The story of the Romanov family, and their execution, has intrigued people for a long time. We don't know all of the details of the events that surround the abdication of Tsar Nicolas and the subsequent deaths of he and his family, so speculation has run rampant. Nadine Brandes has told what is known, and added what she imagined could have happened, in Romanov.

Once I started reading Romanov, I didn't want to stop.The plot was intriguing and, at the end of each chapter, I was eager to read on and find out what happened next. Nadine did a great job with the descriptions of both the characters and surroundings. It is easy to picture what they look like and imagine the story as it progresses.

Besides being a great story, the book also deals with several themes. Due to the hardships they face, the Romanov family has to make decisions about how they will react, and they struggle with forgiveness, humility, and whether or not to let the circumstances overwhelm them. Trusting Jesus to provide guidance and wisdom is prominent. A selection of discussion questions that address the themes is included at the end.

Romanov has a mix of history, action, fantasy, and romance that makes it a great book. With the different genres in it, there is something for nearly all readers. I really enjoyed it and fully recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Oh my god. Reading this book reignited my love for Anastasia – both the Broadway musical and the classic movie. Ever since this book was announced, it's been on my most-looked-forward-to list, and I've been fortunate enough to get an ARC, and let me tell you: it did not disappoint.

As you can probably tell from the title, this book is a retelling of Anastasia's life and what-could-have-been after the tragic event in 1918. The Romanovs are in exile under the Bolsheviks, and it's only getting harder day by day. I can't really say much else without giving away spoilers, but there's magic! and fantasy! which are honestly really amazing.

At first, I was having a hard time getting into it. Since they were in captivity, it was a pretty repetitive and there wasn't much room for anything else, but it really started picking up about 60% in. From there on out, I was a goner. I would probably give my soul for this book and Nastya's character.

I loved that it was still rooted in facts. When I read adaptations and retellings of historical figures and events, facts usually get erased and those books end up with a completely different story. But with Romanov, all the facts are there and the fiction only occurs after. Sure, Zash's character is completely fictional, but it's mentioned that he represents all the Bolshevik soldiers who grew sympathetic towards the Romanov family. When I read this, I definitely warmed up to his character, and grew to love the book even more. Yes, I do miss Dmitry (my favorite street rat!!!!), but I think that the book was amazing.

Definitely recommend this to everyone interested in history, as well as to the fans of the movie. You won't be disappointed.

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

We always get asked about books on the Romanovs because they are very popular history/biography project for the high school students. The Parents always ask if there is new historical fiction released lately and this book is double the fun. Every chapter of this book build and build the story every step of the way. Learning about Nastya and her family's involvement with the Bolsheviks was intriguing and breathtaking to read and when she meets Nash and finds out his role in the whole war took a whole new turn that you could not help but to read on.

We will definitely consider adding this title to our Historical Fiction section at our library and that is why we give this book 5 stars.

Brandes' prose fuses facts with fiction; the historical events that led to the Romanov's assassination are seamlessly blended with magical realism, with fantasy elements that bring Anastasia's story to life. Nastya's voice is vigorous, her character is fleshed out; she is strong-willed yet modest, proud yet compassionate; the reader cannot help but empathize, to emotionally invest in her story.

"Romanov" is an amalgam of historical fiction and romance, a both character and plot-driven novel that manages to capture the atmosphere of Russia in the early 20th century, to intrigue and captivate the reader.

Juvenile, bland and unconvincing - sadly, I couldn't connect with this book at all, although I really tried my best to like it. I would, though, recommend author's previous novel, "Fawkes", to all the lovers of YA Historical Fantasy out there - it was a well written and fairly balanced read, unlike "Romanov", which I mostly found to be sloppy, poorly plotted and ultimately trying too hard.

I do, however, hope that historical fantasy is the genre which Ms Brandes will continue to explore, as I'd read more of her work in the future and will consider this just a weak second step. (I hope it will receive a rougher edit before its publication, though.)

Thanks for an ARC.

Who doesn't love the mystery of the lost Romanov princess, Anastasia? It's certainly fascinated me since I was a child. Like her previous novel, Fawkes, Brandes creates a realistic and gripping fantasy world based around a real historical figure. Personally I found it worked better than that previous work. The MC was engaging and well developed. The story was good. My only slight niggle was how well the story threads were tied up at the end. I think I'd have preferred to be left wondering though, I realise that's personal preference.

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

I've been weirdly obsessed with the Romanov Family lately so, when I saw a YA Fantasy book based on their captivity I jumped on it! It was wonderful. It had everything I wanted: magic, accurate history, sass, tragic romance, manic villains, and dogs. Brandes did her research well and wrote a story true to the Romanov Family but with a fantasy twist.

One thing I appreciated is that we have a female protagonist that is strong-willed but still compassionate and shows humility. Too often in fiction women are placed in one dimensional roles of being strong OR being nice, of being proud OR being humble, etc. It gets annoying fast! Anastasia is a stunning character.

The last 20 pages of the book brought the rating down a little. It felt a bland and was definitely a 'let's wrap everything up in a pretty bow' ending. Considering that the main attraction of Anastasia Romanov is the 'lost princess' story I would have liked a more ambiguous ending.


P.S. Alexei Romanov is officially the tsar of sass. He was a big surprise for me and I adored him.

"Romanov" was heart-pounding, heartbreaking, and completely addictive. Nadine Brandes knows how to write a fantastic tale. I think most of us know the story of Anastasia and her family. I definitely had a basic level of understanding of what happened to the Romanovs when I started reading, but the way this story is told through Anastasia's voice, or Nastya as she is nicknamed, made me feel like I was living their exile with them. I felt how she agonized over her family and their predicament, how much she loved her family, and how strong their faith in forgiveness actually was.
I don't want to stay too much because this is a story you just have to read to truly enjoy. There is obviously some fiction woven into the story but it only enhances the tale and makes the book that much better.

Seriously, my next book needs to be a non-fiction book about the Romanov family because Ms. Brandes has left me absolutely intrigued (thanks for adding what was historically accurate at the end of the book because I was dying to know). Well done!

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, young adult fiction, or anyone who just loves a great story telling.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

I received an ARC of this book from Thomas Nelson through #netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Now that's out of the way so let me dive right in-

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The story of the Romanov's is just a gut wrenching but so intriguing. It has always drawn me in so when I saw this book, I just knew I had to have it ASAP. Kids, let me tell you something, the author did their research and I LOVE how at the end Ms. Brandes gives you the FACT vs. FICTION. If you know any of the story of Anastasia or the Romanov's, than this will be a cute spin on the story we all know.

She did add Zash's character and I am glad that she did because he struggles with so much that watching his character develop broke up the depressing end that you know is coming... or is it??? Natysa's character is how I picture Anastasia to truly be and I think that she did her justice.

This book is borderline JFiction and YA for me. I know it is YA because of the subject matter and age of the main character but other than that, I feel it could lean toward JFiction for me. The element of magic is such a cool twist. Read this is you like the story of the Romanov's ... you won't be disappointed!