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

Being a fan of history, the story of the Romanovs has always been a source of intrigue. I love the idea that Anastasia was able to escape her family's tragic fate, and I have a special place in my heart for the animated film that depicts this story. This book, while still following that period in the lives of the Romanov family, takes a different direction.

With the influence of magic spells and forbidden romance, this book offers a darker take on Romanov historical fiction. Upon her family's exile, Anastasia (Nastya) is entrusted with the family's Matryoshka doll (a gift from the great spell master Dochkin) which contains powerful spells that, while dangerous in the hands of others, could bring about her family's salvation. Nastya struggles to protect her family and their secrets from the Bolsheviks (the communist soldiers), yet finds comfort and an unlikely friendship in one soldier: Zash. Loyalties and consciences are put to the test as the Bolshevik commandant Yurovsky threatens to wipe out the Romanov bloodline (and all spell masters).

Much of the book plays out in typical YA fashion, and I didn't feel the pace pick up until after the halfway point, but I really enjoyed this book. I tore through it in one day! Its predictable yet still suspenseful. It has moments of sweetness and humility, while still being grusomely cold and unsettling. The plot has a sort of crux moment that could be considered a before and after point when referring to this story. I definitely enjoyed the latter half more, so if you start this book and are unsure, just keep reading! If you enjoy historical fiction or have interest in the lore of the Romanov's, you'll likely find this one to be a fun, quick read!

The story of the fate of the the last Tsar of Russia and his family is one that is still fresh in the public consciousness. It's been 100 years since their tragic deaths, but there are countless books on the topic. Romanov is a young adult version of the story with magic added.

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia (Nastya to her family) is imprisoned with her family after the Russian Revolution. She and her family don't know what their fate will be. They expect that her father, the former Tsar, will be put on trial, or exiled to a remote part of Russia. The Tsar tells Nastya to guard a Matryoshka doll that contains a spell that will help the family. In this version of the revolution, the Bolsheviks are going around killing any spell masters, and the doll may hold the family's last chance at salvation.

The first half of the book tells the story of the family's imprisonment, first in Tobolsk, under conditions of some comfort, and then at Ekaterinburg, where the conditions were much grimmer. Nastya is the fourth of five children and the youngest daughter. She's know in the family as imp (shvibzik) for her love of mischief and practical jokes. She works to keep her family's spirits up, especially her brother Alexei, who is in constant pain from injuries related to his being a hemophiliac.

I enjoyed this part of the book. The sense of claustrophobia and the family's uncertainty about the future are well done, and the sense of pervasive anxiety works well for the story. The family is hoping that the White Army (the counter-revolutionary forces) will rescue them, but with no news from outside their prison, everything is uncertain. The magical elements only come into play in the second half of the book. At that point, the tone changes quite a bit, as we go from historical events into the realm of the speculative. I enjoyed the magical elements, but I'm still not sure I like the way they were worked into the history. It was interesting, but it didn't quite work for me.

Nastya is an entertaining character. I've always been interested in the real Anastasia (because of the legends that she survived her family's slaughter), and her portrayal in Romanov feels true to life. She's a bit of trouble-maker and acts before she thinks, but she loves her family and wants to do anything she can to save them. Her relationships with her father, Alexei, and the next oldest sister Maria are all very nicely done. Her romance with a Bolshevik guard is somewhat less convincing, but it's at least historically probable as there are accounts of the Grand Duchesses having flirtations with the guards during their captivity.

There were a couple of historical inaccuracies that bugged me. Tsar Nicholas II is portrayed as a very saintly figure. And while yes, he was a loving husband and father, and he cared about his country, he was also a criminally incompetent ruler, and that's really glossed over. The book is told through Anastasia's point of view, so of course, she thinks highly of her father, but I wish there had been some acknowledgment that he was a less than ideal ruler. It's also mentioned multiple times that Rasputin, the healer who held great influence over the imperial family because of his ability to help Alexei, was murdered by the Bolsheviks. Rasputin was actually murdered by another member of the Imperial family, an aristocrat, and a right-wing politician. But I'm a Russian history nerd, so this may not bother other readers.

I did enjoy the book, although I wish the magical elements had been a bit more integrated into the story from the start. The second half of the book is very exciting, and I liked how the author added magic to known historical events.

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

I've read this book two months ago and yet I didn't write my review right away.I felt so much after finishing this book and I didn't know how to put my emotions into thoughts. How to express how this book made me feel. Also, I wanted to put 5 stars right away, but many times I've rated books with high ratings and later on I regretted them. So I needed to sit this one down, let it pass some time so I can be 100% sure that this was indeed a 5 star read for me.

