I’m always here for a good bit o’ dark magic and assassination plots, so I was excited to read Fawkes!
I actually know nothing about the original Guy Fawkes (except that isn’t there a day each year to burn pyres of him??? The British aren’t letting this go). So Fawkes is a reimagining of London (but with MAGIC) and follows the point-of-view of Guy Fawkes’ son! It has a devastating stone plague, an intriguing colour-based magic system with masks, and the whole point is to blow up the king. Because what else would one do on the weekend, I guess.
The whole premise was so unique!
Thanks so much to the author for sending me this ARC! (Nadine is the loveliest okay?!)
It’s narrated by 16-year-old Thomas Fawkes, who is hopelessly and dutifully honourable.
Awww!! He is the ultimate Gryffindor. HONOUR! GOODNESS! GENTLEMANLY PLEDGES! Giveth me mine sword and I shALL DEFEND THE WORLD. He’s such a good-hearted little dork, look at him go. But his life is in shambles because: (a) he needs his dad to gift him a mask so he can become a magician, and his DAD DIDN’T, and (b) Thomas is also infected with the plague, which will turn you to stone eventually. He’s blind in one eye and ostracised because of this. I actually get worried about “cure” storylines…but I felt the plague functioned a lot like cancer, and since it’d kill him eventually, he was absolutely desperate for the cure.
I really felt for Thomas as he grappled with the fear of his own illness killing him. And omg there was this one scene?! The writing so vividly described his agony that my hEART LURCHED.
(Although full disclosure…I am a Slytherin myself, so Thomas’ honourableness made me laugh aaaand it probably wasn’t supposed to. And I wish he’d been more messy and dynamic. I’m sORRY I’M A TERRIBLE PERSON.)
The magic system was also awesome!
It’s based on masks and colours! So my Phantom-of-the-Opera-obsessed-youth is delighted. Thank you. Basically everyone speaks to magic via colours —> but you can only do so when you have your mask. Thomas is maskless, plagued, and dismissed by his father, Guy Fawkes, so the story begins with Thomas doing everything he can to track down Guy and get his frikkin’ mask.
Do we have father/son issues? Why yes we do. Honestly Guy was horrible?! There was NO REASON to deny Thomas his mask, but he diiiiiid. But I do love books that focus on messed up family dynamics (WHO WANTS FUNCTIONALITY) and Thomas trying to decide if he (a) likes his dad, (b) and believes in the cause to blow up King James, and (c) what side of the warring magicians he’s on….it was all captivating.
Emma was my FAV secondary character. She’s badass, paints, isn’t going to let a sucky society pin her down, and the relationship between her and Thomas is slow and tentative. No instalove here!
The other secondary characters were historically accurate (!!) super cool. But I also got them all mixed up haha. I am bad with names, ok. I called my latest nephew Angus today. His name is…not Angus. It’s Atlas. Which isn’t even, close, Cait omg fix your life.
- It’s a historical RETELLING (!) but there’s still plenty of accurate history there which made things so interesting
- I like how it did a twist on the warring religions in London, but made them magicians!
- The colour-coded magic was GREAT because I literally colour-code my life. Relatable content.
- EMMA THO.
- Lots of backstabbing.
- Conspiracies!
- Torn loyalties.
- The ending is pretty frikkin’ tragic.
- GUNPOWDER AND TREASON.
Fawkes is an enjoyable retelling of the infamous Guy Fawkes, but with magic amongst the gunpowder. It’s not fast paced at all, but it crafts such a detailed view of London! I enjoyed this twist and how everyone was rather dubiously morally grey!
Fawkes by Nadine Brandes is out July 10th!!
★★★★☆
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.
Goodreads Book Depository Author Instagram Author Website
Lol I never really understood the appeal of Guy Fawkes but fireworks are fun I guess? though this year NZ has started doing the big fierworks display in winter for the Maori new year, which is cool. I would love to read Mughal history retellings or oooh, Vijaynagar…but The Star Touched Queen is kind of that I guess….
I’m actually finding it freaking creepy?! Like is this celebrating A GUY WHO GOT EXECUTED?!? Why, England, why.😂
THANK YOU! I tell people this for years! They celebrate the execution of a guy, who stood up for religious freedom? That sounds sick!
No, we are not letting this go. 😉 (It’s funnier because we executed the next king ourselves.)
I really want to read this! I’ve never read anything about Guy Fawkes and it’s that one historical event that you’re taught about in school even in reception. Also, I love bonfire night so I’m obligated to read this.
You all keep doing what makes you happy. BURN ALL THE THINGS. WHO AM I TO JUDGE. All the people your England didn’t disembowel and hang ended up in Australia anyway.😂Hellooooo ancestors.😂 (I’m just kidding, my ancestors were German immigrants, but I won’t let that get in the way of a good story.😂)
Ooooh I was already really excited for this book, and now I’m even more so! The magic system sounds unique and interesting, as does the premise, so I’ll have to pick this one up now. xD Wonderful review! <3
YES IT IS!! It’s really fun and unique, I felt!!
