<em>I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</em>

Out of the two Romanov books I read this year—the other being I Was Anastasia—The Romanov
Empress was my personal favorite. I never gave any thought to the mother of Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, also known as Minnie. This book was clearly extremely well researched and I learned so much from it, despite it being historical fiction. I enjoyed this atypical princess story, but got a little frustrated with Minnie’s character at times. Regardless, it was clear that this Tsarina was a strong woman and I enjoyed watching her growth as a character and her opinions on the catastrophes that repeatedly befell the Romanov family over the years.


I wasn’t in the mood for a historical fiction novel when I picked up this book, but I got hooked on it right away. I was unable to put the novel down and would certainly read more of the author’s novels in the future. Even though most readers will likely know about the tragedies leading to taking down the Romanov dynasty, the novel is not depressing. I felt almost as if I were a member of the royal family when reading this novel, so absorbed was I in their dazzling world of palaces and Fabergé eggs.


I loved main character Minnie from the moment she was introduced as a young girl—known as Princess Dagmar of Denmark—watching her older sister, Alix, marry the Prince of Wales. Minnie was fiery and precocious and even had no problems denying Queen Victoria what she wanted. Minnie and her sister were not typical princesses, growing up poor, sewing their own clothes, and cleaning their own house. Minnie was not happy at her family’s rise to the royal family of Denmark due to the death of a family member, and was even less pleased that it means her sister and her will be separated. She was loathe to marry the Tsarevitch of Russia, Nix, but fell hopelessly in love with him and agreed to marry him. Tragically, Nix died before the two could wed. On his deathbed, Nix made Minnie and his brother—known to the family as Sasha—promise to wed, ensuring she would still become the empress of Russia one day.


This was only the first of many tragedies to befall the Romanov family, and Minne would indeed outlive not only her first fiancé, but also her father-in-law, new husband and four of her six children through her own common sense and tenacity. Throughout her life, Minnie became a nurse, advisor, mother, grandmother, and patron of the Red Cross. It was clear that if her son, Tsar Nicholas II had listened to his mother’s advice, instead of practically banishing her due to the wishes of his unpopular and incapable wife Alexandra, that things would have turned out differently for the family. Despite Minne’s fall from grace with her son and the revolution of their people, she managed to save refugees when her nephew—King George the V of England—sent his battleship to get her out of the country, refusing to leave without her people. She was truly a force of nature, being tactful, sociable, and brave enough to move far away from the only home she ever knew—taking on a new religion, language, and culture.


Despite all of the good she did, I admittedly grew frustrated at times that Minnie seemed to get caught up in the splendor and riches of court, and lost touch with her impoverished roots. But then I asked myself, how could anyone be completely impervious to the wealth and power of the Romanov dynasty? Despite being much more haughty and elitist in her older age (and downright obnoxiously petty to her new daughter-in-law and controlling to her son and the rest of her children), Minnie was still a cut above the rest of the court. She mostly raised her own children, learned how to become a nurse during the wars, turned her palace into a hospital, founded a society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was actively involved in education, and constantly pushed for reforms in order to avoid revolution. She also unsuccessfully sought to sway her husband, Tsar Alexander III, that the people needed more rights in order to solve the unrest.


Though the book was filled with political issues, I mostly enjoyed the relationships and romance of the novel. I hated to see Minnie’s relationship with Nix struck down before it could begin, but I loved her hesitant and accepting love of her flawed husband, Tsar Alexander III, familiarly known as Sasha. Most of all, I enjoyed reading about Tsar Nicholas II and his problematic wife Tsarina Alexandra, and their relationship with Rasputin through the eyes of someone not in that nuclear family. I was surprised to find myself really loathing Alexandra. She shirked many of her duties as the Empress of Russia, gave her husband terrible advice, made awful decisions for her family, and was just all around an unpleasant human being who further isolated the family from those who could help. I could not help but wonder what would have happened to the Romanov family if Nicholas II had just listened to his mother and married a more suitable bride.


