One Woman Book Club Review: Fawkes

What a wonderful way to kick off my summer break! While this book was meant to be my April book club pick, life did not work out that way, and honestly I'm glad. This novel was the perfect book to kick off my summer reading, and I don't think I would have appreciated it near as much had I read it during the busyness of April.

This full-length novel took me the better part of a week to read. It is a retelling of the plot to blow up the British Parliament and King in 1605 told from the point of view of Guy Fawkes' son, Thomas. It is told in single point of view, but I didn't find that it took away from the plot at all. In fact, I think the author made the right choice by not including the points of view of the other plotters, who are all based on the real conspirators.

While the infamous Gunpowder Plot is the baseline for this story, the plot is not the main focus. This book is at its core a coming-of-age story. The growth and character development of the protagonist is beautifully crafted. His struggle to make sense of his beliefs and the injustices of his world are so real and still resonate today. The book explores themes of friendship, family, loyalty, and social injustice, as well as a budding relationship that has astounding odds to overcome.

To avoid spoilers, skip to the end of the post.

***Spoilers***

In 1605, King James sits on the throne of England, Keepers and Igniters are engaged in a deadly battle, and the Stone Plague is sweeping through the country unchecked. There are only three things an Englishman can be: a Keeper bonded to just one color power, an Igniter who's embraced White Light and can use all color powers, or one of the plagued.

Thomas Fawkes has been hiding his plague for the two years he's been studying at St. Peter's School. He keeps his plagued eye hidden beneath an eye patch, explaining it away as a fencing accident. Although his plague appears to be dormant, Thomas knows that his only hope of a cure is receive his color mask and bond with Grey, the power that controls stone. The only person who can create and give him a mask is his father, Guy Fawkes, but on the night of his color bonding ceremony, his father doesn't come. Worse, his plague is discovered and he is kicked out of school.

Turning down his grandparents' offer of a home, Thomas sets out for London to find his father and convince him to give him his mask. The journey is eye-opening for Thomas, who up to now has not experienced life as a plagued. Eventually, he makes it to London where he's arrested when his plague is once again discovered, but while he's being carted to the Tower of London where he'll be put to death, a voice speaks to him...and Thomas answers. Unbeknownst to him, the voice is White Light, the source of all color power and forbidden to Keepers, which Thomas is. White Light frees Thomas from the prison cart, and he flees into the depths of London where he stumbles into his father.

Guy reveals to Thomas that the reason he did not show up for Thomas's color bonding is because he is part of a plot to remove the Igniter king from the throne and return the country to Keeper rule. Thomas determines that in order to earn his mask from his father, he must join this plot, and it just so happens that the conspirators need an unmasked. Thus, Thomas is sworn into the plot.

Thomas gains employment with the Baron Monteagle, a member of Parliament and father of his archnemesis from school, as the escort of the Baron's ward, Emma. Emma is the daughter of a renowned British naval captain and the slave woman he freed and then married. She's also uniquely skilled in color magic because of her intimate connection with White Light. While performing his duties, Thomas learns the date of the upcoming Parliament meeting, a crucial bit of information for the success of the plot, but he also grows closer to Emma. The closer Thomas and Emma become, the more Thomas begins to question the soundness and morality of the plot as well as his own beliefs about color power.

Meanwhile, the leader of the plot, Catesby, has brought in a new member. John Dee is a renowned alchemist, neither an Igniter or Keeper, but who commands all the colors and holds a deep grudge against King James. However, unbeknownst to everyone, Dee is controlling the Stone Plague that he created. When Thomas uncovers his involvement, Dee infects him, and it is only White Light that prevents Thomas's death. After much deliberation and conversation with White Light, Thomas bonds with it and is fully cured of his plague.

No longer able to stomach being part of this plot that will result in so many innocent people's deaths and ultimately condemn Emma to a life she does not want, Thomas writes a letter to the Baron Monteagle warning him not to attend Parliament. The Baron passes the warning along, which eventually leads to the discovery of the gunpowder hidden in a storage room beneath Parliament and the arrest of Thomas's father. At the behest of his father, Thomas sets out to try to save the other plotters, but to no avail. However, Thomas cannot allow Dee to continue his destruction of England. With the help of White Light and his beloved Emma, Thomas kills the perpetuator of the Stone Plague and saves all of England.

***End Spoilers***

I love a good historical fiction book, and Fawkes delivers. Author Nadine Brandes does such an excellent job of weaving true events with real and fictional characters and adding in a magical element. Not only does she put a fantastical spin on the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, she humanizes the plotters in a way that I've not previously experienced. In fact, after reading this book, I dove down a research rabbit hole of my own.

Brandes stayed incredibly true to the actual events of 1605. All of the plotters included in her story were part of the plot to blow up Parliament. Thomas is based on a half truth. There is record of Guy Fawkes having a son named Thomas, but other than that brief mention of his birth, there's nothing about Thomas to be found. Emma is the only character not based on an actual person, though her parents were real.

The events of the plot were not changed, from the plotters attempting to tunnel underneath Parliament to the standoff at Holbeche House and the eventual demise of the plotters. Even the letter to the Baron Monteagle was real, though it most certainly was not sent by Thomas. No one ever took responsibility for the letter, and to this day its sender is unknown. Truly the only thing that was changed was the catalyst for the plot. In the story, Keepers are being persecuted for their beliefs by the Igniters. In reality, the plot was planned by Catholics intent on stopping the persecution of their fellow believers by the Protestants. 

This might be the longest review I've written to date, but this book was just that good y'all. It was so multifaceted, and although the outcome was predetermined since it was based on an actual event, the story still felt unpredictable. If you like historical fiction that doesn't stray far from the truth, then this is definitely the book for you. Fawkes will unquestionably be at the top of my best books of 2025 list.

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