Review: Romanov by Nadine Brandes

Romanov by Nadine Brandes is a work of historical fiction that will leave you clinging onto hope into the final pages of the text. It is a retelling of the Romanov family and Anastasia which is far more closely aligned to the real story than previous adaptations. Therefore, if you know history, you will know what to expect, to a degree. Regardless of this, Brandes is a magnificent story teller who has the power to weave a magical, cohesive narrative which is raw and emotive.

In this retelling, Antastasia (otherwise known as Nastya) is focused upon attempting to smuggle a spell, in the form of a Russian doll, into her suitcase while travelling on her way to exile in Siberia. But she has the head of the Bolshevik army on her tails and he is determined to see the back of herself, her family and all magic in Russia. Nastya, over time, has to make a big decision, whether to release the spell (which is a mystery to her) or come to terms with the consequences of her actions if she does not use it.

This book is full of action and magic, which keeps the reader occupied until the very last page. I thoroughly enjoyed how the author tried to keep as true to the real life events as possible, excluding the inclusion of magic, as it allows the reader to imagine life in Russia in 1918 and witness firsthand, the events which unfolded. While it is still a work of fiction, so many previous adaptations have twisted the story completely and I admire the author and how she aimed to keep it true with some new elements in between. One of those inclusions was the use of magic. By including magic, Brandes was able to add another layer to the plot which turned the narrative into not only a survival narrative, but one with the spirit of hope as well. Magic gave Nastya and the rest of the Romanov’s the hope they needed to get through the torturous exile they were subjected to. They all know that magic was well and truly alive in Russia and remained optimistic that it would have the ability to save them (as well as the white army).

The descriptions in this book were also extremely well done. The descriptions of setting made the reader feel as though they were there, in 1918 in Siberia/Russia. They were so detailed and vivid, giving further depth to the story. The characters were also very complex and well thought out. They each had their own personalities, strengths and weaknesses were made evident throughout the book. By having such detailed characters, the reader is able to understand them better and what may trigger their actions.

Another aspect of the book which really stood out was the strong bond that the Romanov family had. Despite being a large family and being royalty, the parents and siblings stuck together to ensure that they would have the emotional strength to overcome the Bolshevik’s. Though they were subjected to harsh living conditions and even stricter company, they remained optimistic that they would ultimately survive. The love that each of them had for one another was admirable, especially how they each doted on Alexei due to his disability. The development of the relationship between Nastya and Alexei was heart warming as she did everything she could for the tsarevitch.

One part of the book I thought was extremely well done was the slow development of the relationship between Nastya and Zash. Due to the circumstances that both characters were placed in, the pacing of this relationship was extremely important. Brandes created this relationship in such a way that it seemed incredibly natural which is rare in many books these days.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Romanov and the way it was beautifully written while it focused upon some of the darkest days of Russia’s history. It captured the raw, true events of the Romanov family, while intertwining some fictional elements as well. I would highly recommend for anyone who enjoys historical fiction or stories of survival, love and family.

4 Stars ★★★★

Romanov will be released on the 7^th of May 2019 in the United States and the 13^th of June 2019 in Australia

*I was kindly provided with a copy for review from the publishers, Thomas Nelson, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Circus Hearts All Aces

Today I will be reviewing the final instalment in the Circus Hearts Trilogy by Ellie
Marney: All Aces. Like the other two books in the series, this one follows two different characters and their story over a short period of time. We follow Ren, the contortionist, and Zep, the circus dubbed trouble maker, as they both attempt to come to terms with their own family troubles while juggling circus life and the issues it throws at them. This book takes place approximately a month after the second book and follows on with the story of the circus. Throughout the book, the two main characters have to deal with a number of issues that are thrown at them, including: injury, family expectations, avoiding criminal activity and romance. I will discuss some of these below.

I really enjoyed reading through the eyes of Ren as the narrator. Unlike the previous two books who had strong female narrators, Ren is more anxious and awkward, which made her point of view more interesting to read. At the beginning of the book, she is coming to terms with an injury which was sustained at the conclusion of the previous book when the circus was set on fire. She has been out of action due to difficulty with breathing and thinks she is ready to return to performing. Throughout the book, I admired Ren’s determination to return to form and be ready for performing again. While she may not have been ready to do so, she showed her utmost strength and determination to be a part of the team and not let them down even though she was still injured (and to more of an extreme than she first thought). Her countless hours of practice in her room were a prime example of this.

Another aspect of the book I like was the inclusion of Ren’s family. In the previous book, there was the father/daughter relationship between Fleur and Terry and mother/son between Marco and his mother. Both of these pairs were close by the end of the book and the parents were supportive of their child’s choices. In comparison, Ren’s parents differ. They are at the head of a very tight knit and loving family who want the best for their daughter. In this case though, they want their daughter to leave her home at the circus and work in Bali at her uncle’s hotel. While this wasn’t a huge story line within the book in comparison to others, I felt it had the largest impact. Ren wanted to impress her parents and made them proud but her mother had a one track mind of her moving away to work as she believed it would be a once in a life time opportunity. This situation is one so common in everyday life and its inclusion in the book makes it relatable to so many people.

In this final instalment in the series, I also loved hearing more from the ‘bad boy’ of the circus, Zep. In the second book, he was dubbed the trouble maker of the circus and criticised for bringing his personal problems into the circus. In this book, Marney shares another side of Zep that was less evident in the other books in the series. Zep is portrayed as a caring individual who wants to help out, while also remaining wary of his father and his henchmen. I enjoyed seeing Zep’s faith in himself grow throughout this book as he did not believe his skills were up to the standard to perform.

One other thing I found interesting was the relationship between Ren and Zep. At the beginning of the book, they barely know each other. The only real contact they had was Zep saving Ren from the fire. Then, very swiftly, they have fallen for one another through a series of events. While they seemed like quite an unconventional couple due to the difference in upbringings, Marney was able to easily develop a relationship between them that was believable and meaningful.

Overall, I did thoroughly enjoy this series and this final instalment. I loved seeing how the relationships were built, how they were adjusted and how problems were faced head on with great determination. If you are after a YA contemporary, circus book with romance, please don’t hesitate to check out this series!

I rated this book 3.5 Stars ★

This book is available for purchase from the Amazon as an e-book and will be released in paperback in December

(Thank you to Ellie Marney for providing me with a copy of the book in return for an honest review)