Tsarina is the fascinating story of Catherine I of Russia. From dirt poor beginnings as a servant, she rose to power to become the first female empress to rule Russia. This is a journey into the darker side of history and I loved it!

Pros:
Catherine Alexeyevna. Okay, I know, it is her book. However, to come from nothing and do what she was doing in this story. Kind of had to make her a pro.
It has a “better than fiction” feel to it. This sounds odd, but it’s historical fiction based on somewhat real events so having this feel to it, actually makes sense.

Cons:
Some portions of the story feel drawn out. Like the author was not sure at what point they wanted this story to exist until.
The interesting decision to focus on sexual content. Now, any historian worth their snuff knows about Catherine’s sexual prowls; however, it just felt out of place in this story to focus on it during everything else going on.

Overall: Outside of the unnecessary level of sexual content and strange length, this was an interesting take on Catherine’s rise.

This is a beautifully written novel. It is full of intrigue, love, and loss. Once I started reading, I couldn't pull myself away!

Absolutely incredible. I've rarely seen an author describes characters (in this case, real historical figures) with so much nuance. Little details were doled out throughout the book, giving you a sense of each character's personality without hammering you over the head with it. I didn't want to put this book down; there were so many plots and twists and turns!

My students have heard much about the various Russian tsars and have always asked for more stories about women in power. Now I finally have a book that can hook them and educate them at the same time!

This book was hard. It felt like if bad things could happen, they did. I think the setting and time period are fantastic, but it was a tough, tough story.

Intrigue. Sex. Power.

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten has all , one will expect when reading a story about Catherine I .

Manipulation, intrigue , power hungry , envy , passion, sabotage , romance, love , opulence , politics, lots of sex , glamour all it's there and so much more.

She who was from humble beginnings became Tsarina Catherine I of Imperial Russia. The first woman to rule Imperial Russia, opening the legal path for a century almost entirely dominated by women.

I wish a big streaming service like Netflix take notice and make this book into a limited time series.

I just reviewed Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten. #NetGalley

This book is about the first female ruler of Russia-Tsarina Catherine 1. It tells about her rise from humble beginnings in serfdom to tsarina. It is a pretty interesting read with a lot of historical details of the time period with caveat in the back about historical licensing taken. Little has been written about her before this book that I have been aware of in fiction. She was married to Peter the great as his second wife after he sent his first wife to a monestary with a shaved head. As many might know, Peter the great was not a nice man and the book goes into detail how she managed him.
#netgalley #stmartinspress #ellenalsten

I have been looking for a book about the Russian family for a long time. When Tsarina arrived on my doorstep, I was so excited! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Anna Krippa, was fantastic. I am so glad I was able to hear the pronunciations for all these names and places.

Tsarina follows Catherine I from her teens as a servant, through meeting Peter the Great, their marriage, having 12 of his children, and her death at the age of 43. Let me say that no one in this book is a decent person. Peter the Great, Catherine, and Peter's son, Alexei Petrovich, were all horrible people. They murdered, raped, stole, tortured, and manipulated everyone around them.
Tsarina reminds me of a real life Game of Thrones, no magic or fantasy needed.

Ellen Alpsten's writing immerses you in Russia during the turn of the 18th century. There are times where you want to root for Catherine and then she does something awful and you remember how terrible they all are. Catherine is more intelligent than she gives herself credit for. Tsarina is exactly the type of historical fiction that I love. I read it faster than I should have in order to take everything in. I'm already looking forward to a re-read.

This took a little long to read. The historical setting was interesting as well as the characters, but it was not one of those books I was able to be engrossed in. I am not sure what precisely is missing. Maybe it is certain spark in characters? Or something else that's outstanding? It was well written, but nothing specifically spoke to me.

I have been reading a lot of historical fiction lately so was very interested in reading this book about Catherine the Great since I haven't read much about Russian history. I felt the story itself was very good and help your interest. But I had a hard time getting through the book. It seemed to drag on forever. I kept going because I wanted to find out what happened next but at times it was difficult to force myself to keep reading. There is some blood and gore and absolute cruelty so beware of that. And some explicit sex. Again beware. But I feel these elements were necessary to portray the lifestyle of the elite at that time in history. My biggest complaint is that at a number of places throughout the book, there seemed to be random sentences thrown in that didn't seem to fit the context of that part of the story.

This was a book that I was looking forward to all year. I was pitched it way back in March or April I think and I had it circled on my calendar for my fall reading. I don’t know that I loved the cover art but I thought the story sounded great.

I don’t know much about the Russian monarchy but because I don’t know much about it, I always find books about Russian monarchs fascinating. Like many readers, whenever I think of Russian historical fiction I always think of the Romanovs but this book is not that which was just one more reason why it appealed to me—-something different.

