“I realized that a part of forgiveness was accepting the things someone had done – and the pain that came with that – and moving on with love.” -Anastasia from Romanov

This book was AH-MAZING.

I’m someone who very rarely reads Historical Fiction aside from a few authors and Nadine Brandes is definitely now a part of this list. My issue with so many Historical Fiction books is that they often feel like I’m reading a history textbook, and this…this was NOT one of those books.

This story was crafted so beautifully, and the ending was beyond perfect. Throughout the whole story I was just in LOVE with the Romanov family. I loved their relationships and love for each other. I especially loved the relationship between Nastya and Alexei! It was beyond beautiful. And I love how the story focused more on the love and relationship between a family more than the love interest story line. I knew nothing about the real-life Romanov family going into this story and the whole time I was reading this book I was just rooting for them and my heart rejoiced and grieved with them and their situation over and over and over again. Their small moments of joy brought me joy and their moments of sadness broke me. I was so invested in this story of their amazing family. I love the strength and the voice Nadine brought to Nastya’s character. She was so easy to connect with and relate to. I love that despite everything Nastya and her family has been through, she is so strong and despite her pain and being faced with many difficult decisions she was never selfish. She always thought about her family and those around her.

Whether you read Historical Fiction on a regular basis or not I 100% recommend this book.

An enthralling tale set against the last days of the Romanov family, Russia’s final royals.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I found it enthralling, well-written, and above all a fascinating story. Brandes has crafted a fantastic plot, blending truth with fiction, and populated it with compelling characters, on both sides of the revolution.

The premise based on magic and spell-masters is captivating and the writing doesn’t disappoint. Intricate descriptions and atmosphere drew me into the tale and kept me reading way past my bedtime.

The only thing I found a little jarring was the peppering of some modern words and terms throughout. It shook me out of the novel’s world and felt a bit unnatural.

I recommend this to anyone who likes a good story, fans of historical fiction, and YA lovers.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC courtesy of Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. I am grateful for the opportunity to review an ARC for my readers, but this will not influence my final rating. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and based solely on the book. 

What can I say but thank you, Nadine Brandes, for gifting me with my first five star read of the year? (I read this much earlier than the publication of this review may suggest, but trust me, I was starving for a fantastic read.) Romanov is all the Russian history and magical realism you could ask for, wrapped up in evocative themes of loss, forgiveness, and strength in the face of adversity. 

Like many, many others, I was introduced to the House of Romanov via the 1997 animated movie. I still get tears when I hear Once Upon a December and as far as I'm concerned, Rasputin was one of the creepiest on-screen villains. In Romanov, I had to take a step back from the *heavily* creative adaption that was the Anastasia movie, though. If you watched the film, here are some major differences to watch out for in the book:

-- Rasputin isn't an evil sorcerer bent on destroying the Romanov line. He's a spell-caster who treated Nastya's brother, Alexei, for hemophilia. He's already dead at the beginning of the book, killed by the Bolsheviks for his use of magic. 
-- Anastasia, known as Nastya to her friends and family, is not separated from her grandmother after getting amnesia. In fact, in Romanov there is no grandmother. (Well, not of our protagonist's, anyway.) Nastya spends most of her time with her brother, Alexei, and sister Maria. Both play a big part in the story. 
That was how we sisters worked. When one was weak, another picked up the strength. — Romanov, Nadine Brandes

"[...] As we speak, Dr. Botkin is incapacitating the Bolsheviks."
"Bravo, Dr. Botkin!" I applauded and we both giggled at the image of our dear doctor wielding his stethoscope as a weapon.
Almost as quickly as the giggles came, Alexei sobered and his face fell. "But imagine that I never get strong enough to travel..." —Romanov, Nadine Brandes

I have to be honest in saying that 99% of the things I want to scream my adoration over would absolutely qualify as spoilers, so I had to severely edit my review to both 1) hype you up for this YA release while not 2) ruining the entire plot in one go. However, Brandes sticks closely to the Romanov's history following their imprisonment by the Bolsheviks. If you're familiar with the story, then you'll spot the similarities while reading. I'll admit it: I forgot/didn't know a lot of details, but love how Brandes tied them in to Romanov while keeping the novel her own, original piece. 

