I devoured this one! I've always been fascinated by the story of the Romanovs and of course, the mystery of Anastasia. This book mixed that mystery with one of my favorite things-magic. I read this almost in one sitting, falling asleep with it in my hands and finishing it when I woke up the next morning. The story was fast paced and kept me turning the pages with a feeling of tension as I anticipated the tragedy that I was still hoping wouldn't happen. It was absolutely beautiful and I loved the story and the way that the Romanovs were brought to life on the page! I can't wait to own the final copy.

Disclaimer: I was provided an e-arc of this from Netgalley but all opinions are my own.

*** Disclaimer: I received a free early access copy of Romanov by Nadine Brandes from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for review purposes. Thank you so much for opportunity.

I was so excited about Fawkes that you should've seen my face when I learned Romanov was going to exist! The Romanovs were such an interesting family and all of the mysterious circumstances that surrounded their true disappearance. The speculation of Anastasia living, the rise of Leninism ,and just the general misfortune upon them is so interesting and heartbreaking.

One thing about this book I really love is how Nadine explains the contents of the book. She tells of her research, what is real/based off of real people and what has been added to make the story. So many of the element incorporated were actual things and people, even if the truth was stretched.

Russian history is one of those subjects that is fascinating to me because of how a majority of the world currently views the country and because their history is so rich. The Romanovs may not have been the perfect ruling family, but much of it was definitely just unfortunate timing as the ruling family in power that played a part in their demise.

I love how the story beings with a general telling of events. It's slower paced, but it helps build up to the rest of the book. For those who don't know a lot about the Romanov family or their exile it helps give a background for what happened. The Bolsheviks that came in contact with them did come to love the family. They were not maniacal or power hungry. I enjoyed how that was a constant theme.

For the magical elements I think Brandes did a wonderful job because she wove Russian history into it seamlessly. With movies like Anastasia in 1997, it's always been sort of romanticized as such. I think that's what helps make this story believable and not far-fetched. 

Nastya is a very well written and developed character. She has feelings that ever girl goes through. She's loyal to her family and friends to nearly a fault. She struggles with responsibility and worries about being the person she's supposed to. I enjoyed her weak moments with the romance plot because emotions can really hinder life in the present. It's not always in a bad way, but as an adolescent it's especially tough.

I love Nastya's relationship with Nikolai. She will do anything for her brother, which I can personally connect with. He is also a character I enjoy in the book because he doesn't let his sickness get his spirits down. In fact, he's the one with the witty one-liners and much of the banter's comic relief. He's also shown to be a strong part of his sister's conscience.

I did enjoy that the villain was a villain through and through. There was no horrible backstory to be able to sympathize with him or make him morally grey. I find that nowadays villains can be more ambiguous, which isn't a bad thing, but it's nice to be able to have that clear line of good and evil now and again.

The ending was definitely something I was happy with. I think people who read it will enjoy it as well.

I gave this book 5 stars.

This book was everything I needed and then some. With a Life/Reading Slump that’s going on 3 years now, it’s difficult to find books I truly enjoy. Even when I DO find books I enjoy, I still struggle to find the time and energy to read them. Typically, it takes me 3-4 weeks to read one book now, whereas I used to read a book every 3-7 days before The Slump. But Romanov? I couldn’t put Romanov down. I read it in less than a week, and I adored every single second of it.

The first half of the book is basically straight-up historical fiction, with a small bit a magic thrown in. I love history and I love the mystery surrounding the execution of the Romanov Family, and whether or not Anastasia escaped. But I really didn’t know much about the Romanov family otherwise, and nothing about Anastasia beyond what we “learned” in the animated movie. So reading about the family’s final months/days in exile was intriguing and educational, but since it was done in a fictional way, it didn’t feel dry or like I was being lectured at. In fact, it’s made me want to read more about this time period!

The second half of the book was where the majority of the magic came into play. It was also where the author divulged from history, and gave us her fictional take on what happened after the Romanov family was executed. This was just as intriguing as the first half of the book – if not more intriguing.

