Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of the novel. I enjoyed this historical fiction with a twist of some magic. This was about the famous Russian Romanov family and their time surrounding the exile. The characters were well developed and the plot kept me guessing.

I was ultimately bored with this one. I was tentatively excited to be approved for an ARC because I'm fascinated with Imperialist Russian history, so I already have that background knowledge. I don't know how widespread people's knowledge of the Romanovs are, but I tend to assume it's pretty well known. For this reason, I feel like Brandes did this novel a disservice by not starting the story earlier in the events leading up to their execution. There was so much time spent in exile, waiting for something to happen, when things finally got going and began to deviate from what happened in real life, the build up wasn't there for me. What I would have liked to see is how the family was before their exile. There was a lot of talk about how they were good to their people, and everyone loved them, but with how extreme the Bolsheviks were outside the annex, I had trouble believing it. I wanted to know how the people truly felt about them, and what they were doing beyond their extravagant balls. I didn't quite have a reason to be on the Romanov family's side, besides the fact that horrific things were happening to them. I needed them to have some sort of big revelation where they realize maybe they have been ignorant in their royal ways and just couldn't reach the people of Russia the way they wanted. Something like that.

I could definitely tell Brandes had a strong connection with the subject matter and wanted to treat it with a loving hand, which I think she did succeed in. I just think she never quite went beyond surface level with it.

I have been fascinated with the last Romanov family since I was a little girl. I loved the 1998 movie, Anastasia, and I also had a small book that was photos of the family throughout their lives. One of the girls’ bodies (presumably Anastasia’s) and Alexei’s were still unaccounted for when I was a child, so I always imagined that these stories contained a bit of truth - that some of the family managed to escape. As an adult, I love Helen Rappaport’s nonfiction accounts of the family. So it goes without saying that I was so excited to read this book!
The story itself mostly stays true to life in the beginning, with one strand of fantasy - there are spell-masters and spells which can be used in a variety of ways, the most pressing one is to help keep Alexei’s hemophilia under control. The Romanov family are captives of the Bolsheviks, struggling to adapt to a lifestyle very different than what they were used to. Anastasia is interested in one day becoming a spell master, and when she has access to spell ink, uses it to help Alexei, while biding her time to use a magic Matryoshka doll that she’s hoping will ultimately save her family.
Part historical fiction, part magical realism, this is a captivating, well written novel that keeps you hoping for a much happier ending than the Romanov family actually received.

I really wanted to like this book, but I think it's more on the "young" rather than the "adult" side of Young Adult literature. <i>Romanov</i> is a magical realism historical fiction young adult novel that reimages the last days of the Romanov family. My main criticism of the novel is that there's not enough background information about the magical element. Some people in Russia have magic, and some do not. This makes it hard to buy into the plot and to understand the motivations of the characters on both side of the revolution. I know this is a stand alone novel for Brandes who has written series before, and I think that might explain why the book feels both abrupt and underdeveloped.

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

If I could give half stars, I'd give this book 3.5 stars. Now, I don't want you to think that means I didn't enjoy this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was privileged to have received a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. However, I will say that I did not enjoy this book as much as Fawkes. There were times when I had a hard time following the story line and it felt very disjointed. There were other times that I laughed or felt extreme sadness for the characters. I fell in love with certain characters (*cough* Zash and Ivan and Alexei, yes, I'm looking at you *cough*). But then I had a very difficult time relating to Nastya. There were times when I was totally in tune with her character and on board with her actions, but then there were other times that I couldn't seem to grasp her mischievousness and how she thought her actions could be a good idea.
The magical world of this book was definitely fascinating! I loved the idea of spell ink and thought Nadine did an excellent job weaving magic into the story! Again, it just felt a little lacking. I fully expected Nastya to grow in her knowledge of spell ink throughout the book and grow stronger, yet by the end of the book, she knew hardly anything more than when the book had started. Since I found spell ink so fascinating, I just really wish that it Nastya had grown in her knowledge of the magic so that I, as the reader, could grow in my knowledge too.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story--I just wish that it delved a bit deeper into certain aspects.

Romanov, was everything I wanted it to be and then some. Just the right amounts of history, fantasy and romance to keep you wanting more.

