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 … 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
- Full-length, stand-alone YA historical reimagining
- Includes a special bonus chapter!
- Includes discussion questions for book clubs!
more
I’m having trouble figuring out what to say about Romanov by Nadine Brandes. The story is beautifully written with moments of sheer genius in the way she weaves thoughts and truths. Although the subject matter is weightier than some of her books, I never wanted to stop reading. I loved the characters and setting, the glimpse of Russia and her people, the trip through history during a difficult time. I highly recommend Romanov.
In high school, I was in an advanced English class. Because of this, my guidance counselor thought it would be a great idea for me to enroll in Advanced History as well. I thought this was a terrible plan because me and history don’t mix, but got talked into it anyway. Turns out I was right and barely scraped by that class with a D, BUT—we had a whole unit on the Grand Duchess Anastasia and the whole Romanov family. I completely forgot everything I learned the moment I stepped out the classroom door that year, but it didn’t take me long to remember when I started reading this. A few pages in, it all came flooding back and I knew this was going to be a rough ride.
Spoiler alert: I was definitely not wrong.
This novel is so emotional and heavy, but I mean that as a compliment! From the very beginning I was taken on a journey and I couldn’t put this down. Even knowing the ending didn’t change how invested I was or quiet my urge to find out what happens. All of the characters are so rich and amazing. I really loved getting to know them all, especially the Romanov family. Their bond to one another was so lovely to watch and seeing those bonds last through such adversity was inspiring. I have to admit that Anastasia and Alexei were my favorite to watch, but they were all really special.
It was also so beautifully written??? I saved soooo many quotes reading this thing because Brandes is such a wonderful storyteller! And the way she seamless weaved magic into the story was PERFECT. This book is more historical fiction with some fantasy elements thrown in, but it was done so effortlessly that I almost believe this actually happened. That the Grand Duchess Anastasia was an aspiring spell master with a magical Matryoshka doll.
Lastly, I’d like to give Brandes a shout out for the romance between Zash and Nastya. It took a backseat to the plot and family relationships, which I really appreciated! Playing up the romance too much would have cheapened the message and I’m glad it was so subtle and elegant.
↬ FINAL WORD
This book may be emotional, but it’s AMAZING and beautiful. If you’re a lover historical fiction and fantasy, then you should ABSOLUTELY read this. You won’t regret it!
I enjoyed this book, for the most part! It was a page turner and at times had me on the edge of my seat. I appreciated the author’s take on the Romanov family’s togetherness and strength while under house arrest. Their faith and their ability to laugh and tease during hardship made them real to me, as we do often find ways to see hope or be lighthearted even in the hardest of times. I most adored Nastya’s relationship with her father and brother. They were endearing. Also, the periods of romance in between the seriousness of the family’s situation was definitely nice to have. The magic aspect didn’t turn out as I expected, but that wasn’t a bad thing. It was a neat and unique concept. What didn’t jive was the mention of Rasputin being a good character. Didn’t like that.
This YA novel is the first I’ve read of Nadine Brandes, but it won’t be the last! I loved this story. Brandes’s writing sparkles, bringing the characters and setting to life. I felt as if I was in the room, taking part in the action. There were a couple times I had to actually walk away from the book because my heart rate sped up from the tension. (But I admit, I’m a suspense wimp.) I even enjoyed the author’s notes where she delineated between fact and fiction. This is one for the top of your To Be Read stack.
This book! I love, love, loved it. It was endearing, humorous, and heartbreaking all rolled into one, and handled a tragic subject with much sensitivity and heart. The magic felt fascinating and unique, and the romance oh so compelling! I absolutely adored Nastya with all her humour and love for her family. This will certainly be a story I reread in months to come. Highly recommended!
This story had one of the best relationships I’ve read in a long time!
I’m fascinated by the story of Anastasia Romanov, particularly since the musical “Anastasia” is one of my favorites (the music is just. Amazing.) I picked this one up on an Audible daily deal, since it was a retelling of Anastasia involving magic. Even better.
