So, I hate to admit this but I DNF'd this book around 15%. I am not sure if it was my headspace or the story, but nothing was gripping me and every time I picked it up and considered reading more of it, it felt like a chore, which is why I ultimately decided to set it aside. I may return to it in the future, but for now, I just didn't find the story terribly engaging from the jump.

I didn’t know what to expect when I started on this book. Growing up on Disney’s Anastasia, I’ve long been fascinated with the unfortunate young Grand Duchess’ story. The thought of her escaping and surviving her family’s fate was a wishful thought, and I guess that was what I was hoping to read about.

Nadine Brandes, however, had other plans.

Romanov puts a magical spin to Anastasia’s re-imagined story. With spell masters hunted by Bolsheviks keenly intent on bringing down the Russian monarchy, this book was an interesting one that mixes fact with fiction. Brandes did an excellent job balancing history and finding just the right parts of it that she could stretch to fit the story she wanted to tell.

Research, of course, was key.

Brandes did a lot of reading and digging to set a steady base for this story to stand on. This was most prominent in the first half of the story where details of the Romanov family’s lives were detailed and narrated. Some of the facts included in the story I already knew about from reading books and documentaries, but others were new to me. I didn’t know that Anastasia, or just Nastya to her family, was a mischievous girl. She loved pulling pranks on just about everyone and was even called shvibzik or imp in Russian. It was definitely a nice bonus learning more about the family and the way the author dropped the historical gems she found in her research brought them to life for me, made them feel more human than the history books could and would ever do. If you’re a history geek like me, you should definitely read Nadine’s author’s note at the end of the book. In it, she talks about what’s true and what parts of the story she played with to make this book.

I loved Nastya and Alexei. Maria, too. Zash, meanwhile, grew on me as I continued reading. For me, their characters were the most formed and the most entertaining. They made me laugh and giggle with their shenanigans, made my heart ache for them as they slowly lost hope and, definitely, made me go “Tsk, don’t do that. Stop” a number of times.
Nastya, however, has a special place in my heart. She was a bright and curious girl. She loves her family and would do anything for them. I felt for her. Having been betrayed by the person you were starting to fall in love with and watching your whole family and the most loyal of your staff murdered is enough to crush anyone. But Nastya, though weighed with pain and grief, had to do what she can to help herself and Alexei escape and survive. It was her determination, not the powerful spells, that made her beat the odds set against her in the end.

I loved most of Nadine Brandes’ additions and changes as they lent Nastya’s story more color. However, there were still a few things that, while I didn’t outright hated, felt unnecessary to me. Zash was an interesting character by himself with his own motives and different background and personality that sets him apart from the Romanovs. However, his and Nastya’s romance felt forced. In all honesty, these two were more pushed together rather than having chosen each other on their own accord. In all honesty, I would have been happy enough with them being friends. Their relationship felt unnatural to me.

Overall, Romanov was a wonderful re-imagining of history. Magical and intriguing, this story has family at its core. Fans of Nadine Brandes’ other YA historical fantasy Fawkes will definitely go heart eyes for this book. YA historical fiction lovers will find a lot to love in this one as well.

This YA book is a twist on the classic Anastasia story. I’ve read other historical books on the Romanov family and I loved that this book covered more than just the separation from the family. This covered the heartbreaking last moments of their time in captivity. It is a well researched novel that also covers magic. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding their story and the magic element perfectly fits in especially with the back story of Rasputin. He’s not a big element in the book as the story takes place after his death.

This isn’t your disney story. There’s heartbreak, political intrigue and a thrilling story on second chances. I read this with my heart in my throat as I knew the outcomes. You’re drawn into this family and their secrets. You can’t help but hope, despite knowing history, that the outcome would be different. The author pulls you in and draws a close-knit family despite being held captive by the Bolsheviks and their previous history.

This is an easy to follow book despite the dense history behind the original story. It kept me enthralled and I needed to know how Anastasia was going to figure this out. And let me tell you, you’ll never guess. The descriptive language draws you into Russia, into the cold frigid winds when they’re hiding in the forest. When they’re jumping on a speeding train, I could feel the rush as they tried to reach the landing. Anastasia takes you on a journey that is a little embellished but magical and has you reaching for your own family.

