Tsarina
1725, St. Petersburg and Peter the Great is at the Winter Palace about to die. What follows is a story about his second wife, Catherine I. You could certainly call this a "rags to riches" story, but this is no fairy tale novel.
Marta, born out of wedlock, was a peasant and as such lived in a hut with her father, stepmother and half siblings in devastating poverty. Sold by her family at the age of 15, she goes into servitude. Although illiterate, Marta is by no means unintelligent, she is quite the opposite, cunning, smart, shrewd and passionate are just some of the adjectives that describe her personality..her beauty speaks for itself. Yet many things are expected of a servant girl and not the least was how her master exacted his lust fulfilled, taking what he wanted, leaving her humiliated and frightened. Until, until one night Marta fights back for her life, leaving him dead and bloodied. With that her journey begins.

We see the world of 18th century Russia through the eyes of Catherine I. It is a world of filth, violence and crude living. It is a world where there is a country divided in half....the serfs/peasant who live from hand-to-mouth or even less at times, to the building of St. Petersburg, Moscow and the Russian court infused with a lack of morals, jewels and abject cruelty.

I have read about Russia before in other novels, about the Romanovs, Nicholas and Alexandra, et al. For me this book did not exactly hold my interest, unfortunately. While this is the first effort by this author and was translated from its original language, I would hope her next endeavor is more successful. Truthfully, if you like lust, violence and sex, don't hesitate to read this.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley and St. Martin's Press.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

A fascinating fantasy read about Catherine the first of Russia. How a peasant girl who grew up to become the second wife of Peter the Great. At a time of violence and cruelness in the streets, how she survived and became tsarina.

How in the end she might be responsible for her husband death and affected the course of Russia’s royal history. As he husband lay dying, she ignored his wish to see someone who might have been made the next heir instead.