Transcript
G’day humans. I’m Adam David Collings. And today, I’m talking about Romanov by Nadine Brandes.
Romanov by Nadine Brandes is a YA historical fantasy novel set in an alternate history where magic exists.
It’s set in the early 20th century and follows the life of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov, or Nastya, as she’ll called by those around her. Nastya is a princess of Russia but her father, the last of the Czars, Nicolas II has been removed from power by the Bolsheviks.
The family live under house arrest, constantly watched by guards. Nastya’s only hope is a magic spell hidden in a matryoshka doll.
This story follows the historical account of the real princess pretty closely, a lot more than the animated movie Anatasia. I haven’t actually seen Anastasia, but the author said this book is a lot more historically accurate, so that’s how I know.
Before starting this book, I actually did a little research on the Romanov family. YouTuber Simon whistler has a good video if you’re interested. I’m glad I did this research because as I went through the story, I found myself recognising characters and situations. It kept me guessing how things would go, and there was a surprise or two waiting for me.
I didn’t know much at all about Russian history before this, so I enjoyed being swept into this world by the book. It’s funny. When I think about Russia, I immediately think about it as a communist country, because that’s what it was when I was growing up, so it’s easy to forget that Russia long pre-dated the Soviet Union. I mean, it was a pretty recent change. Remember, this happened in the 20th century. I’ve lived more of my life in the 20th century than I have in the 21st. That will change in a few years but it’s true when I’m recording this. My point is, these characters were as proud of their country as the communists who took over from them were, they just had different ideologies.
I really enjoyed the portrayal of the Romanov family. Nicholas is presented as a wonderful father, a caring leader, and a very genuine Christian, who exemplifies the best ideals of what that means. I don’t know what the man was like in real life, I can only assume that his people overthrow him for a reason, whether it was a good or bad one, but in a book, you need your heroes to be sympathetic, and the Nicholas in the book is a guy I’ve love to meet and hang out with.
Nastya is presented, as she is in history, as a playful child with an affection for mischief. But the book adds the extra dimension of her heartfelt desire to be spell master. She is also a young woman of great courage and dedication to her family.
Her younger brother Alexi, is also portrayed as courageous. He’s a lot less capable due to his medical issues, but that only serves to make him braver.
As for the magic system, it’s not as complex or as developed as the system in the author’s previous book, Fawkes. It’s more open-ended. It’s more J K Rowling than it is Brandon Sanderson. But you do still get a sense that there’s some logic behind it all.
Like most YA stories, it features a romantic subplot, but like all of Nadine’s books, that romance has a bit of a different twist on it, which makes things much more interesting.
And Just like many other of Nadine Brandes’s works, this book explores themes of forgiveness and grace. It asks us hard questions about how we treat our enemies. I think that’s the hallmark of a Nadine Brandes novel. It makes you think about the important stuff.
This is a book that is filled with heartbreak, determination, and the promise of hope. I wouldn’t say it ends in triumph, but it definitely ends with the promise of hope.
If you enjoy stories that take you into history, spiced up with a bit of magic, then Romanov is for you.
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