3.5 stars

I was immediately drawn to this book because I’ve always been fascinated with the Romanov dynasty (we can all blame the animated movie for this, I still have dreams about Dimitri you guys) and also the mystery that for a lot of years surrounded the fate of Anastasia and Alexei.

I liked how this book talked about the Romanov family and you can clearly see that the author did a lot of research about this topic.
Anastasia was a great character. I deeply felt for her and all she had to go through. She was such a strong-willed woman and I loved how she put her heart into everything she did. It was also very nice to see her look up to her father so much and treasure the values he taught her and her siblings. Her relationship with Zash was an interesting plot point but I don’t know if I was happy with it, it definitely left me thinking. As the author says at the end of the book Zash easily represents what some people might have gone through, not all Bolshevik soldiers were okay with the actions of the Red Army and I was glad to have the opportunity to read from this perspective. No matter the good that Zash obviously did, I cannot forget the bad. Even though he did it for Anastasia it’s still a hard pill to swallow. I cannot but admire the strength Anastasia showed by deciding to forgive him.
The magical element was very interesting but I didn’t like the spell that was used two times and that gave them the chance to live. It was okay the first time around because we needed it to keep the plot going but the second time it was a bit lazy to use it again just to save everyone’s life.

Overall it was a nice reading and I definitely recommend it if you’re interested in Russian history and want a historical fiction with magical elements in it.

So I'm sad to say this was my first ever almost DNF. I got about 20% into the book and realized it just was not for me so I skimmed the rest of it. I might take a break and come back to actually read the rest of it, but for right now I'm content with my skimming.

What I didn't like:
- No Glossary. Please include a glossary in the finished copy of the book. Having to stop every couple minutes to go online and translate all the russian words used was a tad annoying and made it really hard to get into it.

- Textbook language. I read another review before requesting this title that stated that the novel read like a textbook and I couldn't have agreed more. It was a bit dry and Nastya's voice got lost in it I felt like. I actually liked her as a character so I was sad to bored by her.

- The confusing beginning. I know absolutely nothing about the romanov family or why the tsar abdicated his throne. I only even know he abdicated because I had to go look it up. It would have been nice if the novel have opened up with that versus leaving me confused on what exactly was happening to the family and why they were in guarded hiding? There was also supposed to be a revolution happening and I just didn't see anything that suggested it was.

-It felt like two stories smooshed together into one. The first half was textbook like with the second half more of this magical realism feel that I wish had been present the whole time.

I was disappointed in this since I was hoping it would be more of a Phillipa Gregory type of novel with some magic thrown in and this was not that. It was slow paced and rather boring to read. I feel like it maybe wasn't my cup of tea but sincerely hope that others like it better than I did.

I received a Netgalley ARC of Romanov by Nadine Brandes in exchange for an honest review. Interweaving historical fact with pure fantasy, Anastasia Romanov narrates the tale that has mystified historians for years, leading the reader through a first-person explanation of her family’s exile and eventual execution, along with what came after. While I was truly invested in the characters and very interested in learn about this hotly-debated portion of history, I unfortunately felt that this book fell short in a number of ways.

The first part that troubled me was how reliable I could trust our narrator to be. I would have preferred that this story start much earlier, giving readers a glimpse of the Romanov family before their fall. Since the majority of my knowledge of this period of Russian history comes from an amalgam of the cartoon movie Anastasia and my study of Orwell’s Animal Farm, I didn’t know whether to believe the Romanov or Bolshevik version of the story. Without more background, I couldn’t tell if Anastasia was a reliable judge of her father’s character or if his gentleness was something she saw when others knew him to be a wasteful ruler. Also, to be honest, I feel like Rasputin is one of the more interesting figures in the Romanov legend, so it was a bit of a letdown not to meet him at all.

Secondly (and this was probably completely my fault), I got totally confused about whether I was reading historical fiction or fantasy. The first half of the novel feels so historically accurate, so full of well-researched details and information, that I was confused by the spells. Were the spells that Anastasia used for Alexei just a part of her imagination, or was this a part of Brandes’ world-building? Again, based on the lack of clarity over whether I was dealing with a reliable narrator or not, I wasn’t sure that I could believe Anastasia even if SHE thought the spells were real, and it wasn’t until the anjin spell during the Romanov assassination that it became clear that I was in a magical realism/historical fiction mashup. Once I had my legs under me with this point, though, I could enjoy the departures from reality, but I wish that clarification had been made sooner.

