Fantasy

Anastasia

Anastasia

  • Downloads：5316
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-12-11 07:51:45
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Sophie Lark
  • ISBN：1958931063
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

Anastasia is the princess no one needs: the fourth daughter born to an emperor without a son， and the only royal lacking a magical gift。

Until she collides with a young Cossack rebel， changing both their lives forever。

Damien is taken from everything he knows and raised as a ward of the Romanovs。

Anastasia develops a strange kind of magic shared only by the Black Monk Rasputin。

While her power grows in secret， boosted by forbidden contact with Damien， Anastasia makes a mistake with terrible consequences。

Fate grants her a single chance to set it right… but saving what she lost may cost everything she loves。


The Lark Notes:
I think what captivates us about Anastasia is our dream of what could have been。 Anastasia’s death was so tragic， I wanted to give her another life。

This book is not a retelling of any other Anastasia story。 It’s set in 1919 in a world similar to ours， but with magic。 My next series will be a vampire family saga set in the modern version of that same world。

This is my fantasy of the happy ending Anastasia deserved。 Not because she was a Romanov， but because she was a human。 I want all of you to have the happy ending you deserve – it’s why I love writing romance。 --Sophie

“Anastasia” is an epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance。 It is intended for mature readers and contains spicy scenes not suitable for all。

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Reviews

TJ *Book Twins Reviews* ，

I am completely and utterly enchanted by this wildly entertaining and well written novel。 Sophie Lark’s reimagined tale of Anastasia is bold， ambitious， thrilling -- and left me in my feels。 I’m typically not a huge slowburn romance fan， but the time spent building this universe， fleshing out the characters to ensure readers understood their motivations， as well as the twists and turns were so wonderfully rendered。 I have zero complaints。The book is visually stunning。 I’m not just referencing th I am completely and utterly enchanted by this wildly entertaining and well written novel。 Sophie Lark’s reimagined tale of Anastasia is bold， ambitious， thrilling -- and left me in my feels。 I’m typically not a huge slowburn romance fan， but the time spent building this universe， fleshing out the characters to ensure readers understood their motivations， as well as the twists and turns were so wonderfully rendered。 I have zero complaints。The book is visually stunning。 I’m not just referencing the art， but rather the attention to detail in the writing。 Overall， this is a stunning release。 I can’t wait to see where this talented author takes us next。 The characters and world this artist has created is beyond impressive！ Reading this book was an experience！ Loved It！ 。。。more

sophia ，

wow

Samuel McElwain ，

This is a slooow burn…。Ever since I heard that this book was being released， I was so hyped and it did not disappoint。 SOPHIE LARK IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS OF ALL TIME…so of course I was going to be excited about it。 When I say that this is a journey…。IT IS A JOURNEY。 It has ups and downs， highs and lows， hills and valleys。I just love Anastasia’s character and her perseverance throughout the story。 She went through it， but she never gave up。 She had a mission and she wasn’t going to rest un This is a slooow burn…。Ever since I heard that this book was being released， I was so hyped and it did not disappoint。 SOPHIE LARK IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS OF ALL TIME…so of course I was going to be excited about it。 When I say that this is a journey…。IT IS A JOURNEY。 It has ups and downs， highs and lows， hills and valleys。I just love Anastasia’s character and her perseverance throughout the story。 She went through it， but she never gave up。 She had a mission and she wasn’t going to rest until it was done。 I highlighted so much in the last 30% of this book anytime that Damien and Anastasia were together because they were just so darn CUTE！！！ Damien and Anastasia are probably going to go down as my…。。FAVORITE couple in the history of couples。Although I really wanted to give this perfect stars i had to drop the rating 。5 star because I felt that some of the historical information was dumpy at times。 But I wasn’t going to let that destroy my enjoyment of the book。 I am 100% going to do a reread of this book and upon that the rating might go up。 4。5 stars 。。。more

