Book Review: Anastasia

Anastasia – the animated movie from the 90s is one of my favorites. I also saw the Broadway musical a few years ago, which was so good, but not like the movie lol. Last year Sophie Lark released her fantasy romance take on the story of the real-life Russian princess and I had to read it! Of course, it kept getting pushed on my tbr, but I finally read it and loved it.

I don’t know a lot of the real life historical facts, but I do know that Anastasia was a Russian princess and her whole family (parents, siblings) were all killed during an uprising or riots and her father was the last tsar. Anastasia supposedly was never accounted for so people speculated that she had escaped. Historically, Rasputin, who I think was an advisor to the tsar had something to do with the killing of the family and in the animated movie he was seen as a sort of sorcerer.

Anastasia takes the basic premise and adds magic. Everyone manifests different abilities – for example one of Anastasia’s sisters, Tatiana, has super hearing. Rasputin is introduced to the family as someone possessing a lot of power including healing powers. Anastasia’s brother, Alexei, has a sort of hemophiliac type disorder and has spent most of his childhood sickly. Rasputin’s ability to help Alexei has even Anastasia’s mother who is religious and against anything occult praising him and allowing him into their home.

As Anastasia grows older, her power grows, and her friendship and relationship with Damien, the Cossack ward of her uncle grows as well. Not only is a relationship with Damien not allowed due to him being a ward (his father is the Ataman of the Cossacks and Damien is a ward of Anastasia’s family for 10 years because he tried to kill her father) but his power is also a death touch so he kills anything he touches.

Meanwhile the common people of Russia grow more unhappy with the royal family, crops failing, and their living conditions. Will Anastasia and her loved ones be able to survive all the obstacles and people who mean them harm? Will Anastasia learn to control her powers? Will her and Damien defy everyone and be together?

The book was so good, engaging, beautiful at times, and heartbreaking at times. I loved Anastasia and her relationship with her sisters, brother, friends, and Damien. I loved watching their relationship develop from when they were sort of enemies as kids to becoming friends, and developing romantic feelings for one another.

I do think it was a little long (at close to 650 pages) and dragged at some points, but at the same time I was so captivated the whole time that I don’t even know what I would cut out!

Read this if you want a steamy fantasy romance with a historical fiction base.

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