The Romanov Oracle

The Romanov Oracle
By Molly Tullis

Summary
Anastasia Romanova has spent her childhood trying to run from her powers and what her family calls the “Romanov curse.” Her father, Tsar Nicholas, is determined to keep her and her mysterious powers under his watchful eye. He decides to call a boy from her past, who is now the priest called Rasputin, to come tutor her and coax her power to the surface. There is only one thing that the Romanovs could have never predicted. Anastasia’s magic is more powerful than they could imagine. Anastasia and Rasputin have a history together that they now must face as they stand together against the Romanov Family as they watch the city burn.

My Review
I have been following Molly Tullis (@thebibliophileblonde) for a while now and I have enjoyed watching her journey into becoming a published author. I was lucky enough to be chosen to receive an advanced readers copy of her debut novel “The Romanov Oracle” and I was over the moon. As this was her first novel, I didn’t have much to go on other than her reputation as resident death god expert and reigning smut queen. I know she loves many of the same things that I do and I knew that if she wrote it, I would probably like it. But that doesn’t necessarily equal a talent for writing. I was very excited to find that, not only is she great at recommending books, she is also wonderful at writing them.

Her story is masterfully written. I did not plan on reading the book in one day, but once I picked it up, I could not put it down. I spent the whole day on the edge of my seat. From the political intrigue and the family drama to the personal history and grief. The characters all have depth and dimension that makes you want to understand them. It is a beautiful rendering of the Romanov dynasty in a world with magic and betrayal. There were so many connections to the historical and existing fictional depictions of the Romanov family that you can’t help but get pulled into the atmosphere and feel as if this one could be the true version of events.

It gets even better when you remember, that beautifully woven within the electrifying plot, there is a spicy romance! And it is spicy. Here is where the reigning smut queen gets an upgrade to smut Goddess when you find out that she not only recommends great spicy reads, but damn, can she write them. The quantity of scenes was *chefs kiss, perfect and the scenes themselves, absolutely sweltering. The way that Anya and Mikhail speak to each other is just fabulous. I can not get enough. I was so enthralled in their story and their history together that I didn’t want it to end. The way the two of them are so connected to each other, no matter what is beautiful and I just love them with all my heart.

Pros: Exciting, fast paced plot with a wonderfully steamy romance
Cons: It will only be a standalone novel, so we won’t get anymore Anya and Mikhail

Molly has created an absolute masterpiece with this story. I think that anyone who has an interest in historical fiction, fantasy and spicy romance novels would enjoy reading this book. This is just her first novel and I cannot wait to see what else comes out of the wonderful world of Molly Tullis.

Overall, I give the Romanov Oracle 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

-Jacqui

Characters 5/5
Setting 5/5
Writing 5/5
Plot & Themes 5/5
Romance 5/5
Diversity 2/5

Author: Molly Tullis
Genre: Adult fantasy, historical romance
Trigger Warnings: sex, violence, language, parental neglect and abuse
Age Recommendation: 18+
Length/Page Count: 312 pages
Format & Source: Kindle Advance Readers Copy
Publishing Info: Amazon