ROMANOV
Author: Nadine Brandes
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Retellings
Published: 7th May, 2019
Source/Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Rating: ❤❤❤❤.5
Summary
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 survival are to either release the spell, and deal with the consequences, or enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya’s never dabbled in magic before, but it doesn’t frighten her as much as her growing attraction for 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.
REVIEW
“Why won’t you die?”
“Because I have a story I was meant to live. And not even you can unwrite it.”
— Nadine Brandes, Romanov
Nadine Brandes’ book Fawkes has been on my ‘to-be-read’ shelf for ages, I read the blurb and found it interesting enough to click the want to read button on Goodreads, but never got around to it. Now, Romanov was a completely different story – after reading the blurb, I knew I needed it in my hands the moment it came out, preferably in hardcover because that cover art is stunning!
I grew up watching the Disney adaptation of Anastasia, and I remember being engrossed in the show. The type of engrossed that meant I would be upset whenever my grandmother came to get me for dinner. So I went into this book with pretty high expectations.
What I really enjoyed about this book was that it was told in two different parts: before and after the Romanov executions. I think that was what made this book for me. We got to know the Romanov family, the author let us feel the pain they went through when they were exiled, and even though I knew it was coming the execution still left a gaping hole in my heart.
Anastasia ‘Nastya’ Romanov was the heroine I needed to read about; she was feisty, complex, loyal and strong-willed in a way that I haven’t seen in books for ages. Her drive, the will she had to protect her family, the way she pushed herself to be more for them. The way she learned from her father to love, forgive, and be humble – regardless of their circumstances.
I loved every second of this book, it was a shorter read than most books, but that was refreshing because not once did this plot seem rushed, or too slow. Oh, did I mention there’s magic? Yep, what’s a good historical fiction without some magic!
I’m going to touch lightly on the romance in this book, because there was romance but it was never over-powering, and so extremely slow burning. I loved how Nastya and Zash started off on different sides of a coin, not understanding each other and then just as things are going good, Nastya finds herself on the other side of a firing squad with Zash’s finger on the trigger of a gun aimed at her. Most importantly, for those of you who are concerned, the romance is clean.
There is violence and blood, but none of it was overdone – sure it was difficult to picture in your head, because of how much you come to love the characters, but it was still realistic.
Four and a half stars from me, what a magical way to start the day! I look forward to reading more of the author’s work in the near future.
Happy reading,
Francine
Cinder
The Write Kind of Love 