As much as I love the story of Anastasia and LOVED the movie, I haven’t actually read any other Anastasia retellings. I have a bunch on my TBR, and I asked Twitter for recommendations, but I haven’t actually read any. I came to this shocking realization as I was reading, and made this comment: “I really like Nastya – she’s my favorite Anastasia since the Disney one.” – So.. First of all, someone corrected me and told me that the 1997 animated movie wasn’t actually a Disney movie. I don’t care – Anastasia will always rank as a Disney Princess in my eyes. Second of all, I guess that makes Nastya my second favorite incarnation of Anastasia, since this is only the second retelling I’ve read/watched, bahaha. But that aside, I really did love her character – her strength, resilience, and ability to grow from tragedy and forgive the “enemy.”

Zash probably has the biggest character development/growth of anyone in the book – even beyond Nastya. I really don’t want to spoil it so I can’t go into details too much, but I really liked the way his story went.

So, yeah.. I don’t even know what else to say. Except that this book was everything I needed, and is definitely one of my favorites of 2019. I HIGHLY recommend it!

I was really excited about this one because I'm an Anastasia nerd, but it was a little lackluster to me. I owe a lot of that, though, to being more familiar with the actual history probably than the average reader of this.

While I do feel it would definitely be entertaining to some, I was just a little underwhelmed by it overall. The magic aspect was an interesting route to take, but it was hard to fit it in to the actual facts at times. And I felt like there were lots of clichés about the family that were over-used. It seems like if you're going to take such a large leap, you may as well flesh out the characters in more of your own style.

A wonderful read full of magic, wonder, heartbreak, family, and love. The story starts a little slow, but picks up and the prose is beautifully written.

Real mixed feelings about Romanov. I really wanted to love it and it was one of my most anticipated books of the year!

A retelling of the story of Grand Duchess Anastasia, and according to the synopsis magic and forbidden love; that was supposed to be exactly my jam.
But I didn’t like it as much as I wished and honestly I even struggled to get through it.

60% of the book is about captivity: conditions as a prisoner, loyalty, family...the thing is I didn’t feel any connection to the characters! Even to Anastasia. Don’t get me wrong I didn’t hate her or anything but that’s the thing: I didn’t feel anything at all.
We don’t really know where the story is going, there’s no quest, the characters don’t really have a goal (they have to survive and endure harsh conditions yes, but it’s a day to day report of how they lived and not really a story then).

The "love" story –or sort of because I wished it could have been only friendship, maybe it is... anyway,I love romance and slow burns and forbidden love in books but I couldn’t care less! Honestly there was no point in bringing a love interest in the story! It just didn’t work for me at all, I didn’t see any spark, not really or even special attachment. It was unnecessary as it is barely tackled and doesn’t bring anything special to the story; a strong friendship would have been better (but as I said it often felt like one so maybe it was but so many interactions and thoughts were misleading: she uses the word friendship but also hints at more so it was confusing and not stirring)

I loved Alexei and the connection he has with his sister though! Far more important imo! That duo was awesome!
Alexei is fun too, probably the only one.

As the story goes, like I said, I was a bit bored. However, the tragic event in the middle of the book is heartbreaking and so well written; it’s horrible but still it was the best part of the book; and just for that I didn’t DNF it. That was the moment where at last I felt emotions.

Magic:
Finally, in this book the Bolsheviks are trying to erase magic and hunt spell masters. That part was SO underdeveloped; it was a great idea but there’s so little of it that I started to wonder if it was even worth being added! Just after the pivotal scene that I was talking about earlier, Magic plays an important role (and again I loved that part) but other than that it was always the same spell over and over again... I understand that the author probably wanted to stay close to the true events but at the same time the story dragged along.

So as a whole it’s a 2.5 stars review.

Nadine Brandes’ newest Historical fantasy, Romanov does not dissapoint! You can tell that her writing has evolved since Fawkes, making for an even more captivating book in Romanov! Following the former princess, Anastasia and her Romanov family in exile, the book both fascinated and captivates your imagination!

