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

4/5 stars

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I am a little familiar w/ the demise of the Romanov family and I thought that Nadine Brandes did an excellent job at re-imagining their last few months together, but w/ a magical twist. With that being said, I don't think that this book is for everyone. If you aren't familiar w/ the fall of the Romanov family and/or do not like historical fiction then I can understand why you wouldn't enjoy this story. You really need to understand the context of their situation to fully submerge yourself into the story. Once the Romanov family was sent to the Ipatiev House, I began to become bored. It felt as if nothing was happening. I decided to watch the documentary, Russia's Last Princesses, on Youtube and it made all the difference in the world. When I came back to the story, everything clicked. I understood the mundane nature and slow pacing of the book: it mimicked their lives as prisoners.

Personally, I thought the middle of this book was its strongest. I think that Brandes was truly able to capture the despair of the Romanov's last days. I kept thinking to myself, "is Brandes going to GO there? Is she going to stay close to the bloody and harsh source material?" And she did. I found my heart racing during certain scenes afraid of what was to happen even though I knew.

Also, I thought the themes of this novel (family and forgiveness) where done well. Could it have been done better? Sure. I think that the author could have planted that seed a little bit better towards the beginning of the novel, but I liked the message that was conveyed.

There were a few minor issues w/ this novel. I felt that the romance could have been developed more than it was. Obviously, these 2 characters spent a lot of time together, however, we only see a few short exchanges between them on the page. So it felt a bit insta-lovey, but wasn't enough of an issue to deter me from the story. My last issue is that I wish Brandes had explored the isolating, controlling, and over-bearing nature of Alexandra Romanov, the matriarch of the Romanov family. I feel that it was a missed opportunity that would have added a depth and complexity to the dynamics of the Romanov family. We know that the Romanovs were close, but I felt that this story looked over it's flaws which I think would have made for a more compelling story.

(3.5 stars, but I rounded up to 4 just because of how great the last 1/4 of this book was)

<em>This review first appeared at https://fictionistmag.com</em>

Me, 25% into this book: "Okay, sure, it would have been good if it picked up before now but who's counting?"

Me, 65% into this book: "I PHYSICALLY CANNOT STOP READING THIS BOOK. I WOULD ABSOLUTELY DIE FOR THESE CHARACTERS. JOY IS THE WORLD'S BEST DOG. AM I SOBBING?"

In summary, if the whole story was as intriguing as the last ~40%, this would be a 4.5- or 5-star read.

The issue here isn't the author's ability, it's actually that she did a wonderful job researching and sticking to the original story of the Romanovs. Which is lovely in theory, but when you've spent 30-odd percent of a book reading about how they're still banished, still together, still making it work, still staying positive... it gets a little less inspiring as the chapters go on. The thing is, I also have to give Brandes props for sticking so close to the original story. Not much changes from the real-life story of the Romanovs -- and she actually tells you which parts she did change after the book's conclusion.

Okay, obviously anything having to do with magic is entirely made-up by Brandes, but otherwise the story is impressively researched and sticks to real-life events. And is incredibly dissimilar from the movie <em>Anastasia,</em> which I'm sure awakened and nourished many fascinations with the Romanovs.

Everyone knows the real story of the royal Russian family, more or less. The revolution happened and, no matter how much you know about what happens in between, the story ends with the entire Romanov family being massacred. However, there was a time when Anastasia's and Alexei's bodies were missing from the family's mass gravesite (they were eventually found nearby, by the way). This absence fueled many rumors about the two children having survived the massacre, which in turn inspired stories like that found in the movie <em>Anastasia,</em> where the Russian princess survived but sustained memory loss and grew up in an orphanage.

These rumors and stories are the basis for this book, as well, but Brandes takes a different road. She thought of what made the most sense from what she had researched about Anastasia's character and the Romanov family's beliefs. She combined that knowledge with a world where magic could be harnessed. And she wrote a story that made my heart stop and restart several times.

If you're a fan of magical realism -- magical stories that are rooted in the 'real' world -- or a fan of the story of the Romanovs, I would definitely recommend <em>Romanov.</em> It starts off slow, yes, but even the slow parts are fairly interesting if you didn't already know the whole saga of the family being sent to exile, moved, and stuffed away in a guarded house -- or if you do already know the whole story but are interested in reading it from Anastasia's perspective. And once you get to the point where the story picks up, it becomes a must-read. When I got to that point, I finished the book within a few hours. I couldn't put it down.

