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.

An absolute must for anyone with even the slightest interest in Russian history. Great characters, tightly plotted. Wonderful.

This is a good historical retelling of the story of Anastasia and her family during the revolution. This has a small amount of magic allowing a fantasy ending to her story. The focus is more on the trials Anastasia and her family went through and her love for her family and Country. If you are looking for the 90’s animated story we all love this is not the story for you.

3.5 stars I wondered where this story would go. I enjoyed the tale but didn't love it. Alexei and Anastasia's tale was very well done but I found the ending lacking.

I don’t consider myself a historical reader, but something about Brandes’s writing makes me feel like I could be.

I’m not all that knowledgeable about the Romanovs, but I found this captivating.

I will say I struggled with some of the language. I definitely think backstory would be important. But I still enjoyed this very much!

I only found out this was a retelling when I finished the book. I'm curious right now, what happened with the Romanov family and will definitely dive into history to learn the real story. I like the magic system in this book and I also liked the writing style. I did feel the book was a bit too long for the things that were happening and I didn't have that great of a connection with the main characters. So that's where my 3 stars come from.

Pros
What just happened: At some point in the book there is a BIG WTF moment. Especially if you do not know the history of the Romanovs. I perked up and was curious what was about to happen after this scene.
Papa: This is by far my favorite character. Nastya has such a special connection with him and I felt like this was a special character as well. The way papa talks about other people and treats them is how the world should be.
Forgiveness: At the final parts of the book, forgiveness is a big topic. I really liked the way the author was able to capture this. I felt like I could learn from this and I was touched by the way Nastya thinks about forgiveness, learned from her papa.
Magic system: So cool, because the magic wasn't that big part of the book, but it was a big part as well. It's not that magic has the upper hand in this book and I liked the way spells have to mature and you need spellink to make the spells. It was just the right portion of magic for me.

Cons
Dull: The biggest part of the book was, to me, kinda boring... Not much was happening and it took a lot of time to build up to the big plot twist. I wasn't going to DNF the book, but I felt like something needed to happen to spice the book up. Luckily something happened!
Shorter: I think the book would've been better if it was shorter. The dull part would have been shorter and I would've been able to give the book 4 stars that way.
Main character: At some point Nastya doesn't know what she wants and it is annoying to me. She is described as fierce and not afraid, but she can't make up her mind at some point and that's the reason I didn't feel a connection with her.

Overall
A book with big plot twists and an unique magic system. I love how forgiveness is a big part of this book and it can really inspire you. Some parts of the book were not fast paced enough for my taste, but not bad. I would definitely read something by this author again.

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

Retellings of the 1998 20th Century Fox animated musical Anastasia are always going to be a little tricky due to the fact that the musical is a complete work of fiction set against a true story of a family's execution. Don't get me wrong, I love the animated film and have even seen the live Broadway adaptation (which I own on CD). But at the end of the day I can recognize that it is a complete fairy-tale in relation to what actually happened. Mrs. Brandes takes a slightly more historically accurate approach to the tale, as the first 60% of this story follows the captivity of the Romanov family under the Bolsheviks. The problem with following that storyline is that it doesn't allow for very exciting things to happen. Pretty much Anastasia (Natsya) and her family are miserable but getting by and hoping the White Army will come and save them. They don't have a lot of food and keep having to mend their clothes over and over, but they have each other's love, company, and support. It does have a flaw of painting Tsar Nicholas II as a good leader, which, given the fact that he was overthrown, history says otherwise. I guess it doesn't help that it's told in Natsya's perspective and she probably loved her father a lot and may not have seen many of his flaws. This first part overall may have been more exciting if the magical aspect of the story was used earlier, but all it really was in the beginning was a bit a of intrigue. You know that Natsya has a spell in a nesting doll available to her but you don't know when or how she is going to use it, or what it will do.

The later 40% is where the book picks up a bit; things are moving and happening. But it just takes such a long time to get to this point, I found myself not caring all that much. I think part of this is that this retelling doesn't particularly add that much new content or original spin. It's still the very same person, Anastasia. It’s still a Russian setting, though focused during the revolution itself and not 10 years later. Sure, it incorporates some magic and Nastya is interested in its craft (the movie just had the villain using magic), but it’s really not a large component to the story. It adds a Bolshevik soldier in as a love interest, but it is incredibly forced and cringy, especially after you read what happens. (Just give me back my conman love interest, please). There wasn’t anything to really hook me.

