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Triumph of a Tsar
Triumph of a Tsar is the first book in Tamar’s alternate history series about the Romanovs. The whole series is a First Place Winner for the Chanticleer International Book Awards Fiction Series Book Awards for Genre Fiction!Triumph of a Tsar is a work of alternate historical fiction in which the Russian Revolution is averted, and the hemophiliac Alexei, son of Tsar Nicholas II, comes to the throne. In August, 1920, sixteen-year-old Alexei is enjoying his birthday celebrations when Nicholas dies suddenly. Overnight, Alexei becomes tsar of an empire that covers one-sixth of the world’s landmass. The Great War is over, but Russia is still suffering from the devastation and poverty that it brought. Communists such as Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky view the political situation as ripe for revolution, but they realize that the popular Alexei stands in their way. To make matters worse, Alexei’s hemophilia, the disease that has threatened him his whole life, returns to haunt him. With his life in constant danger from internal threats, Alexei must also navigate the external threats of fascism and Adolph Hitler. Slowly, Hitler’s menace increases throughout Europe until he tries to kill Alexei himself. Only then does Alexei realize that another World War is the only way to stop his German enemy.The next two books in this series are Through the Fire and The Imperial Spy.
281 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 10, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 10, 2018
I've always been curious about the Russian Imperial family. Especially thanks to all those movies and stories about Anastasia escaping to Western Europe and maybe even America. But the truth is that my knowledge about the imperial family, pre-WWII Russia, the Bolshevik revolution and WWII itself are woefully incomplete and sketchy at best. While reading this fictionalization of what might have happened had the Royal Family escaped assassination, had Alexi II ascended to the throne and had the Imperial Family opposed Hitler rather than Stalin allying with him, I kept thinking, wait, what really happened at this point in the war? And who is this person? Were they a real factor in the war or not? Not only did I love this book for the story it told and the way it brought names from history to life for me, I also loved it for making me desperately curious about what really happened in different countries during the war. The historical research for this book is incredible. I can only imagine all of the work that went into the pre-writing stage. At the end, I was left feeling in awe of this author and eager to read more of her books. Highly recommended for anyone interested in WWII, Russia, the Imperial Family and Historical Fiction in general.
May 1, 2018
I remember being introduced to the story of Tsar Nicholas II and the tragic fate of his family around the age of 13 or 14. We used to spend a lot of time at the public library as kids, because it was free, and it was air conditioned. As such, I spent a lot of time perusing the shelves looking for anything that might capture my attention or my imagination. Back then, the library was our internet, and I was a very curious child, fascinated by history, and willing to learn about nearly any subject.
For the uninitiated, Nicholas Romanov was the last tsar of the Russian Empire, ruling from the late 19th century until his abdication in 1917 during the February Revolution (aka Bolshevik Revolution). A year later, he and his family were murdered at the hands of their Bolshevik guards, ushering in the era of Lenin and Stalin and the communists. The story of their tragic fate has been widely written about, and like me, has captured the imaginations of people all over the world. Many theories have swirled in the last 100 years about the potential survival of Anastasia, Nicholas’ youngest daughter, proving that the story of the family’s murder has long tugged on the heartstrings and compassions of thousands of people.
This type of fascination often leads to “what if” questions — what would the world be like today had Nicholas (or his father) done things a little differently? What if Nicholas’ father, Emperor Alexander III, had given the people a constitution, turning his reign into a constitutional monarchy? What if the Bolsheviks had not been successful because the Russian people as a whole supported their emperor because their grievances had been addressed to their satisfaction? In this ambitious work, Tamar Anolic set out to address these questions with Triumph of a Tsar.
