The Romanov Prophecy (Steve Berry)

It's "that time" again- the time where I decide to minimize my books and put a mild, if likely temporary, check on my rampant materialism.  Before I dispose of some of my library, I wanted to review each I'm parting with, in remembrance of their existence in my collection.

The Romanov Prophecy, by Steve Berry, is a thriller centered around the power in Russia.  As you (hopefully) know, Tsar Nicholas II, of the Romanov dynasty, was the last monarch of Russia, and fell in 1917 to the Communists.  He, along with his family, was executed shortly thereafter (account here), and the bodies buried in a pit.  During the subsequent Communist rule, the location of the burial site was unknown- a fact which led some to believe some of the Tsar's family could have escaped during that dreadful night long ago.  Several people, in fact, claimed to be Tsar's daughter, Anastasia, in the following decades.  That's a long backstory, but all this is to say that the execution and subsequent unknowns have been the basis of many a tale, and one such is The Romanov Prophecy.

In this book, two Romanovs survive- the sole son and a daughter- and escape to America.  Fast forward to modern day: the people of Russia are clamoring for a return to the monarchy (not unrealistic, if this report is to be believed).  But who to put on the throne?  The obvious choice is a descendant of Nicholas II, if one exists.  And so, the main point of the novel is that a descendant does exist, but nobody knows where he/she is.  Thankfully, clues have been laid that show the way, and there are both good and bad men after the heir, both sides desiring to control (or eliminate) the "rightful" king.

Having been long fascinated by the historical event upon which it's based, I found the novel decent.  The suspense is there, in a way.  Berry, by his own admission, is no Dan Brown, but it's not a bad yarn.  If you're into Russia at all, I'd recommend it.

Rating: B