Romanov by nadine brandes

Even royal blood can't stop bullets.

Sorry, it was just such a great line I had to steal it.

Anastasia Romanov has been exiled with her entire family. But that's not even it. She's been exiled to a house with only a couple rooms reserved for them. She's been exiled away from any help or rescue. She's been exiled away from the guards she's befriended and into the hands of a bloodthirsty commander.

Did I mention the spell she's smuggling with her?

Romanov is the beautiful, tragic story of a family trying to stay together. It's the story of the daughter left behind and the soldier who tried to kill her. It a story of forgiveness for everyone . . . even the darkest, blackest villain.

The characters explode from the pages. Anastasia is a brilliant protagonist that draws us into her struggles and makes us smile with her pranks. Zash draws us in in his own way, too as he tries to escape his tortured past and the mistakes he's made. And Alexei--enough said. Best brother I've read in a book. Despite the fact that he is the weakest, that he hurts the most due to a genetic condition, he gives strength to Anastasia and Zash both.

Allow me a brief moment to compare Romanov to Fawkes, if you don't mind. That's the only thing I can come up with that is even remotely a complaint. In Fawkes (Nadine's other historical fantasy), the magic and the history blend together seamlessly, brilliantly. In Romanov, the magic and the history feel like two pieces to the a puzzle--forming the same picture, clicking together, but not blending together.

As I have mentioned before, one of the things I love about Nadine Brandes' writing is her view on mercy. The protagonists even hand second chances to the villain who killed Anastasia's family. As to how that goes . . . well, I won't ruin it for you.

Romanov is a book with many layers, not unlike Anastasia's spell doll. I, for one, will be re-reading it over and over to get to all those amazing layers.