This book was not at all what I expected, and it is somewhat unlike the types of books I am used to reading. For me, the story was propelled not so much by a series of “action shots” or by tension, but by a continual desire on my part to know how Alexei, the son of Nicholas II, and the boy who eventually takes his father’s place as Emperor of Russia, would handle the next crisis or political problem making up the “alternate” nature of the history. Early in the book I remember thinking that I wished there was somehow “more” – more time to dwell on certain events or people, for instance. As I adjusted to the style of the writing, it suddenly didn’t matter anymore. The breadth of the story itself is too vast to linger at any one point in time for too long. Soon I began to realize that I kept coming back to read the book because my enjoyment of it was at a deeper level. I enjoyed watching Alexei grow and develop as a man and a leader, and I was undeniably curious to know how the political and social events would develop differently from real history.
Alexei himself was portrayed in this book exactly how I’ve always imagined him to be. Anolic’s characterizations in general were simply beautiful. Simple and straightforward, there is something very classic about her approach in writing the individuals flowing in and out of the story, and in and out of Alexei’s life.
Anolic’s research and breadth of knowledge of her subject was obvious. There is so much to know about the politics, economy, world politics, and the social problems of 19th century Russia that lead to the overthrow of the tsars, that for Anolic to write about them in such a way so as to correct the mistakes made by the Romanovs in order to make her alternate history viable, I think it took an enormous amount of work and thought. And the book was very well thought out, on all levels.
There were places that perhaps the author used more modern and casual dialogue than I prefer in historical fiction, and admittedly this did pull me out of the story a few times, this is a skill that gets honed over time in an author’s career.
More comment than critique, and certainly not criticism — I did find it very difficult to keep track of the huge cast of characters and their relationships to one another. Part of this was because of my unfamiliarity with the Russian way of passing along surnames within a family. Also because the author chose to use not only the characters’ given names, but also the nicknames they used for one another within the family. In instances like this, I find it helpful to be able to flip to the beginning of a printed copy of the book to refer to a character list. I’m not certain if such a list was provided in this book because I didn’t check. It’s much more cumbersome to do such a thing on a Kindle (and I was reading an e-copy). Needless to say, this didn’t take away too much from my enjoyment of the book. I always knew who the significant characters were, and really that was enough for me.
Contrary to what I said earlier about the foundations of the book being less about tension and action, I do have to say that the ending was very intense! It most definitely provided a satisfactory outcome to what most of us hope for in an alternate history.
I definitely recommend this book to lovers of history in general, to those fascinated by the Romanov family, and anyone interested in political and social history.
For the uninitiated, Nicholas Romanov was the last tsar of the Russian Empire, ruling from the late 19th century until his abdication in 1917 during the February Revolution (aka Bolshevik Revolution). A year later, he and his family were murdered at the hands of their Bolshevik guards, ushering in the era of Lenin and Stalin and the communists. The story of their tragic fate has been widely written about, and like me, has captured the imaginations of people all over the world. Many theories have swirled in the last 100 years about the potential survival of Anastasia, Nicholas’ youngest daughter, proving that the story of the family’s murder has long tugged on the heartstrings and compassions of thousands of people.
This type of fascination often leads to “what if” questions — what would the world be like today had Nicholas (or his father) done things a little differently? What if Nicholas’ father, Emperor Alexander III, had given the people a constitution, turning his reign into a constitutional monarchy? What if the Bolsheviks had not been successful because the Russian people as a whole supported their emperor because their grievances had been addressed to their satisfaction? In this ambitious work, Tamar Anolic set out to address these questions with Triumph of a Tsar.
This book was not at all what I expected, and it is somewhat unlike the types of books I am used to reading. For me, the story was propelled not so much by a series of “action shots” or by tension, but by a continual desire on my part to know how Alexei, the son of Nicholas II, and the boy who eventually takes his father’s place as Emperor of Russia, would handle the next crisis or political problem making up the “alternate” nature of the history. Early in the book I remember thinking that I wished there was somehow “more” – more time to dwell on certain events or people, for instance. As I adjusted to the style of the writing, it suddenly didn’t matter anymore. The breadth of the story itself is too vast to linger at any one point in time for too long. Soon I began to realize that I kept coming back to read the book because my enjoyment of it was at a deeper level. I enjoyed watching Alexei grow and develop as a man and a leader, and I was undeniably curious to know how the political and social events would develop differently from real history.
