(I was given an arc of this book through Netgalley in return for an honest review.)
Overall Rating:
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Description: 5/5
Dialogue: 3/5

I really liked the plot and the action scenes in this book, it had me on the edge of my seat towards the last 100 pages and I could not put it down. I liked the idea of an Anastasia retelling, however I do wish that I connected with the characters a bit more. I actually ended up liking Evgenia more than Anna, which was a bit surprising to me.
The villain was amazingly written and very terrifying, but it did seem a bit redundant to always have him chasing the girls and then always running. Once Evgenia was caught I became more interested because the plot was switched up from the other half of the book. Overall it was pretty good for a historical fiction retelling and definitely met my expectations for the premise of it.

Review will post on 3/7/22 on Forever Young Adult blog.

Content Warning: There are semi-detailed depictions of torture (beating, fingernail pulling) and not-super-detailed flashbacks to when Anastasia’s family (which includes children) is shot and killed.

Cover Story: Wallpaper

This is reminding me of those toile-patterned wallpapers or china patterns. There are plenty of variations on this kind of “intricate pattern with homages to the story” cover from the last few years, but, honestly, it’s one of my favorites of the modern YA trends. (I thought the cutesy cartoon covers were fun too when they first started, so I’m sure publishing will ruin this somehow, too.)

The Deal:

*sings* Have you heard? There’s a rumor in St. Petersburg… *sings*

Ahem. Wrong retelling. In this version, we meet up with “Anna” a day after she’s escaped her family’s grisly fate as she seeks to put as much distance as possible between her and the Cheka soldier who killed them. With no money except the jewels sewn into her corset, Anna bargains away a diamond to a passing merchant, Evgenia, for a ride to the nearest train station. Unfortunately, it’s the worst bargain of Evgenia’s life as she, a proud Bolshevik, unwittingly becomes complicit in giving aid to the last-standing royal member of Nikolai Romanov’s line.

Now they’re both on the run, and it seems the only person they can trust is one another. Is it possible to find common ground when you have such diametrically opposing views?

BFF Charm: Big Sister

BFF Charm Big Sister with Clarissa from Clarissa Explains It All's face
Let’s face it, I would be able to do jack-all to help them as their big sister, but I don’t think Anna or Evgenia need one more scared friend tagging along on this twisted tour of backwoods Russia.

O’Neil does a good job of making both Anna and Evgenia well-rounded characters who react pretty realistically to their situations, in that they aren’t kicking ass and taking names and single-handedly fixing an entire revolution; they are just two scared young women who, through luck and circumstance, barely manage to stay one step ahead of a murderous fanatic. They’re going to need some intense therapy and a shoulder to cry on, and I could at least offer one of those things.

Swoonworthy Scale: 0

There is no time for even the mere thought of romance.

Talky Talk: Realistic Slice Of Life

I feel like this was O’Neil’s attempt to answer the question of “how would Anastasia have survived?” in a realistic and serious way. There’s no far-fetched amnesia or girls pretending to be the Dowager’s granddaughter. O’Neil drops us in the middle of the worst moment of Anna’s life and we see it through to its conclusion, but we don’t know what is in store for the characters or the country beyond that.

It was also a nice character study on how two people on opposite sides of a polarizing issue could come to understand and respect each other, but, of course, that is only possible when those in question are willing to use common sense, care about all people’s rights, and are willing to compromise within their personal beliefs to find a better way for everyone. So perhaps this WAS a fantasy after all.

Bonus Factor: Retellings

Maria and Tony from West Side Story singing on a balcony.
I blame the catchy music and a Meg Ryan / John Cusack power duo as the reason so many of us grew up hoping the real-life tragedy of Anastasia Romanova had a happier ending than what came to pass—although, perhaps wishing for a young girl to have survived an assassination attempt and have to live with the fact that she saw her entire family murdered is not exactly a happy ending… We humans do love a messy drama with a side of the macabre, and it’s clear something about this haunting story has continually struck a chord in us.

