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A review by capturedinwords
The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
5.0
~Video Review~
https://youtu.be/8Od9fv5S3NA
Brilliant. Utterly brilliant. I won an advanced reader's copy book from a GR giveaway and I am so happy I did. This book is set to release on September 3rd 2015; which is when you should buy and read it. To be blunt, it's amazing, and quite honestly one of my new favorite middle-grades.
London 1665. A world of wigged gentlemen, drunkard peasants, and orphaned children. Christopher Rowe is an orphan at Cripplegate Orphanage, when he impresses an elite member of the apothecaries guild and is then taken in as an apprentice to Master Apothecary Benedict Blackthorn. Christopher learns all kinds of remedies, potions, and lethal poisons in his master's care; skills that will save his life more than a few times. Whispers of murder are spreading through the streets and London's apothecaries' seem to be The Cult of The Archangel's target. Christopher is set on a perilous journey involving conspiracies, codes, secret alchemists, puzzles, and pigeons. Who doesn't like pigeons?
Kevin Sands writing is superb. This book is written in 1st person, which to me can sometimes sound amateur if not done right, but Sands does it right. The mix of real history and events is blended well and keeps it interesting, however, I'm very surprised there was no mention of the plague that hit London in 1665. That sort of feels like a missed opportunity, but nevertheless the history that was given was welcome.
Edit: The plague is mentioned by the end of the book.
I completely recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about apothecaries, alchemists, potions & poisons, and anyone else who likes middle -grade. I look forward to see what Kevin Sands publishes in the future.
https://youtu.be/8Od9fv5S3NA
Brilliant. Utterly brilliant. I won an advanced reader's copy book from a GR giveaway and I am so happy I did. This book is set to release on September 3rd 2015; which is when you should buy and read it. To be blunt, it's amazing, and quite honestly one of my new favorite middle-grades.
London 1665. A world of wigged gentlemen, drunkard peasants, and orphaned children. Christopher Rowe is an orphan at Cripplegate Orphanage, when he impresses an elite member of the apothecaries guild and is then taken in as an apprentice to Master Apothecary Benedict Blackthorn. Christopher learns all kinds of remedies, potions, and lethal poisons in his master's care; skills that will save his life more than a few times. Whispers of murder are spreading through the streets and London's apothecaries' seem to be The Cult of The Archangel's target. Christopher is set on a perilous journey involving conspiracies, codes, secret alchemists, puzzles, and pigeons. Who doesn't like pigeons?
Kevin Sands writing is superb. This book is written in 1st person, which to me can sometimes sound amateur if not done right, but Sands does it right. The mix of real history and events is blended well and keeps it interesting, however, I'm very surprised there was no mention of the plague that hit London in 1665. That sort of feels like a missed opportunity, but nevertheless the history that was given was welcome.
Edit: The plague is mentioned by the end of the book.
I completely recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about apothecaries, alchemists, potions & poisons, and anyone else who likes middle -grade. I look forward to see what Kevin Sands publishes in the future.