Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to review an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I had previously reviewed another of Brandes's books, "Fawkes", and I must say that she has again done an excellent job of blending fantasy and history. Despite the fantasy elements, this novel is very well researched and includes more truth than you might imagine. The characters are very well drawn and likable, which makes it even more heart-wrenching that you already know what's going to happen to most of them.

The only issue that I had with it was that I had trouble understanding how some of the magical spells worked exactly, especially the one involving astral projection and what exactly it healed and didn't.

Great potential, but unfortunately there wasn't the spark I was looking for. The fantasy aspect was a bit lacking. I was super interested in the history itself because I don't know much about the subject, but honestly I found it boring, and something I could have gotten the gist of from a wikipedia page. Not a waste of time by any stretch, but I think you'd have to be very into the subject in order to really enjoy it.

Tell me a book is about the Romanovs and there basically a 100% chance I’ll read it. Several years ago I featured an edition of Get Your Fix that focused solely on novels and non-fiction about the dynasty. I’m more than a little obsessed with this family.

That obsession was not strong enough to stop the absurd amount of eyerolling I did while reading this book. I’m always up for stories of Romanov survivors. Throw in a bit of magic and I’ll roll with it! Unfortunately, this book was all over the place. Anastasia – Nastya – wants to be a spell caster instead of a grand duchess. This magic system was never fully explained and left me confused. There’s special ink and bits of paper and magic words seemingly burst forth from the caster’s mouth.

If that was the book’s only downfall I could have excused it. HOWEVER, the kicker that had me frantically texting a friend as each ridiculous page went by: Anastasia and Alexei both die – Alexei TWICE – but don’t worry, Anastasia simply magics them back to life. While as ghosts (the first time around), the pair spend a few pages going on ghost adventures in the forest while the bodies of their parents and sisters lay in a pile behind them, and in the end Anastasia falls in love with the guard who shot/killed her. No thank you.

Romanov is described as a magical retelling of the story of Anastasia Romanov. As soon as I read this my first thought was SIGN ME UP. Unfortunately what I signed up for didn't deliver to the extent of which I hoped.

Like most millenials, Anastasia is one of my favourite childhood movies and because of that movie I went through a phase of reading all about the Romanov's and Rasputin. It is because of this knowledge that I think I was able to get through this book and know most of what was happening in the first 50-60%. This book expects you to already know the history of the Romanov's and the uprising. If you don't have even a small amount of knowledge on this then you would be starting off at a disadvantage.

The first 50-60% of the book was okay, it was sitting at a relatively average 3 stars until we moved so far away from the original history and straight into magical realism and I didn't particularly enjoy it or feel like it was particularly well developed. Speaking of the magic in the world - I understand what the author was trying to do with it, but I just don't feel like it was particularly well established and/or explained well. I would have liked to have had Rasputin make more of an impact in the book, but that may just be me.

Anastasia as a MC was just wholly unlikable. I understand that her nickname is "imp" but I feel like she was just contrary for the sake of being contrary. The amount of danger that she constantly put those who she claimed to love through just didn't seem to be equal to the reward. It was like she didn't actually realise the extent of seriousness behind their situation and that it was genuinely life or death. I also didn't buy the romance between Anastasia and Zash. It ... just didn't work for me.

I am sure that there are others who may really enjoy this book, unfortunately it was just a miss for me.

*thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nadine Brandes does a wonderful job mixing fact and fantasy in her latest novel, Romanov, aptly named after the family it features. She dives into the story of the Romanov family’s experience during their final days, and highlights the hope, love, and magic that made their confinement bearable.

Russia provides the perfect backdrop for magic, especially given the Romanov family’s ties to the mystic Rasputin. It fit seamlessly into the plot and almost makes you believe that this is the true version of the story. This book made me experience a whole range of emotions—joy, sorrow, fear, wonder—and I highly recommend it.

This is not your typical Anastasia retelling.

First off, this is a YA historical fiction fantasy, which to be honest is outside my comfort zone. But it is the second book I read from this author in this genre.
Despite the fantasy elements, I really appreciated to learn more about the actual life of the Romanov. Needless to say the beloved Disney movie took quite a few creative liberties with the story. Because of that, a lot of people reading Romanov might be surprised by the tragic story of the Romanov.