I love the premise, and now i’m desperate to read it! Fantastic review 🙂
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
Ahhh I’m glad it caught your attention!
I’ve been waiting for this book ever since Nadine announced it! But this is the first review I’ve read of it and I desperately need to read it now…
It just sounds more and more amazing.
The world needs more historical retellings. 😀
Great review.
IT’S WORTH IT.😍😍I hope you enjoy it when you get a copy! And we absolutely need more historical retellings right?! It’s fun to learn…also magic. 😂
I actually know nothing about Guy Fawkes too except the november (?) thing and the bonfire. There was a reference in Sherlock and I googled him but I understood next to nothing. Maybe because my brain didn’t make an effort to understand what I was reading. I hope you can give me a bit of explanation who he really is because I’m a lump of ignorance right now.
Anyway, maybe reading this book can make me understand who Guy Fawkes really is because he seems to be so popular and this foreign dragon doesn’t even understand who he is (was). I think Fawkes is already in my TBR. With this review, I think I will read it. And maybe google Guy Fawkes again 😅😂
OH YEAH it came up in Sherlock too right?! Honestly I fee bad about how many gaps are in my history knowledge of England hahaha. (For some reason, despite being Australian, I learned more American history than anything else.)
But yes read it! I think it’ll answer questions! Although the magic part might *not* be so accurate…but like WHO’S TO SAY THIS ISN’T HOW HOGWARTS ORIGINATED.
Ah yes. Guy Fawkes. That dude. We were taught about him every year in history. Because they thought we would forget about the one night a year where everyone is lighting explosive-colourful gunpowder into the sky???
But I had some of my history lessons in Welsh and usually names stay the same but his name has been translated??? Into Guto Ffowc?? and it always kinda bugged me because, Why DoES HEEEE GET A SPECIAL TRANSLATED NAME??? He messed up my Welsh basically because I wanted to translate everyone else’s names XD
We call it Bonfire night (or in my house Firework night… because there is fireworks I guess.) and there are usually huge firework shows to celebrate it on November 5th.
BUT HELLO GUY FAWKES RETELLING WITH HIS SQUISHY SON AND SOME MAGIC!!! I AM HERE!!! Also is this backstabbing literal??? Is there stab-stabbing??? or just metaphorical stab-stabbing?? (Any kind of stab-stabbing is good really…)
THERE IS ALL TYPES OF STABBING!! Honestly I don’t know why I didn’t learn anything about him in school?! I mean tons of people assassinate tons of kings/queens so I’m not sure why his is so special. So it was great to read this and like learn a few things. (I mean, sans magic. I don’t think Guy Fawkes had a magical mask??? BUT MAYBE HE DID.)
Honestly, the actual Guy Fawkes part of Bonfire Night is not a massive deal, like it’s more about eating junk food and watching the fireworks and bonfire, I’m not entirely sure if we even actually burn the guys anymore? Idk, I just use it as an excuse to see fireworks and eat junk food, though we were taught about the whole history of it when we were at school (and I am a history student, so I was actually interested in it!). There really needs to be more Tudor retellings, the Tudors with magic would be so cool and stabby and AHHHH, so good. I have not read Fawkes yet, but I have an ARC of it from Netgalley and after reading your review, I’m feeling super excited for it.
I’m kind of a little disturbed, I admit.😂I mean are you celebrating A GUY’S EXECUTION. OKAY, ENGLAND, OKAY.😂😂 Ahem. But hey fireworks are nice! And I was super interested in history in highschool too! Although for some reason we did more American than British which bugs me in retrospect.😂 I want more Tudor retellings too now omg why is this not a thing?! Let’s petition Nadine.😂
I mean people back in the 1600s were a little disturbing and as a country, we’ve always had a kind of dark sense of humour, so to us, celebrating a guy’s execution is apparently fun-honestly, since we don’t have a like a “National Day’ as most countries that do have one are celebrating their freedom from us, we needed an excuse to have fireworks. I guess American history is seen as “more important” than British, which personally I hate, because our country has a really interesting, if not always great, history! Yes, Cait, Tudors with magic would definitely be your sort of thing, there’s so much blood and violence and executions it would be the stabbiest book ever. I would be down for that!
I’ve never heard of this Guy Fawkes….. maybe it’s cause I’m American 😂😂 Regardless- this book sounds really good and I’ll definitely give it a go sometime!!
I’d love to see some WWII history retold, maybe not with magic but with a secret society of some kind, conspiracies, friends across opposing sides, women fighting on the front lines, gadgets ahead of their time, etc. lol I think I just got myself excited for a non-existent book 😂😂
Egyptian history with magic would be cool too!! I need allll of history retold!