The story begins when the entire Romanov family is under house arrest by the Bolsheviks. I expected this to end quickly, and that Anastasia would somehow be on the run for the majority of the story–but that’s not how it turned out, rather to my dismay. The rest of her family was alive for about half the book, which upset me because they stuck around long enough for me to get attached to them, particularly to her brother Alexi, the crown prince. I knew they were going to die, so I was gritting my teeth in anticipation of this. But this extra time was necessary in order for the author to set up two Stockholm Syndrome-style romances: one between the ex-Princess Maria and the Bolshevik guard Ivan, and one between Anastasia and the guard Zash. The latter relationship was very interesting. At first it was a straightforward romance, aside from the star crossed lovers aspect. But later (semi-spoiler alert) it became far more about forgiveness and second chances than anything else. In fact, I felt like this turned out to be the theme of the whole story, as Anastasia prayed to Jesus (which I thought was interesting — were the Romanovs Christian, I wondered? Her papa, the Czar Nicolai, was portrayed as being very Christian), and as she grappled with her bitterness and her conflicting emotions toward Zash. Zash, meanwhile, struggled with his self-loathing. I wondered if the author was a Christian herself, and then at the end found out the book was published by Thomas Nelson, a Christian publisher. So that explains it!
I assumed the story would have to follow what we knew of history, aside from the addition of magic and the supernatural explanation for her survival, but (another spoiler alert), in this version, Alexi lives too. I suppose that’s not any more of a stretch than Anastasia’s survival, since there are reports that all of the Romanov bodies are accounted for, hers included. For the sake of the story, I’m very glad he did survive, since he was the one family member I couldn’t bear for her to lose. The ending was as much of a “happily ever after” as they could have, under the circumstances, which definitely made me happy!
My rating: ****1/2
Language: none
Violence: none except the obvious (the family gets murdered) — but not gratuitous
Sexual content: none
Political content: none
What a story! I couldn’t put it down. I tried to make myself read it slow just so I could savor it, but the second half of the story would not allow that!
I love that the main them of the book is forgiveness and hope. The main characters are strong and real, and I love that they stick to their true selves and the truth! Too many YA books get their kicks from overly emotional main characters who constantly lie, lie, lie, and go against their principles.
Read this book and the previous novels of this author!
Do it!
I really liked it! Strange to read a YA book that’s a standalone, but it was wrapped up well with a satisfying ending.
I loved the way a totally unique magic system was wrapped up with historical pieces, and thought the author did an amazing job with all the characters.
I highly recommend!
This book needs a bazillion and one stars, I’m not even kidding. <333
This story is an emotional rollercoaster--one minute you're laughing at sibling sarcasm, the next you're blinking away the blinding tears just. to. read. the. next. word. The broken ache was real. The love and faith was real. The whole journey was so beautifully real. <33 Romanov is one of those "tales that really mattered...full of darkness and danger... And sometimes you didn't want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer."
Favorite quote (more will probably come with a reread...of which, I think, there will be many):
"My new focus turned forward. I'd not mourn the lost good memories--I would apply them to my heart as a poultice every time it ached. That was what positive moments were for--to help heal the wounds of the future. As long as we chose to remember them."
She died that day in 1918…or did she?
I started Romanov with very mixed feelings. On one hand, I have long been fascinated by Anastasia’s story and I love Nadine Brandes, but, on the other hand, I know how the true story ends with an entire family being brutally annihilated. Dark much?
While I confess that I did like Nadine Brandes’s previous book, Fawkes, a little more than this one, I was still intrigued by and totally immersed in Romanov. The mix of surprisingly accurate history, magic, and even a little romance was excellent. Nastya’s world was both familiar and yet different. The blend of magic and the real world is seamless.
One thing I will touch on is that this book is aimed at a YA audience, and, while it is equally entertaining for adults such as myself, the story is based on historical fact and is a bit violent for the younger kiddies.
At the close of the story I can genuinely say that I enjoyed Romanov. Author Nadine Brandes’s portrayal of the emotions surrounding the Romanov family’s exile and death, Nastya’s determination to protect her family and her struggles with forgiving her captors etc., is so plausible that I can’t help but think the real Anastasia must have felt the same way at times. By turns tragic and full of hope this book is sure to entertain, make you think, and you’ll wonder….what if?
