Anna: Book One of the Kirov Trilogy

The Kirov Trilogy #1

by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

In 1803, the fragile Peace of Amiens breaks down, and Anne Peters finds herself stranded in Paris, penniless and alone, in danger of arrest.

One chance of escape is offered, to flee under the protection of the dashing Count Nikolai Kirov, and make a new life in Russia as governess to his children.

In the flamboyant and demanding circle of the count, his family and friends, moving between the glittering city of St Petersburg, ancient Moscow and the wild, untamed beauty of the Caucasus Mountains, the young Englishwoman begins her transformation into Anna Petrovna.

But as Napoleon gathers his army for the final attack on Imperial Russia, Anna must prepare for a battle of the heart - her forbidden love for a man and a country she may never call her own.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Russia, Historical, Historical Romance, Romance, Fiction, 19th Century

610 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (aka Emma Woodhouse, Elizabeth Bennett)

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born on 13 August 1948 in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, where was educated at Burlington School, a girls' charity school founded in 1699, and at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, where she studied English, history and philosophy.

She had a variety of jobs in the commercial world, starting as a junior cashier at Woolworth's and working her way down to Pensions Officer at the BBC.

She wrote her first novel while at university and in 1972 won the Young Writers' Award with The Waiting Game. The birth of the MORLAND DYNASTY series enabled Cynthia Harrod-Eagles to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended to thirty-four.

In 1993 she won the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award with Emily, the third volume of her Kirov Saga, a trilogy set in nineteenth century Russia.

Reviews

[Kate Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone looking to find out more about Russia and its history should start with Cynthia Harrod-Eagles's excellent Kirov trilogy. "Anna" is the first and best of them, bringing this huge land of contradictions to vivid life. Anne Peters is an English governess who finds herself stranded in France when the Napoleonic Wars begin. A Russian diplomat named Count Kirov brings Anne to Russia to save her from prison, and Anne finds herself governess to his two daughters and irrevocably in love with the Count. The real magic of this book comes in Anne's exploration of Russia, from the palaces of St. Petersburg to the wild mountains of the Caucasus. Napoleon's invasion of Russia forms the central conflict, but there is time for smaller and more personal drama: the Count's little girl who rides off into the hills in search of a mystical vision and suffers horrifying consequences, the tribal chief who keeps a pet tiger in his house and proposes marriage to Anne, and Anne's unshakable love for the Count. This is a book to make a Russophile out of any reader.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It’s a proper old fashioned saga that sweeps you into another world, another era.

When English governess Anne meets Russian Count Kirov it’s a meeting of minds. She goes to work for him, and of course, falls in love with him. Despite him being married to the beautiful but bland Irina, Anna (as she’s now called) and the Count share some swoonably tender moments, until family loyalties step in and Anna flees to start a new life...

Set against the dramatic and dangerous backdrop of the Napoleonic wars, culminating in his invasion of Russia, this book has everything a saga needs: love, war, death, betrayal, heartache, hope and a cantankerous matriarch. The romance is gorgeous, the war is harrowing, and everything else in between transports you back to 1800s Russia, from tzars, diamonds and balls to peasants, wild mountains and a Tartar prince.

I've already got the second in this trilogy Fleur on order; can't wait!

[Misfit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna is the first in a trilogy commonly referred to as The Kirov Saga and is the story of Anne Peters, an Englishwoman forced by circumstances after her father's death to take employment as a governess. Her latest position takes her to Paris in 1803, where she meets Count Nikolai Kirov, a Russian diplomat who was a friend of her father. Her employers take umbrage at this friendship and she leaves their employ and finds herself stranded in Paris, that is until Nikolai offers her a position in Russia as governess to his children in St. Petersburg. Once there, Anne (now called Anna Petrovna), settles in and comes to love the children, but she also secretly loves the very much married Nikolai - and could it be that he loves her as well?

Unable to keep her passion for Nikolai hidden, Anne finally makes a break from the Kirovs and begins a new life in Moscow, but she soon finds that great wealth doesn't always buy happiness. Nikolai eventually returns from Paris and returns to Anna's life, although Napoleon's invasion of Russia definitely throws a kink into any happiness our pair of lovers might hope to find...

