A Magnificent Saga of Two Women Amidst Political Conflict and Imminent Change…
Against the formidable backdrop of prerevolutionary Russia, the lives of two families become inextricably entwined.
Anna Yevnova Burenin, a peasant girl from the tiny village of Katyk, must leave the home she loves to work in a prince’s palace in St. Petersburg, bringing only her family’s heritage of faith with her. family’s heritage of faith with her.
Anna’s future is altered forever when she is thrust into the presence of the high-minded, spoiled Princess Katrina Fedorcenko. And even as Anna’s own life is changed, her faith has a transforming influence over the willful young princess.
But the aristocracy cannot be isolated forever from the forces that buffet the mighty Russian Empire. While the grand dukes and duchesses celebrate New Year’s at the tsar’s legendary Winter Palace, revolution brews and war in the Balkans seems inevitable. Both peasant and princess face the prospect of their beloved Russia being torn apart by conflict both within and without.
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Master story tellers reveal life in Russia at a time of turmoil. The characters are so real you feel for them.
I first held this series (The Russians, by Michael Phillips and Judith Pella) as a favorite almost twenty years ago as a middle school student and was ecstatic to run across them again recently. Are you a fan of historical fiction? You’ll love these – especially since it’s of a time and place of which not a lot of people are familiar.
Russia at the end of the nineteenth century is on the brink of revolution. Multiple assassination attempts occur against the monarch, Tsar Alexander II. His reign began with great reforms to help the poor and downtrodden of the Russian people, but has since become more reactionary and strict. One of his most trusted advisors, Prince Viktor Federcenko, has felt the strain of his relationship with the Tsar. A peasant girl named Anna joins the staff as the personal maid of the Federcenko’s teenaged daughter, Princess Katrina. Anna’s calm nature and strong faith make a positive impact on the pampered princess, whose main goal in life is impressing her older brother Prince Sergei’s best friend, Dmitri Remizov – who only views her as a child. Prince Sergei is also struck by the personality of Anna, and a secret relationship begins to blossom. But how can two such different people expect a relationship to thrive, especially in an environment filled with such growing strife. The country is at war within and without and nobody would ever predict how dangerous the future will be for our characters.
You’ll come for the story of royalty and faith amidst challenges, and stay for the detailed (yet not tedious) history that flows effortlessly through the plot. You’ll learn as much as you’ll be entertained. Once you read this first book in the series, you’ll be anxious to read the other six!
A first good nook of the series. Though I appreciated all the history, it sometimes bogged me down reading it.
This was a wonderful story that made you feel for the characters and climb into the story. I am not a big fan of war but I feel the story was beautifully written.
This is an historical novel of epic proportions, wonderfully written.
I loved learning Russian History. This is a good reading book. I love History and felt like I was learning a lot about the country in interesting story line.
It took me a chapter or two to really get into this book, but once I did–WOW!! It shares some of the history of Russia in the 1870’s while providing romance, intrigue, and a good helping of faith building.
Very well written. Learned much about historical Russia.
Although this is fiction, it presents a picture of life in Russia during a tumultuous time before the revolution. It was well written and the two main characters were truly captivating.
I’ve read several series by Michael Philips and have been thoroughly blessed by all of them…always wanting more.
Extremely captivating!
I learned a lot about Russian history.
The ending wasn’t an end. It should be noted if it was going to be continued.
Love all the books in the series. Excellent character development.
Didn’t care for it.
`Awesome series of books. I could hardly put them down. I highly recommend them.
This story grabbed me immediately and then gave me an understanding of the Rusdian people of today.
After I had my DNA checked, I was told I was a little bit Russian. I grew up believing I was 50% Norwegian and 50% Scottish. I couldn’t figure out how
the Russians got into my family until I read this book. When it talked about
the Cossacks, it mentioned the different ethnic groups that made up the
Cossacks, and one of them was Scandinavian. This really excited me to find
out that I had a relative (or more) that was a Russian Cossack. This was one of
the best books I’ve read in many years.
Excellent historical fiction. Very informative about life in Russia during the Romanov reign. Characters were well filled-out and believable. Good insight into the live of the peasants. I always enjoy Michael Phillips’ books.