Saturday, October 06, 2007
The Curse of the Romanovs
by Staton Rabin
Back when I reviewed Betsy and the Emperor, I actually got a comment from the author, Staton Rabin! I was so honored and awestruck that I promised to check out her latest book when I got back to the States. Actually, it was a bit more than fanboy enthusiasm. Both my kids have shown interest in the Romanov dynasty, so I thought this might be a book that they would enjoy. Well, now that I'm settled and got my new library card, I fulfilled my promise. I have to admit, sadly, that I was a bit disappointed. The Curse of the Romanovs is a fantasy tale of Alexi Romanov, the young heir to the Russian throne in 1916. He suffers from hemophilia, a disease which inhibits the clotting of one's blood. His life has been one of caution and anxiety, and his survival to the age of 12 can be credited to the mystical powers* of Grigory Rasputin. Father Rasputin has not only given Alexi the gift of healing, but has also given him the secret of following his blood line to view future generations. Then one day, when Alexi's life is threatened, he uses that ability to actually travel into the 21st Century, where he receives the help of a distant cousin. Now, unlike my daughters, I'm not into Russian history or the Romanov family. But I am a time travel geek. For me, the time travel aspect was where the story fell flat. Events worked out too quickly and conveniently regarding Alexi. Now, granted, it was only part of a well written tale, but sometimes that's all it takes to spoil the magic of a tale. So should you read the book? Well, I couldn't recommend it as a time travel tale. But as a bit of historical fiction, it had great characters and setting, as well as a big chunk of historical and medical information in the back. I certainly don't feel like I wasted my time giving it a read.
____________
*Whether they and Rasputin are miraculous or diabolical has been hotly debated.
Alas, 'tis but waiting room material.
LibraryThing link
Back when I reviewed Betsy and the Emperor, I actually got a comment from the author, Staton Rabin! I was so honored and awestruck that I promised to check out her latest book when I got back to the States. Actually, it was a bit more than fanboy enthusiasm. Both my kids have shown interest in the Romanov dynasty, so I thought this might be a book that they would enjoy. Well, now that I'm settled and got my new library card, I fulfilled my promise. I have to admit, sadly, that I was a bit disappointed. The Curse of the Romanovs is a fantasy tale of Alexi Romanov, the young heir to the Russian throne in 1916. He suffers from hemophilia, a disease which inhibits the clotting of one's blood. His life has been one of caution and anxiety, and his survival to the age of 12 can be credited to the mystical powers* of Grigory Rasputin. Father Rasputin has not only given Alexi the gift of healing, but has also given him the secret of following his blood line to view future generations. Then one day, when Alexi's life is threatened, he uses that ability to actually travel into the 21st Century, where he receives the help of a distant cousin. Now, unlike my daughters, I'm not into Russian history or the Romanov family. But I am a time travel geek. For me, the time travel aspect was where the story fell flat. Events worked out too quickly and conveniently regarding Alexi. Now, granted, it was only part of a well written tale, but sometimes that's all it takes to spoil the magic of a tale. So should you read the book? Well, I couldn't recommend it as a time travel tale. But as a bit of historical fiction, it had great characters and setting, as well as a big chunk of historical and medical information in the back. I certainly don't feel like I wasted my time giving it a read.
____________
*Whether they and Rasputin are miraculous or diabolical has been hotly debated.
Alas, 'tis but waiting room material.
LibraryThing link
Labels: StatonRabin, WaitingRoomMaterial
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Betsy and the Emperor
by Staton Rabin
The problem with a lot of our history lessons is that you learn a lot of names, but you never get introduced to the people. I suppose that's one reason why I enjoy reading biographies. Anyway, this is a kind of biography. Technically, it's historical fiction, but a lot of it is based on source materials.* The book tells the tale of a few years in the life of Betsy Balcombe. During her teens, she was living on the island of St. Helena when the deposed emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled there. Napoleon and Betsy became friends of sorts and years later she wrote a memoir of that time. This isn't that book however. Ms. Rabin admits that she refrained from reading Betsy's work in order that she might craft her own take on Miss Balcombe's character.* Since I haven't read the memoir, either, I can't comment on whether Ms. Rabin made a mistake or not. I do know, however, that Betsy and the Emperor is an enjoyable piece of historical fiction. One of those good books that makes one want to delve into some of the real history behind it. So check this one out first, just in case the real story isn't as entertaining.
LibraryThing link
*If you check the comments, you'll find that Ms. Rabin has provided some more details regarding the extent of her research. Is that cool, or what?
The problem with a lot of our history lessons is that you learn a lot of names, but you never get introduced to the people. I suppose that's one reason why I enjoy reading biographies. Anyway, this is a kind of biography. Technically, it's historical fiction, but a lot of it is based on source materials.* The book tells the tale of a few years in the life of Betsy Balcombe. During her teens, she was living on the island of St. Helena when the deposed emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled there. Napoleon and Betsy became friends of sorts and years later she wrote a memoir of that time. This isn't that book however. Ms. Rabin admits that she refrained from reading Betsy's work in order that she might craft her own take on Miss Balcombe's character.* Since I haven't read the memoir, either, I can't comment on whether Ms. Rabin made a mistake or not. I do know, however, that Betsy and the Emperor is an enjoyable piece of historical fiction. One of those good books that makes one want to delve into some of the real history behind it. So check this one out first, just in case the real story isn't as entertaining.
LibraryThing link
*If you check the comments, you'll find that Ms. Rabin has provided some more details regarding the extent of her research. Is that cool, or what?
Labels: CheckItOut, StatonRabin
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
