Written by Jayse Smith
Thomas is the son of the great Guy Fawkes. In the beginning the story feels a lot like a young adult version of The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss—a young man in a world of magic is determined to find his place in the world until he’s displaced and then embarks upon a journey, which leaves him penniless and a street urchin. Unfortunately, that’s where the similarities end.
In Fawkes, the reader doesn’t learn much about the main character within the eight chapters other than he is Thomas, the son of the great Guy Fawkes, and he has been cursed with the Plague. In this world, it happens to be not black death but stone, which petrifies the skin and spreads until total petrification occurs. Also Thomas comes across as a whiny, entitled, petulant whinger.
Not learning much, developing a connection with or liking the main character of a book makes the reading a touch uncomfortable. Thomas spends a lot of time mulling over being kicked out of the school he was attending on the day he was to be given his mask and ‘colour’ power. He often leans on the fact that he’s Guy Fawkes’s offspring… A fact which is mentioned a lot.
But looking past that, the storyline is interesting enough to keep the reader engaged, in this fantasy/historical 16th century England where a war is brewing between Igniters and Keepers. Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did it.
What Thomas knows for sure is that the stone plague, which currently infects only one eye, is spreading. If he or someone doesn’t find a cure, he’ll end up a lifeless statue. His only option? Find his father! When he does, Fawkes convinces Thomas to join his gun powder plot, start a revolution, and use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter king which he claims will end the plague.
The Positives
– The cover is stunning and it’s what drew me to this book in the first place.
– The character of Guy Fawkes… He oozes charisma and strength. He is a very complex father character with loads of layers.
– The fact there are historical figures from the real plot involved in this fictional plot.
– The magic system, the masks, the colours, and the power.
– The villain, I can’t say much because spoilers!! But your jaw will hit the floor.
The Negatives
– Thomas, the main character. The one we are supposed to love, the main driver of the entire story is whingy, he’s whiny and just a tad unlikable.
– Hearing strange voices and ‘The White Light’ god was annoying.
– The religious undertones, the keepers being Catholic and the infighters Protestant.
– The book had a very slow beginning and middle.
If you like historical fiction blended with fantasy, this is the book for you. But if you’re like myself and you don’t enjoy this type of genre, perhaps this isn’t the book for you. When reading the synopsis of Fawkes, this reader was completely enthralled and excited, it’s just that upon reading the novel it was very slow going and very long.
You can find Fawkes on Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Have you read Fawkes? Will you be checking it out? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
