Book Review - Fawkes

ABOUT THE BOOK:

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 it. 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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I am an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. I never received my Hogwarts letter, but rest assured I’m no Muggle (and would have been in Ravenclaw House, thank you very much.) This Harry Potter super-nerd has been known to eat an entire package of Oreos (family-size) by herself, and watches Fiddler on the Roof at least once a year. I write about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. My dystopian trilogy (The Out of Time Series) challenged me to pursue shalom, which is now my favorite word (followed closely by bumbershoot.) When I’m not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, me and my knight-in-shining armor (nickname: “hubby”) are out pursuing adventures.

MY REVIEW:

I really enjoyed this book! It’s based on historical facts including the planned bombing of Parliament by Guy Fawkes and his group. I have read about this plot and really liked how the author brought this into her storyline.

The book starts out at a place called a Color School, where young people learn to control color as a magic. Thomas Fawkes is excited because he will be getting his color mask soon from his father, Guy Fawkes, and he’s hoping for gray since he has a plague covering his eye that is gray stone. He is hoping he can control it off of his face. However, the evening that his father is to show up for the mask giving ceremony, he doesn’t show up but instead sends a note saying he will not be there. This begins Thomas’ journey to meet his father in London and demand his mask.

There are two different types of people that control color – the Keepers and the Igniters. The Igniters are in control because King James is on the throne and he is an Igniter. Thomas sees the Igniters treat the Keepers horribly, including sending them to the tower to be hung. It all comes down to one thing – the White Light. The Keepers fear it and the Igniters use it.

There is so much intrigue in this book! I was never sure who I should be cheering for – the Keepers or Igniters. There were clear reasons for feeling positive about both of them but also reasons for feeling they are wrong. I liked how I was given the chance to come to my own conclusion my own way.

I loved the characters of Thomas and Emma. They both tried to do the right thing by their beliefs and also for those that meant so much to them. There were so many surprises and depths to Emma and I really enjoyed getting to know her as Thomas did.

Yes, this book has magic, and I know there will be some Christians who feel this is wrong, however, there are no magic spells or evil demons (other than the good and evil we see in our own every day life). These people do not worship magic but use it to create or to work for them in their every day lives. This is a fantasy and, as such, should be looked at it as just a fictional story. I think you can find many wonderful, positive things in this book regarding trying to do the right thing and good conquering evil.

I loved this book! The author did such a wonderful job in creating a wonderful fantasy that will be great for young adults as well as adults. The characters are so well developed and so is the story. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 stars.

This book was provided to me for my honest review by BookLook Bloggers

Blessings - Julie