Emma Coffey ，

the writing was stunning and the story was magical！！

hhyacinths ✌︎ ，

this was ltrly perfect 😮‍💨 it was everything i wanted， expected and needed and so much more。 i loved anastasia， she was so funny and witty。 she went thru sm shìt but still didn’t give up。 her strength was impeccable。 her character development was ltrly it 😘 she’s a whole damn queen。 also adored damian with everything in me。 he was so moody and brooding put perfect。 the way he treated anastasia and talked to her is what i desire in life。 their whole relationship was so cute and meant to be 🤧 ever this was ltrly perfect 😮‍💨 it was everything i wanted， expected and needed and so much more。 i loved anastasia， she was so funny and witty。 she went thru sm shìt but still didn’t give up。 her strength was impeccable。 her character development was ltrly it 😘 she’s a whole damn queen。 also adored damian with everything in me。 he was so moody and brooding put perfect。 the way he treated anastasia and talked to her is what i desire in life。 their whole relationship was so cute and meant to be 🤧 everything abt them was so poetic and whimsical， u knw。 this did have an incredible plot however i do think it was more based around the characters 🙃 i still it loved all the same。‘ur mine and i’m urs。 yesterday， today and forever’ 🥹💙 。。。more

ava ，

*3。75/4* the artwork！！！

Christa ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Anastasia is one of my favorite movies。 I still watch it to this day。 This book was nothing short of perfection。 The way it was written and the details to everything was amazing。 My love for Damien started from the moment he tried to kill the Tsar。 But I just love their relationship。 I am so glad that everyone got their true ending。 I definitely did not expect her to be able to go back into time， and I had to reread it like 2-3 times because my brain was just stumped but it truly was amazing。 Th Anastasia is one of my favorite movies。 I still watch it to this day。 This book was nothing short of perfection。 The way it was written and the details to everything was amazing。 My love for Damien started from the moment he tried to kill the Tsar。 But I just love their relationship。 I am so glad that everyone got their true ending。 I definitely did not expect her to be able to go back into time， and I had to reread it like 2-3 times because my brain was just stumped but it truly was amazing。 The fact that her Papa realized that this girl who never really was what he wanted was exactly what the country needed and gave her the ring was simply precious。 Also I loved Artemis so much， that bird was truly amazing and honestly hilarious even if she wasn’t supposed to be。 And the illustrations were absolutely EVERYTHING。 。。。more

Rose ，

I am truly speechless… this book was utter perfection。 The writing， the art， the storytelling it was so beautiful and magical。 Sophie has a way of making the reader really feel immersed in the world and I devoured every single page of this book。 I am usually not a huge fan of slow burns but this was done so well that I have no complaints。 Anastasia and Damien are the definition of soulmates。 Their love story was so unique， I have never read anything like it。 This book is an emotional rollercoast I am truly speechless… this book was utter perfection。 The writing， the art， the storytelling it was so beautiful and magical。 Sophie has a way of making the reader really feel immersed in the world and I devoured every single page of this book。 I am usually not a huge fan of slow burns but this was done so well that I have no complaints。 Anastasia and Damien are the definition of soulmates。 Their love story was so unique， I have never read anything like it。 This book is an emotional rollercoaster but it’s so worth it in the end。 Another masterpiece written by Sophie！ “My magic appeared when I was about to meet you。 There is no time—what we were to each other and what we’ll ever be are one and the same to the universe。 I loved you because I was always going to love you。 That’s what we were made to do。” 💛 。。。more

