10++ bright shining stars
This is the most intense and epic love story EVER told!!
Its exquisitely written, achingly heart wrenching, deeply heart warming and utterly and completely beautiful, unforgettable and incomparable in every way!!!
The author has a truly uncanny gift for really making you FEEL everything that her characters are going through. I FELT Tania and Alexander fall in love, I FELT their longing, I FELT their desire, FELT their heartache,FELT their joy, FELT their hunger, FELT their pain, FELT their happiness, FELT their loss, FELT their desperation, but more than anything FELT their LOVE .
Love that was all consuming, world-shattering, achingly deep, and EPIC !!!
Honestly, I was an absolute wreck throughout my reading of it. I literally stayed up reading till the sun came up and got up 4 hours later to finish it. Throughout the entire book, I felt as though I was being constantly injected with little bouts of adrenaline. It kept me riveted the entire time. This book ripped my heart out and put it back together over and over and over again. I cried a few times throughout the book… and then there was a part about 3/4 of the way though where I literally sobbed for about 12-15 straight pages. And then I held out until the second last page and the waterworks started again. You want SO BADLY for things to work out for them!
The story basically follows Tatiana, a 17 year old Russian girl from Lenningrad, who on the day that WW2 started in their area, meets Alexander, a 22 year old soldier in the Red Army with a secret past that could be very dangerous for him and anyone around him if it got out. Tania’s sister has recently also found a soldier who she is absolutely smitten with and, of course, Tania then finds out that Alexander is indeed that soldier that Dasha has fallen for. Tatiana’s is the ultimate selfless giver – she puts everyone else before her no matter the personal costs and even though she and Alexander are clearly crazy for each other, she cannot bear the thought of breaking her sister’s heart and begs him to pretend to stay with her sister. This leads to a lot of tension, obviously, and many stolen glances, and gestures, looks, fleeting touches, private names for each other and secret meetings. Over the months they fall deeper and deeper in secret love. But eventually the war comes right to Lenningrad and they are forced to all fight for survival. When Tatiana and Alexander eventually get married, they have a beautiful month long hot hot hot 70+ page honeymoon (this IS a romance story after all despite the tragic setting) … I won’t say more but the ending leaves you hanging and desperate for the next book.
This is book 1 of a trilogy. I have it on good authority that the last one ends with a HEA but its a long and bumpy road until then. It’s not your classic romance where everything just “works out”, it’s a heart wrenching journey of finding love and having the faith to hold on to it no matter what.
Alexander… *sigh* how to describe him. He is one of those male character that just sears themself into your mind. The way he LOVES Tania and the way she LOVES him is just so POWERFUL and BEAUTIFUL!! I really can’t do it justice with my own words. They sacrifice SO much, EVERYTHING for each other. I loved how Tatiana grew from a quiet young girl to a very strong woman throughout the book.I just want to pluck the two of them out of this story, put them on a desert island with everything they could every want to live out their lives in perfect happiness. They literally have all possible odds stacked against them and yet still the push through. This is truly a story about survival…
… About how love can give you the will and the courage to survive anything.
The book is long. My print copy was 810 pages but I promise you, it does not feel long at all. I read every single word (often as slowly as I could). I didn’t skim a single syllable. The author’s writing style is beautiful and flows very smoothly. The story never dragged for me.
If you want an EPIC love story with wonderful characters and heart achingly beautiful writing, this is the book for you.
***EDIT + QUICK NOTE REGARDING THE “HISTORICAL” ASPECT OF THESE BOOKS:
A question I get asked A LOT is: “How historical are these book?” so I’m going to answer that here: NOT AT ALL!!! Ok, well maybe a tiny bit considering it takes place during WW2, but the point is that it doesn’t FEEL like a historical book at all. I personally am not a fan of historical romances mainly because I don’t like the language. In this book, the characters speak in MODERN language. They sound pretty much like you or I would. Also, the book does NOT go into any lengthy detail on historical events. This is first and formost a LOVE STORY. The focus is on the characters, NOT the events. The only events that are highlighted are the ones that DIRECTLY affect the main couple. The rest of the war, etc is pretty much glossed right over. You do learn some facts because obviously they live through the war, but its the background. The story follows ALEXANDER and TATIANA, their life and their love. Trust me, you will NOT regret reading it! 😀
Bottom line: THE BRONZE HORSEMAN IS THE BEST, MOST INTENSE, MOST INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEART WRENCHING YET HEART WARMING LOVE STORY EVER TOLD.
