"The Fabergé Secret" is a novel that attempts to weave together historical intrigue, mystery, and the allure of the famous Fabergé eggs. While the premise holds promise, the execution falls flat in delivering a truly engaging and captivating story. The plot feels disjointed and lacks a compelling narrative flow, leaving the reader disconnected from the characters and their motivations. Despite the potential for a fascinating exploration of the historical and cultural significance of Fabergé eggs, the book fails to fully immerse the reader in their allure or provide a satisfying resolution to the central mystery. Overall, "The Fabergé Secret" feels like a missed opportunity, leaving readers disinterested and wanting more substance and depth from the storytelling.

Once again, I’m not a huge audiobook fan. But this one I didn’t have a hard time following. I think it’s because I love history and learning more about a particular time period. This book was one where I really felt like I was immersed into the time with the detail it included. There were many twists and turns in here that also kept me on my toes while listening. I’m glad I got to try this audiobook out!

Immerse Yourself in Pre-Revolutionary Russia

Audiobook Review:
I absolutely loved this audiobook, both the story and the narrator’s performance. I've had a fascination with pre-revolutionary Russia since I was a teenager... and that was some time ago! This book starts in 1903, the year before the birth of the tsarevich. The author does a brilliant job of showing what Russia was like from the viewpoints of the various strata of Russian society at the time, from Jews and peasants to the nobility and the highest echelons of the Romanov autocracy. The words were so evocative of time and place that I could easily visualize this book and became swept up in its world. This book has quite a cast of characters, but both the author and the narrator were able to make them distinct. Here's a hint: the ones to follow are Katya and Dmitri. We see life in the tsar and tsarina’s household, with their little Grand Duchesses, who are 2, 4, 6, and 8 at the book start. They come across as such a loving family. However, the tzar does not come across as a good leader at all. He seemed mired in the old ways and determined to be an autocrat, with no understanding whatsoever of what life was like outside of his palaces. I think Dmitri might have been the most interesting character, as we see him going from a devil-may-care aristocrat with his head in the sand to a man who has certainly been “woke” to the realities of others in his country at the time. I thought the book ended a bit abruptly, as things really seemed to be gearing up toward more interesting happenings… but which turned out to be the end of the book. I thought the book would continue, not that it had reached its climax. Hopefully, the author has another few books up his sleeve that follow the Russian Revolution to its bitter end. I thought the narrator did well, especially with the female voices, including the little Grand Duchesses. The male characters were a little too similar, but that seems to be a common weakness when the narrator is female. All in all, I found this to be an absolutely gripping listen.

Always wanting to learn more about history, I thought this would enlighten me more about Russia and this time period. I felt it was an interesting book with an interesting story, but I kept wanting more. I felt there could have been more depth provided for the storyline and characters. It did provide a little intrigue in the hiding of information in the eggs and wondering if the people would get caught. At times I also felt like the author was also just trying to throw in information just for information sake, like the comments about Tchaikovsky that also didn’t add as much depth as they could have. I listened to the audiobook version which was narrated well. Overall, I’d still recommend the book for historical fiction lovers, I just felt it could have been so much better.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an audiobook version to be reviewed

The twists and turns in this book were fantastic. The details were exquisite without overpowering the overall story, and the humanization of historical figures was handled well, without clinging to or deference of history's perspective on the characters.
How the plot slowly unfolded, marching towards its inevitable conclusion, was an enthralling ride and the author's voice was distinct and unique and kept me enthralled.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advance audio of the Faberge Secret. I had previously read Belfoure's The Paris Architect and really enjoyed it. This book is a little harder to rate.
I really enjoyed some of the descriptive prose about the Faberge Eggs as well as the other trinkets Faberge was making for the Royal Court. I will delve more into google to learn more about them and look forward one day to visiting The Hermitage and Russia itself! I found it fascinating to hear about the time prior to the revolution and the haplessness of the Czar and his wife. The author uses a lot of descriptive detail in this telling of the Prince Dimitri and the evolution of understanding the misfortunes of the factory worker and peasants of Russia. While informative it was at times repetitive, wether it the assignations between the Royal Court and rules involved, how Lara, Dimirtri's wife, passions towards him had changed, the Nanny's inner turmoil of making sure the Czar was safe, how loving the Czar's family was, or the architecture shifting to Nouveau Riche. I found it all fascinating just some of the same observations repeated over. I found the book to be simply written, and perhaps due to its simplicity in telling this story I found it less engaging.
That said it is a great book to read if you are interested in this time, the opulence of the Royal Court and the way the aristocracy carried on. I am glad to have read and learned a little more about that era. 3.5 stars

The Fabergé Secret by Charles Belfoure
Narrated by Nancy Peterson
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Historical Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: January 5, 2021

The Fabergé Secret by Charles Belfoure is not what I expected, it is so much more! This book combines historical fiction and mystery so well! Honestly, this book was so much more than I could have imagined!

