Tsarina's Daughter by Ellen Alpsten tells the story of Elizabeth Petrovna' early life and ascension to the throne of Russia in the 18th Century. Layer known as Elizabeth of Russia, she was the daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine I, and she reigned as Empress for over 20 years until her death.

The first chapters of Tsarina's Daughter were not what I expected. To me, the start of the book read more as a YA Fantasy set in imperial Russia than the historical fiction I was prepared for. There is an early encounter with a magical creature that gives Elizabeth and her sister a prophecy that utterly confused me.

Even after the narrative crossed over to more traditional historical fiction waters, I felt like I wasn't the right audience for this book. The tone was perhaps too young for my liking. I was hoping for more political intrigue and cunning. The pacing of the book also felt off to me. For instance, although the book opens with Elizabeth's coup (and then jumps back to her childhood), there is almost no build up to it, and it appears to take place spontaneously without any planning. On th other hand, I felt the first part of the book was spent on hashing out childhood dreams without much of substance happening.

Perhaps my biggest critique of the book is that the character of Elizabeth felt flat. I didn't feel like there was any character development. The Elizabeth that began the book in her teenage years sounded the same as the Elizabeth at 32.
Overall, very few things indicated the passage of time in terms of her personality, views, or growth.

Actually, there were very few allusions of time passing as a whole. The novel spans 18 years (if I recall correctly), and I think there are only 4 direct references to time lapsed throughout the novel. At one point Elizabeth remarks it has been ten years since an event happened, and I was completely taken aback- I had the impression that it had perhaps been three to five years.

Unfortunately this wasn't the book for me. I still appreciate all the research that went into writing this book, as well as the author's note explaining the difference between the historical record and the novel. Overall, Elizabeth Petrovna's story is fascinating, and I'm glad Ellen Alpsten took the time to write from her point of view.

The Tsarina's Daughter by Ellen Alpsten is epic. I was unaware of so many details of Peter The Great and Tsarina Catherine the Great. The excesses of the Romanov court were amazing and the disregard to the common people unimaginable. The story was full of heartbreak, perseverance, vibrant imagery, cruelty, and history. I could picture the icons described in the book and so many details. Tsarina Elizabeth had a gilded cage for most of her life, and lived with vipers. It was amazing that she survived and endured so much with her upbringing. The author excelled at her descriptions in this 17 hour plus audiobook. I really enjoyed how the author wove history with fiction in this biographical listen. Thank you #NetGalley and #Macmillan Audio for granting me the opportunity to listen to this book. Anna Krippa did an excellent job performing this book. Her pronunciation of the many Russian words and names was wonderful. She also gave the appropriate emotions to her voice.

A amazing glimpse into the Russian court life during the end of Tzar Peter the Great. The story is about his daughter Elizabeth and the highs and lows of being a Russian princess. There is a large cast of characters and when I saw the list, I almost decided not to read the book. So I skipped it and drove into the story. One is carried away by the descriptions of grandeur and hardships of the common people and serfs. Some descriptions will be a flashback to the movie Dr. Zhivago. I know different time period, but the winter scenes. I read and listened to the audiobook, the narrator was fantastic, but the book help me keep the characters straight. I have read the first in the series and this book definitely can be a standalone. This is a wonderful story that will transport you to a different time period.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheTsarinasDaughter #MacmillanAudio

I really enjoyed this book. After reading Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten, I was really excited to get my hands on this one, and I wasn't disappointed! The beginning recaps the end of Tsarina, but I would recommend reading Tsarina before starting this one.

I loved the way this story unfolded, and I found myself completely swept away. I alternated between the audio and the physical copy, and I'm glad. The audio was done really well. The narrator did a great job and helped me get through the Russian names that I struggled with at the beginning. This story is filled with adventure and intrigue and is a great one for historical fiction fans!

It sounds like this will be a trilogy which is really exciting! Can't wait!