Another take on the Anastasia story but delved deeper into the political turmoil that led to the revolution. It was easy to read and the plot made for many anxiety induced moments. It’s not a happy story but there are many messages to get from it. I love the aspect of two girls from two different worlds who learn to accept their differences but also grow and learn from them. I really enjoyed the story

The animated movie Anastasia came out when I was in their demographic sweet spot and the fascination with Russian history (and later, Russian literature) has always stuck with me. Seeing that there was a new YA novel coming out set during the Russian revolution easily captured my interest. I was curious to see how the conflict and popular mythology around the deaths of the Romanovs is being portrayed in YA today. Carolyn Tara O’Neil’s upcoming Daughters of a Dead Empire alludes to many elements of the debunked but still popular myths about Anastasia while delving deeper into the opposing sides in the conflict – what their philosophies were and why, how that affected their actions, and all the shades of gray that colored morality during that time. At the same time, O’Neil’s novel maintains an active and engaging pace that helps hold the reader’s interest.

Evgenia travels her usual route selling small wares in the hopes of earning enough money to pay for a doctor for her injured brother. As the villagers of the town she’s passing through threaten to burn a girl alive, Evgenia intervenes and the girl, Anna appeals to her for more help – she’ll pay Evgenia to help her get safely south to the White army who support the restoration of the monarchy. Though Evgenia considers herself a staunch Bolshevik, she’s desperate for the money. But when she and Anna try to sell a gemstone for the ready cash they both need, Evgenia discovers that it’s more than just a reckless and angry mob after Anna. One of the key officers of the Bolshevik secret police is after her and now he’s after Evgenia too for helping her. As the girls are forced to rely on one another for their mutual survival, they challenge each other’s understanding of who and what is right for Russia and wrestle with what the best way forward will be. Can they form a true and lasting friendship – even when the full truth of Anna’s identity comes to light – or are they and Russia doomed to a future of conflict and self-destruction?

Because of the ways that the Romanovs and their tragic end have been romanticized in popular culture, it can be difficult to get a clear and well-rounded picture of them and of Russia at that time. To capture the nuances and complexities of so many moving parts in a novel is an achievement in itself. Without getting bogged down in too many details like troop movements and the specific politics of the parties involved, O’Neil conveys the desperation and certainty of the different sides in the conflict – the justifiable grievances and concerns that urged action but also the ways that everyone was able to justify increasingly reprehensible behavior and cruelty. O’Neil is able to demonstrate that each side involved was comprised of people representing a broad range of conviction and belief in their respective causes and showed how much circumstance could influence how a person behaved. It’s an effective way to show the brutality of war as well as the humanity.

It’s strange to have the ending that the novel does given the true history of the war in Russia and how everything played out. One of the draws of alternative histories is to see the impact of a single change ripple through the familiar history. The way O’Neil chooses to end the novel places the responsibility for imagining those ripples entirely on the reader. There are many ways that this alternative history could be subsumed into a version that closely resembles what actually happened, but there are also a multitude of imagined ways that it could have changed the course of events into something unrecognizable (and not necessarily in a bad way). What I find most intriguing about this bit of alternative history is the fact that there was such a long time when the basic premise of this novel was thought to be a legitimate possibility and the impact that that had on history – the rumors and imposters it brought forth, the way it was just enough to keep certain hopes alive but without concrete evidence for so long.

Daughters of a Dead Empire will be available on February 22, 2022.

I only have positive things to say about this book and desperately wish it wasn’t a standalone novel.

O’Neil delivers a dark, gripping take on how Anastasia could have survived the execution of the Romanovs only to be confronted with the harsh conditions of life under Tsarist rule that first drove her people to seek social and political change.

Anna and Evgenia lead readers on a thrilling chase through the Russian countryside as they dodge the Bolshevik secret police. Chapters alternate between Anna’s and Evgenia’s viewpoints, providing a powerful narrative on the clashing perspectives of a revolution that would reshape global politics, economics, and conflicts.

The characters were engaging, complex and wonderfully flawed. LIke our narrators, the cast of characters includes members of both sides of the conflict and the story, as told by both girls, depicts their dawning realization that a philosophy may be fair and honorable in conception, but the political ideology put to practice by imperfect people can easily turn cruel. Both the conservatives and communists alike are trapped by their limited understanding and control of the world.

Daughters of a Dead Empire delivers a powerful and poignant depiction of the price that both sides pay for revolution.

