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    Romanov
    Romanov
    Romanov
    Audiobook11 hours

    Romanov

    Written by Nadine Brandes

    Narrated by Jessica Ball

    4/5

    ()

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    About this audiobook

    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 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 historical fantasy
    • Paperback contains special bonus chapter
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateMay 7, 2019
    ISBN9780785217268

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    Reviews for Romanov

    4/5

    276 ratings14 reviews

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    • 2/5
      I love anything to do with the Romanov story, so this book was a must for me.

      The beginning of the story was slow, but I enjoyed that. The day to day struggle of being captives, and how they as a family kept each other going.

      When the inevitable happened that’s when things took a turn for the weird.

      At the 60% marker I wanted it to be over already.

      I enjoyed the first half, but after that point I was done. I listened to the end but I wasn’t at all invested.

      Audio
      1/5 ⭐
      The audio was highly difficult to get into. I do not understand why the first person story was read in a British accent, then the dialogue was read in a Russian accent. It was really irritating.
      The Russian accent dialogue wasn’t always distinctive so it was hard to tell who was speaking sometimes.
      The chapters were read in this really perky tone… The scene would end on something tragic and she’d come in cheering the next chapter number. It was just.. ?

      I wanted to love this so much.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 4/5
      A beautiful story filled with true hope, incondicional love and forgiveness. It explored the many emotions of the main character and without making things simple. I enjoyed the first part a bit more than the second one, but I wanted to kept reading anyways cause I cared about these characters so much. And through this I met the Romanov family (I admit I didn't know them) . And I think I will re-read this because it is very inspiring when it comes to learn how to forgive and how to never give up hope.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Tragic yet beautiful retelling of Anastasia. I loved her mischief!
    • 4/5
      The 1st half of the book follows the time of when the Romanov where captured until their execution, after that the writer continued the story on "what if" princess Anastasia and prince Alexie had survived.
      interwoven with magic and determination of the royal blood... the surviving siblings fight for their lives in order to escape and build their shattered world back.
      If you like history and always wondered what happened to the missing sibling then you will enjoy this book.
    • 5/5
      This book was an excellent reminder to never give up hope. It was amazing and inspiring. Thanks Nadine Brandes!
    • 3/5
      If you know the history of the Romanovs, you could skip the first 20 chapters of this.
    • 3/5
      This read was okay wish it had more adventure but I did like the Characters and the world.
    • 4/5
      The first part was very historical and slow. It picked up in the second half of the book.
    • 4/5
      I usually enjoy reading historical fiction and this one was pretty good. It was a little slow at first and didn't really start grabbing my attention until the last third of the book. The history of the Romanov's is extremely interesting and I love that at the end of the book the author explains fact from fiction. I love how strong willed and determined Anastasia continued to be even multiple things went wrong. There is some romance added but it wasn't overly done. It fit really well with the rest of the story. There are definitely some heartbreaking moments but there are also light hearted fun ones as well. The ending is also very well done. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.