Overall, if you asked me right now whether you should read this book I would say yes. If you had asked me a few days ago, before it got crazy good, I would probably have said no. But, as always, my opinion isn't everyone's opinion and you should absolutely check out the book and let us know what you think.

Romanov was a pretty good historical fiction book, but it did have its faults. I love Anastasia tales, and this book had a spectacular ending and a lot of great magical realism, but unfortunately, for me, the middle just dragged. The majority of what happened in the Ipatiev house felt very long, repetetive, and boring for me. I understand the need to convey what imprisonment was like, but the reader shouldn't be that bored during it.

That was really my only complaint. I loved the characters, especially Nastya, and her growth was amazing. The lessons on love and forgiveness and loyalty were excellent. I liked how the author wove true magic into the story while building off of history's tales of mysticism in the early 1900s. It all worked really well with the story. I also enjoyed the end where the author lists what was true to history and what was fiction, and also her little blurb about how she likes to imagine this is really what happened in conjunction with the historical facts provided.

Having heard so much hype about this book I was more than eager to get my hands on it. I’m just sorry that I had to put it down for work, as otherwise I would have quite happily read it continuously in one sitting. This book is incredible! I am so in love with this story and Nadine's characters.

“Have you ever read a book in a single sitting? And then there’s that moment when it’s over, and it’s like that whole world of fiction is still swimming inside your head. Like your brain is a sponge, just soaked in all the feelings and emotions of that whole adventure. And the scary parts and exciting parts and interesting parts all kind of a blur together…”

This quote captures pretty accurately how I felt after finishing Romanov. It was as though I’d been with this family, spent time with them, gotten to know them. It was an overwhelmingly emotional journey. I was laughing and grinning one moment and crying the next. After one particular scene I put the book down and walked around the room, until I had calmed down enough to pick it back up again, (I was so invested it felt like literal heartache to read!)

May I also say, it’s so exciting to have a Christian YA author on the field! Nadine wove Yaweh into the text, breathing His life into the Romanov family so naturally, making the book even more of a joy to read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. Brandes managed to combine the historical facts of the Anastasia tale we all know and love with an original magical component. I loved how visceral the magic system was -- the spell ink needing to be applied to the body, the spell flying onto Anastasia's tongue, the Matryoshka doll opening at precisely the right moment and not before, etc. I particularly enjoyed how well Brandes crafted the relationship between Anastasia and her father, as well as with her little brother, Alexei. Just as the Romanovs gradually won over their guards while in captivity, the family truly wins over the reader as well, and I found myself spellbound by how endearing they all were. Anastasia was smart, spunky, and bold, and I truly enjoyed reading this version of her tale.

While at first I wasn't quite sold on the romantic arc in this storyline, I ended up getting on board and started shipping the main pair. I especially liked that Brandes had her love interest make a terrible decision, and part of their romantic arc involved learning to forgive and move past that decision, which isn't done often in this genre and felt very refreshing. I feel the story lagged a bit in the middle, particularly as the Romanovs were held in captivity and action simply wasn't possible, so a lot of the middle was taken up by narrative/thoughts/dialogue. Unfortunately, given the historical realities of Anastasia's story, I'm not sure there's much to be done to fix that, and overall, I found it only a minor quibble with an otherwise solid book.

I have been passionate about Russian history since I got my first history book at school. The Romanov family specifically is filled with controversies and mysteries. That is mostly why I so wanted to read this book.
The book takes place during the royal family's time in captivity, though we get to see a happier version of what actually happened.
Let's get one thing straight: a historical fiction isn't a complete recollection of facts. That's pretty much why it's fiction. I think the mix between fact and fiction was a solid one.
The first part of the story was pretty slow. It focused mostly on Anastasia's relationship with her family and her captors. Itwas interesting to be in her head like that, but after a while it did feel like it dragged a bit.
The last third of thebook flew by. I spent maybe two weeks reading the first part, dropping it from time to time, and the last part grasping it tightly for half an hour.
Overall I did enjly the book.
If you like historical fiction wirh a magical twist, then you'll definitely love this one.

This review might contain spoilers if you don’t know your Russian history – if you do then you’ll be fine.