Bonus Factor: Friendships

Characters from Baby-Sitters' Club show sitting on a bed talking and laughing.
Evgenia and Anna form an intense bond because of their shared experiences. Evgenia’s life has been constantly affected by Anna—first as a peasant living under Tsar Nikolai’s rule and then in many, many ways throughout this novel all thanks to her initial pity for Anna’s sorry state. She could easily hate Anna and often does find her off-putting because of their extreme class differences and upbringings. But the girls find something familiar in each other in spite of their conflicts, and it always gives me the warm fuzzies watching people be the best versions of themselves for someone else.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Politics

Roll of "I voted" stickers with American flag design
Politics, war, huh, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing but heartbreak, y’all! The Bolsheviks were some real assholes. Not that Anastasia’s father was any better, keeping the people of his land ignorant and poor, but the Bolsheviks came in and bulldozed the more moderate people who ended the tsar’s reign and, well, we all know about Lenin. Why do the “less evil guys” have to be so incredibly ineffectual all the time? Is there not one controversial topic out there we can get a win on? *climbs off soapbox*

Relationship Status: Running Partners

Guess we should’ve trained better before that marathon, eh, Book? You had me emotionally and physically drained after everything we went through together. I could use a nap, an emotional support animal, and some good chocolate. I hope you get the same!

FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Roaring Brook Press. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review. Daughters of a Dead Empire is available now.

This was a 3.5 rounded up for me.

Like all Millennial women, I too am obsessed with Anastasia which is why I picked this book up even though it's definitely outside of my reading comfort zone. That being said, I did enjoy this book. The action was great and was paced out well to keep me wondering what was going to happen next. I love the friendship between Anna and Evgenia, and it was clearly very well researched (we love a fiction book with a bibliography!).

I can't articulate what wasn't prefect for me, but I think it's just a genre preference. If you like historical fiction, war, action stories I would recommend picking this one up. There is a fair amount of violence and gore.

4.5/5 stars, this was a really interesting retelling!

There were some really amazing aspects in this book, and it was a wonderfully done retelling of the Romanovs and their daughter Anastatia. I really love learning about the last Tsar and his family, and it was something that I chose as an individual project in school. Ever since then I have been really obsessed with their time period, and learning about what they really went through. So when I came across this retelling, where Anastatia was alive and on the run, I knew I had to read it.

Obviously, this plot centers around the last Tsar and his family, but it specifically features Anastatia on the run after her family was killed. She is forced to hide and buy her way across the country, with the jewels that she stored in her corset and ultimately saved her life. From the very first page, there was a sense of urgency about the story, which reflected nicely from the events that were transpiring. I think overall the plot only lulled once or twice and kept me on my toes. I loved seeing Russia and the countries around it during this time period too, as it's really interesting to see the divides between people, especially in our present world's state.

Anastatia or "Anna" was officially painted as the main character, though Evgenia also had a lot of scenes. She had been through so much by the time the story started that she had a habit of making risky decisions, but she still showed compassion for others over time. In the beginning, she was very set in her ways and would not change. But as she was on the run, she began to see what the peasants had gone through and empathized with them. I really enjoyed seeing her develop as a character in this was, and ultimately do her best to help everyone.

Evgenia was a really interesting and well-developed character. She comes from a peasant position and constantly berates Anna for her views, as she came from money. It's not until later that she finds out that Anna is part of the royal family, and she becomes really conflicted about that. Her first instinct was always to do things that would help and protect her family, but over time that began to extend to Anna. Evgenia is a really badass and stubborn individual, she is willing to do anything to achieve her goals and it was really admirable. Even when she was tortured in the story, she did her best to stay true to herself and not give secrets away.

The female friendship in this book was one of my favorite parts, even if originally they hated one another. It was enemies to tolerating one another to good friends. I enjoyed how their growth together felt very realistic, and it was not instantaneous. There were times they worked really well together, and other times that they almost hated one another. It was never cut and dry because of both of their backgrounds, but they learned to help one another in many ways. I think they also taught each other many important lessons and it was great to see a friendship that didn't have to be romantic in the end.

Overall, this was a really fantastic story if not just a tad bit long in my opinion. I really loved the retelling aspect and how some parts held up to actual history. The female friendship between the two main characters was lovely as well and just, everything was really fun! This is a great way to read a new sort of retelling while still playing it safe if you want to dip your toes in that genre.

[TW: torture (with fire), death of family members, being shot, blood and gore, soiling self, dealing with trauma, assault, intense torture (on page), abuse, PTSD]

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own!

This was stunning! I absolutely loved Carolyn Tara O'Neil's writing! I have always loved Anastasia and this book drew me right in. It was a delight to read! I thought the plot and characters were well developed and well done and I really enjoyed this!

I was on the fence about evenreading this(not sure if I was feeling Russian politics and history) but I am so glad I did. It is a really fantastic historical fiction novel and exactly the kind of YA I would be comfortable handing a teenager.

The story is one of friendship and understanding. Set in civil war Russia the novel really helps to understand how and why communism came to Russia. Likewise, we see the fall of the opulent Romanov Empire.