Honestly Romanov is one of the best and most engrossing books I've read in awhile. I devoured it in a few hours! I truly appreciated the care that Brandes took with her book.

I've read plenty of Anastasia stories, but this one blended history and fantasy so well. I liked that the magic system was easy to understand but had layers that kept me surprised--but not on a Deus ex machina level. I also really appreciated the characters. The main protagonists are three dimensional and have realistic struggles that felt accurate for the time and for their character.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for a fair review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Romanov is a novel that I wasn't expecting to hit me as hard as it did. It's a bit of a doomed and slow-paced story, but it's also a novel that focuses on love and family and never giving up. Romanov is the perfect mix of historical fiction with a touch of fantasy that brings a truly unforgettable family to life.

Most of us have a general understanding of the tragic Romanov family story and that it has been proven that Anastasia did not actually survive the event, despite what some great movies might tell us. However, Brandes keeps the favored idea that Anastasia, or Nastya, did survive, and she also adds in some interesting magical elements to make things a bit more interesting and to raise the stakes even higher. I was hooked throughout the entire story, from the prison-like place that the family is kept to the more fast-paced and action-oriented moments that take up much of the latter portion of the book.

The synopsis of this book makes it sound like it has a heavy romantic component, and although it does have an obvious romantic element, I would hesitate to think of this too much as a romance. There is a romantic interest with a character named Zash, as mentioned in the synopsis, and although this does eventually play a large role in the plot, I felt it was always slightly overshadowed by Nastya's commitment to her family and the magic elements she is entrusted to taking care of. This is also much more of a character-driven book than it is a plot-driven book, which understandably placed an emphasis on the character development and relationships of each. There was also a heavy focus on the magic-related plot point that is entrusted to Nastya by her father and which sets in motion many of the more pivotal scenes in the book.

I found Nastya to be an interesting and admirable character, someone who truly places her family above others and will do whatever is necessary to take care of them. I really appreciated her loyalty and cautiousness at all points in this book and I enjoyed following along as she started having to face more and more challenging obstacles. The only thing I didn't care for was that I didn't feel like we got to see as much about her as the author described, such as her personality before being essentially 'imprisoned' with her family. The same thing goes for her father and mother; I understood her relationship with them, but I didn't always see it, especially in regards to her relationship with her mother. I did, however, love Nastya's relationship with her brother, Alexei, and sister, Maria. What I didn't care for was that the rest of Nastya's siblings seemed nonexistent, and I'm not entirely sure why Brandes didn't seem to include them much at all. I understand having the entire Romanov family makes things a bit overwhelming, but I often forgot they even existed.

Brandes has a lovely prose style that is both simple and exquisite at the same time. She doesn't overdo with flowery words, but she still maintains a hint of elegance that makes everything flow smoothly. This helped to make the novel flow well at any point in the plot, whether it was during a slow- or fast-paced part, and whether it was a meaningful moment or one of more humor and lightheartedness, the latter, of course, being on the rarer side. Since the story is often on the slower side in terms of pacing, it's crucial to have a well-written and interesting narrative, which I think Brandes captured well. I also loved how well she captured the strong loyalty of a loving family. It was beautiful and heartbreaking to see the way that everyone cared for one another at every point in the novel, no matter how stressful their situation became. Developing characters and relationships that authentic is an impressive feat and I highly commend Brandes on that component.

My only real complaint about this book is in regards to the magical elements, as I wish that they had been developed a lot more than they were. There was an explanation of the magic system, but it never felt fully-fleshed and I had far too many questions about it than I was given answers for. Magic begins to play a larger role in the latter half of the novel, but I just would have liked to see a little bit more about it throughout. Similarly, I didn't feel that the Russian setting and world-building was given as much detail as it could have had and therefore I didn't often notice the Russian settings as strongly as I would otherwise.

