I received an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion & review
Original Title: Romanov
ISBN: 078521724X (ISBN13: 9780785217244)
Hardcover, 337 pages
Published May 7th 2019
I always had a secret love for the stories of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna. She was the only survivor of the royal family during World War I but it was later “proven” that she was executed with the rest of her family. The reason I also requested this book was because of the cover, it’s just so beautiful.
The author did a great job of bringing the history of the family into this book but she should have explained more the history of the Revolution since many aren’t familiar with the royal family in a prologue. I love how Nadine intertwines magic into her story while not making it the focal point but rather focusing on romance and hardship.
I love the character development of “Nastya”, from a mischief child to a forgiving woman. She was so loyal to her family that she would put her own opinion aside and think positively. I’ve never cried so hard for the treason that she receives. BUT Zash was the most “character development” I’ve read in a long time and I would love to see a POV of his story.
“I opened my mouth to protest. How I loved protesting.”
Even though the storyline was from the POV of Nastya, you could feel the humanity of every character. The Bolsheviks are trying to survive by just doing their jobs, Zash’s personality and his reasons, the family’s hope and dreams, and even the villain’s understanding at the end.
I would say one thing that I disliked was the concept of the magic… I was just unsettled. I’m not sure if it needed more plot development or simply more explaining throughout the book. Why was the doll magic so easy to use… I would have loved to know how all the magic worked.
“Because I have a story I was meant to live. And not even you can unwrite it.”
Overall this book gets a full-mark review. I’ve read this book in two days and couldn’t put it down unless I had to. I believe this novel should stay a standalone but have a POV of Zash’s life story from his childhood, the Bolsheviks upbringing, the guarding of the royal family, and what happened afterward (sorry no spoilers).
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