The Last Grand Duchess A Novel

Bryn Turnbull — 2022

"The Last Grand Duchess reads like a symphony, the last notes of the Romanovs vanishing with a staggering and tragic beauty." --Erika Robuck, National bestselling author of The Invisible Woman This sweeping novel takes readers behind palace walls to see the end of Imperial Russia through the eyes of Olga Nikolaevna Romanov, the first daughter of the last tsar Grand Duchess Olga Romanov comes of age amid a shifting tide for the great dynasties of Europe. But even as unrest simmers in the capital, Olga is content to live within the confines of the sheltered life her parents have built for her and her three sisters: hiding from the world on account of their mother's ill health, their brother Alexei's secret affliction, and rising controversy over Father Grigori Rasputin, the priest on whom the tsarina has come to rely. Olga's only escape from the seclusion of Alexander Palace comes from the grand tea parties her aunt hosts amid the shadow court of Saint Petersburg--a world of opulent ballrooms, scandalous flirtation, and whispered conversation. But as war approaches, the palaces of Russia are transformed. Olga and her sisters trade their gowns for nursing habits, assisting in surgeries and tending to the wounded bodies and minds of Russia's military officers. As troubling rumors about her parents trickle in from the front, Olga dares to hope that a budding romance might survive whatever the future may hold. But when tensions run high and supplies run low, the controversy over Rasputin grows into fiery protest, and calls for revolution threaten to end three hundred years of Romanov rule. At turns glittering and harrowing, The Last Grand Duchess is a story about dynasty, duty, and love, but above all, it's the story of a family who would choose devotion to each other over everything--including their lives.

Reviews

Paige Green@popthebutterfly

Feb 11, 2022

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher for a book tour. Thanks! All opinions are my own. Book: The Last Grand Duchess Author: Bryn Turnbull Book Series: Standalone Rating: 3/5 Recommended For...: historical fiction, Russian history, the Romanovs Publication Date: February 8, 2022 Genre: Historical Fiction Age Relevance: 16+ (grief, death, violence, gore, religion, romance, mass death implied) Explanation of Above: The book is about the endtimes of the last ruling Russian Tsar, so there is mentions of death, a murder shown, and grief. Their mass death is implied at the end and the gore is very very slight. The book also mentions violence. The book focuses on Olga’s romance and feelings with a Russian soldier. The book also focuses a lot on the religious aspects of the family and Rasputin. Publisher: MIRA Pages: 400 Synopsis: Grand Duchess Olga Romanov comes of age amid a shifting tide for the great dynasties of Europe. But even as unrest simmers in the capital, Olga is content to live within the confines of the sheltered life her parents have built for and her three sisters: hiding from the world on account of their mother’s ill health, their brother Alexei’s secret affliction, and rising controversy over Father Grigori Rasputin, the priest on whom the Tsarina has come to rely. Olga’s only escape from the seclusion of Alexander Palace comes from her aunt, who takes pity on her and her sister Tatiana, inviting them to grand tea parties amid the shadow court of Saint Petersburg. Finally, she glimpses a world beyond her mother’s Victorian sensibilities—a world of opulent ballrooms, scandalous flirtation, and whispered conversation. But as war approaches, the palaces of Russia are transformed. Olga and her sisters trade their gowns for nursing habits, assisting in surgeries and tending to the wounded bodies and minds of Russia’s military officers. As troubling rumours about her parents trickle in from the Front, Olga dares to hope that a budding romance might survive whatever the future may hold. But when tensions run high and supplies run low, the controversy over Rasputin grows into fiery protest, and calls for revolution threaten to end 300 years of Romanov rule. At turns glittering and harrowing, The Last Grand Duchess is story about dynasty, duty, and love, but above all, it’s the story of a family who would choose devotion to each other over everything—including their lives. Review: Overall, this was an ok book. The book did well to present the barebone facts and to show how the Russian princesses lives were before their tragic end. The topic is a special interest of mine and I liked reading about it. The characters were well developed and the world building was well done. I also enjoyed seeing Anastasia from a different perspective as most books about this time period are from her viewpoint. However, I found the book incredibly dull and boring. The book didn’t really grab my attention and I found it hard to continue reading it. The book was also so confusing with jumping back and forth between time periods and places. The book would have probably been better chronologically and better developed story and plot wise. Verdict: It was ok, but not a fave.