2.75

The ARC of this book was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Romanov" by Nadine Brandes was one of the book new releases of this year that I've been awaited for. I had huge expectations because the plot was really captivating and impressive. Plus, I’ve always been fascinated with the legend surrounding the Romanov family. It was enjoyable read, but, sadly, most of my expectations were disappointed.
I'll go strict to the point. There were some things that didn't quite work for me. The first one regards how she and Alexei survived. I liked the involvement of magic, but I found a little weak the spell they use. I mean, they die, then they're ghosts, and then their souls are put in their bodies another time. It was a bit awkward. So, I didn't appreciated it a lot, so imagine when this plot device was used for the second time to save Anastasia, Alexei, Zash and the spell master. I think it was a lazy choice an not surprising at all.
The other thing regards Zash's actions and his relationship with Nastya. I didn't like at all that he was the one to fire the shot against Anastasia. He later explains himself telling that he doesn't wanted her to die alone and he wanted her to be killed by a friend. That makes no sense to me. I know he was in a difficult position, but he could have rebelled and do something to help them. If it wasn't for her spell, she would be dead now, like the other members of her family. And Zash is guilty too. I found his reasons to be too weak.
I appreciated Nastya's forgiveness towards those who killed her beloved ones and towards Zash, but still, I can't understand why she decides to be in a relationship with him. At least so soon from the events. I mean, he killed her too.
However, despite these things, I loved the message this book wants to send: love those who loves you and even those who hates you, and always show forgiveness to those who harmed you.
It's a beautiful message, even if I think it's not always an easy one to put into practice.

I love historical fiction and all things Romanov so I was excited to pick up this new book by Nadine Brandes. And c'mon - how gorgeous is that cover?

This story of the Romanovs starts after Tsar Nicholas has already abdicated the throne and the family is being held by Bolsheviks in Siberia. Told from youngest daughter Anastasia's perspective, "Romanov" recounts her siblings', parents' and servants' days in captivity, providing colorful details that make the story come alive - what they ate, what they wore, how they befriended guards, how they amused themselves during the long cold days, and what they did to prepare for a potential escape. But when the inevitable tragedy strikes and the family is executed, the story continues with Brandes's intriguing tale of how Anastasia may have escaped.

By blending history with fantasy, this is a fresh take on the Romanov story and the legend of Anastasia and many of the twists surprised me. While everything in the book may not be historically accurate (the ex-Tsar, in particular, gets a much more positive portrayal than history books suggest he deserves), I was drawn in by the action, romance and magic and couldn't put "Romanov" down.

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

Title: Romanov
Author: Nadine Brandes
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The history books say I died.

They don’t know the half of it.

With Russia in revolution, the Romanov family are held as hostages by the Bolsheviks. For Nastya—Princess Anastasia—this new world is bewildering and frustrating. Her loving family is intact and together, but they are constantly guarded by soldiers. They are barely allowed to go outside. They are constantly under watch. She doesn’t understand why the world is so bloody and dangerous, she just knows it is.

There is an element of truth in what the people say about the Romanovs, but Nastya is not a spellcaster. If she was, she could heal her brother’s hemophilia and her mother’s illness. She could stop herself from falling in love and mend her sister’s broken heart. And she could keep her family from being executed.

But this isn’t the lies spoken about her family by the Bolsheviks. This is her life. And the truth is far stranger than the history books say.

I’ve probably seen the Disney movie Anastasia at some point, but I don’t remember it, and I’ve certainly read bits and pieces about the Romanovs, none of which I remembered before picking this book up. I had no problems understanding what was going on or starting the story after the Romanovs are taken hostage. The love in this family is remarkable and portrayed so well. All the characters are well-done, but Nastya herself is both struggling and strong, and her determination to help her family is something to behold. I enjoyed this read immensely.