This is one of those books that is too complicated to to put into summary and you don't want me to spoil it for you anyway. Anne's story takes her from St. Petersburg, to a nail-biting search for a lost child high in the Caucasus Mountains (oh, that Cossack prince of hers), to Napoleon's invasions of Moscow ending with a harrowing view of the French army's retreat from Russia as they search for Nikolai's run-away daughter.

I really enjoyed how the author set her scenes, everything came to life and I felt like I was in another century (which is exactly where I want a book to take me to). Since Anne is a governess much of the first half of the book involves her day-to-day life and interactions with the Kirovs and their children, so if you need a heroine dodging silver bullets and leaping tall buildings with a single bound this might not be the book for you, but if you like your sagas big and fat with a heavy dose of soap opera I'd definitely consider giving this one a whirl. The final two books in the trilogy are Fleur and Emily and I've already placed my hold at the library for book #2. 4/5 stars.

[♥️Annete♥️loves❤️books♥️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a promising book that ended up in a boring and indifferent way.I felt like the second part of the book was written by a different writer.I loved her writing at the first part of the book,the descriptions of life in Russia,Anne's feelings and her struggle to survive in a foreign land.I was very enthusiastic and couldn't wait to finish it off.The second part,after Anne and the Count got together,something changed in the tone of writing,i suddenly lost interest in the plot.I somehow expected this love story to thrill me but on the contrary i felt bored.It felt like the whole world of Kirov was Anne and only Anne.He never even grieved for his wife's and his children's loss from the heart.I also think that Anne never gained a bond with her own daughter,Rose,let alone with Kirov's kids.Now i understand what is the major problem of this book,i saw no passion or pathos at all.It was a nicely written book,on the whole but it somehow didn't manage to win me over because it so much lacks of real emotion and,give me a break,Harrod-Eagles didn't even get close to understanding the soul of the Russian nation.I mean if you compare this piece of literature with Tolstoy or Dostoyevski,you immidiately realise this can't be a persuassive description of real Russia,just my point!

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read Anna as a thirteen year old, when I borrowed it from my Grandma's bookshelf where I think it was part of a chunky Reader's Digest anthology (as well as a voracious reader my Grandma couldn't walk past a charity shop / car boot / school fete without stuffing a poly bag full of books).

Anna was my first real introduction to Russia, with the story travelling through the mysterious, magical country from St Petersburg, Moscow to the Caucasus Mountains. A world away from my bedroom in Edinburgh.

This book is an epic historical novel set during the Napoleonic War. Our protagonist, Anna, is a prim and proper English Governess, but not such a straight peg that she doesn't harbour a crush on Count Kirov, the dazzling diplomat who whisked Anna to Russia to teach his children after she lost her previous job in Paris.

The story spans 1803-1811 and gives the reader an insight into Russian life against the backdrop of war. It isn't perfect, as some of the characterisation is flat (Anna sometimes shows Mary Sue-esque tendencies) but the story is thrilling and it'll make you shed a tear or two. The ideal book to while away a rainy day.

[Vaso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Διάβασα το συγκεκριμμένο βιβλίο όταν πρωτοεκδόθηκε στη χώρα μας. Θυμάμαι, ότι οι περιγραφές ήταν λεπτομερείς και γλαφυρές και σε μετέφεραν στην εποχή που διαδραματιζόταν το βιβλίο.

[Marina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking for a romance similar to The Bronze Horseman when someone suggested Anna by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. Safe to say this is not TBH material. I enjoyed the book up until de middle, the rest of it is a total waste of my time.

What I liked: The historical setting, the infos on the russian life style prior to the communist revolution.

What i did not like: The characters and the main couple. No chemistry there at all.

Guess my search for the next Bronze Horseman continues...