Larissa Cambusano ，

this book was pure magic。 there’s no other way to describe it。 the writing was so special and the characters + story were amazing。 it was very much a SLOWWWBURN， which i’m a huge fan of but i know some people aren’t， so beware。there is a lot of story here so don’t expect a quick & fast paced book。 it’s definitely more of a journey which is beautiful to me。 i got exactly what i wanted from this book， a true masterpiece。 🖤 sophie。。 you’ve done it again。 “my magic appeared when I was about to meet this book was pure magic。 there’s no other way to describe it。 the writing was so special and the characters + story were amazing。 it was very much a SLOWWWBURN， which i’m a huge fan of but i know some people aren’t， so beware。there is a lot of story here so don’t expect a quick & fast paced book。 it’s definitely more of a journey which is beautiful to me。 i got exactly what i wanted from this book， a true masterpiece。 🖤 sophie。。 you’ve done it again。 “my magic appeared when I was about to meet you。 i loved you because I was always going to love you。 that’s what we were made to do。” <3 。。。more

Mellissa Monteforte Jimenez ，

Outstanding I absolutely loved this story and when you add the beautiful artwork， it brings the book into a league of its own。 I am a reader who enjoys fantasy storytelling and really looked forward to Mrs Lark version of what she would have wanted Anastasia HEA to be。 When you add that bit of magic to it and the story comes to life in an entire new light。 There is a great many things I enjoyed with Anastasia。 The story was well written with great supporting characters who brought all the top mo Outstanding I absolutely loved this story and when you add the beautiful artwork， it brings the book into a league of its own。 I am a reader who enjoys fantasy storytelling and really looked forward to Mrs Lark version of what she would have wanted Anastasia HEA to be。 When you add that bit of magic to it and the story comes to life in an entire new light。 There is a great many things I enjoyed with Anastasia。 The story was well written with great supporting characters who brought all the top moments to light。 I laughed， cried， yelled in my head and became so emotionally invested in Anastasia that I was exasperated by the end， but what a wild ride this was。I applaud Mrs Lark for her great storytelling and it is obvious how much love sweat and tears into this book， and damn it well paid off。 "Those who never face something that could break them will never know the satisfaction of finding yourself whole and triumphant on the other side"。 。。。more

RomancewithRachel ，

This was a thiiiiiiiiiiick one！ And it really is truly all about Anastasia - her life， growing up， her siblings， her parents being powerful。•fantasy•enemies to lovers•historical •magical4。5/5⭐️2/5🌶️This book was truly an experience。 I honestly wasn’t bored at all， although it was over 800 pages long。 Sophie seriously wrote this so meticulously， and so well planned。 I’m in awe of Sophie every time。 Her writing is always so amazing， and the chemistry between her characters is always so good。 This This was a thiiiiiiiiiiick one！ And it really is truly all about Anastasia - her life， growing up， her siblings， her parents being powerful。•fantasy•enemies to lovers•historical •magical4。5/5⭐️2/5🌶️This book was truly an experience。 I honestly wasn’t bored at all， although it was over 800 pages long。 Sophie seriously wrote this so meticulously， and so well planned。 I’m in awe of Sophie every time。 Her writing is always so amazing， and the chemistry between her characters is always so good。 This story will truly stay with me forever。This is a coming of age story。 You start with an immature， young Anastasia and watch her grow into a brave， amazing， strong woman。 I loved this story so much。 。。。more

Ruby ，

amazing new tale I don’t know where to start; but I will say this—this version of Anastasia IS quite possibly the best！ Be prepared to take some time reading it。 I could clearly tell the scenes in my head and loved how the book took us through everything。 You have to read it and enjoy knowing a little bit of history。 I will say the songs were somewhat annoying as it didn’t really fit with the story timeframe， but the pics were beautifully drawn。 I won’t give away the story， but it was a 2 thumbs amazing new tale I don’t know where to start; but I will say this—this version of Anastasia IS quite possibly the best！ Be prepared to take some time reading it。 I could clearly tell the scenes in my head and loved how the book took us through everything。 You have to read it and enjoy knowing a little bit of history。 I will say the songs were somewhat annoying as it didn’t really fit with the story timeframe， but the pics were beautifully drawn。 I won’t give away the story， but it was a 2 thumbs up in my opinion！ Thank you to the author for creating this book！ 。。。more