Overall, I've given Romanov four stars! If you enjoy historical fantasy and strong focus on family, then be sure to check out Romanov.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley (Thank you!). Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Romanov presents us the tragic story of the Romanov family through the eyes of the most famous Romanov in history: Anastasia. Those who watched the animated movie will probably want to read this and those who didn't will probably want to satisfy their curiosity.
The author's writing was good, easy to understand. The worldbuilding and the imagery were okay. The plot followed historical facts but changed elements and added characters. For instance, a love interest for Nastya was added, and the Royal family was portrayed as extremely kind, and these things are merely fictional. However, the author was able to blend them nicely into the historical facts and build a believable alternate history.
Nevertheless, I was disappointed with the poor magic system and there were chapters I found the pacing a bit slow and some reactions from Nastya a little bit naive or out of context. I think the language was very contemporary but I understand that it is adapted to our Era.
I must say that I really enjoyed the bond of the Romanov family and the message of forgiveness. I appreciated it was a character-driven plot and I'm eternally grateful that the author presented us a better ending than the real Anastasia had.
As for the romance I'm not really sure how to feel about it because although it is my favorite trope, I'm not sure I liked Zash and I couldn't really feel the chemistry I expected between him and Nastya.
It was a nice reading, not great, but enjoyable.
I recommend it to those who are interested in Russian history with a sprinkle of fantasy or those who are interested in the great duchess Anastasia because all retellings of her are always worth reading.
I'll be looking forward to read more from this author in the future.
Rating: 3,5 stars

This is quite a personal review, because Anastasia is something that has been so close to my heart that I tend to judge everything that has to do with her a bit harsh, so that affected a little my experience with the book.

Something that I really liked about Romanov was that despite that it had some magical elements, it was very historically accurate. If someone picked it up without knowing anything about the Romanovs, they’d probably had a fair picture of the different family members in their heads once they finished the book. The author did her research and some points were done quite similarly with what happened in real life.

My main issue was regarding the plot and the magic. I feel the story was a bit weak and lineal, and though we were supposed to be engaged with the characters and what was going to happen, I didn’t feel that connection. I think the plot took a long time to finally start, and once it did, there were a lot of things happening in the last few chapters but nothing in the middle, and I got a bit bored. The magic explanations were a bit lacking, and despite it being such a huge part of the story, there was barely any information that could explain to the reader what it was about or how everything worked.

Another problem that I had was with the characters. Like I mentioned before, I have a very specific picture of Anastasia, and since this wasn’t technically a retelling, I was expecting to see someone with a different personality than she had. Her inner monologues were sometimes a bit too repetitive, and her interactions with the rest of the characters a bit awkward. I was also hoping to see a deeper and more complex relationship between her and her sisters and brother, and I feel it was eclipsed by the romance.

When it comes to the romance, I have to admit I wasn’t the biggest fan of it. Not only it was a bit cheesy, but these two characters barely had any chemistry, and their relationship was super rushed and didn’t make the most sense.

Overall, this was such a fast paced story and had some elements that I think were good, but I was expecting much more from it, and unfortunately I was a bit let down

Hi, my name is Erin. I have been under the spell of books since I first met Anne Shirley at age 7. Some stories/periods of time I will return to again and again. I am not here to recover, I just attend to get more recommendations and eat these cookies.

This historical fiction/fantasy standalone takes readers to Russia in 1918 where Tsar Nicholas and his family are being imprisoned by the Bolsheviks. One hundred and one years later, the tragedy of Russia's royal family still captivates many, including this particular reader. I liked Romanov but I didn't love it.

The story is told through the eyes of youngest daughter, Anastasia (Natsya) Romanov. Imprisoned with her parents Nicholas and Alexandra, sisters; Olga, Tatiana, and Maria and brother Alexei, Anastasia brings to life the families last months of life. Rich in historical detail, what has been passed down about the Romanov's and their guards is all there on paper. Nadine Brandes adds some dark magic and spells to push her narrative a little farther in scope.

Now I have read previous books that discuss alternative history from Anastasia, Maria, and Tatiana's point of view and how they escape from their tragic fate. Aside from the magic that is new, I felt there was a lot of sameness in this book. The romances with guards, the Rasputin subplot, and the promise that whatever character has survived is going to live this incredible life albeit in secrecy. I wanted a bit more fireworks for this story.