This is my second time to indulge reading in any historical fiction books and it’s all from Nadine Brandes. This time, this book didn’t get me much emotion and I feel pretty bored at first. One of the reasons is that maybe because I don’t know ROMANOVS in real history and didn’t have much that background about it. I fast read the few chapters because I felt like it’s just repeating itself and I understand it should be happening on their situation but I didn’t much pay attention to it. Then, it changes everything when the MAGIC happens in the story. I was so focused in every details on what’s happening. This give me the hype back to finish the book! I fell in love with it on the last chapters where the action takes place, and the magic just happened in a snap of the finger then I got really excited what’s going to be at the end. The ending is 100% worth it and I seriously want to know more about the family blood line.
I feel like there is something in the story that I usually didn’t get it or something I am missing on it. I can’t get myself to be with the characters in their journey or even to the whole story itself. Their troubles are depressing especially on what happened to Romanov family and to other people that is involve in the story. I don’t think they didn’t deserved that kind of exile. As I said, I really don’t know the Russian history and the Romanov blood line in real life.

In my opinion this is very much a YA book and I would highly recommend it as such to my students. The story is full of adventure and magic, with a breathtaking twist in the middle of the story. The characters are interesting and well described. The author explains at the end how much of the story is real and what isn’t, as a historian I feel there are some holes in her information but they don’t detract from the sumptuousness of the story and I very much enjoyed this book.

Ever since reading The Secret Wife by Gill Paul, I have been interested in the Romanovs. I requested this book because of the subject area. It was a unique take on the Romanovs that I had not read before. It included magic into the tale but not unbelievable magic. It was magic based on the tales of Rasputin and it worked well within the story. I enjoyed how at the end of the story, Brandes lays out what is truth and what is fiction in the story. Yes, this is a work of fiction but it is based on fact. It was a new and exciting take on the story of Anastasia and the Romanovs that people of all ages would enjoy.

I loved this story. When it ended, I wanted it to continue and to be real. Even if it was dark, it has some lights that made me daydream. So, I admit I was lost because magic took an important turn in the story but I loved reading the adventures of the group.
I loved the characters and I loved the values they carry.

I can see this book appealing to a wide audience and as I librarian I would strongly recommend it to the YA crowd. I found the magic element a bit confusing but I did enjoy the surprise turn of things in the middle of the story. I think I said, "WHAT" out loud when I was reading this!

I so enjoy Russian history and have read a lot about the last Tzar but never anything so personal about when the family as a whole were kept prisoners and It's about what they had to live through just to try and stay alive until the Bolsheviks decided what they were going to do with them never knowing when or how or even if they were to be killed!! A state.of limbo! Waiting,waiting for the White Army to come rescue them someone come rescue them the family didn't care! Well written emotions for true jumped off the pages for you to feel. As the story went on have you great background information if you didn't know anything about Russian history. You will enjoy!!! I am almost finished but wanted to do my review!!😋😋😋

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


First Thoughts and Reactions: THANKS NADINE FOR RIPPING MY HEART OUT!
Just when you thought Nadine couldn’t write anything better.... Romanov appears.

Loves:

Nastya and Maria’s friendship was so heartwarming. Maria was a little hard to get to know in the beginning, but it didn’t take long to fall in love with her character. Maria and Ivan’s relationship was the most precious and sweet thing in the world, and its end was the most heart wrenching thing in the world. Nastya’s father was one of the strongest characters I’ve read about in a long time. The setting was detailed, thorough, and compelling. Brandes nailed the little descriptions, scenes, and what seemed to be insignificant details so perfectly that together, they shaped a bigger and beautiful story.

Dislikes:

All the Russian names, though they added significant setting detail to the story, made it harder to keep track of those specific characters. The layout of the Ipatiev House felt difficult at times to picture. In the beginning of the story, I couldn’t figure out how old Alexei was; I first pictured him as a teenager, so then I was thrown off when he started playing with toy soldiers.

A few confusions: Nastya throwing the message out the window felt very counterintuitive and unrealistic; she says, “I couldn’t allow myself to think of the repercussions. Not with something as important as the lives of my family at stake”—but if they catch her throwing the stone, won’t they most definitely kill her family? Her thought process was such a heroic one, yet it confused me; the action risked her family more than anything else so far, yet her family was the very thing she was risking everything trying to protect. Additionally: the scene where Nastya retrieves the doll from Yurcsky’s satchel was difficult to picture and understand.

Analyzation:

The arc of the story was phenomenal. Every scene was significant in its own way, building an intricate tale of family, strength, faith, and never giving up. Brandes gently paints a beautiful picture of Christlike love in the hardest of circumstances, all while ripping your heart out and stomping on it. Nastya is a Brandes character through and through—mischievous, smart, and impulsive, but deeply caring and sensitive underneath—so of course I loved her. Her family was sometimes hard to keep track of, mostly because Olga and Tatiana really never got any development, but other than that, the characters were fairly easy to keep straight.

