The next in the bestselling trilogy the drama of a grand duchess and the peasant who determines her fate
As the Russia of Nicholas a... read full description
As the Russia of Nicholas a... read full description
reviews
May 23, 2008
Danielle
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This is the third book from Robert Alexander, and like the two previous books, it is set during the turmoil of the Russian Revolution. This book follows the paths of two victims of tragedy; Pavel, the worker turned revolutionary assassin, and Ella, sister to the Empress Alexandra and Romanov princess.
Alexander explores the two very different paths taken. For Pavel, the murder of his wife and unborn child leads him to revenge and hatred. At many times, he seems to be acting purely More...
Alexander explores the two very different paths taken. For Pavel, the murder of his wife and unborn child leads him to revenge and hatred. At many times, he seems to be acting purely More...
Jul 21, 2008
Kristin
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What I love about Robert Alexander is the fantastic historical detail he includes in his novels. I love that he uses the diaries and letters of his characters so that he can use their actual words and language in his novels.
I also love that he presents such a tumultous time in history in such an even handed way. He doesn't portray the Tsar and other Royals as perfectly evil or perfectly innocent. Neither does he portray the revolutionary activists as perfectly innocent or perfec More...
I also love that he presents such a tumultous time in history in such an even handed way. He doesn't portray the Tsar and other Royals as perfectly evil or perfectly innocent. Neither does he portray the revolutionary activists as perfectly innocent or perfec More...
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Feb 02, 2009
Susan
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A historical novel set in Russia during the beginning of the 2oth century chronicles the lives of two individuals—the real-life Grand Duchess Elisavyeta (Ella), sister of Alexandra, the last tsarina, and the fictional Pavel, a revolutionary who has lost his wife to the bullets of the czar’s soldiers. Convincingly researched with extensive detail from the life of the grand duchess, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who lived an extraordinarily privileged life until her husband was assassinated.
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Aug 21, 2011
Hooma
rated it:
I am hovering between giving this book 2.5 or 3 stars.
I have always been fascinated by the last Romanovs, their untimely and gruesome demise has constantly beckoned me to learn more about them and the fateful last days of their lives. In my mind and in the annals of history as well, they have taken on an almost mythical quality. I am constantly wondering numerous "what if's" when I think or read about them. "What if Russia had become a constitutional monarchy?" or More...
I have always been fascinated by the last Romanovs, their untimely and gruesome demise has constantly beckoned me to learn more about them and the fateful last days of their lives. In my mind and in the annals of history as well, they have taken on an almost mythical quality. I am constantly wondering numerous "what if's" when I think or read about them. "What if Russia had become a constitutional monarchy?" or More...
Jan 05, 2010
Barbara
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This is the story of the life of Princes Elisavyeta, Grand Duchess in the tsarist Russia. It was helpful that I had read "King Kaiser Tsar" prior to this book. What makes it so fascinating is the relationships that exist between all the characters. Ella (her "English" name is also the sister of the Tsarina Alexandra and both of them were graddaughters of Queen Victoria and hence first cousins of Kaiser Wilhelm!!!
Princess Ella lives through the great Russian Revolutio More...
Princess Ella lives through the great Russian Revolutio More...
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May 26, 2009
Rebecca
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My perfect idea of a vacation is what I have experienced so far over the last three days: a beautiful beach, good food, and unlimited historical fiction. The Romanov Bride is not the best piece of literature I have ever read, but it was an absorbing easy beach read. I had never heard of The Grand Duchess Elisavyeta who was the sister of doomed Tsarina of Russia at the time of the Revolution and was married to the Tsar’s uncle, the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Her story is so tragic yet g
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Oct 14, 2009
Lydia
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I almost didn't give this book four stars - the reason being is that GoodReads classifies four stars as "really liked it". I did not really like this book for a number of reasons.
It was difficult to connect with the characters. Both Ella and Pavel were very incredibly human, with all the faults and traits that come with such. So while they were not "likeable" they were very "real" to me.
The pace of the book is slow, almost too slow. It wa More...
