Alternative History

 Romanov by Nadine Brandes 

I don't know if I would classify this is alternative history or fantastical history but it fits both of those categories better than historical fiction. Anyway, this focuses on the Romanov family, with Anastasia being the main character. It follows the abdication and exile of the royal family. However, that is where things take a turn to the alternative and fantastical. Anastasia, or Nastya as she is called in the book, and Maria befriend some of their guards. Maria, who has been there a month longer, has already made progress with Ivan and young and handsome guard. Nastya develops a frienship with Zash, and a bit of a crush, but unlike Ivan, he is dedicated to his job and doesn't open up easily. Maria is full on in love with Ivan and they get caught kissing and he get killed. She is devastated. Nastya and Zash struggle in the aftermath because he had to bury his friend. But, he still likes her and tries to help her. She is studying to be a spell master, to help her brother, and Zash helps her by giving her spell ink and helping her. But, his commander is obsessed with spell masters and has a watch that detect magic and threatens her frequently. Then, her family gets taken to the basement for "their protection" but really it's their execution. Zash is struggling and fires one shot, it hits Nastya. But, because of the jewels sewn into her clothes she survives. When they are throwing the bodies into a truck she realizes that Alexi is also breathing and uses a spell that sends them to the spirit realm. They run away from truck and find Zash in the woods about to killing himself. She undoes the spell and their bodies transport to their new location. She and Zash have to take care of Alexi and try to build trust back. Turns out, his motives were because of Ivan; he said if he was being killed he would want to see a friendly face when it was happening so that's why he was there. It made a twisted bit of sense. He takes them to his grandmother and she helps them. She makes spells for Alexi; yes, she is a village spell master. Then they escape to find the best spell master ever. There is a big chase. They meet some people who are loyal to Alexi. They find the spell master. He heals Alexi. And has a potion to remove all memories, but Nastya doesn't take it because it wouldn't be fair to Zash, and while she doesn't want the pain of remembering her family, she also doesn't want to forget them. So, she uses the spell on the Bolshevik leader who was chasing them instead of killing him. Then Alexi and the spell master go off to rally the troops and Nasty and Zash stay to tend the home base, and for her to learn spell mastery. And they finally kiss. I understand why people are so enamored with the story of Anastasia; her body not being found for years after the bodies of the rest of her family were discovered gave people hope that she got away and lived. The identification in 2008 did not diminish the hope that the test was wrong and that she survived. And this story gives us a potential alternate ending for her, a happy one. I really enjoyed this, even if her real end was much less happy.