St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe’s royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina’s strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources…including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar’s standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina’s help to safeguard Russia, even if he’s repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

Duchess Katerina Alexandrovna has a dark secret — she’s a necromancer, which means she’s capable of raising the dead. Her only wish is that no one learn of her curse, yet it seems everyone can see the darkness in her soul. Katerina finds herself thrown amid a dangerous power play, one where she’s suddenly a key player, unsure of who to trust.

I was first drawn to this novel because I’m a huge fan of historical fiction and the paranormal twist enticed me. However, as soon as I started reading, I found myself frustrated and overwhelmed. Trying to keep track of the Russian customs, names, and society was hard enough. The addition of the paranormal backstory completely flummoxed me. I was prepared for a necromancer, but not faeries, vampires, werewolves (I assume they’re werewolves, as they’re referred to as the “wolf people”), witches, ghouls, and probably more. After the first forty pages, I was ready to stop reading, but I hung on, giving debut author Robin Bridges the benefit of the doubt. And I’m glad I did.

As the story develops, I come to admire Katerina. She’s headstrong, intelligent, and deeply caring. She prioritizes family above all else, but second in her heart is studying to become a doctor, a desire that never wavers even in the face of marriage. Whereas most girls in this time period value obtaining a prospering husband, Katerina would prefer to make the world a better place and I love that she never gives up on this dream, even though it seems like everyone expects her to.

While the existence of vampires and witches feels awkward and out-of-place in the beginning of the book, the presence of these creatures slowly becomes more believable, especially when Katerina actually meets the charming Prince Danilo of Montenegro. Before meeting him, I, like Katerina, had a tough time believing in vampires as anything more than just myths in Russia, but his instant allure screams “otherworldly.” From there, all the other paranormal factors are much easier to wrap my mind around.

I think one of the main reasons it took so long for me to get into this book is the huge cast of characters. The foreign names, while authentic, make it even harder for me to keep track of everyone. And not only do you have to keep track of who everyone is, but you also have to remember how each person is related, and they’re almost all related in some way. But by around the middle of the book, I found I didn’t have to mentally run through each characters’ ancestry anymore. Plus, the large cast of characters makes all the plot twists intriguing and utterly unpredictable. And don’t worry, there are no shortage of plot twists in this story. Every time I’d finish a chapter, I’d tell myself, “All right, just one more,” and continue reading for another two hours.

And yes, as the book synopsis suggests, there is a love triangle, involving the handsome Prince Danilo and the tsar’s oddly cold and distant son, George Alexandrovich. But this isn’t your typical love triangle because Katerina’s choice is clear. The only thing is, you don’t realize which boy has stolen your heart until your already in love with him, which is kind of exactly how it happens with Katerina. And it’s magnificent! One of my new favorite love interests! Bonus point: the love triangle in this story doesn’t eclipse the plot at all, which leaves the reader feeling satisfied.

The ending battle scene feels oddly rushed, especially given the somewhat slow start of the book. But there are still a lot of loose ends and I’ll definitely be reading the second book in The Katerina Trilogy. While this book is a historical fiction piece, I think it will appeal more to paranormal lovers. But for those who enjoy historical fiction with a twist, I definitely recommend trying out The Gathering Storm. If you stick with it, it won’t disappoint. I mean, it’s probably worth it for the descriptions of the beautiful gowns and romantic balls alone.

Pages: 386
Publication Date: January 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Format: ARC
Rating : ★★★★☆

Teaser Quote: “You seem very surprised,” Queen Milena said with a laugh that sounded almost like a cackle. “I don’t suppose my dear sister ever mentioned me?”

“Only that your son is about to become a blood drinker. And that your daughters are powerful sorceresses.” I hesitated before adding, “I take it you were never close.”