It was difficult to connect with the characters. Both Ella and Pavel were very incredibly human, with all the faults and traits that come with such. So while they were not "likeable" they were very "real" to me.
The pace of the book is slow, almost too slow. It wa More...
Feb 16, 2011
4chocolate
rated it:
I've never known much about the Russian Revolution so this book, set during that period of time, kept my interest. This is the story of the Grand-Duchess Elisavyeta (Ella), who was the sister of the Tsarina Alexandra, and a fictional revolutionary character, Pavel, as they proceed through the revolution. At various times during the story their lives connect, then separate again for a period of time. As the story opens, Pavel has an optimism for the future, but after a tragic loss becomes bitt
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Aug 10, 2010
Megan
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Feb 23, 2011
Cassandra
rated it:
Hubby wandered down the rows at the library and pulled out titles he thought would interest me. This one attracted his attention first because of the title, then because of the cover, and finally due to the description of the book. I read the description, saw that it was about Russian royalty around 1900 and decided to give it a try.
I know nothing about Russia. The history books paint Russia as a "bad" country but don't explain much beyond "they are violent and have a More...
I know nothing about Russia. The history books paint Russia as a "bad" country but don't explain much beyond "they are violent and have a More...
Jan 27, 2011
Abish
rated it:
To be honest, this book wouldn't have even made my reading list if I didn't listen to it on audio. A lot of the audio books on my reading list weren't available so I got this one.
This book followed two characters, Ella, the sister to Alexandra Romanov, and a fictional character Pavel, a revolutionary. After the death of her husband, Ella turns her back on the pampered life of royalty and becomes a nun dedicating her life to helping the poor. Pavel dedicates his life to the revolut More...
This book followed two characters, Ella, the sister to Alexandra Romanov, and a fictional character Pavel, a revolutionary. After the death of her husband, Ella turns her back on the pampered life of royalty and becomes a nun dedicating her life to helping the poor. Pavel dedicates his life to the revolut More...
Jan 12, 2008
Cat
rated it: 
Really more of a 1-and-a-half star book. The sanctimonious tone of the Grand Duchess, Ella's, narration really got on my nerves by the end of the book. As did the inconsistent grammar of the revolutionary, Pavel. There were a few insightful bits, especially with regards to Pavel as an essentially unknowing pawn in the Revolution(s).
But still, Russia.
But still, Russia.
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Sep 13, 2009
Jodi
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I wish this book had given a little more detail and that I was a little more versed in Russian history. Very readable and gives alternating glimpses into the life of the Grand Duchess Elissavyeta (Ella) and a poor village man named Pavel who becomes instrumental in the brutal revolution. I kept pushing ahead in this book because I did visit St. Petersburg about 9 years ago so it was interesting to hear about some of the places I visited while there. Hard to read at times because I knew how it
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Aug 20, 2010
Jean Marie
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I recieved this book as a gift and I wasn't sure what to expect from it. The first thing I'll say is that the title is sort of misleading. You'd think, based on the title, that it would be about a young bride coming to Russia to marry a Romanov when it's really about a woman in a marriage that's semi-unhappy during the time of the Russian Revolution. The two main characters are Ella, the now New Martyr Saint Elisabeth and Pavel a fictional peasant turned revolutionary. The narrative bounces back
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Jun 11, 2010
james
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This is a fine historical novel, which takes place in Russia from 1905 to the Communist revolution in 1918.
There are 2 main characters: a woman who was a German princess. The bad news was that her kingdom was somewhat impoverished. The good news was that she had a rich grandmother: Queen Victoria, who managed to marry her off to a Russian prince! She determined to dig up a Russian husband for her baby sister. In this endeavor, she hit a home run: the husband was Tsar Nicholas!
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There are 2 main characters: a woman who was a German princess. The bad news was that her kingdom was somewhat impoverished. The good news was that she had a rich grandmother: Queen Victoria, who managed to marry her off to a Russian prince! She determined to dig up a Russian husband for her baby sister. In this endeavor, she hit a home run: the husband was Tsar Nicholas!
