Mark of the Plague by Kevin Sands

Mark of the Plague by Kevin Sands

Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adventure

Age - 11-14

Grade - 6-9

529 pages, hardcover

c. 2016

     The opening line of The Mark of the Plague, the second book in The Blackthorn Mystery Series is Tom saying to Christopher, his best friend, “This is a bad idea.” It is a comment Tom often makes and many times he is correct. Christopher is proudly showing Tom his latest invention, Blackthorn’s Smoke-Your-Home, designed to prevent the plague and bring Christopher some much needed income. It does succeed in filling the shop with a thick, sweet-smelling haze but it also left a big black scorch mark on the wall and set Harry, the stuffed hedgehog, on fire.

            Christopher is still mourning the death of his master, Benedict Blackthorn, and the plague has hit London very hard. A strange prophet, who wears a bird’s head mask, has come to London with the ability to predict who will die from the plague. An unknown apothecary has also come who claims to have a cure for the plague. Christopher is given a letter from his master by a friend. The letter reveals that Master Benedict has left him a treasure but to find it he must follow many cryptic clues. The letter say, in part, “Somewhere in our house is a prize, hidden for you. Treasure. Understanding your nature, you probably haven’t found it yet….You won’t find it until you realize something incredibly important. Our home is yours. Use everything you have been given. Recognize exactly what this is…Solve this one last riddle, and you’ll not only find your treasure, you’ll learn one last thing - and that is the most important thing I’ll ever want you to know.” The riddle is, “The young bird finds its treasure when it settles in its place, hidden, deep, beneath its feet; don’t let it go to waste.” Christopher spends most of the book trying to solve the riddle and it is his faithful friend Tom who eventually helps him to do it.

            Sands based this story on actual events and included the Bills of Mortality, which listed the number of people who had died each week. The Great Plague of London would ultimately kill one in five of the city’s residents. The humorous dialogue between characters, especially between Christopher and Tom, makes a nice balance from the dark events described in the book. Interesting new characters are introduced, both good and evil. One of these characters, Sally, continues to be a major character in the following two books. As with the previous book there is much action, narrow escapes and many plot twists. I highly recommend this book.

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

Historical Fiction, Adventure

Age 11-14

Grade 6-9

371 pages, hardcover

c. 2015

          Picture the opening scene of The Blackstone Key. Christopher Rowe, apprentice apothecary to Master Benedict Blackstone, and his best friend Tom decide to build cannon in the shop while the master is out. It is illegal for an apprentice to make gun powder but Christopher has just decoded this recipe of his master. Things don’t go as expected and upon returning to the shop Master Blackthorn is looking at his large stuffed black bear which has been shot in the crotch, his straw guts spilling out.

      Although the book starts out with a humorous tone the story quickly turns serious. Apothecaeies are being murdered after being tortured. There is a secret cult that is looking for a recipe that will give them unearthly power and after Master Benedict is murdered Christopher realizes his own life is in danger. It is unclear who the real enemies are. Christopher must rely on his ability to decode mysterious puzzles his master has left him and the undying loyalty of his friend Tom to stay alive long enough to uncover who is behind the brutal murders.

            Set in London in the 1650’s this is a book of rich historical detail and well developed characters. Christopher is fearless when it comes to trying anything. This makes him a good apothecary and also gets him into a lot of trouble. But his courage and daring also helps him track down the people who killed his beloved master. When faced with a decision of great consequence his moral code helps him make a good choice. Master Blackthorn is a kind, generous master, unlike most others of the time. He is a lover of knowledge and truth and has a burning desire to help and heal others. Tom shows an amazing loyalty to his friend Christopher and reminds me of Sam’s relationship to Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. There is much action, adventure, mystery, science, history and humor. The codes and puzzles that Christopher must solve involve astronomy, botany and especially chemistry. It is possible for the reader to solve these puzzles as the narrative provides the codes to uncover the mystery before you turn the page.

                There is a fair amount of violence in the descriptions of the murders and assaults that take place but they are appropriate for the time period. The actual murders happen off scene. There is also much sound wisdom offered in the book. One of the first lessons Master Blackthorn teaches Christopher is that some of the ingredients they use in small doses can heal and in larger doses can kill. He says, “It is never the tool that decides. It's the hands-and the heart-of the one who wields it.” Lord Ashcombe, the King’s Warden, remarks to 

Christopher about the way he tricked the leader of the cult, “You used his nature against him.”

            While I still like The Ascendancy Series very much, see blog posts May 5, July 4, Aug 1,  The Blackstone Mystery Series is now my favorite book series. There are three additional books in the series. Watch for future blogs.