Fawkes Excerpt
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.
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Fantasy author Nadine Brandes brings fans a must-read saga of corruption, masked war, and a race against the clock in Fawkes. In 17th century England, Thomas Fawkes, the son of the famed anarchist Guy Fawkes, is infected with the Stone Plague, and the only cure is to join his father’s Gunpowder Plot to assassinate the king of England. Complicating things further, the family of the girl Thomas loves is on the wrong side of the fight.
An actual war on the monarchy is never declared, but the planning and plotting is carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death. But what if death finds him first?
The dueling sides both cry foul. The Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did it. All Thomas knows is that a mystical stone plague has infected his eye and is spreading. If he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So, when his father, who is on the Keeper side of the battle, 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 the Igniter King James and his Parliament sky high.
The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of Thomas’ love interest, 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 masks have been put on, there’s no turning back.
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