The part that I really struggled with, though, was the boredom factor. I understand that the author was trying to let the readers feel the monotony of the Romanovs’ time at Ipatiev House, but I have to admit that I struggled to force myself to pick up the book when I felt sure that I would have to undergo another 20 pages of the characters staring at the whitewashed windows or yearning for extra time in the garden. That same feeling crept in during the long jaunt through the forest with Alexei, Nastya, and Zash; I wanted to see these characters through to safety, but it just felt so monotonous getting there. Shortening these sections in favor of providing more background before the exile may have made this book feel faster paced.

In the end, while I rooted for Anastasia and appreciated Brandes’ attempt at this interesting turn in history, I couldn’t completely buy in to the story and thus didn’t enjoy the read. I foresee this being a tough sell to YA readers in my library.

I generously received a copy of "Romanov" from NetGalley. All opinions on this book are my own. I have been obsessed with the story of Anastasia Romanov since first hearing the amazing song "Yes Anastasia" by Tori Amos in 1994. Then I saw some articles more recently which prompted me to purchase a couple of biographies about the Romanov family. I also am a sucker for YA historical fiction so reading "Romanov" by Nadine Brandes was a no brainer. This wasn't the easiest book to read. It is well written most definitely. But the first fifty percent or so of the novel is nearly the exact story of the last days of the Romanov family. It is extremely sad and hard to read. The family is locked into a home and constantly watched by Bolshevik soldiers. They aren't allowed to open the covered windows for fear that they might be signaling the White Army (sympathizers of their family) to rescue them. There are periods where they go with hardly enough food to keep them alive. They don't have adequate medicine to help the Empress or young Alexei who suffers from hemophilia. Again the true details make up 90% of the beginning of this story. There are bits of fiction or speculation. Speculation is that a couple of the girls had flirtations going with some of the guards. Fictions include a story about magic spells which were instigated by Rasputin, who has been killed before the beginning of the tale. There are other 'liberties' taken in the story but it was written so well that I found myself jumping out of the book and checking the internet or my other books to find out what was true or not. I positively flew through this book it was so engaging. I almost couldn't stand to keep reading when I reached the executions. Then the book changes...we know now that Anastasia and Alexei did not survive the murders. But for decades it was speculated that maybe they did. There were several woman through the years that came forth and claimed to be Anastasia. The second half of this book imagines how they could have survived. And it is pretty entertaining and I felt my heart wishing this story could be true. I did struggle a bit with the concept of re-imagining a true historical tragedy featuring actual humans who suffered. I wondered how people would feel if someone wrote an alternate ending to Anne Frank's story. On the other end, Nadine Brandes obviously cares about this family and what happened to them. Her entire book is written with genuine respect and portrays the family in a good and what seems to accurate light. I would recommend this book to anyone with interest in the Romanov story or anyone who just enjoys good YA stories.

Impossible to put down!!! I LOVED this story! I'll admit I was slightly worried because I didn't know anything about the Romanov's and wasn't sure if that would leave lost among the pages--absolutely not!

Author, Nadine Brandes, swept me into the history of Russia and the Romanov family as if I was living their exile right along with them. The beauty of this story lies in the way Ms. Brandes weaves historical fact with the colorful threads of love, magic, forgiveness, and heroism. The result is a tapestry of story-telling at its finest.

Among the thrilling and heart-breaking plot, Ms. Brandes introduces readers to the Romanov family in such a way that I can't help but want to dive further into their history (thankfully, Ms. Brandes offers suggestions at the end of the book) and find out more. Ms. Brandes' development of the characters in this book demonstrate her commitment and passion to both history and fiction, gifting readers a story filled with friends by the final page.

This will be my first recommendation to readers of all ages but I'm especially excited to offer this amazing story to young adult readers. The passion of Ms. Brandes' heart is typed into every page of this story and I believe it is her finest work yet.

***I received a copy of the book from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own and I was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

Did Anastasia survive? It's the question of most books on the Romanovs. Here is yet another one, but it has a unique take on this intriguing part in history.

The book opens with the most beautiful dedication and introduction. I'm drawn in from the start. And please do judge this book by its gorgeous cover!

Ipaniev House, the Romanov family in captivity, we all know it doesn't end well.
The writing is fast, the story captivating, I can't put it down.
But the event as we know it is unavoidable and so ends the first half of the book.
And? did Anastasia survive? Well, do continue.
Because this story gives her a new lease on life. A life filled with mischief, spells and magic. A fairytale, a lovestory, so beautiful it hurts.