This was an amazing read which is about a girl who survived the murder of her family and is on the run where she meets a girl to travel with. This book is adventurous and shows the journey of a great friendship. I really enjoyed the author's writing in this book. O'Neil created an amazing world that kind of reminded me of the Grishaverse but it was unique in it's own way. It was simple and easy to understand. It's based off of the Russian Revolution and a lot of information was done about it. I'm guessing that this was an Anastasia retelling but don't know if I'm correct. The storyline was very well structured with good pacing and many conflicts. I do have to say that the beginning was a little hard to get into as the world is new and so much was already going on. Other than that the story was very well done.

The main characters in this book are Anastasia aka Anna and Evgenia. Anna is running away from the Bolsheviks and meets Evgenia on the way. Through their eyes, we learn so much about how they see the world which is filled with poverty, war, betrayal and murder. Both don't know each other and are suspicious but over time their friendship develops. I really enjoyed both of their character developments in the book. Both female MCs are brave and great role models. Their friendship is development and I love how throughout their journey they grew to trust each other. I was expecting there to somehow be a romance between them but it stayed at the friendship/sisterly place. I do have to say that there weren't really main side characters in the book and I wish there was. Sometimes it gets too much with the MCs but good thing the author kept a story between them that it didn't affect it as much. There is no romance in this book so don't be expecting that.

The ending was very well done and I enjoyed the whole friendship concept of the book. I kind of wish that we had an epilogue just because I wanted to see the "a year later" chapter. Usually when it comes to historical, I try to get away from it but I saw some of my friends read it so I decided to check it out. As much as the story is good, I do have to say that some parts were heartbreaking. Like it made you want to put the book down and think for a couple of seconds. I didn't really have any problems with the book but I wish there was some type of romance as I'm a romance addict. I think it would have been perfect for the book but overall it was a great read. I recommend this book to those who want to learn more about the Russian Revolution.

3.5 stars
I’m a sucker for anything even remotely referring to the Romanov’s. Anna is fleeing the soldiers that killed her entire family. She meets Evgenia on the road and they strike up an agreement for transportation.

What I liked: The story could be a very plausible one. O’Neil did her research and I loved the possibilities.
There is great information in the back talking about the Romanov's and where she got her information.

What I didn’t like: The girls. Sad, right? I did not like them as characters until the last few chapters. So because of that, I never loved the story.
It definitely brought a new light to what fighting for each side meant and what the Whites believed vs the Reds. I appreciated her showing both sides of the war, as most stories just make one out to be bad and the other good. Both sides had flaws and the smaller details of this were what I really admired.

This book was hard to read, but impossible to put down. As you would expect for a book set during the Russian Revolution, there is extreme poverty, murder, and torture. Both the rich and the poor suffer at the hands of the other. It is hard to root for either side as the faults of the tsarists and Bolsheviks are made clear. I think that is one of the most compelling aspects of the book, however. It shows time and time again how most people are trying to do what is right, even if they are on opposite sides of a war.

Anna and Evgenia are both strong characters, though they showed their strength in different ways. It was very interesting to see how two girls with completely different backgrounds interacted when forced to work together to stay alive. Their time together helped them to learn things about themselves and about their world.

I thought the history, characters, and plot were expertly balanced throughout this book. It was difficult to read about all the suffering that people like Anna and Evgenia endured during the Revolution, but I’m glad I did. I would recommend this book and will gladly read the author’s future work!

While the story does a nice job of making accessible the political positions and emotions of both Evgenia and Anastasia, the writing was a bit clunky (and at times used phrasing - "Yeah" or "I guess" - that felt anachronistic or at least inconsistent with the overall style) and there were some fairly extreme descriptions of gore and torture later. I love Anastasia mythology, but overall I don't know that I felt like this delved so deep into that element as to make it feel different than other stories on the topic.

This was just... okay for me. I didn’t hate the characters or find them too terribly flat, but I didn’t love them either. Same for the story. It had plenty of turns and high-octane moments and also quieter character moments. But I wasn’t super invested in either. I think this might be a “it’s not you, it’s me” because I can’t find anything wrong with the book other than it just didn’t give me any sorts of strong feelings either way. I can say I definitely preferred Evgenia’s voice to Anna’s, unless Anna was having a particularly emotional moment remembering her life before her family was killed. Evgenia’s voice, with its more biting tone and jaded outlook, was more interesting to read for me.

I was very intrigued by the concept of an Anastasia retelling. I have been diving into Russian history themed books lately and this was a fun edition. I enjoyed it, but it didn't really grip me like I wanted. Evgenia and Anna are both good characters, the action was good, the clash of different ideologies was good.

The ending fell a little flat for me. The climax was driven by one character making a very stupid decision, and the character arc for Anna in this book seemed a little pointless or artifical to her character. I think this because her arc was tied into the overall clashing ideologies plot - the end tries to figure out some middleground, but what does that mean? Where is the payoff? Also, for some reason I was expecting this as a standalone but it seems like there will be a sequel based off of the ending, so maybe these things will be addressed in the next book?

