Daughters of a Dead Empire

This fresh, thrilling take on Anastasia establishes that O'Neil is a debut author to watch. --Buzzfeed

From debut author Carolyn Tara O'Neil comes a thrilling alternate history set during the Russian Revolution.

Russia, 1918: With the execution of Tsar Nicholas, the empire crumbles and Russia is on the edge of civil war--the poor are devouring the rich. Anna, a bourgeois girl, narrowly escaped the massacre of her entire family in Yekaterinburg. Desperate to get away from the Bolsheviks, she offers a peasant girl a diamond to take her as far south as possible--not realizing that the girl is a communist herself. With her brother in desperate need of a doctor, Evgenia accepts Anna's offer and suddenly finds herself on the wrong side of the war.

Anna is being hunted by the Bolsheviks, and now--regardless of her loyalties--Evgenia is too.

Daughters of a Dead Empire is a harrowing historical thriller about dangerous ideals, inequality, and the price we pay for change. An imaginative retelling of the Anastasia story.

A Junior Library Guild Selection




Genre: Young Adult Fiction

"A poignant and well-researched historical fiction about two incredible young women and the lengths they will go to save themselves and those they love." - June Hur

"Carolyn Tara O'Neil's Daughters of a Dead Empire highlights the chaos of a muddled war with heartbreaking accuracy. I didn't want it to end!" - Amber Lough

"Tightly plotted and compulsive, Daughters of a Dead Empire is simultaneously a heart-racing thrill ride across the landscape of revolutionary Russia and a tender, timely reflection on the reconciling power of friendship." - Amanda McCrina

"An amazing adventure in history, politics, and empathy." - J Albert Mann

"A page-turning tale of loss, redemption and deep friendship, as two young women learn to move past the prejudices they've grown up with. A heartfelt book that makes you believe in the power of friendship over conflict." - Shamim Sarif

"You might know the history, but do you know the heart that beats beneath? Carolyn Tara O'Neil reinvents revolutionary Russia with a broad brush for atmosphere and a fine pen for detail. Daughters of a Dead Empire spins the tale of two fierce young women facing down history in an emotional reimagining of one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century. Start to finish, I was hooked--a remarkable feat for story inspired by well-known facts." - Sherri L Smith