While the list of characters was overwhelming at times, this novel filled in a great deal of what was otherwise dates and events. She brought the people involved alive and you really felt like you knew lives of the Romanov dynasty. Had her sons only listened to their mother it might have been a totally different story; sadly the men listened to their advisors who said to rule the way the way they always had to pay no attention to current situation - so much like the climate change deniers of today unfortunately we stand to lose more than one family dynasty.