      I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.
    • 3/5
      Magic spells and spellmasters are woven into this retelling of the tragic history of the last Russian tsar's family. Set during the family's captivity after the Russian Revolution, the family hopes that a few magic spells in the form of a Matryoshka doll will be their salvation. The youngest daughter Anastasia is tasked with protecting this doll, a task that becomes more complicated as she gets close to one of the Bolshevik soldiers guarding the family. I found this novel interesting, but one has to accept the fantasy portions of the story, which is one of the aspects I struggled with to a degree.
    • 4/5
      Despite an uninspiring front cover, "Romanov" was a great read filled with history, drama and magic. The books opens two months before the Romanovs' executions when the family in in exile in Ekaterinburg. I liked the royal family. They were depicted as a loving unit who supported and genuinely cared for each other. Anastasia (Nastya), the main protagonist, was a minx who refused to be brought down by her guards. Although she had a vulnerable side, she was courageous and determined. She also had a wonderful relationship with her young brother, Alexei, as well as her sisters, especially Maria. Although she struggled to forgive her enemies, she was feisty and fiercely protective of Alexei. Their bond was a highlight of this book. I also loved the close relationship Nastya had with her father, the former tsar.Ivan and Zash, two young guards, who were part of the Bolshevik army keeping the family under house-arrest, were both sweeties. Ivan was such an open, caring boy while Zash was more complex, being torn between his duty and his growing admiration/sympathy for the royal family. However, Zash and Natasha's romance sometimes felt forced and, as such, unbelievable unlike the chemistry between Ivan and Maria. However, I still liked the way their friendship and trust in each other developed. I also liked how the author finished the book, giving Anastasia the chance to live a life of happiness after most of her family was murdered.Overall, "Romanov" was an excellent blend of fact and fiction that took me on an emotional roller coaster. I loved the historical aspect of the story, especially the first half, and the drama and suspense of the second half made this novel a quick, entertaining read about a period of time I have always found fascinating. "
    • 5/5
      This isn’t your typical Disney princess story–it’s even better! “Romanov” by Nadine Brandes breathes life and magic into a tragic period of history (the period of the Romanov’s captivity). Just like the matryoshka doll in the story, this tale has many layers. It’s beautiful, heart breaking, magical and inspiring.This beautiful tale of the time the Romanovs spent in captivity is based on historical facts, but Ms. Brandes infuses it with her own flair; and of course, some magic! It is full of Russian culture, which I loved learning about. There are so many inspiring themes such as friendship, family, forgiveness and purpose. The Romanov family has such a strong bond with one another and they seek to be kind and show forgiveness to their captors (which is based on fact). The story is not all flowers and bunny rabbits. It’s a very hard time for Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov and her family. What I love is that these characters laugh, play jokes, pray together (and maybe even experience romance). Anastasia is a good picture of someone who has lost almost everything, yet has strength and fortitude.Right up to the pulse pounding, heartbreaking climax, Romanov will grip readers and have them thinking of it long after the last page is reluctantly closed. The world needs more young adult fiction dealing with such important themes and that leave the reader with hope and strength for their own battles!Content: I give this book a PG-13 rating. Some examples of the content are: mention of cigarettes and smoking; references to a woman’s bosom; a man is drunk; mentions of alcohol; some gruesome scenes; a man contemplates suicide.Rating: I give this book 5 stars!Genre: Fantasy; Young Adult; Historical Fiction; Christian; Romance; RetellingI want to thank NetGalley, Nadine Brandes and Thomas Nelson for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.
    • 5/5
      Thanks to edelweiss and the publisher for this DRC.
      What a wonderfully magical retelling of a story so many of us know and love! Anyone who has an interest in Anastasia and the Romanovs will enjoy this book. So much of it is documented truth but the magical realism makes it so much more enjoyable. We may never know what really happened to Anastasia and Alexei Romanov, but this is a great option for those of us who entertain the magical alternatives to death. Highly recommended for YA collections.
    • 5/5
      I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

      This is such a gorgeous book I just want to sit in front of it and admire it all day long!

      When I got the e-mail saying my request for this book was accepted I was thrilled!!! Not only was this a retelling of Anastasia (one of my absolute favorite childhood movies ever) but it wasn't any retelling, it was a fantasy one! One could only imagine my excitement towards it.

      Romanov is a historical fiction, that retells the story of the exiled tsar Nicolas and his family, with a sprinkle of magic on it.

      So the story starts off with the royals in Tobolsk and we get to see their relations with their Bolshevik captors and how they got their affection through their kindness towards them. Then they get transferred (albeit not all at once) to their true exile in Ekaterinburg and that's where the true test begins.
      Not only is Andeev not half as nice as the commandants they're used to, but also the Bolsheviks have no compassion whatsoever to any of the Romanovs.

      I loved how the book handled that delicate part of the story, because exile is a dire thing for anyone to go through, let alone fallen royalty whose lifestyle was so different prior to the exile.
      Nadine Brandes really knew how to portray the pain, helplessness and sorrow but also the hope that kept living in the Romanov's hearts.

      I loved how slowly but surly they managed to get the guards to like them and feel sympathetic toward them, some more than others *cough* Ivan *cough*.
      But once things start getting better, the guards start warming up to the tsar's family, Andeev becomes a bit more forgiving with them; shit hits the fan.

      I don't want to spoil anything but holy hell it really does!

      Things basically go downhill from the moment Ivan and a certain someone are found together.

      The rest of the book was so full of tension it exhausted me (in a good way though), I just wanted to keep reading and see what would happen next even as the clock struck 4 am and I was supposed to wake up at 6. (Thank you Nadine Brandes for my panda eyes)

      All in all the plot to this book was amazing!
      I loved the story in general, the little mix between reality and fiction was just about right. It was done beautifully.
      The characters were very intense, I loved how each one of them had their own dilemmas to deal with, and the consequences of their own actions and those of others.
      I also loved how Nastya kept struggling with whether or not should she give her forgiveness, and Zash had to live with what he's done.

      The ending was very well crafted, and albeit it being quite open, I feel very satisfied with it.
      Don't get me wrong, there's nothing I would want more than a sequel featuring those characters in their future adventures, but for now I'm happy with how things ended.