Two words: Russian folklore.
I absolutely loved Dreaming Anastasia series, and Anastasia Forever - the third and final instalment - in particular. If you're into folklore, myths, legends, spooky bedtime stories about witches and fantastic creatures that are out there to get you.. well, this is the series for you! Featuring rich Eastern European mythology, culture and history, Anastasia Forever is a breath-taking conclusion to a mervellous, enticing and beautifully-written YA Historical Romance about love, destiny, immortality, dreams, long buried secrets and freedom. A well-researched, absolutely fascinating and dangerously addictive story that I couldn't put down!
As much as I would love to discuss the plot, I can't. This is the third and final novel, and therefore anything I would say would be a spoiler for those of you who haven't yet read it. But let me just tell you that this was one of the best, most exciting and satisfying final books I've had the pleasure of reading. Even more fast-paced and entertaining than the previous two books, even more fun and charming (with all the awesome supporting characters and their often-hilarious interactions), even more heartbreaking and mesmerizing. When I finished reading it, I immediately felt the need to sit down and re-read the entire series. It was that good.
It's a story of three people whose lives are intertwined with each other in the most bizarre, intriguing way. Anne - a sixteen year old girl from Chicago - is connected through bloodline to some tragic and mysterious events from the past. When one day Anne accidentally collides with a handsome blue-eyed boy named Ethan, her whole world gets flipped inside out in a blink of an eye. Ethan tells Anne that Anastasia Romanov - the girl Anne has been dreaming about every night - is not dead. She's been captured and held captive by the Russian witch Baba Yaga. And the only person who can help free Anastasia is Anne. With that starts an adventure that is just as exciting as it is dangerous, and just as magical as it is romantic. An adventure that now - sadly - comes to an end in this extraordinary final book! Special powers, time travel, bizarre creatures Anne never thought existed outside of fairy tale books - our heroine will have to face all that and more.. Is she strong enough to help Anastasia?
This series was - and I'm not exaggerating - totally mind blowing. I love mythology and folklore, and Russian folklore in particular has so much to offer! It's so rich in beautiful (often vividly depicted, creepy) tales and spooky stories. And Joy Preble did a magnificent job researching all that and then incorporating all the most fascinating information into the story. At times I was oooh-ing and aaah-ing, other times I'd get goosebumps, but I never felt bored or uninterested in the events that were unravelling before my eyes. The story line moved swiftly and was full of heart-pounding events. There were many jaw-dropping twists and turns, and in the end I was left breathless, but with a huge smile on my face, satisfied and content.
All the characters in this series are wonderful. I found myself connecting with Anne and Anastasia in more than one way, and I couldn't help but to fall under Ethan's charm. They're all complex, likeable, realistic and strong. I especially loved the fact that our female lead was a strong, powerful character, who - even though she sometimes did make mistakes - was ready to face whatever life would throw her way, always finding a way to overcome all the obstacles. She was a fighter and I admired her. Not to mention that she was just so very easy to love - her personality was easy-going, likable, cheerful, and positive.
All the side-kicks were great, too, especially Tess and Ben. For supporting characters I found them exceptionally fleshed out and their presence added a lot of flavour to the story. Joy Preble built an incredible world, filled with historical events (the Romanov and their tragic story!), mythical creatures, goosebumpy stories and characters you genuinely care about. On top of all that, her smoothly flowing, captivating prose was like a breath of fresh air! I was amazed how much I ended up loving this series, and am so very sad to see it come to an end.
At the same time, though, I'm so excited to see what else this incredibly talented author has in store for us!