Nadine Brandes is the author of the Out of Time series. Romanov is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

My Rating : 5🌟

It is not usual to read a book that immerses you in the story so much that you forget what is true and what is fiction, and Romanov did it for me. Mostly everyone knows how the Romanov family history went in reality , and this is a twist to the actual story and a look inside to what might have happened. It has a little fantasy element introduced, and it makes it really interesting. I read her first book Fawkes earlier this year, and I am obsessed with that book as well!
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I received an arc e-copy of this book from the publisher Thomas Nelson via Netgalley. All opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.
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I loved so many things about this book. The characterization of the family was amazing, and I loved how the book started!. The relationship between the family, and the situation they are in were well explained. I absolutely loved my time with Natsya and how she views everything. This story is told from her perspective mostly, and it deals a lot with teen emotions and how she is forced to grow up quickly for her family. The second was the setting of the story. It's not purely romance , but the romance in it will make you want to root for them. I was sitting at the edge of my bed screaming at the top of my lungs when they smiled at each other!! The writing was really beautiful and I really connected with the story. I am obsessed and I can't help it.
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With that being said, there are a lot of people who don't know the actual history of the Romanov family or the Russian culture. So a little back story on how the family situation came to be, and why certain things were done with respect to history would have been better. Since I was already familiar, I could read this and understand what they were mentioning. But for first time readers, it might have been confusing.
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Apart from that this book really deals with patience, and forgiveness and I absolutely loved the ending. What you aspire to be, is what happens. Especially how all the characters come together even at the time of despair, and how love have the power to overcome even the worst situation. The ending really made me cry. And I ship the main characters absolutely with all of my heart! I love reading a good romance and this one? Omg nothing ever happens, but you feel the electricity through the pages.. I am actually obsessed, I will fight you in this, I am not even kidding.
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Overall, this was an amazing retelling of sorts and I can't wait for the others to read it !! I especially loved the Acknowledgement section which explains you a lot of what is real and what was fictional & the discussion questions! It's these small things that makes this book amazing 💕

After reading (and loving) Fawkes, I was so excited to take a bite out of another vivid historical fantasy by Nadine Brandes! Romanov is split into two main parts--before and after the execution of the Romanov family. The story picks up in the middle of the persecution story, and in my opinion, this brought us right into the action and helped us connect with the characters right away. It was an interesting twist to see the King as someone who was actually a leader, with a caring side. But above all was Rasputin! Today, of course, we know what a despicable individual he was. The book brings him to life as almost kind. Just the thought of it gives me shivers. Though that isn't the main point of the book.

Nastya (our Anastasia) is the main character and she is far beyond Disney's creation. Nastya and her bond with her brother is so great to watch, I just loved it. And also, the magic that she has was super unique. It is blood magic but not in a very violent way like I have seen in some other books lately. All of these elements weave together this awesome story. Put aside your critical historian pants and just enjoy the book, people. Its a good one!

Romanov is a magical retelling of the final days of the Romanov family. We follow our protagonist, Nastya, who is tasked with keeping a magical family artifact safe until her family can be rescue from exile by the White Army. Nastya is an aspiring spell master - someone who can write magical ink out into spells - and she uses the one spell she knows to keep her ailing brother comfortable as he wastes away due to hemophilia. We closely follow the family as they live out their days in exile and pray for a chance to escape the Bolsheviks.

About 2/3 of this book is strictly historical fiction, but many elements that were changed (Nikolai being an extremely kind and gentle person, Rasputin being Nastya’s personal hero and not at all a creep, the simplification of what caused the Russian Revolution) made the story fall flat. The Russian Revolution was such an incredibly complicated event, and the Tsar and Tsarina were far from innocent in the years leading up to it. If you didn’t know much about the family, you would come away from this thinking they were gracious and gentle rulers who loved God and the Russian people and who had only made good decisions. While my own research has pointed to the importance of faith in the Romanovs’ lives, Nikolai was also famously anti-Semitic and rebuked the idea of a constitutional monarchy like England’s because he felt that his right to rule was divine. He was not a kind man or a good ruler, though the family was close and the novel does portray that family closeness well.

The magic system in this book is poorly explained (we finally get a brief, albeit sparse, explainer about 96% of the way through the book) and functions more as a deus ex machina then a well-established element of a fantasy world. The romance was also unnecessary, and there were multiple times when I was in disbelief that Nastya was so concerned about her crush when she was in real, serious, and immediate danger.