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Apr 04, 2011
Tracy
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An interesting story based in fact. It is the story of the wife of the Grand Duke of Moscow under Tsar Nicholas II. She is the sister of the Tsar's wife and the Tsar is her husband's brother. While she and her sister are German born they become very Russian. She is a very Godly woman and after her husband is murdered by a revolutionary she starts a monastery/hospital. The other half of this story is the a man named Pavel, a revolutionary ultimately involved with her assassination. I find her cha
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Sep 27, 2009
Liz
rated it:
Oh. My. Gosh. Starting out I didn't think I'd get into this book that much, but it actually was a really good one. This one I grabbed after I saw it listed in the back of the other Romanov book I read recently. I'm glad I did, I'll have to check out his other books as well.
The book itself is about Pavel, son to a former serf who, after getting married, moves with his new bride to St. Peterburg. Upon arrival it goes through his experiences of the revolution. The other half is about E More...
The book itself is about Pavel, son to a former serf who, after getting married, moves with his new bride to St. Peterburg. Upon arrival it goes through his experiences of the revolution. The other half is about E More...
May 02, 2009
Caroline
rated it:
Historical novel based on the real-life Grand Duchess Elisabeth Romanov. She was the older sister of the Tsarina Alexandra and her husband, Sergei Alexandrovich, was the Tsar's cousin. After her husband's death, she became a nun. After the Bolshevik revolution, she, along with other members of the Romanov family, was killed in 1918.
The novel is told in alternating viewpoints--Elisabeth or "Ella"--and Pavel, a fictional revolutionary whose life becomes entwined with Elisa More...
The novel is told in alternating viewpoints--Elisabeth or "Ella"--and Pavel, a fictional revolutionary whose life becomes entwined with Elisa More...
Sep 20, 2010
ladywallingford
rated it:
The Romanov Bride portrays the life of both Elisavyeta Fyodorovna,a sister of Alexandra who married an uncle of Nicholas II, and the revolutionist who ultimately killed her. I really like the fact that this book portrays both views on what was happening to Russia during this very tumultuous period.
After the assassination of her husband, Elizavyeta devotes herself to religious service (becoming a nun even) until the Communists arrest and then murder her in July of 1918. I found mysel More...
After the assassination of her husband, Elizavyeta devotes herself to religious service (becoming a nun even) until the Communists arrest and then murder her in July of 1918. I found mysel More...
Mar 20, 2010
Kim
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This is one of those easy reads that leads me into deeper exploration. I've been fixated on Russia for a while but have spent most of my time reading post-revolution history on the Bolsheviks, Stalin, and the cold war, but now I have backed up a step to the tzars and there is so much I've never heard before. German princess turned Russian bride turned Orthodox nun turned saint. Gotta love it. I had to trace family trees for the royals just to get them straightened out. The book is entertaining a
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Jan 13, 2012
Liz
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I really enjoyed this book. It is grisly but historically accurate. I found it interesting how some of the post-Communist logic and propaganda is very prevalent in societies today.
Robert Alexander created a set of polar opposites when it came to his introduction of the Grand Duchess and the antagonist, Pavel. Although I began the book not caring for the situations the characters were in, and becoming disappointed that there would be absolutely no element of romance in this work, hi More...
Robert Alexander created a set of polar opposites when it came to his introduction of the Grand Duchess and the antagonist, Pavel. Although I began the book not caring for the situations the characters were in, and becoming disappointed that there would be absolutely no element of romance in this work, hi More...
Mar 19, 2011
Nicki
rated it:
Historical fiction is always fun for me. I enjoy reading about the plight of characters among a historically relevant backdrop. This novel by Robert Alexander did not disappoint at all. I'd give it 4.5/5.
The story of the Romanov family is definitely an intriguing one. Each chapter came from the perspective of either the Grand Duchess or a Pavel, a revolutionary. This was a great contrast and it really added to the intensity of the story and it made me really re-think the enormity of the ev More...
The story of the Romanov family is definitely an intriguing one. Each chapter came from the perspective of either the Grand Duchess or a Pavel, a revolutionary. This was a great contrast and it really added to the intensity of the story and it made me really re-think the enormity of the ev More...
