Gosh this was an adventure and a half! I have been sadly bummed by some of the other Anastasia-themed books I have read in the past, but this one finally hit the mark! So let us talk about it, yeah?
The Things I Liked:
- •Well, obviously the Anastasia bit! The other didn't really drag out the "reveal" of that part either, which I was so thankful for. In most of the retellings I have read, it's this big dramatic build up but... if you've told me it's an Anastasia retelling, I know she's the royal, somehow miraculously alive? That's the whole point! This one gets that out of the way almost immediately so we can move on with the story. Also, the other did a great job of building on that story, and pulling at the ol' heartstrings.
- •Space adventures! I came for the adventures in space, and I was absolutely not disappointed! There's a ton of high stakes action, and a huge system in which to explore. That said, it didn't feel too overwhelming or convoluted; it was a good blend.
- •I adored the friendships/relationships. There are a lot of really tight friendships in this book. I wasn't sure how they'd all work out at the end of the day, but it was a good journey finding out! Plus, Stacia had to grapple with her new identity, which obviously changed the way she saw her relationships with basically everyone. Good stuff.
- •This is hard to navigate because of spoilers but let me try. So the story makes some choices up front that I found... questionable. And had me trying to wrap my head around the "why" behind a lot of stuff. BUT. The author ties every last thing together so flawlessly, that you'll be so glad that you stuck with it. Everything will make sense, I promise!
The Things I Didn't:
- •It did take some time for me to fully get into. Look, this is a very minor gripe because like I said, the payoff was really worth it! But it's worth mentioning!
- •The ending was a little underwhelming? I am not going to get into it, but I would have liked a bit more? But it was still a legitimate ending, so fear not!
Bottom Line: A super fun adventure in space that blends Anastasia and sci-fi together in a fabulous way!