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.

What first struck me about <em>Romanov</em> is the magic system: in this version of Russia, spell masters and their contemporaries can wield magic through spell ink, which they use to scribble and cast spells. Nastya learned to use spell ink from the late Rasputin to ease her brother Alexei's chronic pain from hemophilia. The idea of words as magic spoke to me immediately because it was something that anyone could access and use. In a place where spell masters are now hunted and executed for their crafts, the availability of magic was an intriguing and unique one. I've yet to read of a magic system like this one.

I also appreciated the sense of historical accuracy throughout the first half of the book. From the prose alone, I could tell that Brandes did her research and was incredibly knowledgeable about what really happened in the final months of the Romanovs' lives. She also weaved fictional characters and ideas into the story; I had trouble discerning what was fact and what was fiction, but this added to my reading experience. That feeling of well-researched accuracy disappeared at about the two-thirds mark, but I think it had to. Brandes didn't write a textbook, and I appreciated the creative liberties she took; they made for a more interesting novel.

While the world was rich, the characters sometimes fell into archetypes. Nastya felt full and round to me, as did Zash (the Bolshevik guard who catches Nastya's eye) and Maria (Nastya's sister), but other supporting characters could have used some rounding out. There was the father who preached nothing but goodness, the ruthless commandant who oversaw their exile, and the wizened spell master who was as peculiar as he was curious, among others. These characters deserved more development than they got.

Another part of the story that seemed a little fuzzy was the premise. In the beginning, Nastya's father tells her to retrieve a Matryoshka doll from their quarters and keep it safe because it will reveal spells that will help their family. As the spells are revealed throughout the story, I had a tough time believing that Nastya knew exactly what each spell was meant to show her even when she was presented with almost no clues. The set-up seemed improbable.

Overall, I enjoyed this lovely story about a mystery that has continued to entrance us even after it's been solved. Brandes' novel gave the story of Anastasia and the Romanovs a new spin that I highly recommend.

Well written, historical fiction. I enjoyed to narrative, characters and story and will recommend to my teen readers, and teachers looking for good thematic reads.

A magical twist to the Romanov story : I was in !
I loved the magic system even though it was kinda hard to understand it at first. The characters is what kept me going and I was not disappointed. My favorite part was the relationship between Anastasia and her brother, they were so cute together
I did find the writing style to be engaging and I think the story was touching.

*ARC generously provided by Thomas Nelson through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

When I was younger, I was obsessed with the story of Anastasia and the possibility that the "lost princess" might have survived her family's execution. This novel brought all of those memories right back to me. I couldn't put this one down.

Anastasia, or Nastya as she is called by her family, is tired of Bolsheviks and tired of waiting. In a world of spell casters, the Romanov family claim connections not only through the infamous Rasputin but others too. After smuggling an ancient family spell to their new home in exile, Nastya must wait for a sign that the spell is ready to use before she can attempt to help her family. But the wait isn't the only struggle and she soon finds her heart touched by one of the Bolshevik soldiers. When the unthinkable happens, Nastya must decide who trust and how far she's willing to go to protect herself and her family.

This novel did an amazing job blending history with fiction and fantasy. I loved how the characters developed over the course of the story. The main characters had clear flaws, which I always find relatable and realistic. Beyond this, the enhancements to the history of the Romanovs were engaging and interesting. Even with the inclusion of magic, nothing felt out of place. My only criticism is that the novel had really great pacing--up until the end. At the end, it seemed like a lot happened in a short amount of time.

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

3 1/2-4 Stars.

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

I am a huge Anastasia fan--historically accurate versions and the not-so-accurate movie version we all know and love. While I was originally excited for this book, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

The beginning of the book takes a more historical approach, with only a little magic weaved in. The last half of the book is the largest fantasy part in the book, focusing the reader's attention on the magical elements we were introduced to in the beginning.

I was surprised to find myself more drawn to the historical section of the book rather than the fantasy half. I love historical fiction/fantasy, but I'm not sure the fantasy element in this book quite lived up to what it needed to be in order for it to really work.

Since the book was from Anastasia's point of view, I think the author took some liberties with how the Romanov's were perceived by the public and how she made Anastasia set the other character's tones. As a reader, I really liked the Romanov's, felt for them. Knowing history, I don't really think I should have felt that way. Should everyone, the kids included, have died? I don't think so. But, was Nikolai the ruler and figurehead Anastasia made him out to be? Not at all.

I liked that there was a slight romantic aspect to the story, because I'm a sap like that, but I don't think it entirely worked for me like I was hoping. I thought that his and Anastasia's ending was to clean-cut and fairytale-like for the murdery story we had gotten up to that point.

I also wish the magic system had been flushed out more. It seemed like anyone could do magic, so why were the Bolshevik's so gung-ho about killing the spellmasters if they could have just used their ink? This could have been played with a lot more and the author could have really dug in, I think, and made the magic in this something to really remember, but it just fell a little flat with me.

Overall, I enjoyed the book for what it was!