Oct 15, 2010
Linda
rated it:
A friend strongly recommended this book (and The Kitchen Boy) so I gave it a try. I really had no specific interest in or previous knowledge of the details of the Russian Revolution but this book hooked me. Written from the perspective of a member of the ruling class and a member of the revolutionaries, it's pretty interesting. I enjoyed learning about this time period and the fiction aspects are written in an engaging way that made me want to keep reading to find out what happens. In this f
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May 08, 2010
Kristy
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Each of the books written by Robert Alexander focus on a different character involved with the Romanov Household prior to the family's exile and eventual execution. This book focuses on the Tsaritsa Alexanra's younger sister, Grand Duchess Elisavyeta. Both sisters, originally from Germany, married into the Romanov family. Alexandra and Elisavyeta's great-grandmother was Queen Victoria. Elisavyeta's husband, the Grand Duke Sergei is a minor subject in Mr. Alexander's other book, Rasputin's Da
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Oct 29, 2011
Sarah
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A fascinating look at the Grand Duchess Elisabeth, sister of the last Tsarina Alexander, whose husband was brutally assassinated in Moscow twelve years before the Russian Revolution. Following her husband's death, Elisabeth turned away from her extravagant Imperial lifestyle and founded a convent in order to help the sick and poor of Moscow. Interspersed with Elisabeth's story is the tale of Pavel, a young peasant who becomes sucked into the revolutionary movement after the death of his wife.
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Jul 21, 2011
Pamela
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This book alternated voices of Grand Duchess Ella, sister of the czarina, and Pavel, a peasant revolutionary. The plot follows Ella through the revolutionary uprising in Russia, the death of her husband, and her subsequent life as a nun. Pavel, speaking to a priest, tells of his life as a young husband in love and continues through the events that make him part of the revolution. The narration is gentle and somewhat restrained; thus the book seems slow and a bit lackluster; its strength is
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Jun 12, 2011
Joe
rated it:
Historical fiction at its best with the ring of truth and brimming with little known facts about the Russian Revolution(s), told from the perspective of the peasant Pavel and by Emma, The Princess Elizabeth, sister to Queen Victoria and Tsarina Alexandra.
One unforgettable tidbit: Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, at war with Russia (WW1), funded and backed the communist Lenin so that internal turmoil would help to beat Russia from within.
This is an unforgetable story and although parts are More...
One unforgettable tidbit: Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, at war with Russia (WW1), funded and backed the communist Lenin so that internal turmoil would help to beat Russia from within.
This is an unforgetable story and although parts are More...
Jul 02, 2010
Linwe
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I really think this was the best of the three books Robert Alexander wrote about the Russian Revolution. It showed the entire revolution and the causes behind it, and it captured both sides of the story, the aristocracy and the lower classes, and showcased a different member of the Romanov family than usually seen. And she was utterly fascinating. I had never known much Alexandra's sister before, but I really enjoyed reading about her and the work she did with the poor and how unusual that wa
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Nov 04, 2011
Margo
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Audiobook. An unexpectedly touching book about the Russian Revolution. This book follows the life of the German princess Grand Duchess Elisavyeta, sister to the Tsarina, who became a Russia saint after her own husband, the feared Grand Duke, was assassinated. On the other side of the coin is the story of her eventual assassin, Pavel. The compelling story brings the two lives, peasant and royal, nun and revolutionary together against a surprisingly intimate picture of the Russian Revolution and
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May 05, 2011
Ellie
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This is a great work of historical fiction, looking at a very turbulent time in Russia's history through the eyes of a member of the Romanov family and a peasant turned revolutionary.
The author showed all the gray areas where people did things they would normally not do if it were not out of desperation. I enjoyed the descriptions of the places, scenery, clothing and people. You can't say that the ending was good or bad, just that it's how life is. With all the good and bad things th More...
The author showed all the gray areas where people did things they would normally not do if it were not out of desperation. I enjoyed the descriptions of the places, scenery, clothing and people. You can't say that the ending was good or bad, just that it's how life is. With all the good and bad things th More...
