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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I agree with other readers that the book is repetitive and a little boring. I actually got so bored that I skipped to the end about halfway through (I know, I'm a monster) and found it surprising. Interesting idea, but I really wish there had been more information about how the main character and his wife fell in love, since I had a REALLY hard time believing that part.
This is not a happy book, so as long as you're okay with finishing it and feeling sad, this will be a good book for you.
Usually I have a hard time getting into a book that says right off the bat that it's 'historical fiction,' but this one was still amazing. The writing was good, the imagery was effective and it made me want to learn more about the last Tsar of Russia. When I looked up more information, it turned out I already knew all the facts from the book. A good read.
Usually I have a hard time getting into a book that says right off the bat that it's 'historical fiction,' but this one was still amazing. The writing was good, the imagery was effective and it made me want to learn more about the last Tsar of Russia. When I looked up more information, it turned out I already knew all the facts from the book. A good read.
Interesting twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Although it's based on real letters, not sure how much of it it based on truth...
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide, Murder, War
Moderate: Torture, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
This book was from the POV of a kitchen boy who worked in the house where the Tsar and his family were held shortly before their executions. The kitchen boy, now an old man, is writing this down for his granddaughter so she knows the true story. It was an interesting piece of historical fiction, but DANG was it slow. But I kept on reading and I was SUPER PISSED when I found out where he was at the time of the execution.
In the moments of his last days a Russian immigrant tells his story and brings to light a fascinating recount of what had happened to the last Tsar.
Leonika was just the kitchen boy. He had no idea what happened behind closed doors, was never confided in and certainly wasn’t trusted. This is what the Bolsheviks believed and this is why Leonika was the perfect person to help the Romanovs. It was him who volunteered to deliver the secret letters, to be middleman between the Tsar and the priest who was in contact with the white army. He took pride in helping, loved them as if they were family and dreamed of their soon to be rescue that unfortunately never came.
Many know the tragic ending, how the Tsar and his family were brutally murdered but than how did this boy escape when all the others were killed is where the old man’s story begins and where the mystery will finally be revealed.
Every since I was young I’ve always had a fascination with the Romanovs. Like many I’ve wondered if one of them had survived, where would they be now. Of course that has now been proven wrong but nevertheless it is a “what if” game that many have played. I throughly enjoyed this book, it was very well written, imaginative without being over the top and just an all around excellent read!}
Leonika was just the kitchen boy. He had no idea what happened behind closed doors, was never confided in and certainly wasn’t trusted. This is what the Bolsheviks believed and this is why Leonika was the perfect person to help the Romanovs. It was him who volunteered to deliver the secret letters, to be middleman between the Tsar and the priest who was in contact with the white army. He took pride in helping, loved them as if they were family and dreamed of their soon to be rescue that unfortunately never came.
Many know the tragic ending, how the Tsar and his family were brutally murdered but than how did this boy escape when all the others were killed is where the old man’s story begins and where the mystery will finally be revealed.
Every since I was young I’ve always had a fascination with the Romanovs. Like many I’ve wondered if one of them had survived, where would they be now. Of course that has now been proven wrong but nevertheless it is a “what if” game that many have played. I throughly enjoyed this book, it was very well written, imaginative without being over the top and just an all around excellent read!}
Dull retelling of the last days of the Russian Tsar and family in exile before their execution. The twisted ending didn't really lift the rest of the story.
This was an interesting, fictionalized take on the imprisonment and assassination of the Romanov family. It was believable, up until the very last pages when a character discovers she is the granddaughter of one one of the Romanov children. Preposterous. This would have been a fine story if it focused on the life of the kitchen boy as a servant to the Romanovs during their imprisonment, and as a witness to their execution. But, it took a crazy turn and became pure fantasy. Reading this book after knowing that the bodies of the Romanov family and their servants had been discovered, identified through DNA testing, and properly buried, makes the ending unnecessary. It was entertaining enough for the reader to listen to Misha's confession about his true identity as the kitchen boy. Why then make him one of the Red guards and how ridiculous to think Maria not only survived the wounds she sustained during the murder attempt, and with whatever the nuns could find to treat her infections and fever, but she also fully recovered and ran off with Misha to America. How could she forgive someone who had a hand in murdering her entire family? So what if he repented and so what if he saved her? He was partly responsible for the destruction of the Russian monarchy and the stupid Communist aftermath that plagued Russia for decades. He's no dreamboat...