[Arianrhod Aaberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the review of Publishers Weekly tells the whole story...Behooold!!! :D

In this vast yet meticulously detailed historical romance, veteran British author Harrod-Eagles sets young English governess Anne Peters at the center of shifting and cataclysmic events occuring in Russia between 1803 and 1812. Dismissed by her stuffy English employers because of a social blunder, the outspoken Anne is hired by Count Nikolai Kirov, an adviser to the czar, to educate his two lively daughters, Yelena, nine, and Natasha, two. Warmly received in the count's diverse Petersburg household--which includes his ineffectual wife, Irina; his vitriolic mother, Vera; and a host of ebullient relatives--Anne, now called Anna Petrovna, predictably, falls in love with the count, whose response is guarded. Against the somber background of the Napoleonic wars and ominous portents that the French emperor has designs on Russia, tensions within the Kirov household increase. Anna leaves and marries unwisely, leading a hollow existence as the wife of a wealthy, dissolute nobleman. Although the plot is fairly formulaic and much of the cast outrageously stereotyped--there are only devoted servants, contented serfs, happy peasants--the entanglements nevertheless intrigue. Readers may look forward to the projected sequel.

[Rebecca Huston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, solid four star read set in Paris and Russia during the Napoleonic wars. Anne is a heroine who's pragmatic, but not so prim that she doesn't fall in love with a very unsuitable man -- for one, he's married, and two, she's the governess to his children. Both Nicholai and Anna have plenty of faults and make plenty of mistakes, and it takes some years before there's a lasting chance for them both. I like it when an author is gutsy enough to do that. Too, she isn't afraid of character death either -- one of them is utterly devastating.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This was the first novel I have read by Cynthia Harrod Eagles. I was enthralled with the story throughout the first two thirds of “Anna”; the descriptions of 19th century life in Russia were so poetic and imaginative! The author describes the vastness of this land and its many varied peoples and customs in such an inviting way, it truly makes one grieve for the changes that subsequent political upheaval brought to this land and peoples.

Anna is an English gentlewoman who, upon the death of her father, falls upon necessary employment as a governess. Life as a governess however, is not 'a bowl full of cherries.' Dismayed by the harsh treatment of an employer who has no qualms about taking advantage of Anna, she is finally rescued by a Russian nobleman who subsequently engages her to teach his own children. Gifted from her father’s teaching to speak more than one language, she is able to make the huge adjustment in cultures as her adventures take her to Russia and society in the early 1800’s. However, war and Napoleon’s armies are looming on the horizon, and as Anna finds herself falling in love with her employer, she has some decisions to make that will have lifelong repercussions not just for her, but for her employer’s family.

This is quite a lengthy novel and a big time investment, but I was not dismayed by the length as the author does have a talent to keep the reader’s interest! The descriptions themselves are lyrical and the reader feels themselves ‘'right there’ along with the characters:

“Beyond the Steppes the country changed again. It was as if the flat grasslands had been crumpled up like bedclothes into a series of gentle rolling foothills. The tracks were dusty, the blue sky windless, and the heat at noon was oppressive, and made the horses sweat, so that at the end of the day their coats were matted and pale with dust. There began to be trees again, oaks and maples, and the strange feathery grasses of the dry lands, giant thistles and poppies, bellflowers and yellow mullein, and sometimes patches of marsh sewn with reeds. The cicadas sang all day long; there were vultures with hideous bare necks perched unnervingly near the track; and sometimes a pelican flew over from the Sea of Azov."

Other reviewers have compared the plot of “Anna” to "Jane Eyre"; I found it more comparative to "Anna Karenina". However there is a huge difference with how the writers tie up the dilemmas in the characters’ lives. For Anna Karenina, there is a much more openly obvious consequence to her choice. In this first book of the Kirov series, the reader is hard put (at first), to find a consequence for marital infidelity. At first, it seems to be justified for the reader, although the situation within one marriage is shown to be already compromised. And so for the reader, the dilemma presents itself; when one member of a couple has already proven unfaithful, does that justify a decision to, in turn, commit adultery? Personal happiness in this book seems to be upheld regardless of any of society’s mores, and ‘being sinned against’ justifies infidelity. (However, later in the story, there is a consequence of the choice made that results in a family estrangement, and to give the author credit, it is possible that this was her purpose in writing; to show that there *are* lasting consequences in our life decisions. The tragedy of this story (as it so often does happen in real life), is that had these two only waited for a bit, as events played out in their lives and the tragedy of war interferes, they would have gotten what they wanted after all. A subtle lesson for the reader!)