All in all, the release of this book is definitely going to bring the story forward to a whole new generation of readers. My hats off to Nadine Brandes for her dedication to getting her version of the story out there. I wish it had happened that way.

Goodreads review 07/05/19
Publication Date 07/05/19

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

You know when you read a book that you know is going to stay with you forever?

I read this book what, two or three months ago? But so much of it is still bright and fresh in my memory. Because Nadine Brandes’s writing is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l. The worlds she weaves are lush and vivid and whimsically imaginative. It’s been two or three months since I read the book and I’m still trying to recover.

She retells the story of Anastasia like never before. Like never again. Obviously, I prefer it to the Disney movie.

You really can’t expect me to use words to do this book justice. We’re talking real story– rich details woven in with elements of fantasy, family, and friendship. Looking beyond prejudice and hatred. Humbling yourself before your circumstances, lowering yourself to servant status, forgiving those who never apologized– this is what this book is all about. The world needs more books like this. I’m serious. I don’t know how she did it, but Nadine managed to show the true spirit of humility and kindness while also showing steadfast determination and fiery hope.

The emotions in this story will pull back and punch you in the gut. Nastya was an amazing protagonist– probably one of my top favorite female MCs of 2019!– with her laughter and kindness. Nadine did an awesome job portraying Nastya as how she might have been in real life: mischievous, spunky, and impish. Nastya is the kind of girl you’d want as an ally and definitely not an enemy.

I didn’t resonate as much with Zash, but he was pretty great too. I loved Nastya’s attitude toward him– she was pretty much the image of the kind of non-hater so many of us claim to be while aren’t. And the other characters… the entire Romanov family… Alexei… Wow.

Just wow. I have no words left to say. I loved Romanov even more than Fawkes! I guess that means it’s about time I read the Out of Time series… Nadine Brandes, you have truly outdone yourself this time… and in a really good way, too.

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

<i>**I voluntarily read and reviewed a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**</i>

The Romanovs... Anastasia... The Russian Revolution.

Unfortunately I am not well versed on any of these topics. I knew very little about the revolution and the Tsarist autocracy; I have never watched Anastasia and I had never delved in to the conspiracy theories that flew regarding the deaths of the Romanov family. <b>Nadine Brandes ignited an interest I never knew I would have</b> and this turned out to be a very interesting read for me.

<blockquote><b>It takes more strength and courage to forgive than it does to enact revenge</b></blockquote>

First and foremost <b>the thing that I loved most about this story was the bonds of family</b> and the Romanovs deep seated loyalty to each other and their patriotism to their country. I also loved that Brandes wrote Tsar Nicholas II as both a man and father to look up to, a pillar of strength and support for all the Romanovs in their time after his abdication. He was not incompetent or weak in this story and both his love for his family and his country were clear. Is it idealised? Yes. Is it going to be 100% true to history? I doubt it, but that's where creative license comes in and Brandes also added an intriguing magic system of Spell Masters and their Spell Ink and I enjoyed the way the story of the mystic Rasputin was woven into the threads of history and fantasy.

Nastya (Anastasia) herself was a great character to follow. Her strength and persistence spoke to me and her mischievous nature coupled with her love for her family carried the story.

<blockquote><b>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.</b></blockquote>

Alexei was also a wonderful character, full of charisma and spirit and his complete defiance to let his disorder stop him from living a life he wanted to live endeared him to me.

I definitely preferred the first half of the book in which the Romanovs were captives and I got to see their familial bonds and learn about their past from the eyes of the author. It's also the half of the book firmly rooted in history which gave it a soundly plotted course and you begin to learn abut the fantasy elements. The second half seemed to meander a bit and I wanted it to be more goal orientated; to understand what the characters were aiming for. I guess we were all a little lost - Nastya herself wasn't sure of her course.

Unfortunately this is not a story where the protagonist triumphs over all and saves everyone, no matter how much I wanted the magic to prevail and no matter how much I wanted a better payoff for both Nastya and for me. <b>It is a moving, darkly written story</b>; bittersweet and full of heartache; but also full of hope, love and forgiveness and I am glad to have had the opportunity to read it.

