❝Good-bye, my moonsong and my breath, my white nights and golden days, my fresh water and my fire. Good-bye, and may you find a better life, find comfort again and your breathless smile, and when your beloved face lights up once more at the Western sunrise, be sure what I felt for you was not in vain. Good-bye, and have faith, my Tatiana.❞I have no words to express my feelings towards this book. All I know with utmost confidence is that I might have just read my FAVORITE book of all time. I think I've also taken binge reading to a whole new level because I literally just finished an 800+ page book within a span of a day. I kid you not. This book devoured me and haunted me even in my sleep for 24 straight hours. I gave up life and food because I couldn't put this book down. Even now I'm still reeling and withdrawaling from everything I just read.Our two main characters Alexander and Tatiana are the epitome of tragedy. Their whole story from beginning to end was just heart-wrenching. They are the perfect example of lovers who met and loved at the wrong time, especially when the beginning of their love story was also the beginning of the Second World War.Since the very beginning and for most of the story, Alexander and Tatiana's relationship (or lack thereof) was put in a very complicated position. You just can't help but root for them anyways no matter how bad things may likely turn out in the end. The lengths that they went to just to bury their feelings for each other was absolutely dreadful. The chemistry and the tension between Alexander and Tatiana was just so thick that it pained even me for them to be apart. When they do finally get together, it feels like absolute euphoria just knowing you were waiting hundreds of pages for this moment to finally happen. And I must say, those hundreds of pages were definitely worth the wait because I completely adore the both of them. They weren't exactly sunshine and rainbows every step of the way, and their fighting got irritating because basic communication proved to be such a struggle for these two, but nonetheless I loved them anyways. Their love was undying and sacrificed so much for even just a quick glance or the brush of a hand. Even at the brink of death, even in the end, Alexander and Tatiana just lived and breathed love for one another.As individuals, Alexander and Tatiana had their own flaws. Tatiana was very naive in the beginning but war and loss sculpted her into a strong, kind young woman. These qualities were also her weakness because it led people, especially her family, to often take advantage of her generosity and kindness. She was the ultimate pushover and I really wanted to shake some sense into herself at times. A lot of times. She was also stubborn to no end and often put herself (and Alexander) in difficult situations. But I admire Tatiana's endurance and perseverance for overcoming the war and the sacrifices she had to make for herself and for her family.Alexander was a bit more complicated to understand. I could tell without a doubt that he loved Tatiana more than life itself. He spoke of love not with words but through his actions. Sometimes I think he may have even loved her a little too much. One of the things I worry about in regards to his character though was his temper. He became very temperamental as the story progressed and I did feel as if his anger got the best of him. The characters he lashed out to did become a bit testy but sometimes he got a bit too carried away with his rage. Though I feel a bit guilty about saying this, I must admit that I won't be surprised if abuse becomes an issue with Alexander in the later books. Pushes and shoves can easily turn into slaps and punches. I'm hoping it won't happen since I absolutely love Alexander aside from his many flaws, but it won't come as a shock if it does happen.Aside from the romance, I really enjoyed reading World War 2 in the Soviet Union's perspective rather than America's or even Germany's. I've read a few historical fiction novels that were set during the Second World War but I've never read one that was centered in the Soviet Union. We all know that many countries lost a lot of lives in the war but just reading about what the people went through really hurts my heart. I can't even imagine being starved to death like many of those civilians did. I couldn't even eat a proper meal while reading this book because these characters were only given scraps for food. I haven't read a book like The Bronze Horseman that's actually affected me this way emotionally.This book is absolutely huge. It's definitely the longest book I've read and I've successfully read it within a day. Though the length of this book could be debatable, I really think it plays a huge role in the book itself. We, as readers, are living through this war with the characters. We are growing and suffering with each and every one of them. I don't think this book would've affected me as much if it was any shorter. There were parts that felt repetitive and possibly could've been omitted but I wouldn't change this book for the world. It's not the greatest piece of literature out there in the world, nor is it the greatest love story every told but it comes pretty close to me.I've heard about The Bronze Horseman a few months ago but I never really gave it a second thought because I don't normally read historical fiction novels. What a mistake that was. I sincerely regret not picking this book up sooner because I can honestly say that The Bronze Horseman has topped every book I've ever read so far in my life. I always thought that The Night Circus, a fantasy novel, would always be my favorite book of all time. I didn't doubt it because after several years and after hundreds of books, no book has ever replaced The Night Circus as my all time favorite. Until today. On top of that, fantasy has been my preferred genre of books to read. This might have even been my first historical fiction book I've read all year and we're already halfway done with 2016! I was never really planning to read this book or any historical fiction novel any time soon. I just spontaneously decided to read a war romance and stumbled upon The Bronze Horseman even when I was already reading two other books. But that dropping everything for this book was one of the greatest reading decisions I've ever made in my life. I can't even fathom how this book has impacted and affected me so greatly. I'm almost too afraid to read the next two books for fear that they won't live up to the the greatness of The Bronze Horseman. But after that ending, after all that suffering, there has to be a happy ever after in store for these two untimely lovers. I refuse to believe that this is the end for Alexander and Tatiana.