I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4.3/5
Synopsis: 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 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’s only dabbled in magic, but it doesn’t frighten her half 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.
With Romanov, Brandes has created the balance between real and the imagined that every historical fiction should have. Twisting in elements of fantasy with magic and spells she has managed to make the surreal feel possible. The world of Romanov is different from the story of the Russian royal family you heard as a child but the element of hope has been retained.
Although based on real people, Brandes' characters hold their own, and at times, I found myself searching the web to see what was fact and what was fiction. In this universe she has created, everything is possible and seemingly tangible. Our heroine, Anastasia, is headstrong, smart, kind, and love-able in the kind of way 3-dimensional characters are. She's not perfect but she tries and she drags herself through the mud to be the person she wants and needs to be. You'll root for her to live and to love as she tries to navigate her imprisonment.
I LOVED the inclusion of the ethnic minorities of Russia through Zash and that his ethnicity fueled him/his actions but that they weren't the focus of his arc. Not really a spoiler because it's in the synopsis but Zash makes a hard decision and I think Brandes does a great job here in creating Zash as a morally grey character. His actions are inexcusable but his rationalisation of them and the intent behind them makes your feelings conflict just as much as Anastasia's.
The secondary characters from Alexi, to Zash, to Maria are equally as complex and throughout the story, you'll want to either give them a hug or shake them by the shoulders screaming "WHY?"
I felt I wanted more from the ending but I believe it's because Brandes was working with real people and their lives were ended too soon and with many questions unanswered anyway.
Romanov is a story about hope, forgiveness, love, and perseverance. With an ominous undertone coupled with feelings of immense hopefulness, you'll devour this beautiful book before you know it.