Mixing History With Fantasy: Romanov by Nadine Brandes

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SPOILER ALERT * SPOILER ALERT * SPOILER ALERT*

Thank you Bargain Books SA for sponsoring a copy of the book for review purposes!

Have you ever wondered about a piece of history and what it would have been like if there was magic thrown in? How would the story have played out?

That's exactly what Nadine Brandes does in Romanov: how the Romanov family fought for their survival, one incredibly small step at a time; how Anastasia unleashes unknown magic which was bestowed to her family, for their family alone, by the greatest Spell Master to have ever lived.

"The bond of our hearts spans miles, memory, and time.”

I must admit; I didn't really know the story of the Romanov family before I read this book unless you count the Disney Animated movie "Anastasia".

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Nadine Brandes' writing style is lovely; she seems to have captured the essence of that era (circa 1918) with her writing, which is elegant and smooth, flowing through the story with ease.

The first half of the book tells the main story; of the deposed Tsar and his family, captives in exile waiting to hear when they will be executed; of their daily struggle to remain kind and hopeful; of trying to subvert their guards with kindness because of their faith; how each distant gunshot represents an execution of people who still supported them; how Nikolai presses Nastya into guarding and hiding a family heirloom - a matryoshka doll that has been imbued with powerful spells crafted specifically for the Romanov family; how Nastya tries to protect her sister from a broken heart; how their efforts eventually led to them being betrayed and their eventual execution.

“It is if you separate the two- old life and new life. But once you learn that it's all one life and each day is a new page, it gets a bit easier to let your story take an unexpected path.”

The author seems to accurately portray the historical facts, with a few embellishments thrown in, which makes the story believable and familiar; if you know the story well you'll spot the embellishments - but it didn't matter to me either way since I didn't know the story.

The second half is, obviously, all fiction; how Nastya releases her family's magic, which is not only unknown but also untested; how she saves herself and her brother; her struggle to trust anyone and to ally herself with her betrayers in order to seek justice; how the family magic was crafted for just these circumstances; how she manages to restore some semblance of a life and an almost happily ever after.

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The magic does leave a little to be desired; even though the spells are spectacular, the magic system isn't fully explained and I believe that so much more could have been with it. Also, the magic inside the matryoshka doll is extremely convenient, as if the Spell Master, Dochkin, was a seer of some sort and prepared these specific spells in advance...

Even though the second half is a little far-fetched, it is still a well-constructed, very enjoyable story!