Most people have heard of the Russian revolution and the Romanov family. The 337-page novel Romanov by Nadine Brandes is based on the true story of the Romanov dynasty. There have been many books, movies, and documentaries about this story and Princess Anastasia in particular.
Anastasia Romanov in this novel has been given an important task, one that involves magic and spells. The result of this task will determine the future of Anastasia’s family. As simple as it may seem, she must hide an ancient spell while the Russian revolution ensues, and the Bolsheviks continue to move them further away from their home. While she and her family are in exile, she realized the extent of the war going on outside their protected home by the way the guards treat her family. Some guards, however, are kind and may even be able to help her mission. The consequences of either using or not using the spell are huge. What will Anastasia choose for her family and how will the people she thought were friends eventually seem like enemies?
I have been personally enthralled by the Romanov dynasty since I read Anastasia Romanov’s diary in elementary school. Since then, I have seen multiple films and read countless books about this topic. Romanov was a fantastic read! If you are familiar with the Russian revolution, this book is a great add-on to the myth of Anastasia potentially surviving her family’s unfortunate death.
I would give this book almost a full five stars. I enjoyed the story and felt that it was well written. I did not enjoy the love story included involving Anastasia. I felt that the story could have been just as good, perhaps even better, without a love interest interrupting the plot.
-Isabella D.
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I would have loved this as a kid! Anastasia was one of my favorite movies.