Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I am not entirely sure how I feel about this book. One the one hand, its premise is incredible . On the other, its execution falls a little bit short.

Let's start with the positive though, shall we? I really loved all the elaborate description of dresses, foods, courts, and dances. I think Edwards-Jones managed to paint a very vivid picture of Russia in the turn of the 20th century. I also loved the detailed description of spells and their different ingredients - it highlights the author's research on that particular aspect of her story and I really appreciated it. Most importantly, I absolutely loved Militza as a character - she was powerful, super smart, and ambitious, and she wasn't always good , which made her an incredibly compelling character.

That being said, I believe the book would have massively benefited from some serious editing. There was no need for it to be this long, and cutting about 100 pages off of it, would have seriously benefited the flow and pacing of the story. While I really enjoyed Rasputin as a presence in the novel - indeed, his existence within the novel was inevitable - I found the first half of the book (aka the half before his appearance) to be much more coherent and focused. It felt like Militza and Stana (aka the novel's protagonists) were sidelined once he appeared; that just wasn't my cup of tea. Had the second half been shorter and more coherent, and had the ending been a little different (I would have liked to see the story progress a bit more), I think I would have given this book a much higher rating.

The author, Imogen is the creator of the 'Babylon' series, so I was looking forward to reading this piece of historical fiction focusing on Russian royalty and Rasputin.

I'm sorry to say I struggled with the book which is why it has taken me a month to read. I was really enjoying the story about the two girls who were being married off into the Russian royal family in order to help their country, Montenegro and the two characters are really well developed and rounded out. It's initially hard keeping track of all the Russian characters of court, especially as those descended in the same family have similar names. There is a really interesting scene were one of the women sees the ghost of a small girl and you start to learn more about their dark powers, those writing scenes were brilliant.

When the character Rasputin is introduced the novel seems to descend into bawdy, clumsy sex scenes. I assume it was used as a plot device to show the control and influence he had over the women of power in court, but I thought that some of the scenes were over gratuitous.

I felt the novel was dragged out longer than required, a few too many balls and too much gossip, to the point where I think readers could be tempted to skim read those chapters as they don't add any value.

I appreciate this is an arc so I assume the grammatical errors and spelling will be picked up prior to publication.

I'm glad I got the chance to read the book, there were certainly elements I enjoyed, but overall I felt more could have been done to focus on the political upheaval and riots that took place prior to the later Russian revolution.

I was expecting this to be more literary than it is and for me the whole thing is somewhat less than the sum of its parts. The writing seems superficial, the characters shallow, the plot insubstantial, the narrative repetitive. Some of the dialogue seems anachronistic and, as historical fiction, it doesn't evoke the period with much authenticity. The sisters' magic and motivations are not convincing and I didn't really connect with either of these characters. Not without entertainment value but just slightly disappointing.

I didn't enjoy this; and gave up part way through. Interesting period of history, and personalities, so I'm sure will appeal to a wide audience, but not for me.

This wasn't a book which I found easy to read or get on with. I must confess to having not completed it.
Set in the last days of Tsarist Russia we focus on two princesses from Montenegro who are reputed to have magical powers. Naturally they get involved with the desires of the Tsarina to have a son & also Rasputin & the issues around him.
I found the book quite slow going and a bit repetitive. It really could have done with some editing. The references to the Princesses smelling of goat lost its shine after the third, fourth, fifth time! It is a difficult period of history with so much to describe & so much intricacy around the court and the politics. Weaving the stories of these two women and their magic in as well added a lot of description to the book. This made it rather slow going. Another side effect was the lack of time spent bringing the personalities to life. It need not take much for a skilled author to bring a character to life - a few well placed words & the reader has a picture. Unfortunately this didn't occur and I was left with rather cardboard characters.
It isn't often that I give up on a book but there was little to carry me forward. I see by other reviews that I did get better. Perhaps if I had persevered I may have enjoyed it more - or maybe not.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