I personally think the book summary does Romanov a small injustice. Saying Nastya's only chances of survival are to release a spell or rely on Bolshevik soldier Zash (her enemy) both made her sound unable to rely on her own strengths AND portrayed the Zash-Nastya romantic relationship as a large component of the book. But Nastya is a level-headed, clever girl who gets herself and her family out of trouble more than once using her own wits. And her relationship with Zash. Oh my, that needs a whole paragraph. 

Nastya and her family have been held prisoner for months. They don't know if they are to live or die. But Nastya's father, the Tsar Nicholas II, is always quick to remind his children that all of their people are deserving of kindness. Even though they have been stripped of their royal titles, they are to act with goodness and grace. It is Nasty's father's instructions that encourage her, even in the hardest of times, to be friendly to the Bolshevik soldiers: including Zash. Nastya's relationship with Zash represents the efforts of a family to love even when a country has turned against them. 

I wished I could keep my peace the way [Papa] did. It was as though he bore no animosity. I tried to be like him, but sometimes I felt as though a small ball of hate lurked in the back corner of my heart—waiting to spring out and consume me. —Romanov, Nadine Brandes

Review posting on blog MAY 2: https://bookprincessreviews.wordpress.com/
Review posting on Goodreads MAY 2: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2577266649

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

I loved this book! I wish you could give halves of stars because I would’ve given it like 4 1/2 stars.

First of all I loved how a lot of the history in this book is accurate. If something wasn’t accurate you could pretty much tell. Like the whole magic thing and I kind of knew Zash wasn’t real. Now I hope Nastya and Alexei really did survive! I also think the fiction parts aren’t too far stretched except for the magic. I like how Alexei was able to survive his hemophilia and didn’t have pain at the end.

I also liked how this was an easy read and kept a good pace. The characters were easy to love and understand. I thought the whole storyline was really amazing. Usually if I love a book, I can finish it in a few days, and that’s what happened. If you’re looking for an easy fast paced read this is for you!

I only have two things I think could be better. I liked how the Romanovs were portrayed as the good guys, but I think that we could’ve heard more about why the other people didn’t like them as much. I feel like it was a little too good vs evil. There wasn’t anything bad about the Romanovs. I mean good for them, but I think there could’ve been something bad about them that I would still love them for.

The second thing is that I wish there was more romance between her and Zash. That little kiss at the end just wasn’t enough for me.

Overall I think this book was really good and I’d definitely recommend it!

At first I really didn't get into this book. I hated how Anastasia's character was developed but once the plot took over I was addicted.
Anastasia's character is explained to us constantly at the start of the book which is particularly difficult to read because it is written in first person. She grew on me as I actually got to know her through her actions and relationships with the other characters.
It's definitely an interesting take but if you're a history nerd or a fan of the movie I wouldn't recommend it! For those who don't know a lot about this part of Russian history, Brandes includes a small chapter at the end explaining what is real and what she changed.

Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley.

Let me start off by saying I don't think this is a bad book, but I do think <b>Romanov</b> needed quite a bit more developmental edits. Specifically, 1st act plot revision.

Here's the break down:
Romanov has 40 chapters total (335 pages)
<i>Nothing</i> of consequence happens until chapter 20
C h a p t e r t w e n t y
That's 184 pages of build up until the inciting incident (or decision that catapults the main character into the rest of the story) and makes for an incredibly long and dull first act. For those of you stats folk, that means you will be 55% of the way through the book before the first major plot point hits.

I also couldn't believe the main characters "voice". Nastya is supposed to be a 17-year-old, but her actions, interactions, and inner monologue create the voice of a much younger girl, maybe 11-14. If some of the gore and death were cut out (with the plot issue fixed) this could have been a killer middle-grade novel.

A few things I liked:

-The brutality of the situation was never hidden. We all know what happens to the Romanovs and how terrible it was. The author doesn't shy away from the savagery.

-The relationship between our MC and her brother was truly beautiful. Alexi ended up being one of my favorite characters and I found myself caring about his welfare just because the MC cared for him so much.

-The authors note at the end was a very nice touch.

-There are dogs. Like, how can you not enjoy dogs in a book?! (btw–trigger warning if you are sensitive to animal harm)

So this was a big miss for me, but I would still recommend if you can handle slow stories, are very interested in the Romanov family, or are dying for more Russian inspired tales.

