But Nadine manages to create tension and suspense in these exact scenes, which to me, is just mindblowing. Those are the scenes I always struggle to write because, like, there’s almost nothing really happening. I’m always amazed when an author is able to make normal, boring, everyday events and situations seem interesting. So, watching how the family worked through things and support each other was such a beautiful element that was woven throughout the entire story. It’s really rare in YA fiction to have siblings and parents and families who genuinely love each other and have a good relationship. Seeing all the siblings interact and have each others’ backs literally made my little heart so happy. And it never felt forced or awkward, at least to me. However, Nastya’s religion was a part of her story. I wouldn’t call this a “Christian” book (even though I did add it to that shelf) because it wasn’t centered around Christianity. It didn’t feel too fast or rushed, and it had enough back and forth to keep the relationship feeling incredibly realistic and honest and heartbreaking, but in all the best ways. I haven’t read a ton of books with this trope, but this story is exactly how they all should work because it was perfect. Everything about the writing of this book made me smile, cry, or both! I cannot say enough good things about how beautifully written this book is.

Nadine truly has a way with words because I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the formatting, grammatical elements, sentence structure, etc. Trigger WarningsĪlmost suicide, PTSD, gunshots, death, grief, hemophilia, fights, injuries, bloodshed, drunkenness, and magic. So, massive perks to Nadine for that little bit.

And seeing that Nadine included a Fact Vs Fiction section at the end of the book literally MADE👏MY👏DAY👏 because I have never seen another author include that for a historical fiction story. What a beautiful retelling of a tragic and heartbreaking part of history! I cannot believe it’s taken me this long to discover that this is an Anastasia retelling, but I’m so glad I did because this book did NOT disappoint.Īs someone who’s always loved the animated adaptation, I was SUPER excited to find this book.

The bond of our hearts spans miles, memory, and time.”

Fawkes nadine brandes