Typically, I have read novels through Anastasia’s eyes, so it was wonderful to see the events unfold through the eyes of an adult who did not agree with the actions of the family. I loved Minnie's secret support of her father-in-law's reform ideas before he was killed by a bomb in a revolt—something I never even knew happened. Particularly of interest to me was her aforementioned dislike of her daughter-in-law Alexandra, her meeting with Rasputin and her reactions to his assassination, and the illness of her grandson, Tsarevitch Alexei. Minnie’s rivalry with her sister-in-law, known as Miechkin, was also humorous and fun. I was always interested to see what the two would do next in order to top each other.


My one issue with the novel, wasn’t really an issue with the writing, but the inconvenience of history. Everyone was taking regal names left and right when they entered the Russian Orthodox church, and there were so many Olgas, Marias, Alexanders, Nicholases, etc,. that I often found myself confused which family member I was reading about. This is through no fault of the author’s, as he does include a family tree, but was really my own issue with keeping them all straight. Plus, all of the characters and royalty throughout many different countries were related! It was a club of royalty and everyone and their brother was a member. For example, Minnie’s sister was the Queen of England, her nephew the eventual King George V, and her brother King of Greece.


Regardless of this confusion, I really enjoyed this glimpse back into the glittering world of the Romanovs, even as it crumbled around the characters. It was fascinating to watch the unrest grow at the beginning of Minne's time in Russia, and to see it eventually develop into revolution that crushed the dynasty despite her actions. Throughout it all, Minnie was a strong character, with believable motivations—who though far from perfect—was very likable. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good historical fiction novel, the Romanovs, or just plain fiction. I learned so much from this immersive book and would definitely read more of the author’s novels in the future.

Wow. Just wow. I’ve always had a fascination with Russian history, and this did not disappoint. I’ve read a lot of stories about the royal family, and I enjoyed that the author switched it up to talk about this from a different point of view. I was riveted. I didn’t find it slow or too much, her voice was perfect. I couldn’t put it down. A wonderful account and must read.

Maria (Minnie) Feodorovna was a Danish princess destined to marry the tsarevich of Russia during the Romanov dynasty. In her life, she saw the reign of three tsars – her father-in-law, her husband, and her son. Her son Nicholas, coming to the throne in a tumultuous time, is the last tsar of Russia. This is a fascinating look at the final years of Imperial Russia’s royalty, seen through the eyes of a daughter, wife, and mother.
This book came across my NetGalley radar. A recent read or two of the Romanovs’ story caused this book to pique my interest. Plus, I enjoy learning and immersing in a great historical fiction story. This one certainly didn’t disappoint. I also didn’t realize until I was done reading it and digging into CW Gortner a bit more that I had already read an enjoyed another book by this author.
I found there to be a good balance between description and character development/dialogue. I was glad to be reading the Kindle version, so I could just quickly click on words to learn their definition. As expected, a lot of Russian terms I wasn’t familiar with.
The whole book flowed smoothly. I was engaged throughout, anxious to get back to it and learn what happened next.
The character of Maria Feodorovna was well formed. She was complex and sympathetic. Really, all the characters were nicely fleshed out. My only complaint, which is superfluous if you want historical accuracy, is that there were so many characters, and some had similar names. I got confused a few times but nothing that was detrimental to the overall enjoyment of the book.
I’ll be the first to admit my knowledge of Imperial Russia is slight. However, based on what I do know, this book seems well researched and in line with history.
Triggers: Violence – which makes sense for the time frame, and it’s not at all gory or gratuitous.
Read if you’re a fan of the Romanovs, historical fiction, or just good books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for giving me access to the ARC.
If you would like to read more of my reviews, please visit mommyreadsbooks.blogspot.com

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley.

The Romanov Empress is the fictionalized story of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, wife of Alexander III and mother of Nicholas II, the last Romanov Tsar. The story is told from her point of view, and starts with her childhood as Princess Dagmar of Denmark. Born in the mid 1800's, her family, like most in Europe at the time, intermarried, making their family reunions interesting. Her older sister married The Prince of Wales, Queen Victoria's heir, and became Queen consort, her older brother the King of Denmark, and her younger brother became King of Greece. Related by marriage to the German Kaiser, this also made WWI, and the eventual downfall of the Romanov's very interesting.