I truly enjoyed this take on the Romanovs. Fast paced and indepth, set in well described harsh surroundings, with believable characters. It's a well crafted take on what might have been, leaving enough room for imagination.
Romanov is a gem. Highly recommended reading!

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC.

The book was a little slow but I was happy to have an Anastasia retelling. I think the age for the book should be advertised for a little younger though.

The myth of Anastasia is been told time and time again, and Romanov is no different in that regard.
But its use of magic - particularly to recast Rasputin - is a new approach. And a successful one.
During the Romanovs' imprisonment, Anastasia strikes up a forbidden friendship with officer Zash. She's also responsible for hiding the last of magical relics left to them by Rasputin, only to be used in times of great need.
The first part of the book unfolds as you expect - the family moves from house to house to the firing squad, all while Nastya and Zash's friendship blooms and Alexandra and czarvich Alexei grow weaker. Nastya releases the spell she'd protected and stolen back as her family faces the firing squad, protecting herself and her brother.
The alternate timeline begins, and it's a whizzy tale filled with magic, survival, and teenage romantic tension.
Romanov was an refreshing alternate history to the tired tale of Anastasia, and I enjoyed it very much.

I admit, I haven't really dig much into the Romanov history, yeah I have heard about it here and there but I not one of those die hard fans that one every single detail but I love history and once I heard about this book I was totally into and couldn't get my hands on it. And in my opinion it totally did it for me, I loved it, yes it was fiction and the facts may have not have not been all 100% all right, but that's what a fiction book is, right?

Can we talk about the Romanov's? I loved getting to know about the family, yeah maybe they were not all so tight and loved each other like in the book but I personally loved that it was done this way.

And let's talk about Anastasia, there were times I wish she could step up a little more but man, when you look at what she was going through I would probably freak out so bad that I wouldn't do half of what she did. And the romance, well I'm still not sure how I feel about it, no spoilers but what the heck I don't think I could ever forgive him.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and gave it 4 out of 5 stars and it has made me want to learn a lot more about the Romanovs.

Did you read it yet and if so what did you think about it?

This book was very well written. The story was very factual while so being fiction. The magic didnt overtake the whole story, it seemed very realistic.

The characters in her each had their own unique voice. I do wish the magic had played a bit of a bigger part.

I have a spoiler free review going up on my blog (courtney2028@wordpress.com)

I think most people know the tragedy of the Romanovs. The royal Russian family was murdered by revolutionaries in the early 1900s. However, what if one of the family survived?
This story of Anastasia’s survival mixes the realities with magic. The first half of the story primarily deals with the family’s exile in Siberia. It could get a bit dull at points, not a lot of magic is mixed in to the beginning. It is informative about the last months of the family’s lives. The second half of the story gets much more fantastical. Overall though, I wasn’t a big fan of the way it was presented. I would recommend to young Russophiles and historical fiction readers.
Thanks to NetGalley/Edelweiss+ and Thomas Nelson for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

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

I have a bit of an obsession with the Romanov family. There's something fascinating about this time in history and how it echoes some of the current challenges that are happening around the world.

As for Nadine Brandes' Romanov, I greatly appreciated the attention to detail, particularly in the first half of the novel. The amount of research and contextualization that went into the novel was obvious. The acknowledgements at the conclusion of the novel made this apparent, but even while reading, it was clear that Brandes cared about getting the details right. At times the research in the first half of the novel read a bit slow, but I also appreciated the fact that building a believable world was important to the second half of the story.

The latter half of the story really kicked off with the execution and the opening of the matryoshka doll. Told from Anastasia's point of view, Brandes took the historical knowledge that five of the skeletons of the Romanov family were found together while two of the skeletons were found at a different location and spun this to her advantage. Brandes rewrites history and proposes that Anastasia and Alexei were the two that survived the execution. Magic factors heavily into their survival; however, as a reader, I appreciated the fact that even though the second half of the novel leans heavily on the idea of magic, the hints of this power throughout the first half made the magic system seem believable. There's nothing more irritating as a reader than a magic system that doesn't seem to have defined rules and comes from nowhere.

As a YA novel, there is a love story. This one plays on the idea of respect and understanding even though the characters are on opposite sides of a conflict. The love story developed rather naturally and didn't come to fruition until the conclusion of the novel, which made it seem believable.