However, I do find a difference between my all-time favorite writer (Elizabeth Goudge), and this novel. Goudge never ‘pretends’ that life is easy or that marriages are always completely fulfilling and happy (in fact I am unsure whether there is one happy marriage in her novels!) However there is an unequivocal, strong moral foundation in her books. Although the characters agonize whether personal happiness is worth the price of compromising the marriage vows (are ‘in sickness or in health, til death do us part’ really just empty words?), they ultimately find true satisfaction in ‘doing the right thing.’ Goudge’s characters, although their struggles are real and obvious, seem to be ‘stronger’ in their moral fiber (and I wonder if this is the trait that is missing in much of our contemporary literature; the ‘black and white’ of choice, has become meshed and now become ‘grey’.)

A reviewer, I suppose, is not supposed to ‘moralize.' However, as we call to mind our love of literature and the classics, we find we are most moved by those characters who are either openly ‘evil’ (and we are shocked by it), or admire those who stand fast for goodness and truth. (The very fact that good and evil exist is a moral truth!) We enjoy Dickens and Trollope because they never ‘whitewash’ their characters but rather paint the human personality with all of its foibles, just as it is. Sometimes there is hope for change, and personally I feel that is where the best of literature comes in; when there is a redemption for the characters and hope for a different outcome than the consequence of evil.

“Poor Anna,” Sergei said tenderly. ‘I’m so used to your being here, that I forget Russia isn’t your home too.’
“I forget it, most of the time,’ she said. ‘It’s just occasionally ... Things are so very different here. And there’s so much of everything, that sometimes I feel overwhelmed.’
She saw that he didn’t understand her – and indeed, how could he? He had never been to England, and if he had, he would have felt, like the Count, confined by the smallness. Only someone born there could understand that a place might be larger on the inside than on the outside; that to be encircled by a closed horizon could give one more freedom than to stand in the middle of a vast and featureless plain.
It was a little, she thought, like the freedom of religion, the power and scope that was granted to one by virtue of belonging to God; the atheist might think he was free, but the very emptiness of his life was a prison. She thought of the Second Collect for Peace, ‘...whose service is perfect freedom.”

(I find I am always surprised when a reviewer will write that a reference to God or morality or even the Christian message of the Gospel is ‘offensive’ to them. I have a hard time understanding how a Savior who has given His own life so that mankind can have real hope for his personal failures can be offensive? I do not mean to bring up a debate, but we as we see how literature over the years has ‘progressed’ I must admit that of those who wrote the classics, many at least admitted (or referred to, however subtly), to the existence of a Creator, and I doubt whether He was portrayed purposely to ‘bring offence’ to the reader.)

I enjoyed this novel but I do wish the author had given the reader a story that showed more of the triumph of the human spirit over circumstances, rather than the dark consequences of war and human nature. There is a LOT of history especially in the last third of the book with the European conflict and battles, negotiations, governmental figures and cabinets, and the author has obviously meticulously done her research.

When the reader finally does see the results of Anna and Count Kirov’s choices, a good question to ask might be, "what price are we willing to pay for personal happiness? should our own happiness be the ultimate goal of our lives, or is there a higher purpose and satisfaction to be found in putting others before ourselves?”

Do I recommend this book? Yes, with some cautions. The reader will enjoy the story and be caught up in all the romance of the period, the descriptions of the banquets, the attention paid to the conventions and structure in society, the ‘White Nights', the food and dancing, the countryside scenery and opulent mansions, and feel with the characters themselves the tragedy and pathos that war brings to human existence. But be warned also that there are, although not numerous, some scenes (especially one or two that come to mind) that might give you more than you bargained for.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the lushest, most transportive books I’ve had the pleasure of reading.

In terms of plot, Anna doesn’t seem too grandiose: an 19th English governess finds herself hired by a Russian Count and becomes entangled in the lives of the family she works for.