A MUST READ!!! Trust me,. You’ll never forget this story.
10 ++ stars and a place high on my favorites shelf.
I’m going straight ahead into book 2, appropriately titled: Tatiana and Alexander 🙂
Favourite quotes:
“I love you breathlessly, my amazing man.”
“Ask yourself these three questions, Tatiana Metanova, and yiu will know who you are. Ask: what do you believe in? What do you hope for? But most important – ask: what do you love?
… I know who I am, she thought, taking his hand and turning to the altar. I am Tatiana. And I believe in, and hope for, and love Alexander for life.”“Tatiana: I found my true love on Ulita Saltykov-Schedrin, while I sat on a bench eating ice cream.
Alexander: You didn’t find me. You weren’t even looking for me. I found you.
Long pause.
Tatiana: Alexander, we’re you …. looking for me ?
Alexander: All my life.”“Tatiana: “Why did we spend two days fighting when we could have been doing this?”
Alexander: “That wasn’t fighting, Tatiana. That was foreplay.”“Alexander tilted his head and kissed her deeply on the lips. He let go of her hands, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. They kissed as if in a fever… they kissed as if the breath were leaving their bodies.”
“There are some battles, no matter how much you don’t want to fight them, that you just have to fight. That are worth giving your life for.”
“Love is,” she repeated slowly, looking only at Dasha, “when he is hungry and you feed him. Love is knowing when he is hungry”
**SERIES READING ORDER **
Book #1: THE BRONZE HORSEMAN
My Review | Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback
Book #2: TATIANA & ALEXANDER
My Review | Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback
BOOK #3: THE SUMMER GARDEN
My Review | Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback
♥
CASTING
These are, without a doubt, exactly the way I see Alexander and Tatiana:
Happy reading everyone ♥
Epica says
BEAUTIFUL REVIEW!!
Aestas says
Thank you!! These are just the best books <3
Sharlaine says
I am looking for what to read next after the Slammed series and I guess this heart stopping book series is just the right one. 🙂
Aestas says
YAY!!!! It makes me so giddy everytime I hear of someone new who is going to start this series!!! There is absolutely no love story that can even come close to comparing to this one. BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL!!
Can’t wait to hear what you think. I’ll look for your updates on Goodreads 😛
carly says
Who’s the guy you cast as Alexander? He’s perfect!
Aestas says
His name is Jamie Towers. He’s a model – not an actor. But I don’t see him as Alexander in anything other than this one single picture.
If I had to choose an actor for the role, it would be Henry Cavill 🙂
Laura says
I can’t believe I waited so long to read these books. They have definitely moved to the top of my favorites list. I honestly don’t think my heart will ever be the same after reading them. I just want to make everyone I know read them. Thanks to you and your blog, because without it I probably never would have read them.
Aestas says
You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that 🙂 I totally know what you mean, their story touched my heart in a way no other story ever has. Just so incredibly unforgettable <3
Gabby says
Just and only because of your review, I’m giving this trilogy a shot.
I just got smitten with it!
Forward to read your reviews on GR!
Greetings from Cancun!
Annie says
This review made me so happy… I LOVE finding out that there are other people out there that loved these books just as much as I did! I’ve read a tonne of romance books since and I have to say that there’s been nothing that’s been able to fill the gap left by the Bronze Horseman 🙁 Alexander has probably ruined all other men for me, and I can’t seem to find a romance book that I would even put in the same league as these books!
I have a question… I just finished Sempre, and it’s probably come the closest to being one my faves as this series. I think it’s because I’m not really into the more modern romance books. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED 50 shades, but after that they all seem to have the same story! Do you have any recommendations similar to Sempre and this series that are in a historical time setting or a different culture perhaps? I just want something different from the standard high school/billionaire stories!