Honestly I didn’t know hardly enough about it!! (The author is American though!!) And oh oh I am with you for the WWII retellings! That would be amazing. (Also the Great Library series has retold the Library of Alexandria in Egypt!! IT’S SO GOOD.)
This book is one my top most anticipated releases of the year. Seriously cannot wait (well I can but it’s painful)
Ok so retelling idea the Roman emperors BUT they have magic and if you kill one you gain their magic wait this might actually be a really cool idea might actually write this.
Only a few more days till it’s released!!
(And omg but can you please go write all of those immediately???? I want Rome and magic. SO BAD.)
Speaking of 2018 releases I just finished A Thousand Perfect Notes and first of all HOW DARE YOU!!!! and second of all PLEASE DARE AGAIN!!!!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Ahahah I live in England and tbh I don’t get the Guy Fawkes thing at all, like why in the name of everything holy are we celebrating some guy who tried to blow up the Parliament?? Or the fact that he was stopped? (Look I’m not even sure what we’re celebrating okay. That is how confused I am about it all.) I think most people don’t care at all, they just want an excuse to throw a party and have firework displays (which I’ll admit I love). Anyway, nice review! This book sounds really cool, I’m not much of a fan of historical fiction but I do love magic so I think I’d probably like this 😀
Andrea @ https://spaceshipsvampiresandsecretagents.blogspot.com
Loooool. That’s what I’m wondering though!! Like isn’t it also super macabre?! All the bonfires signifying burning this dude alive?! 😂 You British are so very very…chill.😂
Wow, this sounds really interesting! London + magic = <3
I'm American, so my favorite time period ever is the Revolutionary War (late 1700s). A while ago I read a book called Dawn's Early Light that was set during the Revolutionary War. It was amaaaazing!
Ahhh that’s so cool you found that great book! I remember studying a LOT about the Revolutionary War in highschool and I found it so interesting!
I need this, it sounds amazing!
IT IS SO MUCH!!
Oh this sounds good. Every dang thing you review sounds good, my TBR lowkey hates you. And, wait, threescore kegs of powder? That’s like 60 freaking powder kegs. Fawkes was going to blow up the entire island, not just the King! Yikes, Because of course if the folk rhyme says it it is definitely the truth and very accurate.
Look, Fawkes was NOT messing about here.😂He wanted that king in several serious pieces.😂😂 (And also your TBR is absolutely welcome for the suffering I put it through.)
This sounds like such a good book. I love historical fantasies, and it’s great to hear there’s no instalove 🙂
There’s no particular time period I’d love to see more of, but it does help if I’m already in love with the time period or setting! For example, historical China. It has such a rich history!
Oooh yes!! And I just bought The Poppy War which I’ve heard is an incredible Chinese fantasy with magic!!!
I’ve read The Poppy War. It’s a solid debut. It has elements that I think you’ll enjoy 🙂
Ahhh that’s good news! I’m super excited about it!
I was so into this review and noting down when to get this book, and then I see “you should try…” with Jackaby and in my mind I literally did this weird pterodactyl/ ring wraith screech of happiness because I feel like my friend Evangeline and I are literally the only people who knew about Jackaby. Like, to the point where people we’ve never met message us and say they read it because we scream about it all the time. BECAUSE IT’S NOT LIKE I’M SCREAMING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW OR ANYTHING ha ha… (i need help)
Ahhhh that makes me happy that you like Jackaby!!😂 And also I totally feel there’s some similar vibes going on (but obviously different era haha). 😂ANYWAY I LOVE THAT YOU’RE FANGIRLING. THAT’S GREAT.
You had me at Guy Fawkes. I absolutely love historical retellings and this sounds so superbly written! I usually shy away from illness and cures storylines as well because they’re always a quick fix and we all know life just isn’t that perfect but seeing what Thomas is up against, either blow up the King and destroy his girlfriend’s life or turn to stone. I think someone mentioned this one is available on Netgalley, so fingers crossed that I can snare a copy. Brilliant review Cait, really enjoyed it ♥♥♥
Oh oh I hope you get approved then! AND YES IT’S SO MUCH FUN (says me about an assassination plot book, but like are we even surprised). And yeah, like I prefer books that feature disabilities to KEEP them, but at the same time, if it was say, cancer, I would totally get the plotline of cure vs it’ll kill you. So it makes sense!
Oh, this is intriguing. I have a strange obsession with masks and cruel fathers and the like, so how could I resist? I love the idea of mixing history with fantasy. I had no idea this book existed but now I do and I would very much like to place it somewhere near my eyeballs. You have certainly written a spectacular review! And added to my TBR, good grief, Cait, how could you?