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

I'm in two minds about this book: on one side I liked the mix of historical fiction and fantasy, on the other side I think that there were some historical issue and the writer was too keen on the Romanov and Rasputin.
It's well written and entertaining and I'm sure there will be a lot of person who will find it amazing.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

I was able to read this ebook through NetGalley.

I'm not a huge fan of retellings. What caught my attention with this book was the main character-- Anastasia. I've always been interested in her story and how a royal family's execution could be so brutal and swift.

My main issue with this book is the writing style. If you're going to add fantasy and magic into a historical event, do it. But still hold onto the time period's stylistic preferences. Also, the pacing was off. So much time was spent with Anastasia mulling over her family's misfortune; how did they get there? Some flashbacks would have made the first half less dull.

I'm still not a fan of retellings. Unfortunately, this book didn't have anything there to change my mind.

I liked the subtle mix of magic and history in this one. The fantasy element is what really kept me going when not a whole lot was happening otherwise. I really enjoyed the end when the author outlined what was and wasn't based in history. I liked it overall.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley.

I was not sure originally how I felt about this book, but that cover is incredible. For me, my main issue is the consistent sympathy for the Romanov family. Their deaths are a tragedy, but I was unable to finish this one. It felt too sympathetic toward Rasputin and the family as a while. I understand that this is from Anastasia's perspective, but there are many other one sided options out there. This one did not quite reach those same levels. It did not strike me as a book to apply to a curriculum I would work on to help garner the interest of museum guests or students. I do hope other people enjoy it, I know how love Anastasia is to this day, and I did enjoy her impish behaviors there was a lot I personally was unable to get past. It's a tricky time period to capture.

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

WOW!!! This was one of my most anticipated release of 2019, and it did not disappoint. I am fascinated by the Romanov's and everything that happened. I also enjoyed that a bit of fantasy was mixed into the historical part of this book. It was nothing like what I expected but so much more! I plan on getting the physical copy of this book. I felt for Nastya and Alexei throughout the entire ordeal.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone who enjoys history and fantasy.
5 stars out of 5 for me

Romanov is a reimagining of the doomed final Czar of Russian and his family, namely his youngest daughter Anastasia who was believed not to have died alongside her family for years.

I love the cover of this book and when I read the blurb I was even more interested in reading it. What I was expecting was a fantasy reimagining of Anastasia's tale, but what I didn't expect was a well-researched peek into history. I'll admit, other than the basics I didn't know much about the real Anastasia beyond the old cartoon movie. For instance, I thought Anastasia was killed as a child, not that she made it to her teenage years. I didn't know they shot her family and put them in a mass grave or that Anastasia and her sisters sewed their jewelry into their corsets; so I really appreciate the author mixing the fact in with the fictional.

Nastya is not the spoiled self-absorbed girl the Russian believe her and her family to be like. She's kind and thoughtful and loves to make her family laugh by putting on little plays. She loves her father and watches over her sickly younger brother and is really close with her immediate family. All she wants is for them to disappear into a small village to live out the rest of their lives. But the Bolsheviks have different ideas.

As Nastya endures hardship for the first time in her life, prejudice from people who know nothing about what's she's really like, and unspeakable tragedy she must use her wits and spells taught to her by Rasputin himself to save herself and Alexi.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, addictive read that gave me the most precious gift of all... knowledge about a part of history I only thought I knew the details of before.

When I saw a new retelling on the Romanov family and Anastasia Romanov, I knew I had to read this. The fact that there was a fantasy element to it - even better! I received an ARC from the publisher, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

What I loved about this book was how much true history went into it. I have always been fascinated with the true Romanov story, probably above an average level, and I could tell this author did her homework. The story is told from the perspective of Anastasia "Nastya" Romanov, who begins the novel at age 16 and turns 17 during the course of the story. She's sort of the mischievous <i>shvibzik</i> of the family, not rebellious but definitely one who pushes her boundaries and knows how to be sly when she needs to be. She was a very relatable character who earned my interest and sympathy right away. She struggled with a lot of things, understandably so, but went to a lot of effort, often at great risk, to help her family. The biggest struggle for her, I felt, was working within her limitations because she wanted to do more and much of what she thought she needed to do was far beyond her control or ability, and I thought the author captured these feelings well. I felt them right alongside her.