The writing was fine, but wasn't great enough to elevate a flat plot and poorly constructed magic system. I would recommend for 12 and up, though older teens may find it boring.

Thank you netgalley for an opportunity to read this book! I love a good story with magic and have been dying to read this.

I'm not too familiar with the history of Romanov but the synopsis for this book really grabbed my attention.

For me, I really didn't get into the story until a little over the halfway mark. The beginning was repetitive but necessary considering the Romanov family were prisioners, trapped in a house with very little to do everyday.

Things really start to take off at the 60% Mark and I was invested. I love the bond between Nastya and her brother. I also loved the deep message of forgiveness and love in this story.

The magic was interesting but does stretch too far out of belief for me.

I enjoyed the ending and I would recommend this book to someone who loves historical fiction and does not mind a slower paced story.

Romanov by Nadine Brandes is a YA retelling of the history surrounding the last members of the Romanov family after the Russian Revolution. Like many, my knowledge of the 1917 Russian Revolution is very limited and is of the 90s animated movie variety. Thank you for acknowledging that this is a problem for many at the end of your book, Nadine Brandes! I’m not alone. Because my knowledge is limited, I was unsure about which parts of the story adhered to history and which parts were fabrication. Except for the magic. That’s definitely true. Just kidding. Thankfully, Brandes provides historical context and teases apart fact and fiction at the end of the book.

Brandes brings us to the Romanovs during their house arrest in Siberia, and paints a family portrait in addition to describing their captivity. Plus magic. But I won’t ruin by saying where the magic comes in, and how the story will progress. At first, when Brandes introduces the magical element to the story, I had serious reservations and almost put the book down. I have a hard time enjoying historical fiction with supernatural elements. But I decided to forge on and see where Brandes was going with this theme. I was worried the magic was just something mixed in to jazz up the story.
But surprisingly, it made for a fun story and was pivotal to the plot.

Anastasia, sixteen at the time of our story, is Brandes’ mischievous protagonist. For years, what happened to the Anastasia was the fodder of fantasy, and rumors that she hadn’t died and was alive and in our midst were common. The truth is, she did die with her family, but it is nice to imagine an alternate ending to such a sad story, and Brandes’ take on the events is one that brings hope for a new chapter in the Romanov story.

When I first requested Romanov I didn't notice the author was the same of Fawkes . I realized only later, but I said to myself: oh, well! It's a good way to see the author improved. You know, since I really didn't like the other book.

So... I think me and Brandes will close the author-reader relationship here. I thought a lot about what kind of rating to give the novel, and I moved towards two stars, but as I set down to write the review, I realized how nothing had worked for me.

First of all, let's have a brief summary of the historical event. While the author has done her research in terms of historical timelines, I noticed how around there are a number of concerning stuff about the actual representation. Because history isn't only about what happened, but why happened, the politics, the society and so more.
I remember someone pointing on Twitter how sure, it was unfair the Romanov children had to die, but wasn't like the Romanov were angels. So, I did a fast check on Goodreads and the concern about the romanticized version of the story, seen from Nastya's POV, can easily trap the whole narration in a single way.

Another factor is the character of Zash, whom background is more delicate then what someone can think. As much as I recall from my University researches on shamanism, after the revolution and once the new govern was on, well... shamans from Siberian tribes started being persecuted and their culture vilified or denigrated. But also, before too. There's something big to unpack there.

Another thing put me off at the end of the read. I was checking the author note and noticed how Brandes mentioned her decision to change a surname because "was just too much of a mouthful". As I reader, I wouldn't have mind to see the character use a name instead a surname to refer to another character, and I'm not in You're welcome mode. Because it wasn't a smart decision. It was ignorant.

Now, let's move to what didn't work in the depth of the story. First of all, thanks to the whole thing, I realized that Romanov is one of the rare cases in which I cannot felt any kind of attachment or enjoyment from the story. The relation of Nastya and her family was sure very sweet and strong, but I cannot say the same for the rest. Why Nastya and Zash? Just why? Because I couldn't see their story move on or actually being a romance. And to be totally honest, Zash's story was much more compelling than Nastya one. His background, his feelings and position inside Russia's event and history would have create an amazing story.

