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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have always liked Anastasia retellings. Overall, this was done really well. I love how Sophie Lark had an artist create so many of the scenes throughout the book because it really made the story seem alive. The ebook was 842 pages.... the storyline, the magic, and the pictures thankfully kept me going because there were times that I couldn't believe I wasn't even halfway through the book. I love the friends to lovers trope and really did love the relationship between Anastasia and Damien. With 800+ pages, they had time to establish a bond that you felt would actually last past the HEA ending. The post twist conflict at the end really made you appreciate the HEA ending without it feeling cheesy/superficial.
Spoiler
One plot hole that bothered me was starting the book off with a prologue from Husani's POV. I get that she was showing how Rasputin and Katya acquired other powers, but I feel like it was a missed opportunity to have Husani be stuck as the bat. Maybe it's that I just wanted the bat to be more than a bat, like in the animated movie. But really, what was the point of Rasputin even having the bat for him to play hardly any significance to the storyline?! Oh well.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I know this was a controversial book for some, but ugh it was so beautifully written.
Honestly I was enjoying it up to around the 160 page mark when we switched point of view. The main character switch didn't work for me, the two character voices come across too similar to me. Might come back to it another time, I did enjoy the magic of the world.
Wow, what a book! I absolutely loved the plot and the characters have a special place in my heart especially Anastasia and the MMC Damien. Anyone who loves fantasy and books associated with royalty then this is the book for you!!
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow. It. Was. Beautiful. And Sophie Lark, if you read this- I’ll be sending you my therapy bill. That is all.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
At first, I was just bored with this book, but then I didn’t like how things were happening.
This book takes place over several years. Anastasia and Damien meet near the beginning of this book then for 75% of it, they don’t have much contact with each other. There was a lot of history about what was happening in Russia (I can’t say for certain, but it seemed that there were inaccuracies), with two or three scenes where Anastasia and Damien see each other and other than that, it’s mentioned that they wrote letters to each other. There weren’t many letters or maybe not many were shown, so it didn’t feel like their relationship changed much – it seemed like they were still kind of friends.
When I saw that this book was a fantasy, I had different expectations. The characters had magic, which counts as a fantastical element, but there was a lot of history and background information about the Romanovs and Russia at the time, which I just wasn’t interested in, especially since I wasn’t expecting it.
As mentioned before, Anastasia and Damien don’t have many interactions with each other and yet after years of not seeing each other, they’re suddenly in love(when she escaped the mines) .
Also, this book contained something that I’m not a fan of anyway, and the book definitely reinforces my dislike.Things happen, but eventually, after most of the Romanovs were killed, Anastasia is able to escape the mines and magically finds her way to Damien, despite not knowing where she or he is. They spend some time in Damien’s village, then quickly go to kill Rasputin (not much planning happened). Things don’t work out and somehow Anastasia travels back in time 2 years, to the morning of the day when the Romanovs were killed. When Anastasia tells her family about the time travelling (all of this happens in the background), they don’t really believe her and then have trouble deciding what to do. Eventually she goes to find Damien, who has just found out that his father died and is very angry at Anastasia. That reaction along with Anastasia’s attempts at explaining things to Damien irritated me. Also, I feel like I missed something because when they try to kill Rasputin a second time, he has all these different kinds of creatures with him that I didn’t even know existed in this world.
I liked the idea of the illustrations in this book, but I didn’t like the drawings with the people in them.
Overall, this book wasn’t what I expected because the majority was history, and the way things happened rapidly at the end was rushed and without development. I might try this author in the future (probably a book in a different genre), but this book makes me hesitant.
This book takes place over several years. Anastasia and Damien meet near the beginning of this book then for 75% of it, they don’t have much contact with each other. There was a lot of history about what was happening in Russia (I can’t say for certain, but it seemed that there were inaccuracies), with two or three scenes where Anastasia and Damien see each other and other than that, it’s mentioned that they wrote letters to each other. There weren’t many letters or maybe not many were shown, so it didn’t feel like their relationship changed much – it seemed like they were still kind of friends.
When I saw that this book was a fantasy, I had different expectations. The characters had magic, which counts as a fantastical element, but there was a lot of history and background information about the Romanovs and Russia at the time, which I just wasn’t interested in, especially since I wasn’t expecting it.
As mentioned before, Anastasia and Damien don’t have many interactions with each other and yet after years of not seeing each other, they’re suddenly in love
Also, this book contained something that I’m not a fan of anyway, and the book definitely reinforces my dislike.
I liked the idea of the illustrations in this book, but I didn’t like the drawings with the people in them.
Overall, this book wasn’t what I expected because the majority was history, and the way things happened rapidly at the end was rushed and without development. I might try this author in the future (probably a book in a different genre), but this book makes me hesitant.
4.75 ⭐’s
I was debating on if i wanted to read this book or not for a while not because the story didn’t interest me because it was so damn long lmao but alas I have made it through and I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless.
The beginning I was a little confused with most parts because I just wasn’t understanding what was going on but once I really got into it, it all started to click for me and I was okay. I'm liking this. Let's keep it going. As I continued to read that’s when Rasputin was introduced and whatnot and without even having to read the back or reviews, also I have not seen the movie it is on my never ending watchlist lmao just like my never ending TBR list okayyyy back to the review, I knew he was gone come in and start some shit. He was shady asl from the jump and I ain’t like that, I mean I did but you get what I mean, anyway When he was so called helping Alexei heal I never would have guessed he was a vampire I just thought he was gone try some crazy magic on em and get em to hand over Rusya, well he kinda did do that but we aint talking bout that now, It killed me when Anya found out and caught him in the act of feeding off her brother that had my jaw on the floor.
The romance between Anya and Damien was fucking beautiful the way they described how they felt about each other was just heart wrenching on how beautiful it was to read and to kinda feel how much they really loved each other. They loved each other with their whole heart and soul and that is such a wonderful thing with fictional couples and couples in real life. It’s like they couldn’t breath without having the other one near. They found each other. True soulmates if ya ask me lol. Even this here what I said ain’t doing them justice on how beautiful their romance was but I ain't got time to put all the stuff I highlighted about them lol
The part that made me cry my eyes out When Rasputin came in and slaughtered her whole family gutted me I literally did not see that coming that part took me all the way out. It was like a fucking masssacre the way him and his army came in and just started killing. My jaw was on the floor yet again with tears running down my face. It hurted me so I didn't even wanna move on. Time passed and I wanted to cry yet again. My girl was working in the mine, I wanted to die for her. But she was so strong and that’s why I love her so much.
It was one part of the whole book I didn’t not really like when they were fighting Rasputin and suddenly she went back the 2 years don’t get me wrong that’s cool she got her family back and everything but I wanted to read about her beating Rasputin and her taking back over Rusya with Damien and how their lives would have looked solely them. But in a sense I did get that but just with her family have survived and whatnot, don’t get me wrong it was good that she had her family back but I thought she would have did better without, but Mrs. Sophie Lark said that Anaya should get the ending she deserves and she did just that.
This is a pretty damn long review lmao I'm sorry but I have no bookish friends to talk to about this and reviews are the only place I can let my thoughts and feelings roam free. Again I love Sophie Lark and she’s done it again with this masterpiece. She has yet to write a book I have not loved, but I ain’t gone jinx it so imma leave it on a good note. I love her and her writing ❤
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated