I picked this book up on a lark and I'm so glad that I did!
Maybe it's just because I'm living in Moscow at the moment, but I think that Steve Berry does an amazing job bringing the city, and Russia more broadly, to life.

I was extremely intrigued by the notion of a country choosing to return to being a monarchy when throughout the course of history we've so often seen countries moving away from this system, and in particular, I was interested to see how Berry would choose to handle this in Russia.

Don't let the title fool you! This book is just as invested in exploring the 'what if scenario' posed at the beginning as it is in exploring the more fantastical possibility of Romanov heirs.

Pertaining specifically to the mystery: I felt that the pacing of the reveal of information was perfect, and I was genuinely left guessing how it would turn out until the very end.

Romanov Prophesy is a seamless blend of gripping mystery, historical intrigue, and action, and even manages to have interesting and complex characters on top of that.

The writing style is clean and crisp. Nothing to write home about, but the perfect vehicle for the story it's being used to tell.

My one critique is that the very, very ending felt rushed. It didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book at all, but after being spoiled by the attention to detail in the rest of the book, it was a bit of a letdown.

But overall, I absolutely adored this book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Russia, political hypotheticals, or just an exciting mystery.