Second think that didn't work was the pace. Everything moved fast and slow at the same time. The division of the event was messy, because one moment we're in a place and a time, next part of the text we are somewhere else. Around the 30% the plot hadn't moved that much and same thing I can say from when I reached the 50%. Things started to actually move when only the 70% of the book was done.

The scenery was poor. There was... almost nothing? It could have been set anywhere and make very little difference. More rich descriptions were definitely needed.

Another bad note was the magic system. As it was never explained, it made very little sense if none at all. We know there's ink, there spell, but how does spell are put in the ink? Where does the magic comes from? How do you bond a spell to a person? How does magic bond with the religion of the protagonist, since usually magic is not seen as God's product.

My notes on Romanov could go on and on, because I'm sure that I'll find a way to add something to the list, so I'll close it here and hope someone will enjoy the books much more than what I did. But looks it won't be a problem, since many did.

A fantasy historical retelling with a dash of magic, a ton of heartbreak and a lot to remember.

I always find it stimulating to raed a story that takes a historical event and spins it around with a touch of fantasy, a new angle of interpretation that opens up such delightful doors into a rich, unimagined possibility.

One of my weaknesses in History is the period surrounding the Romanov family and their association with Rasputin. The author starts her own plot at the time when the royal family was already under heavily guarded supervision by the new government and in the midst of angry political upheaval in 1918. The serene prose and the knowledgeable intuition infuse the historical events with humanity.

We get to learn about their ordeals, their resignation and fear, but also their dignity and hope and humble relatability. It's obvious that the author puts this family onto a pedestal, though I'm sure many of their subjects and nobles had a different opinion.

The young daughters and son become sweetly and sadly alive to the reader during their imprisonment under Bolshevik guard. There's a glimpse of romance, a touching sense of freedom as it is cherished in its most basic form. The sense of foreboding, though, permeats the atmosphere.

The fact that Anastasia dabbles in smagic spells due to her relationship to Rasputin is one of the most appealing elements of this retelling for fantasy fans. It weaves itself with the terrible tragedy of the Romanov family in an intriguing, whimsical and very heartening way. For who wouldn't want their cruel fate to be tampered with so as to avoid the darkest parts of their end?

The story has two distinct parts. The first half is devoted to the family's reclusion with a slow, cozy pace. It's a good way to get to know all the characters, their soul and ways. Also the social unrest, the division in beliefs. There is romance but it is far from rosy-colored. I would say that it is even hard to bear. The second part is quite a contrast as it is full of action, betrayal, drama and whimsical hope draped in magic spells and the healing touch of hope. I loved all of it. I loved Alexei's nobility, Anastasia's courage, Zach's torn nature. The ending has both facts and dreams in it.

It's a painful and magical story and very rewarding to read.

Favourite Quotes:
Impatience was the grim reaper of all true victories.
Even empty promises could fill a heart for a moment.
Hope never abandoned us, only we could abandon it.

I've had an interest in the Romanov family and the mystery surrounding their lives and deaths, particularly of Duchess Anastacia, (Nastya) and Tsarevich Alexei, her younger brother and heir to the throne. The romanticism that Anastacia may have escaped the horrendous execution of her family in 1918 has certainly been material for stories and movies over many years. Nadine Brandes, who captured my attention with the novel Fawkes, has brought about another imaginative set of possibilities to light with her newest book.
The first half of the book shows how the house bound imprisonment of the family by the Bolsheviks could have been quite an intense and sad situation. Through it all the family maintained hope. Nastya works hard with her family to keep positive and show kindness, even to her captors including a young man named Zash and a drunkard, Avdeev, the commandant who leads them. One young man, Ivan is based on a true friend and possible love interest for her sister Maria. The second half of the book leans toward more of a fantastical mood with a different intensity from the house setting.
This is a unusual kind of story, certainly one that may spur the reader to look into historical accounts of the Romanov family. It's an interesting read, intense at times. I love that Nadine Brandes takes history and imagines stories around real characters. She makes me think. She makes me interested in history when my school days are long behind me - you know, history.

