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A review by verymom
The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
5.0
Our librarian recommended this to my son. He got busy with another book so I gave this a whirl. I didn't really know what to expect, but holy cow, it was AMAZING!
It's middle grade, but WOW was it enjoyable for an adult. It is set in London in the 1600s and everything is incredibly well researched. I was expecting fantasy, and it isn't... but it feels fantastical. There is a lot of religion (necessary for the time and political climate), and there are grisly murders... described enough to be chilling, but not inappropriate for middle graders unless they are particularly sensitive (I might have been too sensitive for this at 12, but I was also a snowflake child who cried if anyone even *said* the word 'murder,' so). The young apprentices get hit/beat, also in keeping with the era, though the main character, Christopher, has a kind master.
Christopher is whip smart, and his loyal friend Tom is just the best. The characters are clever and the world building is perfect. I loved the guild, all the well researched chemicals and subsequent reactions, the quick-thinking of our protagonist as he gets out of (and into) scrape after scrape. Dr. Perkins & the "Black house" was such a great touch, as were background details like the looming plague, the tension between the Church of England and the Puritans, the King of England, all the Latin, etc, etc. All really fabulous.
There is [b:The Da Vinci Code|968|The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #2)|Dan Brown|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1303252999s/968.jpg|2982101] level mystery here, complete with codes, murders, and the looming threat of the Cult of the Archangel. (If you didn't like the Da Vinci code, worry not. No controversy here, and wonderful on its own). I chuckled at many parts, knowing my kids would love references to 'peeing one's britches' and the value in pigeon poop.
Anyway, this was really excellent. My kids are going to love it, and I can't wait to read the next one. How have I not heard more noise about this series? It's been out since 2015? Thank goodness for librarians!
* Also got the audiobook, and the accent of the narrator is perfect. I'm not a Londoner and I know there are dozens of different dialects, but it's what an ignorant American would call somewhat Cockney. It's perfect.
It's middle grade, but WOW was it enjoyable for an adult. It is set in London in the 1600s and everything is incredibly well researched. I was expecting fantasy, and it isn't... but it feels fantastical. There is a lot of religion (necessary for the time and political climate), and there are grisly murders... described enough to be chilling, but not inappropriate for middle graders unless they are particularly sensitive (I might have been too sensitive for this at 12, but I was also a snowflake child who cried if anyone even *said* the word 'murder,' so). The young apprentices get hit/beat, also in keeping with the era, though the main character, Christopher, has a kind master.
Christopher is whip smart, and his loyal friend Tom is just the best. The characters are clever and the world building is perfect. I loved the guild, all the well researched chemicals and subsequent reactions, the quick-thinking of our protagonist as he gets out of (and into) scrape after scrape. Dr. Perkins & the "Black house" was such a great touch, as were background details like the looming plague, the tension between the Church of England and the Puritans, the King of England, all the Latin, etc, etc. All really fabulous.
There is [b:The Da Vinci Code|968|The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #2)|Dan Brown|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1303252999s/968.jpg|2982101] level mystery here, complete with codes, murders, and the looming threat of the Cult of the Archangel. (If you didn't like the Da Vinci code, worry not. No controversy here, and wonderful on its own). I chuckled at many parts, knowing my kids would love references to 'peeing one's britches' and the value in pigeon poop.
Anyway, this was really excellent. My kids are going to love it, and I can't wait to read the next one. How have I not heard more noise about this series? It's been out since 2015? Thank goodness for librarians!
* Also got the audiobook, and the accent of the narrator is perfect. I'm not a Londoner and I know there are dozens of different dialects, but it's what an ignorant American would call somewhat Cockney. It's perfect.