Sheila ，

5 Brilliant Stars for Anastasia by Sophie Lark。This book is sensory overload - with all the words ， perfectly matched music and art。 What an experience！ A nice long read that takes you on Anastasia’s adventure from childhood - with excellent historical research and references！ Incredible Phenomenal A top 10 read for me this year ！ Definitely put this book on your Christmas list ！

Ashley Yancey ，

🌟🌟🌟BOOK OF THE YEAR， DECADE， CENTURY， MILLENNIUM🌟🌟🌟I just finished and I am heartbroken that it is over。 This is the most beautiful book I've ever read。 I studied the Romanovs and became obsessed with their story for 20 years （highly suggest researching them before reading）。 So this was absolutely my most anticipated read。 Sophie did an amazing job of telling their story and holding them accountable。 What surprised me most was to see a lesson learned。 The world building was amazing。 The magic dr 🌟🌟🌟BOOK OF THE YEAR， DECADE， CENTURY， MILLENNIUM🌟🌟🌟I just finished and I am heartbroken that it is over。 This is the most beautiful book I've ever read。 I studied the Romanovs and became obsessed with their story for 20 years （highly suggest researching them before reading）。 So this was absolutely my most anticipated read。 Sophie did an amazing job of telling their story and holding them accountable。 What surprised me most was to see a lesson learned。 The world building was amazing。 The magic draws you in and keeps you wanting more。 The romance is a beautiful slow burn rollar coaster ride that will leave you wanting， heartbroken， and believing in fate and love。 This will absolutely be the book I recommend over and over。 Surely the one I will never forget （already want to re read） and will keep close to my heart for my whole life。 Edit: Keep in mind this is an Anastasia REIMAGINING not retelling。 If you are looking for every single detail to be accurate it'll miss。 Also， it's fantasy。 There's magic。 Use your brain。 。。。more

Monster ，

DNF。 At 28%。I did try my best to read as much as I can。

Kassandra Izaguirre ，

i have no words to describe how beautiful this book was。 the writing， the storytelling， the artwork？？！！ it felt like so much more than a love story and it was incredibly easy to fall into the world Sophie writes about。 i laughed， i cried， and there were times i wanted to throw my book against the wall。 every emotion you could think of？ i felt it while reading this book。 nothing short of magical ✨

Silvia ，

I’ve always been curious about the tragic end that came to the Romanovs。 This book takes all the possibilities， the what could’ve been and breathes a new life for the family in y to his epic fantasy。I was impressed with not only the obvious research that Ms。 Lark must have done， but also all the meticulous details that go into a story of this volume！ It is a very beefy book， with not one wasted word！This book had me absolutely captivated！ From the family dynamics， to Alexei’s precarious health， I’ve always been curious about the tragic end that came to the Romanovs。 This book takes all the possibilities， the what could’ve been and breathes a new life for the family in y to his epic fantasy。I was impressed with not only the obvious research that Ms。 Lark must have done， but also all the meticulous details that go into a story of this volume！ It is a very beefy book， with not one wasted word！This book had me absolutely captivated！ From the family dynamics， to Alexei’s precarious health， to Anastasia’s thirst for learning magic， to the undeniable connection between Anastasia and Damian， I couldn’t get enough！I found myself smiling at the childish antics， nervous for Alexei， and anxious about some of Anastasia’s choices。 I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review。 。。。more