"And hope never abandoned us- only we could abandon it." Nastya

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader's copy of this book. This is my own unsolicited opinion about it. I liked it and look forward to Brandes next book.

In ROMANOV, Nadine Brandes takes you on an adventure of a lifetime. This book is filled with adventure, magic, and romance.

From the authors note at the back of the novel, this book was well researched and I appreciated the time and effort Ms. Brandes put into the novel. Fictional liberties were given to some parts of the story, but that made it all the more interesting. I loved the twist she put on Anastasia's story and I can't wait to read more from her!

I tried really hard to get into this book but no matter how many times I put it down and picked it back up, it felt like I was forcing my eyes on the page in order to continue. This wasn't quite what I was expecting based on the synopsis. I was really excited to read a magical retelling of the tragic story of the Romanovs. Everything seemed to fall flat. The romance between Nastya and Zash lackluster with little to no development. The magic system was poorly explained and takes a long time for it to actually play a significant part in the plot. When it does start to be used, you feel like you're floundering trying to figure out what's going on and why. My biggest problem though was that it was a pretty dark story with the majority of the first half showing their daily activity while in captivity under guard. It was all very monotonous and time consuming where it seemed as if nothing of importance happened to hold my interest.

I had to give up around 70% and admit that this doesn't seem to be the right book for me. The action finally started to pick up but I was unable to feel more than a sliver of enthusiasm or concern for the characters. I think if the magic was incorporated more strongly in the beginning and a more solid magic system was built from that point it may have helped engage me more in the overall plot. This particular story didn't hook me like I had hoped, but I appreciated the author's writing style and would still give her another try. I've heard great things about her previous book, Fawkes.

Actual Rating: Did Not Finish
Recommend: Probably Not
Review:
I was super excited for this book when I heard about it. I personally love the stories that weave history and fiction, and when they add in magic? I'm sold. I am also particularly interested in the Romanovs, so this book checked a lot of boxes for me. Sadly, it just didn't work out.
I have been trying to read this book for months, but I just couldn't bring myself to finish it and it wasn't fair to myself or the book to continue and possibly give it a bad rating because of my struggling. This book didn't do anything wrong, but I am not the target audience and I think that was the sole issue.
Anastasia is a fun, mischievous teenager with a stubborn streak who loves her family more than anything and may be falling for someone she knows she probably shouldn't. And that's fine! I know that the target audience who will read this book will love her! But, I was pulled in more for the magic and less for the teen love, so I think this is why it didn't work for me.
This book is going to be great, as it does have a lot of things going for it that people will love, especially teens, but for me, it didn't work out. As I said, I was not the target audience for this book though. I have studied Russian history involving the Romanovs, so I looked at the story line through that lens, and I was more interested in the magic that the antics of Anastasia and her possible romance.
I could not finish this book because I didn't want to do it the injustice of rating it poorly, but I know that the target audience will enjoy it.

Welcome to this book review,
I received an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.
I really enjoyed the historical aspects of the story and the fact that the romance was more a background than a plot point. The author's writing was beautiful.
What I enjoyed:
- The magic and the way history was woven into it.
- The politics coming into play.
- The POV of Anastasia.
What I didn't enjoy:
- The way the story felt more like reading a teenager tell an historical moment.
_Having to google Russian words
- how after about 55-65% of the book the story felt like it wasn't making as much sense anymore.

Also, while I am a huge fan of history, it felt like in wanting to make us love the story the author portrayed the Romanov's as some kinds of saints, that everyone loved, but some bad bad people made them wrongly go away.
Since the author wanted to portray an historical story, she should've not strayed so far from who the Tsar really was and how hated his wife was. Yes he was a good father and Anastasia would've a biased view on them, but she should've (in my opinion) developed her own views through the story and realized that though they were king and lovely to her, they weren't that way to the people.
This was an okay story, while I wanted to love the story, I couldn't help but see some flaws in it.
Overall it was an enjoyable story that unfortunately passed from a 3.75 to a 3 stars after the halfway point of the story.
3/5 stars
-Bookarina

First line: My blood is my crime.