The emotion of the story was powerful and well-shaped, but lacked a little in fleshing out and follow through. Nastya reached her conclusions and revelations fairly quickly, without much time to really chew on different concepts, and while it didn’t feel cheesy, it did feel rushed and underdeveloped at times. For example, her attraction to Zash. While plotted carefully, it lacked the emotional component in the beginning, leaving me as the reader feeling like her attraction popped out of nowhere—even though Nastya claimed to have always liked him. However, considering this was an advance read, and looking at Brandes’ other books, I fully expect that all the emotion will be fleshed out much more fully in the finished product. And in the end, I was one hundred percent rooting for Nastya and Zash.

THE ENDING ACTUALLY KILLED ME. Again, Nastya’s emotions were not completely full and deep, but I actually found the story perfectly paced nonetheless; a harder, more complex emotional storyline at this moment in the plot would have distracted from the point of the story, which was tactfully and heartbreakingly delivered with passion and punch.

Overall:

Brandes definitely knows how to make her characters and readers suffer. I was locked in these pages from the moment I began reading. It was a fulfilling, thought-provoking, captivating read full of lovable characters and a lot of heartbreak. I can’t wait to read the finished version!

Rating:

4.5 / 5.0 stars

Note: some of this may seem like a spoiler, but Brandes does a wonderful job of intertwining history WITH the magical pieces. Anything I bring up historically, really did happen and shouldn’t be a surprise at all.

I think [know] I let myself get too hyped about this and was a little disappointed overall. It was still a good standalone that had the historic story as the basis with magic woven in so well that I was intrigued from the start! Some kinks left me wanting more.

I read this digitally, so let’s see…it took til 54% through the book to FINALLY GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. I know we’re in exile, but I was dying to see something else in my mind. There wasn’t a lot of world building. I felt that I was expected to know what Russia and these other places looked like already so I missed out on the detailing of it all.

What I found really interesting was how Brandes gave the Romanov’s such humanity. History dictates that this 300+ year old royal line was all kinds of crazy cruel (and that’s putting it lightly). Now, I only know so much, this last group with Nicholas II as tsar could have been a more decent family than I’m aware of. It made me stop and think that all in all, this was a family. And this family was brutally murdered without trial.

This gave the whole family a lot more depth as “characters”. They prayed together, were sincere to their captors, and were only wanting to be released somewhere together. Anastasia was fiercely loyal and protective of her brood. There was a huge emphasis on forgiveness from her character. This ideal repeatedly comes up as she struggles (rightly so) accepting her new fate.

My biggest loss was the magic system. I have no idea how it works. Very little was ever explained. There’s spell masters, spell ink, some can use it, some can’t, how is it made, can anyone be a spell master, how does this spell work, SOMEONE HELP ME. I am so confused. Since this was the fantasy portion of the book I was looking for a more detailed story-line of why magic was the target of the Red Army in the first place.

I am frazzled with one piece of the ending and booed at my book when it happened, but besides that this was the best ending for this book. And I mean that in a good way! Since it follows history, there’s an assumption of what could’ve happened. I thought it was sweet and hopeful that fates cards were dealt differently for the Romanov’s than what history served them.

One of my favorite parts of books are the Notes from the author (yes, I totally read those). When fully explained, they can really enhance the book! There was a wonderful explanation of what was true, what wasn’t, and why she made certain creative decisions. It honestly made me like the book even more. I was totally surprised about some pieces actually being true! It helped me better understand the plot and the addition of some characters.

Nadine Brandes is one of my favorite authors. Period. So I will read just about anything she writes, even if it's not my favorite concept or genre. (I don't mind historical fiction--much less historical fantasy--but it's not my favorite, so keep that in mind with both my reviews of Fawkes and now, Romanov.)

To be honest, I liked Fawkes a lot more than I liked Romanov, even though I loooove Russian history, especially this time period. I think what really got me with Romanov was that it was so...depressing, even though there was glimpses of hope throughout the story. I'm not a sad book/sad movie/sad anything person, so I usually stay away from anything that looks even remotely like a tearjerker. Also, I feel like Romanov should've been waaaay longer than it was, going back to Nastya's early life to give the reader more grounding (and happy scenes) to connect with the story, and how she'd gotten to this point.

That being said, Romanov was a moving, insightful story about a girl learning what it truly means to forgive and move on, even in the darkest situations. Brandes has got action-packed plots down to an art form, and it really shows in her latest standalone. But even more than that, it's her characters that wiggle their way into your heart and stay there long after the story is finished. Nastya was so incredibly strong throughout the book, and that's what truly carried the story. Sure, I would've loved to see more of the world-building and backstory prior to reading this, but I suppose in the end, that's not what the book is about. It's about being Christ-like in a Christ-hating world. And that's what makes the story so impactful, and worthwhile to read, even if you do need to keep a box of tissues on hand while reading.

