Tsarina

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Emma Alpsten
Historical Fiction
496 pages
Published November 10, 2020 by St. Martin's Press

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.

My thoughts:

The Romanov family never disappoints. Alpsten tackles the enigma of Catherine I, Peter the Great's second wife. Catherine, or Marta as she was originally named, is a prime example of a rags to riches story. Her actions paved the way for women to legally rule in Russia in their own right. Alpsten does a very good job at weaving together a story of a historical character with minimal historical records. The book is captivating as it expounds upon the lifestyles of two very different groups of people. It also provides a great amount of depth to the personality of Peter the Great. Well worth the read.

I received an advanced copy of this title via NetGalley.