Daughters of a Dead Empire is a harrowing historical thriller and an imaginative retelling of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov story. With the execution of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia in July, 1918, the empire crumbles and Russia is on the edge of civil war, and the poor are devouring the rich thanks to Lenin's Bolshevik Rebellion and the mistrust between the rich and poor. 17-year-old Anna, a bourgeois girl, narrowly escaped the massacre of her entire family in Yekaterinburg. Hidden in her clothes/corset are a fortune in diamonds, emeralds and sapphires.

Desperate to get away from the Bolsheviks, she offers a peasant girl a diamond to take her as far south as possible to meet her cousin, a member of the White Army, not realizing that the girl is a communist herself. With her brother, Kostya, in desperate need of a doctor after losing his leg in the war, 16-year-old Evgenia Koltsova accepts Anna's offer, and suddenly finds herself on the wrong side of the war. Anna is being hunted by the Bolsheviks under her families killer, Commander Yurovsky, and now—regardless of her loyalties—Evgenia is too.

As the girls travel together, Evgenia realizes the girls have more in common than she first thought, and takes her to the safety of her home and family. But Anna's past keeps finding ways to catch up to her and the secrets she thought she could hide are about to explode to the surface. The novel is a heavy, pull-no-punches look at the turmoil of the Russian Civil War and the resulting tragedy and destruction. Chapters alternate between Anna and Evgenia's first-person points of view, providing both Tsarist and Bolshevik perspectives.

People who love historical characters will likely never forget about the slaughter of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, his family, and members of his household, by a group of Bolsheviks under Commander Yurovsky, a Soviet Chekist (secret policeman) in July 1918. One could say that Yurovsky worried that the White Army, former loyalists who were upset that the Bolsheviks pulled Russia out of World War I, would reinstall the Tsar and smother their Communist rebellion which will eventually kill millions of Russians, and others races.

According to historical records, Germany wanted to ensure that the youngest Romanov's were kept safe. The Bolsheviks indicated that the 2 youngest Romanov children had survived the massacre because they somehow escaped beforehand. Until the 1990's, romantics had always though that Anastasia Romanov survived her families slaughter at Ipatiev House because two bodily remains were missing.

Allegedly, there was a curse put upon the royal family by Grigori Rasputin, the peasant confidant, mystic, and advisor to the czar who would be killed 1 1/2 years after his curse. Many Russian people blamed Rasputin for their miseries because of his ill advice to the czar, which included getting their country involved in a bloody world conflict which would kill one million Russians.

There have been at least a dozen, if not more, books written about Anastasia. I will give the author credit for doing her own research, and putting an interesting touch on what may have happened had Anna really did survive that brutal day in July of 1918. Here's the bottom line, whether Anastasia actually lived, or not, her disappearance is one of those mysteries that might remain a mystery until the end of time.

I really enjoyed this read, I think that the dual perspective of Anna and Evgenia added so much texture and humanity to the two warring sides of this story. I will say that I felt like this book bordered on the edge of YA and adult, like maybe it didn't quite fit either age group, with the language and content and historical research making it feel at times like adult historical fiction while the characters clearly have the mindset of teens. Overall, I found this to be a very engaging story and look forward to what other works Carolyn Tara O'Neil creates in the future.

For anyone who grew up obsessed with Anastasia, the history majors, and the historical fiction fans. This alternate/retelling was so engaging from start to finish. I appreciate the effort and research that was put into this regarding the Russian Revolution.

Anna and Evgenia’s alternating POVs were so quick, but it keeps you intensely connected to what’s happening. It’s dark in its retelling of the time period, yet full of hope in their friendship. It’s raw and violent, but the journey of introspection and overcoming bias is beautiful.

Bravo on this debut.

I was hooked from the beginning. The character development was great. I liked how Anna and Evgenia are polar opposites in their views and beliefs, but they still questioned some things and set all of it aside to help the other. Both girls grew in their own way throughout the book. Everything about the environment leapt off the page, from the feeling of tension between soldiers to being surrounded by trees in the woods.

This is one of the best debut novels that I have ever read, and I hope there will be many more from Carolyn Tara O’Neil! I recommend this to anyone that likes historical fiction, retellings, or the Romanov era.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My Anastasia loving heart adored this book. It takes the wonderful myth of Anastasia and transforms it into something as close to historically accurate as possible. It is a wonderful journey of friendship and overcoming your biases.

The ending felt a bit abrupt but I understand why, for the sake of making it feel connected to history, the author did not take it further. I would have loved to see where Anna and Evgenia went next but I think it was best to leave the story on a hopeful note.