Maria was a very strong woman. Although she was a Princess, the Kingdom of Denmark was not wealthy like the Romanov's, and she was raised in what we would say was a "normal" manner. She and her siblings had chores, their Mother made their clothes, and they did not have palaces full of servants. Maria had originally been engaged to Alexander's older brother, Nicholas (aka Nixa).
Nixa died of meningitis, and his dying wish was that his brother, Alexander, marry Dagmar. Although neither was interested in the other, they both loved Nixa so much that they did indeed marry and Maria (the name she adopted after converting to Orthodoxy) and Alexander feel deeply in love with each other. Maria was a most beloved Empress of Russia. Despite her Danish background, she truly loved the Russian people, and endeared herself to them. She became the head of the Russian Red Cross and started the Russian version of the Humane Society for the fair treatment of animals.

This was a volatile time in Russia. Alexander's father had freed the serfs, but this was not a well thought out plan, and the uneducated, unskilled serfs flocked to the cities to find better paying jobs. This was happening all over the world, but the staggering size of the Russian Empire amplified the situation, and groups fought and protested for more self-rule and the establishment of a Duma. Even before the Communist Revolution, the Nihilists became known for their bombs and attempts at killing the Emperor and his family. They succeeded in killing Maria's FIL, Alexander II. This event, and the overall fear of assassination and bombing would be present for the rest of the Romanov reign.

The one part of her life that Maria had trouble with was her children. Although their house was filled with love and respect, her children did what they wanted when it came to marriage. Most famously, her son, the Tsaravich, Nicholas who would become the last Romanov Emperor. He married Alexandra of Hesse, a German principality. Maria was famously anti-German, as were the Russian people, and from the beginning, she and Alexandra did not get along. This animosity increased as Alexandra gave birth to 4 girls before giving birth to the Tsaravich Alexei who suffered from hemophilia and was sickly from birth. Maria's husband, the Tsar, died young-ish, and Maria didn't think that Nicholas was ready to be the Emperor. She tried to guide him, as she had been a confidant of her husband, but her son had fallen under the spell of his wife, who was herself under the spell of Rasputin. This book doesn't go too far into the Rasputin legend, as it is Maria's story, but you get the sense how distraught Maria was at watching that family disintegrate from the outside.

The story then moves through the outbreak of WWI and the Russian Revolution of 1918. What is apparent is that Nicholas III was ill prepared to lead Russia into the modern world. He inability to adapt to changing world attitudes and political waves guaranteed the end of the Romanov's. Maria tried desperately to save her family, her Empire, and the Russian people, but to no avail.

This book was very well written and researched. As a huge fan of historical fiction, I always do my own research to see how true to life these fictionalized accounts are. Mr. Gortner is himself a self-professed Romanov fan, remembering a book about them from his childhood. It is easy to understand how these families must have felt during this time period--what in America was known as the Gilded Age, where excess was celebrated and the rich industrialists became richer and were America's version of royalty, but in Europe, this same excess was the ultimate downfall of many of these Royal families.

Finally, look up photos of Maria--she was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women in the world.

I highly recommend this book if you love historical fiction, especially the Romanov's. I'm in love with this book, and I can't wait to read more by Mr. Gortner.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel!

If you’re like me, your previous knowlege of Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna was limited to the animated feature, Anastasia, where Angela Lansbury gave voice to her.

Like most people, my attention was always drawn to the ill-fated Romanov family, Tsar Nicholas, his wife Alix and their children, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexi, the tsarevich. I think most people who have heard the story find themselves fascinated by them. I’ve seen the animated film, the old film about Anastasia and read more books than I care to admit. However, when I heard that Mr. Gortner was tackling the Romanov story from the eyes of Maria Feodorvna–Minnie, as most call her in the story–I was delighted.

My delight, fortunately, wasn’t wasted.