Yurovsky was a character I genuinely hated (and I was supposed to). He did horrible, unspeakable things with absolutely no remorse or sense of humanity whatsoever, and I felt that this big theme of humility and forgiveness that Papa preached and emulated to their family that Nastya tried very hard to understand and practice, would have been very hard for me.

Zash, the Bolshevik soldier who first came into the picture in Tobolsk and then on to guard the family at Ipatiev House, started out as a hard, solid, defensive and dutiful soldier that you think you're going to hate until you don't. His character was interesting and different, and I would've liked to know more about his history and what his life was like before he came to be a Bolshevik soldier. He plays his part, and in some cases way too well... you'll know what I mean if you read the book... but it's hard not to love this guy, and it was fun to watch the way he came to play a part in Nastya's story and her fictional life.

There's a point about halfway through the book where an inspector comes in and finds something happening that sets events into motion, and that is where the story starts getting to where you cannot put it down. There's a sense of urgency and unrest, an anxious need to keep reading to find out what happens next, and there are times of dread and times of relief, and the story is very deep and heartbreaking because you're thinking in the back of your mind that a lot of this is historically factual. Let that sink in as you're reading this book.

The four reasons I can't give this book 5 stars are:
1. The first maybe half of this 335-page book was a little on the slow side as far as pacing went. Not boring - it held my attention, and there wasn't a point where I wanted to put the book down, but just not a whole lot was happening up until about the halfway point. That is when it really started rolling. (But when it did, it really got good!)

2. We got a lot about Nastya (Anastasia), and a fair amount of Alexei, a little less of Maria. The other two siblings, Tatiana and Olga, were just kind of mentioned here and there with not much else. Was this because of their age differences? They didn't play as big of a role in Nastya's life? And while we got to know a little about Papa and just a tiny scene where Mamma revealed a secret to Nastya, Mamma was otherwise nonexistent in the story. I felt like some of these characters could have been fleshed out a little more than they were. In some cases, it was like they were just kind of there with no emotional connection or purpose.

3. I hate to say it, but I didn't really feel like the Romanov family's time spent in exile at the Ipatiev House was made to seem all that bad. Maybe it got a little boring, but who hasn't spent time in their childhood bored out of their mind stuck in a house somewhere when they wanted to be anywhere else? Was that really just me???

4. The magic, I felt, was very low key, almost to the point of magical realism in this story, up until toward the end. There was "healing magic" throughout that I would almost equate to the topical use of essential oils and the power of self-fulfilling prophecy. It wasn't until the end when Dochkin and the use of the Matryoshka doll and its hidden powers really came into play that magic really became prominent in the story. I guess I would like to have seen the fantasy aspects be a little more central to the overall story.

That being said, I really enjoyed this book overall. I read it all in one day, except for the very last chapter that I woke up and read the following morning. I loved this fictional take on a factual story in history, and I can't wait to hear what other people's thoughts are on it.

I'll be the first to say that I know nothing of Anastasia, the Russian Revolution, or Disney. I had no ties going into this except for one: a nagging voice in my head singing, "Ra-ra-Rasputin, lover of the Russian queen." And honestly, I didn't even know which queen.

I so very deeply wanted to love this book, but it was an unfortunate let-down. I couldn't convince myself to care about these characters, least of all Nastya. Her narration was repetitive and obtuse, and seemed aged-down. I kept having to remind myself that Nastya was 17 and not 12. At first, I thought that maybe it was mis-marketed and would maybe make a great middle-grade read, but as the story went on (simultaneously too fast and far too slow), it became clear that something was just lacking. Between the limited and predictable word-bank of phrases, the break-neck speed of emotional flip-flopping, and it's declination of the golden rule of writing ("show don't tell"), Romanov ultimately sacrificed a promising concept to lacking execution.

At its core, Romanov is a story about forgiveness. I know this because Nastya tells us — again and again and again. Perhaps my biggest gripe was simply the narrator's unwillingness to allow the reader to come to any sort of conclusion on their own. In case the point was missed (which would be difficult), Nastya tells us how to interpret any given situation. This is an immediate no-no in any story for me. I wish that Nastya would just feel instead of telling how she feels. I also wish she wouldn't have immediately and repeatedly correctly guessed extremely obscure facts about the magic she earlier claimed to have little understanding of. Likewise, the dialogue was often clunky and expository, and I had trouble believing that the characters were anything other than vehicles of the moral message of this book. They simply didn't read as people.