I really loved Anastasia (Nastya) as a character. I found her much more loveable than Thomas Fawkes. She was strong willed and definitely less of a complainer. Her internal struggles seemed much more understandable.

I understand that it’s not historically pinpoint accurate, but if you want a history book, go read an actual history book. This is fiction for a reason. The stories won’t completely overlap.

Overall the book was enchanting and I love the intermingling of actual history with magical fantasy. Definitely a must read for me! 4.5*.

I received a copy of Romanov from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel was such a surprise. What I loved most about it was the way that the author clearly took time and care to make sure that she added on to the true history and events of the Romanov story, rather than change everything. The story was a slow build towards a really satisfying conclusion. It starts during their time in confinement, so we don't get to know what the family was like before the revolution. I think this works well though because you're able to see how well the family handles captivity and their captors. The characters felt fully developed and each had their own unique quirks and personalities. It's hard to talk about the novel in any great detail because I'm so afraid I'm going to give something away! I've always been fascinated with the Romanov family and this novel was so satisfying and provided a great fantasy for what could have happened to the family (especially since there was so much mystery surrounding the family itself and their execution).

An innovative book meshing fact and fiction. The lives of the Romanov family has always been an intriguing part of history. Their execution was a horrific ending to lives that were lived by their beliefs. Forgiveness of wrongs done against them, and love of family and enemies alike.
The characters are strong, believable, and charismatic. The storyline is exceptional. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves anything about the Romanov's and a bit of fantasy. This book is a for the ages!

I was thrilled to be able to read an advanced copy of Romanov by Nadine Brandes. The moment I heard about it a magical retelling of Anastasia's story, I was hooked and pre-ordered a copy for myself. For the advanced reading, though I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is incredibly lovely. The first half of the book with Anastasia (Nastya) and her family coming together during hardship and finding warmth, humor, and love wherever they could, gave me strong Little Women vibes. I was really touched by the bond they shared.

I actually hadn't realized just how much of this story would be focused on the true history of the Romanov family, and as historical novels aren't usually my favorite, I might not have picked up the book if I'd known...but I'm so glad I read it. The characters were richly developed and I felt so attached to each of them. Plus Nadine's writing was so gripping I couldn't put the book down. In fact, I binge-read this one faster than anything else I've picked up this year.

This book definitely gave me ALL THE FEELS and surprised me time and again, even when I thought I knew what was going to happen. I was riveted by the magical element and the fact that it was connected to music, in a way that made me nostalgic for the old Anastasia movie where the music box was so important.

Extra tidbits:
Hogwarts House I'd put the main character in: A mix of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

I'd recommend it for fans of: Sky In The Deep, To Best The Boys, Diary of Anne Frank, and Little Women.

Also, this book doesn’t delve into any romantic situations beyond kissing. While there is obviously violence and death, it's not described in a graphic manner, and there's no strong language, so in my opinion it would be fine for younger YA readers who aren’t ready for more mature YA content.


(I will post this review on IG as well, with an original image on April 27th, and in my IG story today)

I found this repetitive for the first 60% since it only recounted the Romanov’s lives while kept in exile in a five room house. During that 60% we get to know the family and some of the Bolshevik guards in charge of them. I lost interest with the repetitiveness of their days in exile and wondered how it contributed to the plot filled with spells and magic. Zash’s character left me even more perplexed, especially his and Nastya’s relationship which should not have been included. It was instant love with few interactions and words and then Zash is part of the firing squad to assassinate the family. He is the last person Anastasia looks at before he points a gun at her and fires. I don’t care that he looked away while he did it, begged for forgiveness, and said he had no choice. He did. He could have shot above Anastasia’s shoulder, her head or her arm. In regards to that betrayal, Nastya ends up forgiving him and they end up together. She forgives the person who shot her. Who killed her. Who took part in her family’s assassination. What is wrong with her?! Sure, she struggles with forgiveness, but Zash did not deserve it. He should have parted ways after helping Nastya and Alexei. I’m not a person to forgive or forget so maybe this is just me being frustrated over Nastya’s and Zash’s choices due to a personal experience. But it wasn’t like he betrayed her by sharing one of her secrets. He killed her and took part in annihilating her family. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t call for forgiveness from me.