Having read all of his prior books, I knew that he wouldn’t let me down. And he did not. He took us from the 1860’s Denmark where she was Marie Sophie Frederikke Dagmar, called Minnie or Dagmar. Impoverished until a sudden change of fortune, Minnie is somewhat spirited, not wanting to conform to what is expected of her. Eventually, she comes to accept what her place will be, but it’s not a realisation that she comes to willingly. Minnie marries into the Romanov dynasty, understanding that someday, she will be Empress. You can’t help but want to yell, “Don’t do it!” But hindsight and the inability to go back in time doesn’t allow us that.

Russia is on the verge of a great change and through that time, Minnie learns to navigate not only the royal court, but her place in the people’s hearts. She has an understanding of them and doesn’t hesitate to be amongst them, learning as much as she can. Sadly, as we know, the Revolution happens and the consequences for the remainder of the family being headstrong and believing in the divine right to rule and listening to bad decision after bad decision, it ultimately costs them. Minnie can only offer advice and tries her damndest to save them from themselves.

I was enthralled from page one all the way to the end. Even knowing what is going to appen,you can’t help but be drawn in. Even if you are a die-hard Romanov family fan, I think you will learn from this. Mr. Gortner has outdone himself and this book is as beautiful as a Fabrigeé egg. Exquisite and a rarity in how spellbinding it is.

Brava, Mr. Gortner!

"In that instant, as I beheld the people of my newly adopted country, crying out my newly bestowed title, a rush of heat surged in me, erasing the chill of the air. It was inexplicable, unexpected, but I truly realized then that in marrying the heir to Russia, I'd done more than bind myself to a stranger. I had bound myself to dynasty and an empire, to centuries of women before me who'd done their duty for their country."

Tsarina Maria Feodorovna was a remarkable woman, starting out her life as daughter to a poor Danish duke in title alone. Upon the passing of the Danish king, having no heirs of his own, Maria's father assumes the throne thrusting Maria and her family into the royal spotlight. Afraid of being forced to marry for political gain Maria found herself in love with just the man she is supposed to marry, the Tsarevich of Russia. Unfortunately for Maria, her betrothed died an untimely death, not before asking of her one last thing, that she marry his brother, the new heir to the throne. Consenting, young Maria Feodorovna was thrust into the world of the wealthiest royals on earth, learning the rules of court and her new role as wife and Tsarevna. This historical novel goes on to follow Maria for the rest of her life as she faces everything from hosting lavish galas, to hiding from assassins, to the eventual Russian revolution under Lenin.

This piece of history was entirely new to me having learned almost nothing about the last Romanovs and boy, is it fascinating. Tsarina Maria Feodorovna is the perfect vehicle for it, her being such a strong and interesting woman, and written so well in this book. The story covers decades and still manages to be incredibly readable and manages to avoid the dry tone that I find so often in historical novels. Thanks at least in part to the author's use of complex characters and descriptive prose. I loved the sense of claustrophobia that slowly builds throughout the story as Maria goes from being one of the most powerful women in the world to her slow confinement and fear of the nihilists and revolutionaries. I think Gortner was able to capture this gradual collapse of the Russian empire in the minds of his characters beautifully. In the second half there were times that I felt the story drag just a bit, the plot being largely one tragedy or big event after the other, but I'm sure this is nothing if not accurate.

This historical novel definitely sparked my interest in this history and now I'm dying to learn more about it! If you like in-depth looks at history or character studies of strong women this book will surely be for you.

"One doesn’t need to meet the wolf to know when to bolt the door."

The Romanov Empress was a departure from my regular reads and it brought back my love for historical fiction novels. The Romanovs have long been a fascinating story to me and Gortner's brings their ending in an epic, colorful story.

The Romanov Empress is about the Empress Maria who was a Danish girl of humble beginnings that ended up becoming the mother of the LAST Russian tsar. What I loved the most about this book was the fleshing out of Maria. Gortner perfectly captures the different nuances of human nature. Maria could be both gracious and pretentious in one swoop and he does it in a way that you still love Maria. She's a mother and wife foremost, even while the world is crumbling around them, she was taking others into consideration. She could also be petty and dramatic but this does not deter you from her. You fall in love with this mother who supported a husband and son on the throne and was not exempt from the demise that befell them.

