Tatiana and Alexander

I was glued to the Bronze Horseman. Literally. I ignored everyone and everything until I finished it, much to my boyfriend's annoyance; so to say that I was looking forward to the sequel was an understatement. I had high expectations of Tatiana and Alexander and thankfully I wasn't disappointed.I will say first off that it didn't hold my attention quite the way that the first book did. That's not to say that it wasn't as good, because it was. The scene setting was still flawless, the characters incredibly well-developed and the plot compelling. The only aspect that I didn't really like was the flashbacks- though I understand why the author felt the need to include them in the story. I think the reason why I wasn't quite as involved with this was because of the sense of expectation you had in the first book- you were itching for the protagonists to get together despite all the obstacles thrown at them, which kept me on the edge of my seat. This book is ultimately Alexander's time spent in labour camps following the end of WWII and Tatiana's (eventually) unfailing belief that he's still alive and her unfaltering quest to find him- which is all good and well, but it does seem somewhat rushed into the last quarter of the book.Still, I'm holding out high hopes for the third and final book- and like another reviewer I do think this would make an incredible film (but an independent film, let's not let Hollywood crucify it beyond all recognition)!

This is the follow up to The Bronze Horseman. Totally disagree with the reviewer who said the book could have been written by a different author; anyone who has read Paullina Simons before will know it's her style.We begin in 1943 when both the main characters believe each other to be dead. Tatiana is in America while Alexander remains in Russia as a Red Army Captain. The book describes the rest of their wars in brutal detail.The descriptions of the battles Alexander had were so detailed that I feel it detracted from the story; I found myself looking through the pages to see how long the chapters would be.However, the characterisation is so fabulous that you can't help but read every detail because you are desperate to know what happens to them.Perhaps a bit far fetched when she goes to Europe to find him, having discovered he is not dead after all, but the way it is written you would have to be made of stone to not be moved by the scene where they are re-united in a concentration camp in Germany.So looking forward to reading the third in the series.The only reason for the 4 stars is that there really is too much detail in the battle scenes but I suppose anyone interested in the Second World War will lap up the stories told. Have no idea how factual the book is but I would imagine a huge amount of research has gone into this novel and the horrific truth of the war is definitely well portrayed.

Unlike the top critical review who titled their review as an 'unworthy successor' to the Bronze Horseman, I disagree wholeheartedly. I enjoyed this book more than its predecessor finding the unfolding story fitting more accurately into my perceptions of the characters portrayed. To me it was more honest - I found the earlier story of Tatiana's sister's relationship with Alexander ridiculous - once she was out of the story it became much more believable for me - I still fail to see why it continued the way it did! Found this book easy to read, the recaps filling in lots of gaps and the unfolding story a fascinating page-turner. Not entirely sure that the story should not have ended at this point...

After book one I found that quite a lot was repetitive of the first book, so I tended to flash past some pages, nevertheless I still bought book three which was a fabulous read.

"Tatiana and Alexander" by Paullina Simons is the follow-up to "The Bronze Horseman" Tatiana is now alone in America, by herself while Alexander is fighting his away across Eastern Europe. As time passes Tatiana does not give hope in seeing her beloved "Shura" again.This was a great follow-up book! Ms. Simons is a great writer in finding her character's voices. While some may find the 600+ pages a bit overwhelming, it is worth the read.