Scan barcode
A review by jennifermreads
Tsarina by Jackson Pearce, J. Nelle Patrick
3.0
A dash of the Romanov family, the power of the Russian Revolution, a little Rasputin, a touch of magic & mysticism (impossible to not have that with Rasputin in a story), and one heck of a spunky heroine. The only thing that kept me from giving this book four stars was my own wish for more Romanov in the story.
The Romanov era is such a fascinating bit of history. And their deaths left so many questions for so long – and Rasputin’s relationship with the royal family continues to intrigue historians and fictional authors alike – as well as us readers! So, for me, this was a delightfully light read following the wonderfully complicated roller-coaster Ilsa J. Bick’s White Space had just taken me on – and for a Romanov story to be called light? How odd, right? But it was. The magic – and the author’s lyrical words – will whisk you away into this historical era and the beauty that is the Russian landscape. Granted, I will inhale anything with a Romanov character – so Jackson Pearce, er, J. Nelle Patrick, had me interested at the word “Tsarina” on the cover and hook-line-and-sinker at the word “Alexei” on the inside jacket!
While I adored Natalya, I found myself utterly thrilled that Natalya’s friend Countess Emilia had more than a brief appearance in the story. I was fascinated with her ruggedness that hid beneath her noble exterior. But I was equally frustrated with the way Leo’s story went:
All-in-all this was just a wonderfully entertaining read. And, Patrick/Pearce hit a market folks … she seems to have the lone Romanov YA novel! If anyone can tell me about another Teen book with a Romanov arc, I’d love to know about it. Because a search of NoveList for read-alikes didn’t turn up anything note-worthy.
The Romanov era is such a fascinating bit of history. And their deaths left so many questions for so long – and Rasputin’s relationship with the royal family continues to intrigue historians and fictional authors alike – as well as us readers! So, for me, this was a delightfully light read following the wonderfully complicated roller-coaster Ilsa J. Bick’s White Space had just taken me on – and for a Romanov story to be called light? How odd, right? But it was. The magic – and the author’s lyrical words – will whisk you away into this historical era and the beauty that is the Russian landscape. Granted, I will inhale anything with a Romanov character – so Jackson Pearce, er, J. Nelle Patrick, had me interested at the word “Tsarina” on the cover and hook-line-and-sinker at the word “Alexei” on the inside jacket!
While I adored Natalya, I found myself utterly thrilled that Natalya’s friend Countess Emilia had more than a brief appearance in the story. I was fascinated with her ruggedness that hid beneath her noble exterior. But I was equally frustrated with the way Leo’s story went:
Spoiler
I was just plain frustrated that a love triangle had to surface. Whatever happened to just having a love that transcends death?!All-in-all this was just a wonderfully entertaining read. And, Patrick/Pearce hit a market folks … she seems to have the lone Romanov YA novel! If anyone can tell me about another Teen book with a Romanov arc, I’d love to know about it. Because a search of NoveList for read-alikes didn’t turn up anything note-worthy.