I highly recommend this book, especially to fantasy readers, but also to historical fiction fans!

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 a retelling of Anastasia Romanov, brewing with magic and action. While I love the story, including the depth of the characters and plot, I felt like as someone who has read retellings this story left and right missed me.

That's a 'me' problem tho, for everyone looking for stories to immerse themselves in Anastasia retellings, I would HIGHLY suggest to give this one a try!

An amazing, lush Russian inspired fairy tale with a hint of magic. You're drawn into this world as soon as you open the book, and you keep reading and get political intrigue, family drama, and of course, magic. Nadine Brandes did an excellent job introducing the Anastasia character and Romanov family to YA readers!

An amazing Russian inspired fantasy, I was drawn into the world from the moment i started reading. The political intrigue was intense, magic was a fun addition that made it more interesting, the family's exile was explored well!
My only wish was that there would be more magic in the book earlier on as opposed to it being further in, but still, what a fun book!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the re-telling using a hint of magic. It really was a beautiful and captivating tale. The characters were easy to love and I connected with them right away. It made me wish that this is what happened to Anastasia and Alexei. 5 stars would recommend and would read again.

Nadine Brandes’ Romanov was a captivating read. A historical fiction mixed in with fantasy = glorious! What I loved most about this book was that it took me on an emotional rollercoaster. First, you experience the utter anguish of the Romanov family as they are living under house arrest. Then, fear grips you after the family is separated but you still feel hope that the tsar will receive a trial and the entire family can live as outcasts somewhere. Unfortunately, any positive feeling is quickly yanked away and tension, horror, and anxiety fill the room. While I know the history behind the tsars and the events in the book, I very much appreciated what Brandes did with the story – it is a historical fiction, after all. She definitely has a gift for creating gripping scenes, and they worked wonderfully in re-imagining the horrors of that time period. What I thought could be improved was the pacing after the massacre. I found some parts to be slightly dull, especially after the rollercoaster of the first part of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this eARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Title: Romanov

Author: Nadine Brandes

Chapters: 40

Pages: 341

Genre: Historical fantasy, retellings

Rating: 5 Stars

Anastasia the animated musical was one of my favorite movies as a child. I loved that movie and image my surprise and shock in world history class in middle school when I learned the truth.

So when I saw that Nadine Brandes who wrote Fawkes a retelling about the gunpowder plot I knew that I had to pick this one up. And I am glad that I did because I loved this one.

Nadine stays true to the true story of the Romanov's up to a key point and then adds her own twist to the story. Giving a new life and story to Anastasia who goes by Nastya in this version. Faith and the love of family plays a huge part in this book and that what I loved.

Just like with Fawkes Nadine weaves a bit of fantasy into your historical fiction to make it different than any retelling of the Anastasia you've read before.

I can't wait to see what Nadine comes up with next. I would recommend this book to anyone who loved the Anastasia musical. As well as those that loved Nadine's previous books.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

The Romanovs are in exile, forced out of their castle and into hiding. Nastya hopes one day soon, they will escape to live near the countryside in peace. However, hope is dwindling. The family is running out of the medicine in which to relieve Alexei’s pain. Ever since magic was banned, it’s been difficult to get a hold of. Nastya tries her best to be there for her family, even when their world is flipped inside out. Nadine Brandes crafted such a gorgeous, magical retelling of Anastasia that is sure to become your next favorite.

Nastya is a strong willed, incredible character. Romanov is told in first person perspective which lets readers in on Nastya’s inner thoughts and feelings. She’s adventurous which is shown through the amount of mischief she is able to get into even during exile. The setting of Romanov primarily takes place while the royal family is cooped up in a house together. Nastya’s mischief and little games are able to lighten the mood at times. Romaov, however, is a heavy novel.

I always tell myself that I need to read more fantasy because every time I do, the book turns out to be fantastic. Romanov is no exception. It wasn’t exactly what I expected. The book tells the story of the Romanov family as it was in actual history with a hint of magic. If you’re looking for a retelling of Anastasia, the animated film—with the quest of a lost grandmother, a romance between a princess and a kitchen boy, and an evil master of the magical arts—Romanov is not that book.