Angelika Christou ，

HOLY SHIT WHAT AN INCREDIBLE BOOK！ SOPHIE！！！！ FANTASY LOOKS GOOD ON YOU！ I LOVE SOPHIE’S OTHER SERIES （BRUTAL BIRTHRIGHT AND KINGMAKERS🥵） BUT THIS BOOK WAS UNEXPECTED AND INCREDIBLE IN ITS OWN WAY！IF YOU LOVE: ✔️COMING OF AGE STORIES， ✔️ENEMIES TO FRIENDS TO LOVERS， ✔️POWER HUNGRY VILLAINS， ✔️MAGICAL POWERS （！！）， ✔️POWERFUL FMC （！！！！）， ✔️HARD YET SOFT MMC， ✔️LOVE THAT CONQUERS ALL… THEN DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK OFF KU RIGHT NOW AND PREPARE TO MEET YOUR NEW FAVOURITE BOOK！！ SO GLAD I READ IT！！ YOU KNOW HOLY SHIT WHAT AN INCREDIBLE BOOK！ SOPHIE！！！！ FANTASY LOOKS GOOD ON YOU！ I LOVE SOPHIE’S OTHER SERIES （BRUTAL BIRTHRIGHT AND KINGMAKERS🥵） BUT THIS BOOK WAS UNEXPECTED AND INCREDIBLE IN ITS OWN WAY！IF YOU LOVE: ✔️COMING OF AGE STORIES， ✔️ENEMIES TO FRIENDS TO LOVERS， ✔️POWER HUNGRY VILLAINS， ✔️MAGICAL POWERS （！！）， ✔️POWERFUL FMC （！！！！）， ✔️HARD YET SOFT MMC， ✔️LOVE THAT CONQUERS ALL… THEN DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK OFF KU RIGHT NOW AND PREPARE TO MEET YOUR NEW FAVOURITE BOOK！！ SO GLAD I READ IT！！ YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY… ONCE UPON A DECEMBER 🎵5 BILLION STARS ❤️ 。。。more

Kate Cowger ，

I forget how much I love fantasy！ Giving our princess the happy ending she deserved + the dreamy and dark Damien who teaches her so many things。 I loved this book。 Just Sophie Lark making us fall in love with her characters every time。

Lisa Spanogle ，

Absolutely AdoredSophie Lark does not disappoint。 This was a beautifully told take on Anastasia from young girl where she first meets her Damien on into adulthood。 Both Anya and Damien have real， organic growth and their love for each other。。。 just beautiful。 The story starts off slow， setting the world and players up and when the action kicks in， it KICKS in hard。 Well worth the read。 Just wish I could read it again for the first time。 ;）

Christi ，

Ok to start off: I love Sophie Lark’s mafia books， I love fantasy romances， Romanov history has always intrigued me， I even enjoy historical fiction， so basically I was very excited for this book。 But sadly it didn’t do it for me。 The blurb for this one: “This book is not a retelling of any other Anastasia story， it is set in 1919 in a world similar to ours， but with magic。”Sooo as soon as I started this read I started having some mixed feelings about it。 I could tell the author did a lot of res Ok to start off: I love Sophie Lark’s mafia books， I love fantasy romances， Romanov history has always intrigued me， I even enjoy historical fiction， so basically I was very excited for this book。 But sadly it didn’t do it for me。 The blurb for this one: “This book is not a retelling of any other Anastasia story， it is set in 1919 in a world similar to ours， but with magic。”Sooo as soon as I started this read I started having some mixed feelings about it。 I could tell the author did a lot of research on Russia and the Romanov family as this did read very much like a dry historical fiction。 The character/family interactions were very similar to things I’ve read about them in the past so that was feeling realistic/well done。 Now I’m used to fantasy books being long and setting up things but mostly that is happening for high fantasy worlds or like the fantasy elements in a story， and in this case we are not given a new world and the focus/time spent was more on the historical and political info for the time and the family。 We do stick with Anastasia throughout the story， when the story starts she is 11 and we are given her 1st person POV for the book and then eventually do have some chapters from the hero’s POV （we first see the hero when he’s 14）。 We do get time jumps with them aging as the story goes on but for most of the story Anastasia is like 16 （like the 20-65%-ish range that is her age）。 And I get with her staying that young for so long of the story there was obviously not going to be romantic times happening， I didn’t need that。 But I did need to feel a connection between her and Damien and I just never felt it。 They are barely together on-page but somehow are described as being best friends and I was like “when did this happen？！” We even get glossed over some moments in his POV of times they spent together and I found myself thinking it would have been nice to see the development of that friendship/connection on-page。 So once she is of-age and the romance did come about in the story， I just wasn’t feeling it or believing in them as a couple。 Basically， I was never invested in these characters or the story。 I wanted more from the fantasy/magic elements， I wanted more of a connection between the couple。 I really dislike the fact that I didn’t like this book more。 I always set out to enjoy a book and of course when it’s an author I genuinely enjoy and love other books from， like I was expecting to love this。 All of that said， I am excited for the paranormal/vampire trilogy that will be coming in the future。 I think it not being set around an actual historical family could be exciting。 So let’s leave with something positive: I did really enjoy the art throughout the book， there is like 100+ original art pieces in the book that are just fantastic （if you do the ebook make sure to read/check it out on your phone or tablet to see the images in full color）。 The art added so much to the chapters and story。 And Artemis was absolutely a highlight！ 。。。more

