Rating: 87% | B+ | ★★★★
Warnings: + Violence Synopsis (from Netgalley): Amid the violent last days of the glittering Russian monarchy, a princess on the run finds her heart where she least expects it. 1917, Petrograd. Fleeing the murderous flames of the Russian Revolution, Princess Svetlana Dalsky hopes to find safety in Paris with her mother and sister. But the city is buckling under the weight of the Great War, and the Bolsheviks will not rest until they have erased every Russian aristocrat from memory. Svetlana and her family are forced into hiding in Paris’s underbelly, with little to their name but the jewels they sewed into their corsets before their terrifying escape. Born the second son of a Scottish duke, the only title Wynn MacCallan cares for is that of surgeon. Putting his talents with a scalpel to good use in the hospitals in Paris, Wynn pushes the boundaries of medical science to give his patients the best care possible. After treating Svetlana for a minor injury, he is pulled into a world of decaying imperial glitter. Intrigued by this mysterious, cold, and beautiful woman, Wynn follows Svetlana to an underground Russian club where drink, dance, and questionable dealings collide on bubbles of vodka. Out of money and options, Svetlana agrees to a marriage of convenience with the handsome and brilliant Wynn, who will protect her and pay off her family’s debts. It’s the right thing for a good man to do, but Wynn cannot help hoping the marriage will turn into one of true affection. When Wynn’s life takes an unexpected turn, so does Svetlana’s—and soon Paris becomes as dangerous as Petrograd. And as the Bolsheviks chase them to Scotland, Wynn and Svetlana begin to wonder if they will ever be able to outrun the love they are beginning to feel for one another. Spoiler-Free Review: Confession: I've had The Ice Swan available to me for the past month and until now, it's been languishing in my active NetGalley tabs. The poor excuse? I hate reading PDFs on my phone, my device of choice—but the eye strain was more than worth it. The Ice Swan is historical fiction excellence, and a moment must be set aside to discuss the fantastic attention to detail that Ciesielski exercises. I loved the references to the Sun King, to the French Revolution, to the Russian courtiers speaking French rather than Russian, to the abrupt renaming of St. Petersburg to Petrograd—the list goes on. Any history buff would be thrilled to let themselves luxuriate in this book's rich history. The protagonists, Svetlana and Wynn, are two rich and wonderfully fleshed-out characters that have very human insecurities. The romance that develops between the two of them is organic and wonderful to behold. The supporting cast of characters, including Svetlana's mother, Marina, Leonid, is also incredibly unique and brings so much heart to the story. My only complaint is that the plot feels uneven at the beginning and at the end of the novel. I found that I had to suspend my disbelief at some of the chance encounters, which made the book somewhat difficult to enjoy. I also wish more depth had been given to Svetlana and Wynn's respective character developments. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
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