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Downs and Warren have led us on an interesting trek backwards through Russian history, beginning in the present with Ekaterina, to the Cold War with Nadia, in World War II with Marina, and now, with Oksana... to the Russian Revolution of 1917. Since this series has been titled Heirs of Anton, and in this book we meet Anton himself, I think it's safe to assume that this is the final volume.

Oksana takes us back to the time when Tsar Nikolai Romanov was overthrown, leading to the rise of Lenin. The tsar and his family were exiled to Siberia and eventually executed, though there has always been fiction about one of the Romanovs surviving (usually Anastasia, the youngest daughter). Downs & Warren have chosen a different daughter for the survivor, however: the oldest girl, Olga Nikolaevna Romanov, now disguised as her own servant girl, Oksana (who took her place among the family).

With the Revolution in full swing, Anton Klassen is on his way to Petrograd to check on his family business. A Mennonite, Anton hopes to stay uninvolved in all the confusion sweeping the nation. Instead, he meets the Tsar himself in the woods and accepts an incredible mission. His job is to seek out a young monk named Timofea (immediately recognizable to fans of this series) and together take custody of two servant girls: Yulia, Timofea's sister, and the orphan Oksana.

Anton and Timofea do their best, but there is someone following the group - someone who knows Oksana's true identity and the value of the items she secretly carries sewn inside her clothing.

Of all the books in this series, this was the one I was most anticipating. The Bolshevik Revolution is one of the most intriguing events of Russian history, considering what it would lead to. Alas, very little of the actual historical events are focused on in this book, as its focus is on the main characters, who are trying to stay away from those events.

Despite that, it's still a good story, a solid conclusion to the series. The romance, though expected and slightly cliched, is actually more believable than the ones in all the previous books. I wish I now had time to go back and re-read this series in reverse order to understand all the connections. I suspect it would be much more satisfying in the end. Mildly Recommended.

Related Authors

• Susan K. Downs

• Susan May Warren

Related Books

• Heirs Of Anton: Ekaterina (Trade Paper)

• Heirs Of Anton: Marina (Trade Paper)

• Heirs Of Anton: Nadia (Trade Paper)