The opening line grabbed me: The night burned red with the flames of revolution. J’nell Ciesielski’s latest is a vast, well-researched epic which brought to mind the famed disappearance of the princess Anastasia but with a much more favorable outcome. The novel takes readers on a terrifying flight from the palaces of a crumbling regime in Russia, to the heroic medical front of WWI and into the seedy underworld of France, and finally to reprieve on a regal estate in the highlands of Scotland. There was no telling where the story would turn next, which for me is a sure-fire way to keep me on edge and turning pages. I enjoyed the way the author delved into the thawing of the heroine’s heart and the hero refuses to be put off by her rebuffs. There was always the shadow of the past lurking, waiting to spring, even when things appeared safe and settled. Even the less likeable characters like the heroine’s own mother, added to the tension and conflict of the story.
If you enjoy dynamic romance seeped in rich history, and touching a number of aspects of WWI you might have missed, you’ll want to read The Ice Swan. (Releases July 6, 2021)
Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for a preview of the book. This is my own honest opinion.