Set in 1903, St. Petersburg, Russia, we meet Prince Dmitiri Markhov, who is a very close friend of Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexandra. Dmitri has a loveless marriage and is an aristocrat with a job (with no pay), working as an architect and civil engineer. When he meets Doctor Katya Golitsyn he finds his life takes a very different path.

The narration by Nancy Peterson was wonderful! She has a lovely voice that draws you in to the story!

I truly enjoyed this story. There was so much I didn't know about Russian history and this book opened my eyes to the Russian revolution. This book is filled with depth and interesting characters. It was truly engaging!

I'm so grateful to Charles Belfoure, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I listen to this on audiobook through @netgalley, courtesy of @dreamscapemedia.

I have always loved historical fiction as a whole, and The Fabergé Secret definitely is a credit to the genre! Set during the richly gorgeous and glittering Romanov dynasty of Russia in WW2, Balfoure effortlessly weaves fact and fiction together with such masterful skill.

In a time of unrest and fear, Dimitri Markhov is the Tsar’s best friend and treasured architect. However he questions his royal loyalties when he meets Katya Golitsyn, a charming doctor who dreams of revolution.

I loved the romance and intrigue throughout. The most unique part of this novel was the use of the famous Fabergé eggs to transport and hide secret coded messages during the start of the Russian Revolution.

I also loved the narration by Nancy Peterson. It brought the book to life for me!

Thanks to @netgalley and @dreamscapemedia for allowing me to listen to this gem!

Very well written book. Glittering and tragic, just like the Romanov Court. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Thank you for the review copy.

The Faberge Secret by Charles Belfoure is a history lesson, a spy story and a romance all rounded up in one enjoyable novel. The story takes place in the Russia of Tsar Nicholas II. The novel is full of palace intrigue, deception, envy, plotting, flirting and almost every other emotion. The descriptions of the architecture of the day as shown by of the palaces and the public buildings presents a vivid picture. We also have a bird’s eye view of the balls, formal occasions as well as the ceremonies and rituals centering around the Tsar. There are vivid descriptions of the gowns, jewels and, of course, the Faberge eggs, which have their own room. The book deals with the spies within and without the palace plotting to bring down the Tsar and the romance of Prince Dimitre Markhow and Dr. Katya Golitsyn. A secret discovered by Dr. Golitsyn leads to events that have repercussions down through history. A great novel which I enjoyed very much.

The Fabergé Secret is enjoyable, but not memorable. Overall, it was interesting to learn about Russia in 1903, and the tensions and conflicts that led up to and contributed to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and Tsar Nicholas' ultimate demise. If you enjoy detailed historical fiction that isn't too heavy on the cheesy romance, then I think you will enjoy this book. The relationship between Katya and Dimitri is a main plot point of the book, but it never distracts too heavily from the historical setting and larger story of Russia's state-sanctioned violence against Jews. This book seems well-researched, but there are some parts of the story that seemed unrealistic and done to tie up the story in a neat way. I think I would have enjoyed it more as a physical book rather than an audiobook due to the historical nature of the story, but overall it was an interesting story.

Thai audiobook was really interesting. I admittedly never finished it though. The story being placed in Russia during the Jewish purge was very eye opening to the events of back then. Being very descriptive in the abuse against the Jews it was a little too dark for my taste but I did enjoy the story. Although I never finished listening to it I would recommend this book to others and the narrator.

The Faberge Secret by Charles Belfoure is an exciting story of Imperial Russia in 1903, from the excesses of the Imperial Court to poor starving peasants and deadly pogroms. I listened to the audiobook version, which was convincingly narrated by Nancy Peterson. I was particularly interested in this story for two primary reasons: my father's family is related to Tsar Nicholas II, and my family and I have visited Russia. That adds even more poignancy to the tale.

Prince Dimitri Markhov is a talented architect who happens to be a close friend of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra, and is "Uncle Dimitri" to their beautiful children, the Grand Duchesses. When not working, most of his time is spent attending glittering balls and visiting the Imperial palaces with his wife Princess Lara, with whom he shares a loveless marriage. Dimitri's insulated existence is breached when he sees a toddler who was brutally killed in a pogrom. (According to The Free Dictionary, a pogrom is an organized, often officially encouraged massacre or persecution of a minority group, especially one conducted against Jews.) Dimitri cannot get this image out of his mind. At a royal ball he meets Doctor Katya Golitsy, a talented doctor who is dedicated to helping the oppressed Jews and peasants. The two begin an affair, and Dimitri can no longer stand back and watch the slaughter... he must get involved.