*Note this is just my opinion if you liked the book, great, if you didn’t like the book, that’s cool too.
**Also, SPOILERS**
Let’s start with what I like about the book, firstly, I loved the book cover. It attracted me when I was at the book store and I wanted to read it. It welcomes you with a magical feeling as you open the book. Secondly, I did love the relationship, Anastasia has with her siblings, especially Alexi, and with her father. It gives each family a personality and their voices, and help Anastasia grow as a person. Thirdly, I like how the story focuses on forgiveness, hope, and how people are acting during the Red Revolution. I feel like forgiveness has help Anastasia grow from a princess to a mature young woman. Also, Ivan is a great character and good for Maria. I absolutely loved the chemistry and relationship. I was upset that they killed Ivan
Now here is what I didn’t like about this book. I did not the pacing of the book, the first half did have some action, but it just felt dragging for me at least. Then the second half had action and it felt a little fast-paced. The book took me 2 months for me to read mainly because I had a hard time getting motivated to finish the book. Secondly, This could be just me but I thought the writing was ok, nothing new. I sometimes have a hard time reading the first-person view because sometimes the character over-describe something or somewhere, I feel like Anastasia doesn’t do this a lot but she does drag the story sometimes. And thirdly, (This is mostly m opinion) I thought the relationship with Zash and Anastasia was ok, I wasn’t invested in the relationship, though I did think Zash’s character was interesting (I wish Zash’s character was explored a little more), I don’t know, I didn’t have the same emotional feeling towards Zash and Anastasia as I did for Maria and Ivan.
Overall, I thought the book is ok. I appreciate the author doing her research about the family and the historical events and the addition of Russian words. I think its a great concept of adding History with a bit of fantasy.
I’ve always been captivated by the story of Grand Duchess Anastasia and the mystery that surrounded her death. Nadine Brandes managed to stay true to the history and still tell an exciting story using a bit of fantasy. I really enjoyed this story from a new to me author and will definitely be looking into some of her other works. Fawkes has already caught my eye and is calling my name!
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Well, I’ve been pondering over how to review this and what I need to say to describe it adequately, but I just can’t find the words.
Romanov has stolen my heart, my emotions, my thoughts, my time, and now my words.
Nadine Brandes has captured masterful storytelling at its fullest, and her author voice is beautiful enough alone. She deserves the attention, and so does Romanov.
Oh the tragedy. I almost didn’t survive.
The bond of our hearts . . . . spans miles, memory, and time.
Outstanding. There’s really no other way to sum up how I feel about this book.
If you don’t know your history about the Romanov family, then facts mentioned in this review might be considered “spoilery”.
As Brandes mentioned in her Author’s Note at the end of the book, “When drafting this manuscript, I could only tackle it for a couple hours at a time because the true story was too heavy for my soul.” This really is exactly how the tragic events of the former Tsar and his family always made me feel. I remember learning about them in high school and I can do nothing but hope that one day Romanov will be part of the curriculum when learning about this time in Russia’s history.
The first half of the book is so well detailed and accurately told that it reads almost like non-fiction told in a first person POV. I know how much of the story actually happened.
I will say this is a lot less light-hearted and sweet than Brandes’ previous book Fawkes. But seeing that it’s a story about Anastasia Romanov, I knew it wasn’t going to be. The subject matter is not for the faint of heart. It’s heartbreaking and absolutely sob inducing.
Brandes wrote the characters so flawlessly; your heart gets completely caught up and falls completely in love with every member of the Romanov family.
The magic system that Brandes went with for her fantasy twist part of her story was incredible! It was clever and I never felt confused or lost. Just like how Fawkes made me feel; that I wished it were true. That this is how the world was.
Equal parts facts and magic, I will definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read more about the Grand Duchess. Brandes really did a wonderful job at giving her a new voice.
This is a fairytale spin on the final days of the Romanov family. The book seems like historical fiction but also introduces a magical element. The story is told from Anastasia’s point of view, and gives a clear view of what life in captivity was like for the family. If you are interested in learning about the Romanovs and enjoy fairytales, I would recommend it.
