Thankyou for letting me have this book! It’s a period of history I adore and the story and characters have enhanced my experiences enormously many thanks

My favorite type of historical fiction books are historically accurate but with a surprising twist.
Romanov is that.
It is a tale of the Romanov family with a perfect balance of fantasy.
The first ~55% of the novel is spent with the family being held in captivity. Though the setting doesn't change at all it gives us time to love and care for these characters. I will say I felt like the pacing of this book was a little off. Over half of the book is spent in captivity which leaves the ending feeling a bit rushed.
That being said the ending slayed me and I couldn't read it fast enough.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction, an interesting magic system, Russian history and great family dynamics.

Romanov is historically accurate as possible while also changing the ending slightly to answer the "What if some of them did survive?" question. A large chunk of the story is focused on their time in captivity and their uncertainty of who to trust and what to do. Some aspects of this are slower as Anastasia is observing the Bolshevik soldiers and trying to determine when to use her magic. The latter half of the book picks up on the action as Anastasia and her brother, Alexei, must flee from the Bolsheviks and find someone who can help them survive. 

At first, the magic was hard to grasp, and I still wish there was a bigger explanation of how it all worked. But I like how Nadine weaves the magic system within the larger picture of Russian history, especially connecting to Rasputin and the Matryoshka dolls. I also like the family dynamics, especially Anastasia's relationship with Alexei. This story depicts a much different version of Anastasia than what most stories tell.

I'm not a Romanov history expert, so I trust Nadine did her research and wrote this story to the best of her ability and interpretation of the events that conspired. Yes, the ending changes, hinging on the fact that two of the Romanovs were buried in a different grave than the rest of the family. But for the most part, the story follows the actual events of the Romanov family in captivity. These fine details bring the story to life in a way I never heard their story before.

What I appreciate the most about Romanov, though, is that the story focuses on the idea that there are two sides to every story. There's Anastasia and her family's story, their belief they are innocent and their father is loyal to his people. But then there's also the story of the Bolshevik soldiers and their belief that Nikolai failed as a leader and that magic is ruining the country. Both sides are explored, and both sides shift in order to see from the other perspective. The world is not black and white, both sides have valid points to what they believe, and everybody is human. I think Romanov does a good job coming to terms with the idea that maybe what you've been taught your whole life isn't right but it's not necessarily 100% wrong either. It's just not the whole story.

Romanov is a compelling historical fantasy that gives hope to an otherwise bleak outcome and succeeds in depicting the attitude and thoughts of Anastasia during her captivity. If you enjoyed Fawkes by Nadine Brandes or are interested in the Romanov family, I would recommend reading this book.

The first 30% of this book was fantastic. It sucked me into the story. It intrigued me. Then from 30%-60% It lost steam. It bored me. It felt repetitive. I tired of reading about the same things. The windows. The food. The guards. The (maybe or maybe not) rescue. I came close to throwing in the towel. However, at 60% the story picked up again. In fact, from 60% onwards the story moves at the speed of light which left me wishing we had gotten less page space devoted to them being prisoners and more story development after the "escape."

So yea, this one ended up being a mixed bag for me. It wasn't a bad story, but I think it could have been better.

Being a crazy Russian history fan, I was super looking forward to this book. The history of the Romanov family is absolutely fascinating to me, and I was intrigued about this new take on their story. I was prepared for historical inaccuracies, and I honestly had no real problem with those. I can appreciate when an author takes fictional liberties with a historical story. It often gives the story more character and makes it more interesting to a wider range of people. I felt like the fascinating history of the Romanovs was not quite done justice with this book. It was interesting enough, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t anything that truly captivated my attention. I felt like none of the family members were truly fleshed out, and, when they were, it didn’t feel authentic. The plot, as a result, felt very dull, and I don’t think people with no interest in Russian history would find it very enjoyable. There were no major issues with this book, but I had just hoped that it would be greater than what it actually is.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A magical alternate ending to the mystery of Anastasia, or Nastya, as she is called in this story. Her fun, impish personality and desire to see her family saved kept me reading long into the night. I loved the way family, grace, and forgiveness were woven all throughout the story. The insights into the Romanov's plight was both educational and fascinating. Plenty of suspense, action, and a sprinkle of romance to satiate my heart. A truly fantastical tale that will leave you turning page after page to reach the end, and even then, hoping for more. While the reality of events is enough to break even the most stoic heart, this mystical version captured a beautiful "what if" version of the Romanov family.

