NOTE: I received early access to this novel in exchange for writing an impartial review.

An absorbing and detailed historical novel about Russia's first Tsarina, Catherine I (not the Great) who took over after the death of her husband, Peter the Great. It's well-researched, deeply engaging, and a fascinating glimpse into the great divide between the peasant life into which Catherine was born and Peter's hedonistic and opulent court.

While little is known about Catherine's (born Marta) early years, Alpsten has done an admirable job of breathing life into her history by drawing on documentation of the life of serfs Russia in the late 1600s and early 1700s. Born poor but beautiful, Marta is not surprisingly treated as a commodity, abused by men with power or money or both. Happenstance places her in the orbit of a powerful man at the Tsar's court, which is how she eventually comes to the notice of the Tsar himself.

By contrast, Peter the Great's history is well-documented and Alpsten's portrayal is quite nuanced. While known to most of us as the great Westernizer of a backward country, Peter does NOT come off as a hero. He is single-minded, egotistical, impulsive, and brutally violent. But as it turns out, Marta's kindness, loyalty, and love seem to moderate Peter at times, which the author seems to suggest is responsible for both Marta's 20 year hold on the ruler and her rags-to-riches rise to the exalted position of Tsarina.

You will also meet the expected cast of supporting characters -- power-hungry boyars, women exchanging their beauty for financial security, a disappointing first-born heir, and clueless doctors administering poisonous treatments. There's also plenty of war, famine, and infidelity in this male dominated world. So, lots of drama.

My criticisms of the book are few. There are a few places where the narrative seems to jump awkwardly. And I was disappointed with the contrived device the author used to cover the entirety of Catherine's actual reign as Tsarina. But I learned a lot about a little-known woman who exercised great power at a time when most women were powerless. And I enjoyed nearly every minute of the read.

From the description of the plot it sounded interesting to me and was excited to read it since I haven't read much Russian history. I had to force myself to continue and all of the rape scenes were too much for me, I skipped over them for the most part. I also felt like it was very repetitive and just a slow boring read.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this eARC

I had never heard of Catherine I of Russia before this book, and talk about an incredible woman. Catherine was born Marta, a poor woman who chanced to meet Peter the Great during the Swedish/Russian war. She quickly won over his heart and became his consort, for better and for worse. And like most men in power, he became more and more tyrannical.

I found this history and story fascinating. There were a few little things that bugged me - like referring to stomachs as tummies, for example, but it was overall a great read. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my fair & honest review.

Free review copy. I had to quit this book at 25%. Normally scenes of sexual assault and rape I can handle but there were several of these scenes in the few pages I finished. I understand the time period and station of the main character often led to such brutality the scenes depicted were just too over the top.

Ellen Alpsren did a magnificent job of keeping this reader entranced throughput the entire book. I knew basically nothing about Russian history going in and I learned so much while reading this historical novel about Catherine. This is a must read for anyone interested in history and what women endured to try and survive in a “man’s world”. Definite page-turner. Thank you for my requested copy of an ARC and all opinions are my own.

Love this tale of a rags to riches queen! I could have done without tha sex scenes tho. Learned so much Russian history. Unbelievable this is based in facts.

The cover is eye catching and vibrant and hints of a violence inside its pages. What's not to draw you in with the promise of seeing a Tsarina's life, thorns and all!? This left me feeling sad. What a tragic life she lead with repeated abuse. This is repetitive and there are several parts that could have been glossed over so that the reader keeps flipping those pages. This was not captivating and that disheartens me because I absolutely love history. This lacked a steady pace and it needed more to keep you wanting to know how things turn out. I really don't have more to say. I think that this had tremendous promise. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this title.

Tsarina is one of those big, sweeping, epic novels that gobbles up a weekend and leaves you wanting more. After a slow start, the narrative really takes off when Peter the Great, Tsar of All Russia arrives: even prefigured in a portrait, he is a commanding and terrifying presence. Ellen Alpstein skillfully evokes Marta, the Lithuanian serf who, after much travail, becomes his consort, then wife, and Russia’s first empress to rule in her own right, Catherine I. Through smarts and no small measure of boudoir diplomacy, Marta rises, and her story is engrossing and exciting throughout. The author’s command of the period is assured and detailed. Minor characters are as well expressed as the protagonists. Tsarina is a love story, as lusty as the tsar himself, complicated by plots, lethal dynastic struggles, and the emergence of Mother Russia as a modern, Western state. Catherine Alekseyevna is an astonishing heroine, one the author calls “a woman who overcomes every obstacle, even if fate rages against her.” No less than Voltaire thought her story nearly as extraordinary as that of Peter himself.