DEFINITELY YOU SHOULD NOT RESIST. IT calls to you. And your TBR is WELCOME because I know it loves me so much. :’)
Well I loved Jackaby and want to read all the books you listed under “should also try” so basically I am destined to love this book!! Plus I agree the magic sounds FANTASTIC and the inner phantom of the opera lover in me is also screaming because I LOVE the mask premise!! (if there is a masquerade then I am 100% sold on this book!!) Also no insta love? I am here for this!! Great review as always 🙂
It sounds like this is THE BOOK FOR YOOOOOU. And also can we get a Phantom retelling soon?! I’m desperate.😂😂 (And they don’t even need a masquerade because people are masked like 94% of the book except for Thomas who is just crying about it tbh.)
Ahhh how did I not know this existed. I am obsessed with Guy Fawkes!! I need this in my life. Like asap!
I’m so glad it caught your attention! IT SO GOOD.
EEEEK! I’m so pumped for this book. I had trouble getting into A Time to Die, but I have higher hopes for this one since the premise is more in my usual genre!
Ahhh I should also check out her older books tbh.😂I’m so excited about Fawkes (and her next one!!).
I’ve heard of this book quite a while ago but I wasn’t sure about picking it up. After seeing your review on Goodreads, I put it on my TBR. I’m quite glad that you’ve dedicated an entire review on your blog to an underrated author. <3
Aww I’m glad I convinced you! MY WORK HERE IS DONE.😍😂
Oooooh I really want to read this it looks amazing and who knew Guy Fawkes could lead to something so fabulous? Lovely post, as always Hun 🙂
Grace Louise || http://www.gracelouiseofficial.blogspot.co.uk/
You have no idea how excited I was to see this review go up. XD I actually had lunch and talked with Nadine Brandes not a month ago and was already hyped for her book release. Awesome to hear that you liked it! 😀
Awwww you actually know her!? THAT IS THE BEST. She’s the sweetest ever online and we’ve had some amazing chats!
I LOVE the cover of this one! I haven’t read it but I’ve been seeing it around the blogs getting mixed views. It’s definitely staying on my tbr.
(And yes, we British LOVE celebrating the death of the guy who tried to blow up parliament. Pretty fireworks. 🙂 )
Ahhh yay I’m glad I was convincing!! And omg ENGLAND THO. 😂😂It strikes me as the most macabre holiday ever?!
I loved Stalking Jack the Ripper so I think I’d really enjoy this! I’ve been really enjoying historical books lately so when Escaping from Houdini leaves me with a book hangover I’ll probably try and pick this up!
Oh oh I want to read more of the Jack the Ripper series! I LOVED the first one, but I only read it this year, so I neeeed more. 😍
HOly flipping heck I can not even tell you how exciting and wonderful this book sounds. I utterly adore 17th century England, I even studied it at uni lol and the gunpowder plot is SO cool. Putting magic in it??? is like???? MY DREAMS COME TRUE??? People running round ye olde London with feathers in their hats but they are also magicians??? Like V for Vendetta in the past???? And then COLOURS and MASKS like a sexy magic ball aaaaaargh!
AND I LOVE it when people invent original magic systems, and fantasy retellings of actual history just make my entire life. I’m actually just so excited to see this review because I had no idea this book existed and it’s actually the most excited I’ve been about a book you’ve reviewed on your blog in MONTHS!!
THIS BOOK ABSOLUTELY SOUNDS LIKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE. YOU MUST TRY IT SOMETIME!! AHH!!! And isn’t it cool when magic systems are original!? And just a bit different from the norm.😍SUCH a fan. Makes everything more fresh and exciting! (Also this absolutely makes my DAY how excited you are! ✨😘)
Okay. Uhhhhhh adding this to my Goodreads immediately because:
a) The cover looks AMAZINGGGGGG
b) Magic infused in History is always amazing
c) Tragic endings which make me all torn up to the point where I’m probably talking about it for a week are the best kind.
Adding it on Goodreads!
THIS MAKES ME VERY HAPPY THAT I AM BEING CONVINCING!! 🎉🎉🎉
You always are which is very very bad for my Wallet 🙂
*adds this one to her TBR*
*approves of life decision*
This is so funny! I picked this book up and am in the middle of it before I checked in here and found /you/ we’re reading it!!
Everything you’ve said I enjoy too, so I can’t wait to finish this book! Go Emma!!
Ahh I’m so glad you’re enjoying it too!
I’m a sucker for historical fiction that’s set in eras that don’t usually have historical fiction set in them! I’ve been following Nadine for a while now, but Fawkes is the first book by her I read! Emma is amazing.
(ALSO IT CAME OUT ON MY BIRTHDAY SO OBVIOUSLY I SHOULD SCREAM FOREVER, RIGHT?)
Nadine is SO LOVELY THOUGH!! I adore her so much!! And ahhh Fawkes was clearly meant for you. :’) ❤️