DNF - 30%

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. It just failed to keep my attention. I don't think I am in the position to write a full review of it so I'll just leave it at that.
I am giving it a neutral rating (3 stars) because it would be unfair to rate it less given that I haven't even finished it.

5/5 stars

"The bond of our hearts spans miles, memory and time."

I have always been drawn to the story of Anastasia and the Romanov family, which is why it was so easy for me to fall in love with this retelling. It was pure heart with a sprinkle of magic! It was unlike any other Anastasia retelling I have read, because it felt more real and focused on her family life rather than Anastasia reclaiming her title and identity.

Synopsis
Anastasia, or Nastya, is currently living in exile with her family after her father Tsar Nikolai Romanov was forced to abdicate the throne. When her father is suddenly forced to separate from the family to face trial in another city, he asks Nastya to protect a magical family secret and keep it out of the hands of their captors the Bolsheviks.

Setting
Historical Russia and the house where the Romanovs were being kept was the main setting for this story. I absolutely loved the world building that brought you back in time, but with a hint of magic. The story felt so real at times that I forgot I was reading a fictional retelling of a true story.

Characters
The focus on the Romanovs as a family and siblings was everything I needed from this story and truly didn't expect. It tugged at my heartstrings hard! I loved how this retelling showed more of the loving, close-knit family life that Nastya had during this time. The overall message of forgiveness and kindness to those around you was so strong and beautiful within their family unit. It really made you care about Nastya and her family throughout the story and events. The guards and the relationships the family had with a few, including Avdeev, Ivan and Kash, showed this message as well. The story did such a good job at showing how conflicted the characters were between their morals and duty. I loved Nastya's character. She was such an intelligent and mischievous girl and her conversations with Alexei and Kash were my favorite parts.

Pacing
For me, this story was an easy, fast read. I truly loved it and could've read it in one sitting! Around halfway through the story, it switches gears and the reader goes into the retold adventurous, magical unknown part of the story.

Overall
I can't recommend this heart-felt story with strong family influences and a little romance enough! I truly loved it and I can see myself reading this magical story again. The icing on the cake was the afterword at the end of the story! The notes from the author that stated what was fact vs. fantasy honestly shocked me. A lot of the details I thought were made up to possibly fit the story were in fact true! It showed me how little I knew of the true story and caused me to immediately look up every biography/true fiction book mentioned!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this amazingly written eARC! I absolutely loved this retelling and can't wait to read more from this author!

2.5 stars

An overall okay spin on the Romanov story but for me it all felt way to underdeveloped and as if the author tried to do too much in one book without actually managing to do any of it very well.

Good things:
- I liked how the author spun the Anastasia story in a different way than the typical YA/disney tropes - aka the best known versions of her story- and took it into a bit of a different direction.


Middle ground:
- the writing.
Its good solid writing. Its easy to read, it fast to fly through without over simplifying it.
so why is this not listed as a good thing?
Because the entire book has some issues that i personally also see as part of the writing style. Mostly there would be plot issues but lets be honest, there are very few fantastic books out there that have bad writing, just as there are very few horrible books out there that have the best writing. There has to be this middle of a good plot and good writing to make a good book. If one isn't that great, the other suffers in some way as well, right?
So i am not sure if the writing is the problem or the plot, but some things -mentioned in a second- are missing in this book that are defiantly making me question if the writing is actually good overall.


The not great, or not working for me, parts:

- there is a HUGE lack of explanations in basically every area that a book can lack in/with explanations.

And i don't just mean that the author kind of assumes that the reader already knows the Romanov background at least a little bit since we just get thrown into their exile from page one and never really get a good explanation on why or how it all happens. And i guess that's okay if you have a bit of an understanding of that part of history already? But does everyone? I mean i do have that so it was okay, but honestly think its a bit much to just assume that anyone seeing this book automatically knowns a bit of Russian history? Maybe thats just me and my underestimation of todays young adults. Possible.