Tsarina is one of those books that sold me on the premise alone. I find the histories of Peter and Catherine the Great fascinating, so I was intrigued by the life of the lesser known Catherine the I (better known as Marta for much of the book). And while I did find the history in the book good (as much as I can remember at least; I'd need to dig a lot deeper into my research to more accurately assess this), I was less satisfied with the story.

I should have known from the cover and a review blurb what I was getting myself into, as this supposedly "makes Game of Thrones look like a nursery rhyme." Never having seen the show, I'm aware of its violence. And Tsarina has that in spades (to be fair, life in Peter's Russia was not for the faint of heart). The cover reveals its other characteristic: bodice ripping galore. And not just consensual sex: Marta's early life is a repetitive onslaught of being raped/becoming someone's maid, being raped again/becoming someone else's maid and so on and so forth. And it's all very gratuitous. The author/editor/publisher could have cut the incest scene and really, I wouldn't have missed a thing.

What I found just as difficult to overcome was the repetition (of phrasing, of description, of events as noted above). Example: on one page the reader is told multiple times that someone had "slanting, green eyes." And we're beat over the head that Marta is quite possibly the most gorgeous woman these men have ever seen. I've seen her portraits. I've seen portraits of many a powerful man and woman in history. What they lack is classic Hollywood beauty. What am I even trying to say with this? I'm not sure, except that people can be powerful and captivating and whatnot without being reduced to their looks.

And so I found myself racing ahead to get to the end, and not in a good way. I just never connected to this one. I wanted more history, but got a soap opera. And I was never much into those.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for making this ARC available to review.

This book gave an interesting look at Russian history in an unsettled time. The writing was excellent and the characters well developed. It was difficult to always follow the story because of the jumps in time and numerous characters. I found it difficult to finish because towards the end it felt to heavy and tedious. I received a free copy from Netgalley for my honest review.

Tsarina is the story of Catherine the 1st, the 2nd wife of Peter the 1st.An intense story following Catherine, born Marta, from vry humble beginnings, being sold by her family, and eventually being noticed by Peter 1 to become his second wife. Life was not easy even then but, she become a leader in her own right at a time when it was very hard for women to do so. I confess to not knowing as much about Russian history as some, but, this book was wonderfully written, intense and kept me engaged. There are some troubling scenes some readers might not care for such as rape so I am just letting you know ahead of time.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC for review.

This is a book full of interesting tidbits about the life of a great empress. Well, not really. It is a book about the life up to the point of becoming a real empress. Alpsten's prose made me lean into it. Even the harsh parts of rape and violence.

The beginning of Catherine I's life is created. Alpsten mentions that in the beginning. Nothing is truly known about the washermaid of Russia until her appearance as the servant of a Russian noble. Then Peter becomes attracted to her. Much of their life is with her as his mistress/companion. Alpsten has drawn a character portrait of Catherine as dedicated to Peter as any wife up until certain events.

But Catherine is not free of flaws. I appreciated that Alpsten allowed us to see what might have been the true face of this immensely overlooked royal figure. Too many focus on the second Catherine--the one they called Great.

We see into the royal life through the eyes of a woman not born to royalty but determined to do her best in the position she finds herself in.

The book bounces back and forth between timelines so you do need to pay attention. I was eager to learn what happened after Peter died, but the story ended there. I was supremely disappointed as I wanted to know more about her as the ruling Empress of Russia. Perhaps Alpsten will pursue that part of this great woman's life.

All in all, I'd have to give this four stars. It did cause me to tell my husband to leave me in quiet because I was reading a very good book.

An excellent book at first I thought this was about Catherine the Great but was about Peter the Great’s wife. The detail surrounding him and the building of St. Petersburg was very interesting. The going back and forth between past and Marta’s present was a bit disjointed but I found the book on the whole fascinating.

I only made it through the first 15 chapters of this book. There were some inconsistencies in the story and some unnecessary details that made it difficult to focus on what could be a great sgory. In all honesty, I was reading an uncorrected ARC of this novel. I hope they issues are corrected before publishing. I may attempt to re-read this at a later date.

This was the description [part of it] I read prior to requesting: Before there was Catherine the Great, there was Catherine Alexeyevna: the first woman to rule Russia in her own right.... 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.... 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." {Perhaps "sensuous pleasures of a decadent aristocracy" should have sounded the warning.]

OK. I have loved reading about Imperial Russia since Nicholas and Alexandra [1967]. And, I'm a fan of historical fiction, BUT.

