A Diabolical Plot – by Benjamin Langley
It’s time for Guy Fawkes to face his destiny.
Seeking allies to help combat England’s demons, Guy Fawkes fights all over Europe with friends old and new until an encounter with the King of Spain sends him into Africa to interrupt England’s supply of gunpowder. But in Morocco, Guy discovers a dangerous cult, the Children of Mizraim, who plan to corrupt the entire world with a demon plague. Battling against a resurrected nun, black cathedrals rising from the seas, and the Spanish Inquisition, Guy Fawkes travels farther than ever, facing greater dangers, on a path that eventually leads him back to England.
At home, England’s new king, James I, reigns over a population terrified of religious persecution. To end this oppression, Guy Fawkes joins a band of conspirators determined to change the world for the better. Will this explosive plot finally bring an end to England’s demon rule, or will diabolical forces thwart Guy’s plans once and for all?
Dark bleatings, my fiery tribe! In honour of Bonfire Night, I thought it might be the perfect time to review the third book in Benjamin Langley’s historical horror series, starring Guy Fawkes. In real life, he’s the guy who famously tried, but failed, to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In this series, he’s a relatable fellow with unfortunate luck, and also he slays demons. As historical fiction goes, it’s a total hoot, and my favourite book series of this kind.
We start in present day with Jamie and Sidney, our usual framing device. Jamie presents dear old Sidney with an artefact – the bone whistle – and then Sidney continues to tell Jamie the story of Guy Fawkes. So, along with Jamie, we’re brought into the past with Guy and his pals, and the demons.
It’s actually going to be pretty difficult for me to talk about this very much because of the two books preceding it, and not wanting to give huge spoilers for the entire series so far, so this review is going to be more brief than I’d like, I’m afraid.
In short, following on from the other two books (which I loved), this did not disappoint. Guy continues on with his quest, getting into trouble along the way… and then…er… much bigger trouble towards the end. It’s captivating.
One major difference I noticed between this story and the former instalments is the shift in tone. The others are very funny in a silly way – not like a Scary Movie type of silly, more like a Red Dwarf type of silly. The stakes are high, some serious shit goes down, but we’re afforded some (extremely funny) comic relief in humorous characters, including Guy, and unfortunate but comical events. This story, however, loses some of that lightness, and it felt very intentional because we’re hurtling towards Guy’s ultimate fate now which, if you know Guy’s real history, you’ll realise is quite grim. I thought that the writing reflected where the plot was headed. There are still laughs in this one, but there’s a more serious undertone. And why not? Thematically, this is very much a story about evil influences and how power corrupts.
The very best part of this for me (out of all 3 books, not just this one) was the very ending when we return to the present with Jamie and Sidney. I mean, I literally can’t tell you a single thing about it without blowing three books worth of plot but holy cripes, it is bloody brilliant.
It’s a great instalment in a great series of books and I wholeheartedly recommend the adventures of Guy Fawkes to fans of historical horror fiction. If you’d like to check out the book or the author, I’ve popped some links below for you:
GUY FAWKES: DEMON HUNTER – A DIABOLICAL PLOT
Bleeeeat!
Happy Goat Horror 
Leave a comment