This book started off rather slowly, but I'm glad I stuck with it. This slow build-up seemed to amplify the incongruity between the lavishness of the Russian aristocracy and the pitiful existences of much of the rest of the country. I loved Dimitri and enjoyed watching his metamorphosis from entitled prince to a man who realized he could not simply stand by and watch innocent people be destroyed. Katya was also a great character. She wasn't poor, either; she came from a rather wealthy family. Her work as a doctor, however, gave her more empathy to those mistreated for their religion or lack of status. What I found most heartbreaking was watching the love and affection the Tsar had for his beloved wife and children, but then hear him say the Jews brought their misfortune upon themselves and being totally blind to the suffering of most of his subjects. Though not addressed in the book, I felt dread in my heart, knowing what was in store for the children of the Tsar and Tsarina. Heartbreak all around.

Nancy Peterson's narration was admirably done, with the possible exception of English accents. Her narration helped entirely immerse me in this riveting story.

I received an ARC of this audiobook courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The narrator did a good job, and her voice is very nice, but it always baffles me when an American narrator is chosen for a book set in Russia. I’m not an expert on Russian accents, but I think she did an acceptable job with them. As for the story itself, it was interesting to get a different perspective of the Russian court and the days leading up the revolution. I only had a scant knowledge of the pogroms and other atrocities done to Jewish people in Russia, so I liked learning more of that time in history. I don’t really know the point of the actual story the characters went through. I thought the romance between the two main characters was very generic and took up too much space. They got the word out about the pogroms but what else did they do? I understand that they helped lay the groundwork for the revolution but we don’t see any fruits of their labor come about in this story. I did not dislike this story, but I thought the writing could have been stronger. It does make me want to research more of this time period, which is very fascinating.

I just love well done historical fiction, and this is well done. It gives you feelings, tingily, suspense, hope, sorrow. All the feels! What a ride. Russia is also of great interest to me. I live in Alaska but have never gone nextdoor, so one could say I love any chance to peak into my neighbors yard as it where.

To me the balance of views and being forced to stand up for what you belive. Mixed in with the character development and conversations. Created by a good writer made for a seriously enjoyable read. I look forward to more books by this author.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I was actually surprised by how much i liked this book, was really hard for me to put it down!

This was an interesting take on the revolutionists who contributed to the downfall of the Romanov dynasty. The author provides a good amount of insight into life at the Russian court. Belfoure also attempts to explain how the beliefs of Nicholas II and Alexandra impacted their ability to successfully lead the Russian people. This book highlights what people can and will do for something they believe in. I particularly enjoyed how the details of so many Faberge eggs and the other pieces developed by the famous designer were worked into the story without seeming forced. Overall it is a good read that presents the beginning of the end of the Romanov family.

I received a copy of this audiobook via NetGalley.

This was a DNF for me, as much as I typically love historical fiction. I wasn’t interested in the characters, sadly. The narration was wonderful, but I just found that this book did not hold my attention.

The Faberge Secret by Charles Belfoure

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audiobook ARC.

I enjoyed listening to this historical fiction book. I don't know much about Russian history, so found it quite interesting.
The narrator Nancy Peterson kept it entertaining.

#TheFabergeSecret #NetGalley #DreamscapeMedia

Dmitri, a close friend to Tsar Nicholas, is slowly becoming aware of the travesty of this regime. When a Jewish Pogrom happens in front of his eyes, he is devastated by the loss of life and the destruction. He vows to stop this even if he has to betray his best friend.

If you are familiar with Charles Belefore, you know his stories are a slow burn but worth every minute. And this is the first one I have listened to. I was afraid I would “zone out”. Well, that did not happen! This is a unique story and I was tuned in! I enjoyed the history. Plus, I was captivated by Doctor Katya Golitsyn. She is a strong female character during terrible time.

I also enjoyed reading about how “out of his element” the Tsar actually was. Tsar Nicholas was a very good father and husband but he was not a ruler. He was very out of touch about his country and it lead to his downfall. Also, the Russian aristocracy rules are fascinating indeed!

The narrator, Nancy Peterson, did a fabulous job with the accents and the characters, including the southern accent. I was impressed with her ability. Sometimes a narrator can hinder a story if there are accents. But Nancy definitely nailed it!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.