Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : Ballantine 2005.
Description
In 1917 Nicholas II, Tsar of Russia, was executed by revolutionaries. Now, in response to the collapse of the country's economy, the people have voted to instate a new Tsar, one who will be chosen from the descendents of Nicholas II. But a powerful group of Western businessmen want to make sure he is a candidate they can control, and hire African-American lawyer Miles Lord, with his knowledge of Russian language and history, to check the background of their chosen man. Miles is thrilled with his assignment...until he becomes the target of an assassination attempt, and must run for his life, guided by a cryptic phrase penned by Rasputin, a bizarre prophecy that the Tsar will return to the throne and that Miles himself will see to it.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Talbin
The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry is an enjoyable read about a lawyer who finds himself pursuing the direct heir to Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia. Berry's premise is that present-day Russia, fed up with ineffective leadership since the fall of Communism, has decided to reinstall a tsar to
Berry's writing is better than most authors in the genre, and his plotting is pretty good. He does a good job of weaving real history with his fictional premise. Although his characters lack "life", that's not unusual for a mystery/thriller.
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lead the country. Because the Romanovs were the last to lead the country, the search is on to find the most direct descendent of the last tsar.Berry's writing is better than most authors in the genre, and his plotting is pretty good. He does a good job of weaving real history with his fictional premise. Although his characters lack "life", that's not unusual for a mystery/thriller.
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LibraryThing member Venqat65
Loved it. I enjoyed learning about Russian history as I read the fictional thriller that Berry created.
LibraryThing member kaionvin
A historical thriller in the vein of The Da Vinci Code- this time mining the frequent idea that Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov survived. Hey, I like that not!Disney animated movie! I'm all for decoding heroics, Russian landscapes, and musty books.
You know, except this book fails at delivering even
The main character, a laywer, repeatedly appears remarkably dim to not figure out who the not-so-shadow-y men are who keep trying to kill him (in a series of incredibly repetitive 'action' sequences). Thankfully, he's saved from attempts at solving the non-mystery, because apparently the whole architects of the puzzle are willing to hand over the meaning of every 'clue', provided he just shows up.
Sure, Berry does show some fondness for Russia- and my very Russian friend assures me that he gets some aspects of the culture right- but what's the point of a historical thriller with no thrills, anyway?
You know, except this book fails at delivering even
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a basic knockoff. The central mystery is unveiled off the top of the novel- and it's not even a controversial or interesting mystery. Furthering reducing any impact the premise might have, it's written as a period piece to replace any contemporary interest with saccharine moments bemoaning the cruelty of ye old USSR (mostly thanks to your cookie cutter sexy foreign female sidekick).The main character, a laywer, repeatedly appears remarkably dim to not figure out who the not-so-shadow-y men are who keep trying to kill him (in a series of incredibly repetitive 'action' sequences). Thankfully, he's saved from attempts at solving the non-mystery, because apparently the whole architects of the puzzle are willing to hand over the meaning of every 'clue', provided he just shows up.
Sure, Berry does show some fondness for Russia- and my very Russian friend assures me that he gets some aspects of the culture right- but what's the point of a historical thriller with no thrills, anyway?
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LibraryThing member readafew
The Romanov Prophecy was another Steve Berry book. Neat puzzles and lots of action. I tend to put Steve Berry in the same box as Dan Brown, though I think Steve is the better writer, and has far fewer plot holes. I like to listen to his books when I'm driving and they help the miles go by.
In this
Overall, a fun easy book to listen to. My biggest complaint was, a man who we know is betraying Miles in the first couple chapters, is NEVER suspected by Miles himself. Even though there are several fairly important clues that should have at least made Miles question 'How did that happen?' One occurrence, sure but a man as smart as Miles was supposed to be should have at least been asking tougher questions. Other than that one big flaw/irritation I enjoyed the book.
In this
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book the main character is Miles Lord, a black American lawyer working with the czarist commission in Russia. His immediate supervisor Hayes has him looking in soviet archives trying to find anything that would disrupt the claim of Stefan Baklanov to become Czar of Russia. Much to his surprise, Miles does find something, though he doesn't know it's true significance until later. Lord escapes several attempts on his life, and by chance runs into Akalina a circus performer who saves Lord again. Then Miles runs into some people who believe at least one of the Czar's children escaped execution in 1918, and based on a prophecy from Rasputin, think Miles and Akalina are supposed to find them. Overall, a fun easy book to listen to. My biggest complaint was, a man who we know is betraying Miles in the first couple chapters, is NEVER suspected by Miles himself. Even though there are several fairly important clues that should have at least made Miles question 'How did that happen?' One occurrence, sure but a man as smart as Miles was supposed to be should have at least been asking tougher questions. Other than that one big flaw/irritation I enjoyed the book.
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LibraryThing member esk4002
Such a good book! Right from the first paragraph you get thrown into the action and it doesn't stop the whole way through. Tons of twists and you learn a lot about Russia and it's history. Great ending!
LibraryThing member Jarratt
This is the second Steve Berry book I’ve read and I enjoyed it much more than I did “The Amber Room” some years ago.
“The Romanov Prophecy” opens with the idea that Russia again wants to establish a royal monarchy. Law states that those who can prove their lineage to the last royal family,
At the same time, we learn that Hayes, Lord’s boss, is in the thick of assuring Baklanov’s ascension. Hayes is working with members of the Russian Mafia and must find a way to keep Lord from locating a more closely related member of the Romanov family.
This book moved quickly and the devices Berry used to get Lord from clue to clue was intriguing and exciting. The prophecy’s clues ultimately imply a little too much to make the end wholly satisfying or surprising, but this really doesn’t take away from the story. Uniquely, I didn’t feel like the protagonist reacted in ways that were unbelievable as is so often the case in thrillers. I am looking forward to reading his next book “The Third Secret.”
I must also compliment narrator Paul Michael as he does an excellent job with the voices and isn’t overly dramatic in his reading.
“The Romanov Prophecy” opens with the idea that Russia again wants to establish a royal monarchy. Law states that those who can prove their lineage to the last royal family,
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the Romanovs, are eligible. American lawyer Miles Lord and his boss Taylor Hayes represent investors who are backing Stefan Baklanov for the throne. Lord’s job is to make sure Baklanov doesn’t have anything in his background to prevent that. During his research, Lord discovers a prophesy made by Rasputin 100 years earlier that suggests that not all of the Romanovs were killed during the massacre. And when bullets start flying—at Lord—he realizes there may be something to that. If there is a true blood descendant to the Romanov family, they would be the rightful heir to the Russion throne. What follows is a globe-trotting adventure made by Lord, a Russian circus acrobat Akilina Petrov, and those hot on their heels.At the same time, we learn that Hayes, Lord’s boss, is in the thick of assuring Baklanov’s ascension. Hayes is working with members of the Russian Mafia and must find a way to keep Lord from locating a more closely related member of the Romanov family.
This book moved quickly and the devices Berry used to get Lord from clue to clue was intriguing and exciting. The prophecy’s clues ultimately imply a little too much to make the end wholly satisfying or surprising, but this really doesn’t take away from the story. Uniquely, I didn’t feel like the protagonist reacted in ways that were unbelievable as is so often the case in thrillers. I am looking forward to reading his next book “The Third Secret.”
I must also compliment narrator Paul Michael as he does an excellent job with the voices and isn’t overly dramatic in his reading.
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LibraryThing member leperdbunny
Title: The Romanov Prophecy
Author: Steve Berry
Genre: Historical Fiction
# of pages: 400
Start date:
End date:
Borrowed/bought: borrowed
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best]: B+
Description of the book: A new era has dawned for Russia. The government is looking to restore the monarchy by finding
Review: A classically themed adventure for the adventurist and history buff in all of us. Rasputin's prophecies are used in the story extensively. I wonder if these prophecies were real or made up by the author? Hmm, this would be a fun research project.
Last read of 2010!
