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Mar 04, 2009

Mandy rated it:

I choose this book to read because it was about the Romanovs. There was brief time in my life where I was interested in the last czar's family so the title caught my eye. I'm still interested in the topic, just not to the same degree.

The action never stops in this book. I think that's something that appeals to lots of readers. I don't always like the fast pace, but I have to admit, it does encourage you to continue reading.

Even though I've done my own research into the Roma More...

7 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 14, 2008

Michelle rated it:

Any ideas on why books aren't rated for language/content? Anyway, the story line was interesting enough but I stopped reading the book because of the language. Note to authors; "F-bombs" really aren't necessary to add emphasis to a situation, it just creates characters who lack the capacity to express themselves with any degree of intellegence

1 comment like (10 people liked it)

Oct 04, 2011

Meann rated it:

Like Dan Brown, Steve Berry is a guilty pleasure kind of read for me. And for the record, I don’t care much about historical accuracy (or inaccuracy, in Brown’s case,) I just like alternate history and the way these authors spin their stories.

I’ve read only 2 other books by Berry so far: The Amber Room and The Venetian Betrayal. I’ve come to like Cotton Malone as a protagonist in Venetian, so it took a while to adjust to someone different, like Miles Lord here in The Romanov Prophecy More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 26, 2008

Pam rated it:

I enjoyed reading friends on goodreads reviews. I am also a Russian history nut and have traveled to St Petersburg and the Peter and Paul Fortress. This was such a fast paced intriging book that I read it in a couple of days. I think the mystery surrounding the missing children's bodys will never be solved. So, we have our wonderful imaginations to keep us interested.

By the way, I found the Amber room not as exciting. I have seen the real Amber room and and the privilege to speak More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 01, 2008

Cameron rated it:

Ekaterinburg, Russia: July 16, 1918. Ten months have passed since Nicholas II’s reign was cut short by revolutionaries. Tonight, the White Army advances on the town where the Tsar and his family are being held captive by the Bolsheviks. Nicholas dares to hope for salvation. Instead, the Romanovs are coldly and methodically executed.

Moscow: Present Day. Atlanta lawyer Miles Lord, fluent in Russian and well versed in the country’s history, is thrilled to be in Moscow on the More...

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Jun 23, 2010

Nikki rated it:

I ran across this book sitting on a book exchange shelf at work, and the description on the back was pretty compelling, so I took it home, but without high hopes. As it turns out, I was pleasantly surprised. There's nothing deep here, but it reads like a Bourne Identity-type fast-paced thriller. It was fun, and kept me entertained for a couple days.

That said, it wasn't perfect. I felt like someone as smart as Lord should have realized early on that Hayes was a problem. I mean, he ev More...

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Feb 01, 2010

Valeria rated it:

I LOVED this book! After reading Berry's "The Amber Room" I was interested enough in his style of writing to go for another of his books relating to Russian history and was not disappointed.

Enter Miles Lord, a young and educated African-American lawyer from Atlanta who is on the verge of witnessing history: the Soviet Union has fallen and Russia wants to reinstate rule by a Tsar! Not just any Tsar to be sure, but a Romanov.

Miles, part of a prominent Atlanta l More...

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Oct 24, 2009

Dina P. rated it:

Cerita tentang Rusia yang mengalami kekacauan dan kekosongan pemerintahan setelah era Boris Yeltsin. Dalam keadaan itulah, rakyat menginginkan dikembalikannya lagi era Romanov, dengan mengangkat seorang tsar, seorang laki-laki yang mempunyai pertalian darah paling erat dengan Nicholas II, tsar Rusia yang terakhir yang dibunuh saat Revolusi Bolsyevik.

Cerita pun berpusat pada Miles Lord, seorang lawyer Amerika yang mendapat tugas untuk menelusuri jejak keluarga Romanov. Dalam penelusur More...

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Aug 08, 2009

Ty rated it:

Though not as good as the Berry's excellent "The Third Secret", this one was still a good yarn of suspense mixed with real history and contemporary speculation. I do not know if I can say that this book did for the story of the Romanov's what "The Third Secret" did for the Vatican to me, but that may just be because I have had more interest in Papal intrigue than I have in Russia over the years.

It may also have to do with the fact that the characters are not quite More...