When it was time to start reading this one, I was thrilled and couldn’t wait to sit down and get lost for a few days into a new world of courtiers and politics of the Russian monarchy.

Summary
St. Petersburg, 1725. Peter the Great lies dying in his magnificent Winter Palace. The weakness and treachery of his only son has driven his father to an appalling act of cruelty and left the empire without an heir. Russia risks falling into chaos. Into the void steps the woman who has been by his side for decades: his second wife, Catherine Alexeyevna, as ambitious, ruthless and passionate as Peter himself.

Born into devastating poverty, Catherine used her extraordinary beauty and shrewd intelligence to ingratiate herself with Peter’s powerful generals, finally seducing the Tsar himself. But even amongst the splendor and opulence of her new life—the lavish feasts, glittering jewels, and candle-lit hours in Peter’s bedchamber—she knows the peril of her position. Peter’s attentions are fickle and his rages powerful; his first wife is condemned to a prison cell, her lover impaled alive in Red Square. And now Catherine faces the ultimate test: can she keep the Tsar’s death a secret as she plays a lethal game to destroy her enemies and take the Crown for herself?

From the sensuous pleasures of a decadent aristocracy, to the incense-filled rites of the Orthodox Church and the terror of Peter’s torture chambers, the intoxicating and dangerous world of Imperial Russia is brought to vivid life. Tsarina is the story of one remarkable woman whose bid for power would transform the Russian Empire.” (summary from Goodreads)

Review
So, I don’t know that this was exactly what I was expecting it to be. I think I was expecting more history and less sex. Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to some graphic lustiness but I was just not expecting it in this one. I was expecting something like a Russian version of a Phillipa Gregory novel and while I did get some of those vibes, there was definitely a lot of sex and rape to this one that I wasn’t expecting.

I was expecting a lot more history than I got in this one. I could almost have accepted the limited history but the flat characters just did nothing for me. I never really felt a connection to any of the characters in this one and I thought it would have been nice to have more about Catherine’s reign included in this novel. This was mostly focused on her early time at court rather than her reign and I wish we had more of a balance and I think it could have made Catherine more exciting and developed rather than falling back on the sexual elements in this one.

The first half of the book went really quickly for me but then somewhere between 50 and 60% through, I started to feel like it didn’t flow as well and I struggled to continue. I don’t know if it was just over the court life by that time or just not connected to the characters but something about midway through just stalled for me.

While I didn’t feel that this book was a ‘waste of time’ and I didn’t think it was ‘bad’ I just don’t think that it was for me. I know that plenty of people loved it but I think that having it marketed as a historical fiction about the monarchy down played the amount of sex and rape in this one and I think as a result some readers might feel like it was misrepresented.

Overall I think this one was ok but just not for me. I know that plenty of people enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the first half, but somewhere along the way it lost my attention. I am so bummed because I have been looking forward to it for months and wanted to love it more than I did, but sadly I had to go with a 2 star (ok) rating for this one.

Book Info and Rating
Hardcover, 496 pages

Expected publication: November 10th 2020 by St. Martin’s Press

ISBN1250214432 (ISBN13: 9781250214430)

Free review copy provided by publisher, St Martin’s Press, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 2 stars

Genre: historical fiction, romance

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy for review.

I really enjoyed this book. Normally when one thinks of the Romanovs, you immediately think of Nicholas II, so I enjoyed getting to see the rise of the Romanov line. This follows Marta from a poor serf, to her rise to become Catherine, the first Empress of Russia. (I'm going to just use Catherine for this review). Catherine gets sold to a man named Vasiliy at a relatively young age. Her family is poor, and she insulted the man somehow. She lives and works there for a bit, but Vasiliy is incredibly abusive. Catherine kills him and flees to Marienburg. She almost gets sold into prostitution, but ends up finding a safe haven with a local pastor's family. From there, without giving spoilers, due to the war between Sweden and Russia ever expanding, she gets captured and becomes a washer maid in the Russian army camp. Catherine eventually catches the eye of Peter and slowly becomes an indispensable influence on him.

This book was obviously very well researched, and I don't believe the author took too many liberties with the story. Honestly, Catherine led such a slightly crazy life you don't have to embellish much. She goes from a poor serf, or "soul", to a very strong willed, determined, and at times ruthless leader of Russia. She is strong enough to temper most of Peter's extreme mood swings, thereby gaining the respect of many of Peter's companions. It is slow paced at times, but given the incessant war there is also plenty of action. I really enjoyed the format as well. We start at the end, and her life is told in flashback. The author does a very good job of balancing the reader's emotional response to Catherine's life as well as showing the excess and ruthlessness of the Russian elite. There are many times where you feel bad for her and then almost recoil from the cruelty they show the masses of their people. This book definitely left me with a desire to read more about Catherine and Peter.

