Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten

Wow! This was a thicky-thick book, but it was an awesome story! It was packed with wonderful research turned into a beautiful historical fiction book!

Tsarina is a historical fiction story about Catherine I of Russia. The intrigue in this story is everything you can possibly want it to be! I did not know anything about Catherine until I read this book, and I was wholly engrossed in the story!

It was a dark, beautifully written book with descriptions that made me feel like I was right there. Catherine was an incredible, smart, amazing woman and I really enjoyed reading about her! I thought that the author did a wonderful job bringing Catherine and her story to life!

To Read or Not To Read:

I would recommend Tsarina to readers that enjoy historical fiction with excellent research and beautiful writing!

Where to Find This Book:

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten is available at these sites.

Amazon ~ Goodreads

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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.”

Just the Facts:

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten
Genre: Historical Fiction
Page Count: 496 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pub Date: November 10, 2020