The Blackthorn Key

Starred review from June 29, 2015
First-time novelist Sands has written an exciting and self-assured tale of alchemy and dark secrets set during the late-17th-century reign of King Charles II. Fourteen-year-old orphan Christopher Rowe is lucky to be apprenticed to a kindly apothecary, Master Benedict Blackthorn. But someone—the Cult of the Archangel, it is rumored—is murdering London’s apothecaries, believing that members of the Apothecary’s Guild are concealing a dangerous secret. Christopher is an easygoing boy, fond of pranks and experiments (the book opens with his ill-advised and ill-fated attempt at mixing up some gunpowder), but after Master Benedict is assaulted, he finds himself on the run, pursued by the murderous henchmen of a rival apothecary and the dangerous Lord Richard Ashcombe, His Majesty’s Warden. Sands adeptly balances the novel’s darker turns with moments of levity and humor, and fills the book with nicely detailed characters and historical background—plus lots of explosions. It’s a story that should have broad appeal, while especially intriguing readers with an existing interest in chemistry, history, and decoding puzzles. Ages 10–14. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House.

charlesh20 - The Blackthorn key by Kevin Sands, basically this book is about a key called the Blackthorn key to solve an mystery involve killing, crime, dangerous codes. Christopher is an apothecary’s apprentice in London. He facing complex and hard codes, unknown mystery and puzzles or even creating powerful and dangerous medicines. The goal is to solve the mystery and find out the answer of many quest. This book is involving advance word, and this book I wouldn't suggest for the people who is under 5th grade. This book's story line is plan perfectly and well. I can't see any non-making sense part or unknown part. This book is very mysterious and complicated. I somehow don't understand part of this book but overall I would say this book is very interesting and insane. The things in this book is crazy and this makes the book more even greater to read. The puzzle and codes part is the part I enjoy, I love solving those kinds of things, Of course I don't understand but I will still want to solve it because the book's mystery makes me want to solve it and find out the answer.