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

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

"Romanov" is a fantasy retelling of the final days of the Romanovs during the Bolshevik Revolution. Told from the prospective of Anastasia, it focuses primarily on the time the family spent in captivity through their inevitable murder at the hands of the Bolsheviks.

What does "Romanov" bring to the table that hasn't already been explored by the countless retellings already in existence? "Romanov" introduces the idea of spell masters and magic that can only occur when you have a specially produced ink, paper, the correct magical words, and a song. Anastasia uses the tiny bit that she knows to assist Alexei during painful bouts of hemophilia. It's an intriguing idea, but it really isn't explored or explained well enough to carry the novel.

There's also a very forced and predictable romance which takes up the first half of the book when nothing else is happening.

Overall, "Romanov" might be a good read for Anastasia die-hards or those looking for a very light fantasy.

Following the revolution that forced her father's abdication, Anastasia 'Nastya' Romanov and her family, under the watchful eye of Bolshevik soldiers, are exiled to Siberia to await their fate, but Nastya has a secret that just might save them all. With the spell master, Rasputin dead and all other spell masters either working for the Bolsheviks or hiding from them, Nastya is the only one able to use the spells Rasputin taught her to ease her brother's pain, which is why Nastya's father trusts her with their family's final hope - a matryoshka doll given to them by the greatest spell master in Russia. When she needs it most, the doll will reveal a spell to Nastya, but until then she must keep it hidden from the Bolshevik guards.

Nastya knows she can't trust any of the soldiers, even the ones who seem to be kind. She especially can't risk any of them finding out about the matryoshka doll or the spells she uses to help her brother, but there is one guard who does not always act like the others, who sometimes seems as though he might not be the loyal Bolshevik soldier he acts like. Zash has secrets of his own, including a hidden bottle of spell ink and the way he sometimes looks at Nastya. Nastya harbours hope that Zash will prove to be a friend, or perhaps even something more, despite his Bolshevik uniform, but when the firing squad come for Nastya and her family, Nastya is crushed to see Zash holding one of the guns.

The exile and execution of the Romanov family, and the persisting rumours of Anastasia's survival, have been the subject of many stories over the years since the real life event. What Brandes's interpretation brings to this well trodden story is the addition of magic and romance in the young Anastasia's life. Anastasia, or Nastya, as she is known throughout the novel, is, in Brandes's hands, a feisty and stubborn young woman, who cares for her family above everything else. The entire Romanov family are presented in this story as a close-knit and loving family, one who any reader would sympathise with, which makes it all the more upsetting when the inevitable happens, and Nastya and her family must face their execution.

Romanov is a fantastical mix of history and magic, combining a realistic interpretation of the Romanov family's exile with a wild story of spells and spell masters. It feels, upon reading, as though Brandes has done a lot of research into the Romanov family's final weeks, which is perhaps why the first half of this story, which is more heavily based on real events, feels like a slightly different novel than the second half, which definitely takes a turn away from the realistic. This is not a bad thing, it is simply one way in which the two sides of this story play together to present a story for Anastasia Romanov that feels as though it could be true, provided, of course, one accepts that Rasputin really was a spell master and that he taught the young Anastasia a few tricks of his trade before his own execution.

This was a fairly interesting spin on the Romanov family story with a whole lot of historical research that went into it. The author's notes at the end were a real treat since I've always had a fascination with Russia's last Royal family.
The relationships were really well developed and felt Natural and realistic. And I appreciate that there wasn't an insta-love situation going on.
Where this book missed for me was how heavily it relied on magic and curses. That's just not my thing so that was really disappointing for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a chance to read an advanced copy!

I’ve never been a big fan of historical fiction; I’ve read a few of the books, and while I liked them, it’s a genre I will only go to on the rare occasion when it’s about some major, interesting past event. After having read Romanov and Nadine Brandes previous book, Fawkes, I have to say I might feel that way about historical fiction in general, but I have become a HUGE fan of this author and her historical fantasy books.

It’s unbelievable how quickly I was drawn into this carefully crafted story. At times, I had to remind myself that it’s just fiction; although, she does throw in enough facts that really peaked my interest in the Romanov family, and I ended up searching for more information about their family online. I enjoyed how close the family members were, and the feeling that the real Romanov probably shared similar feeling to the ones in this book. The little details about the characters and their situation brought the book to life for me.

Even if you aren’t a fan of historical fiction, you might enjoy this book. I can’t wait to see where in history Nadine takes me next!

