Self-Published Saturday: Tales of the Romanov Empire #Russia #Russianhistory #RussianJews

Self-Published Saturday is my effort to help indie/self-published authors with the huge task of marketing their books. Self-published authors have to do it all, and if I can help even a little, I’m happy to do so. Below is my review of Tales of the Romanov Empire, a selection of fictionalized stories about important characters in the Romanov family.

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Stories you’ve never heard about the Romanovs….

Tales of the Romanov Empire is a novel in short stories that examines one of history’s most successful dynasties. The Romanovs were Russia’s absolute monarchs from 1613 until 1917. Yet, beyond the glittering wealth and tragic love story of Nicholas and Alexandra, much of the dynasty remains shrouded in mystery.

Tales of The Romanov Empire sheds light on the Romanovs’ unknown figures, from the election of Mikhail Feodorovich, the first Romanov tsar, to the bride shows that were staged to help Tsar Alexei find a wife. Grand Duke Konstantin, the Romanovs’ famous poet, comes to life as he and his favorite cousin, Grand Duke Sergei, examine their ideals and their sexuality in a world that is hostile to them. All the while, as the empire’s Jews struggle amidst the Romanovs’ pogroms, many make the decision to flee to the freedom of the United States- these stories in particular are based on the author’s own family history.

This novel contains stories of war, stories of personal gifts and choices bent to an autocratic ideal. In their telling, the vast human cost of absolute power- on both the oppressors and on the oppressed- becomes clear.

This is a collection of fictionalized short stories that outline the history of the Romanov dynasty from the first Czar in 1613 until the deaths of Czar Nicholas and his family at the hands of the Bolsheviks in 1917. The research is impeccable and the number of short stories–39–is impressive, as they are all woven together so well. The stories are short-shorts and dip into significant periods in the history of the Romanovs.

I learned so much about Russian history during that period. These stories really take you right into those times and places and make them come alive. We see deceit, treachery, determination, death, and more. We see the persecution, slaughter, and forced removal of the Jews. We see the Romanovs’ beginning, as well as their bloody end, and watch their reign with fascination and horror.

The commitment of the author is admirable, as she takes on fictionalizing and developing so many characters from history and succeeds in transporting us back to their time and their situations. The story of a Jewish family’s escape to America is her family story, and that makes it even more personal and compelling. I can’t stress enough how well this is written. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Russian history in a fascinating way.

I downloaded a copy of this book on Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can read it for free.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tamar is a writer who specializes in historical fiction and military fiction. Her short stories have been published in The Copperfield Review, The Sandy River Review, The Helix, Foliate Oak, Frontier Tales, Pen In Hand, Evening Street Review, Every Day Fiction and The Magazine of History and Fiction.

Her historical books focus on the Romanovs and include The Russian Riddle, a nonfiction biography, and the novels Triumph of a Tsar, Through the Fire, and The Imperial Spy. Her military fiction includes the novel The Last Battle, about a female veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, and The Fledgling’s Inferno, science fiction about a gene that runs in military families and causes superpowers.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON
AMAZON UK

*Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this for free.

*If you read the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books.  Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.

*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!