Me, at midnight on Release Day: “hmmm why don’t I start Romanov?”
Also me: *finishes Romanov at 3am*

This was a good book!!! I personally liked this a lot more than Nadine’s other book, Fawkes, and I enjoyed that one a lot! Like I mentioned, I saw that it was release day on Instagram (I’m SO out of the loop at college, y’all. SO OUT OF THE LOOP) and decided to start it . . . and finish it, all in one swoop.

Romanov is a magical retelling of the story of Anastasia Romanov, as well as the story of the rest of the Romanov family. There is a conspiracy theory that Anastasia Romanov and her brother, Alexis, did not die with the rest of their family, since they were found buried in a separate grave. Although this was disproved, Nadine went down the rabbit-hole of . . . what if? and what if magic was happened?

One of the parts about Romanov that stood out the most to me was the characters! I have such a GARBAGE memory that books have to be super specific with their characters for me to remember them, and this one did it! Nastya (Anastasia), the protagonist and heroine of this book, was smart, feisty, loving, and thoughtful. Zash was protective, sweet, and conflicted. Alexei was portrayed so well: his sass, his illness, and how absolutely sweet he was. The Romanov father!!! 😍😍😍 he was so WISE and so loving and so sweet and I LOVE HIM!!! The rest of the family was also portrayed so well, as well as really, all of the other characters! They were given a depth that really brought them to life and I loved getting to know each of them better.

The history was also SO good: it was so beautifully written and well researched. Unlike Fawkes, there was a lot less description and a lot more plot, which makes me like it a lot more! I’m not one for huge descriptions: I just want the story already!! In that regard, this book was wondERful. (also it literally had a puppy so like. I’m sold). The pacing was also awesome: it didn’t feel like anything moved too fast or too slow (also it’s also due to the length of the book: it’s way shorter than Fawkes which made it a lot more enjoyable for me). The romance felt a little bit rushed, but it still made sense.

All in all, Romanov was one of my favorite reads of 2019! The characters were well written, the plot moved well, and while the setting wasn’t particularly well set, setting isn’t my cup of tea anyways!

9/10

Things Liked-
Nastya was so beautifully written! I loved her character and what she believed in, and her heart!
Father Romanov! I LOVED him: he was so wise and understanding
Alexei was also great: he was bantery and strong and lived for himself (also greAT disability rep!)
The rest of the characters: they were super well written and sweet!
The villains were proper villains (well, except for those who weren’t. but still) and you grew to loathe them but also respect them and AAA it was goOD
also there were puppies so like
The plot moved at a great speed! It wasn’t too fast or too slow, and flowed easily
The magic was SO well woven in!!
The book was a good length: it was long enough that it felt like it was a Book™, but wasn’t hard to read in one sitting?

Things Disliked-
The romance was a /little/ bit too fast for my liking?

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was incredibly excited for this Anastasia retelling. I do not know much about the actual history or other retellings, but I was totally here for it.

Overall, I really did enjoy this a lot. It was an easy and quick read - perfect for a Sunday afternoon. It is intense at times, packed with emotions and a lovely main character. I did have some issues with the slow pace of the first half (I know others will love it) and the lack of world building.

Not knowing much about the history, I cannot attest to how accurate the first bit is, but from what I have read since, it seems like it is a pretty personalized but relatively accurate. I was really touched by the family dynamics and their love for each other. I enjoyed seeing it through Nastyas eyes who is such an optimistic character that holds up hope and looks for solultions at the worst of times. Her compassion and need for harmony and acceptance for all people was amazing and I loved how she did not let the situation pull her to the dark side and display anger and hate.

It feels like we are getting a quite accurate portayal of how Nastya would have seen and felt, but I was missing a bit more controversial views so that the reader might see where the Bolsheviks come from and that Nastyas romanticised views of her father and Rasputin might not have been what people outside of the family would have experienced.

Overall very enjoyable read with a bit of a history lesson in the first half, although you have to keep in mind that this is a a very subjective view of history.