Plus, the original cover [which I've tried unsuccessfully to copy] was much more conducive to my reading this book than the one I later saw --basically two large breasts--yes, you can judge a book by a cover].

I so wanted historical fiction, not the bust or thrust--which was far too frequent--where was the history?! Too much of a soap opera. And too many moments where I just knew it would spiral downward.

What did I like? The instances where I learned something--e.g., the building of St Petersburg. The court intrigues and dramas. The descriptions of the palaces [I've been to Peterhof, the Amber Room, and the Catherine Palace.] The settings of Moscow and St, Petersburg. Not nearly enough,

This book was not at all what I expected--or wanted. If this is what you want--somewhat of a bodice ripper--go for it. I agonized over what to rate, 3? But then one might be inclined to read it. I'd say no. Much unrealized potential, So, 2.5, but not rounding up.

From where she ended up I would have never imagined what Catherine Alexeyevna, then Marta endured growing up. The story paints the harsh reality for a young, beautiful peasant woman in the time that is heartbreaking and horrifying. However in doing so I gained a respect and love for her that couldn't have been forged on an easier path. Still, the hardships piled on so heavy I feared she would surely break. One after the other, abuse, loss, hopelessness, and yet, she wasn't hopeless. There is a turning point in her thoughts that occurs when her path crosses with a Russian general who gives her a piece of advice that she takes to heart. While things are still not easy, there is change and the feel of the story also shifts as you are taken from poverty to another side of life in those times.

Catherine Alexeyevna's life is a story I wasn't aware of in a historical sense, so can't attest to any accuracies but judging it just as a story, it is gripping and will tug you through a range of emotions as you discovery the epic life of a woman who refused to be held down by her circumstances or beaten by the cruelty of the monsters that are men.

Highly recommended.

Please note this story doesn't shy away from abuse and might trigger more sensitive readers.

Tsarina tells of love, betrayal, and power through the life of Catherine Alexeyevna rising up through the ranks of Russia.

Catherine Alexeyevna who was born as Marta, grew up hardworking and a survivor in her small village in Russia, battling brutal winters and her harsh stepmother.

When she was 15 years old she was sold, but from there, she had to work hard to rise up through the tough situations that she had to deal with. But, with having to deal with people who wanted to bring her down throughout her life trying to bring her down, she became the stronger more powerful one to dominate and fight her way through her enemies.

I gave Tsarina three stars. I loved the historical fiction aspect of this story and really enjoyed learning more about Russia’s reign and about Catherine Alexeyevna and the way there was the detail of the way Catherine grew up and became successful in her own way.

There are definite graphic scenes that I did not realize until reading this but while I took into account that there would most likely be scenes in the book, I definitely was not expecting it.

Some things that I liked were the way Catherine was independent. She grew up needing to do things on her own most of the time and was treated differently because she was born through an affair. The men she met most likely treated her poorly so she had to deal with many things on her own. She was very strong and powerful and for most parts didn’t let the men that she met get in the way of her hard work.

While I do not know a lot about Russia’s history, I did enjoy learning about the Tsar Peter and the way he was dominant and fought battles and did not take anything from anyone. He was a cruel man who did things his own way and had no toleration for people who disagreed with him.

The way Catherine’s 12 pregnancies were written out and the rise and fail of when Catherine and Peter were Tsar and Tsarina was filled with drama and betrayal that it definitely made me more interested.

But with Tsarina I found that it didn’t captivate me as much as I would have liked. It seemed as if it dragged on a little too long even though it was about Catherine’s life. I felt like it wasn’t pulling me into the story as much and even though I enjoyed the historical context very much, I felt disconnected from the rest of the story.

I still enjoyed most of it though and loved the way Catherine rose up to the ranks to become successful and powerful.

Please do be aware of graphic scenes in the book.

Thank you again to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love historical fiction, but don’t know much about Russia’s history or leaders. This book was absolutely amazing. I am not sure how true any of the life events were, but it didn’t matter because I could not put this book down. The multiple traumas endured by Marta seemed never ending and her resiliency was astounding. I don’t know if I would have the strength to go on after just one of the horrible events she suffered and although her tragedy seemed to continue, she never gave up. From a washer maid to Tsarina, Empress of Russia. My only regret is not having read this sooner.

“In a few hours I might be either dead, or wishing I was dead, or I’d be the most powerful woman in all the Russias.”

