I am however, very glad to have just enough logical romance scene (and did not take the whole plot 😬), and I am happy with it a lot. If you read her biography, you'll see that her contemporaries described her as very boisterous, vivacious and childlike. It kind of snuck up on me, because there are so many characters and we don't get tons of one on one time with each one.

And I get with her staying that young for so long of the story there was obviously not going to be romantic times happening, I didn’t need that.All of that said, I am excited for the paranormal/vampire trilogy that will be coming in the future. And most of them simply can't be written off as the "author's imagination/interpretation" thingie as is the case with Anastasia arc. What happens when you are faced with the version of yourself that is consumed and corrupted with power?

Fate grants her a single chance to set it right… but saving what she lost may cost everything she loves. Damien is someone that Anastasia is drawn to from the start, and though he is around her over a long period of her life, they aren't together the majority of that time. Of the five books I’ve read this is her only fantasy-retelling and her most recent work, the others were dark mafia romances that I liked a lot, even though the subgenre isn’t exactly my favorite. The tragedy around which this whole retelling is based has happened and I was completely engrossed in the story.It’s different to other Sophie Lark books I’ve read before but I absolutely devoured it and I know it’ll stay with me for a long time after! The writing style is very lyrical in a way, it helped that the two narrators speak of their hopes, dreams, memories and ambitions. Anastasia is the princess no one needs: the fourth daughter born to an emperor without a son, and the only royal lacking a magical gift. For a nearly 900 page book, it’s really very character driven and more about her development than anything else. I loved the hero's background and getting to see where he was from and the longing behind their romance.

I want to have a good time: I want the spice, I want the twists and turns, but I also, as a rader, don’t want to be treated like an idiot who can’t understand higher concepts. Anastasia features the violent politcal upheaval of our history books mixed with the fantasy of a magic infused dynasty. Anastasia is the princess no one needs: the fourth daughter born to an emperor without a son, and the only royal lacking a magical gift.

I'll go a step futher and say many of them were old believers of the orthodox church, and the rest you can assume yourself. What happens when you are faced with the version of yourself that is good and understands the meaning of love and sacrifice?

I don't like to go into much detail for this book, it already is amazing and no review can do justice of it. Do you want to read a book with interesting worldbuilding, a sizzling romance and a story to die for? But if you know your history or have favorite parts of the film, you are in for some wonderful treats. I even like to go as far as this is my favorite Anastasia retelling, not that I have read too many of them, Anyways. When people ask me to review things, I never know if it's because my followers think I'm going to love it or hate it, but this actually sounds kind of fun and I LOVE fantasy romance, so I assume you're being nice and think I'm going to like this.

I know more about Anastasia’s dress maker that I know about the magic system that Anastasia seems to be obsessed with. I will say that it felt a bit long-winded at times, and I found myself wishing for a little less words. You know, maybe describing the war front was too much for Lark, because well, she would have to describe things well in the first place.