The Romanov Prophecy

By: Steve Berry

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Ekaterinburg, Russia: July 16, 1918. Ten months have passed since Nicholas II’s reign was cut short by revolutionaries. Tonight, the White Army advances on the town where the Tsar and his family are being held captive by the Bolsheviks. Nicholas dares to hope for salvation. Instead, the Romanovs are coldly and methodically executed.

Moscow: Present Day. Atlanta lawyer Miles Lord, fluent in Russian and well versed in the country’s history, is thrilled to be in Moscow on the eve of such a momentous event. After the fall of Communism and a succession of weak governments, the Russian people have voted to bring back the monarchy. The new tsar will be chosen from the distant relatives of Nicholas II by a specially appointed commission, and Miles’ job is to perform a background check on the Tsarist candidate favored by a powerful group of Western businessmen. But research quickly becomes the least of Miles’ concerns when he is nearly killed by gunmen on a city plaza.

Suddenly Miles is racing across continents, shadowed by nefarious henchmen. At first, his only question is why people are pursuing him. But after a strange conversation with a mysterious Russian, who steers Miles toward the writings of Rasputin, he becomes desperate to know more - most important, what really happened to the family of Russia’s last tsar?

His only companion is Akilina Petrov, a Russian circus performer sympathetic to his struggle, and his only guide is a cryptic message from Rasputin that implies that the bloody night of so long ago is not the last chapter in the Romanovs’ story...and that someone might even have survived the massacre. The prophecy’s implications are earth-shattering - not only for the future of the tsar and mother Russia, but also for Miles himself.

Steve Berry, national best-selling author of the phenomenal thriller The Amber Room, once again delves into rich historical fact to produce an explosive pause resister. In The Romanov Prophecy, the authentic and the speculative meld into a fascinating and exceptionally suspenseful work of fiction.

©2004 Steve Berry (P)2004 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Berry uses Russia, past and present, to excellent effect and makes sharp observations about the contemporary Russian scene....A solid tale." (Publishers Weekly)

Excellent as usual.

Fantastic read. Now I must look up the history of the Romanovs. Great story. Adventuresome. Cross continental. Exciting. Worth reading.

Almost 5 stars

I loved the story, even with some of the discrepancies. For instance, the bodies were burned in the woods, not buried in a muddy road. And the main character was an idiot. How could he not have figured out he was being betrayed sooner? The performance was wonderful, as always. Paul Michael is one of my favorites. He blends into the background, so to speak, in a way that enhances the experience without overshadowing the story.

Good Plot

I have read or listened to most of Steve Barry’s books. This is the best one wherein Cotton Malone isn’t the main character. I really liked the narrator.

Awesome story

It was a little hard to get into a first but eventually I was hooked. I loved the story, the narration was not terrible but he needs to work on his female voice a but. other than that it was good and I look forward to reading/listening to another book.

Great Read...

The Romanov Prophecy takes the reader on an exciting whirlwind escapade that travels from Russia to the U.S. in a Bourne-esque fashion. I have always been fascinated by the tragedy of the Romanov assasination and the hope that two of the children survived - and this novel played on that interest with a plot reminiscent of the Da Vinci Code. There are many twists and turns, an age-old prophecy, cryptic messages, and a secret society.

The characters are well-formed and believable. The language is easy to read and flows nicely. The narrator is excellent. He does a great Russian accent and easily transitions from that to the southern accent. He has the perfect voice for a historical thriller with a government conspiracy thrown in. I never became bored or had a hard time following along. This is an excellent audio that I highly recommend.

Berry Great as Always

Great writer keeps you intrigued, and as it should be an excellent narrator.

Great listen

What did you love best about The Romanov Prophecy?

I'm a big history fan so anytime I can get some historical detail in a book I'm happy!

Any additional comments?

Be sure to read them both!

A Fast Paced Good Read

Kept me in its grip from chapter to chapter. Lots of good history and references to current Russia.

pure fiction

While listening this book I have to always remind myself that this is just a fiction and not a history novel. A lot of twisted facts from Russian history and Russian real life made this reading thorny for me. But overall, it is a decent fiction story.

good adventure story if you can suspend belief

the narration is very good. the story is fun and easy to follow. the downside to this book is that one has to believe that a)russia was better off under a tsar [check with, among others, the jewish community regarding this!], 2) russia could return to rule under a tsar in this modern age, and, 3) a brilliant lawyer wouldn't be able to see a corrupt conspiracy going on right under his nose. and that is just in the first couple of chapters. there are other parts of the narrative that are weak but i'd have to give away the story to go into them. i enjoyed listening to this on the way in to work, but didn't think it completely riveting nor really well written; it was too predictable to be either. and there were a number of parts and comments that i had to not examine too closely or else just ignore in order not to get annoyed with the sloppiness of the writing and stereotyping.