This was fun. I have a very intense niche interest in Anastasia and all things Romonov so this was a great find for me. I found the language a bit childish at times, which was especially jarring when coming from adult characters that are supposed to be threatening. In my opinion, this author’s strength is plot, world building, and character, and the artistry of the words is pretty lacking. That’s really what’s keeping me from a 5/5 stars. But, like I said, my niche interest was super fulfilled by this. As a kid, I did a ton of research about the real Anastasia, and was often annoyed at how inaccurate the animated movie was. So it was really cool to see someone take research I had done and use it to create a historically accurate narrative. Because really, how WOULD she have survived without help? The focus on her sisters, especially Masha, was really touching here. I always wished there was more of that in the movie and even the newer stage musical. Anna’s relationship to Evgenia was very sweet. Poor Anna needed a sister again. The best part: THIS BOOK PASSES THE BECHDEL TEST. An entire story revolving around two girls not talking about men! (Except the men trying to kill them. But they even have conversations unrelated to that!) love love love strong female friendships. Even got a platonic “I love you.” So sweet. 

I loved it. Would highly recommend to another history buff like myself.