I have a pretty good working knowledge of this period in Russian history. I actually studied this period quite intensively during my History A – Level. I’ve also got quite a bit of knowledge about the pop-culture surrounding the Anastasia Romanov myth/legend/rumour such as the film and the musical (though they aren’t hugely factual they are useful for inferring what kind of stories you could tell with this kind of inspiration). I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself an expert, I think it would be fairly obnoxious to do so, but I will say that I know a fair amount about this rather tumultuous period in history.

I think that’s part of where this book lost me, at least a little. The assassination of Nicolas II and his family was only in 1918 (July 17th for those interested) so only 100 years ago. I’m not suggesting that those murders, therefore, matter more than those that happened in 1605 when the Gunpowder plot happened. I am suggesting that we have a greater amount of written, photographic and other kinds of evidence for these people who lived and the reasons they were killed. For whatever reason, it’s a lot easier to think of the murders/deaths in Fawkes in the abstract whereas everything in Romanov felt a lot closer at hand. To spin a book, a large amount of which is romance, out of something that was first, such a huge historical event and secondly, so recent rubs me the wrong way.

I do think fiction, in particular, historical fiction, can be a way to educate and it can be a great way to process events from history. Perhaps if I were seventeen again and studying Russian history I might have even found this helpful in being able to get inside the minds of the people I was studying. However, where this book veers away from history (putting aside the fact that magic exists – it’s a historical fantasy I’m not going to critique that) and has Anastasia survive it became something that made me a little uncomfortable.

Largely that was because of the romance. Were this a totally fictional setting it might have been a little easier to read, but with the added knowledge that these people were killed it is at best upsetting and at worst irritating to read a romance between a girl and the person who killed her. Sorry. No. I’m not on board, I don’t need to hear the explanation, you shot me so I’m not romancing you. This would be irritating in an entirely fictional setting but you could probably have written your way out of it, to apply it to real people who actually died just over 100 years ago is rather more troublesome.

I think this book could have been done really well, I liked the writing style and I enjoyed the magic system – it uses ink and writing down/saying words and is generally really cool. But to include that romance felt like a strange choice.

Another issue I had was that I don’t think it was ever made clear how much trouble the people of Russia had been in before the Russian revolution (not suggesting that Communism fixed all of their problems by any means). It seemed like Nastya had a ‘well we aren’t that posh really’ response to any criticism levelled at her, and I’m not sure she ever really had that moment of ‘oh no wait my family isn’t necessarily the answer to all of these problems.’ I think that could have been an interesting character arc to follow but instead, you read about a weird and somewhat toxic romance?

I was disappointed by this book because it has so many things that I did enjoy, the writing style, the magic system, the characterisation, the pacing – all of these things were great. But I couldn’t get past the things that Brandes opted to bring to the forefront (the romance).

My rating: 2/5

I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If you do think this might suit you, then Romanov publishes on May 7th and you can Preorder now!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Romanov takes us to a world that could have been. What it the Romanov story didn't end with the assassination of the royal family. What if instead Rasputin had passed his spells on to the family when they were sent in to exile to help them live on.

Author Nadine Brandes mixes history and fantasy to a tee. This story sucked me in right from the beginning and by the end I felt as if I could be an extended part of the family. The characters are brought to life on the pages and as a reader I became emotionally attached to them all. Through their triumphs and their tragedies, you are sent on a roller coaster ride you never want to end. Magic set against a historical backdrop makes this book an instant favorite. Even if you aren't familiar with the Romanov's tragic ending, you can still follow this story and fall in love with it.

Full of heroes to cheer for and villains to boo this book has something for everyone. Royalty, Young Love, Strong Young People, Brave Leaders, Conflicted Followers, The struggle to survive and a story that can't be forgotten. I truly enjoyed this book and didn't want to stop reading.

The style this book is written in made it easy to follow and made it a fast read. It is written so you feel like you are inside the main character, Nastya's head. You can understand her thoughts and her feelings throughout the story.

I recommend this book for anyone looking for a book that will make you feel something. Hope is a central idea in this book and you can see the struggle the characters go through to hang on to hope in the most overwhelming situations.

Get ready to travel through history and have your heart strings pulled along the way. I was so impressed with the way the author was able to take such a well known event in history and turn it on its head without ruining or mocking it. Well done Nadine Brandes, Well Done Indeed.

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

I'm a huge Anastasia fan, both of the animated movie and the new broadway musical. I've been craving an Anastasia retelling and Nadine Brandes really came through for me.

