Fawkes by Nadine Brandes - A world re-imaged.

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

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.

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble | Books.A.Millon | Goodreads

★★★★★, I'm such a sucker for romance and treason, so I was excited to finally get my hands on Fawkes!

Before reading this one, I had no idea who Guy Fawkes was or anything about the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. This whimsy tale swept me off my feet and I was blown away with this captivating retelling. I loved learning about the history of the Gunpowder Plot and read about characters that fascinated me. I can say now that I will never pass a November 5th the same way again. And I hope to have Fawkes close to me when the date passes from here on.

I still can't believe that history has made its way back to the Young Adult stage. It has been a long time since I've picked up a YA book that has inspired me to go and learn about the history. I loved seeing Brandes take a classic plot and giving it a new face. The romance and treason, magic, and finally Brandes style and perspective are what really made me love this one. I couldn't put this one down once I've started, and I hope you won't either.

On to the romance and treason, I loved how Brandes took this plot and gave it the face of Thomas. I feel that when reading history, most of us lose touch with what we read, but not the case with this one. I loved reading about Thomas and his struggles he faced with the plague and honor. He was a very reliable main character. And his romance with Emma really put into perspective how people of the 17th century persevered race and gender roles at the time. And when Thomas gets invited into the plot to kill the ling, it puts a lot a strain on them both. I like how Brandes choose to show how much this Plot effect not just the people within it, but also those outside surrounding the plotters. Whenever I see a treasonous plot, I can't resist picking it up, it always puts a flame in y reading behind it. 

The magic Brandes conjured in this one was vivid. The idea that colors could be the root of magic was so incredibly ingenious. I have never read or heard of anything of it's kind before and Barndes has blown me away. I liked that each color had a different ability, and whatever color one mastered, they could manipulate things within that color realm. If I had color magic, I don't know what I color origin I would have. Blue? Yellow? Maybe Brown? I don't know, I need a quiz! But I also liked the thought of white magic; magic that is powerful, hard to master, and combines the abilities of all other colors. It's dangerous, and I loved seeing how the story unfolded around white magic, and Thomas's battle with it. 

The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was one of the biggest plots of the 17th centenary. I loved that Brandes took this plot and inspired a re-imaged world to tell its tale. The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was a failed assassination attempt against King James I by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby. As a person who loves history, I could really appreciate Brandes's efforts to keep the original plot, but also creating new elements to keep readers' attention. With the original plot still upheld in this debut novel, Brandes has proven to be a unique story-teller and a credible writer.

Finally, I loved the message that Brandes sends readers; stand-up for what you believe in and educate yourself on why they are your beliefs. Through out this read Thomas had to go out and get answers for himself, and when he was curious about something, he would always have to find the proof. You don't come across a character that is as driven as he too often. And it was inspirational to know that when people read Fawkes, they can find the courage to go out and do that in their daily lives too. Through Brandes's creative retelling, readers everywhere will never forget the tale of a brave boy, his journey to find the truth, and the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.