And guess what? It still is. It's been two months and I still remember how this book made me feel, I still treasure the tears that I shed while reading this, I still feel my heart beating loudly in my chest. I'm still in love with this story and it's still one of my favorite books this year so far.

"Because it takes more strength and courage to forgive than it does to enact revenge."

Now let me say here that I didn't know much about Anastasia or her family's story. I don't think I'm educated enough about Russian history all in all, but this book made me want to be educated and as soon as I finished it, I started searching the web, I started watching YouTube videos and I fell so intrigued and interested in this story. But let's not forget that this book, even though it was based on Anastasia's story and had many facts that were rumored to be real, we shouldn't forget that this is a FICTIONAL story, from ANASTASIA'S POV.

Was her father a saint? No. Was he the best man in the world for her? Yes. I don't care if there are inaccuracies or if this book collides beliefs with people having a different political POV, but what happened to her family that dreadful night cannot be justified, because they were innocent and they were kids. That's my opinion, like it or not.

I just preordered the hardback edition of this book, because I want to have it in my collection. I really loved the story and the cover is also stunning, so I couldn't help it. I also enjoyed the author's writing and I'm looking forward to reading more by her. I hope more people will give this book a chance and appreciate this author's fictional work , because her way of storytelling truly captured my attention and I'm so grateful I've been selected to read an ARC of this :)

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

I don’t know how to feel about this book. I really couldn’t get into it the way I wanted to. The first half of the book felt incredibly slow and I struggled to push through. I actually put the book down for months before forcing myself to power through the rest of it. Admittedly, I enjoyed the second half a lot more as it felt more fast-paced, but this still was a disappointment.

I think maybe it just wasn’t for me.

This book is dubbed as part historical, part fantasy. I can’t tell you how accurate the historical part is, my tiny amount of knowledge of the Romanov family is based on what I read on Wikipedia. I can tell you that this book gave me so many feels. It was as heart-breaking as it was heart-warming.

Nastya is everything I imagined her to be when I first read the synopsis. She is feisty and stubborn, fiercely protective of her family and willing to do anything to save them. I loved her.

A good potion of the book takes place in a very stale environment and you would think that would make it boring but it wasn’t at all. The author did such a good job of building relationships and creating tension. I was on edge pretty much most of the time.

The fantasy element worked really well weaved into the historical. I liked the addition of Zash and the way his character challenged Nastya. There were some really harrowing scenes and yes I absolutely cried my eyes out. But equally, the gentle moments were lovely. I loved that the romance wasn’t over done and didn’t detract from what the story was truly about.

There were a few little niggles toward the end that didn’t quite add up for me which is why I didn’t give it a five. Overall though I really enjoyed it, great read!

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

Oh how I enjoy books that take me into the mind and time period of a historical figure that is surrounded by mystery. What better is when that person is Anastasia and fantasy is added to the mix. Because we will never really know what did happen stories like this have to be fun to read, easy to like, and have a pace that does not bore me. So, how did I feel about this title?

Right at the beginning the story felt slow. There was no wow moments, no real action, and at times I felt like I was sitting in on a high school history lesson. I understand the author wanted to set up the characters and background of who Anastasia and her family were or at least her version of them. So, what happens after this long introduction of the characters and the action states to take off? Well, Nothing. I mean to say that by the point this story felt like a plot was developing was already too late. I had already given up on this title by that point. Unlike the author I will not over state my thoughts and just simply state that this novel is not what it should be.

Beautiful prose and rich storytelling. I love Anastasia and this book delivered a unique take on the well loved person.

Story amazing! Loved every minute of this! Ahhhhh I can’t wait to add this to my shelf! I love the world building, the characters, I had a little bit of trouble in the beginning but overall I have to say I fell in love with them and the plot kept me going!