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Jul 05, 2011

Juliet rated it:

Full of suspense and action, this book is well worth the time it takes to read. Set in post-communist Russia as the citizens rally to re-enstate the Romanoff dynasty to rule them as their Tsar, the book opens with the main character Miles Lord witnessing the murder of his lunch partner. Lord, an Afro-American laywer assigned to do a background check on one of the close relatives of former Tsar Nicholas II, assumes that the Russian lawyer he was lunching with was the target of a mob hit. As th More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 07, 2011

Lisa rated it:

I'm a fan of both the history of the Romanovs, & of Dan brown, & this book combines history with a mystery, & rolls both into a fast paced thriller based on the Russian government's decision to overthrow communism & resurrect the rule of the tsars. The main character Miles, is sent to Moscow to do a background screening on one of the candidates for the throne, & in his research, comes across a 1918 prophecy by Rasputin himself that implies that the tragic massacre of the royal family may not ha More...

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Apr 23, 2010

Nikki rated it:

Didn't really like this book at all. The only reason I kept reading was because I found some of the story that was actually about the Romanovs fairly interesting. If a book has either the Romanovs, Cesare Borgia, ancient Greece/Rome, or Arthurian legend, chances are...I'll like it. So it is saying a lot that I didn't like this book.

If you like formulaic conspiracy books (a la Da Vinci Code) it is possible you might like it. But I hate those kinds of books. Small people caught u More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Jan 09, 2011

Travis rated it:

I have become a huge Steve Berry fan after reading all of his Cotton Malone books. So I decided that I would go back and read his earlier works. At first I wasn’t to sure weather or not I would like them simply because Cotton Malone wasn’t the main character. However that wasn’t the case with this book. I enjoyed this book just as much as the Malone ones. It was interesting to read the same writing style as that series but with a different character, it was almost refreshing. I thought the main More...

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Nov 03, 2011

Kaye rated it:

I enjoyed this Steve Berry adventure. It starts with the execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family and then comes to present times when Russia has decided that they want to return to Tsar leadership. A commission has been set up to select a new Tsar that has Romanov blood. Enter Miles Lord who is researching the archives only to find information that leads one to suspect that one or more of the children might have survived the slaughter. Chased by very stereotypical Russian villains Lord More...

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Dec 17, 2009

Simone rated it:

This was the first Steve Barry book I read and I have to say my favourite. This story explores the mystery of the Romanov family and what may or may not have happened to Princess Anastasia. It is fast paced and full of historical information without being overwhelming. Enough mystery to keep me wanting to read to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 02, 2011

Shawn rated it:

Very intriguing book based on the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent murder of Russia's royal family. I think I enjoyed the romantic possibility, that this book explores, of 2 of the Tsar's children actually surviving and also the idea of a Tsar being reinstated in Russia.

I have to admit, I had to suspend disbelief more than once while reading this; for instance, I wondered just how many times the main character, Miles Lord, could escape/survive attempts to kill and torture him. I a More...

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Mar 02, 2009

April rated it:

After realizing that poorly written historical conspiracy thrillers were my guilty pleasure (thanks Dan Brown!) I picked up this novel about the end of the Romanov dynasty and the mystery surrounding the two youngest children whose bodies were not found along with the others in 1979. (This novel - published in 2004 - goes heavily into the 'what if' of Alexie and Anastasia surviving, which would have been more fun for me had I not known all the time that their remains were eventually found in 20 More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jul 16, 2009

Bob added it

PB An Atlanta Lawyer, Miles Lord, is working for a commission headed by his boss. They are in Russia working on re instituting the Romanov rule by finding and selecting the decedent most directly connected to the old Tsar. Miles is on the street with a Russian Lawyer he has been working with when a car pulls up and gunfire rakes the pavement. The Russian is killed and in wild foot chase Miles manages to escape. So begins a mad dash across Russia and the US as Miles tries to avoid being killed an More...

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May 04, 2011

Lorrie rated it:

I enjoyed learning more about Russian history. The Romanov family has intrigued me since first hearing about Anastasia. Her death/survival has been as mysterious as Amelia Earhardt's to me. This book was difficult to put down. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it bothered me that I knew I was reading the author's spin on an actual event in history. It was comparable to a Million Little Pieces by James Frey. His story was based on his experience but he tweaked it a lot (acc More...