Fair warning this book is not a light tale. It is filled with the darkness and violence that plagued Russia during this time period. But there is also so much hope in this book and the story of friendship was beautiful!

Also to all my short chapter fans out there, this book had nice quick, short chapters that alternated between two engaging POVs.

I would recommend it to fans of Code Name Verity and The Girl in the Blue Coat!

I wanted to love this book so much, a retelling of Anastasia Romanov, sign me up. Everything looked like it was lined up for a perfect read that I was going to fall head over heels in love with. Instead, it was a but of a slough to get through. I was distracted by my knowledge of the Bolshevik Revolution and what was happening in the story.

I was very taken with this book. I tend to read most things about the Romanovs, fiction or not. More than anything this novel does a great job of describing the hardships of the civil war between the White and Red Armies and the impact it had on the everyday people. It also showcases what ruthless bastards the Bolsheviks were. Although I didn’t care for Evgenia’s politics, she was one tough girl. My favorite character was Jiri, a fighter and stalwart to the end. The ending is open, which leads to wishful thinking.

I found the perfect Anastasia retelling! And it all began with the Tsar's execution by the Bolsheviks.

While I have not yet finished reading this wonderful historical thriller, I can most definitely say that this is now one of my favorite books.

The concepts of the world are uniquely drawn from history and what could've been if one of the Romanovs lived.

In this case, we follow our beloved Anastasia - Anna for short - as she travels through the dangers of her escape and 'tsarist' beliefs through a world determined to end the monarchy. Yet the death of her family haunts her, and the conditions of survival are not one she is accustomed to - she is alone. That is until a local girl saves her from the hands of death. Now, both are stuck together, unable to part ways.

Along with the Bolshevik believer, named Evgenia, the girls traverse through unknown terrain - enraged at the blood spilled and the deafening sense of fear, they soon learn they can only trust each other. But will they make it out alive? I mean, they're living through the Russian Revolution.

Current thoughts surround these simple words:
x fear
x anticipation/suspense
x omg...
x tears shed
x DAMN IT EVGENIA
x RUN
x DON'T YOU DIE ON ME

can you tell I've become invested?

edit: This story was amazing!! The suspense, the sad realities of what occurred during the Russian Revolution, and the growth of a beautiful friendship have made this one of the best historical fiction I have read!

I thoroughly enjoyed how a friendship may bloom despite fleeting and desperate times. Both girls grew to be strong and brave warriors that I could not help but be proud and amazed at how long of a struggle they went through, yet they prevailed and became sisters.

As a history major, I loved how thorough the research of the Russian Revolution was! It was accurate and it was intricately woven into the storyline, Ms. Tara O'Neil amazingly brought the past and what-ifs together in the most eloquent and heartfelt way. This is a story of the ages, and I will continue to promote it - because this is a tale that is meant to be read by everyone.

The only thing I would really want to be included were a few scenes where Anastasia and her family were together. An epilogue or prologue where we could see the life that she once had and the beautiful family that was lost in a horrible murder. It would have made my history-junkie self so extremely happy and enthralled.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

Honestly, I loved this. First of all, the cover is STUNNING. I also like the retelling of Anastasia and the Romanov dynasty during the Russian Revolution. I think the book handles both sides of the revolution artfully, and it even demonstrates the multiple sides within the Bolsheviks themselves. I also think both characters are developed well, and the story kept me engaged as I continued to read it.

Evgenia was kind of annoying to read, though, but it became acceptable as her views of the Bolshevik and them being morally gray was exposed. Anna was also annoying to read every now and then, but the trauma and PTSD was well done.

I deducted a star because 1) I didn't like the inclusion of the f-bomb in this. It didn't really feel like it fit in the context and the setting and 2) Some of the pacing and plot was a bit off sometimes.

Retellings are my jam I love them so much and this one I could not put down. I die hard loved this story and I could not put it down. The story of Anastasia has been told so many times and I hope it never ends.

I have always been intrigued by the story of Anastasia Romanov, so when I heard about this ya historical fiction I knew I had to read it!

O’Neil expertly blends an epic landscape of a world at war with the immediacy of the individual struggles her two protagonists face. The contrasting viewpoints of Anna and Evgenia do an amazing job of illustrating that neither side of this conflict is without its flaws, without it’s villains.

I was not expecting the depth of emotion I felt while reading. This story takes some dark turns, refusing to gloss over the truly ugly and brutal aspects of war, while highlighting that we, no matter our background, are perhaps more alike than we are different. It is in finding and celebrating those commonalities that we can understand each other and build a world where we are all safe.