The author, Carolyn Tara O'Neill, is one of my favorite kinds of authors. The ones who are not afraid to let heads roll but still value the main characters. No gratuitous deaths. Each one is well placed to evoke just the right emotion. And, while the main characters are valued they are not coddled. There is strife and danger and growth.

Parents will want to be aware that there is some language but it is used appropriately by characters that would use colorful language and when they would use it. It is not cursing just to curse. Beyond that, Daughters... is a green light. No romance or other social issues to screen for.

Loved it! Highly recommend!

Thank you @Netgalley and @macmillankidsuk for early access to this ARC in return for an unbiased and voluntary review

I am a sucker for an Anastasia story.

The author gives us an alternate history where Anastasia Romanov survives the massacre of her family and flees the Bolsheviks. When Anna meets Evgenia, both of the girl's lives change. Two girls on opposite sides of the uprising are forced into the other's life, changing so much about themselves along their journey.

I loved these two fierce female characters and seeing their friendship, though strenuous at times, grow into a strong and loving bond. Reading as they learned from each other, seeing their views change and evolve, was perfectly written and heartwarming. Though, the story is anything but warm and fuzzy. With bloody fights, nerve wracking escapes, and enough death for a lifetime, the girls' journey is far from easy. So many lessons can be learned from this friendship, and I love it.

The author does a wonderful job of keeping readers on their toes. The shorter chapters at the end of the book make the climatic battles that much more charged and I couldn't stop reading.

I highly recommend picking this book up!

I think this is a 3.5 rounded up. Story was compelling enough, I liked the friendship between the two girls, and I especially liked what this book was implying about war (especially in the current climate). Though I liked it well enough, I don't see this is as one I'd want to read again and I also don't like torture scenes. Pulling out fingernails. Yuck.

So let me hit on the best thing in this book: I think it presented both sides of war as accurately as it could in terms of people's feelings, flaws, and strengths. It wasn't a one side = good, one side = bad kind of story and that's why I think it's accurate. There are millions of people involved when countries go to war. There are tyrants on both sides as well as good people on both who believe what they're doing is right.

I also liked that this wasn't the typical Anastasia story - fleeing damsel in distress with a heart of gold who only loves her family. Sure, those elements were in here, but there were also some nice deeper tones included too - Evgenia explaining how tsarists hold too much power and how working people make up the backbone of the country, shedding a light on how one person (or one family) shouldn't have so much wealth while others are starving, Anastasia noting that her father was wrong about many things (and even included a mention about his antisemitic views that she and her sisters thought were wrong), and Anastasia realizing that she didn't truly try to help her people before. It was more than a save-the-princess tale.

And I also loved that the author included a bibliography at the end of all her sources used to help create this story. I do so love an author that does the work.

But I wasn't kidding about the torture scenes. Major yuck.

Daughters of a Dead Empire is a fast-paced and gritty story of two girls who initially couldn’t seem more different. In this alternate history, Anna and Evgenia find themselves on opposite sides during the Russian Revolution. When they are forced to work together for mutual survival, they learn some universal things that bind together. But Anna is keeping a very important secret- one that will be devastating if it gets out.

I’m always interested in stories that relate to Anastasia, I think because for so long people really believed that there was a possibility she could be alive. While sadly this was proven not to be true in 2007, there’s still something that makes one wonder “What if?” This is a well-paced and action-packed story that considers some of the very real obstacles that the real Anastasia would have had to face. In addition, O’Neill tackles the inequality and systemic issues that were problems during the Russian Revolution.

Daughters of a Dead Empire would be the perfect book for anyone interested in learning more about the Russian Revolution, Anastasia, and thrilling historical fiction. I’m looking forward to seeing what Carolyn Tara O’Neill writes next! Thank you so much to Carolyn Tara O’Neill, Roaring Brook Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Macmillan Children’s and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review. I loved this reimagining of the tale of Anastasia. While I felt it moved a little slow in spots, it was interesting throughout and the historical understanding of what happened, while can be confusing, is made easier to understand. Great read for any historical fiction lover and someone who loves high stakes action.

i requested daughters of a dead empire on a whim and i’m so glad i did. this was a brutal twist on the usual “what if anastasia survived?” tale, pairing the princess with a young communist girl in the days following the murder of tsar nicholas and the rest of the royal family.

alone and hunted by the bolsheviks, anna offers evgenia a diamond to take her south to safety. evgenia, whose brother desperately needs a doctor that her family can’t afford, agrees, and inadvertently becomes a target of the bolsheviks herself.

alternating between anna and evgenia’s points of view, o’neil weaves a powerful story of female friendship and idealism against a backdrop of the horrors of the russian civil war. i loved both girls’ arcs, and this is easily one of the best ya books i’ve picked up recently. my only complaint is that i felt the ending was a little abrupt.