2 comments like

Sep 11, 2009

Joy rated it:

Read this about a year and a half ago, borrowed it from a friend and been wanting to read it since I saw it on the book store. It seemed that I had great expectations and this book didn't really meet it. Story was promising, I've always liked historical fiction and reading about them, but his writing style lacks a certain pull. Some of his one-liners at the end of the chapter are supposed to be page-turners but they didn't really compel me to do so. It's an average read, research was thorough al More...

0 comments like

May 01, 2010

Linda rated it:

Steve Berry has been on my TBR shelf for a long time and I finally got around to reading one of his books. This one was OK. The audio edition I used was an abridged version of the book and I suspect that was a good thing. Knowing the identity of the villain from almost the beginning spoiled what could have been an exceptional thriller. Because we know who the villain is, the hero seems like an idiot for maintaining a relationship with this person.

Although the reader was excelle More...

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Jun 18, 2009

Brandon rated it:

This book is in the Davinci Code genre, but lacks the intrigue and intelligence of the Dan Brown novels. I really read these types of book because I love to understand the historical context and how it is viewed to a modern author. This one surrounds finding an heir to the Romanov throne from many who would claim the title. There are some interesting prophecies by Rasputin that are tied into the book as well as the mystery surrounding the two missing bodies in the Romanov grave in Yekaterinberg More...

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Sep 12, 2011

Carl rated it:

Yes yes yes!!! For the love of god YES!!! This book was the book that blew Dan Brown off my bookshelf...I am a true champion of all things Steve Barry! I picked up this book on a lark...had just read D. Code liked it and found this right after so I was in the mood for a like minded book... First ... Of course when I was younger I was obsessed with the whole Annistaia legend ... The story of a lost princess was so interesting... And Steve Barry brought this is life in such a way I have read this More...

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Mar 03, 2011

Sara rated it:

Much like a train climbing a mountain, the pace and intrigue of first quarter or so of this book is sluggish and a little forced. As it crests, however, it picks up speed and an irresistible intensity that makes it difficult to put down. As a reader already predisposed to like books set in Russia and especially those dealing with the Imperial era of Russian history, this book is a unique little gem. The real world's fascination with the possible survival of the Romanov children Anastasia and/or More...

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Dec 23, 2011

Krys rated it:

Following the 1918 massacre of the Tsar and his family by the hands of the Bolsheviks (later renamed the Communist party), Russia plunged into the hands of communism under Lenin. Apparently rumors still exist that not all of the royal Romanov family died in the 1918 massacre, and that two were secretly spared.

In present day, Russia is looking to bring back the ruling Tsar, and the nearest lineage falls to a descendent of the brother of the murdered Tsar from 1918. However, an Ameri More...

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May 19, 2011

Mari rated it:

RUSSIAAAAA! The Romanovs and their sad fate--as well as the theorized conspiracies over possible surviving members of the family--were always a sense of intrigue, much like anything else I have when it comes to certain aspects of history. I have to admit, however, that this would be the first fictional book I have read regarding the Romanovs and regarding this particular area of Russian history (sadly, I go for the more ancient, folkloric Russia, the Slavic mythologies and the like).

Th More...

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Oct 22, 2010

David rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Jul 08, 2010

Spencer rated it:

Wow. I thought this book was utterly amazing. Good on Steve Berry for keeping the entire book snappy and to the point, because I know other authors that could have easily spent 50 pages dragging the reader through every intriguite detail of what Moscow looks like. I really love these types of books anyway, the sort of books that leave you with the sense of, 'What if that did happen, how awesome would that be' I'm also really interested in the Romanovs, as they were so grandiose and mysterious th More...

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Dec 04, 2011

Elizabeth rated it:

Okay, a good mystery with a lot of action but so contrived as to be irritating. One man is told by his "people" to kill his employee for doing his job but never asks the "people" why they want the employee dead? Why would you hire someone to do a job and then when they do it, you try to kill them for it rather than reassigning them to some other task? If you have witnessed three deaths while the killers are after you and you are carrying a gun, do you incapacitate your wou More...

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May 05, 2009

James rated it:

The hunt for the last Romanov as Russia decide it wants to bring back the Constitutional monarchy. But someone wants him dead.

This is sort of a cut rate Da Vinci Code. There are puzzles, beginning with the assassination of the Romanovs, upto a little town in North Carolina. The clues are well placed, but it's pretty obvious who the Tsar is by the middle of the book.

Still, the writing is fluid, the mystery runs well, the chase has its thrilling moments, the story is pre More...

1 comment like