Author: Steve Berry
Genre: Historical Fiction
# of pages: 400
Start date:
End date:
Borrowed/bought: borrowed
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best]: B+
Description of the book: A new era has dawned for Russia. The government is looking to restore the monarchy by finding
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the closest relative by blood to the Romanov Dynasty. Our hero, Miles Lord, is an American Lawyer sent over by his employer to ensure there are no problems with the current background of the most likely contender, Stefan Baklanov. What Lord ends up finding out and entangling himself in is much more than he bargained for.Review: A classically themed adventure for the adventurist and history buff in all of us. Rasputin's prophecies are used in the story extensively. I wonder if these prophecies were real or made up by the author? Hmm, this would be a fun research project.
Last read of 2010!
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LibraryThing member jreinheimer
In Russia, communism has ended and the relatives of the Czar are being put back on the throne. A lawyer needs to confirm the legitimacy of the heirs and this task ends in a chase. What would happen if both Alexei and Anastasia Romanov had survived their assassination? This novel would make students
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learn about how past events have current applications. It would teach students about forensic science and would make students interested in solving a historical mystery because all of the documents used in the book are real. Show Less
LibraryThing member woodsathome
I love a good historical conspiracy theory thriller and this one doesn't disappoint.
Start with the premise of a troubled Russia looking to restore the Romanov throne. Add an team of Russian and American badguys (nicknamed Stalin, Lenin, etc.) trying to ensure their pretender to the throne is
Highly recommend
Start with the premise of a troubled Russia looking to restore the Romanov throne. Add an team of Russian and American badguys (nicknamed Stalin, Lenin, etc.) trying to ensure their pretender to the throne is
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chosen. Then toss in a century old Rasputin prophecy and the possibility that two Romanov children survived. Then finish with an African-American hero and you have all the makings of a true potboiler. Highly recommend
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LibraryThing member cpeacock
This book was very excited and elicited the same feelings that I got when reading The Da Vinci Code. It is in the same vain, a historical-mystery-thriller type book, and it is a page-turner. This book interested me because I know little about the history of the Soviet Union and Russia; I learned a
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lot from this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member jsoos
A great piece of fiction. Enough research and factual base to make one wonder about the real possibility of such "conspiracies". Perhaps a little weak on character development, but the author keeps the action going, and has quite a bit of factual material to maintain a semblance of realism. I
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particularly enjoyed seeing some of my books referenced in the discussion. Show Less
LibraryThing member nolak
Gripping suspense from the very first page. Should be made into a movie with Denzel Washington as the main character. Miles Lord is a black man who is an American lawyer in Russia, and when he is attacked, his search leads him to an old secret about the Romanov family.
LibraryThing member snat
A decent entry in the historical action/adventure genre. The plot line was, for the most part predictable, but there were a few twists (Berry took a completely different direction by the book's end than I thought he was going to take, which I appreciated) . The characters were one dimensional (as
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they tend to be in such books--the interest comes from the quest, not the people involved in it). However, the history of the Romanovs and Berry's unique take on the prophecies of Rasputin were fascinating and made the book well-worth the read (although the fact that the missing Romanovs were found in 2007 ruined the fantastic "what if" questions raised as we now know the answers; wish I had read it prior to this discovery). My one main complaint was lots of unnecessary detail about clothing, vehicles, character back stories, etc. Could have easily been 100 pages shorter. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm78
LOVED this book!! This was the first Steve Berry book that I've read and I just fell in love with his style of writing. I have always been fascinated with the Romanov story. The author did a great job of tying in facts with fiction. I will definitely read more from this author.
LibraryThing member mgaulding
I really enjoy Berry's books. This one has a very original plot line.
LibraryThing member MSWallack
Unfortunately, this story was not as good as The Amber Room. The characters were not as interesting, and the story seemed far, far less plausible. I'm perfectly willing to go along with a good setup, but the use of prophecy mixed into a geopolitical thriller seemed out of place. Also, the story
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took far too long to reach the "treasure hunt" portion of the story and, by then, I felt as if the author were racing through and dispensing with the detail that he focused on in the early portions of the book. That said, the book was good enough for me to give Berry's next novel a chance. Show Less
LibraryThing member havetea
Intriguing fictional premise and story line. Decent character development and great historical references. Many chase scenes became boring and redundant. Enjoyable reading and held my attention.