This is the first book I've read by Brandes. You can bet I will be reading Fawkes, her other book, soon. Her writing is whimsical, dramatic, and downright amazing. She morphed the story of the Romanov family from history and turned it into something unique. It was a masterful take on the story.

Romanov is so compelling. It wasn’t a page in and I was already hooked, demanding to know how Nastya was going to get out of this mess she found herself in. However, I must admit that the plot doesn’t progress much. It relies on routine and small moments of Nastya’s life to carry the story forward. This is more of a character-driven plot than an action-packed one. And as much as I love my action-packed plots, Romanov is a story filled with magic, secrets, and spies that is still able to keep readers on their toes. Despite the plot being a bit slow, it was slow in the best way possible.

The Romanov family are incredibly close. Their family dynamic remained a light in the darkness. When all seemed lost, they could still look to each other for hope. It was great to see one character lift up the others and vice versa. Nastya has several sisters and one brother. Brandes only gives us small glimpses of the older sisters, while the brother, Alexei, and the younger sister, Maria, are more prominent in the story. Also, the bond Nastya shares with her father is so sweet. Familial relations like this are rarely seen in YA today so I definitely cherished those moments in Romanov.

Maria needs a spinoff. Her romance was so riveting and enchanting. And as much as I loved Nastya and her strategic mind, I wouldn't mind if Brandes gives us more on what Maria was thinking during her time in exile.

Since the family was in exile, there were several guards that watched them around the clock. My favorite, of course, was Zash. I only wished we got more of his thoughts as well. His story was intriguing, as he seemed to be at war with himself for most of the book. Brandes explored some fantastic feelings, tackling Stockholm Syndrome and even the captors becoming sympathetic to their prisoners. The dynamic was complex and seemed to increase the stakes tenfold.

The stakes are high in Romanov. The royal family is put under arrest, essentially in exile, where just the act of breathing too loudly is an indiscretion. The pace may be slow but the high stakes and terrifying ante is sure to get readers’ blood pumping.

The light use of magic was great. I adore magic in books but it doesn’t always need to be a magic boarding school, complete with magic wands every time. Romanov delivered a small dose of magic, giving us just enough to take Brandes’ world to the next level. It was truly superb!

Overall, Romanov by Nadine Brandes was heavy, yet beautiful. Brandes weaves history with magic that brings a compelling story to light. It was masterfully written and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future.

If you were a child of the 90's then you know the story of Anastasia. I was so excited when I saw this book was being made as Anastasia was one of my favorite real life people. Romanov was an easy read that captures your attention from the beginning. Although sometimes a little slow, this take on Anastasia's captivity is eye opening. Although nothing like the cartoon movie, you fall in love with Anastasia and her family and feel for them and what their captivity must have been like. Although there is a bit of magical element to this story, I believe Nadine Brandes did an excellent job of introducing history to the YA world.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s 2019, which means it’s over a hundred years since the Russian revolution overturned the Romanov dynasty, and the rumours about Anastasia have yet to die. In Romanov, Nadine Brandes has melded the facts with the rumours, added a fantastical element of spellmasters and magic potions, and created a brilliant novel in the style of Fawkes (but different).

Anyone who knows the Romanov story will know the basics of the plot of Romanov. But I’m not going to spoil any of the details for those who don’t. I suspect readers who know the story will find it easier to get into Romanov, but the background knowledge isn’t necessary.

Romanov is the story of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna. At sixteen, Anastasia is the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas of Russia. But Nicholas is no longer Tsar, and Nastya is no longer a princess. All she and her family want is the opportunity to live their lives as normal Russian citizens in a village somewhere. And Nastya wants to learn the secrets of spells, so she can care for and perhaps even heal Alexei, her younger brother.

The story brings out Nastya’s intelligence, determination, and devotion—both to her family, and to the Russian people. Brandes does a convincing job of showing her as a resourceful young woman who, despite her privileged upbringing, genuinely cares for the people and wants the best for them. But, like the rest of her family, she does not believe the Bolsheviks and the new Soviet government will bring that best.

Imprisonment brings out the best in Nastya and the rest of her family, and many of the guards are loyal to the family while still supporting the Bolshevik cause.