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

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

Romanov by Nadine Brandes is an alternate history version of the execution of the Romanov family, the last royal family of Russia with magic.
Here’s the summary from Goodreads:
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 survival are to either release the spell, and deal with the consequences, or enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya’s never dabbled in magic before, but it doesn’t frighten her 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.
So here are my thoughts! I gave Romanov a 4.5/5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. To be completely honest, I have been fascinated with the Romanovs and the last Tsar of Russia, and specifically Anastasia. I think this dates back to be reading the Royal Diaries book on Anastasia and then other historical fiction books about her including one called My Anastasia, and it has always struck me as heartbreaking what happened to that family. I know that it is probably a romanticized sentiment, but I can’t help the way I feel. I will always love to read about this family and I will always be heartbroken by it, and you will always catch me reading retellings of this story or alternate takes. This hit all of those notes. It’s a retelling of what happened, and is clearly based on the real history of the event, and it gave a bit of an alternative take with the magic system that it included.
I loved the main characters in this book. Anastasia was wonderfully well developed and I empathised with her as she had to make her major decisions and circumnavigate the problems that developed. I also just enjoyed her as a character. She felt real, and like someone I might encounter in my everyday life. She felt also like the historical figure that she is. Perhaps that’s a weird point to make, but it is how I felt. I was also really intrigued by Zash. I wanted to know what he was up to and what his deal was. He was very engaging. The main villain, Yurovsky, was also quite interesting. I’m the kind of reader who has a gut reaction of dislike towards villains, and that was immediately here for him. However, he’s one of the scarier type of villain because again he seems like the type of person you could encounter in real life. I would never want to meet a Yurovsky in real life, so nicely done on the characterization there. Outside of those main three characters, there was a variety of side characters. Some of them were more well developed than others, but I was a little sad that Anastasia’s sisters didn’t play a bigger role in the story aside from Maria. Alexei was a big part, and his characterization was also quite intriguing to me. The characters that we did get a decent look at were always really well done.
Storywise, I felt that the book had a rather slow start. It felt like it took a really long time to get into the actual story, or more specifically the exciting part of the book. The blurb on Goodreads led me to believe that the firing squad/execution scene would be happening a lot sooner into the story than it actually did. It didn’t actually happen til about 50% of the way through the book, and there was a part of me that felt that the book was dragging its feet to get to the exciting part. Once it got to that firing squad scene, the book got a lot more fast paced and I blew through the end of the story because I just needed to know how it all played out. Additionally, I should clarify that when I say it was slow to start, I didn’t necessarily mind all that much. That slow start allowed time to develop Anastasia, the other characters, and the romance. I liked the way that Brandes wrote the novel and the writing was engaging enough to keep me going. Also when you know what happens to the Romanovs (the firing squad) and you know that scene is coming, it’s enough to keep most people reading.
Something that was kind of iffy for me was the romance that was featured in this book. Both of the newly developed ones (ie not Alexandra and Nicholas) were between a prisoner and guard, and that’s something that’s always made me a little bit uncomfortable. It’s an unequal power balance that makes me uncomfortable. However, because of the way the Romanovs interacted with their initial guards made it slightly better. Nicholas and his children were very good at arousing sympathies from their guards which made things a little bit better. That being said, I still couldn’t really get behind things with Anastasia and Zash until things equalled out between them.
I really loved the ending of the book. I’m not going to get into detail or go into specifics, but it made me really happy and I felt like it was perfect. It was just the kind of ending I wanted.
I also liked the added historical notes at the end so you can see where Brandes stuck to history and where she fidgeted and fudged it. I liked that even though she had a magical take on the story, she still incorporated a lot of historical details into the story. Initially though, I had the impression that she was being a bit of a Rasputin apologist and making him out to better than he was, because let’s be real, Rasputin was sketchy as fuck, but in the end it turned out he was still just as sketchy as in real life, and I appreciated that she stuck to that.
Anywho, on the whole I really quite enjoyed this book. It was fun and adventurous and had great characters. It comes out on May 7th, so when it hits the shelves you should get yourself a copy. It is a totally awesome story. Thanks again to the publishers and Netgalley for this opportunity.