Anastasia ‘Nastya’ Romanov and her family are royals, but her father abdicated and they are living as captives.
When her family is split up with some of them being sent to face trial, Nastya is charged by her father to conceal and keep safe magic spells which are contraband.
Surrounded by Bolshevik soldiers, can Nastya and her family hold on to their hope?
Can Nastya befriend Zash who doesn’t act like other Bolshevik soldiers?

The mix of historical and magic drew me to Romanov and it was definitely my favourite aspect of the book.
Nastya was a good protagonist. She was likeable and I thought she was very brave given everything she and her family went through.
I liked Nastya’s brother, Alexei, a lot – he didn’t use his haemophilia as an excuse not to put himself in danger and I liked their relationship.
The romance wasn’t one of my favourites that I’ve read, but I didn’t dislike it. I did appreciate that it wasn’t the focus of the novel.
The plot was a bit hit-and-miss for me. Not much really happened for the first half of the book, but then it was pretty much non-stop action (which I enjoyed), so pacing was an issue for me. I really liked that the author used some events that happened from real life and then made them her own by adding magic and spell masters. I found the magic very intriguing – the spell masters used ink for their spells and some had to mature before they could be used.
I liked the writing style, but I wasn’t gripped.
I do feel like Romanov didn’t quite reach its potential and I am disappointed that I didn’t enjoy it more, but overall this was an enjoyable read.

An enjoyable read overall that I would recommend to readers that like twists on historical events.

Not for me, so I didn't include a review of it on my blog. I think a younger audience could really enjoy this though, might be their gateway drug to other historical fun.

I did see the original movie Anastacia made in 1956 with my Grandmother which I really enjoyed and was not sure whether I would enjoy this book as much.

However, I loved every detail Nadine Brandes wrote. If you love magic and Imperial Russia, you will love this book. This book focused a lot on the actual history of the Romanov family, which this history nerd really enjoyed. Nastya and her family started to feel like my friends, and I could feel the tension, the drama, the sadness, it was beautiful. Once I started this book it was very hard to put down until it was finished it was a really great read.. I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity of reading and reviewing this book.

DNF’d.
I have always craved an Anastasia inspired story within YA but unfortunately this did not deliver.
I’d like to clarify that I did not finish this book so my judgement is purely on the first part of this book.
I found the plot to be lacking, I didn’t care for our characters and the protagonist was quite immature and annoying. Maybe I just had too high hopes for this story, I’m not sure. I don’t think I would pick up another book from this author though, I don’t think the story has been crafted in a style that I enjoy.
However, the synopsis sounds so good and the cover is lovely so maybe I will pick this back up in the near future and push through to the end to see if I enjoy the book more at a later point.

This book lived up to the hype! I was enthralled with not only the story, but also the characters. Everyone was relateable in some way, and the scenery was described beautifully.

More like 2 1/2 stars but rounded up to three.
I find that I believe we are all under an Anastasia retelling spell. I mean after such tragedy how could we not want to read different alternatives to such a story. Disney definitely helped. Which is why I devour anything Anastasia inspired and excited I got my hands on Romanov. Unfortunately Romanov didn't really seem to add another take on the story. We still deal with Rasputin and that whoever survives will live a life in secrecy. And there were definitely inconstancies with the plot. I know this is an alternate take on the story but the author did say she did extensive research but some things just didn't add up or make sense and took away from the story I think the book would have been better off not following the history so thoroughly in the beginning that it hurt the ending of the book. which is where the make believe part was added. But with that being said I still did enjoy Romanov and the sisters, I also liked that magic was added into the plot. Magic makes everything better.

Overall Romanov is a well researched take on the Romanov story but in my opinion hinders in its alternate retelling. And that it's not a retelling that stands out or at being original.