Oh my goodness, this kept me on my toes! One of my favorite parts of this book where characters express their emotions and feelings, and it broke my heart! But in a good way, because this book deserves to be read by everyone!

I absolutely adore the story of Anastasia and was extremely excited to try this book. I loved that there was a pronunciation guide in the beginning and a short historical note for anybody who isn’t familiar with her story.

I picked this book because it was categorized as SciFi/Fantasy but I think that was terribly inaccurate— it should be historical fiction. For this reason alone I had a hard time getting into it. If it had been categorized correctly I think I would have really enjoyed it.

From what I know of Russian history, which is more than average but by no means an expert, it was amazingly accurate. I got the feeling the author spent a lot of time researching to really immerse the reader— and I almost was— but I kept waiting for some Disney’s Rasputin magic.

Unfortunately this was enough to make me stop reading around 40% in. I do plan on finishing it— probably actually restarting from the beginning, because it had great potential… just no SciFi/Fantasy.

I 'll admit I'm drawn towards any Anastasia retelling I can get my hands on, and Daughters of a Dead Empire did not disappoint. Anna, a girl from a bourgeois family, is on the run from the Bolsheviks, and drags in the help of Evgenia, a peasant girl, to help her escape the soldiers. However Evgenia is a Bolshevik, and the two girls have to tolerate and learn to understand each other if they want to stay alive. I loved Daughters of a Dead Empire because of the character dynamics between Anna and Evgenia. They are on opposite sides of a war, but have to stick together to survive and get to safety. In one chapter you could be completely sympathetic for Anna, and in the next, you'd be completely sympathetic towards Evgenia. Both girls had such compelling stories and personalities. While they were on conflicting sides, they still understood the humanity in the other.

Thank you so much Fierce Reads Publishing, YALL Fest, and Netgalley for sending me an eARC!

"'There are occasions when a woman . . . . will become not only harder than a man but harder than anything and everything in the world.'"

Russia, 1918, Bolshevik Revolution. Anna's family was massacred and now she's on the run from Commander Yurovsky, who wants to annihilate her too. If she can reach the Whites, the tsar's loyal army, she'll be safe. But first, she must figure out how to get there first. The first town she arrives at is communist, through and through. They attempt to burn her for being a White loyalist, but a girl named Evgenia saves her. Anna bargains with Evgenia to smuggle her across communist territory, and Evgenia accepts.

Evgenia has ulterior motives rather than wanting the money Anna offered her. Yes, she is poor, but she mostly needs the money for her brother who lost his leg as a Red communist in a battle. Evgenia is suspicious of Anna, but she had no idea what she got herself into when she accepted Anna's offer. Yurovsky is now after her AND Anna because Evgenia assisted Anna in her escape.

As the girls run from him across the war-torn Russian countryside, a friendship forms as they find that despite being on different sides, they have more in common than they originally thought. Anna must trust a revolutionary to survive, while Evgenia must decide between the cause she has fought for or saving her new friend.

As a continuation of the missing princess Anastasia's legend, this book was fantastic. The world was so immersive and historically accurate, I found myself running for my life from an immoral Communist commander. The plot was realistic and perfectly paced. O'Neil gave them setbacks in the plot every time they thought something would go right. These setbacks made for a realistic story.

However, my issues with this book were the characters. For a girl who had been exposed to so much trauma and death before adulthood, you would think Evgenia would be more strategic. However, she was stuck-up despite being poor. Likewise, Anna had PLENTY of access to education, but she was naive and selfish (for the most part). The author attempted to make this story feminist with two "strong" female leads; all I read were two girls too weak to solve their own problems, sadly. Their character arcs didn't really arc - they were straight lines till the end where they FINALLY jumped (and grew) as characters.

Overall though, if you're looking for a fast-paced, historical fiction with a tale of two best friends fighting against evil, then this is the book for you!

"But it wasn't hardness that would get us through this world. It was each other."

In Daughters of a Dead Empire, readers are asked to consider an alternate version of the Russian Revolution — one where the Tsar’s youngest daughter not only escaped execution but remembered every bit of it, too.

While scientific tests have proven that none of the Romanovs survived, Anastasia’s fate has always been questioned. Author Carolyn Tara O’Neil builds on those suspicions and supports them with facts from that fateful night, creating a narrative that feels plausible.