This was the best Anastasia retelling I have picked up. The world felt right and infused with just the right touch of magic. I loved the message and the family dynamics. I highly recommend this book.

I’ve loved Anastasia ever since the cartoon movie came out when I was a little girl (it’s sooooo good), so I was immediately in when I saw this book on Netgalley! I also read a massive nonfiction book about the Romanov’s before my trip to Russia a few years ago, so I knew some of the real history behind the story before going in.

Reading this book was sort of like having a little bit of both of those stories at the same time! The first half was very much set in reality and delved into the exile of the family, while the later half dove into a new magical take on their story.

I loved how the classic Russian doll and it’s creator were woven into the tale, and though I didn’t completely understand how the magic worked, I really enjoyed reading about it! The first part is a slow build, and the last 40% is a rush of action! My favorite scene was how the assassination was handled—I had no idea what the author was planning, and the twist the story took surprised me in the best way!

Nadine Brandes Romanov is a historical fantasy novel set during the early 20th century (1918) when Lenin's communist revolutionaries ended the Romanov dynasty in a bloody coup that is still being talked about in most history books. I encourage people to read this book up to the point where history and the author's own story diverge. The history of the Romanov's end and what evil was done to them by Lenin's revolutionaries, and his Red Army, was absolutely brutal and unnecessary.

As a admitted history nerd, I appreciated the fact that the author didn't try to cover up the horrors that happened to the family or those who failed to join the revolution. Anyone who thinks Communism is amazing, really needs to read actual history, and not history distorted by others who have an agenda. Lenin killed people as though they were throwaway garbage instead of human beings. Was Nicolas Romanov a saint? No, and Russian historians have gone as far as to blame him a whole bunch of things whether it be true or not.

There have been a variety of stories about Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov and whether or not she actually survived the July 17, 1918 massacre that happened to her entire family and those who were allowed to remain with the family. Anastasia was the youngest daughter (16) of Tsar Nicolas II, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, who had connection to Queen Victoria of England. She had three older sisters, Tatiana, Olga, Maria, as well as one brother Alexei who really did have hemophilia.

In this story, Nastya is portrayed as a girl who is a bit on the mischievous side, but not overly rebellious towards her father or her siblings. She questions her mother's relationship with Rasputin who is said to have been trying to help cure Alexei's hemophilia. In fact, the Russian people were said to be very angry with the Empress for her secretive nature and perhaps a bit on the cold side as well. As the family is moved from one place to another, Nastya is given responsibility of a magical matryoshka doll which might be the families only salvation from those who want to see them dead.

Nastya's relationship with her father was adorable and heart breaking. Her relationship with her sister Maria was also emotional. Yet, it was Nastya's connection to a Bolshevik Soldier named Zash, who first comes into the picture in Tobolsk and then continues on to the fateful night when Nastya and her family are executed, that opens the story up. Zash is a character who starts out as a hard, solid, defensive and dutiful soldier that you think you’re going to hate until you don’t, then surprises you when you really think there is no hope.

Zash is a fictitious character that the author uses as a way to tell her story. However, there are fair number of real historical characters who triggered the events leading to the killing of the Romanov's. As background for the story, the author uses persistent rumors that Nastya and her brother Alexei somehow escaped the brutality of what happened to their family. The fact that in real life, their bodies weren't found until the USSR came to an end, fuels even more speculation.