On paper (or rather, off-paper), this book is fantastic. That's where I've given it 2 stars. If I were to describe it to you, it would hit all the beats of a 5-star read. There were some twists and turns that had me lean back and go, "Huh, this really could have been something." Ultimately, however, these moments came up short in the hands of a narrator who has a poor sense of pacing and/or effective narration. Instead of feeling grief, trauma, joy, or surprise, I was merely alerted that Nastya felt these things in the following sentence. In some ways, it almost felt like it would have made a great screenplay (and a film I would gladly watch!).

All that being said, there were characters I genuinely thought were pretty neat, though we didn't get much page time with them. Conceptually, I thought the blend of magic realism and historical fiction was a great idea, and the magic system (though unexplored) seemed pretty original and interesting.

Overall, Romanov had all the makings of a fantastic story — and that's coming from someone with zero knowledge of these characters and their real-life counterparts. Ultimately, however, it missed the mark for me.

****

I received and ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts presented are my own.

This was brilliant, a real race through real history interwoven with fantasy. If you have any idea of the Romanov family history then you know the book is hurtling towards their demise. But how will it get there? Will any of the family be saved? Anastasia's joy found in daily life deserves to shine. All of this comes through in this novel.

The fantasy mix is well done. The idea of spells that can heal and potentially save the family is a good concept. The relationships between family and guards and siblings and parents are what keeps the human interest and keeps you caring about the characters.

I’m going to give you all the warning I wish I would have had: Do NOT start reading this before bed. You’re going to pick up this book, figure you’ll get an hour in before you sleep and the next thing you know the book is finished, it’s 2am and I’m trying to decide how badly I need my job. Do yourself a favor and pick this up on a weekend; you won’t want to put it down.

The Romanov mystery is something that has always intrigued me but my knowledge is very limited to the basic story of the Tsar’s family execution, rumor of Anastasia’s possible escape and the absolutely wonderful animated movie (which is, by far, the BEST animation 20th Century Fox has ever produced and I feel the need to watch it now because it is just amazing) so I actually did a little bit of my own research once I finished reading Romanov. Honestly, any book that makes me turn to Google once I’m finished reading is always a winner in my books.

Though I absolutely loved this story, I was initially a little put off by the introduction of spells. To be honest, I felt that the idea of Nastya using spells and how they were incorporated into the book was a little on the cheesy side but then I got about halfway through…you know, THAT scene…and the importance of the spells and how they worked really dawned on me. Once I had that understanding I started seeing everything a bit clearer and enjoyed it so much more. Knowing what I now know, I actually really want to go back and reread this. I think this is the kind of book that can only get better the second time around.

Brandes has married fantasy with historical fact flawlessly and I never knew how much I needed this in my life until now. I am completely blown away with how well it is written and how much I loved it. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for her books in the future.

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

Thanks to NetGalley and TNZ Fiction for the free review copy of this beautiful book!

If you Google “books about the Romanovs,” you’ll be overwhelmed by the results. Our (my!) fascination with this royal Russian family is seemingly unending—it’s triggered, perhaps, by the family’s tragic end and by the shift it represents: the ending of the royal lifestyle in Russia and by the beginning of modern Communist rule (it began with the Bolshevik revolution).

Nadine Brandes’s new novel Romanov, out on May 7, falls nicely within the tradition of historical novels with one slant or another on the Romanov legend, and particularly on the stories surrounding the possible survival of Anastasia. Brandes’s young adult novel adds magic to the legends, building on the real-life involvement of Rasputin: in this tale, the Bolsheviks want to banish not only the alleged tyranny of ex-Tsar Nikolai and his family but also the place of magic in Russia.

The book opens after Nikolai’s abdication, when the family has been moved to Tobolsk, Siberia. Anastasia, the 16-year-old narrator, is known as Shvibzik, or imp, and her nickname reveals a great deal about her character. Nastya is strong willed and a mischievous trickster who enjoys entertaining her family to maintain a sense of normality and playing pranks on the soldiers who are their captors. Brandes does a brilliant job establishing the strong bonds within this family, which includes Nastya’s parents, her three sisters, and her 13-year-old brother Alexei, who suffers from hemophilia. Nastya’s father, Nikolai, acts with a humility surprising for his prior role, and he urges Nastya to honor life, to find forgiveness, and to prioritize the Russian people. Alexei was also a strong character for me, dealing with the pain of his hemophilia and the loss of his destiny as tsar with bravery and grit.