The story of the Romanov is decadent and filled with Russian stories and people that made the book a complete tale of love and horror. It tells the colorful, gaudy and over the top tale of what it takes to be at the top of the Russian Imperial family and how hard you can fall. Maria was the glue that was holding them together but that glue was a costly gold. Their lives were filled with excess and the book paints a wonderful insight into what their family life was like while being confronted with some of the worst horrors of human nature.

I was very familiar with the tragic story of Tsar Nicholas and Alexandra and the last Imperial family of Russia, but I was not familiar with the story of his mother, Truly a beautifully written account of the life of the beloved Empress Maria, the Danish girl who became the mother of the last Russian tsar.
You will transported to their world of glamour and wealth of the Imperial Court and the Winter Palace. I highly recommend this book for anyone that loves well written historical fiction. I gave this book 5 stars.

I found this book captivating as it was told from the point of view of Maria Feodorovna. In the past, all of the Russian historical fiction I have read was mainly about Anastasia. I loved seeing everything in a different light. It follows Maria through roughly 50 years of Russian history. Maria was born in Denmark, but through marriage became the Empress of Russia. She came to deeply care for the Russian citizens and fought bravely for both the citizens of Russia and her family. Despite its length, I didn't want the story to end. I highly recommend to any historical fiction reader.

Despite knowing the history, one can't help but keep reading. The characters come alive with personality and history is given a fresh perspective. The story is beautifully woven to give relatively accurate historical perspective yet with heart. It was hard to put down even knowing a possible tragic end.

C.W. Gortner never disappoints! I've buy each one of Gortner's books that come out. Yes, my go-to genre is historical fiction, but so is this author. The Romanov Empress is a fictional account of Tsar Nicholas' mother, who became empress when she married his father, Tsar Alexander III. Told in first person from the Tsarina herself, the book is a fascinating glimpse into a character we do not often read or hear about. The novel begins with a very young woman, insecure and shy and follows her life as she navigates royal life, politics and family. Gortner brings to life the Romanov Dynasty told through the eyes and mind of its matriarch. If you're a fan of historical fiction or Russian history, grab this quickly! If not, this book will soon make you one!

I received an advanced copy of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There is just something about Gortner that allows him to bring to life any character he writes about. A good storyteller makes a character relatable. While one might think there could not possibly be anything they could have in common with a Russian Empress, Gortner proves us wrong. He does an exquisite job of indulging us in descriptions of the lifestyle of the Russian Imperial family. There is a familiarity that one may not expect between the court intrigue of Russia with that of other European courts of the time. Gortner successfully shines a light on Tsarina Maria's life, she who has so frequently been overshadowed by her infamous son, Tsar Nicholas II. Whether one agrees with her actions throughout her life or not, one cannot dismiss the devotion she had to her family and to her adoptive country. Gortner once again triumphs in connecting the past with the present through the commonality of our humanity.

"I imagined endless winters under snow-filled midnight skies, with fur-swathed heathens downing vodka and smashing the cutlery. Anything that added to my determination to find the tsarevich unworthy became grist for my imagination, until my fear assumed such epic proportions even I had to admit not all of it could possibly be true."

I knew from the first few pages that I was going to absolutely love this novel. The Romanov Empress follows the life of Empress Maria Feodorovna from her slightly more humble beginnings in Denmark to her marriage to the Romanov heir of Russia and finally fighting to help save the empire as the mother of Nicholas II – the last Russian tsar.

This was my first novel by C.W. Gortner and after reading this, I’m already checking the library for more of his work. This is exactly the type of generational sweeping historical work that I completely adore. Gortner’s writing is elegant and beautiful so that even though there is hardly any real action, I was pulled through Maria’s life with fascination and while I had a pretty good idea of how it would end, I was still sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the inevitable.

I knew practically nothing about Maria Feodorovna before I picked this up. Of course I figured that Tsar Nicholas II had to have had a mother but I never gave her much thought. In the middle of the novel, I realized that she was portrayed as Anastasia’s Grandmother, the Dowager Empress in the 1997 animated film (and voiced by the magnificent Angela Landsbury). Unfortunately, (especially because the film Anastastia isn’t exactly known for its historical accuracy) my associations with the woman ended there.