Romanov by Nadine Brands tells the story of Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov and her family after the Russian Revolution. The Romanov’s were exiled and eventually executed, and this tells the story of what happened to Anastasia and her brother Alexei after their family was killed. In this retelling, Rasputin was a spell master and him along with most of the other spell masters in Russia, were hunted and killed during the revolution. Nastya uses leftover spells to help her brother who was born with hemophilia.

Since watching the movie Anastasia as a child, I have had an interest in Russian history and the Romanovs. I really enjoyed how the author incorporated real historical events and facts into her story. Unfortunately, I did find parts of the story to be a bit dull. A large portion of the book was spent describing the Romanov family in exile and it seemed repetitive at times. I would have preferred more of the focus to be on what happened after the execution since that is the part of the story we don’t know about.

Even though the story lagged at times, I did enjoy the characters. Both Nastya and Alexei had to cope with horrible events, but they stayed strong and persevered. I also could appreciate the message of love for others and forgiveness that is sprinkled throughout the book. Overall, it contained strong role models and I can see the novel be enjoyed by teens.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are interested in the story of the Romanov's, you will enjoy this read. It's about what could have happened to Anastasia and I loved how the author took the real story and added fictional elements to it.

The story is action-packed and will keep you entranced but it is also really emotionally charged.

If you like stories that are based on historical events, you will enjoy this one but even if you don't, the story manages to incorporate elements of fantasy and romance. The book makes you feel the raw emotions of the events and emotionally attached to the moments and characters.

I loved the protagonist and the twist on the real story of the Romanov's.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I hate to say this, but I did not like this book... This book sounded so interesting and I have heard great things about the author, but this was not the book for me. It could be that I'm just not one for historical fiction as I see that others absolutely love this book. I promised an honest review so here it is.

So we already know the Romanov family is going to die, it wouldn't be historically correct if they all lived through this story, but their death didn't impact me at all. By the point they died, I was already bored out of my mind and was only finishing this book because people had been raving about it.

This book is way too slow for my taste. The buildup to their deaths takes so freaking long. And when we get to the fiction part of this historical fiction book, I can't say I was impressed with any of it. The magic wasn't magnificent, it was rather dull, and then at the end suddenly the impossible is possible and ugh no just no.

I guess I can see the appeal of this book. The book is focused on the Romanov family (duh), but mostly on the family dynamics. All the characters are rather flat and uninteresting, but the family as a whole makes things interesting.

I gave this book 2 stars because it's still well-written and I can see that the author did her research, but I really did not enjoy this book and I say that with a heavy heart.

Romanov was one of my most excited for books of this year. It was entertaining, dramatic, beautiful, and breathtaking.

For anyone who is a fan of historical fiction and is intrigued by the Romanov story, this is the book for you. This is a wonderful retelling of the events about the Romanov family and the era in which they lived.
I would definitely recommend this.

#Romanov #NetGalley

I wanted to like Romanov - as I, like many young women, love the story of Anastasia - but I couldn't quite get into it. I wanted to read more about the historical side, and had a hard time enjoying the magic spell that allowed her to "live" through the murder. While the book was well written and had enjoyable characters, I just couldn't enjoy the story after the escape from the house.

I had been dying to read this book since I heard about it in 2018. Recently I’ve also developed a bit of an obsession with the story of the last Romanovs and have added a few non-fiction books to my collection purely about this family. I also really enjoyed Fawkes last year – a Guy Fawkes retelling; from his son’s point of view.
The cover:
Look at that beauty! I am 100% getting a physical copy when it’s out because I need this on my shelves.
General intro:
This book kind of assumes some knowledge of who the Romanovs are but I wouldn’t say knowledge of their “true” story is necessary to enjoy the book. Romanov starts with their exile, and explores their difficulty of maintaining appearance of wellbeing without their healer. This book is told from Anastasia’s point of view – who is the only one in the house – as far as she is aware – that can work the magic to help her brother get some relief from his illness. But this act itself is dangerous, and many who used to use magic have given it up in fear for their lives.
The storyline:
There was an underlying romance theme as both Nastya and her sister begin to form a bond with some of the soldiers in charge of keeping them in the house. But when all the family really wants is to escape, these feelings are often conflicted.
I think it was this romance that surprised me and may, or may not, have been why Nastya is much more mature in this novel compared to the stories we are used to hearing about her.
This book took a little while to get going, and in this time I would’ve liked to read more about the magic, how it works, how common it used to be, the extent of the greatest sorcerers etc. But once the main story did begin it had me turning page after page. It was both gripping and utterly breath-taking.
The characters:
There were definitely less extremes when it came to character personalities but the story was strong enough to carry the narrative and keep the reader engaged. I do feel like if the book was longer, and there were more space to tell the story, there could’ve been more room to explore the intricacies of the fantasy world in this novel.
Anastasia:
Despite being known for her mischief, we aren’t given much of a taste, and given her family’s predicament it probably would’ve been beneficial for some humour throughout the story to keep morale up. Nastya kind of takes on a very serious and protective role that doesn’t quite fit in with her nickname. If we’d seen more of the intricacies of the magic, and Anastasia using it, this might’ve been understood. But these instances were few and far-between.
I would’ve just liked to see more from the main character. She narrated well and proved to be a strong lead but given how close to the “original” story this book was, I would’ve liked to see more of her personality.
In general:
The arc of some of the characters was a little predictable, and I’d say this is a more tame retelling of the Romanov story, however I enjoyed the fantasy twist and the alternative route the story took. It is a light and enjoyable read and fully deserving of a strong 4/5 rating.