Before reading this novel, I did not know very much of Russia’s history. I learned quite a bit by reading this story and I appreciate the research that went into the work. The writing was very atmospheric and descriptive, and I felt present in so many of the scenes.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'm not one for providing trigger warnings, but please don't read this book if you're sensitive to abuse, rape or animal cruelty.

Tsarina tells the story of Marta (later Catharina), who would become the first Tsarina of all the Russias. Starting off during her childhood as a serf, Marta manages to grow through the ranks to eventually become the lover and wife of Tsar Peter I. Upon his deathbed, she convinces him to sign over the empire to her, making this a story of enormous personal growth.

However, as you can probably tell based on my rating, I didn't enjoy this book at all. The language and many of the occurences were incredibly crude. And, of course, I know that it is part of the time and the history, but the way it was described just made me extremely uncomfortable. I strongly contemplated DNF'ing at 43%, but still wanted to know what would happen, so I pulled through. I wish I hadn't, to be honest. Nothing surprising happened anymore. This book was most certainly not for me.

ARC provided by publisher & Netgalley in exchange for honest review.

This book is not for the faint of heart. Many controversial topics: torture, graphic sex scenes, rape, abuse, alcoholism/drug use, oppression, war, slavery, the list goes on and on. Much of this is described in shocking detail.

The 1700s were filled with people who were ruthless, uninhibited, and had a willingness to betray others for their own betterment. Peter the great was no exception. This appears to be very well researched and is very interesting to say the least.

This book centers around “Tsar of all the Russias” Peter the Great, the wars he fought, the women he loved/closest companions, the family hierarchy, and his visions for building and ruling a thriving Russia.

This was such an epic tail about the Tsarina of Russia during the time of Peter the Great. I felt the novel mirrored Game of Thrones in its tale of backstabbing betray, passion, murder and deceit. Definitely a page-turner!

This is the story of how Catherine the Great came to be. An interesting story set in the times in Russia when it is battling with Sweden and other countries. The marriage agreements and the mistress agreements get entangled in this story. How Catherine meets Peter and grows with each promise of an heir...

Though it took me a while to read this book, it wasn't bc of the book itself. It's bc I would come across something or someone that I wanted to know more about, so I would quit reading and look that thing or person I wanted to know more about and usually that would lead me somewhere else.😊

This was an epic book to me and in my opinion one of the best I have read this year. Marta is just a slave girl in Germany when a nobleman comes upon her. This changes her life immensely. She will one day be known as Catherine I of Russia.

There is murder, love, heartache, adultery, wars and loss in this book. So, this is Historical Fiction it read to me as just history. Alpsten researched this book well and you can tell that by reading it.

Alpsten wrote in away that made me feel as though I was right there living Marta/Catherine's life. It was not an easy one. In away she was never had a true home. She lived by Peter I's whims. She never really knew what one day from the other would bring.

I recommend this book, if you love historical fiction. Just don't be like me and look everything up, or it may take you a week to read😊

Thanks to Netgalley for the Kindle version of this book.

"Tsarina" by Ellen Alpsten is the story of Catherine's rise from lowly peasant girl to one of the most powerful women in the world. Though this book starts out slow, it soon picks up speed as we follow Catherine's journey from extreme poverty to a life of wealth and power as wife to Tsar Peter the Great. Catherine's story is not always easy to read and she endures much hardship and horrors. This book is not for those who are sensitive to detailed scenes of sexual assault and violence.

This is a very detailed read and the author does am amazing job at humanizing historical figures that most of us have only read about in dry history books. The author's use of language brings Catherine and Peter to life, along with all of their flaws, triumphs, and failures. Though I found neither main character at all likable, I was still very intrigued by their stories, even more so because they are based on real events. Every time Catherine was forced to make a difficult decision, I found myself wondering if I would have made the same choice in order to survive.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this fabulous novel in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading more of Ellen Alpsten!

Tsarina opens with the death scene of Peter the Great in the Winter Palace in 1725. Catherine, his second wife, secures his last will before anyone else is able to see it. This is the opening chapter. The reader wonders what will happen. The author, Ellen Alpsten, takes us back in time to the story of a young girl named Marta and traces her life from poverty to the vast riches of becoming Catherine I, the Tsarina.

The first half of this book was exhausting for me emotionally. This young girl survived rape (warning explicit scenes), hunger, extreme cold, beatings,...Marta also found comfort some of the time. She found comfort when taken in by Pastor Gluck’s family and later by Daria. I felt Aspen did a good job in describing the surroundings and what it must have been like for many people during this time. She made me cry, get angry, and also laugh at times while reading about Marta’s journey. I liked the first half much better than the second half when Marta becomes Catherine as she is constantly pregnant…and I felt a little repetitive. I will be thinking about this book for a long time. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC. This is my honest review.