“It is what royal wives must do. Do you think your father would be the king he is without me? I am the whip that prods him. I am his ears and eyes, his conscience and counsel; without us, most men would stay little boys. Our family has become who we are because of me, because I never ceased to aspire for more than what we had.”

Maria was passionate, loving, beyond intelligent and fiercely loyal to her adopted country of Russia. She lived and ruled Russia during such a fraught period that she was literally dodging political assassins for the majority of her adult life. And yet, she more than persevered. While parts of her life were almost magical – it was also incredibly sad. Not only did she survive her husband, most of her children (and some of her Grandchildren), but she had to watch as her country crumbled around her at the end of her life.

One thing I particularly adored about The Romanov Empress was learning about other large historical figures – both in Russia and around Europe – during this time. Early in the novel, we get to know a mourning Queen Victoria through the eyes of young Maria and her sister Alix (who goes on to marry Victoria’s eldest son & eventually becomes Queen of England herself). And later in the novel, I was fascinated with Maria’s very contentious relationship with her step-daughter, Alexandra, especially in regard to Alexandra’s (unhealthy?) attachment to the mystic Rasputin.

I couldn’t recommend this one enough if you love history like I do. If you do pick this one up (Go! Get it now!) then I’ll leave you with one word of advice: The Romanov Empress takes place over decades and Maria had a sprawling family. It seemed like someone was getting married and popping out children every other page (and then naming them all the same thing – lol). All I can say is that my life would have been much easier if I had discovered the handy family trees in the front matter of the novel far earlier than I did. Learn from my mistakes and consult them regularly. 🙂

“We’ve learned very little from history. We should have taken note of the harsh lessons imparted by the French and the Americans. When the people are denied a say in how they should be governed, they will fight, with violence if need be. Rulers can be removed… In the end, we are mortal.”

Epic read and journey is the only way to describe this book.

I haven’t read a historical read in awhile because they just can’t hold my attention lately, but not this one. This story leaped off the pages and pulled you straight into Imperial Russia. The beauty and richness seeped in short sidedness, conflict, and drama.

Minnie rises above her obscurity to marry the Russian heir. It is amazing to see the political workings to arrange a marriage. Woman are just pawns in the play to be dealt where they will bring to most connections. I was googling constantly throughout the book to get more information because it pulled me in. I couldn’t believe how everyone was related and they kept marrying each other! You can see why genetic problems occurred.

Minnie is well written and believable. She isn’t written as this perfect person which makes the story even better. She has her tantrums, but always puts her big girl pants on to rise to the occasion and make the best of the situation she can. She is beautiful, arrogant, demanding, and loyal. She shows that being royal isn’t what we picture it to be. To be successful there are tons of scaraficing you must do, whether you want to or not. The Russian trip to self destruction could have been avoided if her children weren’t so weak and self centered. Nickolas’ downfall was of his own making with the choices he made.

The story did drag at times and you just got bogged down with the history at times. The story did have to roll out that way to be successful I think. I loved the story and expanded my mind!

Received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. I will be checking out more from this author.

I liked this book much more than I'm going to like writing this review.

That's because this book is immensely readable and easily digestible. It's the bleached white flour version of the tumultuous last decades of the Romanov empire, and similarly devoid of real content. When I finished reading this book, I realized I hadn't marked one passage. Not one line, not one part of the story, inspired me enough to grab a pen. I'm left trying to write a review for a book I enjoyed but in a superficial, fleeting way.

If you like your Russian Revolutions without all that unpleasantness about starving peasants and Bolshevik firing squads, this is the book for you. It follows the life of Empress Maria, wife to Alexander III and mother to the doomed Nicholas II. She was born Dagmar of Denmark-- called Minnie-- a minor princess in a royal line of diminished circumstances. When her father unexpectedly inherits the Danish throne, Minnie is arranged to marry the heir-apparent of Russia, Nicholas, but he dies before they are married. She then marries his younger brother, Alexander, in what starts out as a marriage of duty rather than one of love. However, over time, Alexander and Minnie grow to love one another, and Minnie embraces her role as the Empress of Russia.