I've seen a trend lately with a handful of books being released about the Romanov legend, and each one seems to take their own spin on the true historical events and beyond. In that way, a lot of them contain the same basic information, so I didn't learn anything new from reading this novel after having read I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon a couple of months ago. However, each author can take some creative liberty in creating new characters and spins on the ambiguous details of Anastasia, or in this book Nastya's, life. In Brandes' case, she created Zash, a young Bolshevik soldier stationed in Ipatiev house to keep the Romanov family safe and within the rules of their confinement, but he grows a soft spot for the family, and for Nastya specifically. I liked that, once again, Brandes focused on the story being told and not the potential romance between Nastya and Zash which could have become a main focus since YA authors tend to fall into that trap. It's refreshing to read a teen story that doesn't revolve around young love, and this novel absolutely does not. Nastya's main focus is on making sure her family escapes Bolshevik imprisonment alive, and she is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

The magical element was more subtle than I think I was expecting, at least for the first half of the novel. I didn't feel like I really understood the extent of the power magic held in this world until the very end, so it was a little underdeveloped for me. Of course, Nastya is no spell master, she only has a basic understanding of healing spells to help her brother survive with his hemophilia during their time in Bolshevik capture, but I think I was expecting magic, more than just the single magical item Nastya sneaks into Ipatiev house, to play a greater role in the whole novel.

This novel was exciting and creative in terms of where Brandes took Nastya beyond the halfway point. If you know the true story even a little bit you can see that halfway through the novel, the split from history to fantasy and fiction becomes much clearer. I enjoyed this new take on Anastasia's rumored escape from execution and maybe you will too!

As much as I love Anastasia this book didn't quite do enough to keep my attention. My faults aren't with the book directly, but more with the general reading mood I've been in for awhile. I haven't really dabbled in historical fiction since reading A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, which was also good but presented a similar set of problems: as much as I love historical fiction, I think I like watching it more than reading it. With this book it doesn't help that I've always been a big fan of the animated film and was constantly comparing the two. I don't think it's fair to the book to do that, so unfortunately this was a DNF for me.

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
Big thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of Romanov to read and review before the release date. I was so happy after trying and failing to get my hands on this book quite a few times. After I ended up having to make a NetGalley account and I tried requesting it again.
I'm not at all familiar with the story of Anastasia, but luckily I was able to get into the story without much of a problem. While it did take me a couple of chapters to get into the story, I was invested in the characters pretty quickly. The first 1/3--to 1/2 of the book was a bit slow plot-wise, but that didn't bother me because I was still on the edge of my seat.
Nadine took a trope I only like in very few books and did it RIGHT.
Not many books have done this in a way I've been happy with. *Cough, Cruel Prince, Cough*
I can't speak to the accuracy of the culture as I'm not too familiar with it, but Nadine did do a good job making me feel like I was in Russia.
The ending really kept me reading, and I'm sad it's done. It's so worth the hype, though I do think I prefer Fawkes story wise. That doesn't mean Romanov wasn't done well because I think it was done VERY well!!

another solid 3.5, but I will give this four stars instead of three just because I love the history and the mystery surrounding the Romanov family and Anastasia. I loved the twist on how the story could have gone and it was really interesting reading about the whole family during their exile in Siberia. And this was of course heartbreaking as well.

I must say that that I was not that invested in the ship in this book though. Always nice to get some romance, but I didn’t really feel the chemistry here. Even though it’s got the right set up for me, I just didn’t feel it. But this really isn’t about the ship, its focus is on the history, the magic and family.

I've heard and seen Nadine Brandes' books everywhere, and hence has always been on my radar. But when I saw that she wrote a retelling of Anastasia, I just knew that I had to get my hands on it. I consumed this book so easily and I was immersed in the magical world of Nastya and the royal family. History and Fiction blended so effortlessly in the book and I felt like I was actually watching the Grand Duchess grow and go through all this. Nadine couldn't have chosen a better time to reintroduce this tragic story to the world and make it her own. As a mega fan of the 1997 animated film and the 2017 Broadway production of Anastasia, I give this a big stamp of approval and hope to learn more about the royal family.

This story is a true representation of home, love and family, and that the bond of our hearts truly spans miles, memory and time.

{I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.}

I think that the mystery and drama surrounding the Romanovs is one of those inspirations that has really captivated people's imaginations around the world. From the musical cartoon, to numerous other novels and short stories, as well as non-fiction, there is more than lifetime's worth of material it seems. This latest YA fictional re-imagining combines history with fantasy. The book opens with the Romanov family together in exile, awaiting a trial post-abdication of the throne to determine their fate.