But there is also a BIG huge lack in the magical explanations.
Or lets just say it as it is! There was no real explanation of the magic in this book.
Also there was never a real actual good usage of it so why was it even really in this book? I never quiet understood that part at all to be honest.
Why add it if it doesn't really play a big part of it all, especially if it is never actually explained?
We get hints and mentions of this big magic, of blood magic, of magical connections and spell casters and great spell masters, those great teachers and of getting training or of someone having training in the past... but where is it all?
Did i miss that?
Did i miss this huge bit moment in this book where all those magical moments came together and where actually used in a why that made it all make sense? that pulled it all together?
I hope i didn't miss that moment.
I Could have.
I am NOT great at magical realism which i guess this falls into?
No clue. I am a confused cupcake, okay?

- The characters
I wanted to at least like them.
I am sorry to say i couldn't. Mostly because i felt it lacked a bit in characterisation and again explanations. We get thrown into the life of this family on the day they get separated and get thrown this little section of the father telling his daughter to keep this "secret" save and than everything just moves on without explanations, without character building moments even without any real introduction to anyone.
I am sure there are readers that will love that. Because they don't need those things to enjoy a book and feel happy with it.
I do.
I need explanations. I need to get to know a character. i want an introduction and i want to get to know that person and i want to be invited into their life, okay? That is why i am reading! I want to basically be the invisible little friend on the shoulder of that character, getting taken along through all the adventures without actually having to do any of it!
I sadly never got the chance to do that with this book.

Which brings to me the last point:
- it all felt a bit rushed... while also going rather slowly at the same time.
Again look at me being a confused little cupcake trying to understand the world!
This book moves -especailly in the first 100 pages very fast.
We get introduced, 5 pages later half of the family is going somewhere else, half the family remains behind, things are being packed and taken and soldiers are everywhere and all of a sudden there is a letter from the family members that left with bad news and all of a sudden everyone else is also being moved to join the rest and of it happens within the first 20- 30 pages while also having this strange magic stuff thrown in that honestly made no sense what so ever to me.
so that felt very rushed. Which would have been fine. If it would have at some point slowed down enough, taken a breath and you know started to make more sense?
It didn't.
I mean it slowed down a bit, but in to me it felt just very strangely timed because while some sectioned became quiet boring to be honest in their slowness and with nothing happening at all (which by the way would have been the perfect moments to get on with the explanation sections? I thought so at least, the author clearly did not feel that way) while the next part was once again moving so rapidly that i felt i missed the shoot that signalled the race had started.


so all in all:
this book wasn't for me personally. It lacked a lot of what i personally need in my books to actually have a great time reading.

BUT its not a bad book at all.
It was a fast read, it takes an interesting spin on an historical event and has a beautiful cover. I mean lets not leave out that little beauty!

if you are interested. Give it a try. Might be the book for you.

If you are similar to me and need explanations and introductions and also don't mind a bit of a regular pacing throughout a book?
Maybe try another one?

I havent finished it yet but I am loving it so far!
This is such an interesting take on Anastasia. Loving the magical aspect of the book so far too. I am so happy I got this as an eARC.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book!

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Romanov
by Nadine Brandes from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson–FICTION in order to read and give an honest review.

“…Well crafted, emotional, heartbreaking and at times comical, Brandes shapes a touching story with magical fantasy and young romance…”

New to author Nadine Brandes’s work, I have to say I really enjoyed it. Taking the historical story of the Romanovs, the tale about their demise at the hands of the Bolsheviks and the rumours that initially the bodies of the youngest two were never found. Brandes tells an alternate history of their lives and pulls an author’s favourite trick…asking “what if” Brandes posits that the two managed to survive and tells the story of the events that followed.

The story follows the exile of Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Tsarina Alexandra and their five children Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei. In this story, they are not painted as the family of tyrants but as a loving, patriotic family who believes in the power of forgiveness and showing kindness to all, even your enemies. Romanticized the story is told from the POV of the spirited and mischievous daughter, Anastasia Romanov who struggles to be brave and find forgiveness.

Well crafted, emotional, heartbreaking and at times comical, Brandes shapes a touching story with magical fantasy and young romance weaved in. Although not as accurate as some may like, to me this was definitely fiction, a story inspired by the facts. I think it takes talent and creativity to take a story down a different path away from what is and into what may have been. I loved it and would definitely recommend it to anyone who craves something a bit different.