One of the stories from history that has always intrigued me (and so many other people) is that of the Romanov family, particularly Anastasia. So much mystery still surrounds the last hours and minutes of her life, as well as her death. And so many theories have been entertained. In Romanov author Nadine Brandes offers her own creative imaginings about the life and death of young Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov. This novel is historical fiction, but with an imaginative bit of magic thrown into the mix.
The strongest part of the novel, in my opinion, was the relationship between Nastya and her family. It was the one aspect in which I felt a strong emotional connection with the storyline. The family relationship felt loving, intense and authentic. Unfortunately, the rest of the novel felt emotionally distant to me, I didn’t feel a connection to the characters or action outside of that.
There were some historical inaccuracies (perhaps creative stretching of facts to meet a storytelling goal?) and some things that were glossed over that could have used more attention and flushing out for a stronger storyline. The inconsistencies in the novel as well as the historical inconsistencies were a bit distracting.
Another thing that could have used more details was the world-building—especially the magic. It felt unformed and underwhelming.
All-in-all Romanov was a decent read, an entertaining re-imaging of history, but it wasn’t as great as I’d hoped.

*I received a copy of Romanov from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

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

The story is set in an alternative history, a world including spells and Anastasia's survival. As a fan of the animated film, I was eager to read the book. The cover art is gorgeous too!

It was interesting to get some history on what it was like for the royal family after their arrest. The family dynamics were sweet. Zash and his backstory were a small part but I enjoyed learning about his culture and appreciated that the author included it. Sadly, I had a hard time with the rest of the book. Though the story strove for historical accuracy, criticism of the royal family was regarded as propaganda and portrayal of their enemies was continuously shed in a negative light. It was entirely one-sided and left me uncomfortable throughout the book because this viewpoint kept getting brought up. I understand that the story was entirely in Anastasia's PoV but there was a lack of self-reflection on her family's part in the country's demise. The magic system and world-building weren't as integral to the story as I was expected considering how motivated Anastasia was in attaining spells and becoming a spell master. Also, the story dragged until a little past halfway point. Once the inevitable had happened, it was much easier to follow along with the characters and their journey.

I loved everything about this novel from the characters to the plot and writing style. I cannot wait for other readers to get their hands on this book!

I loved to get my hands on everything about the Romanovs. Romanov seemed like an excellent read because it is a fantastical take on how Anastasia survived the revolution. However the plot was slow-pacing. It is not until almost two-third of the book that Anastasia escapes from her captives. The world-building was not explained, and it seems like the author simply assumes the reader knows about her world. Still, Romanov’s main strength is the writing, and I loved the historical details of the Russian Revolution. Thus, this novel had potential but was not executed well.

Taking a different view on the Russian princess Anastasia, Brandes begins the story with the Romanov's already exiled to Siberia. Weaving in just a hint of magic into the account of their imprisonment was fascinating and felt so realistic. As the story progresses, I was curious to see how she would handle their eventual deaths. And, spoiler alert - her solution was a heavy dose of magic. Once the magic aspect of the story came full force, I completely lost interest. It just felt too heavy handed for me to handle, and spoiled the book for me.

As a child, I grew up loving the animated movie “Anastasia”. It was one of my all time faves and still is to this day! So when I saw this book I immediately wanted to read it - and I liked it well enough. It leans heavier on the “historic” side of historical fiction, so if you are a huge history fan you will most definitely love this adaptation. All the shortcomings in my eyes I think originated from the fact that I went into this book thinking of an animated movie musical rather than the actual family that existed in history. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves history or wants to learn about the real family behind their favorite 1998 cartoon.

This was a really solid historical-fiction book for me. There was a little magic, which was used in a way that I had not seen before, which I loved, and there was a little romance, which wasn’t unnecessary or poorly written, there was action and life-or-death stakes. It was just a really enjoyable read. I don’t really have anything negative to say about it.

I can say for sure that this version of Anastasia is probably one of my favorites now. I loved how strong and confident Nastya was and how she protected her family. She was bold, mischievous, and full of heart. She really made the book for me.

If you’re a fan of the Romanov story or historical fiction, this book is a must-read.

Final verdict: 3.5/5 stars
*ARC copy kindly provided via Netgalley*

Anastasia, or "Nastya" Romanov is exiled along with the ruling Romanov family to Siberia when the Soviet Bolsheviks come to power in Russia. Endearingly called "shvibzik" by her father, she is impish and has always liked to play pranks on those around her. She will now have to use these skills to help save her family from future danger as she struggles to smuggle a magical Matryoshka doll made by one of the most powerful spell masters in Russia: Dochkin. While in exile and in captivity, Nastya and her sister make friends with the guards, per their father's (former Tsar Nikoloai) instruction. He is portrayed as a kindly man of faith who asks his family to be patient and kind to their captors, favoring forgiveness over hate and violence. Soon, Anastasia and her sister Maria begin to develop feelings for guards Zash and Ivan- but will their stories have a happy ending?