I enjoyed this book and it has made me want to go check out the rest of Brandes' novels as well as some of Brandes' background research material, such as Helen Rappaport's work on the Romanov family.

The Romanov family story is fascinating and when I saw a fantasy novel set in their legacy I was intrigued. Discovering it was YA just made me even more excited. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every word in this book! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC.

I love all the mystery surrounding the last of the Romanov's and was pretty excited to embark on this journey.

Sadly it all just fell... flat.

The story teased of magic and spell masters but we didn't get to experience the wonders of this for enough of the book I think.

Though the story of the Romanov's going into exile was built up really well, and we got a sense of individual characteristics - this stagnancy seemed to linger on and on without any real idea or hint of where the story was going. This was pretty frustrating considering the main character had in her possession a seemingly powerful object for the majority of the book.

Admittedly the last quarter of the book was a joy to read, the tone changed, the stakes were raised and things became a lot more urgent and therefore fast paced. As well as this, a lot more of the mystery and magic embedded in the story came to light as well as some pretty weighted circumstances and emotions.

It was a shame that this was all squeezed into the final hour as opposed to weaving throughout the story

This one took some time for me to get into this book. My historical brain kept screaming STOP, when the fantasy parts came in. BUT, if you let that intellectual part take a nap, you get an enjoyable YA read. About a third of the way in it turned into a literal page turner, and really kept my attention. Brandes has a way with language- she creates scenes so vividly that you will feel like you are there with the characters.For those who aren't well versed in the Romanov legend, I think this book will be an easier read, and one that might get them TO read more about this important time in history.

This book imagines what might have happened to Anatasia Romanov. Did she survive the murder of her family, somehow escaping? How would this be possible?

I love historical fantasy. This novel takes place in 1918, after the Bolsheviks take over Russia and the tsar abdicates his throne. World War One is still raging in Europe, but Russia is trying to rebuild itself under Lenin and the Red Army. As a history nerd, I love these small details and how Brandes alters them slightly for the fantasy part of the novel. Rasputin, for example, is confirmed to be a real magic user.

The first half of the novel largely follows Anatasia ("Nastya") and her family as they live under the Bolsheviks' watchful eye. The historical elements and realism here were probably the strongest part of the novel. I loved Anatasia's characterization - she's feisty, a prankster, and deeply loyal to her family. Her relationship with her family members, especially Alexei, Maria, and her father, were really sweet to see.

At the same time, this part of the novel was rather slow. Nothing big happens, though we anticipate things to happen. The daily routine of the family, with minor developments, was not too exciting, even if I still enjoyed reading it.

For me, the novel really fell apart in the second half, when something really awful happens to Nastya's family. I loved the plot twist, but I wish so badly that it had been handled differently. This was the point when the magical elements of the novel heavily come into play. And here's my problem: I really loved the novel's magic system. It's based on spelled ink, which I thought was highly original and so cool to imagine. But almost the entire novel is based around a magic item - a McGuffin that's literally pursued by Nastya because her father told her so, with little understanding of why.

Magic becomes a sort of deus ex machina by the end of this novel, after the major plot twist. The problem is that rules for the limits of magic or what magic can and cannot do is never outlined in this novel. So magic goes from being able to perform small things, like alleviating pain, to breaking natural laws like they're nothing. That was when my ability to suspend my disbelief ended, and the plot just became really messy. Magic can solve problems, sure, but it was too much here.

That's all I will say to avoid spoilers, but I will also say I hated the love interest/romance in this novel. It's hard to swoon over someone who can be literally ordered to murder the protagonist at a moment's notice.

1917, Imperial Russia 🇷🇺. The Romanov family are exiled and placed in a cramped house in Tobolsk. The Bolsheviks, a group of revolutionaries, have forced Tsar Nicholas II to abdicate the Russian monarchy.

Based off historical events, the story of the Romanovs is equally wondrous and tragic. Brandes did an excellent job incorporating some true facts, especially regarding the final days of the Romanovs.

We have Nastya, our heroine. She's fierce and brave with a mischievous nature. Another key character was Alexei, he fought through his illness and never gave up. I loved the relationship between Nastya and Alexei. Through Brandes writing readers are able to see how much these two characters truly loved each other. Then there's Zash. Nastya and Zash's romance had potential but it needed more depth and was very much tragic.