It’s still very well written (even if it could have perhaps been better researched). And I think the way it resolves itself is interesting; it certainly is a take on the tale of how Anastasia could have possibly survived.

I still enjoyed my time reading this, but I can’t find any way to say that it is more than okay. Thus, 2 stars.

I have always been very interested in the story of Anastasia. This was a good read for me. It kept me engaged and I felt in touch with the characters. I have always thought about the “What if?” At times I did not feel the descriptions were vivid enough but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Thanks to Thomas Nelson and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was so excited for this novel because honestly, a fantasy style Romanov retelling? I am here for it! but this one didn't do it for me :(

Nadine Brandes took a tragic historical story and wrapped fantasy with it to create a beautiful story. Going into this book, I wasn't sure how I was going to like it. I was familiar with Tsar Nicholas from history class lessons, but I did not know the extent of his story. It was fascinating reading the story of the family from the historical fiction perspective. It felt like I was getting a history lesson while reading a good story. The story started out slow for me, but it kept my interest. For about 60% of the book it's mostly the story of the Romanov family being told and once you get to the execution part that's when the book really picks up until the end.

At this point is when the fantasy/magic aspect of the story really comes into play. At first, I wasn't sure exactly what this magic was that Natysa possessed, but it became clearer in the second half. It was a thrilling adventure watching Natysa and Alexei with the help of Zash try to get help from Alexei while outrunning Yurovsky. These critical moments show how much Alexei means to Natsya, as well as, how much more he now means with the rest of the family gone. This time is also one for healing after realizing Zash was the one who shot her. I like that Natsya became more confident the closer they got to Dochkin. She become more and more determined to get to him and would risk her life to help Alexei. It was nice to see Natsya come to forgive Zash for what he did and saw how much it broke him to do it. It took her time to see her really would never forgive himself as long as she would not. The ending was wholesome and I'm glad to see Natsya finally happy and learning to become a spell master.

The characters are highly enjoyable and I really liked following their journey. I'm really glad I ended up enjoying Romanov. It's definitely a good read for those who love historical fiction and fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one was difficult for me. I enjoyed it, but it took me a while to get into this one. I'm not sure if that's because of the storyline, or the format (sometimes I have a hard time with ebooks, and this one was in PDF form). Once this one comes out, I'd like to try to read it again. I'll keep you guys posted.

Romanov is about the final days and incarceration of the Romanov family. In this Alternate Universe, magic exists and the Romanov's ties to the spell masters play a large role in why the Bolsheviks are persecuting them. While the inclusion of magic (and Zash the guard) are creative additions Ms. Brandes came up with, most of the events through the first half of this book are historically accurate. As this story is actually quite tragic, I appreciate that she stayed true to history for the majority of the book. The mystery of what happened to Anastasia and Alexei was one that I was fascinated with as a child, and I truly enjoyed the story that Ms. Brandes told.

Again, I didn't really enjoy the format of this one, but the story was well written. I have recommended the book to my mom (a big history buff who has always been interested in the Romanov family), and plan to read it again once it comes out. I think for those who appreciate historical fiction with a magical twist will really enjoy this one.

I really love history, and I've always been super interested in Russian revolutionary history, and the story of the last Tsar and his family. When I read the description of this book, I really thought this book was going to be a five star read for me. Sadly, it missed the mark in a lot of ways for me personally.

Romanov follows the sorry of Anastasia and her family after the events of the Russian Revolution, when they were forced into excile. However, on this version of events, Anastasia wants to help her family survive with the help of ink spells and magic. We follow Anastasia and her family's daily life in excile, trying to not loose hope and waiting for the white army to come and save them from their captors.

