I really wanted to love this book. I’ve been intrigued by the Romanovs and the Russian Revolution since I was very young and I even took an entire course on the Russian Revolution at Pitt. Anastasia, in particular, is an intriguing personality, tragic or not – she is an impish, impulsive and occasionally difficult child, and she comes to life in most works like any spunky girl protagonist would. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen here.

From my understanding of the series, each book in the Treasure Chest series follows a pattern: the twins, Felix and Maisie, are informed by their eccentric great uncle that they must go somewhere and give someone something, in this case, Imperial Russia to give Anastasia a Faberge egg. In the process, they are supposed to learn a lesson and the egg is supposed to help Anastasia in some way. There’s a slight problem when Alexandra (Anastasia’s mother) takes the egg and an unexpected time traveling guest threatens to break it, but it must, and does eventually reach Anastasia, but there’s no mention of how it will “help her” – we assume the story still ends the same way as it did in real life. As for the lesson, it comes clear out of left field from Rasputin and well, it just doesn’t fit into the “plot” – which there doesn’t actually seem to be.

The “plot”: the twins accompany the royal family around the country with a few hiccups along the way, though there is no real problem. Every story needs a problem, without a problem, there is no point. In addition to having a problem, it must also be believable. In the case of time traveling to Imperial Russia, there are thousands of possible problems and things that could go wrong – but Ann Hood just glosses over them with barely a mention and given as the book is set in 1911 when Anastasia is still quite young, we’re a good 6-7 years away from the major problem. There’s just no believability in the tension between the characters because there aren’t really any developed characters – they all fall flat on their one dimensional faces (or do they have to be 2D to do that?).

Anastasia is shafted, she isn’t given the due consideration she deserves. She’s impish and impulsive and that’s it. She’s just an archetype and it’s difficult to even get a read on any of the other characters in the book. It’s short, yes, only about 200 pages, but I’ve read short stories that have made a far greater impact on my life. Ann Hood could have done wonders to flesh out that characters and entice the reader to care a bit more about the troubled Imperials but in its published incarnation, it’s really hard to care whether the family lives or dies, or about what happens to Felix and Maisie when they return. I give the story two stars because I love the premise, an addition star because it is well structured and because I really, desperately tried to like it. ( )

I wanted to like this book so much you guys. I have read the whole series and now while the series as a whole is amazing, the ending of this book is such a let down. It just ends and your sitting there wondering what the heck happens now? What were the reactions of people back at Elm Medona, what happened to Maisie and Felix? The Ziff twins? All of them? Still, the story line was good and entertaining, the characters were well written. I'm just really disappointed with the ending. 3 out of 5 stars. ( )