Alexei himself was portrayed in this book exactly how I’ve always imagined him to be. Anolic’s characterizations in general were simply beautiful. Simple and straightforward, there is something very classic about her approach in writing the individuals flowing in and out of the story, and in and out of Alexei’s life.
Anolic’s research and breadth of knowledge of her subject was obvious. There is so much to know about the politics, economy, world politics, and the social problems of 19th century Russia that lead to the overthrow of the tsars, that for Anolic to write about them in such a way so as to correct the mistakes made by the Romanovs in order to make her alternate history viable, I think it took an enormous amount of work and thought. And the book was very well thought out, on all levels.
There were places that perhaps the author used more modern and casual dialogue than I prefer in historical fiction, and admittedly this did pull me out of the story a few times, this is a skill that gets honed over time in an author’s career.
More comment than critique, and certainly not criticism — I did find it very difficult to keep track of the huge cast of characters and their relationships to one another. Part of this was because of my unfamiliarity with the Russian way of passing along surnames within a family. Also because the author chose to use not only the characters’ given names, but also the nicknames they used for one another within the family. In instances like this, I find it helpful to be able to flip to the beginning of a printed copy of the book to refer to a character list. I’m not certain if such a list was provided in this book because I didn’t check. It’s much more cumbersome to do such a thing on a Kindle (and I was reading an e-copy). Needless to say, this didn’t take away too much from my enjoyment of the book. I always knew who the significant characters were, and really that was enough for me.
Contrary to what I said earlier about the foundations of the book being less about tension and action, I do have to say that the ending was very intense! It most definitely provided a satisfactory outcome to what most of us hope for in an alternate history.
I definitely recommend this book to lovers of history in general, to those fascinated by the Romanov family, and anyone interested in political and social history.
May 6, 2018
Triumph of a Tsar is an alternate historical rendering of the Russian Revolution in which the Romanovs survive and remain in power. The young Prince Alexei becomes Tsar and faces many challenges as he cements his control over Russia against seeming impossible odds. Not only does he have to prove he is capable of ruling, he has to survive assassination attempts, and his inherited hemophilia. The author seamlessly weaves the history of post-WW1 into the fabric of her fictional what if. The reader is taken on a roller coaster ride through the turmoil of the times, the economic collapse of the late 20's; the rise of Hitler's Nazi Party in Germany; the continuing threat from the determined Communists. It is a heady mix of true history and a very plausible alternative. The author also provides the reader with an in depth look at the intricate and widespread influence of family among the Romanovs and their relatives. This proves to be a great source of strength to the young Alexei and a troublesome burden come WW2. An entertaining, and very enjoyable example of history looked at from the 'what if' perspective. 4 Stars
Note: Historical Fiction Reviews received a copy of Triumph of a Tsar in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author
“Triumph of a Tsar” is Tamar’s second novel. She has a history of writing about the Romanovs. Her first book, the nonfiction biography entitled “The Russian Riddle,” was the first biography of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. In addition, two of her short stories about the Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich and his sons have been published: “Rumors of War” was published in The Copperfield Review in 2017 and “Before the Fire” was published in The Helix in 2018.
Tamar’s other works are not about the Romanovs. Her first novel, “The Last Battle,” was published in 2017. Her short story “Dark Night, Bright Sky,” was published in The Sandy River Review in 2018.
http://www.tamaranolic.com
Note: Historical Fiction Reviews received a copy of Triumph of a Tsar in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author
“Triumph of a Tsar” is Tamar’s second novel. She has a history of writing about the Romanovs. Her first book, the nonfiction biography entitled “The Russian Riddle,” was the first biography of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. In addition, two of her short stories about the Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich and his sons have been published: “Rumors of War” was published in The Copperfield Review in 2017 and “Before the Fire” was published in The Helix in 2018.