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD- BEWARE
What I really enjoyed about this book is that it has so much historical fact backing it that it makes the story very believable. You also get to live in the shoes of a family who was slaughtered in real life and get to the live out the 'what ifs'? Over the course of reading this book, I also grew to love many of the characters and the way they struggled to forgive their captors, no matter how harsh these Bolshevik men were to the royal family. You ALSO see how the royal family's kindness begins to wear on the enemy, and how they begin to sympathize. You get a clear and rare view of the humanity behind war and how if people forgive and treat each other with respect, it becomes harder and harder to hate someone- no matter how ideologically different.

I began to fall in love with all the members of the Romanov family AND even with some of their captors, no matter their faults. You begin to see that sometimes those who are harsh and brutal are not that way out of choice. The plot in the novel is strong, the dialogue is wonderful and not forced, and the book moves at a relatively good pace.


What did I not really enjoy?
1. Be warned- there are STRONG religious overtones AND undertones in this book- frequently detailing how the family prayed, references to the bible and Jesus, etc. So if you are not a very religious person, you may feel uncomfortable reading this. At the same time, the Romanovs were known for being devout- so don't shirk away from the book just because of that!

2. Anastasia is left with a support role at the end, when I would have liked her to continue the fight. She is also frequently overshadowed by her sickly YOUNGER brother towards the end, which to me seems a little sexist. I understand that he is the tsarevich (next in line on the throne), but she so readily and humbly submits to him. She wanted to be a spellmaster and talked about her dreams throughout the whole book for goodness sakes and at the end her brother STEALS Dochkin from her just because she wants to play the domestic? Nah, this didn't fly with me all too well.

3. I understand forgiveness, but COME ON- freeing Yurovsky like that?!?! No way. I would have liked for Anastasia to come down on this dude who MURDERED her family and then continued to hunt her, Zash, and Alexei (her younger brother). She should have gone full John Wick when her brother's Spaniel was killed and given him a magical ass-whoopin' he would NEVER forget.

So yeah, I gave it a 3.5/5 because to me, it became a little sexist and too humble at the end. Call me terrible about the whole humble thing, but whateva. Everything needs limits. If you are not into religious stuff, you may also not dig some parts of the novel but it isn't SO MUCH that you put the book down- trust me. Give it a shot, you might like it.

ONE MORE THING- This book is GORY- it's like an 8/10 on my gore scale so yah, you've been warned!

Awe I loved this!! So lovely! I always loved reading about the Romanovs as a kid and the thought of a princess not knowing who she truly is. This is perfect for the teen that loves the fairytale but historical novel, the american girl doll type novels.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I was so, so excited for this book. I love the premise, but the execution fell a bit short for me (poor choice of words, sorry). I thought Nastya was written pretty well- I especially liked her spunk and mischievous nature. The whole romance aspect did not come across like it does in most books, and I'm still not sure if I like it or not. I think the author had a good balance of historical accuracy and fiction, and it never read like a non-fiction book at any point. The one thing I didn't really understand or enjoy the magic system. I understand that Nastya herself didn't fully understand it, but I was so confused at the beginning and really wanted some sort of explanation as to the basics of how it works.

Overall, I enjoyed the idea of this book more than the actual book itself.

I absolutely loved Romanov! I was completely captivated from word one and couldn't get enough of it. I got so frustrated when real life interrupted my reading and let me tell ya', it got interrupted quite often. But once things settled down and I was able to hunker down and read to my heart's content, I flew through the pages. It was utterly compelling. The seamless way Brandes weaved the magical element in with the actual history was brilliant.

I hate to admit this, but I didn't know a whole lot about the Romanovs before this book. Though, you can be sure that through the course of reading this novel, I looked up information, did more research, and quickly became fascinated by the actual history behind this historical fantasy. I love when fiction does that! Some of my favorite novels are ones that teach me new things, lead me to new interests, and make me want to learn.

This is a book that's definitely going on my favorites list. It was beautiful and, yet, heartbreaking. There were times I was laughing so hard at Anastasia's mischievous antics and then tearing up, heartbroken, over the cruelty of what was happening to the Romanov family.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

An interesting alternative history take on a tragic story, with bonus magic. Unlike many YA novels, this one has an amazing and loving father and close-knit family (and it seems that this is true to life, though artistic license has obviously been taken). Handy author's note at the end shares some factual information and areas where Brandes made changes, which I really appreciate in historical novels with main characters who were real people. It also has discussion questions if anyone reads it for a bookclub.