Author Topic: The Crown and the Crucible (The Russians, #1)  (Read 3053 times)

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Olga Bernice

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The Crown and the Crucible (The Russians, #1)
« on: July 03, 2011, 03:10:23 PM »
The Crown and the Crucible is a bit different from Nicholas and Alexandra or Sarah Miller's The Lost Crown. It deals with Russia in the 1860-70's. Although it has a fictional based background - a peasant girl named Anna goes from her small town Katyk to St. Petersburg, where she then becomes a mail to a fictional princess Katrina - I am convinced that there are facts ground in the story. For example, Princess Katrina's father, Prince Viktor Fedorcenko, is very close (both politically and friendshipwise) to Tsar Alexander II, thus providing explainations (or at least accounts) of Alexander's choices and solutions. Anna's brother, Paul, is a revolutionary, which provides a conflict in the story.

I thought that The Crown and the Crucible was an engaging read, with the glories and failings of St. Petersburg and more so the monarch that ruled it very clear, even through the eyes of fictional people. However, for me it was necessary to be able to sit down and concentrate on it - some of the twists are very sudden. It also takes a while to get into the story . . . but once you do, it is well worth the wait.

Thanks!!

PS. There seven books in the Russians series. I, myself, am only on the 3rd book. Any information on ANY of the seven books is appreciated and encouraged on this thread.

Olga Bernice

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Re: The Crown and the Crucible (The Russians, #1)
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2011, 03:16:29 PM »
For any of you who are interested, here is the complete Russians series:

#1:The Crown and the Crucible
#2:A House Divided
#3:Travail and Triumph
#4:Heirs of the Motherland
#5:Dawning of Deliverance
#6:White Nights, Red Morning
#7:Passage into Light

Written by Michael Phillips and Judith Pella.

Enjoy!!

Olga Bernice

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Re: The Crown and the Crucible (The Russians, #1)
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2011, 09:11:31 PM »
Bumping this thread up in hopes of some discussion  ;)

Ekaterina-Nikolaevna

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Re: The Crown and the Crucible (The Russians, #1)
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2011, 12:48:23 PM »
Well, I've never heard of these books before, but they sound like a good read. Are they all tied in with the first book about Anna and Katrina and so, or different settings, etc in each?

Olga Bernice

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Re: The Crown and the Crucible (The Russians, #1)
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2011, 03:42:26 PM »
Umm . . . *most* of the first 3 are about Anna and Katrina (there's a couple other side characters: father, siblings, boyfriends/girlfriends/husbands/wives =D), but the 4th-7th is mostly about katrina's daughter Mariana. They all take place in Russia - some in St. Petersburg, some in Katyk, Anna's hometown. If you get the first one (and even skip the prologue like I did) then the beginning's *really* slow. But it is an awesome book once you get into it, as are all the others. Totally worth the wait!