Anastasia, or Nastya as she is referred to here, is the narrator, striving to do all that she can for her family - from using the limited healing spells that Rasputin had taught her prior to his death, to raising spirits through pranks and plays. And naturally, this YA book includes a bit of forbidden romance between guards and princesses. It's an entertaining read, but because the story itself is is so familiar, the pacing moves a bit slowly until Brandes separates her storyline from the known facts.

The Romanov family are all revered here - each family member's actions are so thoroughly good, that I must admit that at times this was more unbelievable than the magical spells and spell ink that is required. I admit, too, that I had hoped that this would have opened just a bit earlier to cover more about Rasputin. He is mentioned here, but doesn't have quite the same role that I think that I was expecting.

Still, I never really disliked anything about this one - I just didn't love it as much as I had hoped to. I think that it's hard to make this story really feel fresh because it really has been told so many times. The magical angle, while interesting, wasn't laid out so that it always made sense... but, the author's obvious passion for her subject matter and research is evident here! I think that readers who aren't quite as familiar with the history will be even more engaged and ready to use this as a starting point for more learning!

When I signed up for the Retellings Challenge this year, it was definitely intended to be an actual challenge for me. I love retellings in theory and have read a decent number of them, but I still focus so heavily on contemporary fiction. Add in the fact that ROMANOV is also historical fiction, and I knew it would be a great push out of my comfort zone. I'm a fan of the movie Anastasia of course because WHO ISN'T? so I signed up quickly for this blog tour. Killing a lot of birds with one stone! I digress.I was right: this book was definitely different than the other stories I have been reading this year! The Russian folklore/themes were a really nice change of pace for me. Sometimes I forget how much I enjoy other genres 😳 It's clear that Brandes did a lot of research on the history of the Romanov family and what the setting would have been like during that time. The story begins with Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov and her journey, with her family, into exile. She is tasked with stealing an ancient spell (through a doll) along with them. The first half or so of the book involves their travel and the rest of the book involves the more ~magical~ elements. I loved that the spell was connected to the Russian nesting dolls I'm familiar with.It personally took me a little while to get into this, but I feel it's for a lot of the reasons I mentioned before: I'm not the best with historical fiction (especially if I'm mostly unfamiliar with the real historical elements), but usually the fantasy elements can sweep me up quickly.

My new focus turned forward. I'd not mourn the lost good memories - I would apply them to my heart as a poultice every time it ached. That was what positive moments were for - to help heal the wounds of the future. As long as we chose to remember them. (ARC, pg. 47-8)

I loved the family dynamics in this story and learning about her siblings, especially when I think back to the real story. When the remains were found, a few scholars believed it was Alexei and Maria whose bodies were missing. Others believed it was Alexei and Anastasia. Either way, the spin-off of stories and theories involving the two missing children and their fate have been fascinating. (This book 100% made me want to watch Anastasia again. 🤩)  I was so curious about the real family and their history that this book may have made me fall down a Wikipedia hole...Once I got into the story, I couldn't stop. I was eager for the magic and fantastical elements to start. I'm not overly enthused with the kind of captive/captor relationship plotlines of most books or movies but this one worked a bit better for me than others. I liked seeing how Zash and Nastya interacted (Maria and Ivan too) and was curious to see how the story would end... for a lot of reasons! The final portion of the book was so interesting and fast-paced. I'm happy with how their story ended; what a cool way to reimagine the Romanov family!

ROMANOV by Nadine Brandes is a magical and optimistic book focusing on the last few months of the Romanov family — including the legendary Anastasia — before and after the family is executed by the Bolsheviks. I received this ARC on behalf of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This post DOES NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS.

I will publish a post containing spoilers on Tuesday, May 14 on my blog, #MediaGalReads, to give readers the opportunity to read the story and form their own thoughts. However, here is the shortened review:

Why I was interested: I have always loved the story of Anastasia since I was a toddler renting the animated movie from good ol’ Blockbuster. As I got older, I grew to appreciate the history surrounding her family and also the legends that followed her death. Aslo, I received FAWKES by Brandes for Christmas and I was fascinated with how she would make this sad story become something magical.