A wonderful blend of historical fiction and fantasy, Romanov by Nadine Brandes hooked me from the very first page, and held my attention to the very last one. Based on the well known story of the Romanov family, their exile and eventual execution , it is clear that the author has done a great deal of research and used it to great effect to bring the political climate of the time to life. She has also done a wonderful job with the characters, Anastasia of course, but also her frail young brother Alexi and her flirtatious older sister Maria. The book opens with the enforced exile of the former Royal family, and the bulk of the story takes place during the time of their imprisonment at Ekaterinberg , where they were held until their brutal and tragic deaths. From the beginning the author deftly weaves in an element of fantasy, in this version of the story magic exists and Anastasia, or as she is called throughout the book, Nastya, is keen to learn how to use it. She can create basic spells for pain relief, which she uses on her brother, but longs to be able to do more. Her best hope is to find the greatest magician in the land, who has gone into hiding , and the only way to find him may be to use an enchanted matryoshka doll. she has been hiding, the only problem being than others are looking for the doll, and the enchanter, too and are willing to go to any lengths to get what they want. Can Nastya rely on Zash, her former guard, to help her, or will he commit the ultimate betrayal?
The magic system created in the book works really well, and is carefully woven into the real history in a way that complements it. There is of course an element of romance in the book, but it fits well into the story. I particularly loved how the author was able to create an alternative life for Nastya and still have the story come round to fit the real history in the end, and as a history fan I really appreciated the end notes which clarified the factual and fictional elements of the book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This was a very interesting take on the Anastasia story! I enjoyed it, but the genre might not be for me.

Anastasia Romanova is supposed to be dead. Her entire family was shot without a trial by the Bolsheviks, and that is an important historical event in Russia. But behind these multiple murders lies a world of treachery, misunderstanding and countless manipulations.

Anastasia or Nastya is a brave and mischievous girl. When her family is put to exile, she shows immense strength, love, and dedication towards her family and later succumbs to death by shooting. But what is Nastya lived long enough to avenge her family? and what if certain forbidden magic was her companion?

“No amount of age, pride, or maturity could stop me from loving my papa with the heart of a little girl.”

‘Romanov’ is a brilliant and refreshing take on this popular historic event. The author combines some vulnerable characters, unsettling scenarios and just the right amount of magic and companionship. I fell in love with this family who was considered traitors, because they are so kind, compassionate and dedicated to serving Russia.

Anastasia’s bond with her family and her siblings and her love for Zash have been explored with perfection, thereby giving us characters that will stay with us long after the book is over.

I might have been slightly disappointed by the ending, but that doesn’t change the fact that the writing was quite exceptional. It is necessarily a character-driven plot and a great one at that.

The Romanov's and Anastasia have long been a mystery. When an entire family is put up against a firing squad - there's surely lore and mystery surrounding it. Did one of the children make it?

Romanov starts...in the middle. The family is being held captive by the Bolsheviks. There's little to go on WHY they are being held and why there is a revolution. For students of history - great, it gets right to the good stuff. For a casual reader - more context is needed. For example - the Romanov parents are portrayed as nice and loving people - which - sure...maybe. But it leaves out the fact that friggin Rasputin was deeply involved with Alexandra.

It's a well written book - but does tend to read very YA.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

3.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy YA historical fiction, with a bit of magic in it.

If you know me, you know that I adore Anastasia the 1997 animated film, and it's broadway counterpart. Because of that I've always been fascinated by the lives and mystery behind the Romanov family. I had to request this book, and I really wanted to love it. While the story was compelling and written in a fast-paced way it felt a little young for me at first. I thought all of the pranking was very middle-school and it didn't make the book feel very serious, despite the struggle. Mid-way through the book the tone was very serious and the instances that occurred were very much more what I would have expected historically. It was incredibly violent and sad. It took me a while to figure out the magic system, because the main character doesn't know it either. I think the tonal shifts combined with a magic that you didn't understand made it a little disjointed for me. In the end it was a quick read and I enjoyed it overall. I appreciate how much research the author did on the family and their history. There were a lot of good quotes that I wanted to remember.