While the historical backdrop of Daughters of a Dead Empire is the initial draw, it’s the book’s two main characters that will keep you coming back for more. Anna and Evgenia come from disparate backgrounds, making them unlikely allies. Each believes strongly in their cause and wants nothing more than for those causes to succeed. But as the two spend time with each other, they realize they are not so different and their causes may not be so just.

Set against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution, Daughters of a Dead Empire is not a particularly easy read. The subject matter is dark and there is realistic violence throughout. I recommend it for older, more mature young adults (ages 15 and up) and as a crossover for adults.

Carolyn Tara O’Neil weaves a fast-paced, historically realistic story about the only survivor of the Romanov execution, Anastasia, and the peasant girl she befriends to help her get to her other family members. We’ve all heard the (now disproven) theory that Anastasia survived the massacre and escaped thanks to the corset that she wore containing the family jewels. What seems to be lost in this story is what came next. Where did Anastasia go? How did a young girl survive alone? O’Neil does a fantastic job weaving in the general population of Russia in 1918 with the character of Evgenia. Thus, the conflict of tsarist Russia and communist Russia, specifically the Bolshevik revolution, comes to a digestible amount between the youngest Romanov daughter and a communist sympathizer.

The pacing of this story was fast, but all details are given their equal time to shine. O’Neil created many likable characters and some definitely unlikeable, but our two main characters are not all good or all bad, they are dynamic characters that make mistakes and learn a lot throughout the book, which is probably my favorite part. The Romanov execution was tragic, and this story is tragic, both for Anastasia and Evgenia. O’Neil does a wonderful job of putting the emotion and the tension of Russia in the early 20th century within her book.

5 stars

Carolyn Tara O'Neil's debut looks at the Anastasia story through a whole new lens, setting her in contrast with a Bolshevik girl who has the potential to become her dearest friend or her greatest enemy. It is a classic tale of two people from completely opposite walks of life having to reconcile their differences, which is heightened here by the intense sociopolitical climate of the Russian Revolution.

While it is a period that I am not particularly familiar with, O'Neil does a fantastic job of setting the scene without getting too heavy handed with exposition. Instead, she leaves plenty of room for both her characters and story to breathe. From the first page, I was completely drawn into this tale of danger, intrigue, family, and friendship. O'Neil doesn't shy away from showing us the devastation of war and there are quite a few scenes that are not easy to stomach, but they are essential threads in the rich tapestry of this particular story. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours and considering it took me 30 days to finish my last book, that is an impressive feat indeed. Congratulations to Carolyn Tara O'Neil on such a wonderful debut!

Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Daughters of a Dead Empire tells us of an unlikely friendship during a brutal war. The Bolsheviks are taking over Russia, and have just executed Tsar Nicholas and his entire family. Or so they think. Unlike what happened in real life, in this story, Anastasia Romanov escaped with some of the family jewels and her life. However, upon realizing Anastasia's body was not among the dead, her family's executioner, Yurovsky, is now hunting her down to finish the job. Anastasia, or "Anna", is on the run, and finds a sympathetic communist peasant girl named Evgenia, who agrees to help Anna without knowing her true identity. Will they both escape with their lives?

This story was a lot. It clearly paints the cruelty of war, so there is a lot of gore, death, and torture (although, thankfully, no SA). We see how a good cause that unites people-- equality, power to the people, no more poverty-- can be twisted by power-hungry leaders. It shows how war can erase the humanity of the opposing side, and pushes people to do horrible things for their cause.

One of my favorite moments was when Yurovsky talks of the things he's done for the Bolsheviks' cause, and how he can't let his horrible deeds go to waste by letting Anastasia go free. Violence begets violence.

On the flip side, this story also offers us stories of people from different parties uniting and realizing they have more in common than they thought. There are a lot of selfless acts of kindness and love (seriously, be ready to shed a few tears). And, a beautiful friendship between two would be enemies.

I think that the character development of Anna and Evgenia, and really all of the characters, was excellent. The pacing of the story kept me engaged, but there was also space to breathe after heavy events. I also really liked the pronunciation guide and the author's notes on the background of the story. The ending was rather open, so that I wish that there would be a second book!

Wow. Historical fiction isn’t really my jam. In fact it’s a weak spot in my classroom library. Russian revolution? Forget it. And I teach Animal Farm! But this book? This book is gorgeous. It’s lush, vibrant, and immersive. I was so wrapped up in the adventure of the plot. I also love that there isn’t romance in this story. It’s an account of enemies to friends and discovering the truth. Anna and Evgenia share such a unique tale, and their perspectives are fiercely independent of voice but still weave together to create a cohesive story. I truly enjoyed this story, and can’t wait to share it with my class!