LibraryThing member es135
Fans of Dan Brown and other historical thrillers are sure to love this quick read by Steve Berry. I'll admit, the plot is a bit unbelievable, but this is the perfect kind of "page turner" fiction to make a rainy afternoon fly by. I'm interested in checking out his successful Cotton Mallone series
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next Show Less
LibraryThing member robindejarnett
A suspense with a Dan Brown feel, The Romanov Prophecy delves into the long-standing legend that one or more of the Russian royal family survived brutal execution in the early 20th century. Even if you're not familiar with Russian history, names like Anastasia and Rasputin should tickle your
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memory. Caught between corruption, the mafia, the military, and a prophetic destiny, Miles Lord's story starts with a running shootout and doesn't end until the last page. Sorting out who's good and who's bad is enough to hold the reader from the beginning, then the compelling, if modified, history of the Romanovs keeps the pages turning.I haven't read many books with a male African American protagonist, and I enjoyed that twist. There was a little chemistry between Lord and the female lead, but this isn't a romance novel, so nothing came of it. Maybe it's just me, but my belief was stretched a little thin by the amount of trust Lord put in one person, and the fact that several times the question was asked "how exactly did you find me?" but the flimsy answer was always accepted. It was a little distraction, and what pulled this review down a star.I'll definitely read more Steve Berry. Show Less
LibraryThing member gypsysmom
Journal Entry 9 by winggypsysmomwing from Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada on Friday, August 28, 2009
8 out of 10
This is the second Steve Berry book I have read in a short time and I have enjoyed them both. This one deals with the old question of whether there were survivors when the Imperial family of
8 out of 10
This is the second Steve Berry book I have read in a short time and I have enjoyed them both. This one deals with the old question of whether there were survivors when the Imperial family of
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Russia, the Romanovs, were massacred by the Communists. Berry's take on it is interesting and the pace is fast. One small quibble: for a book written in 2004 that supposedly takes place in the present i.e. 2004 there seemed to be remarkably little use of computers or the internet or cell phones. I know Russia was a little further behind than North America but I can't believe these technologies weren't available. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kathy_Dyer
My first Steve Berry book and I admit that during the first third I had to remind myself it was fiction. The history of Nicolas II has always been interesting as well as the "what if" he retained leadership. The idea of a fourth Roman empire was intriguing.
LibraryThing member Kathy_Dyer
My first Steve Berry book and I admit that during the first third I had to remind myself it was fiction. The history of Nicolas II has always been interesting as well as the "what if" he retained leadership. The idea of a fourth Roman empire was intriguing.
LibraryThing member utbw42
Outstanding book. The intrigue of surviving members of the Romanov family massacre before the Russian revolutions coming back to claim the Tsar throne in present day times kept me turning the pages in this book. Berry has created a very intelligent novel, and I highly recommend this book to anyone,
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especially those who love fictional history. Show Less
LibraryThing member JanaRose1
After the Russian people vote to bring back a tsar, attorney Miles Lord was hired to dig through the Moscow archives and find out information on Romanovs. Through diligent searches, he uncovers much more than he expected, documents that lend credit to the rumors that two of the Romanov children
I thought this book was fairly well written. The plot seemed to move quickly, but it seemed that everything was just too easy for Miles. He was always one step ahead, or miraculously escaping the hit men hired to take him out. Overall, not something I would re-read.
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survived the massacre. When others begin realizing what he has found, he is hunted down by a secret group, determined to influence the choice of the tsar.I thought this book was fairly well written. The plot seemed to move quickly, but it seemed that everything was just too easy for Miles. He was always one step ahead, or miraculously escaping the hit men hired to take him out. Overall, not something I would re-read.
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LibraryThing member mancmilhist
An enjoyable Dan Smith style historical yarn.
Appears well researched and would tempt me to try another of the authors books.
Appears well researched and would tempt me to try another of the authors books.
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2004
Physical description
412 p.; 19 inches
ISBN
0345504399 / 9780345504395