Fawkes

Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone.  It's a secret he's kept hidden at school, made easier by the fact that the stone plague seems to be dormant.  He's lost an eye, but that can be covered by a patch and explained away as a fencing accident.  He is on the eve of graduation, of taking his color test when he will bond with a color to help him focus his magical ability.  He hopes desperately to bond with gray; he hopes to hold the plague in check.  Many people have tried and failed to control the plague using color power, but Thomas believes he will be different. 

When his father fails to show up for his color test, his plague is revealed and Thomas is thrown out of school.  Only fathers can make masks for sons and mothers for daughters.  He vows to go to London and force his father to make his mask. 

But Guy Fawkes is more than just a military hero.  He's also involved in a plot to assassinate the king.  The politics of color power are more pronounced in the city with Keepers and Igniters in a deadly battle.  The king and most of the people are Igniters.  They believe in bonding with and using as many colors as they can.  They also believe the stone plague is caused by Keepers and their suppression of white light.  Keepers believe in bonding with only one color, that using multiple color powers leads to corruption and caused the stone plague.  Each side believes removing the other by death and destruction in an attempt to end the plague. 

Thomas swears loyalty to his father's group to get his promised mask,  but he is unsure about what he truly believes.  Plus, the plot will hurt Emma, a girl he's come to care deeply for.  Will he be loyal to his father and finally get his mask, or will he listen to Emma and increasingly persistent voice of white light?

Nadine Brandes's novel is an epic historical fantasy hinging on the very real gunpowder plot and the religious and political tensions of 17th century England.  This book has everything:  history, intrigue, magic, romance, a crisis of conscience, racism, and a deadly stone plague.  This one isn't necessarily for the casual reader, but those who are willing to inhabit this world for a while will be rewarded!  Recommended for grades 8 and up not for content but for text complexity.