Chasity ，

"I don't know where we go when we die， but love is a magnet and it brought me here to you""I did think I could read her mind。 I was made to do everything for her。""I was made for him and he was made for me。"I think it's no surprise that I loved Damien+Anastasia。 I was definitely nervous going into it as I am not the traditional fantasy reader， but that didn't matter at all。 this was objectively such a great book and everyone can enjoy it， fantasy fan or not。if there is one thing sophie does incr "I don't know where we go when we die， but love is a magnet and it brought me here to you""I did think I could read her mind。 I was made to do everything for her。""I was made for him and he was made for me。"I think it's no surprise that I loved Damien+Anastasia。 I was definitely nervous going into it as I am not the traditional fantasy reader， but that didn't matter at all。 this was objectively such a great book and everyone can enjoy it， fantasy fan or not。if there is one thing sophie does incredibly well （she does many things well）， it's writing such a beautifully dynamic couple。 I was completely enthralled with Anastasia and Damien's friendship/relationship。 I couldn't pinpoint my favorite moment between the two of them because genuinely every single scene of them together was my favorite。 these two are so perfectly soul mates。 there is no better definition of soul mates other than Anastasia+Damien。thank you so much sophie for the arc i love you <3 。。。more

Romancing the Reader ，

Definitely not a romance， but an epic story nonetheless。。。I have some FEELINGS about this one， guys。𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲: Fantasy📖 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Anastasia is the daughter of the Russian Tsar， surrounded by magic as St。 Petersburg goes through a revolution at the hands of the mysterious Rasputin。 🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: So first and foremost - if you don't know me。。。 I review romance。 And I think this was somewhat misleading in that it was billed as a fantasy romance。 It definitely was NOT that。I'd love to see seasoned fantasy r Definitely not a romance， but an epic story nonetheless。。。I have some FEELINGS about this one， guys。𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲: Fantasy📖 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Anastasia is the daughter of the Russian Tsar， surrounded by magic as St。 Petersburg goes through a revolution at the hands of the mysterious Rasputin。 🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: So first and foremost - if you don't know me。。。 I review romance。 And I think this was somewhat misleading in that it was billed as a fantasy romance。 It definitely was NOT that。I'd love to see seasoned fantasy readers' reactions to this story。 They're more accustomed to massive， long narratives like this。 And from an "outside of the romance genre perspective， I think this was a good book。 It took me absolutely forever to read， but it was well done， clearly well researched， and a really unique take on the time period。But I think Sophie Lark could do with an editor who could have reigned her narrative in a bit。 There were cuts that clearly could be made - it didn't have to be this long。 And from a romance reader perspective， it lacked greatly。 The romance was confined to the last 20%。 I think if you're going to jump that far out of your reader's comfort zones， you should be really really clear about it， and Lark wasn't。 So I felt let down and like I was begging for more the entire time I was reading。But to be fair， I was engrossed in the last 30 percent of this book。 Completely couldn't put it down。 So it definitely was well-written and a fun journey。🔮 𝗙𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝗲: Easy。 For a first-time fantasy writer I understood Lark's world building well and the time period only enhanced the magic。𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 3。5/5 ⭐⭐⭐𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 2/5 🌶🌶🆓️ on KU 。。。more

N ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I loved this book so much！ I loved reading about the Romanov family in a fantasy world with a happy ending！ This book was amazing！ The only con was that I didn't like how Damien doesn't have the memories of him with Anastasia because she went back in time。 I loved this book so much！ I loved reading about the Romanov family in a fantasy world with a happy ending！ This book was amazing！ The only con was that I didn't like how Damien doesn't have the memories of him with Anastasia because she went back in time。 。。。more

Gemma Pilling ，

A TriumphThis is a near perfect book。 It’s one that will define Sophie Lark’s writing going forward and could very well catapult her into a different league。 I think it’s a book where you get what you give。 Truly immerse yourself in this world and you’ll be greatly rewarded。

Nicole ，

600 pages of unnecessary world building and pointlessly complicated yet boring bullshit， and then 250 pages of a cool story worth telling with compelling characters。 I do not recommend this and I am so sad that my first experience with this author was this mess。

nanna ，

Anastasia was one of the best books I've read this year， for sure。 Sophie Lark's writing was incredible， fluid and cohesive， as like charming。 I loved how she constructed her magical world and how much competent was the narrative， that was amazingly developed。 Anastasia was an amazing and interesting character， who grow up a lot in the narrative。 She had an amazing development and her individual journey was amazing to read。 Everything about her was shown to the reader。 Damien was incredible was Anastasia was one of the best books I've read this year， for sure。 Sophie Lark's writing was incredible， fluid and cohesive， as like charming。 I loved how she constructed her magical world and how much competent was the narrative， that was amazingly developed。 Anastasia was an amazing and interesting character， who grow up a lot in the narrative。 She had an amazing development and her individual journey was amazing to read。 Everything about her was shown to the reader。 Damien was incredible was well。 He is my favourite character from that book。 He is intelligent， strong， a truly hero。 He truly deserves the world。 Damien had an amazing development， everything about him was shown and worked really well。 The relationship between Anastasia and Damien was amazing to accompany。 They had a lot of chemistry and all of their scenes was really amazing， with a lot of sparkles moments。 I finished the book totally in love with them。 。。。more