At the heart of Romanov is a story about loyalty, seeing beyond who is the enemy, while giving people second chances. It is said that even some Bolshevik soldiers fell in love with the Romanov family, thus causing changing of the guard many times until there was no more room for hope for the family. Even though this book is a "retelling" that leans towards the historical fantasy genre, I still give the author plenty of props for doing her research on the Romanov family and the tragedy that fell on them.

I loved this book! I loved it so much that I read it in one day.

It’s true that some of the book was “romanticized” and not based on fact but that’s what you expect from a fantasy book. I’ve been fascinated by the Romanovs ever since I was a little girl. I’ve always heard the rumors to what happened to Anastasia and Alexei but it wasn’t until I was 10 when I read my first book based on them. So when I seen this book I knew I needed to read it! I know there are some inaccuracies in this book but to me it made it more unique to the authors writing. I don’t flaw her for those mistakes. It’s a really great book and I hope she’ll write another one to follow Alexei and Anastasia’s journey. I know that would be 100% fiction but it’s exciting to see what kind of life they will lead.

The characters were so much alive in this book. I felt their love and hope. Shame and despair. I cried and I laughed. I’m already missing them and it’s only been a couple days since I finished.

The rich history and descriptive background made you feel like you were there with them. I could close my eyes and smell the stench of their enclosed space. I could see them and the swing in the backyard. Joy running around with her big floppy ears and licking everyone in site. I could see the bad parts. The ones that made me cry. Everything. I still can see them. When a book has me that entranced I know it will leave a permanent mark on my soul and Romanov has done that.

Bravo Nadine Brandes! Bravo! You have made me fall in love with the Romanovs all over again and gave the proper ending that Anastasia and Alexei deserved! I can’t wait to read more from you!

When Romanov begins, the royal family of Russia is in exile. The tsar has abdicated his throne, and the family is getting ready to be moved from Tobolsk to a new, as yet unknown location - one where the soldiers guarding them will be Bolsheviks, who are not loyal to the Tsar like the family's previous soldiers. The family is moved one half at a time, and before the Tsar leaves Anastasia (whose point of view the story is told from), he leaves her only one goal, one mission - to protect at all costs an item containing the spells that could potentially be the family's only chance for salvation from those who would wish them dead.

I have to admit, I kind of had mixed feelings about this book. I absolutely love historical fiction, and I'm very interested in stories that take place in Russia, especially when they involve magic and a little romance as well.
There were some things I really liked, such as the obvious love between the siblings, the budding romance between Nastya and Zash, the places where reality hits about what would've happened to Bolshevik soldiers whose loyalties might switch to be with the Romanovs. However, I think the pacing in the first half especially was kind of slow compared to how quickly things progress following the family's execution, and also some things just didn't seem like they were as well fleshed-out as they could've been. Overall though this was a pretty good read!

3.5 stars

I was immediately drawn to this book because I’ve always been fascinated with the Romanov dynasty (we can all blame the animated movie for this, I still have dreams about Dimitri you guys) and also the mystery that for a lot of years surrounded the fate of Anastasia and Alexei.

I liked how this book talked about the Romanov family and you can clearly see that the author did a lot of research about this topic.
Anastasia was a great character. I deeply felt for her and all she had to go through. She was such a strong-willed woman and I loved how she put her heart into everything she did. It was also very nice to see her look up to her father so much and treasure the values he taught her and her siblings. Her relationship with Zash was an interesting plot point but I don’t know if I was happy with it, it definitely left me thinking. As the author says at the end of the book Zash easily represents what some people might have gone through, not all Bolshevik soldiers were okay with the actions of the Red Army and I was glad to have the opportunity to read from this perspective. No matter the good that Zash obviously did, I cannot forget the bad. Even though he did it for Anastasia it’s still a hard pill to swallow. I cannot but admire the strength Anastasia showed by deciding to forgive him.
The magical element was very interesting but I didn’t like the spell that was used two times and that gave them the chance to live. It was okay the first time around because we needed it to keep the plot going but the second time it was a bit lazy to use it again just to save everyone’s life.