Great Retelling
I received a copy of this book from the Fiction Guild, I was not required to give a favorable review. This was in interesting rendition of the loss of the Romanov family put into a retelling of how the family had to flee after being captured to have the rein of The Tzar to end of Russia. This story gives some history but with a mystical or magical element to it. It is a great ya read.
This historical fiction novel is a narrative of the last days of the Romanovs as reimaged by Brandes in a world where magic may have influenced the outcome. Loyalties are tested, prejudices are challenged and romance sparks in the most unlikely circumstances. This was a tragic story, with a touch of magic, and just enough of a happy ending to help heal your heart by the end.
It’s 2019, which means it’s over a hundred years since the Russian revolution overturned the Romanov dynasty, and the rumours about Anastasia have yet to die. In Romanov, Nadine Brandes has melded the facts with the rumours, added a fantastical element of spellmasters and magic potions, and created a brilliant novel in the style of Fawkes (but different).
Anyone who knows the Romanov story will know the basics of the plot of Romanov. But I’m not going to spoil any of the details for those who don’t. I suspect readers who know the story will find it easier to get into Romanov, but the background knowledge isn’t necessary.
Romanov is the story of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna. At sixteen, Anastasia is the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas of Russia. But Nicholas is no longer Tsar, and Nastya is no longer a princess. All she and her family want is the opportunity to live their lives as normal Russian citizens in a village somewhere. And Nastya wants to learn the secrets of spells, so she can care for and perhaps even heal Alexei, her younger brother.
The story brings out Nastya’s intelligence, determination, and devotion—both to her family, and to the Russian people. Brandes does a convincing job of showing her as a resourceful young woman who, despite her privileged upbringing, genuinely cares for the people and wants the best for them. But, like the rest of her family, she does not believe the Bolsheviks and the new Soviet government will bring that best.
Imprisonment brings out the best in Nastya and the rest of her family, and many of the guards are loyal to the family while still supporting the Bolshevik cause.
Yes, there is a fantasy element to Romanov—this is a world with magic. However, the family pray to Iisus (Jesus), and are of strong faith. So while Romanov isn’t an overtly Christian novel, it has definite Christian themes. I enjoyed Romanov even more than I enjoyed Fawkes, and I look forward to seeing what historical characters Nadine Brandes next chooses to feature … and what fantastical twist she will put on them.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
From the time I heard this book was coming out I just knew I had to read it. I will tell you that I lived Anastasia’s life while reading this book and that’s in part to the author’s creative writing style. I found myself caught up in all of the emotional turmoil and upheaval that the entire family went through and I cried with the losses that occurred within this storyline. The blending of historical facts with fantasy kept me captivated until I turned the very last page. I quite honestly did not want the book to end and will reread this book. I really wonder how Anastasia’s life would have turned out if she hadn’t been murdered and this author gave me a glimpse of what could have been.
{I requested a review copy when I signed up and was selected for the book tour. I made no guarantee of a favorable review and the opinions contained herein are unbiased and my own.}
Me: I shall listen to an audiobook to slowly read it while I work out each day.
Also me: CAN’T. STOP. LISTENING.
~~~
I am so glad there are voices like Nadine Brandes writing for young adults <3
Though, truly, these are stories for every age.
I was completely immersed in the story from the first chapter. The tension and feelings were so palpable that I connected quickly to the Romanov plight, to the hurt of the people, and also just to each character personally, be it Papa or Joy, the adorable spaniel...
The historical setting and plot are astounding, and the magic is neatly thought through being more and subtle and complex than you'd first imagine.
I really get teary thinking about this book because Nadine brings out the heart of every character and can't help but feel empathy towards them. You laugh at their moments of joy, and you cry because you know what's coming. But before, there's the atrocious situation the captives were put in as well as the rotten crisis the country found itself in.
And in the midst of it all, Nastya, Alexi, Zash, and the entire Romanov family in truth will have to choose to what they want to hold on to, deteriorating darkness or all-forgiving light.
What a beautiful and unforgettable tale.