Summary: Anastasia Romanov is being sent with her family into exile in Siberia. Their only hope for survival is a magical object. However, the Bolsheviks know that she has it and are determined to stop her from using it. With the help of a guard, Zash, she is determined to save her family from the fate that awaits them.

My Thoughts: I was so bored! I love anything to do with the Romanovs. Their story is a very tragic one. I really expected to like this. It had one of my favorite historical topics with magic mixed in. I gave up about 30% of the way into the book because I could not force myself to continue reading. I wanted more excitement and magic. There was very little of it. The summary of the book is very misleading. Maybe the magic would have come in to play later but I did not want to finish it in order to get to that point.

FYI: Gorgeous cover though!

I knew going in that Romanov would be an emotional read. A fantasy novel about the Russian royal family’s incarceration told from the view point of Grand Duchess Anastasia, it could hardly be a cheery book; after all, the horrifying historical ending to that imprisonment is common knowledge. However, in the first half of this novel, the author brings her characters to life with such clarity and compassion that she created a far more beautiful and moving story than I had prepared myself for.

The revolution has taken place and the Romanov family is living under house arrest in Tobolsk when we join them. The emperor has urged his children to befriend their guards in an effort to show the men that the family members are both ordinary humans and loyal Russians who want only what is best for the nation. Their behavior is to indicate in every way that they have no desire to be returned to the throne and want only to live quietly in exile. The plan is working beautifully until the Bolsheviks arrive.

At that point, the family is wrenched apart. The Tsar and Tsarina, along with daughter Maria, are taken away so that the Tsar may stand trial. As the Tsar prepares to leave, he steals a moment with Nastya (Anastasia) to give her an important mission. She must hide the family Matryoshka doll, which contains powerful spells that are their only chance of salvation.

Nastya has only a limited knowledge of spell work but even that limited knowledge is more than her siblings have. She is curious about the doll and its magic but can’t figure out how to use it. Regardless, her father warned her to save the spells within the doll until “the end” and while their situation is dire, all hope has not been lost. Nastya is distracted from her thoughts about all this by a most unexpected source. She has become fascinated by a young Bolshevik named Zash, a handsome soldier who seems as interested in her as she is in him. When, on a midnight scouting expedition she searches his belongings and finds a forbidden substance, she grows even more determined to discover all there is to know about him.

Then she learns a horrifying truth. Her father never got a trial but was moved to a dank prison in Ekateringburg along with the Tsarina and Maria. She and her brother and sisters are forced to join them. The confinement is brutal: they are allowed outdoors for only an hour or two a day, the food is limited, there are lice and the area smells. There are bright sides too, though. Nastya and her sister Maria continue to befriend the Bolshevik guards, especially Zash and his equally adorable friend Ivan. History tells us that this ends with the soldiers on one side of a firing squad and the girls on another.

It should go without saying that historical novels are not history books. The author uses artistic license throughout, especially with the ending of the story. Additionally, Nastya sees her family far differently than history sees them and that is reflected in this text. Here, her father is a wise and loving head of his family, a man who loves Russia and its people; history tends to record a weak, fallible Tsar who led his nation to near ruin. The family see themselves as simple and humble folk, ready to be exiled to a “quaint Russian village and live out the rest of their lives as the common people did.” My own understanding of Russian history, which I will grant is limited, says they had no idea how the common people lived. For example, at one point, Nastya complains about the bread, tea and soup diet they are forced to eat and speaks of how it is starving them . One of the soldiers has to point out that they are living on the same rations. She complains about the homes they are staying in, but all of them have rooms like dining rooms and living rooms and libraries, something that many homes at that time did not have. The Romanovs had a personal physician for Alexi with them, as well as a maid for the Tsarina and a cook. Those things were probably not available to many of their subjects.

It would be easy to read that and judge Nastya and her family for their aristocratic tendencies but the author does a wonderful job of showing them as  kind and loving people, getting by the best they can and adjusting to their circumstances as well as they are able. She also takes pains to show us the humanity of the guards, who often do little things to make life for the Romanov’s a bit easier.

