Fawkes

by Nadine Brandes

[phyllish]

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

Once the masks are on, the war begins

Masks and magic and mayhem. In a society that drew power from hiding behind masks given to them by their parents, Thomas Fawkes desired nothing more than to receive his mask and the color magic that would come from it.

Fawkes is a fascinating blend of historical fiction and fantasy. The author took the details of the Gunpowder Plot and made them into an allegorical story where the conflict isn’t over religion but over color magic and light.

I really loved the analogy of God being the pure color from which all other colors get their being. I also appreciated the way that everyone knew that the White Light talked to everyone, attempting to woo them in the way that God woos us to Himself. There were no specific references to God or religion, yet the parallel drawn was evident to me. Non-Christians would not be offended by anything in the book.

Thomas was an interesting hero. He was wonderfully flawed and weak, not even having received the mask that would provide him with power. His Spiritual journey as he sought the love and approval of his father was touching.

Emma was wonderful! She was feisty, strong and wholly committed to following the White Light. Her relationship with it allowed her to accomplish amazing things. Her mask completely hid her face yet she radiated a beauty that was unmistakable.

While I did enjoy the story and the way the allegory was handled, there were places that things seemed to move slowly and I didn’t find myself riveted to the book.

If you read this book, be sure to see the author’s notes at the back to see what parts are based on history and which are entirely fantasy. I found that interesting as well.


This review was originally posted on Among the Reads

I would like to thank JustRead Tours for giving me a copy of this book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.