The particulars of history are often lost to time, but thankfully we have authors like Ellen Alpsten, who come along centuries later and make the past new again. Tsarina is the story of Marta Skowronska, a young peasant who grew up in the Baltics in the late 1600s. But you may know her by another name: Catherine I, the second wife of Peter I and the first woman to rule Russia in her own right.

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

“My beloved husband, the mighty tsar of all the Russias, has died—and just in time.” And so the story begins in the hours following Peter the Great’s death, and the question of succession hangs in the air like rainclouds. But before we learn the fate of the empire, we’re taken back to the Spring of 1699 when Catherine was simply Marta—a beauty born to a washerwoman out of wedlock, and accustomed to a life of hard labor.

If there’s one salient theme in Marta’s life, it’s that beauty is both a blessing and a curse. While bathing in the local stream with her sister, she catches the eye of a greedy German merchant, Vassily, and she's suddenly ripped from the only life she's ever known. He buys her from her family, and she goes to live as a maid at his large estate. Vassily rapes Marta repeatedly, until one night she kills him and runs away. [Warning: This book contains graphic descriptions of sexual assault.] Still, Marta constantly finds herself at the whims of men.

“I saw understanding in Sheremetev’s eyes. ‘Being born as a girl is a punishment.’”

​After fleeing to a faraway village, penniless and alone, she’s taken in by a family and given a position as a maid. Their handsome son seduces Marta with promises of marriage, impregnates her, and then betrays her by leaving and getting engaged to a woman with higher status. Marta marries a soldier, but he soon dies in the seemingly perpetual war that plagues surrounds them.

Marta’s life is upended once again when she is violently assaulted in the war-ravaged streets, and a Russian general intervenes and brings her back to the army camp. She’s claimed as a spoil of war by Menshekov, the tsar’s own right-hand man, and becomes a maid within this elite inner circle. Marta’s life and body are not her own, but rather treated as possessions to be claimed and bartered by men.

.“See your power over men like a hand of cards; play them, to trump your life.”

Marta decides to take advantage of her new position among Russia's most powerful and wealthy, and starts forging strategic friendships. It’s not long before she catches the eye of the Peter himself, and becomes the most beloved mistress of the Tsar of all Russias.

Over the course of two decades, we see Marta’s gradual transformation into Catherine—these decades are filled with war, heartbreak, and death, punctuated by brief glimpses of love and light in between. I thought Alpsten painted a portrait of Catherine as a deeply empathetic, kind, and down-to-earth character. I’ve read other historical fiction novels that center around royal courts, and the ambition and scandal that powers them. Catherine stood out to me as a character because she never aspired to rule a kingdom, only to survive. Marta was content with a roof over her head, food in her belly, and a life of labor—she stumbled upon her life, upon Catherine’s life, by chance.
​
I think this is precisely why Peter—who is generally rash and fickle—loves her and keeps her by his side until his death. Even though she was a born a peasant and is mocked throughout European courts for it, Peter defends her position and makes her his wife. She in turn brings out his better nature and shields those closest to him from his bouts of anger.

“I am only a human being when you are with me. If you ever leave, or forsake me, I am but an animal.”

But her new life is far from perfect. Peter’s eyes roam and he contracts syphilis from one of the dozens of women he sleeps with. Catherine also gives birth to 12 children, but most of them die young. None of their sons, which Peter so desperately wants, survives. After so much loss, Catherine learns to keep herself closed off. “Peter mourned with me, but I knew that in his heart of hearts he was relieved that it was but a daughter that we buried,” she laments.

When Alexey, Peter’s son from his first marriage, betrays him, Catherine witnesses a cruel streak in Peter she’s never seen before. She’s disgusted by his brutality and a piece of her heart retreats from him forever. But the long years in Peter’s company have also made Catherine more cunning, and we see her go to extreme lengths to protect her legacy as well.

Despite the mistakes, betrayals, and cruelties lying between them, Catherine is at Peter’s side until the very end, with declarations of love on their lips. We see a glimpse of the Peter that Catherine loved—not the one who was vilified by history books, but a vulnerable, lonely ruler who wants to be loved.

I finished this book with a heavy heart, but in that sense I think the author succeeded in telling Catherine’s story. Ultimately, Alpsten wove a vivid and heart-wrenching tale of what it meant to be a woman in Peter’s Russia—of being forced to submit your life to forces beyond your control, and then rising up and to take control.

“Can one love such a despot? No. But a man, who also happens to be the tsar? The tsarina had made her choice.”

I just watched Hulu's THE GREAT and this is such an interesting historical work to accompany the show. While the show plays fast and loose with history by satire, this book is a must read for those who wish to learn the truth about the first Catherine of Russia.