Yes, there is a fantasy element to Romanov—this is a world with magic. However, the family pray to Iisus (Jesus), and are of strong faith. So while Romanov isn’t an overtly Christian novel, it has definite Christian themes. I enjoyed Romanov even more than I enjoyed Fawkes, and I look forward to seeing what historical characters Nadine Brandes next chooses to feature … and what fantastical twist she will put on them.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

As we all know the Romanov story is already fascinating and intriguing, and by adding magic to the story Nadine Brandes only further ups the intrigue! The novel showcases an alternate Anastasia and how she could have dealt with her struggles in she'd had magic. I like how well the fact and fiction blended throughout this story. Overall a very good read!

Sixteen-year-old, Anastasia “Nastia” Romanov and her family are about to be relocated to Siberia by the Bolsheiviks She is tasked with smuggling her family’s most important magical object from their home, a Matryoshka doll. The problem is the magic is forbidden by the new regime. Can she keep her secrets from the guards? Who can she trust? Can she save the doll and the heir to the throne? The characters are well-developed. The plot is engaging and entwines true historical events. Fans of the Grisha trilogy, the Blood Rose Rebellion series, and Crown’s Game will enjoy reading this book.

I will admit I browsed the goodread reviews before I wrote my review, as I always want to know what others thought of the book. I was slightly appalled at the reviews. I totally understood the issues with historical inaccuracy but I felt like many of the reviews were unfair, especially the reviews of DNFers.

So let's just jump into this. I'm going to tackle the historical aspect of the story. This is a retelling of the story. It's not going to be accurate. It is a historical fantasy, which falls into FICTION. This really chaps my hide when people criticize a fictional book for not being accurate. We already know that most of this is not what actually happened, just like in the movies. Based on something does not mean EVERY DETAIL IS ACCURATE. It's something that tends to happen in the book community when a detail isn't correct. Guess what, there wasn't a bunch of magical items that could do magical things either. *shrugs* We can all get over and move on, while enjoying the book.

With that said, I found the take on the Romanov's story very interesting. If you are unsure of what the book is about, Romanov focuses on Anastasia or Nastya's story. It is a historical fiction book that gives an alternative account of what happened to Nastya and her fight to save what was left of her family. If you leave everything you KNOW to be true at the start of the novel, you will find yourself thrusted into a world of war, tragedy and more. It's definitely not one layered, by any means. There is family drama, civil unrest, magical elements and of course, romance.

I really appreciated the characters in Romanov. The novel does not show the public version of Russia's last Tsar - instead we see a soft version of the man half of the nation hated. We saw a father desperate to save his family, trusting his daughter with a family secret, a family heirloom. I honestly don't mind the portrayal of the Tsar, solely because it is told fron Nastya's POV and she is a girl who truly loves and believes her father is doing the best he can. Each member of the family had a distinct personality that was easy to fall in love with. I did notice that the story seemed to focus on Maria and Nastya and the Nastya and Alexei, instead of the entire family. The others are there, but not in such great detail.

My favorite part of the book was admittedly their time in the Ipativ House. Mainly because you can FEEL the tension, the emotion and the fear. There are several huge plot points that happen during this section of the book and honestly, it shattered my heart. I could not continue on at one point because of the pure emotion coming from one of the characters. Regardless of the historical accuracy, Brandes makes you feel, and that is a powerful thing.

I will agree with a few of the reviews that said the book kind of went down hill after that. While they are escaping, they seem to forget that their family was killed, or maybe they just couldn't think about it in order to survive, I don't really know, but I felt like that piece of emotion was lacking. If my entire family was slaughtered, myself included, I would probably be a bit more of a mess, regardless of if I was running for my life. Aside from that hiccup, I really thought the story was handled well in the emotional department.

The Russian environment is brought to the forefront with the use of russian words and phrases. It's hard to forget that you are in Russia, and it makes it easy to feel for the Tsar and his family. Yes, I know all about Bloody Sunday and WWI, but I mean, we got Lenin outta that and he wasn't any better. *sorry, not sorry. LOL* There were admittedly not a TON of detail about where they were staying, but I felt like that was on purpose. It didn't really matter what the world outside their fortress home looked like, the majority of the story takes place in this confinement, and we get plenty of details about this area: cramped, white washed, stuffy, etc. This gives you enough information to know that the family is living in very uncomfortable quarters. The focus of the story is the family, and I really felt like Brandes keeps the focus on them through out the novel.