It’s almost a disservice to pare the book down to just the plot, though, because the beauty and charm of Anna is the depth in which it’s written. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles has clearly done meticulous research, and the full sweep of 19th century Russia is written in entrancing, glittering detail, from glittering balls and dinners to the snowy, hard-working peasant farmland. Russian traditions and ways of life are given the full treatment, and we experience them alongside Anna, which is a true delight.

The characters are also wonderfully drawn: Anna and Kirov feel human and far from imperfect. Their relationship and love story is compelling, and I was questioning and re-assessing my own assumptions about how they felt, reacted to events around them, and grew.

The book spans quite a few years, from 1803-1811, during the Napoleonic Wars. It gives a lot of insight into all kinds of Russian life, as well as the realities and politics of war. Kirov, Anna, Nikolai and many others make their opinions known. It was an odd time to read such a book, given the current invasion of Ukraine, and I was left shaking my head at how no matter things seem to change, they also stay the same. One of the things this book does so beautifully is show just how epic a single life can be, and how much one life is a valuable thread of a tapestry in which we’re all connected. War is such a horrific waste of humanity.

The descriptive power of many of the scenes are so romantic and beautifully written that I thought to myself many times that this book is begging to be translated onto screen.

It’s hard to quantify the gorgeous epic Anna, because in the end, it didn’t really feel like a book; it felt like truly experiencing a time and place.

Small quibble: the edition I own has so many copy typos! Almost to the point of distraction. Such a shame for a professionally published, long-selling book.

[Chuck Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweeping saga of Russia in Napoleanic Europe

[Lesewahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutes Jahreshighlight, was ich am liebsten auf Deutsch direkt nochmal lesen möchte.

[🦉Maggie Whitworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

Stunning series, set in England/ France/Russia at the time of the Russian Revolution

[Katherine Gypson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title has caught my eye countless times on library shelves. The cover has a kind of early-1990s grand historical romance saga look that both put me off and drew me in. Finally, desperate for historical fiction set in Russia (why are there so few titles?), I picked this one up and gave it a shot.

I'm mostly glad I did. At 631 pages, I got through Anna in about a week so it represented a fairly serious investment of reading time. The book is divided into three parts, set in 1803, 1807 and 1811. The first two parts are the strongest as they give the reader the opportunity to discover Russia through the eyes of English governess Anna and experience first-hand the impact Napoleon had on Russia in the early 19th century. The first part strongly reminded me of Jane Eyre and the novels of Jane Austen through its use of language and custom and the plot-line of an impoverished governess falling for her older employer. The second part read quite quickly due to its gorgeous scenes detailing life in the Caucasus region. Unfortunately, the end of the second part finds the characters making choices that seem forced for the sake of the plot and the third part contains some very obvious plot twists combined with a dragging pace that unfortunately coincides with Napoleon's invasion of Russia - an event that could have been used for maximum dramatic impact.

The writing style is straight-forward and very noticeably not from this current period of historical fiction. I don't think many authors could get away with the level of detail and description that Harrod-Eagles includes here. I tend to appreciate a deeper level of detail in historical novels but some readers may find it off-putting. The main character Anna is relatable during the first two parts before her character changes almost instantly in the third part of the book. Count Kirov, the main male lead, is believable and his presence allows Harrod-Eagles to include an interesting military/diplomatic angle on the Napoleonic Wars. Almost all of the characters in the novel tend to suffer from a slightly stale, generic stereotyped feeling. But all in all, I enjoyed the sense of sinking into a large novel that fully immersed me in a new world.

[lex · Rating 2 out of 5]

i only read half of this the first time, and now upon a full reread this is a very problematic book. i love the huge backdrops of petersburg, moscow, the caucasus, and early 19th century society. and god do i love a napoleonic war story. but it’s pretty shocking how racist and homophobic this book is. yikes.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like historical fiction, this book is a fantastic read. I learned more about Napolean's invasion of Russia here (and found it much more interesting!) than any high school history lesson. I can't wait to read the second one.