Romanov is a completely different book than what I had in mind. I was hoping a great historical fiction but it has a lot of fantasy elements instead. I rated it three out of five because it's different than what i was expecting

This felt like a bad flashback to when I tried to read an ARC of Dark of the West and could only make it a few chapters in, only this time, I could only make it about 1 chapter and then only barely.

DNF at 7%

My biggest issue with this is something that many other people will probably love about it, so probably take it with a grain of salt. The premise falls into one of my biggest bookish pet peeves: when authors take real life historical figures and fictionalize them, usually by giving them magical powers. I don't know why I hate this so much but I absolutely DESPISE this. Every time in Percy Jackson books, when another random popular real-life figure was said to actually be a demigod, I would roll my eyes and curse Riordan's name. This kind of thing honestly makes me think of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter more than it makes me think of retelling or immersion. The only book I've read that did this and didn't make me want to scream was Blood Rose Rebellion, and that's mostly because the main character wasn't a historical figure, as far as I could tell.

This book didn't feel like a retelling, it felt like a behind the scenes with a twist, and that's not what I signed up for.

Now, if the magic had felt well done, inserted seamlessly or even with some better explanations, I wouldn't have minded it as much. But it didn't. The magic felt tacked on. The inherent secrecy surrounding it didn't make it seem like a "behind the scenes", it made it feel like I was reading two different books: one a historical fiction romance, the other a fantasy novel; and they didn't mesh well, unfortunately, neither did they intrigue me.

The other biggest issue, and the main reason I simply could not go on, is that I hated the writing. Not the deeper stuff - the characterization, set-up, or exposition - though those were pretty awful too, but the actual syntax, the writing itself. It was so pompous and pretentious, over-using similes (there are other ways of making metaphors, and metaphors aren't required every other sentence to make a point), and using passive voice excessively (which doesn't make you sound artistic, it makes short scenes go on for ages and makes me needlessly bored). This book and Dark of the West both somehow made 1st person read like badly done 3rd, and I hated it.

Honestly, I'm just going to finish the ARCs I already have for this year and stop requesting new ones, and just stop reading new releases in YA all together, unless they're sequels to series I've already started. YA (fantasy in particular) has been mostly disappointing this year and I'm sick and tired of it. If the writing standards are lowering in traditional publishing, then their sales and fan response ought to lower as well. Seems only fair.

A book that I would have probably liked better when I was younger. Brandes takes the story of the last few months of the Romanov's lives and adds magic and a romance between Anastasia and a guard called Zash. She had obviously researched the period thoroughly, but I wasn't entirely convinced by the magical elements. To me it felt like an unfortunate hybrid between real history and fantasy. The magic and the secret magical history of Russia wasn't really explained, and it was as if you were diving into a second book in a series. I wanted a bit more world building and description. Why did the Bolsheviks ban magic? However, this may have been a deliberate choice to normalise the magic elements.

The first part takes place in the quarters where the family is held and can be quite dry at times, contrasting with the fast pace of the second part. First part Nastya is actually quite annoying, but I think she's probably quite true to life!

Anyway, I just want to say that whilst this wasn't my cup of tea, it does have some charming elements particularly in the second half and would probably appeal much more to fans of ya fantasy/magic novels with a romantic twist. This is not a genre I tend to read much of though (I am so old and decrepit ya didn't really exist when I was a young adult!).