This book was ridiculously stupid. It was all over the place. ( )

I picked this book up simply because it had the name 'Romanov' in it. I'm not even kidding. I didn't even read the back of the book to figure out what it was about, I just bought it. I love reading about history and different spins on history, and what happened to the Romanov family is well known.

The book was a tad bit disappointing. The writing was a little slow, and not much of the mystery that happens in the book is explained. I was expecting the book to revolve what happened to the Romanov family, or the events surrounding their deaths, but it didn't really.

The book took me a long time to get through because it never really grabbed my attention. Unfortunate because I really wanted to love this book. ( )

Message to all the naysayers- it's FICTION book folks, not a memoir or history of the Romanovs. Mossanen writes of an era when the Russian revolution took place and beyond... Mysticism is added but instead of detracting from the storyline,it is so well written that it added to it- and i abhor fantasy books!
Darya is the orphaned daughter of friends of the Russian royal family. She is welcomed into the household to watch over the tsarevich.
After the slaughter of the Romanovs she 'knows' he survived and spends her eternal life searching for him....does she find Alexei?
I think the ending was cool.
I for one will stand up and recommend this book to anyone with an open mind with an interest in history, with a dose of WHAT IF?! ( )

I have read several historical books set in Russia in the past two years, so when I saw this one, I picked it up immediately. I knew I had to read it. Once I picked it up and started reading though, I thought ‘not so much’. It started out a bit slow, but I am so glad I stuck with it!

Darya’s parents are in the same social circle as Tsar Nicholas, and Darya’s mother is the best friend to Tsarina Alexandra. When Darya is orphaned at age 17, the Tsarina takes her into the castle and appoints her as a ‘nanny’ to the young Tsarovitch, Alexei. She comes to love him as a son, and is very loyal to the Royal Family, even in the midst of revolution. Rather than abandon them, Darya follows the Romanovs to their imprisonment and eventual death. Darya survives, and remains convinced that Alexei also has survived. She feels it is her duty to find him and help restore the monarchy, and this remains her life long goal. Many years later, when Darya is 104, which the local attribute to her evil magic, she is summoned to meet with a man who claims to be the heir to the throne. The story alternates between Darya at age 17 and Darya at age 104, and there a few year surprise twists!

I found this to be a fascinating story! This is historical fiction at it’s best. The main character, Darya, is entirely fictional, but she interacts with so many people right out of history, and there is so much historical detail. I was inspired to read more about the Romanovs and Rasputin after finishing this one. If you are a fan of Russia history, give this one a try! ( )

An intriguing book...facinating historical fiction on the Romanov family. You will enjoy the book if you have any interest in the Anastasia story - what would happen if the heir to the throne had lived?? ( )