The author Robert Zimmerman weaves a complex story filled with history and fiction. He pays attention to the research and facts of the era, allowing the Western world to focus on an event we usually forget, while also creating a dazzling story that entices the reader to continue their journey through the book, ending with two twists that will leave you stunned.
In this novel, the most exemplary part that is deserving of praise is the historical allusion that is used throughout the book. One example is the Bolshevik Revolution. The entire novel rotates around that theme and is set in that time frame. The author uses this historical event well to set up the setting and theme of the story, allowing him to develop the plot further had he not had the bare skeleton already set. Another example is the Romanov family and the Tsar. They were the real ruling family who were indeed murdered by the revolutionaries. Zimmerman does an excellent job of highlighting certain qualities of the family that allow the reader to understand why the revolution took place in Russia, yet he also adds a touch of humanity and playfulness that allow the reader to connect to the family and feel sorry for them, heightening the emotional climax when they are killed. These historical allusions create characters and backgrounds that Zimmerman can mold to his taste and shape perfectly. It is as if he had been given lumps of clay to start his creation, and did not need to make this clay on his own.
Another telling part of the novel was the vivid description used throughout every chapter. Description that not only improved the ethos and the credibility of the author, but immersed the reader into the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, with the bone-chilling wind and the blood-curdling yells of men fighting for their ideals. Much of this description is so artfully and accurately created due to the author's own experience and research. He spent a few years in Russia, studying and learning their language, customs, history, and culture. Zimmerman was also able to research at a University in Russia, giving him access to highly detailed records of history that would not be found lying around in a public library. We can see this description during the book when the Impatiev House is described and portrayed as the prison settlement that it was. The layers of paint smothering the windows and heating the house to intolerable levels. The bars of iron later wedged across those same windows, keeping in anyone who dared escape. The playful and fluffy dogs that ran about, trying to create a semblance of normality but altogether failing to do so.
Overall the novel was superbly written. Attention to detail and historical facts and figures allowed the pieces to connect in the reader's mind while the themes of violence, innocence, and guilt painted a sobering story, and one that was too hard to put down.