The world building is just great, and Brandes’s vision of magic centers on spell ink, a rare substance that allows spell masters and their apprentices (like Nastya) to “write” their spells as a way of enacting them. This grounding of magic works well both to expand the story of the Romanovs and to anchor it in practical concerns that occupy much of Nastya’s thoughts.

Brandes telegraphs clearly a romance with a Bolshevik soldier who serves as one of the family’s guards; it took me a while to warm to the authenticity of the match, but eventually (no spoilers here!) I appreciated the complexity of its development. Successful for me, from the beginning, is Nastya’s character arc. Watching her struggle, with her family, to acclimate herself to her new living situation, to accept that her family does not have control over their own destiny, is quite moving. Her constant attempts to be worthy of her former title and of her father’s care enhance this already-nuanced character.

The novel’s basis in history allows those familiar with the legend to appreciate the character development and the addition of magic and those unfamiliar with the stories to feel firmly grounded in what happened. (An excellent Author’s Note is also helpful!) While I don’t want to give anything away, I think that the way Brandes played with the mythology surrounding Anastasia is incredibly smart. This strong YA novel bridging history and fantasy is a great addition to the collection of works studying the royal family. Look for Nadine Brandes’s Romanov on May 7!

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

Romanov is devastating and heart wrenching- which is what makes it so good.

Having taken some Russian history courses at University, I was familiar with the key events of the first half of the book, you might think that would have made it slightly boring, but it enhanced my experience. Reading an interpretation of the Romanov perspective drove home the devastation they experienced at the hands of the Bolsheviks.

The presence of magic within the novel was an interesting addition to the story and made it unique for the genre of historical retelling. The weaving of the magic system into historical facts about the family, ie. illness, was particularly clever.

I think my only slight negative was that, for the first half of the book, I felt that the romance for the main character was unneeded. Mainly because the book had another, very similar romance plot line. However, I can see how it was needed towards the end to motivate the events and plot line.

Lastly, I really appreciated the author’s note at the end outlining the fact from fiction, thought that was a really great addition.

Pros: Sibling relationships (especially Anastasia/Alexei), every part felt significant, description of setting/ events was always clear and easy to follow

Cons: some of the romance??

Before the review, I would like to express that I received an electronic ARC copy of this from NetGalley in exchange of my Honest review of the book.

This is not the childhood story we all remember, this is about family, life, love, betrayal and survival.

This story was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions; it made me happy, made me cry and it made me want to hurl the book across the room into the corner and shout at it.

"Romanov. For that name alone, bound to my blood like a Bolshevik is bound to the Russian revolution, I am destined to die".

So why the 4 star, I hear you ask: I found the beginning of the book really interesting and I entered this book by knowing nothing more about it other then what the description shared. Even though, I was pleasantly dissapointed with the book, as I turned out to love the story and the characters. I found that for a good 40% of the book not much happened. All the excitement has happened towards the end, however, don't get me wrong I do understand that those 40% are vital for the story to make sense. To allow it to bloom and entangle. They are a necessity to get to know the characters, to be able to relate to them and grow to like them, understand them.

Hence, if you are a reader whom is struggling with slow books than this story may not be for you, and that is okay. :)

Good advice: Don't get attached to any of the characters ;)

"The bond our hearts.... she whispered... spans miles, memory and time, I finished".

The characters in the story are all characters from history we all know. I think, this made the story real, even though it contained magic. The characters were all really well done, they were human, with real feelings and struggles. Their development was visible throughout the book, and it remained realistic to the individual characters. It didn't go overboard, therefore it made the characters more relateable to the reader. I developed feelings for most of them and could understand their suffering. Both understanding and feeling the Romanov side and their captures'.

It's an intense book, with raw emotions that are hard to contain when talking about history and when re-telling a story with such characters. But the author: Nadine Branded has done an exceptional job with this piece of art.

Honestly cannot wait until June to buy this beauty:)

Oh gosh how do I describe this wonderful retelling? For starters Nadine Brandes is amazing and incredibly talented. I felt immersed in this story from the very first paragraph. Lets be brutally honest here a retelling of a grand family that had a terrible demise and mix it with fantasy? Oh gracious even the concept was amazing and Nadine delivered quite magnificently.