Genre: Historical Fiction (WWI)
Disclaimer: Reading is all about exploring, but this Book Review does not shy away from spoiling specific scenes as this is more of a look inside the good and bad of a book.
The Analysis:
This normally isnt my typical book. But something in the way it’s written made me feel like I’m living in another time and I think that alone deserved a read. The Bronze Horseman, Let’s Book Review it.
Heres the Blurb:
Yet there is light in the darkness. Tatiana meets Alexander, a brave young officer in the Red Army. Strong and self-confident, yet guarding a mysterious and troubled past, he is drawn to Tatiana—and she to him. Starvation, desperation, and fear soon grip their city during the terrible winter of the merciless German siege. Tatiana and Alexander’s impossible love threatens to tear the Metanova family apart and expose the dangerous secret Alexander so carefully protects—a secret as devastating as the war itself—as the lovers are swept up in the brutal tides that will change the world and their lives forever.
Now The Story:
Book Info:
Pages: 810
Author: Paullina Simons
Available: On Kindle
The meeting between our heroine and hero, was simultaneously boring and cute. Her feelings for the guy were quite evident and would give any reader butterflies. However, if you took a step back (and view from the outside) there not really doing much in the scene.
Nevertheless, I continued on for this vivid world and its inhabitants. Ignoring the heroines immature perspective on things, including preparing for war. Which angered me very much, I dont think her age should excuse her not taking seriously the situation. If it wasn’t for the hero, her family wouldn’t have any wartime supplies.
I also had to ignore how irritating it made me that she was falling for her sister’s boyfriend. A sister that up until this point had been gracious and kind. My thought process was just like, NO. No, he’s not special. No, he’s not a good person for dragging you and your sister down this road. And your triflin’ for every snide comment you hurl at your sister because he’s not courtin’ you.
His insistence that there just friends. Despite the fact that he’s emotionally cheating is such a fuckboi move. As is his temper tantrum over the TRUE FACT:
“There will always be other boys. I only get one sister.”
Yup, he was upset that she said that. Fuckboi, cough, fuckboi.
This made me want to quit reading several times. Resist the urge to rage quit.
And then here came more Cons. The very reason I don’t read or watch very much YA skewed entertainment can be found in this one book. Outside of being so enamored with her hottie that she almost forgets to get wartime supplies for her families. She took her silliness a step further. The heroine and I quote:
“Defeat at the hands of Hitler is better than my heartbreak.”
No. Just No. This book was an exercise in patience. (I don’t need such grandiose statements in my life.)
The best thing the hero every did was break up with the sister, Dasha, regardless of what was happening between him and the heroine. Such common sense, however, couldn’t survive in a book like this. Moving on. . .
My funny moment of the book (like sis, how do you know my life lol):
“She always thinks about preposterous things,” Dasha piped in. “She’s got a preposterous inner life.”
That quote is so me. Maybe that’s partly why I’m a writer.
Anyway, I liked the heroine much better after her real dose of life/reality. When she found herself embroiled in the civilian side of the war. And I respected her efforts to stay alive and simultaneously help others she met along the way. Some of that included, becoming a nurse etc.,
Then she ruined it. She had an argument with him about, why he saved her life. Actual jealousy because her sister Dasha asked him for help. Mind you not only was she missing, but it’s a whole war happening at home.
A part of me wondered if she wished a bomb had dropped on her house and killed her parents and Dasha. Just so she could be with her hero. Then I wondered if I was crazy just for wanting the bomb to drop. Just to stop the madness of it all. TBH: Dasha slapped her sister once and she said something vague like it happens all the time. Meanwhile, we only ever see the sister loving up on her selfish butt. I didn’t even believe it. Even if she had. This ain’t enough reason for all this strong BS.
I could go on and on but this review would be too long. Heck, the book is too long for the angst. The constant back and forth. It gets more inappropriate with every page. I skipped to the end, right as I got to Part Two.
Ending Notes:
- Knowing what I know about the war. Personally, I’m not mad at Dimitri for being a coward. The heroes were saints, and the cowards were just trying to survive untenable situations.
- Dasha dying is cruel. The way she stumbled across the truth is heart breaking as it happens when she’s beyond ill with no hope of recovery.
- The reviews for this book will have you believe that none of these women believe in emotional cheating. You have to excuse a lot to get to the romance.
Story At A Glance:
Recommendation: 2 out of 5.
The Ratings:
Book Cover Appeal (based on the new cover):
🍓🍓🍓
Story & Narration:
🍓🍓
Romance:
🍓
Character Personality:
🍓 (everyone was morally bankrupt)
