Romanov by Nadine Brandes – ARC Review

Romanov by Nadine Brandes

Series: N/A

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Expected publication: May 7th 2019

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Pages: 352

Format: ARC

Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

* Received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much! This doesn’t affect the review in any way. My opinions are, as always, my own.*

From the author of Fawkes comes a magical take on the story of Anastasia Romanov.

The history books say I died.

They don’t know the half of it.

Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them . . . and he’s hunted Romanov before.

Nastya’s only chances of saving herself and her family are either to release the spell and deal with the consequences, or to enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya’s only dabbled in magic, but it doesn’t frighten her half as much as her growing attraction for Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her . . .

That is, until she’s on one side of a firing squad . . . and he’s on the other.

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The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

 

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
Series: Winternight Trilogy #3
Publisher: Del Rey (Ebury Publishing)
First published January 8th 2019
Genres: YA, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 384
Format: Hardback
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

One girl can make a difference…

Moscow has burned nearly to the ground, leaving its people searching for answers – and someone to hold accountable. Vasya finds herself on her own, amid a rabid mob that calls for her death, blaming her witchery for their misfortune.

Then a vengeful demon returns, renewed and stronger than ever, determined to spread chaos in his wake and never be chained again. Enlisting the hateful priest Konstantin as his servant, turmoil plagues the Muscovites and the magical creatures alike, and all find their fates resting on the shoulders of Vasya.

With an uncertain destiny ahead of her, Vasya learns surprising truths of her past as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all…

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

 

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Series: The Poppy War #1
Publisher: Harper Voyager
First published May 1st 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Adult
Pages: 544
Format:Paperback
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.

Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco

 

Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #3
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
First published September 18th, 2018
Genres: YA, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

In this third installment in the #1 bestselling Stalking Jack the Ripper series, a luxurious ocean liner becomes a floating prison of scandal, madness, and horror when passengers are murdered one by one…with nowhere to run from the killer. .

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.

But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It’s up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer’s horrifying finale?

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

 

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Series: N/A
Publisher: Canterbury Classics
First published in 1844
Genres: Classics, Historical Fiction
Pages: 1055
Format: Leather-bound Paperback
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

Best-selling author Alexandre Dumas–who also wrote The Three Musketeers–tells this heartbreaking yet heroic tale of Edmond Dantes who takes revenge on the men responsible for his unjust fourteen-year imprisonment, keeping him from the woman he loved and the life he was supposed to live.

– This chic and inexpensive edition comes with a heat-burnished cover, foil stamping, luxurious endpapers, and a smaller trim size that’s easy to hold.
– This widely popular classic, originally written in French, tells a tale of devastating consequences for the innocent as well as the guilty.

The Count of Monte Cristo is a must-have for any home library or literary aficionado.

Overview
“Alexandre Dumas’s novel of justice, retribution, and self-discovery – one of the most enduringly popular adventure tales ever written – appears here in a newly revised translation.” “This novel tells the story of Edmond Dantes, wrongfully imprisoned for life in the supposedly impregnable sea fortress the Chateau d’If. After a daring escape, and after unearthing a hidden treasure revealed to him by a fellow prisoner, he devotes the rest of his life to tracking down and punishing the enemies who wronged him.” “This newly edited version of the original nineteenth-century English translation speeds the narrative flow while retaining all the essential details of Dumas’s intricately plotted and thrilling masterpiece.” The classic nineteenth-century translation has been revised and updated by Peter Washington, with an introduction by novelist Umberto Eco.

Sent to prison on a false accusation in 1815, Edmond Dantes escapes many years later and finds a treasure which he uses to exact his revenge.

Bright We Burn by Kiersten White

 

Bright We Burn by Kiersten White
Series: The Conqueror’s Saga #3
Publisher: Delacorte
Published July 10th 2018
Genres: YA, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

Haunted by the sacrifices he made in Constantinople, Radu is called back to the new capital. Mehmed is building an empire, becoming the sultan his people need. But Mehmed has a secret: as emperor, he is more powerful than ever . . . and desperately lonely. Does this mean Radu can finally have more with Mehmed . . . and would he even want it?