The first half of this book covers the period from Minnie's engagement until the death of her husband, Tsar Alexander III. The second half covers the years of her son Nicholas II's reign, up until Minnie is forced to flee Russia in 1918. The first half is better reading. That's because Minnie starts as a young outsider, learning how to be a Tsarina in the "backwater" of imperial Russia, but ages into an entrenched, entitled royal who does little besides complaining about her grown children.

Perhaps above all else, this book wants you to hate Alexandra, Minnie's daughter-in-law and Nicholas II's wife. And goodness knows Alexandra was a hysterical idiot. But despite this book's clear intentions, I found myself sympathizing with her over Minnie, who quite resembles a mother-in-law from Hades at times. Minnie as petty and controlling with her family and clueless about the peasantry, while always believing she's in the right. I did enjoy her enduring frenemy relationship with her sister-in-law, Miechen. But, overall, once Minnie's husband dies, there's nothing to ground her character, and her narration starts to read like gossip.

Who knows how much of the Maria Feodorovna from this book is real and how much is the author's creative narration. But if author Daisy Goodwin could write Queen Victoria of all people into a sympathetic character, I tend to think the failings of Minnie's character in this book rest squarely on C. W. Gortner's shoulders.

I think readers of light historical fiction and Romanov fans will enjoy this. 3.5 stars.

This was a sprawling emotionally charged read, and I enjoyed it greatly. I deducted one star simply due to my inability to follow the political implications throughout the novel.

I loved this book! Couldn't put it down! It was a hefty read but I loved getting to know a different royal family than I'm used to reading about.

While I knew some of the history surrounding the Nicholas II family and murder, I didn't know that much history of the Russian royal family prior to that. I did plenty of Wikipedia-ing as I read along, trying to untangle the web of royalty marrying each other throughout Europe, and of course wondering their fate after 1918 and their descendents.

I couldn't help but wonder that if the Russian monarchy had established the constitutional monarchy during Alexander II's time that maybe even events today would not have taken place. No Cold War. No Berlin Wall. No Space Race. No current issues with American politics...of course we will never know.

And while I used to have a better viewpoint on Tsarina Alexandra, that view has since been tainted from reading this book and of course reading more about her online. What a mess that all became.

Learning about this part of history from the viewpoint of Maria/Minnie/Dagmar was great, the author created a wonderful narrator, though maybe some of the threads were a bit loose as the story wore on, trying to put her perspective into the ruling part of Romanov family after she became dowager must have been difficult.

If you are into books by Phillipa Gregory or Alison Weir you will enjoy this book, too.

This is a journey through Russian history from 1862 - 1918, the court of the Romanovs, who considered themselves ordained by God to rule. It’s compelling and dramatic and a fabulous way to read history through C.W. Gortner’s portrayal. I wish I could think of words better than compelling and dramatic to describe this book, but in truth it these things. It’s the story of the Romanov dynasty, but in essence it’s Maria Feodorovna’s story. She was spirited , intelligent, beautiful, stubborn, a devout wife and mother and a woman whose place in Russian history is firm, heeding her mother’s advice that , “Even from behind the throne, a woman can rule.”

A Danish Princess from a royal family of not much means, she was not accustomed to all of the amenities of royalty until her father’s fate changes, but more importantly hers as she is engaged to be married to Tsarevich Nicholas, Nixa until he succumbs to meningitis. His dying wish that she would marry his younger brother Alexander seals her fate as she marries “Sasha”, grows accustomed to the opulent life that the court offers, falls in love with her husband and Russia. This is a story of power, of love, of family, revolution and war from the height of Romanovs to their fall. Lovers of historical fiction, especially Russian history shouldn’t miss this.


I received an advanced copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through NetGalley.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. This book was great! Honestly at one point I put it down for a day because I was loving it so much that I didn't want it to end!! Historical Fiction is hands down my favorite genre and The Romanov Empress did not disappoint. I am usually drawn to all things Tudor so this was a change for me and I'm so glad I read it.

I loved The Romanov Empress. It is one of those books, a reader wants to take their time reading. The author obviously did their homework when reading this book. Awesome read!