Thanks for your awesome reviews by the way, I’m just looking through them now to decide what to read next 😀
Aestas says
Annie – have you tried the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon? Its a Scottish historical romance with a LOT of story depth. The books are HUGE!!
Devon Herrera says
Dang… I’m convinced. That review was more passionate then some of the actual romance novels I have read. Teehee. I’ll definately be checking this one out…and probably read all three without stopping 🙂 Thanks Aestas!
Sharona says
Great News from Paullina Simons today on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/3855033-the-bronze-horseman-film-news
Angela says
OMG I began reading this book based on your recommendation. It is now 1:00am and I am 45% of the way through and am an emotional WRECK!!! What is wrong with her – Tatiana? Fight for him! Ugh. Don’t make him promise not to hurt your sister. Oh my gosh my stomach is in nots. I do not know if I will get to sleep tonight. I have so much anxiety.
Thank you for stressing how important of a read this book is. I would never have read it on my own. And wow, what a mistake that would have been. Ok, too much “talking”, not enough reading. Gotta get back to it!
sarah says
Thnk you for sharing your reviews on these books. I’ve been contemplating reading them for a while and you convinced me!! This is the best book i have ever read and i feel so emotional about it. I also found myself reading every syllable of every single word not wanting to miss a thing. I feel like this series has ruined all other books for me 🙂
Keighley says
Ive finally finished the third book and WOW!!! Book 1 has to be one of my top ten favorite books of ALL TIME! It was a long road and I feel like ive spent a lifetime with these characters.
I am desperately hunting for something similar to put on my TBR, contemporary romances all seem a little shallow without the peril of war as back drop. This series has ruined me for all other books! (well at least for a week, I’m sure I’ll get over it)
Shirley says
I might have read the trilogy, had it not been placed in 1941 Leningrad! That was start of 900 day seige. Thousands had died by the first winter. The population was reduced to eating, cats,rats, dogs, crows and horses to survive. Many went insane with hunger. I understand we are talking about a work of fiction. But to put it in that place, and at that time, I would have a hard time not seeing the dead in the streets. Leningrad – now reverted to old name; St Petersburg., was described as a place beyond horror. And, I mean no disrespect to those who love the story. I, unfortunately , don’t believe I could get past other images.
Kristine says
ok, I’ve decided to once and for all take the plunge and read this! It seems so many are giving it amazing reviews.
christine says
So i just have to bend here i know its soooo late and i first saw your review of this book since 2012 cause Ive been following you since. AND I HATE myself right now cause I didn’t have the courage to read it then and now that I am done reading it GOD! NOW i know why its the ultimate! I can’t find words I’m literally in awe of this book. I need to read the second one now but before I do that I just wanna say thank you for recommending it. AND insisting everyone to read it. I’m in love and would always be in love with both Tatiana and Alexander.
Ankita says
Hey Aestas..I am just in love with your blog..you wouldn’t know how many books I have picked up just based on your review and let me tell you they all were exactly what your reviews told me!!! Now just because this ‘Bronze Horseman’ series hold a 10 star in your blog I am picking it up and starting to read but I already feel jittery and nervous with anticipation because I sure have really HIGH hopes for this one..I want this one to be the BESTEST for me too..!! I will definitely share my reviews with you after completing the series 🙂
And I want to thank you..you definitely have given me heaven with these books and your reviews. If it hadn’t been you, God, I don’t know would I ever have been able to know these beautiful books exists, forget about reading!!! A big THANK YOU goes for you from the bottom of my heart 🙂
Brandi Aga says
Can’t wait to read this! Bought it while it was on sale and have been waiting for the right time. I buy 90% of my books because of your reviews! Thank you!
Sarah says
I absolutely loved this book/series. Thank you for the rec!
Sell Used Books says
Thanks for the in-depth review – war stories are always the best…picking up a copy soon!
Amanda S. says
Okay, you sold me. I’m gonna check this series out!