I really love how this series is obviously written for kids, but at the same time never dumbs itself down or sugar coats anything like a lot of media for kids is. Kids are smarter and more resilient than people think and deserve good stories too. Also, this one was just as much fun as the first.

Though reading a novel about a plague striking London might not be the best choice during a pandemic, I still really enjoyed this sequel to The Blackthorn Key. The characters, Christopher, Tom, and especially Bridget, are just so charming and I'm happy to follow them on any crazy adventure they find themselves on.

Without a master, Christopher is unable to sell mixtures, which means he is barely scraping by. When a friend of the later Master Benedict gives Christopher a letter with a clue to find his hidden treasure, Christopher is excited. However, the puzzle is harder than he expects. After thugs break into his workroom, Christopher believes they are after Benedicts treasure. As he investigates the who and why in the break-in, Christopher is caught between a prophet who can tell who will die from the plague next and a man who claims to have the cure for the plague. Exciting and suspenseful. Give to fans of fantasy and adventure.

Middle school.

We liked it. It prompted some interesting searches in wikipedia for more information about the plauge in London that is the setting.

Surprisingly boring and not much action I felt. Loved the first one so much and this one didn't have me on the edge of the seat like Blackthorn Key. Wasn't terrible, just disappointing.

loved it soo much like underrated book

[b:The Blackthorn Key|23270216|The Blackthorn Key (The Blackthorn Key, #1)|Kevin Sands|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1433428562l/23270216._SY75_.jpg|42810383] by [a:Kevin Sands|8599864|Kevin Sands|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1441310632p2/8599864.jpg] was the first book that two of my nieces (Thing Two and Red Fish) chose to read for our newly formed book club. I... Did not care for it. It was a struggle just to get through the first one, and then my girls turned around and requested the sequel ([b:Mark of the Plague|48516662|Mark of the Plague (The Blackthorn Key, #2)|Kevin Sands|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571602585l/48516662._SX50_.jpg|49179172]) for our July meeting... SIGH. You could tell the author is a giant history nerd, so it was interesting to see the big focus on social/class dynamics of children, apprentices, business owners, political workers; the king vs the people vs the church... But it's just hard to care when everything is so bleak and everyone keeps getting murdered and 98% of the characters are mean (aka: all the reasons I hate Game of Thrones. Minus the sexual assault). While it might be accurate that adults were fine with beating kids, any kids, in the 1600s, it's still depressing to read hundreds of pages of, say, a 13-year-old orphan getting kicked in the chest by grown men until her ribs break. Not my idea of a good time, personally.

4.5 stars!!! Such an unpredictable plot; the author is so talented!