The book is hard to read sometimes; it does have factual events and those can be tough to read, knowing it really happened. The execution of the family, especially, was rough for me. The detail as the event unfolds and concludes is vivid and powerful, regardless of your feelings on the family themselves. One of the hardest scenes *SPOILER ALERT* involved Maria and a guard that she had fallen smitten for. The pure terror and heartbreak of watching someone you care for die in front of you seemed like a foreshadowing to the horrors that Nastya would face soon. **END SPOILER***. Ugh, there were so many powerful moments in this novel that I really just couldn't pin point ONE or TWO to talk about.

The struggle between good and evil in this novel really seem blurred. It really depends on which side of history you stand with as to how you view the characters. The resolution, while expected, still had a very solid wrap up and I enjoyed the over all arc of the story. Anastasia remains one of my favorite mysteries (even if they did find her and her brother's bodies in 2007). The magical elements that are weaved throug hthe story are not logical, but they add a beautiful richness to the tale of family survival.

Finally, the last thing I want to touch on is the writing itself. I am not a fan of historical books, but Brandes writing blew me away. It took me away from the present world and threw me into Nastya's with a force that I couldn't fight. I loved everything about her, from her spirit to her heart, to her stubbornness. This is a first novel for me from Brandes and her brilliant writing style has wrapped around my heart and taken hold. I am definitely going to be giving FAWKES a try! :)

Over all, this novel was a solid 4.5/5 stars!!

Okay I honestly don't even know what to write for this review. I had gotten this as an ARC a while back and started reading it but stopped about 25% of the way into it until just now. It's not that I had any one problem with this book, it's just that...it wasn't what I expected at all. This is my first book by Nadine Brandes and I will say, I really did like her writing and the characters she created. I just didn't like the story (or maybe just even the pacing???). The entire first half of the book was the Romanov family under house arrest in Ekaterinberg. I'm going to be straight with you guys. I was bored out of my mind. I liked that it was historically accurate but....I just wasn't feeling it at all. The premise was super cool once they got out and I won't dig too deep into it because that part I really liked and it had some good surprises but again....ugh. I wanted to like this so much more than I did. And again, take this with a grain of salt because it's not a bad book at all. It's just not fast paced at all. Things do pick up once they leave but I still was just not into it and it kills me to give this three stars. That is my least favorite rating, IMO. I would rather either love a book or hate it. Just feeling "mehh" makes me feel shitty for some reason haha I don't know. This is turning rambly so just know that a lot of you will still probably enjoy Nastya and Zash's story...I just unfortunately was not one of those people.

Today’s featured book is Romanov by Nadine Brandes and I would like to thank both NetGalley and Thomas-Nelson (the publisher) for providing me with this free e-book in exchange for an honest review. As someone who doesn’t read a lot of fantasy, I was unsure about this book but found myself delighted with it and enjoyed the couple of hours I spent curled up reading it.

So what is this book about?
The last Russian royal family has intrigued people for just over a century. Books and movies have been rewritten imaging that Anastasia has lived. And Brandes takes the history of the Romanovs and puts it into a fantasy world filled with spells and spell masters, skilfully weaving history and magic into a story about family and life’s purpose.

What I liked . . .
The Romanov Family. There aren’t enough books with positive family representations, they weren’t perfect, but they all got on together and had marvellous times.
The history. If historical fiction doesn’t teach you something, what’s the point of reading it? I learnt more about the Romanov’s captivity than I ever had before.
Its engagingness. I haven’t read a lot of ‘edge-of-your-seat’ books in a while and reading this kept me up at night and curled up on the couch waiting to see what would happen next.

What I didn’t like . . .
The positive view of the Romanovs. I’ve studied too much history, the Romanov’s weren’t great rulers and I think the book completely ignored that fact, although to be fair, it was from Nastya’s (Anastasia’s) perspective and she was only seventeen when she died, so it was probably realistic.

Conclusions
My Rating 💭purpose 💭/2originality 💭engagement 💭/2writing skill 💭enjoyment
Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I really enjoyed reading this book and one day hope to own a copy for myself. I really enjoyed reading about the mischievous Nastya and learning more about the Romanovs in captivity. If historical fiction or fantasy is your thing, I’d definitely recommend picking up this book.