Lada’s rule of absolute justice has created a Wallachia free of crime. But Lada won’t rest until everyone knows that her country’s borders are inviolable. Determined to send a message of defiance, she has the bodies of Mehmed’s peace envoy delivered to him, leaving Radu and Mehmed with no choice. If Lada is allowed to continue, only death will prosper. They must go to war against the girl prince.

But Mehmed knows that he loves her. He understands her. She must lose to him so he can keep her safe. Radu alone fears that they are underestimating his sister’s indomitable will. Only by destroying everything that came before–including her relationships–can Lada truly build the country she wants.

Claim the throne. Demand the crown. Rule the world.

TTT: Books That Awaken the Travel Bug In Me

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 out of a love of lists. It recently changed to That Artsy Reader Girl and that’s where you can find the topics for each Tuesday.

This week’s topic is:

Books That Awaken the Travel Bug In Me

 

This is an awesome topic! I missed last weeks topic because DNF books are just not my thing, and I wouldn’t have much to talk about. Plus, I had another post I wanted to put on my blog that day so… Yeah, that happened. But this topic, and in general, topics like this, I’m a fan of and I definitely want to share my book experiences with you guys!

There’s many I would love to talk about and for sure many I must be forgetting, but I will focus on 10 books. I have a mix of historical fiction books, contemporary books, fantasy and even classics. They are mostly set in different countries and I would love to see if you guys have read any of these books or are interested in any of the countries I mentioned!

Which books awaken the travel bug in you? To which countries?

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

 

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Series: N/A
Publisher: Puffin
First published February 2nd, 2016
Genres: Ya, Historical Fiction – WWII
Pages: 391
Format: Paperback
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

It’s early 1945 and a group of people trek across East Prussia, bound together by their desperation to reach the ship that can take them away from the war-ravaged land. Four young people, each haunted by their own dark secret, narrate their unforgettable stories. Fans of The Book Thief or Helen Dunmore’s The Siege will be totally absorbed.

This inspirational novel is based on a true story from the Second World War. When the German ship the Wilhelm Gustloff was sunk in port in early 1945 it had over 9000 civilian refugees, including children, on board. Nearly all were drowned. Ruta Sepetys, acclaimed author of Between Shades of Grey, brilliantly imagines their story.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

 

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Series: N/A
Publisher: Vintage Classics
First published 1878
Genres: Classics, Romance, Historical Fiction – Russia
Pages: 963
Format: Paperback
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

Acclaimed by many as the world’s greatest novel, Anna Karenin provides a vast panorama of contemporary life in Russia and of humanity in general. In it Tolstoy uses his intense imaginative insight to create some of the most memorable characters in literature. Anna is a sophisticated woman who abandons her empty existence as the wife of Karenin and turns to Count Vronsky to fulfil her passionate nature – with tragic consequences. Levin is a reflection of Tolstoy himself, often expressing the author’s own views and convictions.

Throughout, Tolstoy points no moral, merely inviting us not to judge but to watch. As Rosemary Edmonds comments, ‘He leaves the shifting patterns of the kaleidoscope to bring home the meaning of the brooding words following the title, ‘Vengeance is mine, and I will repay.

TTT: Freebie – Bookshelf Appreciation​

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 out of a love of lists. It recently changed to That Artsy Reader Girl and that’s where you can find the topics for each Tuesday.

This week’s topic is:

Freebie – create your own topic – Bookshelf Appreciation

So, I decided to share my bookshelves today. I love seeing bookshelf tours on Youtube but in bookish blogs, it’s a bit more rare to see them. And that’s why I decided to make that my topic. Also, sorry for some photos, the day was terribly crappy and so, I had to use artificial light which didn’t help at all.

What do you think of my bookshelves? How do you organize yours?