This book follows the Romanov family during their captivity after Russia has been taken over. Most of the book didn't have a lot of action, but not in a way that was boring. The connection between the Romanov family members immediately had my attention and kept it. Brandes continuously shows their love and respect for each other even through their fear, their uncertainty of where their lives will go. One of my favorite characters was Alexei and I loved the bond between him and Nastya. Even though Alexei was sick and often needed help his sisters (and especially Nastya) also looked to him a leader and a soldier and I thought it was a wonderful component to their relationships. But not only do we get to see the Romanov's love for each other. The first half of this book also sets up their love for their country, for their citizens. Even the ones that are set against them. One of my favorite quotes comes after they refuse rescue from the White Army: "It's not about more or less. We care about every soldier. I am a Romanov, and I will value life-every person's life-above all else.”

Once this book picked up, it PICKED UP. I spent the last 30-40% of this book just internally screaming. There were so many moments when I was just sure that they weren't going to make it. I don't want to give too much away just prepare yourselves. I've always been a little sad that the real Anastasia didn't get the happy ending that I saw as a kid. Which makes me so glad that Nastya kind of does.

Brandes does a great job of blending the historical end of the Romanovs with her own magical system. It was awesome to see the historical facts that I knew and twisted to fit with Brandes’ world. I wish that we had gotten to see a little bit of their lives before captivity outside of the little bits that Nastya gives us. And I would have liked a little more exploration into the magic. It was such an interesting system.

If you can’t tell I highly recommend Romanov and I can’t wait to own a physical copy.

Two things inspired my love for Grand Duchess Anastasia when I was younger: the animated movie Anastasia and the book The Royal Diaries: Anastasia. Since then, I’ve taken some Russian History courses and found other novels based on the Romanov family and have continued to find them fascinating (the Faberge eggs created for the Tsar are absolutely stunning). When I received an ARC of Romanov, I was really excited to read what Nadine Brandes would do with her story and the addition of magic!

A Fan of Alternate History
The slaughter of the Romanovs has always been one of the saddest overthrows of a monarchy in recent history. I’ve never understood the brutal way they were treated and why they were simply not evicted from the country (like the Greek royal family was). In Romanov, Brandes does an excellent job of bringing us into the prison sentence the family was forced to endure, as well as their last moments together. It was hard to read about, but also very well done. That said, I also really enjoyed that she manipulated history to give an alternate ending to Anastasia and Alexie. We now know that they were also murdered with their family and, in the ultimate cruelty, put in a separate grave from the rest of them. However, I still prefer the fantasy of imagining that Anastasia and Alexie somehow escaped and thought that Brandes did as good a job as any explaining how this would have happened.

Mix of Historical and Fictional Characters
Brandes gives us a solid mix of historical and original characters to weave a world of magic and intrigue. Previously, I hadn’t know about the soldier who fell in love with Marie, or the servants that served the Romanovs loyally until their final days and were murdered with them, or even little things like how the soldiers actually built a swing for the Grand Duchesses as a gift. Brandes brings these little moments in history to the surface and allows us to experience the joy and sadness that the family would have felt. She also did a great job including fictional characters to aid her alternate timeline. I enjoyed Zash’s story and how his relationship with Nastya developed. It felt organic and true and gave me hope that Anastasia might have been able to find happiness in the final days of her life.

Romanovs Through Rose-Tinted Glasses
I understand that the book is from Anastasia’s perspective, but I had a really hard time believing the pretty picture that Brandes gives us of the love and devotion this family felt for Rasputin and their captors. Every time Anastasia spoke about him, I got such a creepy feeling about their relationship; not because I felt there was anything horrible about it, but the adoration that Alexandra clearly had for him. People continue to study the Romanovs and debate who is too blame for their downfall, and there are no easy answers, but I was let down by how much Brandes lets them off the hook for the horrors that the Russian people were facing while the imperial family lazed their days away.

Overall, this was an interesting book but I was a bit disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of Anastasia learning magic and the book felt a bit underdeveloped in some areas. That said, I think this would be a fun read for anyone interested in alternate histories with some magic thrown in!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

I'm always a sucker for anything Anastasia, so of course I needed to read this. It didn't disappoint!

The first 60% of this book had no action--but don't let that deter you. It held my interest knowing that, aside from the magic component, the story was as close to the truth that anyone would ever get to. You can tell that a lot of research went into this story to make it seem as real as possible.

The last 40% was extremely fast paced but not so much that it felt rushed.

