Romanov

by Nadine Brandes

My name is Anastasia . . . 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 saving herself and her family are either to release the spell and deal with the consequences, or to enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn't act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya has only dabbled in magic, but it doesn't frighten her half as much as her growing attraction to 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.

Praise for Romanov:

"I am obsessed with this book! A magical twist on history that will have Anastasia fans wishing for more. I loved every detail Brandes wrote. If you love magic and Imperial Russia, you want Romanov on your shelf!" -Evelyn Skye

"Romanov will cast a spell on readers and immerse them in a history anyone would long to be a part of." -Sasha Alsberg

"If you think you know the story behind Anastasia Romanov, think again! The perfect blend of history and fantasy, Romanov takes a deeper look at the days leading up to the family's tragedy, while also exploring the possibilities behind the mysteries that have long intrigued history buffs everywhere. Brandes weaves a brilliant and intricate saga of love, loss, and the power of forgiveness. Prepare to have your breath stolen by this gorgeous novel of brilliant prose and epic enchantment." -Sara Ella

• ISBN10: 0785217258
• ISBN13: 9780785217251
• Publish Date: 7 May 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Thomas Nelson
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

Finally, finally the Anastasia book of my heart! I have been searching for this book for what seems like eons. Some have been closer to what I had hoped for, some were really off the mark, but I never found the diamond in the rough. Until now. And the best way to explain both what I have been looking for and what Romanov contains that makes it so special is just to list the stuff I have been yearning for- and in some cases, didn't even know how badly I needed until now!

• •Historical accuracy. I think this is my problem with most Anastasia stories, honestly. For the sake of not spoiling stuff, I am going to keep this brief, but the author did her homework, guys. (And if this section is something really important for your enjoyment of the book, I am going to put this not-quite spoiler but sort of if you are like me and hate anything resembling a spoiler in tags.) The author isn't trying to negate actual science and historical facts here and pretend that the Romanovs didn't die. And I won't say more than that, but it's handled incredibly well and while keeping history intact. Obviously, there is some creative license used, because this is fiction after all, but it's done very, very well. This is a family, a real family, who died only 101 years ago. Which brings me to my next point...



• •These are real people, and this book makes them feel as such. I imagine it's quite hard to undertake a task such as doing their stories justice. The author genuinely seems to care about them as people, not just as characters, and it shows. I've always held a soft spot for the family because they seem so... normal. How different were they really, than your family or mine? And this novel presents them as such complete human beings that it made my heart swell. They're not perfect by any means, they have flaws, but they've got good hearts and always, always try to do the right thing. And some of them have a faith in the goodness of mankind that simply blew me away.



• •The story the author wove is phenomenal! So we all know the broader story, but that creative license I mentioned before? It's awesome. Because the author uses it to expand on the larger-scale story to tell a tale that is many things at once. A tale that will make you feel so many things. There's family, of course. So much family, and a focus on all the smaller relationship units within the larger family. There's friendship, romance, betrayal, politics, and I could go on and on. This could be a sad tale about a girl who is betrayed by the Bolshevik soldier she grew to care for. But it isn't. It's infinitely more.



• •There is a fantasy element that really worked for me. This is important, because it was the only reason I was hesitant to pick up the book in the first place. But I needn't have worried, because I found the use of the fantastical a really clever way to make the story cohesive.

Bottom Line: At its core, Romanov is at once profoundly sad yet unflinchingly hopeful. And it's this complex dichotomy that makes it such a compelling book. If you like historical fiction, this is one you cannot miss. 

[alisoninbookland]

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.


I love, love, love historical fiction mixed with fantasy. It’s fun to imagine what might have taken place if there had simply been more magic in the world. Likewise, I’ve been intrigued with Anastasia since I saw the animated movie as a child. You can see what I was excited to pick this up!

I loved the relationships between Nastya and her family. It’s wonderful to see a family who would do anything for each other. Far too often we see terrible parents and siblings in YA books.

It was great for me to learn a little piece of history that I’m not as familiar with. The story follows the real event of the family being moved from Tobolsk to Ekateringburg and what happens afterwards. I wish there had been more set up for readers who don’t know history. I would have loved more information about why Nikolai was forced to abdicate and who the White Army was. Sure, the reader could do some research before jumping into a story. It would just be nice if the story included some of the details though.

The magic was magical. It was great that it was only there in small doses. Nastya can’t really do magic so she must rely on other ways to save her family. That keeps the story moving along nicely. It also helps keep the story fairly grounded as a historical fiction (heavy emphasis on fiction).