Overall it was a nice reading and I definitely recommend it if you’re interested in Russian history and want a historical fiction with magical elements in it.

So I'm sad to say this was my first ever almost DNF. I got about 20% into the book and realized it just was not for me so I skimmed the rest of it. I might take a break and come back to actually read the rest of it, but for right now I'm content with my skimming.

What I didn't like:
- No Glossary. Please include a glossary in the finished copy of the book. Having to stop every couple minutes to go online and translate all the russian words used was a tad annoying and made it really hard to get into it.

- Textbook language. I read another review before requesting this title that stated that the novel read like a textbook and I couldn't have agreed more. It was a bit dry and Nastya's voice got lost in it I felt like. I actually liked her as a character so I was sad to bored by her.

- The confusing beginning. I know absolutely nothing about the romanov family or why the tsar abdicated his throne. I only even know he abdicated because I had to go look it up. It would have been nice if the novel have opened up with that versus leaving me confused on what exactly was happening to the family and why they were in guarded hiding? There was also supposed to be a revolution happening and I just didn't see anything that suggested it was.

-It felt like two stories smooshed together into one. The first half was textbook like with the second half more of this magical realism feel that I wish had been present the whole time.

I was disappointed in this since I was hoping it would be more of a Phillipa Gregory type of novel with some magic thrown in and this was not that. It was slow paced and rather boring to read. I feel like it maybe wasn't my cup of tea but sincerely hope that others like it better than I did.

I received a Netgalley ARC of Romanov by Nadine Brandes in exchange for an honest review. Interweaving historical fact with pure fantasy, Anastasia Romanov narrates the tale that has mystified historians for years, leading the reader through a first-person explanation of her family’s exile and eventual execution, along with what came after. While I was truly invested in the characters and very interested in learn about this hotly-debated portion of history, I unfortunately felt that this book fell short in a number of ways.

The first part that troubled me was how reliable I could trust our narrator to be. I would have preferred that this story start much earlier, giving readers a glimpse of the Romanov family before their fall. Since the majority of my knowledge of this period of Russian history comes from an amalgam of the cartoon movie Anastasia and my study of Orwell’s Animal Farm, I didn’t know whether to believe the Romanov or Bolshevik version of the story. Without more background, I couldn’t tell if Anastasia was a reliable judge of her father’s character or if his gentleness was something she saw when others knew him to be a wasteful ruler. Also, to be honest, I feel like Rasputin is one of the more interesting figures in the Romanov legend, so it was a bit of a letdown not to meet him at all.

Secondly (and this was probably completely my fault), I got totally confused about whether I was reading historical fiction or fantasy. The first half of the novel feels so historically accurate, so full of well-researched details and information, that I was confused by the spells. Were the spells that Anastasia used for Alexei just a part of her imagination, or was this a part of Brandes’ world-building? Again, based on the lack of clarity over whether I was dealing with a reliable narrator or not, I wasn’t sure that I could believe Anastasia even if SHE thought the spells were real, and it wasn’t until the anjin spell during the Romanov assassination that it became clear that I was in a magical realism/historical fiction mashup. Once I had my legs under me with this point, though, I could enjoy the departures from reality, but I wish that clarification had been made sooner.

The part that I really struggled with, though, was the boredom factor. I understand that the author was trying to let the readers feel the monotony of the Romanovs’ time at Ipatiev House, but I have to admit that I struggled to force myself to pick up the book when I felt sure that I would have to undergo another 20 pages of the characters staring at the whitewashed windows or yearning for extra time in the garden. That same feeling crept in during the long jaunt through the forest with Alexei, Nastya, and Zash; I wanted to see these characters through to safety, but it just felt so monotonous getting there. Shortening these sections in favor of providing more background before the exile may have made this book feel faster paced.

In the end, while I rooted for Anastasia and appreciated Brandes’ attempt at this interesting turn in history, I couldn’t completely buy in to the story and thus didn’t enjoy the read. I foresee this being a tough sell to YA readers in my library.