Scan barcode
A review by foxonabook
Romanov by Nadine Brandes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
The thing that drew me to this book was its premise. I have a long-standing fascination with the Romanovs and I will genuinely consume anything Romanov related (including Simon Sebag Montefiore’s brilliant history of the Romanov dynasty). So, naturally, I couldn’t resist borrowing this from the library when browsing the digital catalogue.
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read a YA book, and I realise that I have outgrown the prose and writing style associated with the genre. However, that didn’t take away from the story, which I found very enjoyable. The plot was at some points predictable, but predictable is sometimes welcome, especially when life keeps throwing curve balls at you.
The characters were likeable and nicely rounded. However, while I’m happy that Anastasia got her happy ending, I wish the author would have touched a little more on the PTSD she, her brother and even Zash would have inevitably experienced -it would have made the ending more believable for me. I understand this is YA and fantasy is designed for escapism, but Anastasia forgiving Zash in the space of a week seemed... well, as I said, the ending felt a little too good to be true considering what the characters had all been through (and that’s more on me since I am an adult reading YA).
Overall, an enjoyable read!
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read a YA book, and I realise that I have outgrown the prose and writing style associated with the genre. However, that didn’t take away from the story, which I found very enjoyable. The plot was at some points predictable, but predictable is sometimes welcome, especially when life keeps throwing curve balls at you.
The characters were likeable and nicely rounded. However, while I’m happy that Anastasia got her happy ending, I wish the author would have touched a little more on the PTSD she, her brother and even Zash would have inevitably experienced -it would have made the ending more believable for me. I understand this is YA and fantasy is designed for escapism, but Anastasia forgiving Zash in the space of a week seemed... well, as I said, the ending felt a little too good to be true considering what the characters had all been through (and that’s more on me since I am an adult reading YA).
Overall, an enjoyable read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, and War