Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick (pen name for Jackson Pearce)
February 27, 2014
Stand Alone
Bookologist Analysis: This book helped you peek inside to the magical world of eggs and late imperial Russia.
Source: New Teen Books at Library
"Romance, adventure, magic and history blend seamlessly into a story that is... historically sensitive and gloriously thrilling." --Kirkus, starred review
Natalya knows a secret.
A magical Faberge egg glows within the walls of Russia's Winter Palace.
It holds a power rooted in the land and stolen from the mystics.
A power that promises a life of love for her and Alexei Romanov.
Power, that, in the right hands, can save her way of life.
But it's in the wrong hands.
An epic romance with glittering magical elements, TSARINA is swirling with beautiful prose, stark Russian contrasts, and lavish visuals perfect for fans of Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty.
This book takes you back to the last days of the Romanovs. This book takes you back to a boy with a terrible disease. This book takes you back to the meaning of young love and fantasy. Tsarina is an eloquent book on how love changes and grows.
What I liked
Russia- I just love the country/nation of Russia. It has eleven time zones and so many different landmarks and geographical points. I’ll be honest the books that got me into Russia were Vampire Academy and the Princess Diaries about Grand Duchess Anastasia. The last days of the Romanovs are particularly intense and interesting because of World War I and the political revolution happening. The patriarchal (the name meaning daughter of (daughter of Alexander would be Alexandrovna) or son of (son of Alexander would be Alexandrivich)) and Faberge eggs just add the right hint of exoticness to the plot.
Characters- The characters were all woven tightly together to end up having people with many faces and personalities
a) Alexei- All of you have heard of Anastasia the Grand Duchess who might or might not (most likely not) have survived the shooting in Ekatinburg. Alexei was her younger brother cursed with hemophilia. Hemophilia is a blood disorder when you don’t have enough clotting factor when you bleed, so you keep on bleeding for a long time. The main character, Katerina, is madly in love with Alexei, but we only have one scene with him. I would’ve liked to see more interaction so I could judge him better since I have little previous knowledge of him.
b) Katerina- This is a noble girl that is a daughter of a high ranking general of the best regiment in Russia, but still only a lady. She understands the wants of the Reds, yet still is a white. She wants to help the people of Russia, but the wealthy are always happy with the current situation. I liked the way that she realizes that you can find middle ground on a topic. She also knows a bunch of tricks that helps her keep on top of things
Plot- Kept on rolling you just couldn’t guess it. I mean coming up with fantastical ideas for the reason for the Russian revolution. The one thing that disappointed me though was that the author was approached for this book; it wasn’t her idea.
What I Didn’t Like
Nothing (besides more involvement of secondary characters)
This book is definitely a must read. End of story. Just read.
