First off, I won my copy of this book in a giveaway hosted by Goodreads.Let me start by saying that history is not my favorite subject. Unless you're trying to teach me about ancient Celtic tribes or some other culture so old that there is no recorded interest of it, I will likely have not a single iota of interest in it. There are, however, a few exceptions to this quirk of mine. Scotland, in general and throughout time, is one. Egypt is another. The Romanovs, unsurprisingly I'm sure, are one more. I can't really figure out why I have always had such an interest in this particular snag in the tapestry of modern history, I only know that anything that even hints at having something to do with the Romanovs catches my attention irrevocably. This book was no exception. When I found out that I won it, I think I may have scared the neighbors with my exultant roar. When it arrived in the mail, my excitement must have been palpable to my family. I was so very eager to read it, and yet I forced myself to read the other books which had arrived first.
When I started reading I was immediately swept into the ambiance that Robert Masello so skillfully created. The leaps from past to present made at the most opportune moments, the former providing glimpses of insight to the latter. I am not sure i have ever read any historical fiction as well written as this and I look forward to reading more works of historical fiction by Robert Masello