Immediately, I was drawn in by the cover and the title of this book. Once I read the blurb, I was sold! Unfortunately, not much happens in the first half of the book. Actually, it drags in the beginning and picks up a bit during the second half. One aspect in particular I really loved was how Brandes brought elements of magic and fantasy into this story such as the use of spell ink to wield magic. Though it takes a strange turn towards the end and I was left somewhat puzzled, I did enjoy the concept this novel presents.

Brandes really made me want to learn about the history of the Russian Revolution and more on the last days of the Romanovs. Especially since I have always been fascinated with the story of the young princess, Anastasia and her mysterious disappearance/death. Overall, I was fascinated with the history fueling the plot but the story itself wasn't what I expected.
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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

To be fair, I wasn't that familiar with the Romanov's story before reading this book. I only watched the last half of the animated movie Anastasia last year, and I've never seen the first half. My history professor let us play trivia crack and candy crush on her classes. So the beginning felt slow and confusing until I got my shit together and read a few wikipedia articles about the topic. I paid for a semi-private high school for nothing. Don't get me started.

But once I knew where we were standing, and once the plot started making sense and taking me along to show me what was going to happen next, it was everything. The research the author did to write this really came through.

The family didn't feel too fictionalized. They all had their particular activities, personalities and reactions. They all loved each other very very much, and that's what got them through the last months of their lives. You can really see them as a family, as opposed to many others monarchy families that don't really know each other because of their positions. And it was really refreshing, you don't really see that in fiction (or real life, tbh).

I really really really enjoyed how the magic was woven into the story. It's not usually something done well in historical fiction, because usually the characters get too invested in the magic and their personality ends up being lost in it. But that didn't happen with this book. The magic system made sense, although it wasn't fully explained (deliberately, I assume). The moments where it was used were the best, and it didn't feel like an all-powerful solution that couldn't ever fail.

Zash was the perfect addition for this story to make its leap from reality. It wasn't an original concept by any means, but it was done wonderfully. The slow burn romance made it even better, even though it made me want to hit my head against the wall, lose conciousness and only regain it when they were together, safe and happy.

Idk, overall this made me feel a lot of things. Every single plot twist took me by surprise. Nothing was too predictable, even knowing the real story behind the book. I'm not even into historical fiction and I gave this four whole stars!!!! Truly an amazing book.

In 1917, a group of leftist revolutionaries known as the Bolsheviks forced Tsar Nicholas II to abdicate the Russian monarchy. The Tsar and his family were imprisoned and eventually assassinated ultimately marking the end of the House of Romanov and the fall of Imperial Russia. For decades after the executions, it was speculated that some of the Romanov children could have survived. All remains of the family are now believed to be located, though they were not found together in a single location. Those are a few of the facts around which Nadine Brandes has written her new YA historical fantasy novel, Romanov. She brings imagined insight to the dark story of Anastasia and weaves magical explanations for the mysteries surrounding the Romanov family.

"Nastya" is teenage royalty imprisoned with her family by political enemies. Basically, she's trying to make the best of her current situation. In this story, Anastasia dangerously associates with one of her young Bolshevik captors while safeguarding a secret magic spell which might be the key to her family's salvation.

I think I would have liked this book more if the story was original and didn't incorporate actual historical events. The Russian Revolution was complicated and the way this book romanticizes the Tsar is problematic. I do think the book is well written and it evokes empathy, but some readers might find it a little slow and it is missing some things. The story needed more world-building in order for the magic system to make sense. Overall, I still enjoyed the book, but it had so much more potential.

Romanov includes fantastic elements but would have done just as well, or better in my opinion, had the magic been completely left out of it. As it is, the story is meant to appeal to the Fantasy YA genre, and it does well to incorporate magic without making it a gimmick or diminishing the significance of the characters and their plight. And boy, do the characters face many of those.

Brandes does a fantastic job in this novel making the reader feel the tension in the air during the imprisonment of the Romanovs. The Bolsheviks, out of ignorance and hatred, overthrow the tsar and imprison, starve, and steal from his family in an attempt to make the country communist and “fair” for all. They only wind up turning the country into a semi-permanent war zone devoid of personal freedom and full of death and seek only to revenge themselves on others for their own perceived hurts and do not endeavor to understand the hurts of others.

Though a harrowing read, if the reader can make it to the end of the book before giving up from grief and heartbreak, one will be rewarded thoroughly for the effort. I do hope the experience sends the reader also to the nonfiction section to pick a book about Russia before it became the USSR and learn a little bit about globally significant, catalytic events such as this.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, for which I give my own opinion.