Fawkes By: Nadine Brandes Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fantasy Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publication Year: 2018 Series: Stand Alone Synopsis:
"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." ~Taken from Nadine Brandes website: nadinebrandes.com/product/fawkes/ Characters: This time around I am just going to introduce the two main characters, because if I introduced one or two of the sub-characters I would feel the need to introduce them all...and there just isn't time for that! Thomas Fawkes: A young man in search of his father to claim his mask so he can feel like he fits in with everyone else. Upon finding his father he is pulled into a scheme of rebellion and murder. While pledging his support to the rebellion he begins to question their motives and the truth behind their beliefs. He begins a journey to find the truth for himself. Emma: A young lady who has an air of mystery surrounding her from the beginning. She challenges Thomas' beliefs and his views throughout the book. She is a spitfire, who stands up for herself with a measure of grace and dignity. She fights for what she believes is right. My Thoughts: First off, can we just stop and stare at the cover for a minutes? I mean look at it! Before I even read the inside flap I was interested! Of course that could be attributed to my love of masks and masquerades. But really, the cover is gorgeous and if you get your hands on a copy, being able to run your fingers over the raised mask is really where the magic is at. Now, let's dive into the book. This story held me captivated. As in didn't want to put it down, took it to my husband's softball game, could have stayed up all night reading it, kind of story. The twists and turns, the characters and the gunpowder plot. Give me history and then mix in a bit of fantasy with it - these are the kind of stories I love. I believe I have mentioned my love of first lines, well this one did not disappoint. "I wasn't ready to turn to stone." How can you not want to read more and figure out what is going on! Thomas is a very relatable character. He struggles trying to make his father proud of him while also digging for the truth behind the deep seeded hatred between the Keepers and Igniters. I love how Thomas is relentless in his search for the truth. He could just listen to what his father and other adult figures tell him is truth and just accept that, but he continually tests it and doesn't settle for their easy answers. Emma is a beautiful character. I love how the author made her sweet and kind, but also a force to be reckoned with. I loved all the mystery that surrounds her and why she wears her mask all the time. When the reason is finally revealed it made perfect sense and I loved how it happened. Emma complements Thomas' character. She is steadfast in what she believes. She doesn't avoid Thomas or his questions, she welcomes them and then challenges him through her answers. This is the first novel I have read by Nadine Brandes and it did not disappoint. It was artfully woven together from the first line to the last and throughly captivated this reader. Recommend? If you enjoy history with a fantasy twist then this would be a good read for you. Nadine weaves a story of intrigue that you will not want to put down. Let me know your thoughts and if this book sounds interesting to you! Cheers, Rebecca
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A Defense of Honor By Kristi Ann Hunter Genre: Historical Fiction/Inspirational Publisher: Bethany House Publication Year: 2018 Series: Haven Manor Book #1 Synopsis: "When Katherine "Kit" FitzGilbert turned her back on London society more than a decade ago, she determined never to set foot in a ballroom again. But when business takes her to London and she's forced to run for her life, she stumbles upon not only a glamorous ballroom but also Graham, Lord Wharton. What should have been a chance encounter becomes much more as Graham embarks on a search for his friend's missing sister and is convinced Kit knows more about the girl than she's telling.
After meeting Graham, Kit finds herself wishing things could have been different for the first time in her life, but what she wants can't matter. Long ago, she dedicated herself to helping women escape the same scorn that drove her from London and raising the innocent children caught in the crossfire. And as much as she desperately wishes to tell Graham everything, revealing the truth may come at too high a price for those she loves." ~ Taken from Kristi Ann Hunter's website: https://www.kristiannhunter.com/adoh ~ Meet the Characters: Katherine 'Kit' FitzGilbert - The main female character. Kit is a relatable character who is just trying to help others while living under a burden of guilt over a choice made years before. Daphne - Kit's best friend and the mothering type to all the children in the house. Jess - a woman with a mysterious background, who does all the kitchen work and teaches knife throwing...she is thoroughly intriguing and I am eagerly anticipating her story! Graham, Lord Wharton - The main male character. One of my favorite lines from the book by him to his father is this, "What makes a good earl?" This is the shape of his character, he wants to do good. He wants to help people, but for most of the book he isn't sure how to go about doing it. Oliver, Lord Farnsworth - Graham's best friend. He has known Graham since their school days. His sister goes missing and he drags Graham and Aaron along to help him find her. Aaron Whitworth - Graham's other best friend from their school days. He is an illegitimate son. He works for Oliver's father with horses and helps Oliver and Graham find Oliver's sister. My thoughts: This book was good from start to finish. I love first lines. While this book had a bit of a cumbersome first line, I became entranced when Graham catches a glimpse of green in the blur of color in the ballroom. The first conversation between Graham and Kit is full of wit and banter, which continues throughout the book. Kit leaves him in London, but he soon finds her in the middle of nowhere when he accidentally stubbles upon her out of the way location. Kit struggles with trusting men after being burned in London years before, but Graham quickly endears himself in the way he interacts with the children and shows her that not all men are equal. I love the interaction between Graham and the children and his quick acceptance of them. Jess, Daphne and Kit have a lovely relationship, which is evident throughout the entire book. They encourage and challenge each other constantly, which I love reading. Nothing is better than seeing woman affirming and challenging each other. The author intertwines Kit’s struggle with trusting God beautifully. I love how it is pointed out and how Kit begins to deal with it by trusting God more. Recommend? If you are looking for regency England (think 1800s) sweet romance, then this is a book for you. I would highly recommend it. The characters are relatable and real. There is no swearing, violence or sex. The kissing that does happen is dealt with in a sweet manner. Let me know if this sounds interesting to you! Cheers, Rebecca Hi! and Welcome to my blog!
This all started as a seed of an idea. My sister-in-laws and I were perusing used books at our favorite Christian bookstore, pulling books off the shelf and commenting on the covers and if it sounded interesting or not. When one of them told me I should start a blog. I laughed softly at the idea. Me? A blogger? When would I have time to blog? Am I really good enough at expressing myself through the writing? The other sister quickly agreed. And before I knew it they were offering to help me set up a blog, design it, and had even come up with name for the nonexistent, but quickly becoming a reality, blog. I tried to banish the thought, but the idea became rooted in my brain. We finished looking at books and headed home. In the quiet of my living room the “blog thought” quickly took the forefront. Before I knew it I was on my computer looking at other friend’s blogs, who they were through and potentially costs. I roped my sister-in-law into the process via google hangouts and we quickly narrowed it down to the platform. She talked me through the setting up process and I quickly gained momentum and confidence as I began to discover the world of owning a website. While I still have a lot to learn, I am excited to explore and start something new. So, thank you for checking out my site. I hope, through my book reviews, you will find a good book to get lost in. Cheers, Rebecca |
Welcome!My name is Rebecca and this blog is dedicated to my thoughts and opinions of the books I read. I hope you enjoy reading through my reviews. And hopefully you will find a good one to get lost in! Archives
November 2019
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