booktok & historical fiction

i’m a huge fan of historical fiction and i think it deserves much more hype in the book community. not to say it isn’t enjoyed, but i feel as if it is brushed over or ignored for fantasy or romance (which are great genres but it can get boring hearing the same book recommendations).

i recently read “romanov” by nadine brandes, and lets just say it surpassed my expectations. when i started it on hoopla (fantastic resource, by the way), i wasn’t too impressed. i figured it would be a three star read, just something to keep me busy while at school. it was anything but that. it was a retelling of the romanov family of russia (obviously) but it wove in magic and spells. it was the perfect genre, in my opinion. in the end, i rated it five stars.

the writing style was simple, yet i found it captivating. the story was a moving tale about family, kindness, hope, and rebellion. each character had depth and the plot was fascinating. despite having slight background knowledge on the history of the russian revolution, i held out hope that it wouldn’t come to that. i had come to love these characters — obviously understanding that they were based on real people and events — and tried to stay positive. in the end, i read through it quickly.

i feel like this is a brilliant example of both quality historical fiction, creativity, and storytelling. writing historical fiction has endless opportunities for interpretation and inspiration. endless events, cultures, locations, and more to choose from and weave a story out of it. “romanov”, for example, isn’t just entertaining and suspenseful, but the themes and the history behind it are just as significant. i feel like the research that brandes put into it is apparent.

there are so many books — historical fiction and not — that are like this. amazing books are passed over for flashier books on social media that often fit into specific boxes. unique stories are pretty hard to come by, but i believe that “romanov” is one of them. i haven’t heard of a concept like this before. i would love to read more novels like this one.

i hope my message in this was clear and that some of you gained something from reading my short little opinion on this topic. the booktok/bookstagram community needs to open a space for more diverse books and genres, and i feel like historical fiction is a great place to start.