I can honestly say I enjoyed this book!

*I received a free copy of this for review from Netgalley*

I was super excited to read this. I’ve got a slight obsession with the Romanov family and I thought the added element of magic in a ya setting would be a good addition. I did enjoy it, I just found it really slow at times and super predictable. (Which at this point I think is just because I’ve read so much ya and not necessarily the books fault) This took me far too long to read; I actually read about 6 books between starting and finishing this. Solid 3 read, would recommend if you’re interested.

As someone who grew up loving the animated movie Anastasia, and as an adult now loves the musical Anastasia, reading the synopsis for Romanov immediately piqued my interest. Not to mention, the beautiful cover caught my eye instantaneously.

In this re-telling, Grand Duchess Anastasia, nicknamed Nastya in the story, is sent into exile with her family in Siberia. Facing fear and hopelessness, Nastya finds comfort and solace in a handsome Bolshevik soldier, Zash.

Anyone who knows the history of the Romanov family knows where the story is heading. However, Nadine Brandes manages to create a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I love history, but I am all for a fantastical re-telling. I went into this knowing that it would not be entirely historically accurate. I really appreciated however that Brandes included a section at the end where she addressed what was historically accurate and what was fabricated. I did not know much about the history of the Romanovs besides the obvious. Readers should be able to suspend their disbelief to enjoy the story either way, though. Isn't that what fiction is about, after all?!

Next, I'll dive into my personal thoughts on the book overall. At first, I found the writing style slightly hard to get into right away. This was short-lived, as I was drawn into the story quickly afterwards. I found the story compelling, despite the naïveté of the 16 (later 17) year old narrator.

The time depicting the Romanov family's captivity was vivid and sorrowful. It felt like it went on a very long time, which I would say is a success for the author.

I thoroughly enjoyed the complex romance, though I feel it could have been developed more. [ Before he took part in the firing squad that assassinated the Romanov family, he was a much more likable character. His betrayal was a big one. I'm not sure how I feel about this still. He was still likable afterwards, it was just a bit hard. The best romances are complex, though, I suppose. Either way, the author kept the reader on edge the entirety of the story. There were quite a few moments where my heart was pounding along with the characters. There were, in my opinion, no dull moments. There were a couple highlights but I really enjoyed the recurring theme of forgiveness in particular. Finally, the ending was beautiful.

I hold back from giving the novel 5 stars for a few reasons. First, most of the characters could have used more development. Second, Nastya was naive and foolish. Certainly these two descriptors are common among teenaged girls, but you would think someone in her situation would grasp the gravity of it a little bit better. Her carefree demeanor becomes careless very early on. She continues to wink and grin at her captors and enemies. Even in serious situations, you may find a character on the edge of grinning. It's a little bit much. Next, it was interesting that the author chose to change the depiction of two important people: the tsar Nikolai Romanov, and the mad man Rasputin. Both characters were shown in a very favorable light. I could see Nikolai being shown favorably due to it being Anastasia's point of view, but why Rasputin? Especially when he was absent as a character from the book? Besides that, I felt that most of the other decisions were justified in this magical re-telling. Finally, I found the shift from [ the physical world to the spirit world a little jarring at first. There was no magic of that magnitude shown or hinted at during the first half of the book, so it came as a little bit of a shock. It worked out in the end, though.

Overall, Romanov prevails as a story of hope and forgiveness. It was a pleasure to read and I certainly would read another book by the author. Ultimately, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical re-tellings and magical realism!

★★★★

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

I might be a tad obsessed with the Anastasia story. I first learned about the Romanovs in 7th grade social studies. That was in 1985, when it looked like Russia would forever be behind the iron curtain. The following year was the TV movie "The Mystery of Anna" starring Amy Irving. I remember being glued to the TV! So when I learned about Nadine Brandes's Romanov, I HAD to read it. I was not disappointed.
I loved Fawkes, so I knew Romanov would be great too, especially for the reason above, namely, I love the "did she or didn't she survive" mythology even if the mystery was solved via DNA.
The book follows the Romanovs during their captivity after the communist takeover of Russia. I love how the Romanov family is portrayed and Alexei steals the show. In fact, he might be my favorite character. His hemophilia is a prominent plot point and is executed masterfully. It's a Nadine Brandes book, so there's a cool magic system and lots of adventure. There's also a bit of romance.
As a historical fantasy, Romanov is more historical than fantasy which is my only complaint about the book. I would have loved to have had more of the clever magic system, which involves magical ink and wiggling spell words. And matryoshka dolls!