clara ，

3。5 wOw i’m in shock

Chelsea Styles ，

"I was beginning to wonder if love was the worst trick of the gods。It seemed to exist mainly to torture us。 Unhappy marriages were so much more common than blissful ones。 And marriages that could never occur seemed most painful of all。" Overall Rating: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1。5/5Anastasia is a standalone historical， fantasy romance inspired by the classic Anastasia story and the history of the Russian Romanov family。 I believe that I saw Sophie say that this was not a ‘retelling’ but it essentially i "I was beginning to wonder if love was the worst trick of the gods。It seemed to exist mainly to torture us。 Unhappy marriages were so much more common than blissful ones。 And marriages that could never occur seemed most painful of all。" Overall Rating: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1。5/5Anastasia is a standalone historical， fantasy romance inspired by the classic Anastasia story and the history of the Russian Romanov family。 I believe that I saw Sophie say that this was not a ‘retelling’ but it essentially is; she’s ‘retelling’ the tragic story and giving Anastasia a happily ever after。 The magic system， while simple and straightforward， was incorporated so well into the plot that it felt as if it should have always been there。 While still robust， Sophie didn’t over-explain or complicate the fantasy/magic element of her story。 It was seamlessly woven through the setting and characters， creating a balanced finished product that didn’t relying too much on one single element to carry the story。 Anastasia reminded me so much of the BBC TV series， War and Peace; the heartbreak and sorrow， the external and internal conflicts， the moral dilemmas， right versus wrong， recognising your privilege， duty over desire。 PaceAnastasia is thick， clocking in at 686 pages （Kindle version）， but there was enough tension and surprises sprinkled throughout the plot to keep everything moving at a fairly steady pace。 Sophie does a great job at introducing the characters， world， and magic system by actually telling the story instead of just info-dumping everything into expository chunks。 Every scene adds another layer allowing the reader to better understand a character’s personality or motivation， or foreshadows a twist or revelation。 CharactersThere are so many colourful characters in Anastasia but Damien is definitely my favourite。 Though the first half the book is primarily told from Anastasia’s point of view， we get a deeper look inside Damien’s head in his chapters， revealing how his power affects him in a way that Anastasia doesn’t experience。 Their romance is so well written。 Sophie created exquisite chemistry and conflict between these two。 Admittedly， I’m not a fan of insta-love/insta-lust， but Anastasia and Damien’s romantic development is a form of exquisite torture。 Tropes- Rivals- Magic- Slow Burn- Opposites Attract- Forbidden Love- Royalty/Court Intrigue- Mystery- Hidden/Secret Identity- Dark SecretsIs Anastasia spicy？Anastasia’s romance is an emotional， slow-burn with moments of satisfyingly intense spice。 There aren’t chapters and chapters of explicit scenes but， as it fitting in a historical romance， there is a lot of pining， tension， and， though very well written， only a handful of sexual scenes。 While I love a good spicy story （to be honest， I actually primarily read explicit romance） I think the spice level is perfect and historically accurate/appropriate。 My ThoughtsI must admit that this was my introduction to Sophie Lark。 I have not read any of her books prior to reading Anastasia， even though I have seen them recommended all over social media and other book blogs。 I had a feeling that this book was a big shift for her as an author。 I was under the impression that she mainly wrote contemporary romances as I’ve seen several of her books and series featured in spicy book lists。 So， I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect but I’m happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised。 Though it wasn’t as spicy as I was anticipating， if you like the forbidden nature of romances across class that is often found in historical romances， then you will love Anastasia。 And， honestly， you won’t miss the level of spice you would find in a contemporary or fantasy romance。 I thoroughly enjoyed the blending of historical and fantasy romance （as I did in The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton） and Sophie did a great job at developing a balanced plot that didn’t lean too heavily on one element but rather blended the magical， romantic， political， and historical themes into a great story。 Add Anastasia by Sophie Lark to your TBR if you。。。- like period dramas like War & Peace- are an adventurous historical romance reader- love a twisty， slow-burn romance 。。。more

diana ，

DNF at 30%~I REALLY wanted to enjoy this， I was so excited when I heard of Anastasia and ready， got sat down comfortable in bed and began。。But I just can’t read it anymore， I’m not sure if i’m just too dumb to understand the historical background and it’s significance properly but it’s just boring now。 This is miss advertised as a fantasy romance because it’s not！ Whatever moments Damien and Anatastia have are in the PAST and spoken of during the time jumps so we don’t even get them！ The romance DNF at 30%~I REALLY wanted to enjoy this， I was so excited when I heard of Anastasia and ready， got sat down comfortable in bed and began。。But I just can’t read it anymore， I’m not sure if i’m just too dumb to understand the historical background and it’s significance properly but it’s just boring now。 This is miss advertised as a fantasy romance because it’s not！ Whatever moments Damien and Anatastia have are in the PAST and spoken of during the time jumps so we don’t even get them！ The romance is like the sub plot and at this point i’m not even sure what the main plot is！ I love Sophie Larks other books and her writing is top tier but this just isn’t what I enjoy reading personally…Plus it is WAY to long at over 900 pages on my ipad， I do love a long book when I can get into it but I just wasn’t motivated to read on anymore。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Anastasia

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Anastasia&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Anastasia&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0