I really enjoyed how the author weaved factual historical elements into their fantasy version of events, the book seemed well researched and it really did seem like the author knew their stuff. My biggest problem with the plot was how slow it was and how disjointed it seemed, to me. We spend a lot of time going through the daily life of the Romanov family in captivity, and not a heck of a lot really happens. We do get some character growth and insight into the dynamics between certain groups, but for all the talk of rebellion at that point, we see little action. The second half of the book, however did move a lot quicker. I did really like seeing the excile from Anastasia's perspective as it offered some insight into their family and the hardships that they endured during this time, something I haven't seen a lot of..

Character wise, the only character I really found myself caring for was Anastasia and Alexci, the rest fell flat for me. Anastasia was interesting to read about, and I really liked seeing her growth as a character and figuring out when to submit, and when to fight back. I appreciated a lot of aspects about the other characters ( the Tsars positivity, Marie's resilience), but I felt I just didn't really get to know them all that well. I didn't really love the romance in this book either, as it seemed to develop a little too quick in the beginning.

Overall, I think the idea of this book was really great, and I love the historical references. The romance and pacing of the plot just didn't work for me, but I am sure a lot of people will love this book.

Although I enjoyed the premise of this book, I found that it lacking and quite dull. Romanov centers around Anastasia Romanov just before the Russian revolution. This book features an underdeveloped magic element. Spells are used in the form of magic ink to heal and protect, but there isn't much in the way of a thought out magic system. Romanov is dialogue heavy, which I find difficult. to follow. The plot mostly follows the historical account of what is known of the last days of The Romanovs, but in a dry, stripped-down manner. The characters are indistinguishable from one another. Overall, I was so disappointed in this book and would not recommend.

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

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Romanov. This is the story of Anastasia Romanov and her family. We all know the story of how the family died. This story adds a flair of magic to it. Anastasia is able to cast small pain relief spells for her brother who suffers because of his hemophilia. But, she wishes to be a great spell caster like Rasputin. Life takes a turn for the princess when her family is forced into exile.

I liked the story and the ending was good. However, I did feel like the first half of the book was very slow going. I would recommend it to people who like Russian history or historical fiction.

As soon as I noticed this book I fell in love with the synopsis, I’ve always been fascinated by the Romanovs and this is the first retelling I’ve found. The perfect blend between historical fiction and fantasy.

Nadine Brandes is a fabulous storyteller, adding magic in an otherwise heartbreaking story. I was hooked from the very first chapter. The story follows Anastasia as she is confronted with difficult decisions while in exile, we are introduced to the Romanov family while they’re kept as hostages by the Bolsheviks. Nastya needs to overcome the stress and monotony while trying to find a way to save her family.

If you’re looking for historical accuracy, this is not it. You’ll find some historical facts mixed heavily with the author imaginative as she is trying to make you share the feelings of all the characters.

After this magnificent introduction to Brandes prose I had to run and get one of her other books, Fawkes, I’m loving it so far, review to come.

I know I say this a lot, but I enjoyed this more than my rating suggests. I liked it more around a 4. But looking at it as a novel and taking my feelings out of it, it's more of a 2.5/3.

I think the biggest problem with ROMANOV is that it is neither entirely historical accurate or fantasy-driven. It tries to be both and unfortunately I think that Brandes missed that sweet spot. I know a little about the Romanov's and their downfall, but not much about their reign (I will eventually get to it but I want to find the Perfect book, you know?). So some of the information that we're given in passing is lacking; the book assumes readers know more about the history well and for people that don't I think that it's hard to understand the stakes. I think this could have been solved by starting the novel in a different place, but again - I don't know the history in-depth but that's my feeling.

What I loved about this book was that it wasn't about the history, really. Or the fantasy aspect. It was about love and kindness. The relationship between Nastya and her family were written very well; I believed it. A decent chunk of the novel Nastya thinks about romance, but it doesn't really rear its head much. I liked that, I think the love between Nastya and her family, and the love that Tsar had for his people, were the better story and I'm glad Brandes focused more on that. That being said, I didn't mind Zash... but that romance was laughable to me. I'm sorry. I wished I had liked it more because I loved Nastya and Zash had potential.

I think that if you go into this book expecting a good, solid historical fiction... you'll be disappointed. Same with if you go in thinking it's superior magical realism. I think if you're looking for something quick that has a little bit of this (historical fiction) and a little bit of that (magical realism), then this might be for you, but don't expect it to knock your socks off.