it affected our world and what drove it. It is plot fraught with men willing to murder entire groups to bring about a change in their government, while some of the men they intend to murder had been too willing to murder those that they themselves disagreed with. As one character says, “Did murder ever free anyone?” The more you look below the surface of Fawkes, the deeper it gets, touching on racism, bravery, truth, loyalty, love, faith, and fanaticism.

As the story progresses, Thomas questions the attitudes that have shaped his thinking: “My culture had affected my thinking without my consent. How many other things had it shaped without my knowing it? It made me want to examine things—to seek the heart of matters. Of skin color, of Keepers, of Igniters, of White Light, of all my assumptions.” “How many of us acted and spoke out and fought for beliefs that we held because our environment told us to? As much as I wanted to blame my England, I knew the blame sat with me. I hadn’t trained myself to discern. To examine. To seek the source.”

From Thomas’s struggles to understand the source of magic, he learns to discover and fight for truth. “Shouldn’t I fight for what I believe in?” “It’s not as simple as that. Fighting for what you believe in is too subjective.” … “We need to fight for truth. Your beliefs can be misguided.” “Do you really think there’s some ultimate truth out there?” “Of course there is! It is the foundation of morals and justice. A foundation of truth represents what life was intended to be.”

Thomas Fawkes grows along his journey, moving away from blindly following anyone he thinks has a truth and discovering the secret of magic for himself. “Before I received my mask, I didn’t know who I was—my skill, my purpose, my identity. I thought I was supposed to know. But instead, I learned how to search—how to track down the origins of skill, purpose, and identity. How to get to the source.”

As he allows truth to guide him, Thomas must leave behind those who would lead him astray. “Catesby asked us to sacrifice not only our lives for Keeper freedom but our own consciences and morals.” As Thomas discovers, truth doesn’t bend itself to anyone’s agenda. “Both Igniters and Keepers and people in between fight for their own agendas . . . instead of being willing to discuss and seek what’s right.” And the source magic might have a mind of its own. “A lot of people do things ‘for’ me, but without my guidance. I have never asked for murder. I have never asked for force or blind rage. I’ve only ever asked for people to respond to my voice.”

It’s an enlightening coming-of-age journey that’s well worth the read. Don’t forget to read an important addition to the story, the Author’s Note: What’s True and What’s Not. And if you’re really into the story like me, read up on the Gunpowder Plot; the more you read, the more you realize how much meticulous historical detail Nadine Brandes wove into Fawkes.

Highly recommended for those who love fantasy, history, allegories, or simply wonderful storytelling. If you love Brandon Sanderson, Connie Willis, Lois McMaster Bujold, Diana Wynne Jones, or any of the other greats who weave engaging multi-layered stories around wisdom and truths about the human condition, you’ll love Fawkes.

DNF 40%

I really tried to finish this book but I couldn't. First of all, the writing style was confusing and not engaging, the magic system wasn't developed enough and the main character was annoying and dull. I really expected more from this book because the premises were very interesting and original... too bad.

4 stars

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick, fun read. It's a young adult, historical fiction fantasy book. England is suffering from a plague that turns infected people's body to stone. If the infection spreads enough in the person's body, it is deadly. Thomas Fawkes is the son of legendary Guy Fawkes. He has been infected with the stone plague in his eye, which he needs to hide from the public.

Certain people have magic, called color power. It allows them to manipulate objects and elements. One group of people identify as Keepers, the other as Igniters. Each group things the other created the stone plague and are at war with each other. Thomas joins his father's plot to blow up the King and Parliment, called the Gunpowder Plot. They believe doing so will stop the plague. But as Thomas gets deeper into the planning, he begins to have doubts about following through with it.

This was an interesting twist on historical fiction. I had never heard of the Gunpowder Plot, but was fascinated to learn that most of the characters and events in the book were true - except the magic, of course. The story was entertaining and had plenty of likeable characters and fun villains. It's a stand alone novel, so if you don't like book series, this is a good book for you.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from JustReadTours and Thomas Nelson Publishing. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: YA Historical Fiction Fantasy

Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, plague, cult like things, and hearing voices)

Pages: 440

Author Website

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone, and the only cure to the Stone Plague is to join his father’s plot to assassinate the king of England.

Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared, but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death.

But what if death finds him first?

Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in.

The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King.

The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But backing out of the plot will send his father and the other plotters to the gallows. To save one, Thomas will lose the other.

No matter Thomas’s choice, one thing is clear: once the decision is made and the color masks have been put on, there’s no turning back.

I love Nadine and I love her writing. She has an unique ability to immerse the writer into unique worlds and to build something from nothing in our minds. I loved how she transformed this book from a children’s nursery rhyme (and maybe a bit of V for Vendetta) and I love the concept she grasped. She made this world and made me almost believe it was real for awhile. The characters were all unique and well developed. The plot was intriguing and engaging. And the pacing was spot on.

However, I did feel that in some parts of the book the author treaded a thin line between what was politically correct to say and what wasn’t. They were hard for me to read because those words had hurt some of my friends in the past and I can imagine that maybe they might hurt someone today too. However, there was a bit of a reason for it (debatable) and the book turned out fantastic in the end.

Verdict: If you liked V for Vendetta or if you like masks definitely check out this book!

I finished this book mere moments ago and I’m still processing a little, so forgive me if my review is all over the place.
This book is a slow build. It’s by no means boring, nor does that mean it nothing happens. There’s something important happening on every page, but the amazing thing is that everything that happens is slowly building up to the end of the story. So when the end does come, it comes crashing down on you in a rush of events and feelings and characters. I think that this was handled masterfully by Nadine.
In fact, this story, in the way that’s it’s built, the changes made to the historical setting, I think that it could have been easily messed up by a lesser writer. But in Nadine’s hands, is comes together to form this rich story. Everything in the world, from the characters to the premise, is painstakingly researched.
With each thread of the story, Nadine has woven a grand tapestry of events. The well-researched setting of world and characters creates a surrounding story world that feels very real and true. The magic system is stunning and wonderful and complicated. Nothing is black and white, which is something I’ll touch more on in a second. The superb writing delivers everything perfectly.
Thomas as a main character is a perfect choice. He’s not outright one of the plotters. He sort of stumbles on it, as we do, and he’s still figuring everything out. I think this is really one of my favorite story elements. It keeps you on your toes, because Thomas doesn’t know who to trust, what’s right, what’s wrong. And everything is as black and white as he thinks it is, which is okay. Because life isn’t black and white, so it just creates a much stronger story.
When I realized this would deal with race somewhat, I was uneasy. I wasn’t sure how it would be dealt with. I think, while I am a white woman so I cannot properly speak for it, It is well handled. I think it’s handled respectfully, and isn’t just there for “brownie points”. It’s there to add to the richness of the story, and to strengthen it.
Also there is some amazing romance in this so I need to stop beating around the bush and just talk about it! It’s super great and well written and I love itttttt. I can’t talk about it too much because spoilers tho.
The end of this story is hard to read, but it’s very much meant that way. In the same way Thomas wants to look away, you do too. It’s needed, and adds another edge to the story. Also like I just thought of this but Thomas is super respectful to Emma, and just like respectful to women and I loved him and we need more Thomases in this world okay okay bye
Overall, this story is clearly written by a masterful writer, slowly built, with a historical setting but plenty magic to go around. It’s got romance, action, the plague—basically everything you need in a story.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Original, moving, fun, despite the seriousness of the subject matter. I cared for the characters deeply and I was fully immersed in their story. I would gladly follow this author through the tales she tells.