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.