3.5 stars
Ages: 16 and up
(Warnings--graphic violence, disturbing deaths/injuries, some mild kissing and attraction.)

For more reviews, follow my blog at gabriellenblog.wordpress.com

Thank you for the early copy!

I've dying to get my hands a YA fictional version of the Anastasia story mainly because I grew up with the film. I don't tend to read historical fiction unless there is a twist to it, and in this one the author adds in elements of fantasy. I had a hard time putting this down, I loved how the author incorporated the fictional (mainly the spells) with the historical facts about the the Romanov family. I recommend checking this out if your a fan of history with a fictional twist! :)

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

I didn't know what to expect from this book. Being unacquainted with Brandes and her Fawkes novel, the concept of a story of the Romanovs intrigued me. A twist on the history following the Russian Revolution, the story tells the lives of the Romanovs following the abdication of Tsar Nikolas. Nastya (The Grand Duchess Anastasia) is a witty young lady searching for the magic that will help her father escape.

The plot took a while to pull me in `and the development for some reason I feel like it drag on - but the end of the story had its satisfying moments.

A solid 3 stars.

— DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Many thanks for this opportunity! —

Anastasia Romanov is a mischieavous, sassy, and smart teenager in the early twentieth century. However, as she was born royalty, she and the rest of her family are suffering under the revolution and the ensuing Boshevik regime. Brought to exile in Ekaterinburg, the story follows the last month of the old czar’s family, their captivity, and the relationships with their oppressors and guards. However, in this retelling of the Russian revolution, there is magic. Once openly practiced and available, it has now been outlawed, although Anastasia still protects a magical artefact that might save them all…

I loved this book more than I probably should. I think I read it within a day or so, craving it whenever I was at work or busy – it really should have been longer and told more of the story. I think it’s intended as a standalone, but I would love a sequel. I can’t wait for this to be published next spring so I can see what other people have thought of this. Having reviewed Fawkes by the same author earlier this year, I have to say that while her earlier historical novel was good, Romanov is a thousand times better. I’m excited to read more of her work as her career continues, as I feel her craft is progressing by leaps and bounds.

Full review under https://libridraconis.wordpress.com/2018/11/27/romanov-nadine-brandes/

Love the air of mystery and magic that surrounds the Romanov family in this delightful tale. It is a new twist on a tale that has been told many times, but the originality in the world building is what makes this a true pleasure read.

I did not know what to expect from this novel. My only expectations were that I love Anastasia, and I was excited to read some kind of retelling of this story.

Since this novel is so far away from coming out, I want to keep this review informative and non-spoilery. So I will leave you with 3 things I liked and a few that I didn’t like. Then you can compare them to what you like in novels and see if you would be interested.

First, what I didn’t like, so we can end with a positive.

1. The beginning was very clunky. I think a lot of this comes from how true to history the author was trying to be. So there wasn’t much room for creative license in the first half of this novel.

2. Next, the magic system was so confusing to me. It had to do with eating a spell and speaking its name. The user of the magic rarely knew what was going to even happen when the spell would be released. It was just all over the place and I still don’t know how we were able to use it to help. The spells were not explained well enough for me.

3. Finally, this is very raw and painful. Which is truthful but hard to stomach. In the middle I almost lost heart to even continue reading. This was a VERY true story is some aspects, and if you know anything about the Romanovs, I think you know what I mean. This isn’t completely a detriment, because it is accurate, but I just wanted to tell you.


Next, I’ll share some things I loved, because I did like a lot!

1. Spending time with the Romanovs! They were such a sweet family in this novel, and they did have subjects and countrymen who loved them. Seeing how much they just wanted their people to love them and watching them struggle to never please anyone was so heartbreaking.

2. The way history is changed. Obviously, the whole premise of this novel is about a Romanov surviving. Which, if you love Anastasia, was always your dream as child. Hoping she was out there and living, even though you know it never could be. So, getting to see her escape and possible still be alive out there with a whole line of her own is very exciting to me.

3. The adventure, danger, and survival action is very high. Though the first half of this novel drug by a little bit for me, the 2nd half was non stop. Nastya is going going going and there is no slowing down. It was a thrill ride.

So, I really enjoyed this novel, it was hard in a lot of places, but mostly because it was so raw and real. Nadine really tried to make it so accurate up to the point where the magic takes over. That makes for heartache and sadness lots of the time. The Romanovs were gone too soon.

One final note, the romance in this novel was a slooooooooow burn. I disliked that a lot, but some people will like that, so I didn’t want to make it a bad thing.
All in all, I gave this a 3.5 stars. The beginning really dragged it down for me. But I would still recommend it, especially if you like revisionist history with a bit of fantasy dropped in.

*I received an eARC from NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.*