Tamar’s other works are not about the Romanovs. Her first novel, “The Last Battle,” was published in 2017. Her short story “Dark Night, Bright Sky,” was published in The Sandy River Review in 2018.
http://www.tamaranolic.com
April 29, 2018
Imagined history or alternative history is not my usual choice, but I thought if the author could make me believe in Tsar Alexei, I could get over my bias. I found Alexei as a 16 year-old to be fun-loving and impulsive; as a man, devoted to duty and his family but rather too prone to tears and saying “I’m sorry.”
The writing is good, with only a few grammatical error or typos and the author did her research. I checked some things that I thought might be incorrect but in each case she was right.
However, my credulity was stretched by some of the sub-plots. Examples: Lenin had an audience and brought a gun along to shoot the Tsar, but instead was shot by Alexei; the Tsar sent his son and heir to kill Hitler; an uncle, or cousin, threw a glass ashtray at the haemophiliac Tsar, did not even apologise and wasn’t punished. Incidents like this make the story unbelievable. Even if it’s alternative history, the author needs to make it believable.
Any story about Russia is bound to be confusing because of the names. So many people had the same name. Many of them also had nicknames. The confusion in this book is compounded by a) the number of characters with the same name b) the use of proper names and nicknames c) having characters of the same name in the same scene. Many times characters were introduced into a scene where they had no part to play. The list of characters at the beginning of the book instead of the end and their relationship to the Tsar would have been helpful. All of this made the story difficult to read.
***
The writing is good, with only a few grammatical error or typos and the author did her research. I checked some things that I thought might be incorrect but in each case she was right.
However, my credulity was stretched by some of the sub-plots. Examples: Lenin had an audience and brought a gun along to shoot the Tsar, but instead was shot by Alexei; the Tsar sent his son and heir to kill Hitler; an uncle, or cousin, threw a glass ashtray at the haemophiliac Tsar, did not even apologise and wasn’t punished. Incidents like this make the story unbelievable. Even if it’s alternative history, the author needs to make it believable.
Any story about Russia is bound to be confusing because of the names. So many people had the same name. Many of them also had nicknames. The confusion in this book is compounded by a) the number of characters with the same name b) the use of proper names and nicknames c) having characters of the same name in the same scene. Many times characters were introduced into a scene where they had no part to play. The list of characters at the beginning of the book instead of the end and their relationship to the Tsar would have been helpful. All of this made the story difficult to read.
***
August 16, 2020
I get this book is a bit unrealistic in some parts, but I will let other readers point that out because I don´t care for the most part.
I also disliked that the real history and the "fictional universe" diverted so early on (In this book Alexander II survives the terrorist attack), I would have preferred if the differences started later, but it is just personal, and I completely understand why the author chose this (To explain why the empire survived).
It does its job as an alternative history book and is at least coherent enough to immerse you, it is like pure beauty, positivity, wish-fulfillment and fun. It reads fast.
I loved the family relationships most of all, it is where this book shined the most. Alexei and Ileana were not incredibly developed, but they had sweet interactions.
I also disliked that the real history and the "fictional universe" diverted so early on (In this book Alexander II survives the terrorist attack), I would have preferred if the differences started later, but it is just personal, and I completely understand why the author chose this (To explain why the empire survived).
It does its job as an alternative history book and is at least coherent enough to immerse you, it is like pure beauty, positivity, wish-fulfillment and fun. It reads fast.
I loved the family relationships most of all, it is where this book shined the most. Alexei and Ileana were not incredibly developed, but they had sweet interactions.
April 2, 2023
I personally believe that this book is one of the best books about the Romanovs ever! I am very interested in the Russian imperial family and this is quite historicaly accurate, i could not put it down, i finished it in two days, i belive that if anyone is looking for a historicaly accurate book about the Romanovs this would be one of them, i also loved how the author gave Nicholas II a natural death. I could read this over and over again, amazing book. Definitely recommend it
April 15, 2024
If you’re going to write a story with an alternative timeline about the Romanovs, you need to explain how they weren’t killed in 1917. Also, this story was more telling than actually creating a story. Could have been so much better.
January 23, 2025
I love this book so much😭
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews