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The Diamond Secret: A Retelling of Anastasia
Nadya is a mischievous kitchen girl in a Russian tavern. Having nearly drowned in the Iset River during the turmoil of the Revolution, she has no memory of her past and longs for the life she cannot remember. Then two young men arrive at the tavern and announce that Nadya's long-lost grandmother has sent them to find her. Yearning for family and friendship, she agrees to accompany them to Paris for the joyful reunion. Nadya eagerly embarks on her journey, never dreaming it will be one of laughter, love...and betrayal.
209 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 25, 2009
25 people are currently reading
6864 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Weyn
207 books646 followersSuzanne Weyn grew up in Williston Park, Long Island, New York. She has three sisters and a brother. As a girl, she was very interested in theatre and in reading. Louisa May Alcott was her favorite author, but she also read every Sherlock Holmes story. Suzanne lived pretty close to the ocean and going to Jones Beach was one of her favorite activities. Even today, if she goes too long without seeing the ocean, she starts feeling restless.
Suzanne now lives in upper New York State with her husband, two teen daughters and Abby the cat. Her house is at the edge of the woods and is nearly 200 years old. She graduated from State University of New York at Binghamton and received her master's degree from Pace University. She teaches part-time at City College in New York.
Suzanne's other books for Simon Pulse include South Beach Sizzle, a romantic comedy written with Diana Gonzalez. Her novels for the Simon Pulse line "Once Upon a Time" are The Night Dance: A Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Water Song: A Retelling of the Frog Prince, and The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of Rumplestiltskin. She very much enjoys rethinking these classic tales from an original point of view, always looking for the real psychological underpinning of the story. Suzanne is currently doing revisions on her fourth book in the line, which will be coming in 2009.
Suzanne's other recent novels are include The Bar Code Tattoo (2004) and its sequel, The Bar Code Rebellion (2006). The Bar Code Tattoo was selected by the American Library Assoc. (ALA) as a 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and was a 2007 Nevada Library nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction. It is currently translated into German and was nominated for the 2007 Jugenliteraturpreis for Young People's Literature.
Suzanne now lives in upper New York State with her husband, two teen daughters and Abby the cat. Her house is at the edge of the woods and is nearly 200 years old. She graduated from State University of New York at Binghamton and received her master's degree from Pace University. She teaches part-time at City College in New York.
Suzanne's other books for Simon Pulse include South Beach Sizzle, a romantic comedy written with Diana Gonzalez. Her novels for the Simon Pulse line "Once Upon a Time" are The Night Dance: A Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Water Song: A Retelling of the Frog Prince, and The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of Rumplestiltskin. She very much enjoys rethinking these classic tales from an original point of view, always looking for the real psychological underpinning of the story. Suzanne is currently doing revisions on her fourth book in the line, which will be coming in 2009.
Suzanne's other recent novels are include The Bar Code Tattoo (2004) and its sequel, The Bar Code Rebellion (2006). The Bar Code Tattoo was selected by the American Library Assoc. (ALA) as a 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and was a 2007 Nevada Library nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction. It is currently translated into German and was nominated for the 2007 Jugenliteraturpreis for Young People's Literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 329 reviews
August 6, 2011
I have always been fasinated by the story of Anastasia, which is the only reason I picked up this book--some of the "Once Upon a Time" novels are really awful, and this is coming from someone who loves fairy tales--and I was disappointed.
Picture the 1990s animated movie of Anastasia--now make Anastasia 17/18, like she was in real life at the House of Special Purpose, call her Nadya instead of Anya, and renamed the two con men, make the younger man a guard at the House, who witnessed the murders, and you've got the basis for "The Diamond Secret".
There's a diamond necklace behind the title that proves her identity to her grandmother in Paris, and she falls in love with one of the con men (Anya/Dimitri anyone?) along the way. She also has dreams of her past. Turn Rasputin into a dead man, cast his creepy assistant in his place, and you've got the villain.
The main difference between this novel and the film is the more historically acurate novel (the murders of the family, the jewel-lined corsets and pedicoats, Anastasia being a teenager, not a little girl). However, the basics of the plot seem ripped straight from the movie, just with slightly different names (there's even train-hopping!).
"The Diamond Secret" is still a good novel based on the myth of Anastasia and an entertaining read, but it does echo the 1990s film version a bit too much. Well-written and mostly historically acurate.
Picture the 1990s animated movie of Anastasia--now make Anastasia 17/18, like she was in real life at the House of Special Purpose, call her Nadya instead of Anya, and renamed the two con men, make the younger man a guard at the House, who witnessed the murders, and you've got the basis for "The Diamond Secret".
There's a diamond necklace behind the title that proves her identity to her grandmother in Paris, and she falls in love with one of the con men (Anya/Dimitri anyone?) along the way. She also has dreams of her past. Turn Rasputin into a dead man, cast his creepy assistant in his place, and you've got the villain.
The main difference between this novel and the film is the more historically acurate novel (the murders of the family, the jewel-lined corsets and pedicoats, Anastasia being a teenager, not a little girl). However, the basics of the plot seem ripped straight from the movie, just with slightly different names (there's even train-hopping!).
"The Diamond Secret" is still a good novel based on the myth of Anastasia and an entertaining read, but it does echo the 1990s film version a bit too much. Well-written and mostly historically acurate.
August 2, 2009
Review updated -
For good and bad, this book reminded me a lot of the movie Anastasia. Little details were different, and the magic was removed, but it was still extremely similar and followed the same basic plot. But, I loved that movie. It’s probably still one of my all time favorites, and this book appealed to me for the same reasons I loved the movie. So, I still enjoyed the book a lot despite strong similarities (I wouldn’t call it a knock-off/rip-off, but I would understand if someone else said that).
The historic details were much better though, and Weyn painted the time period well. I enjoy Weyn’s writing style and her use of history, but I wish that she’d been able to find a way to give the tale a new twist, instead of just kind of expanding on the movie. I also enjoyed Sergei (not-Dimitri)’s partner, who I felt was much better developed than his counterpart in the movie (not that I didn’t love Vladimir).
For those who enjoy the Once Upon a Time series, especially Weyn’s books in it (which are typically my favorite), I recommend reading the book, but just accept up front that it’s a lot like the movie–it’ll be much easier to read that way.
The book was also awfully predictable, more so than the typical book in this series. I think it was the title, because the title gives away the "mystery" pretty early in the book. As soon as she starts dreaming about a diamond, you know it’s pretty essential to the plot, even more so than just that a reader knows to pay attention to a character’s dream.
Read more of my review, including sub-ratings and extra, at Bookwyrm Chrysalis :: YA Fantasy Book Reviews - http://yafantasy.com/the-diamond-secret
For good and bad, this book reminded me a lot of the movie Anastasia. Little details were different, and the magic was removed, but it was still extremely similar and followed the same basic plot. But, I loved that movie. It’s probably still one of my all time favorites, and this book appealed to me for the same reasons I loved the movie. So, I still enjoyed the book a lot despite strong similarities (I wouldn’t call it a knock-off/rip-off, but I would understand if someone else said that).
The historic details were much better though, and Weyn painted the time period well. I enjoy Weyn’s writing style and her use of history, but I wish that she’d been able to find a way to give the tale a new twist, instead of just kind of expanding on the movie. I also enjoyed Sergei (not-Dimitri)’s partner, who I felt was much better developed than his counterpart in the movie (not that I didn’t love Vladimir).
For those who enjoy the Once Upon a Time series, especially Weyn’s books in it (which are typically my favorite), I recommend reading the book, but just accept up front that it’s a lot like the movie–it’ll be much easier to read that way.
The book was also awfully predictable, more so than the typical book in this series. I think it was the title, because the title gives away the "mystery" pretty early in the book. As soon as she starts dreaming about a diamond, you know it’s pretty essential to the plot, even more so than just that a reader knows to pay attention to a character’s dream.
Read more of my review, including sub-ratings and extra, at Bookwyrm Chrysalis :: YA Fantasy Book Reviews - http://yafantasy.com/the-diamond-secret
June 24, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. This was such a quick read. I think this was a good Anastasia retelling. There were a few little things that I didn't which is why it's not a 5 star book for me. I don't think I will read any more books from this series.
September 19, 2009
I love me a good alternate history story and fairytale retellings but this one? Not so much.
The first thing that jumped out to me was the writing. It was clunky, stiff, with poor to awkward word choices. The dialogue seemed unnatural and didn’t flow at all. It felt to “modern” to be honest to fit in with the time period, not to mention there were instances where I had to raise my eyebrow in amusement because some of the things the character said were so childish, I couldn’t help but go “pfft”.
I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. Especially the main girl, Nadya, who’s supposed to be Anastasia. Her voice, thoughts, speech, and actions were very immature and rather dense. Even if she was a teen, I wouldn’t expect the grand duchess of Russia to be a ditzy woman, memory or not. Not to mention the interactions between the two main characters were so unrealistic! One minute they hate each other, sniping at one another, then the next they’re having a jolly good time as friends, and then oops one fall into a ditch later they’re all in love? What-the-heck?
The plot of this story was a good idea (albeit heavily borrowed from the movie), but it lacked in execution. There were moments and scenes that were better than the rest, the whole bit with the necklace and the hidden diamond was a positive for me, and the grandmother’s snarky character, but overall I did not like this story. The ending too was pretty unsatisfying. She just finds her grandma, throws an immature tantrum about how she can’t live without this man after finding out he’s going to leave for America, and then wooosh she rushes off to meet him and they sail away forever? Uh, what? She obviously has no consideration for the other characters’ feelings does she?
I absolutely love the cover though! The gown and her hairstyle is absolutely gorgeous, not to mention it’s a scene from the book. I always like it when book covers have relevance to the actual story. So, it saves itself from getting a lower grade because of this. Not sure if I’d read any of the other novels in this “Once Upon a Time” series, but I may find myself erring on the hopeful side again because the covers are just too pretty. (Yes, I’m a sucker for aesthetics.)
The first thing that jumped out to me was the writing. It was clunky, stiff, with poor to awkward word choices. The dialogue seemed unnatural and didn’t flow at all. It felt to “modern” to be honest to fit in with the time period, not to mention there were instances where I had to raise my eyebrow in amusement because some of the things the character said were so childish, I couldn’t help but go “pfft”.
I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. Especially the main girl, Nadya, who’s supposed to be Anastasia. Her voice, thoughts, speech, and actions were very immature and rather dense. Even if she was a teen, I wouldn’t expect the grand duchess of Russia to be a ditzy woman, memory or not. Not to mention the interactions between the two main characters were so unrealistic! One minute they hate each other, sniping at one another, then the next they’re having a jolly good time as friends, and then oops one fall into a ditch later they’re all in love? What-the-heck?
The plot of this story was a good idea (albeit heavily borrowed from the movie), but it lacked in execution. There were moments and scenes that were better than the rest, the whole bit with the necklace and the hidden diamond was a positive for me, and the grandmother’s snarky character, but overall I did not like this story. The ending too was pretty unsatisfying. She just finds her grandma, throws an immature tantrum about how she can’t live without this man after finding out he’s going to leave for America, and then wooosh she rushes off to meet him and they sail away forever? Uh, what? She obviously has no consideration for the other characters’ feelings does she?
I absolutely love the cover though! The gown and her hairstyle is absolutely gorgeous, not to mention it’s a scene from the book. I always like it when book covers have relevance to the actual story. So, it saves itself from getting a lower grade because of this. Not sure if I’d read any of the other novels in this “Once Upon a Time” series, but I may find myself erring on the hopeful side again because the covers are just too pretty. (Yes, I’m a sucker for aesthetics.)
November 12, 2017
"Do you know what 'Anastasia' means?"
"No. Tell me," Nadya replied.
"It means 'breaker of chains'."
GTFO -- there's only one Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains and that's Daenerys Stormborn.
THE GOOD
Since this could be a literary accompaniment to the 1997 animated movie, you'll probably enjoy if you want to re-live the movie.
THE BAD
1) Insta-love with zero chemistry and zero romantic development. And zero brains.
2) Barely developed characters and a flat, monotonous story.
3) Nadya trying to associate herself with the Mother of Dragons. 🙅🏻
THE VERDICT
The sudden onslaught of insta-soul mates was time of death for me and that "breaker of chains" dialogue sealed the hate...but up until then, I'd say this read as a mediocre young adult book. I'll save you the trouble and reiterate that it's literally a 90% retelling of the animated movie. Better off watching that instead.
"No. Tell me," Nadya replied.
"It means 'breaker of chains'."
GTFO -- there's only one Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains and that's Daenerys Stormborn.
THE GOOD
Since this could be a literary accompaniment to the 1997 animated movie, you'll probably enjoy if you want to re-live the movie.
THE BAD
1) Insta-love with zero chemistry and zero romantic development. And zero brains.
2) Barely developed characters and a flat, monotonous story.
3) Nadya trying to associate herself with the Mother of Dragons. 🙅🏻
THE VERDICT
The sudden onslaught of insta-soul mates was time of death for me and that "breaker of chains" dialogue sealed the hate...but up until then, I'd say this read as a mediocre young adult book. I'll save you the trouble and reiterate that it's literally a 90% retelling of the animated movie. Better off watching that instead.
May 7, 2025
”’I’m so tired of being lost and alone.’
Empress Marie reached out her soft, bony hand and laid it on top of Nadya’s hand.
‘I am too,’ she said.”’
Yet another Anastasia retelling book!! Look at it this way: at least this book didn’t start off with a disclaimer that it was based on a true story.
Russia, 1919. The Russian Empire has fallen. Tsar Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia, has been assassinated, along with his entire family. Despite their demise, there is a rumor floating all around Russia that the youngest Romanov daughter, Anastasia, managed to escape and is, in fact, alive.
Nadya is an ordinary maid at a tavern in the middle of nowhere Russia. Orphaned at a young age and raised in an asylum, Nadya has no memory of who she is or where she comes from. Elsewhere, Sergei and Ivan are concocting a plan to try and convince the Dowager Empress that her long lost granddaughter Anastasia is still alive. They just have to find a presentable woman who will convince her. Enter Nadya. She has the looks and mannerisms, but will she agree to the plan? And what if the rumor is true? What if, in fact, they have found Anastasia Romanov?
Would you look at that. A Once Upon a Time book from the series that I actually liked. I absolutely loved this series when I was younger, but after reading some of them again as an adult, I thought they were all absolutely ridiculous. By the time this book was published, I had aged out of the series. After my failed attempt at reading the three books I did as an adult, I swore to myself that I was finished. But loving all things Romanov, I couldn’t resist the chance to read this one. And I was pleasantly surprised.
Be that as it may, this book was super sweet. Short, clean, and sweet. There wasn’t anything that astounded me into loving this book with every fiber of my soul, but it didn’t hardcore offend me either. This was a light, escapist read that whet my appetite. I was able to lose myself in the story and enjoy it for what it was. Although I will say, the series has a serious problem with its villains. They’re always mentioned as this menacing presence, but they only actually show up in the book for all of a couple pages. WTH?
From reading this book, there are going to be two very clear camps when it comes to this book. If you’re a Romanov purist who has done extensive research into the Romanov family, you will hate this book with the passion of a thousand Australian bushfires. It will make your blood boil. You’ll want this book to die a thousand deaths, just as Rasputin did because the fucker wouldn’t die (seriously. They had to try three freakin’ times before he actually choked out his last breath.)
This book was clearly written for those who watched (and loved) the animated Anastasia movie from 1997. The plot is nearly identical: Anastasia Romanov has been rumored to be alive, two swindlers try to pass her off as the real thing so they can get the reward money, the more dashing and handsome of the two falls in love with her and rethinks his position, she turns out to be the real thing, the end. Same darn plot. Being that I watched the heck out of that movie when I was younger, this book didn’t bother me as much. As a lover of history myself, I know how important it is to protect the historical integrity of things, which actually makes the Once Upon a Time series the perfect place to speculate about the Anastasia theory.
In a sense the theory of Anastasia Romanov surviving the massacre that killed her entire family is, indeed, a fairytale. We all would love to believe it’s true and that she somehow managed to survive and live happily ever after, but in our hearts of hearts we know that’s not the case. The Romanovs were a tragic family who were immensely sheltered from the realities outside the palace walls who met a horrifically violent and tragic end. In a sense, there really was no good reason for them to be assassinated, but they were. The fact that all five of the Romanov children were killed is something that, in hindsight, seems so unfair. They had nothing to do with how the country was run, and they were so sheltered from the outside world that they probably had no idea what was really going on. They were the innocents in all this, and they were terribly betrayed.
Perhaps by acknowledging the myths that Anastasia Romanov, the most lively and mischievous of the sisters, managed to survive is a way for us to cope, comprehend, and perhaps even atone for the horrific things done to her. I actually think, in her own way, she would approve. She loved writing stories and plays. This book should not be taken as an accurate historical account as much as wish fulfillment. And if that’s the case, the author did a fine job attempting to give everyone’s favorite grand duchess her own happily ever after.
Empress Marie reached out her soft, bony hand and laid it on top of Nadya’s hand.
‘I am too,’ she said.”’
Yet another Anastasia retelling book!! Look at it this way: at least this book didn’t start off with a disclaimer that it was based on a true story.
Russia, 1919. The Russian Empire has fallen. Tsar Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia, has been assassinated, along with his entire family. Despite their demise, there is a rumor floating all around Russia that the youngest Romanov daughter, Anastasia, managed to escape and is, in fact, alive.
Nadya is an ordinary maid at a tavern in the middle of nowhere Russia. Orphaned at a young age and raised in an asylum, Nadya has no memory of who she is or where she comes from. Elsewhere, Sergei and Ivan are concocting a plan to try and convince the Dowager Empress that her long lost granddaughter Anastasia is still alive. They just have to find a presentable woman who will convince her. Enter Nadya. She has the looks and mannerisms, but will she agree to the plan? And what if the rumor is true? What if, in fact, they have found Anastasia Romanov?
Would you look at that. A Once Upon a Time book from the series that I actually liked. I absolutely loved this series when I was younger, but after reading some of them again as an adult, I thought they were all absolutely ridiculous. By the time this book was published, I had aged out of the series. After my failed attempt at reading the three books I did as an adult, I swore to myself that I was finished. But loving all things Romanov, I couldn’t resist the chance to read this one. And I was pleasantly surprised.
Be that as it may, this book was super sweet. Short, clean, and sweet. There wasn’t anything that astounded me into loving this book with every fiber of my soul, but it didn’t hardcore offend me either. This was a light, escapist read that whet my appetite. I was able to lose myself in the story and enjoy it for what it was. Although I will say, the series has a serious problem with its villains. They’re always mentioned as this menacing presence, but they only actually show up in the book for all of a couple pages. WTH?
From reading this book, there are going to be two very clear camps when it comes to this book. If you’re a Romanov purist who has done extensive research into the Romanov family, you will hate this book with the passion of a thousand Australian bushfires. It will make your blood boil. You’ll want this book to die a thousand deaths, just as Rasputin did because the fucker wouldn’t die (seriously. They had to try three freakin’ times before he actually choked out his last breath.)
This book was clearly written for those who watched (and loved) the animated Anastasia movie from 1997. The plot is nearly identical: Anastasia Romanov has been rumored to be alive, two swindlers try to pass her off as the real thing so they can get the reward money, the more dashing and handsome of the two falls in love with her and rethinks his position, she turns out to be the real thing, the end. Same darn plot. Being that I watched the heck out of that movie when I was younger, this book didn’t bother me as much. As a lover of history myself, I know how important it is to protect the historical integrity of things, which actually makes the Once Upon a Time series the perfect place to speculate about the Anastasia theory.
In a sense the theory of Anastasia Romanov surviving the massacre that killed her entire family is, indeed, a fairytale. We all would love to believe it’s true and that she somehow managed to survive and live happily ever after, but in our hearts of hearts we know that’s not the case. The Romanovs were a tragic family who were immensely sheltered from the realities outside the palace walls who met a horrifically violent and tragic end. In a sense, there really was no good reason for them to be assassinated, but they were. The fact that all five of the Romanov children were killed is something that, in hindsight, seems so unfair. They had nothing to do with how the country was run, and they were so sheltered from the outside world that they probably had no idea what was really going on. They were the innocents in all this, and they were terribly betrayed.
Perhaps by acknowledging the myths that Anastasia Romanov, the most lively and mischievous of the sisters, managed to survive is a way for us to cope, comprehend, and perhaps even atone for the horrific things done to her. I actually think, in her own way, she would approve. She loved writing stories and plays. This book should not be taken as an accurate historical account as much as wish fulfillment. And if that’s the case, the author did a fine job attempting to give everyone’s favorite grand duchess her own happily ever after.
January 1, 2025
For the record, I was too hard on this book. The stuff I said about it roughly a decade ago in my audio review were all true, this book does have some problems (it needed at least another draft, in my opinion, before publication) but I was so busy finger-pointing at its flaws I failed to acknowledge its merits as well.
So here is my updated review, where I will highlight both its faults AND its merits.
Summary: Similarly to the Don Bluth Film, a girl is coned by two conmen into joining their con and pretending to be Anastasia, only to find out she actually IS Anastasia.
In examining the bare bones of the story, it doesn't seem very original, but to be fair, it IS a retelling as it claims to be. Weyn introduces several elements of her own, such as Rasputin's assistant and the rag doll and Anastasia's grandmother being the one who sewed jewels into the girls' clothing rather than Alexandra and the girls themselves. Also, while I have some issues with his character (I will get to that later in this review, he's not getting off that easy), Ivan isn't a COMPLETE dumbed-down Dimitri knock off. In re-reading this, it's actually clear that he DOES have some character traits of his own, and I sympathized with him (a little) more than during my first reading years ago. Sergei deserves more credit for being original to Weyn's version than I gave him initially. Yes, he plays the Vlad role, BUT the idea that he's only 25 (something I think I missed in my first reading) and so actually much closer to Ivan and Nadya's ages changes the dynamic a little.
Also, Weyn does capture Anastasia's prank-loving nature with a number of cutesy pranks that would have been better if seen from her or Ivan's POVs, rather than Sergei's in passing, but this was still charming.
This book is actually pretty enjoyable (thus the extra star I've added) for fans of the Don Bluth film and the more recent Broadway play (in a weird way, Ivan is almost a combination of Gleb and Dmitry, so that's interesting). And I'm not going to lie, after seeing Royal Misfits on youtube, I now picture Nadya's rag doll as Creepy Anya, I just DO, nothing can cure me of that.
Now for the negative stuff...
Ivan. Oh, Ivan. Now I remember the reason I hated your guts the first time I read this. It wasn't just because I thought you were kind of stupid. It was the hair-cutting scene. There is literally a scene where Ivan snatches up Nadya's hair and cuts it off. Nadya gets over it (though she's initially upset), but I don't think I did. I think the scene would have been less upsetting if he gave her a choice, even initially. Or let her try to comb out the knots before he did that.
It somewhat bothered me that Ivan makes Nadya hate him on purpose, so she can have a better life, then changes his mind and flat out reveals to the empress that she's (as far as he thinks) not really Anastasia so that she has no choice but to be with him after all. It seemed counterproductive and a way to rush the ending. But, in retrospect, it's not that bad. All of the books in this series have rushed endings, it's kind of their format, and of those, and of Weyn's, this one is obvious the best, so I'll give it a friendly pass.
What I do have to call it out on, however, is the uncomfortable number of Deus Ex Machinas. Oh boy are there are a lot of them in this book! The land they are crossing through happens to be owned by Sergei's friend, Nadya randomly happens to hear news of Sergei's wife, Rasputin's assistant happens to have a scar so people can recognize him years later... And it's just scratching the service. It gets a little silly.
That said, I really enjoyed it overall! I had a lot of fun with this simple story, knowing what I was getting into. Thus the better review.
So here is my updated review, where I will highlight both its faults AND its merits.
Summary: Similarly to the Don Bluth Film, a girl is coned by two conmen into joining their con and pretending to be Anastasia, only to find out she actually IS Anastasia.
In examining the bare bones of the story, it doesn't seem very original, but to be fair, it IS a retelling as it claims to be. Weyn introduces several elements of her own, such as Rasputin's assistant and the rag doll and Anastasia's grandmother being the one who sewed jewels into the girls' clothing rather than Alexandra and the girls themselves. Also, while I have some issues with his character (I will get to that later in this review, he's not getting off that easy), Ivan isn't a COMPLETE dumbed-down Dimitri knock off. In re-reading this, it's actually clear that he DOES have some character traits of his own, and I sympathized with him (a little) more than during my first reading years ago. Sergei deserves more credit for being original to Weyn's version than I gave him initially. Yes, he plays the Vlad role, BUT the idea that he's only 25 (something I think I missed in my first reading) and so actually much closer to Ivan and Nadya's ages changes the dynamic a little.
Also, Weyn does capture Anastasia's prank-loving nature with a number of cutesy pranks that would have been better if seen from her or Ivan's POVs, rather than Sergei's in passing, but this was still charming.
This book is actually pretty enjoyable (thus the extra star I've added) for fans of the Don Bluth film and the more recent Broadway play (in a weird way, Ivan is almost a combination of Gleb and Dmitry, so that's interesting). And I'm not going to lie, after seeing Royal Misfits on youtube, I now picture Nadya's rag doll as Creepy Anya, I just DO, nothing can cure me of that.
Now for the negative stuff...
Ivan. Oh, Ivan. Now I remember the reason I hated your guts the first time I read this. It wasn't just because I thought you were kind of stupid. It was the hair-cutting scene. There is literally a scene where Ivan snatches up Nadya's hair and cuts it off. Nadya gets over it (though she's initially upset), but I don't think I did. I think the scene would have been less upsetting if he gave her a choice, even initially. Or let her try to comb out the knots before he did that.
It somewhat bothered me that Ivan makes Nadya hate him on purpose, so she can have a better life, then changes his mind and flat out reveals to the empress that she's (as far as he thinks) not really Anastasia so that she has no choice but to be with him after all. It seemed counterproductive and a way to rush the ending. But, in retrospect, it's not that bad. All of the books in this series have rushed endings, it's kind of their format, and of those, and of Weyn's, this one is obvious the best, so I'll give it a friendly pass.
What I do have to call it out on, however, is the uncomfortable number of Deus Ex Machinas. Oh boy are there are a lot of them in this book! The land they are crossing through happens to be owned by Sergei's friend, Nadya randomly happens to hear news of Sergei's wife, Rasputin's assistant happens to have a scar so people can recognize him years later... And it's just scratching the service. It gets a little silly.
That said, I really enjoyed it overall! I had a lot of fun with this simple story, knowing what I was getting into. Thus the better review.
August 5, 2009
Cute book- great addition to the series, although I'm not sure I'd count the story of Anastasia as a "Once Upon A Time" fairytale. Since the legend itself is clearly based on historical events that occurred only a century ago, and is devoid of magic, or anything that would typically classify it as a fairytale, I had issues accepting this as a part of the series. Sure, it was a good book, but I had a few problems:
CONS:
1) The story is essentially a retelling of the story 1997 animated feature. It's a good movie, and it certainly alters ones perception of the story, but this really did seem like a reimagined version of the movie with a few new twists.
2) The "conflict" with the main antagonist was over far too quickly. Although he followed the group for the entire book, his confrontation with the party was brief and over within a few pages.
3) The afterword. The fact that we now know what happened to Anastasia sort of ruins this story. In fairy tales, we are able to suspend our disbelief, to pretend miracles happen, and that good can triumph. But the real story of the Romanovs is too real. We have DNA evidence, government papers, and even bodies. And in the end, that hard, cold reality ruins the fairytale.
4) As in many of the more recent books, I felt there was little chemistry between Nadya and her love interest. If the romance had been more believable and built up more, such as in Water Song, I do believe I would have liked it better.
5) The title, in connection with the evil villain's demands and Nadya's dreams, gives away most of the story pretty early on. A pretty small complaint, I know, but I hate when the plot twists are given away by a dramatic title.
PROS:
1) The author did a great job of showing us Bolshevik Russia and incorporating history in the story. It wasn't too heavy handed, and the pieces of "fact" were incorporate cleverly and seamlessly. Bravo!
2)I enjoyed that the story was told from three viewpoints of the three main characters. I also enjoyed the fact that the story incorporated a third character- Sergei, instead of just focusing on the girl and her boytoy. It made things more interesting.
3) As many goodreaders mentioned, the story is almost a complete rip off of the movie. However, that movie is one of my favorites, and a solid story. And the book certainly pays the movie homage, if nothing more. It's a solid story and an ultimately satisfying one.
All in all, Diamond Secret was a good read, but due to the subject matter and the way it followed history and a fairly recent and popular film, I simply did not enjoy this one. My score of three reflects both my disappointment in the final product (a 2) and the overall quality of the book (around a 4). I'm hoping the next will be better!
CONS:
1) The story is essentially a retelling of the story 1997 animated feature. It's a good movie, and it certainly alters ones perception of the story, but this really did seem like a reimagined version of the movie with a few new twists.
2) The "conflict" with the main antagonist was over far too quickly. Although he followed the group for the entire book, his confrontation with the party was brief and over within a few pages.
3) The afterword. The fact that we now know what happened to Anastasia sort of ruins this story. In fairy tales, we are able to suspend our disbelief, to pretend miracles happen, and that good can triumph. But the real story of the Romanovs is too real. We have DNA evidence, government papers, and even bodies. And in the end, that hard, cold reality ruins the fairytale.
4) As in many of the more recent books, I felt there was little chemistry between Nadya and her love interest. If the romance had been more believable and built up more, such as in Water Song, I do believe I would have liked it better.
5) The title, in connection with the evil villain's demands and Nadya's dreams, gives away most of the story pretty early on. A pretty small complaint, I know, but I hate when the plot twists are given away by a dramatic title.
PROS:
1) The author did a great job of showing us Bolshevik Russia and incorporating history in the story. It wasn't too heavy handed, and the pieces of "fact" were incorporate cleverly and seamlessly. Bravo!
2)I enjoyed that the story was told from three viewpoints of the three main characters. I also enjoyed the fact that the story incorporated a third character- Sergei, instead of just focusing on the girl and her boytoy. It made things more interesting.
3) As many goodreaders mentioned, the story is almost a complete rip off of the movie. However, that movie is one of my favorites, and a solid story. And the book certainly pays the movie homage, if nothing more. It's a solid story and an ultimately satisfying one.
All in all, Diamond Secret was a good read, but due to the subject matter and the way it followed history and a fairly recent and popular film, I simply did not enjoy this one. My score of three reflects both my disappointment in the final product (a 2) and the overall quality of the book (around a 4). I'm hoping the next will be better!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2015
This book is part of the 2015 Reading Challange : A book with bad reviews.
For those of you who don't know, I am OBSESSED with the 1997 20th Century Fox animated film Anastasia, which is a fun yet sophisticated take on the "Anastasia Romanova escaped her execution and is alive theory" with the hottest animated character ever and my first and still one my favorite OTPs. (Idk why I just said that. If you haven't watched this film drop everything right now and go watch it.)
Anyhoo, The Once Upon a Time series is a series of YA novels that are fairly tale retellings written by various authors. The only other one I have read is Scarlet Moon, which though I read many years ago when I was 16, was a decent Red Riding Hood retelling. That being said, I am not sure why a speculative story about a real life person like Anastasia is in this fairy tale retelling category, but I'm guessing it is because the movie Anastasia has joined the ranks of Disney Princess movies.
This book sounded like it had a similar premise to the movie. I figured it would be fun to revisit a similar story in print format. What I wasn't expecting was that it would be EXACTLY like the movie, sans magic and with very poor writing. Like to the point where certain lines of dialogue are so much the same that it could be considered copyright infringement (trust me, I have this movie memorized...no shame). In fact, I'm not sure how the intellectual property on this even works.
But back to the writing. It sounded like an 8th grader trying their hand at creative writing. Nadya (Anastasia) and the two Vlad and Dimitri-like characters have no distinct voice, are woefully undeveloped, and think like a 14 might sound in their diary. (Remember, just because you are writing for a teenaged audience doesn't mean your adult characters have to sound like teenagers!) Nadya and Ivan were supposed to have some sort of romance but it was like trying to ship 2 pieces of driftwood.
It was kind of disappointing that this book was so bad. However, I would encourage anyone who likes the movie Anastasia and had any remote interest in reading this to read Anastasia's Secret, which was excellent!
For those of you who don't know, I am OBSESSED with the 1997 20th Century Fox animated film Anastasia, which is a fun yet sophisticated take on the "Anastasia Romanova escaped her execution and is alive theory" with the hottest animated character ever and my first and still one my favorite OTPs. (Idk why I just said that. If you haven't watched this film drop everything right now and go watch it.)
Anyhoo, The Once Upon a Time series is a series of YA novels that are fairly tale retellings written by various authors. The only other one I have read is Scarlet Moon, which though I read many years ago when I was 16, was a decent Red Riding Hood retelling. That being said, I am not sure why a speculative story about a real life person like Anastasia is in this fairy tale retelling category, but I'm guessing it is because the movie Anastasia has joined the ranks of Disney Princess movies.
This book sounded like it had a similar premise to the movie. I figured it would be fun to revisit a similar story in print format. What I wasn't expecting was that it would be EXACTLY like the movie, sans magic and with very poor writing. Like to the point where certain lines of dialogue are so much the same that it could be considered copyright infringement (trust me, I have this movie memorized...no shame). In fact, I'm not sure how the intellectual property on this even works.
But back to the writing. It sounded like an 8th grader trying their hand at creative writing. Nadya (Anastasia) and the two Vlad and Dimitri-like characters have no distinct voice, are woefully undeveloped, and think like a 14 might sound in their diary. (Remember, just because you are writing for a teenaged audience doesn't mean your adult characters have to sound like teenagers!) Nadya and Ivan were supposed to have some sort of romance but it was like trying to ship 2 pieces of driftwood.
It was kind of disappointing that this book was so bad. However, I would encourage anyone who likes the movie Anastasia and had any remote interest in reading this to read Anastasia's Secret, which was excellent!
April 1, 2022
Boring.
June 14, 2016
How about NO. Diamonds are cliche. What kind of title is that?
Anastasia was actually not a fairy tale.
[If you can't tell, the Romanovs are rolling in their graves.]
A copy
of a more inaccurate copy
of a romanticised copy
of an impostor
to the real thing
I didn't actually read it because my library doesn't have it, but I've read the bad reviews, not to mention the way the sampler reads.
You're not writing a film for a bunch of three-to-seven-year-olds, so can't you stop the happy-clappy crap?
I will not be reading any more than the preview of this.
Oh yeah, and diamonds are cliche. Did I say that?
Anastasia was actually not a fairy tale.
[If you can't tell, the Romanovs are rolling in their graves.]
A copy
of a more inaccurate copy
of a romanticised copy
of an impostor
to the real thing
I didn't actually read it because my library doesn't have it, but I've read the bad reviews, not to mention the way the sampler reads.
"The White Russian Army is coming to save us, just as father said they would," Olga told her, giddy with excitement.Okay, so this book sticks closer to history than the Fox film, it looks like, but doesn't the writing make you cringe (I mean, unless you're a middle school English teacher who's used to this kind of writing)? And also, if you've researched far enough to know that they were executed in Ekaterinburg, about the Red/White army thing, and the fact that Maria was called Mashka, it's one step more of research to discover that by this point in time, they knew that if the White army was coming, they Reds would shoot them, and that they were sure they would never go back to the palace. Not only that, but the all the sisters act as if they were twelve, when history will easily tell you that Olga was almost 23, Tatiana 21, Maria 19, and Anastasia 17. Come on, do the math.
"We're going to be out of this awful place soom!" Mashka exulted.
"It's better here than it was in Siberia," Anastasia pointed out as she swung her bare feet onto the cold wooden floor.
"But not mearly as good as it was in at the palace," Olga countered.
You're not writing a film for a bunch of three-to-seven-year-olds, so can't you stop the happy-clappy crap?
I will not be reading any more than the preview of this.
Oh yeah, and diamonds are cliche. Did I say that?
February 16, 2019
FINALLY, one of these Once Upon a Time books that wasn't terrible. I knew there were some in the series that were decent.
This one was interesting because it's not really a fairy tale retelling. The story of Anastasia isn't a fairy tale....it's fairly recent history. This book was published 2 years after DNA evidence confirmed that the graves of the missing Romanovs had been found, so this book wasn't even the author's whimsical speculation on the legends surrounding Anastasia's supposed survival. I'm going to still shelve it under "retold tales", but really it's more like "alternative history". There were also no fantasy elements, just straight historical fiction.
What set this apart from many of the other books in this series is that it wasn't overly mushy. Sure, there was some insta-love and families coming tearfully together....but it wasn't nearly on the same level as some of the books written by Cameron Dokey where the plots resolve all in a rush with the solution to every problem being "love". There weren't soppy goodbye scenes that lasted half a dozen pages, like the last book in this series that I read. It was a relief to not roll my eyes every other page as I read.
That's not to say that this book was great. Like all of these, it suffers for being too short. Relationships had to form swiftly, travel and other chunks of time had to be skimmed over, and the conflicts wrapped up too quickly and easily. The setting was just barely developed; we know the place and the time period because we know it's right after the Romanov assassinations, but there wasn't a lot of detail that really made this *feel* like early 20th century Russia. You could tell the author had done research into the events (at least read the Wikipedia page), but the short length of the book prevented more historic detail. Two of the main fictional characters had painfully stereotypical Russian names (Ivan and Sergei), but there wasn't much else to show that the author had studied up on the language or culture outside of the immediately historical facts surrounding Anastasia's death. Interestingly, we don't see Russian in the text anywhere, but French is used a few times.
So, I won't be keeping this one for my collection of retold fairy tales, but I still feel like it's worth a read for anyone interested in a brief overview of the Anastasia story.
This one was interesting because it's not really a fairy tale retelling. The story of Anastasia isn't a fairy tale....it's fairly recent history. This book was published 2 years after DNA evidence confirmed that the graves of the missing Romanovs had been found, so this book wasn't even the author's whimsical speculation on the legends surrounding Anastasia's supposed survival. I'm going to still shelve it under "retold tales", but really it's more like "alternative history". There were also no fantasy elements, just straight historical fiction.
What set this apart from many of the other books in this series is that it wasn't overly mushy. Sure, there was some insta-love and families coming tearfully together....but it wasn't nearly on the same level as some of the books written by Cameron Dokey where the plots resolve all in a rush with the solution to every problem being "love". There weren't soppy goodbye scenes that lasted half a dozen pages, like the last book in this series that I read. It was a relief to not roll my eyes every other page as I read.
That's not to say that this book was great. Like all of these, it suffers for being too short. Relationships had to form swiftly, travel and other chunks of time had to be skimmed over, and the conflicts wrapped up too quickly and easily. The setting was just barely developed; we know the place and the time period because we know it's right after the Romanov assassinations, but there wasn't a lot of detail that really made this *feel* like early 20th century Russia. You could tell the author had done research into the events (at least read the Wikipedia page), but the short length of the book prevented more historic detail. Two of the main fictional characters had painfully stereotypical Russian names (Ivan and Sergei), but there wasn't much else to show that the author had studied up on the language or culture outside of the immediately historical facts surrounding Anastasia's death. Interestingly, we don't see Russian in the text anywhere, but French is used a few times.
So, I won't be keeping this one for my collection of retold fairy tales, but I still feel like it's worth a read for anyone interested in a brief overview of the Anastasia story.
July 21, 2009
This installment in the "Once Upon A Time" series is a retelling of the fate of Anastasia Romanov, the last Grand Duchess of Imperial Russia. It draws heavily on the plot of Fox's animated film "Anastasia." Despite the lack of inventiveness or originality, it was an enjoyable, quick read. Bit lackluster, though, and it does not truly belong in the class of fairytales. Given the wealth of fairytales available, especially those that have not been retold a thousand times like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, however well done, it would be nice to see some of those lesser known gems be given a slot in this series.
April 14, 2025
I remember when this series of Once Upon Time books were coming out. There wasn't many good fairy-tale retelling at the time and so I read many of them. This was one of my favorites because I love the fantasy of "what if" Anastasia was still alive (I also really loved con artist love interests.) Two nights ago I went to see Anastasia: The Musical at a local college and it was fantastic! I knew I was going straight home to pick up this book!
While I wish it was longer, it was a fun, quick, read that gave me most everything I wanted. That's why I probably won't ever get rid of the books I have in this series.
While I wish it was longer, it was a fun, quick, read that gave me most everything I wanted. That's why I probably won't ever get rid of the books I have in this series.
March 29, 2019
I couldn’t actually finish this book but I marked it as done just to say I’m actually finished with reading this book.
From the very beginning, it had the same base plot for the animated movie. The only difference being some name changes and no magic. The writing was dull. It’s very rare that I put down a book and don’t push through it, even if I’m not enjoying it. But why read a plot I already know about? It wasn’t a retelling. It was a fan fiction or copy of someone else’s work. Someone already retold it this way: Dreamworks.
Highly disappointed. 2 stars.
From the very beginning, it had the same base plot for the animated movie. The only difference being some name changes and no magic. The writing was dull. It’s very rare that I put down a book and don’t push through it, even if I’m not enjoying it. But why read a plot I already know about? It wasn’t a retelling. It was a fan fiction or copy of someone else’s work. Someone already retold it this way: Dreamworks.
Highly disappointed. 2 stars.
January 29, 2023
There is just something about the Anastasia story that will always capture my interest. And this version, is rather sweet in my mind. I’m rereading some of these Once Upon a Time books so that I can track down the stories that I still need for my personal library.
June 9, 2022
Another A+ low effort childhood read. Also just makes me want to rewatch the cinematic masterpiece that is the movie Anastasia.
May 19, 2010
I have really enjoyed this series of books thus far. For the most part they are engaging and original, albeit a little corny with writing that is less than stellar. But, the unique view of these fairy tales and the fresh voice of many of our heroines eclipses the oft shallow writing.
Now, we look into The Diamond Secret. This is the worst of the Once Upon a Time series I have read and, at this point, I believe I have read all that have so far been published. The Diamond Secret explores the story of Anastasia and what might have happened if she had lived. Although not actually a fairy tale, it is a legend that has inspired much thought, controversy and fantasy. A few other stories weren't exactly fairy tales either, so I can forgive this small lapse. I've been fascinated with the story of Anastasia since I watched the Fox animated feature that everyone I knew thought was done by Disney. What's not to love?! It's a great story. And, that's the whole problem with this book. It's the same story. Take the movie, substitute Rasputin for his horribly scarred sidekick, remove the supernatural element and add in a lust for beautiful gemstones and you have this book.
Now, I don't expect these books to be amazingly well written. That's not what these books are about and it's not really the audience they are directed at. As a general rule, with these stories I am easily able to overlook the writing because the stories are usually original enough to keep me entertained. I love fairy tales that take a completely unique look at an old tale. This story did not do that. The story was so close to the movie that I found myself unable and unwilling to overlook the poor writing. The whole book read like she was trying to hard. When talking to a friend, I compared the writing to people who speak using words like cornacopia or plethora. They use it to make themselves sound more intelligent and well versed, but it inevitably has the opposite effect- they just sound silly.
This book has been the most disappointing of the series thus far. Poor writing and an unoriginal (and beyond predictable) story makes this the first Once Upon a Time book to earn only 3 stars. I do need to go back and give Belle a 3, because I had many of the same problems reading that as I did this. (Has anyone read Beauty by Robin McKinley? Ya... Basically a watered down version). This one was a disappointment. I definitely don't recommend this for people new to the series. Keep this one on reserve after you've already had some exposure to the other stories.
Now, we look into The Diamond Secret. This is the worst of the Once Upon a Time series I have read and, at this point, I believe I have read all that have so far been published. The Diamond Secret explores the story of Anastasia and what might have happened if she had lived. Although not actually a fairy tale, it is a legend that has inspired much thought, controversy and fantasy. A few other stories weren't exactly fairy tales either, so I can forgive this small lapse. I've been fascinated with the story of Anastasia since I watched the Fox animated feature that everyone I knew thought was done by Disney. What's not to love?! It's a great story. And, that's the whole problem with this book. It's the same story. Take the movie, substitute Rasputin for his horribly scarred sidekick, remove the supernatural element and add in a lust for beautiful gemstones and you have this book.
Now, I don't expect these books to be amazingly well written. That's not what these books are about and it's not really the audience they are directed at. As a general rule, with these stories I am easily able to overlook the writing because the stories are usually original enough to keep me entertained. I love fairy tales that take a completely unique look at an old tale. This story did not do that. The story was so close to the movie that I found myself unable and unwilling to overlook the poor writing. The whole book read like she was trying to hard. When talking to a friend, I compared the writing to people who speak using words like cornacopia or plethora. They use it to make themselves sound more intelligent and well versed, but it inevitably has the opposite effect- they just sound silly.
This book has been the most disappointing of the series thus far. Poor writing and an unoriginal (and beyond predictable) story makes this the first Once Upon a Time book to earn only 3 stars. I do need to go back and give Belle a 3, because I had many of the same problems reading that as I did this. (Has anyone read Beauty by Robin McKinley? Ya... Basically a watered down version). This one was a disappointment. I definitely don't recommend this for people new to the series. Keep this one on reserve after you've already had some exposure to the other stories.
February 26, 2017
As soon as you start reading this, it hits you: You are about to read a realistic historical retelling of what happened to the Czar's family, the Romanovs. But instead of reading whatever articles of writing they have left from the real Anastasia, this ambitious author offers it up to you in a fictional way... and it hits home directly!
You can see the similarities with the Disney animated movie "Anastasia", and if you are a fan of that movie (like I am), this book is only made better because of the similarities. Its the same idea that the movie follows along, but seen from a very different point of view than the movie.
(SPOILERS) Instead of being a kitchen boy named Dimitri, the young man Anastasia falls in love with is a soldier named Ivan Ivanovitch Navgorny, who was part of the Red Army that held her family captive right before they were killed in the basement of The House of Special Purpose. He saw Anastasia almost survive and escape in the woods afterwards, but she was shot down again, and he firmly believes she is dead. An announcement is circled around Moscow and most of Russia that the Princess Anastasia may be alive, and immediately Ivan (and his best aristocrat friend, Count Sergei Mikhailovitch Kremnikov) start interviewing girls who can possibly play the part. But since Ivan knew what the princess was like, at least from a distance, he turns down every girl they've met.
Then he meets Nadya, a waitress at a small eating place in the ugly and grim town of Yekaterinburg, Russa, the place where historically the Romanovs were kept while the White Army searched for them (and where the Red Army killed them). Ivan has locked away his past dark memories, but he still remembers what the Princess Anastasia was like, and that this orphan waitress girl (who doesn't even know how old she is), is very much like the princess in spirit and physical appearance. At first Nadya doesn't want to go with them, and doesn't trust Ivan at all because of his fierce, prying questions. But when Sergei talks to her, and tells her that they believe she is really the granddaughter of a White Russian exiled countess in Paris, France, she finally agrees to go with them in the hopes of finding her true family.
She and Ivan argue on the way there, and he is embarrassed by her ugly and dirty appearance, doubting if he made the right decision to pick her. He offers her his jacket, but of course she refuses, and it takes Sergei's kind soothing to make her finally agree to take Ivan's jacket. They are hostile to each other, but when Nadya gets scared that a man with a twisted red scar on his cheek is watching her, Ivan shows care about her safety. But of course Ivan and Sergei are con men at this time, and they happily use this distraction until the train starts to leave, because they really have no tickets for the ride.
The conductor comes to get their tickets often, but Sergei always comes up with some kind of excuse, though they are pretty slim. Nadya keeps having terrible nightmares about the Romanov family, and she shares them often with her two companions, who are always interested to hear because they want to find out who she really is (since it would help them all to know, even if she isn't Her Imperial Highness Anastasia Nicholaevna Romanov, one of the grand duchesses of Russia--Ivan doesn't believe she is anyway, though). Nadya helps make an excuse for the tickets also, but they have to jump off the train because the conductor is coming with an officer. Ivan takes her hand, and they jump together, and end up rolling down the hill together, which I thought was pretty nice and romantic, even though they didn't do it to be romantic. From that moment on, they begin teasing each other like crazy, usually Nadya starting it, though.
Once, when they ride in a hay wagon for several miles, she buries Ivan in his sleep, then tickles his nose with a piece of straw. He tries to swat it away, thinking its a bug, but his arms are buried under the hay. He wakes up, and she bursts out laughing, which makes him start throwing hay all over her, and they finally land on the bottom of the wagon and just laugh happily. Sergei, of course, the whole time is watching them with a knowing look, suspicious that they are falling in love and don't even know it themselves. They work for an ice harvester after that, and Nadya takes ice shaving and drops them down Ivan's back, which makes him squirm to get them out, then chase her around with some shavings, which sometimes he succeeds in putting down her back, and they both end up laughing.
The trio goes across Russia working for their food and places to sleep, and Nadya becomes muscular and tanned, which alarms both the men because they think she won't be able to pass for a fair-skinned grand duchess if she looks healthy and strong. They decide not to let her work anymore, and instead to teach her how to be a grand duchess again... and in bringing this up, Nadya realizes that she doesn't want to be Anastasia Romanov, even if she really is. She cries and storms about how Anastasia was a girl, just like her, and she died in cold blood... and Nadya wants nothing to do with it, so she runs away into the woods that they are camped in. She falls down a ravine, and has a dream that is like all the others: a nightmare about the Romanovs and a jewel necklace that used to belong to Marie Antoinette.
She wakes up to find Ivan calling her name urgently. I am going to recount the entire, sweet scene right here, so don't read if you don't want to read SPOILERS!
_______________
"Nadya! Nadya!"
The all-encompassing white snapped into utter blackness.
Staring dazedly into the abyss of nothingness, Nadya began to see silvery forms gradually taking shape before her eyes; first the ovals of eyes appeared, then the slanting ridge of a nose. "Ivan?" Nadya asked the disembodied form hovering in the blackness above her.
"Thank goodness you're okay. I've been looking for you for hours. How'd you get down here? Are you hurt?"
"Where am I?" Nadya asked. Ivan's arm was around her now, and the solidness of and heat from his body was reassuring.
"You're at the bottom of a king of ravine. I used my last mathc, or else I'd show you. You must have fallen and rolled down here. When I spotted you sprawled on the ground, I thought you were dead."
Shaken by this news, Nadya bowed her head and covered her face with her hands. "Oh God--I don't want to be dead."
Ivan tightened his hold around her. "No. No. Don't be dead. I'm so happy that you're not dead." He kissed the top of her head. "Definitely don't be dead."
In the darkness, Nadya tilted back her head and reached up her hand until her fingers contacted the smooth surface of his lips.
Tenderly, he kissed her fingertips.
Then Ivan pulled her closer and sought out Nady's lips with his own, kissing her gently at first, and then with growing passion. Nadya returned his kiss, somehow aware that all th ese days of traveling together had been leading them to this moment.
Ivan stroked Nadya's hair tenderly and then stood. Taking her hand, he drew her to her feet. "Do you feel well enough to walk?" he asked.
"I think so. Do you know the way back?"
Ivan hesitated uncertainly. "Not really," he admitted. "Let's see what we can find."
THE END OF "Chapter Ten: In the Night Forest"
________________
Of course that was one of my favorite scenes. After that, it is pretty clear to both of them that they deeply love each other, and they aren't very afraid to show it, though they are very quiet about it, and don't even tell Sergei what happened between them in the ravine. They just seem more bonded, and more happy than he remembers they were before, and they tenderly lean towards each other when they talk like true lovers do--so Sergei is almost completely convinced they are in love, but won't speak of it. The next day the owner of the land they are on (without knowing it), comes and confronts Nadya and Sergei while they are practicing how to be a grand duchess in the campsite (while Ivan is working in the fields somewhere else). The owner of the land is Count Dubinskey, who actually was one of Count Sergei's friends from the White Russian aristocracy before, and they are happily welcomed into the man's personal estate.
Ivan is sent for by a servant, and he has to choose between possible captivity or arrest for leaving the army... or losing his only friend Sergei, and his love, Nadya. When he thinks of her, he begins running, afraid for her safety, not wanting her to be alone, and not wanting to be without her in his life. He reaches the estate, and finds that she has gone shopping with the Count Dubinksy's sister, Irina. Ivan is worried sick, especially since Count Dubinsky is planning a ball to introduce Her Imperial Highness Anastasia Romanov back into the world of high society of the exiled rick Russians--which means that their scam has just reached the next level, and they can't retreat back from it now.
Nadya comes into the room all dressed up in the Parisian style with Irina, wearing make-up with her hair curled--and Ivan explodes. He doesn't like the way she looks, which upsets Nadya very much because she cares about his opinion, but his behavior just makes Irina believe that Ivan is deeply in love with her. She tells Nadya later that he is, saying that no man would be so jealous and protective if he wasn't head over heels, and that makes Nadya feel wonderful... The only problem is that Irina tells Nadya that she can't marry a commoner like Ivan since she is a grand duchess, and that alarms and upsets Nadya, even though she keeps it to herself.
The ball is a success, and everyone agrees that Nadya is Anastasia Romanov, even though she doesn't remember anyone because of her amnesia problems. Nadya fits in well, and she dances with Ivan that night, and it is a wonderful night for her. The next morning, early, they are summoned straight to Paris by one of Empress Marie's (her grandmother) servants. They are all nervous because they don't know what's going to happen to their scheme--except Nadya, who is worried that she might not be Anastasia Romanov. Empress Marie is a very stern, kind of blind, and very skeptical woman by now... but she did send for them because some of her very trusted friends sent word to her, saying that they believe it is the real Anastasia.
During her first visit with the empress, Nadya finds out about the reward money, and immediately is shocked by Ivan and Sergei's con plan, and completely doesn't trust them anymore and feels betrayed. Ivan doesn't know what to do, since it is true, and he and Sergei leave immediately. Empress Marie doesn't even believe that Nadya didn't know about it, but she agrees to keep her at her personal estate for a week and see if she decides that she is authentic or not (Nadya is the first girl to show up claiming to be Anastasia, but with amnesia).
Ivan comes to give Nadya back her rag doll and her petticoat that were messed up with some of his and Sergei's belongings in their swift departure from the forest campsite, and they have an argument where Ivan decides to turn around his love for her into just playing her... because he realizes what kind of life she is being offered with the empress, and doesn't want to make her give it up for love of him. Nadya is devastated that he never really loved her, and goes back into the mansion crying (without the doll or petticoat). Ivan leaves, kind of sad, but firm in the belief that he did the right thing.
Nadya goes to the Russian opera with the Empress Marie, and hears a rumor there that Count Sergei's wife and son (that he has been searching for for a year or more) are in Paris, working at a monastery. Forgetting her hate and their betrayal, Nadya leaves the opera to find Sergei and tell him where his missing family is. At this time, Ivan is walking restlessly down some of the streets of Paris, and in doing so, he is confronted by the man with the red scar on his face, who is really an old assistant of Rasputin, the man who hated the Romanovs, and was trying to get the Marie Antoinette's necklace from Anastasia Romanov's mother for healing her son Alexei from his frequent bleeding spells. The scarred man and Ivan struggle on the waterfront, and Ivan gets shot while the other man falls into the river.
At this time, Sergei goes to find his family at the monastery, and tells Nadya to leave a message for Ivan when he comes back later. She agrees, and asks the man at the front desk of the hotel if she can leave a note to "Ivan Ivanovitch Navgorny", and the man speaks to her in French which she doesn't understand--but he finally makes it clear what he means by showing her a paper with a rough sketch of a man on a table with a gunshot wound in his chest. Nadya realizes the name underneath the picture is the same as her lost lover: Ivan Ivanovitch Navgorny. She goes to the room where he is kept, where the people who found him put him, since they couldn't find any of his friends or family members. She tries to stop his fatal bleeding, and in this way, remembers bleeding and being shot in the woods with the rest of her family, the Romanovs of Russia. When she finally wakes up from the memory, she cries and tells him not to leave her and die, and that she loves him. She doesn't notice his hand gently stroking her hair.
Ivan wakes up inside the Empress Marie's mansion, but wants to leave as soon as possible, not wanting to ruin Nadya's new life with her grandmother--even though he has no idea she remembered everything until she tells him. He disappears before she has a chance to say anything to him except "I was worried that you would never wake up", and she asks her grandmother why she can't marry a commoner if she loves him. Her grandmother tells her that most royals of any country never marry for love, but that the name "Anastasia" means "breaker of chains". She tells Anastasia to choose her own path, and to do what she thinks is best, and to break the chains of normal society laws if she wants to.
In this way, Nadya ends up boarding a ship with Ivan bound for America. The scene is just priceless. Again, SPOILERS EXTREME, so stop now if you want to read it after you finish the book (like normal people). This review does not explain what "The Diamond Secret" is. You have to read the book for that, and you shouldn't miss it. ;)
_______________
Shielding her eyes with a flattened hand to her brow, Nadya frantically scanned the dock. Her heart skipped when she spied Ivan unsteadily climbing the gangplank of a freighter. "Ivan," she shouted, but the ocean winds carried off her voice, and she knew he hadn't heard her.
The freighter's horn blasted, signaling that its departure was imminent. "Ivan," she shouted, her curls blowing in her eyes as she ran for the freighter.
Finally, when she was at the bottom of the gangplank, Ivan heard her and turned.
His face exploded with joy.
He started to come back down the ramp, but she hurried up and met him halfway. "I'm sorry for leaving without saying goodbye," he explained. "I was afraid I wouldn't be able to leave you if I didn't just go."
"Don't leave me, then," she said with her hands on his arms.
"I have to. You're the grand duchess Anastasia. There's no place for me in your life."
"Not in Anastasia's life, but in Nadya's life there's all the room in the world. Don't you see? I don't want a life without you."
"Are you absolutely sure?" Ivan asked.
"Completely sure," she insisted.
The freighter sounded its horn once more.
Ivan pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard. Nadya held him tight. "You're giving up so much," he reminded her when they pulled out of the embrace.
Nadya smiled up at him. "I'm getting so much more than I'm losing," she assured him.
The freighter's horn blared a third time. "You're sure?" Ivan checked.
"Positive," Nadya said.
Ivan took Nadya's hand, and they hurried up to the top of the gangplank and onto the deck. As the vessel pulled away from the dock, they watched the land recede into the distance.
"We might never see home again," Ivan remarked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
"That's all right," Nadya replied, knowing in her heart that, from this moment on, wherever Ivan was would be home to her.
You can see the similarities with the Disney animated movie "Anastasia", and if you are a fan of that movie (like I am), this book is only made better because of the similarities. Its the same idea that the movie follows along, but seen from a very different point of view than the movie.
(SPOILERS) Instead of being a kitchen boy named Dimitri, the young man Anastasia falls in love with is a soldier named Ivan Ivanovitch Navgorny, who was part of the Red Army that held her family captive right before they were killed in the basement of The House of Special Purpose. He saw Anastasia almost survive and escape in the woods afterwards, but she was shot down again, and he firmly believes she is dead. An announcement is circled around Moscow and most of Russia that the Princess Anastasia may be alive, and immediately Ivan (and his best aristocrat friend, Count Sergei Mikhailovitch Kremnikov) start interviewing girls who can possibly play the part. But since Ivan knew what the princess was like, at least from a distance, he turns down every girl they've met.
Then he meets Nadya, a waitress at a small eating place in the ugly and grim town of Yekaterinburg, Russa, the place where historically the Romanovs were kept while the White Army searched for them (and where the Red Army killed them). Ivan has locked away his past dark memories, but he still remembers what the Princess Anastasia was like, and that this orphan waitress girl (who doesn't even know how old she is), is very much like the princess in spirit and physical appearance. At first Nadya doesn't want to go with them, and doesn't trust Ivan at all because of his fierce, prying questions. But when Sergei talks to her, and tells her that they believe she is really the granddaughter of a White Russian exiled countess in Paris, France, she finally agrees to go with them in the hopes of finding her true family.
She and Ivan argue on the way there, and he is embarrassed by her ugly and dirty appearance, doubting if he made the right decision to pick her. He offers her his jacket, but of course she refuses, and it takes Sergei's kind soothing to make her finally agree to take Ivan's jacket. They are hostile to each other, but when Nadya gets scared that a man with a twisted red scar on his cheek is watching her, Ivan shows care about her safety. But of course Ivan and Sergei are con men at this time, and they happily use this distraction until the train starts to leave, because they really have no tickets for the ride.
The conductor comes to get their tickets often, but Sergei always comes up with some kind of excuse, though they are pretty slim. Nadya keeps having terrible nightmares about the Romanov family, and she shares them often with her two companions, who are always interested to hear because they want to find out who she really is (since it would help them all to know, even if she isn't Her Imperial Highness Anastasia Nicholaevna Romanov, one of the grand duchesses of Russia--Ivan doesn't believe she is anyway, though). Nadya helps make an excuse for the tickets also, but they have to jump off the train because the conductor is coming with an officer. Ivan takes her hand, and they jump together, and end up rolling down the hill together, which I thought was pretty nice and romantic, even though they didn't do it to be romantic. From that moment on, they begin teasing each other like crazy, usually Nadya starting it, though.
Once, when they ride in a hay wagon for several miles, she buries Ivan in his sleep, then tickles his nose with a piece of straw. He tries to swat it away, thinking its a bug, but his arms are buried under the hay. He wakes up, and she bursts out laughing, which makes him start throwing hay all over her, and they finally land on the bottom of the wagon and just laugh happily. Sergei, of course, the whole time is watching them with a knowing look, suspicious that they are falling in love and don't even know it themselves. They work for an ice harvester after that, and Nadya takes ice shaving and drops them down Ivan's back, which makes him squirm to get them out, then chase her around with some shavings, which sometimes he succeeds in putting down her back, and they both end up laughing.
The trio goes across Russia working for their food and places to sleep, and Nadya becomes muscular and tanned, which alarms both the men because they think she won't be able to pass for a fair-skinned grand duchess if she looks healthy and strong. They decide not to let her work anymore, and instead to teach her how to be a grand duchess again... and in bringing this up, Nadya realizes that she doesn't want to be Anastasia Romanov, even if she really is. She cries and storms about how Anastasia was a girl, just like her, and she died in cold blood... and Nadya wants nothing to do with it, so she runs away into the woods that they are camped in. She falls down a ravine, and has a dream that is like all the others: a nightmare about the Romanovs and a jewel necklace that used to belong to Marie Antoinette.
She wakes up to find Ivan calling her name urgently. I am going to recount the entire, sweet scene right here, so don't read if you don't want to read SPOILERS!
_______________
"Nadya! Nadya!"
The all-encompassing white snapped into utter blackness.
Staring dazedly into the abyss of nothingness, Nadya began to see silvery forms gradually taking shape before her eyes; first the ovals of eyes appeared, then the slanting ridge of a nose. "Ivan?" Nadya asked the disembodied form hovering in the blackness above her.
"Thank goodness you're okay. I've been looking for you for hours. How'd you get down here? Are you hurt?"
"Where am I?" Nadya asked. Ivan's arm was around her now, and the solidness of and heat from his body was reassuring.
"You're at the bottom of a king of ravine. I used my last mathc, or else I'd show you. You must have fallen and rolled down here. When I spotted you sprawled on the ground, I thought you were dead."
Shaken by this news, Nadya bowed her head and covered her face with her hands. "Oh God--I don't want to be dead."
Ivan tightened his hold around her. "No. No. Don't be dead. I'm so happy that you're not dead." He kissed the top of her head. "Definitely don't be dead."
In the darkness, Nadya tilted back her head and reached up her hand until her fingers contacted the smooth surface of his lips.
Tenderly, he kissed her fingertips.
Then Ivan pulled her closer and sought out Nady's lips with his own, kissing her gently at first, and then with growing passion. Nadya returned his kiss, somehow aware that all th ese days of traveling together had been leading them to this moment.
Ivan stroked Nadya's hair tenderly and then stood. Taking her hand, he drew her to her feet. "Do you feel well enough to walk?" he asked.
"I think so. Do you know the way back?"
Ivan hesitated uncertainly. "Not really," he admitted. "Let's see what we can find."
THE END OF "Chapter Ten: In the Night Forest"
________________
Of course that was one of my favorite scenes. After that, it is pretty clear to both of them that they deeply love each other, and they aren't very afraid to show it, though they are very quiet about it, and don't even tell Sergei what happened between them in the ravine. They just seem more bonded, and more happy than he remembers they were before, and they tenderly lean towards each other when they talk like true lovers do--so Sergei is almost completely convinced they are in love, but won't speak of it. The next day the owner of the land they are on (without knowing it), comes and confronts Nadya and Sergei while they are practicing how to be a grand duchess in the campsite (while Ivan is working in the fields somewhere else). The owner of the land is Count Dubinskey, who actually was one of Count Sergei's friends from the White Russian aristocracy before, and they are happily welcomed into the man's personal estate.
Ivan is sent for by a servant, and he has to choose between possible captivity or arrest for leaving the army... or losing his only friend Sergei, and his love, Nadya. When he thinks of her, he begins running, afraid for her safety, not wanting her to be alone, and not wanting to be without her in his life. He reaches the estate, and finds that she has gone shopping with the Count Dubinksy's sister, Irina. Ivan is worried sick, especially since Count Dubinsky is planning a ball to introduce Her Imperial Highness Anastasia Romanov back into the world of high society of the exiled rick Russians--which means that their scam has just reached the next level, and they can't retreat back from it now.
Nadya comes into the room all dressed up in the Parisian style with Irina, wearing make-up with her hair curled--and Ivan explodes. He doesn't like the way she looks, which upsets Nadya very much because she cares about his opinion, but his behavior just makes Irina believe that Ivan is deeply in love with her. She tells Nadya later that he is, saying that no man would be so jealous and protective if he wasn't head over heels, and that makes Nadya feel wonderful... The only problem is that Irina tells Nadya that she can't marry a commoner like Ivan since she is a grand duchess, and that alarms and upsets Nadya, even though she keeps it to herself.
The ball is a success, and everyone agrees that Nadya is Anastasia Romanov, even though she doesn't remember anyone because of her amnesia problems. Nadya fits in well, and she dances with Ivan that night, and it is a wonderful night for her. The next morning, early, they are summoned straight to Paris by one of Empress Marie's (her grandmother) servants. They are all nervous because they don't know what's going to happen to their scheme--except Nadya, who is worried that she might not be Anastasia Romanov. Empress Marie is a very stern, kind of blind, and very skeptical woman by now... but she did send for them because some of her very trusted friends sent word to her, saying that they believe it is the real Anastasia.
During her first visit with the empress, Nadya finds out about the reward money, and immediately is shocked by Ivan and Sergei's con plan, and completely doesn't trust them anymore and feels betrayed. Ivan doesn't know what to do, since it is true, and he and Sergei leave immediately. Empress Marie doesn't even believe that Nadya didn't know about it, but she agrees to keep her at her personal estate for a week and see if she decides that she is authentic or not (Nadya is the first girl to show up claiming to be Anastasia, but with amnesia).
Ivan comes to give Nadya back her rag doll and her petticoat that were messed up with some of his and Sergei's belongings in their swift departure from the forest campsite, and they have an argument where Ivan decides to turn around his love for her into just playing her... because he realizes what kind of life she is being offered with the empress, and doesn't want to make her give it up for love of him. Nadya is devastated that he never really loved her, and goes back into the mansion crying (without the doll or petticoat). Ivan leaves, kind of sad, but firm in the belief that he did the right thing.
Nadya goes to the Russian opera with the Empress Marie, and hears a rumor there that Count Sergei's wife and son (that he has been searching for for a year or more) are in Paris, working at a monastery. Forgetting her hate and their betrayal, Nadya leaves the opera to find Sergei and tell him where his missing family is. At this time, Ivan is walking restlessly down some of the streets of Paris, and in doing so, he is confronted by the man with the red scar on his face, who is really an old assistant of Rasputin, the man who hated the Romanovs, and was trying to get the Marie Antoinette's necklace from Anastasia Romanov's mother for healing her son Alexei from his frequent bleeding spells. The scarred man and Ivan struggle on the waterfront, and Ivan gets shot while the other man falls into the river.
At this time, Sergei goes to find his family at the monastery, and tells Nadya to leave a message for Ivan when he comes back later. She agrees, and asks the man at the front desk of the hotel if she can leave a note to "Ivan Ivanovitch Navgorny", and the man speaks to her in French which she doesn't understand--but he finally makes it clear what he means by showing her a paper with a rough sketch of a man on a table with a gunshot wound in his chest. Nadya realizes the name underneath the picture is the same as her lost lover: Ivan Ivanovitch Navgorny. She goes to the room where he is kept, where the people who found him put him, since they couldn't find any of his friends or family members. She tries to stop his fatal bleeding, and in this way, remembers bleeding and being shot in the woods with the rest of her family, the Romanovs of Russia. When she finally wakes up from the memory, she cries and tells him not to leave her and die, and that she loves him. She doesn't notice his hand gently stroking her hair.
Ivan wakes up inside the Empress Marie's mansion, but wants to leave as soon as possible, not wanting to ruin Nadya's new life with her grandmother--even though he has no idea she remembered everything until she tells him. He disappears before she has a chance to say anything to him except "I was worried that you would never wake up", and she asks her grandmother why she can't marry a commoner if she loves him. Her grandmother tells her that most royals of any country never marry for love, but that the name "Anastasia" means "breaker of chains". She tells Anastasia to choose her own path, and to do what she thinks is best, and to break the chains of normal society laws if she wants to.
In this way, Nadya ends up boarding a ship with Ivan bound for America. The scene is just priceless. Again, SPOILERS EXTREME, so stop now if you want to read it after you finish the book (like normal people). This review does not explain what "The Diamond Secret" is. You have to read the book for that, and you shouldn't miss it. ;)
_______________
Shielding her eyes with a flattened hand to her brow, Nadya frantically scanned the dock. Her heart skipped when she spied Ivan unsteadily climbing the gangplank of a freighter. "Ivan," she shouted, but the ocean winds carried off her voice, and she knew he hadn't heard her.
The freighter's horn blasted, signaling that its departure was imminent. "Ivan," she shouted, her curls blowing in her eyes as she ran for the freighter.
Finally, when she was at the bottom of the gangplank, Ivan heard her and turned.
His face exploded with joy.
He started to come back down the ramp, but she hurried up and met him halfway. "I'm sorry for leaving without saying goodbye," he explained. "I was afraid I wouldn't be able to leave you if I didn't just go."
"Don't leave me, then," she said with her hands on his arms.
"I have to. You're the grand duchess Anastasia. There's no place for me in your life."
"Not in Anastasia's life, but in Nadya's life there's all the room in the world. Don't you see? I don't want a life without you."
"Are you absolutely sure?" Ivan asked.
"Completely sure," she insisted.
The freighter sounded its horn once more.
Ivan pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard. Nadya held him tight. "You're giving up so much," he reminded her when they pulled out of the embrace.
Nadya smiled up at him. "I'm getting so much more than I'm losing," she assured him.
The freighter's horn blared a third time. "You're sure?" Ivan checked.
"Positive," Nadya said.
Ivan took Nadya's hand, and they hurried up to the top of the gangplank and onto the deck. As the vessel pulled away from the dock, they watched the land recede into the distance.
"We might never see home again," Ivan remarked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
"That's all right," Nadya replied, knowing in her heart that, from this moment on, wherever Ivan was would be home to her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2012
I'm not really sure what to say about this book. It was, at best, okay. There was nothing wrong with the book, necessarily, but there was nothing utterly fantastic about it, either. Truth be told, I forgot the book about ten minutes after I put it down, and I couldn't tell if anything I do seem to vaguely recall was in the book or if I'm remembering the cartoon "Anastasia" movie.
There are obviously many similarities between "Anastasia" and "The Diamond Secret." (Note to whomever is in charge of these things: A secret is neither a mystery nor a secret if it's right there in the title.) There are some differences. Most notably, there are no talking bats or smoke demons in the novel. Otherwise, the basic premise and sequence of events was essentially the same. At one point, I started humming the soundtrack to the movie because...why not?
This isn't to say the book was bad. It wasn't. If I had never seen the movie, I would likely have liked it more. However, having seen the movie, I can say that the characters in this book failed to capture my imagination or heart the way Anya and Dimitri did.
This is a fair addition to the series but added nothing really to a story I'd already seen. I won't say I definitely would never re-read the book, as I didn't hate it. However, it would likely be at the very bottom of my pile and would likely only ever make it there due to me forgetting I'd already read it.
There are obviously many similarities between "Anastasia" and "The Diamond Secret." (Note to whomever is in charge of these things: A secret is neither a mystery nor a secret if it's right there in the title.) There are some differences. Most notably, there are no talking bats or smoke demons in the novel. Otherwise, the basic premise and sequence of events was essentially the same. At one point, I started humming the soundtrack to the movie because...why not?
This isn't to say the book was bad. It wasn't. If I had never seen the movie, I would likely have liked it more. However, having seen the movie, I can say that the characters in this book failed to capture my imagination or heart the way Anya and Dimitri did.
This is a fair addition to the series but added nothing really to a story I'd already seen. I won't say I definitely would never re-read the book, as I didn't hate it. However, it would likely be at the very bottom of my pile and would likely only ever make it there due to me forgetting I'd already read it.
October 30, 2017
C-, so 2.5 stars I've read and enjoyed a few books in the Once Upon a Time series of fairytale retellings, but not so much this one. My first warning should have been the fact that a "retelling of Anastasia" was being sold as a fairytale. The story of what happened to Tsar Nicholas II and his family is quite well-known (spoiler: There's not an HEA) and also well-known is the fact that numerous imposters came forward over the years claiming to be Anastasia, the Tsar's youngest daughter.
This story is something of an alternate history, taking on the idea of what might have happened if Anastasia really was out there. In this version, she has lost much of her memory and is now working in a pub in the newly formed Soviet Union. There she is discovered by a former Army officer and an aristocrat who survived with not much more than the clothes on his back. Somehow these two plan to get her out of the country and into the loving embrace of her grandmother. And of course there's some romance along the way as well.
The entire book is written in a rather matter of fact, "I just dialed this in" kind of style. As a result, I found it hard to get a sense of any of the characters and I really didn't feel involved in the story. On top of all that, while I can appreciate alternative histories, this one had such thin worldbuilding that it felt more like shoddy research than an alternate world. I think I'll stick with some of the earlier books in the series.
This story is something of an alternate history, taking on the idea of what might have happened if Anastasia really was out there. In this version, she has lost much of her memory and is now working in a pub in the newly formed Soviet Union. There she is discovered by a former Army officer and an aristocrat who survived with not much more than the clothes on his back. Somehow these two plan to get her out of the country and into the loving embrace of her grandmother. And of course there's some romance along the way as well.
The entire book is written in a rather matter of fact, "I just dialed this in" kind of style. As a result, I found it hard to get a sense of any of the characters and I really didn't feel involved in the story. On top of all that, while I can appreciate alternative histories, this one had such thin worldbuilding that it felt more like shoddy research than an alternate world. I think I'll stick with some of the earlier books in the series.
June 26, 2010
I've always loved stories about Annastasia and was really excited to learn that the "Once Upon a Time..." series had added her tale to the collection. Granted it is more of an urban legend than a fairytale, but I hoped that the outcome would be good. Suzanne Weyn did a good job with the story. I wasn't blown away, but I wasn't disappointed. She basically reitterated the tale we all know, there was no 'surprise' elements. Nontheless, a good read.
Nadya has worked in a tavern ever since she was thrown out of the mental institution. While she hates it, she doesn't know what else to do. Ivan and Sergei have heard about the Empress's offer of a reward if anyone can return her granddaughter Annastasia to her and prove that it is she. The two of them concoct a plan to take a girl that is similar enough to what they know of Annastasia (luckily, Sergei was an aristocrat connected with the Russian royal family and Ivan was a guard at the House of Special Purpose). They stumble upon Nadya and are enchanted. They pull her from her life of drudgery and into a sparkling world of the upper classes. The only thing Ivan didn't count on was falling in love with her himself...
Nadya has worked in a tavern ever since she was thrown out of the mental institution. While she hates it, she doesn't know what else to do. Ivan and Sergei have heard about the Empress's offer of a reward if anyone can return her granddaughter Annastasia to her and prove that it is she. The two of them concoct a plan to take a girl that is similar enough to what they know of Annastasia (luckily, Sergei was an aristocrat connected with the Russian royal family and Ivan was a guard at the House of Special Purpose). They stumble upon Nadya and are enchanted. They pull her from her life of drudgery and into a sparkling world of the upper classes. The only thing Ivan didn't count on was falling in love with her himself...
June 19, 2014
2.5 stars.
A retelling of "Anastasia" which, while not a fairytale, is a great story. I absolutely love the Fox Animation movie done in the 90's and The Diamond Secret: A Retelling of "Anastasia"is a complete knock off of "Anastasia" Sure, names are changed and events play out slightly differently and the author threw in an extra plot point and some thing are more historically accurate(which was nice)but it's basically a copy in book form. Come on, really? Con men who find a girl to play Anastasia who then turns out to actually be the Grand Duchess Anastasia? Been there, done that, bought the movie and the t-shirt. I thought this was a retelling. A NEW way to tell Anastasia's story. Something I haven't seen or heard before. Which is a real shame because this probably would have been one of the books in this series that I would re read fairly frequently if it wasn't so blatantly stolen.
A retelling of "Anastasia" which, while not a fairytale, is a great story. I absolutely love the Fox Animation movie done in the 90's and The Diamond Secret: A Retelling of "Anastasia"is a complete knock off of "Anastasia" Sure, names are changed and events play out slightly differently and the author threw in an extra plot point and some thing are more historically accurate(which was nice)but it's basically a copy in book form. Come on, really? Con men who find a girl to play Anastasia who then turns out to actually be the Grand Duchess Anastasia? Been there, done that, bought the movie and the t-shirt. I thought this was a retelling. A NEW way to tell Anastasia's story. Something I haven't seen or heard before. Which is a real shame because this probably would have been one of the books in this series that I would re read fairly frequently if it wasn't so blatantly stolen.
January 9, 2010
I am slightly addicted to this Once Upon A Time series, even though they are never particularly remarkable. In general, the stories are too rushed, with not enough character development, and that's true again in this one. Although there is no curse or other magic, this retelling of the story of Anastasia is very similar to the 1997 animated movie (which I love). There were many scenes that echoed very closely scenes from the movie, but with less spark and vivacity than the movie's characters.
What does make this particular book interesting is its inclusion in a series of fairy tale retellings. Although the missing grand duchess was found to have been murdered with her family through modern DNA testing (as noted in the author's historical note), the legend of what-might-have-been for her is still captivating. Including her tale in a fairytale series is noteworthy because this is folklore in action. History becoming legend becoming fairy tale.
What does make this particular book interesting is its inclusion in a series of fairy tale retellings. Although the missing grand duchess was found to have been murdered with her family through modern DNA testing (as noted in the author's historical note), the legend of what-might-have-been for her is still captivating. Including her tale in a fairytale series is noteworthy because this is folklore in action. History becoming legend becoming fairy tale.
April 18, 2017
-POTENTIAL SPOILERS-
This book is supposed to be a retelling of the original 1950's Anastasia movie, and somehow I'm the only person who knows that. And it shows. The sheer fact of doing a story based on a real-life person for a series on fairy-tale retellings sounds strange, but it is based on the fact she survived, which is fantasy anyway so I'll let it pass.
While there's technically not anything offensive in this book, it was just so boring. I didn't really relate to any of the characters, and sometimes it felt like the author didn't care about what she was writing. I love Suzanne Weyn's works, but this isn't one of her best.
There were a few scenes I liked, like the execution scene, and the scene where she gets dressed up and convinces people she's Anastasia, but other than that it was just boring.
There was potential in a story like this, but it didn't work and it's my least favorite of this series.
This book is supposed to be a retelling of the original 1950's Anastasia movie, and somehow I'm the only person who knows that. And it shows. The sheer fact of doing a story based on a real-life person for a series on fairy-tale retellings sounds strange, but it is based on the fact she survived, which is fantasy anyway so I'll let it pass.
While there's technically not anything offensive in this book, it was just so boring. I didn't really relate to any of the characters, and sometimes it felt like the author didn't care about what she was writing. I love Suzanne Weyn's works, but this isn't one of her best.
There were a few scenes I liked, like the execution scene, and the scene where she gets dressed up and convinces people she's Anastasia, but other than that it was just boring.
There was potential in a story like this, but it didn't work and it's my least favorite of this series.
April 3, 2018
This was a light, quick read. I have seen the Anastasia movie and read the Royal Diaries book about her and just generally have been interested in her story.
The Diamond Secret is a nice spin on the story. Some claim too much similarity to the movie and I can see it too, but I liked the movie so I don't mind.
It's not really a fairy tale, but I enjoy retellings of old stories and this one is no exception. A huge plus for this book is that there is no bad language or sex! I also really appreciated the selfless love that Ivan displayed. It's rare that love is described in a selfless way in fiction.
So while it's not original or terribly deep, it's sweet, clean and I enjoyed it which is why I gave it five stars.
The Diamond Secret is a nice spin on the story. Some claim too much similarity to the movie and I can see it too, but I liked the movie so I don't mind.
It's not really a fairy tale, but I enjoy retellings of old stories and this one is no exception. A huge plus for this book is that there is no bad language or sex! I also really appreciated the selfless love that Ivan displayed. It's rare that love is described in a selfless way in fiction.
So while it's not original or terribly deep, it's sweet, clean and I enjoyed it which is why I gave it five stars.
August 11, 2009
This book is part of a series that retells modern fairy tales - a great concept. This having been my first taste of the series, I really wish I could say the execution was as well done as the planning. This book tells the story of Nadya, who is found working in a tavern by two con-artists who want to make her look like the real Anastasia Romonov. Problem is, she starts remembering things they never told her. Sound familiar? Yeah....just watch the animated movie, and save your time. I, on the other hand, have a sickness. I can't start a series and not finish, so I am on to the next one. Bleh.
October 14, 2009
(Genre:Teen Fiction/fantasy) This is an installment in the "Once Upon a Time" series (where different authors create retellings of famous fairy tales). It is the story of the Russian royal/princess Anastasia and the legend that she somehow survived the slaughter of her family and lived under an alias. It was an okay read, but I felt that the character (and relationship) development was lacking. I never connected with Ivan and felt a limited attachment/understanding of Nadya. This author has written a lot of books and I think that I will try her again to see if I like her writing better on a different story.
August 5, 2015
This book was recommended to my by my teenage daughter as a one of a series of fairy tale retellings..I really enjoyed this book and liked the way the characters were presented, as well as the plot. I liked the use of flashbacks to tell the background of the main character little by little. It kept me interested. I also liked the way the romance was done, how the love interest truly wanted what was best for his beloved. Romance took a back seat to plot development, which worked very well in this story. A good clean read!
June 24, 2009
This was a great book, but not recommend for too young a reader due to the graphic nature of the assassination of the Romanov family. I loved how the author wove in facts from Anastasia's real life and also from the actual rumors circulating after her death. This was a nice mix of fact and fantasy as it portrays an example of what could have happened if Anastasia had survived the massacre of her family.
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