Tsarina's Jewels

 “It’s kinda odd, I think, but Uncle Ivan says one of the dead Romanov princesses is missing. He thinks maybe she lived, and you know something about it.” Jerena Tobiasen's Tsarina's Jewels is a wonderful work of historical fiction. The backdrop of post-Russian Empire turmoil is beautifully intertwined with the very personal lives of Tobiasen's characters within the broader political contexts. The author does well in creating a textured atmosphere without forcing it, and the result is deep suspense that grows organically through careful dialogue and events. The historical grounding of the story and significant moments, be it the Bolshevik execution of the Romanovs or the global impact of the Spanish flu, are what make the book work as a whole. The writing is clear and effectively pulls us into the story, and the multiple points of view give us a full and satisfying fly-on-the-wall perspective in a fantastic reinterpretation and fictionalization of the time.