[Sandy Seppala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a fan of the author and have read her Morland Dynastry series (landed gentry in England from 1200 to post WWII) and her The War at Home (England at home during WWI) books (4). Anna is the first in her Kirov Saga. It starts in Paris in 1802 and ends soon after Napoleon returns to France after his disastrous invasion into Russia. Harrod-Eagles gets her history right and you feel like you're right there... whether watching the final battle and or meeting the many tribes and Cossacks in rural Russia. It follows a well-educated English woman in Paris who, by circumstance, finds herself as a governess in Moscow. Harrod-Eagles has a way of allowing the reader to know her characters in such a way that you consider them friends. This, along with the fascinating look at French and Russian society in the 1800s and a compelling storyline, makes this book one that is hard to put down. Highly recommended if you like historic fiction... or not.

[Luminita Szen · Rating 5 out of 5]

For this novel I would give 10 stars if I could.It was like savouring a bottle of good wine.Absolutely recommend it.The heroine of the story is Anne Peters,the daughter of an english admiral.Her mother dies when she is very young and at 18,her father too ,leaving her to apply to gouverness possitions ,in order to earn a living.As a gouverness ,she travels with the employer family to France.There she meets the russian diplomat Nikolaj Kirov.Due to events I will not spoil here,she leaves France and travels to Russia, a land full of novel scenery and customs.The napoleonic war with Russia starts and we learn a lot of horiffying details about it also.This is a book which blends esquisitely love, history, adventure, heartbreacking events and the power of human endurance.A very long book, rounding over 700 pages ,but worth reading every single one of it.

[Jill Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of an amazing new saga, this novel follows the experiences of Anne Peters, left orphaned and destitute in her late teens. She has been well-educated, as her father was an admiral in the British Navy, so she becomes a governess. The family she works for moves to Paris, where Anne meets Count Kirov, attached to the Russian embassy. When Napoleon declares war on England, and the English flee France, Anne decides to stay behind and work for a seamstress, but Kirov says she is not safe and offers her a job as governess to his children in Russia. The scene moves to Russia and countless adventures, culminating in Napoleon's invasion of Russia, and subsequent humiliating retreat. The reader is caught up in the history of the time, as well as the relationships of the Kirov family, both joyful and tragic. A compelling read.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This very long historical novel covers the time period from 1803 to 1812, mainly from the point of view of Anna Peters, the English girl who becomes governess to the children of Count Nikolai Kirov — and immediately falls in love with him, despite the fact that he is married. The reader learns about live in Russia prior to the invasion by Napoleon, and something about the various ethnic groups living there. And then comes the invasion, and the devastation left in its wake.

[Annabel Addams · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is exactly the type of historical novel that i love—sprawling and grand, yearning romance, beautiful details. i couldn’t put it down.

one caveat: the homophobia from the main character is rather shocking. true to the era when the book takes place, yes, but unpleasant to read and turned a character who i’d loved into someone i didn’t really like much at all.

[Laura Willyard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story set in Russia about a governess to Count Kirov's children. This series was my introduction to my very favorite author. I highly recommend this and all Cynthia Harrod Eagles books and Series!!! Esp the Morland Dynasty!

[Bree (AnotherLookBook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for first read of 2026! Boy was this a long and surprisingly dense one, though. For a novel of this size and scope, time moved pretty slowly and with a lot of plot detail. It certainly made for a rich story and character depth. I will probably continue with this series.

[Mrs J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a read!!

You felt as though you were actually in 19th century Europe. Living through the different characters. Can't wait for more.

[Amblerj]

Kept me turning the pages. Meticulously researched history, period culture, and geography.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that draws you into the story. It is based on the history of Napolean's wars but it is primarily a story of family.

[Muff · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old-fashioned historical romance, set in Napoleonic Russia. Thoroughly enjoyed both the romance and the descriptions of Russia and Russians.

[Dorinda Nothnagel · Rating 5 out of 5]

1 of my most absolute favorite books ever

[The Library Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like Harrod Eagles' Morland books, but this is a War and Peace wannabe, with a lot of ridiculous plot twists.