I didn't know a story could be so heartbreaking and yet so beautiful and powerful all at once. Brandes has blended the tragedy and trauma of the history we all know with the magic we want to believe in. Personally, my favorite arc in this story was the brother/sister relationship. That tore out my heart, stamped on it, made me cry and then left me grinning like a fool.

On the downside, the cover seems to promise that we'll see a glimpse of the daydream that was Imperial Russian before the Revolution as well, but the plot fell very short of that leaving the pacing a little too "constantly intense." So this book is not for the binge-reading (unless you simply have no heart).

But over all, Romanov, with its themes of forgiveness and new beginnings, is definitely a classic in the making that will stay with readers long after the last word has been read.

(I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Seriously Netgalley, why decline me then just randomly send me the file weeks later. That did nothing for my dignity in the presence of nonbookworms.)

Ohhhhhhhh hell yes! I love Russia, I love fantasy, I love the Romanovs - This book had them all! Helped by good writing and romance, I want MOOOOORE! Also, like, a good plot is everything and this was that!!

This review will be going up on Instagram (Seekabook) on Saturday, January 5th, 2019. It has already been posted on Goodreads and on my blog Seekabookblog.com (links are added below).

Title: Romanov
Author: Nadine Brandes
Rate: 5/5
Bookstore: Netgalley
Publication Date: May 9, 2019
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Synopsis:
The history books say I died.
They don’t know the half of it.
Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them . . . and he’s hunted Romanov before.
Nastya’s only chances of saving herself and her family are either to release the spell and deal with the consequences or to enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya’s only dabbled in magic, but it doesn’t frighten her half as much as her growing attraction for Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her . . .
That is until she’s on one side of a firing squad . . . and he’s on the other.

Are you a fan of Anastasia Romanov? Do you like reading books on the Romanovs? Then this is the book for you! Brandes takes us on a wonderfully detailed re-telling story about the Romanov family and how Anastasia may be the salvation of the family.

The Romanovs has been stripped from their titles and has been sent to exile. The Bolshevik army has locked them up in a house in Siberia and is hunting spell masters throughout the country to kill them. Anastasia "Nastya" Romanov is a skilled planner with a sharp mind, she cares for her family very much and will do anything to protect her family. In the meantime, she is starting to grow some feelings towards a solider that is on the enemy side. 

I am a huge historical fiction reader so the moment I received the advance copy on Netgalley, I was beyond excited to jump into it. This is the first book I read from Brandes and she truly did a wonderful job in re-telling Anastasia's story using historical facts and adding some fantasy in it. From just the first few pages, I was hooked and I couldn't put it down. You get to see this royal family go through fear, doubt, love, and hopelessness. You get to see them all in a new light and capture how they truly cared for the people of Russia during and after their reign. I seriously fell in love with Anastasia and Nikolas's characters. You can see how well developed and true to the persona in real life they were. I loved Anastasia's willpower and confidence she had during these trying times and Nikolas's compassion and kind demeanor. There are definitely some emotional and difficult moments in the book, but I like the spin of romance that is added to make it light. 

Even though this book is considered fiction and fantasy, Brandes did a great job of adding real-life events and connecting it with the magical aspect. Also, can we appreciate the cover of this book - I mean its beauty and this was one of the first things that drew me into reading this book. I recommend this read to anyone who loves historical fiction - this was a fun read that you do not want to miss!

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

Interesting bit of historical fiction. I know nothing about the Romanovs and was still able to follow without a problem. I think anyone who likes historical fiction would enjoy it. I found the family to be compelling and I enjoyed the magical element.

I highly recommend Romanov. It is an awesome and fascinating read. I am giving it a well deserved five plus stars.

First of all, I'm not too familiar with the story of Anastasia. So, I went on Wikipedia to read about her and the family. I'm glad I didn't know too much beforehand, so I could enter the authors world fully. I'm surprised by how close the first half of the book is to the story I read there. At the end of the book the author also explains which events have really happened and the things that are fictional. This is a great addition!

That said, I love the story so much! The addition of a little magic is what the story needed. The characters are all inspirational and are well, good characters. The book drew me in and I just couldn't put it down.

It can be a little graphic though, with a little violence included. It's described well, so if you're easily triggered, well here's a warning for that.

I will definately be rereading this one in the future.