Because the family is confined to their prisons/homes in the early part of the tale, the emphasis is on the characters and their lives. In the second portion, almost everything that occurs takes place while the characters are on the move, meaning that action drives the narrative. This latter portion also concentrates far more on the fantasy and inspirational/faith aspects of the story. The theme of forgiveness, which had been central to the narrative throughout, becomes almost painfully bombastic as everything progresses.

No nuance is utilized at all, making the discussion of the topic overly simplistic and one sided. I also struggled with the fantasy/magic in the tale. Nastya had a book on spell mastery but we are never told what the manual contained, only what it did not. Regardless, I felt like her knowledge after reading it was even more rudimentary than mine and I’ve never read a single spell book. I blame this, in part, on her father. He gave her the Matryoshka doll but never took the time out to explain it or the magic it wielded to her. We see the family discuss other secrets, but this, their most powerful one, is never explained to the person who most needs that explanation. The weakness of this narrative thread, combined with the near preaching tone on the subject of forgiveness, detracted a tiny bit from what was actually a pretty exciting sequence of events.

The positive aspect of the second half of the story is that we do get to see Nastya in a much more authoritative and active role. Throughout the tale we get to enjoy her irrepressible spirits, her impish nature, and bubbly personality but watching her put all that into action was a lot of fun. This portion of the tale is also much more hopeful than the early section.Romanov may not be perfect but it is a touching, remarkable novel. The prose is enchanting and piquant, and paints rich, emotional images. The subject matter is thought-provoking; not just what happened to the royal family but what caused things to get to the point of revolution.  I’ve been haunted by the book, the sad fate of the Romanovs and everything surrounding the momentous night when they were shot since finishing it. I would strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a poignant take on an important piece of modern history.

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Thank you to Thomas Nelson for a copy of Romanov by Nadine Brandes for an honest review. Romanov is available May 7, 2019.

Romanov follows Anastasia and her family from the time of their exile and execution. I have a giant soft spot for Romanov stories, they were such a fascinating and mysterious family.
This story took a lot of the known history and filled in the gaps with magic and family connections. I don’t read a lot of YA and probably never read a historical fiction YA, but I really liked this one.

Nadine has written a beautifully real story of love, family and friendships. I loved following Nastya's POV throughout the book. She definitely struggled with forgiving the solders that guarded them, but always tried to do as her father would and treat them with respect. I admire her strength for this as it would be difficult to see your family suffer everyday and still be friendly to those causing it. The fantasy aspect was very interesting, though I wish it had been a little more active.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

This isn’t your typical Disney princess story–it’s even better! “Romanov” by Nadine Brandes breathes life and magic into a tragic period of history (the period of the Romanov’s captivity). Just like the matryoshka doll in the story, this tale has many layers. It’s beautiful, heart breaking, magical and inspiring.

This beautiful tale of the time the Romanovs spent in captivity is based on historical facts, but Ms. Brandes infuses it with her own flair; and of course, some magic! It is full of Russian culture, which I loved learning about. There are so many inspiring themes such as friendship, family, forgiveness and purpose.

The Romanov family has such a strong bond with one another and they seek to be kind and show forgiveness to their captors (which is based on fact). The story is not all flowers and bunny rabbits. It’s a very hard time for Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov and her family. What I love is that these characters laugh, play jokes, pray together (and maybe even experience romance). Anastasia is a good picture of someone who has lost almost everything, yet has strength and fortitude.

Right up to the pulse pounding, heartbreaking climax, Romanov will grip readers and have them thinking of it long after the last page is reluctantly closed. The world needs more young adult fiction dealing with such important themes and that leave the reader with hope and strength for their own battles!

Content: I give this book a PG-13 rating. Some examples of the content are: mention of cigarettes and smoking; references to a woman’s bosom; a man is drunk; mentions of alcohol; some gruesome scenes; a man contemplates suicide.

Rating: I give this book 5 stars!

Genre: Fantasy; Young Adult; Historical Fiction; Christian; Romance; Retelling

I want to thank NetGalley, Nadine Brandes and Thomas Nelson for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.