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Fawkes A Novel Nadine Brandes Books

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Fawkes A Novel Nadine Brandes Books

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.

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. My opinions are my own.


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Fawkes A Novel Nadine Brandes Books Reviews

This is a rather nicely written reimagining of Guy Fawkes and his Gunpowder Treason and plot. Within you will find a magical system based on colors, "perversions" of said magic, a doomed rebellion, a stone plague, sword fights, disguises, betrayal and greed all with a smattering of ye old honour and a boat load of British spelling with "U"s added in for good measure. Other such period appropriate British niceties include Tower of London activities like tar and nails to the face (a popular twist on the family friendly punishment of Tar and Feathering), threats of hangings, drawn and quartering and all around 17th century crimes against humanity fun.

I'll attempt to give a spoiler free review, therefore some particulars will have to be skirted. I will concede that it is a smidgen preachy on the monotheistic front, one Color to rule them all type thing...BUT...with that being said I'd like to follow up with a ringing endorsement as to how exciting and addicting this novel is... slight preachiness and all.

It features a first person narrative by Guy Fawkes' quasi-historically accurate son named Thomas. Thomas is 16 years old but more than that he is noble, brave, gallant and determined to get to the core of all matters so that he can understand and do what's Right. He (begrudgingly) sets off on a life altering journey to find his father, the infamous Guy Fawkes, seeking to force his father to give him a family crafted Color commanding mask which he believes will help cure his dormant Stone Plague, save the persecuted Keepers and allow himself to become the Man he believes himself capable of being.

GASP
(end of run on rant)

The other characters are interesting though not very diverse. I happened to enjoy the supporting cast save two. There was Emma. I LOVED her and all of her nuances! I especially loved all that she represented, stood for, and even how beautifully she supported Thomas - aiding him in his transformation to become the best possible version of himself. She was bold, implacable, talented, unshakable in her Faith and other enviable traits. Now Dee on the other hand... that's all I will say on that matter... spoilers and such.

Fair warning for those Cupid haters out there, there is a romantic relationship within BUT it is SO tame it does not overshadow or muddle the action. It is cute and mellow and most of all sweet.

Overall the writing was delicious, how else could I have devoured it so quickly? (har har har) The character development was palpable, rich and robust. Mrs. Brandes makes it all seem simple/seamless. I am not an avid reader of Historical Fiction BUT I luxuriated in this one, a compliment for sure! If you like period pieces, gritty London of old, plots and schemings and betrayal (oh my) AND most of all... the glittery tiara on top... a UNIQUE (almost historically accurate) magical journey without a cliffhanger ending, then I suggest you pick this one up and give it a go!

~Enjoy!
(Written by Gabriella)
Before we get started...HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO FAWKES!!
*Disclaimer I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed in this review are purely my own.*
Fawkes is a historical fantasy, something I'd honestly never read before, but I was rather intrigued by the idea. Diving in however I was not pulled right into the story as I thought I'd be. And that's not because of the plot. It was the characters. I was not very interested in Thomas at first. I don't know why since it has been a little while since I read the book and I don't remember all the details.
My favorite part of Fawkes was the magic system. Like COLOR MAGIC??? Why has this NEVER been done before?? It was so unique and Nadine did a perfect job capturing it in the book.
Moving farther into the story, I did end up really liking Thomas. He's a strong character and I appreciate that he makes his own decisions instead of just following what everyone else does.
Also, I love Emma too.
I was very upset when I finished reading this book because there is no sequel. It's a stand alone. *sobs.*
Now I will go stare out the window and wait for UPS to deliver my hardcover. K Bye.
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.

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. My opinions are my own.