Happy Tuesday, Reader Friends!
I wanted to drop a quick post in the blog today to share my review of Fawkes by Nadine Brandes.
Let’s get started!
About the Book
The Blurb: “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. ”
My Thoughts
So I’ve been ruminating over this book for a couple of weeks now. I was eager to read Fawkes because it’s written by Nadine Brandes. Totally one of those reads that goes into your TBR pile simply because of who wrote it. I mean, I LOVED the Out of Time series.
The other thing that clinched the deal was the cover. Seriously, gorgeous. I could stare at it for minutes. And once I started reading the story I fell in love with the cover even more.
But by the time I closed the book, I wasn’t sure what to think. The writing isn’t horrible –no surprise considering who wrote it. The story isn’t without it’s exciting parts–oh the intrigue and romance within. But now that it’s over, I can’t say that I love it like I’ve loved all her other books.
And for some reason, I can’t figure out why. My only thought could be that all the hype raised my expectations so high that the story didn’t meet it. Because that’s the only thing that makes even a smidgen of sense. Because I love fantasy, 17th century England, a twist of the unexpected, romance, and sword fighting. This has everything I love, but I wouldn’t give it a 5 star and it guts me.
However, I would read another book written by Ms. Brandes and in the end, I think that’s what matters.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publishers via NetGalley. This review is my own honest opinion.
About the Author
Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. Her dystopian trilogy, the Out of Time Series, challenged her to pursue shalom, which is now her favorite word (followed closely by ‘bumbershoot’.) When Nadine’s not taste-testing a new chai, editing fantasy novels, or being a Harry Potter super-nerd, she and her knight-in-shining armor (nickname: “hubby”) are out chasing adventures.
Toni Shiloh 