Judge a book by it’s cover: It’s a very pretty Russian-inspired cover. My only note is that the dress feels slightly outside of the 1910s time period (my first thought shouted the 1700s…so it did throw me off a bit).

What to expect: While magical, this story does lead up to the historical assassination of the royal family which I have yet to see in YA and can be brutal if you know what is going to happen. However, there is some really great optimism in this story, and I appreciate how much care Brandes takes to be historically accurate with how the family acted with the soldiers that kept them under house arrest and how the children grew up.

Why you should pick this book up: This is definitely a more historically-accurate Anastasia-story so if you loved the original animation or, more so, the Broadway show, then this book is perfect for you. It is a standalone if you are interested in that aspect, and once you get to about 30%, you won’t be able to stop (so expect a nice late night of reading).

Want more?: If you have read ROMANOV, you can read the post containing spoilers when I post it on Tuesday, May 14. Until then, Brandes other story, FAWKES, a historical fantasy focusing on Guy Fawkes Day, is available to read.

Thanks for stopping by!

MG, #MediaGalReads

***Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review***

Romanov tells the story of Anastasia Romanov and her family. The first half is meant to be more historically accurate while the second half depicts a fictionalized story of how Anastasia and her brother, Alexei, could have survived.
This story was different than I expected. I thought the book would be focused on how Anastasia survived the execution while the rest of her family perished. But, this story instead focused on the Romanov family in captivity. Throughout the first half of the novel, Brandes shows how kind, compassionate, and self-less Nikolai Romanov was. His empathy was truly remarkable. Which is why his death, along with the rest of the family, is heartbreaking. You go into this story knowing how it will ultimately end for the family, but I still found myself hoping for a different outcome.
Romanov is very well-written. The only reason I am giving it 3 stars rather than 4 is that I couldn’t fully connect with the characters. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Nastya (Anastasia) and her family, but I wasn’t attached. If not for this I would give this book 4 stars. It’s evident that Brandes did her research and that she wanted to do the Romanov family justice with her story.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in the Romanov family. This book provides a nice history lesson while also throwing in some fantastical aspects such as magic. Overall, it’s an entertaining read that is definitely worth checking out.

Nadine Brandes has a great skill at incorporating low-level fantasy into real-life history and Romanov is no exception. This book was an interesting adventure into the world of the Russian Civil War and fall of the Romanov family. But the emotional impact that was rampant in Fawkes was missing here. I felt Anastasia's stress as she watches her mother and brother waste away from their respective health conditions and the pain of not being able to do anything. And I felt her confusion over her blossoming attraction to Zachary but I was never able to connect with her motivations other than to please her father. The writing style is still beautiful and I love the idea that Anastasia & Alexi got to go on their own adventures before their deaths and being returned to their family's grave.

I sped through this book - it's one of those "just one more chapter..." books that keeps you reading much longer than you planned. It's the perfect kind of historical fiction - fun, vivid, and not so detailed that you find yourself constantly consulting a family tree or timeline to keep track of the story. If you've tired of reading about every last one of Henry VIII's ill-fated wives, this fantastical portrait of the dramatically imagined escape of the royal Romanov family from the Bolsheviks will be a welcome change!

I have always been fascinated by the history of the Romanov family, and through the narrative of many historical truths with a dash of magic, Nadine Brandes takes her readers on a new journey that explores Anastasia and her family’s lives. From the first page, the main character, Nastya, provides such a captivating voice and point of view that leaves the reader craving more about this mischievous spell caster and her daring trial to survive and save her family.

Romanov hits a lot of the high points of the Romanov history, but this fictional mouthpiece also provides a unique perspective into one of the most sincerest families. While the Romanovs are imprisoned and hidden from society, this tight-knit group longs for justice, peace, and the chance to truly live again. They are often thrown into such uncomfortable situations but their tenacity, along with Nastya’s fierce but playful attitude, create perfect moments of relief. Every page had me emotional invested and yearning to see hope for Nastya and her family.

Overall, Romanov is a very captivating story that portrays strengths in themes of forgiveness and love. I really enjoyed the steady pacing of the book, which allowed the book to smoothly flow and unfold. Plus, adding in a dash of magic and young love to a historically well-known story had me ingrained from beginning to end.