Romanov is a young adult book so naturally there is some romance in the story. Thankfully, both romances are well done. They don’t overwhelm the story and don’t feel forced. You can see how they evolved and keep a slow burn going.

The story isn’t historically accurate but it’s an interesting take on what might have happened.

For more reviews and bookish adventures, stop by Alison In Bookland.

[verkaskodova]

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

I must admit, I’ve always loved the animated movie. I can’t stop myself when it comes to Romanov history, it doesn‘t matter if it‘s a retelling, musical or historical book. I must have it.



Just to make it clear: This isn’t a fantasy. It’s a historical book with “what if” and few spells that make the whole plot possible. Yes, there are “spell masters”, but you can easily believe in their existence when you consider Rasputin and all that. Almost.

I would’ve rated this book more positively if I could call it a fairytale, but I can’t. Nadine Brandes tries to make this story as accurate as possible and therefore it must be reviewed mainly as a historical book.

From the very beginning, the Romanovs felt like saints. They loved each other, they loved their friends, they loved their enemies and they always did their best for their people. Nikolai was pictured as a strong leader and the tsarina as a person who deeply cared for her ill son and therefore hasn’t much time to spare when it came to other children.

All members of the family were always nice to each other which would be impossible in such a small space. They would’ve fight each other time to time, because real people become easily nervous in conditions such as these. Even if they love each other. Not mentioning I know nothing about Olga or Tatiana, because they were barely there. I’m not even sure why the tsar was pictured as a victim of propaganda considering Bloody Sunday or the fact it wasn’t him who ruled, but his wife.

What I really appreciated was pictured insecurity in Ipatiev house and awful conditions in which the Romanovs were forced to live in. This part felt very real and constricting just as it should be. The quick pacing held my attention till the end and even if I consider historical inaccuracy and some plot holes, I enjoyed this book.

If you’re interested in Russian history and young adult is your thing, you’ll like this one. Especially if you grew up on the famous animated movie.

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I’ve read a few Anastasia retellings in the last year (Heart of Iron and LIFEL1K3) but this is the one I’ve been waiting for.

Listen, I’m all for science fiction. I like sci-fi. But my heart belongs to fantasy and Nadine Brandes’ retelling has hints of magic, historical fiction, and alternate history. This is the Anastasia retelling I’ve been trying to find for a couple years. So let me tell you why, outside the genre, I love it.

Nadine Brandes’s Fawkes received a bit of love from the blogging community last year. I was never supremely interested in Fawkes, but now that I’ve read Romanov, I’m sold on her writing. She writes simply enough that the story never feels like it’s dragging. You constantly feel the characters’ emotions without them bogging down the story too much. The setting was always clear, but it wasn’t to flowery. I enjoyed it for a quick read.

Then the characters. I really liked Nastya. I wasn’t sure I would at the beginning – she seemed a little childish and I was afraid that she was going to evolve into one of those protagonists who gained a lot of power and saved everyone… but started off as a mouse. I don’t mind that sort of character arc over a series, but in a single book, it seems so unbelievable. That didn’t happen though. Nastya struggled in her daily life. She made bad decisions. She never exceeded her abilities – she was as real as I could have wanted. And I say the same for Alexei. Alexei Romanov was hampered by physical ailments – largely weakness and hemophilia. This affliction never stopped being an obstacle for him, even at the very end it is acknowledged he could never be fully healed. I love it when authors follow through on the vulnerabilities they give their characters.

Those are the historically derived characters. Zash is pure fiction, and he was fantastic. His character was so broken inside… he struggled between morality and survival and love and fear. Nadine wrote Zash so well. There were scenes that gave me shivers – particularly a forest scene about 60% through the book. It was just… so good.

Which leads me to the love story. I loved this love story. It had everything I wanted, with so many difficulties and complications. I was never really sure if love would win out. Even at the end of the book, there is a feeling of struggle. Layered love stories like this are wonderful and they completely ruin me for the soft fluffy ones that are so common in YA.

I really enjoyed the way Nadine used magic in this book. I feel like this is more historical fiction than it is fantasy – the magic is important, but it is a complimentary side dish and not the entire point of the story. In the sci-fi retellings I’ve read, the tech and space travel have taken front and center, and not the Anastasia story. That’s not the case with Romanov. Anastasia, Alexei, and their family are the story here. That’s what I wanted from this retelling, and I loved it.

All in all… if you love the Romanov story… this is a wonderful retelling. Romanov fully embraces the history and brings it to life. It humanizes the Romanov family, distances Rasputin a bit form the story, and gives the family life. It was really good, and I thoroughly recommend it.