CBR 16 Bingo – Disco (Free)
“Tom raised his eyebrows. ‘Master Benedict keeps cannon fuse?’ ‘We use it to light things from far away,’ I said. ‘You know,’ Tom said, ‘things you have to light from far away probably shouldn’t be lit at all.'”
I read this book a few years ago, and really enjoyed it then. I decided to reread it this year in an effort to reread all 5 books I had already read before reading the 6th which came out in 2023 and I hadn’t gotten around to reading yet. I ended up stopping after rereading the 3rd book because I got distracted by another book or series. Maybe I’ll get around to them eventually, but, for now, the first book was pretty good both the first and second time around.
The Blackthorn Key is set in historical London and follows Christopher Rowe, an apothecary’s apprentice who spends his time working in Master Benedict’s shop, learning how to solve riddles and puzzles, and blowing things up. However, a mysterious cult preys on the apothecaries of London, and Christopher must figure out who is behind it before it is too late.
I really enjoyed this book, especially the first time I read it. The codes, ciphers, and puzzles were really interesting, and the fact that it was historical fiction (or really historical fantasy) drew me in. The characters were fairly interesting, even though it was a little too convenient that Christopher had this great knowledge of ciphers right when he needed it.
Overall, it was nice, somewhat funny, and a pretty engaging read. It’s better if you are in late elementary or early middle school, but it’s still pretty good if you aren’t. It also offers great life advice, like the quote above, about lighting things on fire. What more could you want from a book?