This is a big and slightly rambling novel centred around two sisters, Militzia and Stana, who marry into Russian nobility. They are princesses from Montenegro – then, as now, a small and unregarded country – but are seen as being far less worthy of attention than native-born Russians. They are called the Goat Princesses, to smell of goats and to be involved in witchcraft – it is easy to see why the early part of the book, when Tsar Alexander III’s court led a life of glittering formality. However, when the new Tsar Nicholas inherits the sisters ingratiate themselves with his socially distant young wife. They continue to become more influential as the Tsarina, after the birth of four daughters, becomes desperate for a son – they introduce her to first to a French mystic called Philippe and then, possibly fatally, to Rasputin. In the second half of the book Militzia in particular engages in a power struggle with Rasputin – who she believes she created with her magic – and gradually comes to join the growing group who are trying to get rid of him by any means possible.

I enjoyed this book, although it did slow down in places, and I feel I learned a lot about the history of the period. I’ve since spend a little time on the internet checking out the details of the characters: Militzia and Stana, Philippe and the various members of the Imperial court are all real and the sisters did have a dark reputation. Even the decadence of the court, drugs and all, seems to be based on reality – one of the facets of the age which did surprise me was the stark contrast between the modern age (telephones, cars, aspirin) and the older ways. Largely this was the difference between the educated and the peasantry but even the rich and privileged were in thrall to superstition.

A book about magic, lust for power, and a lot of debauchery. It was an interesting concept but sadly felt a little too long-winded and dragged on. Not really my cup of tea.

The description of this book was really and promising and where it delivers is in the sumptuous descriptions of Tsarist Russian decadence.

But...

In fairness to the author it would be hard to make many of these well known characters appear to be sympathetic to any reader. Adding witchcraft to the mix was not enough to lift the well trodden plot, making the witches Bolshevik sympathisers may have been a different twist. Also we would have been spared all the excessive descriptions of Rasputin's bell-end (if that was a thing then most of the Royal Court would have been infected with papilloma virus, never mind the hemophilia).

— I received a review copy via netgalley in exchange for a honest review —

I was really excited to delve into this book, as I’ve been loving Russian inspired/set tales recently. However, this just seens to be lacking a soul. All of the characters are shallow and seem to be lacking motivation apart from simply wanting power and are eminently unlikeable. There wasn’t a single character that made me feel for them, and I kept shaking my head at the book.
I thought the idea of black magic sounded promising, but then half the book ended up being about Rasputin and real or imaginary sexual exploits involving him, and when supposed magic was done, it was things like making the Czarina eat her own vomit...

I love reading about Russia, so the title of this novel alone was enough to attract my attention. When I discovered that it was set in the final years of the Romanov dynasty I was even more interested in reading it – it’s such an eventful period of history, yet most of my Russian reading has been set either earlier than that or later.

The novel opens in 1889 with the arrival in St Petersburg of two Montenegrin princesses. Militza and her younger sister Stana (Anastasia) are the daughters of the King of Montenegro and are being married off to members of Russia’s Imperial Court. Despite the high positions they now hold as a result of their marriages, the sisters are not fully accepted by the Russian courtiers who look down on them because of the smallness and perceived insignificance of their home country. They do make some friends, however, including the Tsarina Alexandra who, having given birth to four daughters, is now desperate to provide the Tsar with a son and heir.

Militza and Stana believe they may be able to help. With their knowledge of magic, their ability with spells and charms, and their skill at channelling spirits, they are what many people would call witches, but despite all of their efforts they are still unable to produce a son for the Tsarina and turn at last to a monk from Siberia by the name of Rasputin. Rasputin proves to be a sensation and the princesses are proud to have been responsible for his introduction to court – but when his influence with the Tsar and Tsarina begins to surpass their own, they start to wonder what they have done.

There were things that I liked about The Witches of St Petersburg and things that I didn’t like. I loved the setting as I’d hoped I would, and as I had never read about Militza and Stana before, I enjoyed getting to know them. Stana’s role in the novel is mainly confined to her marital problems – her husband Prince George Maximilianovich spends most of his time in Biarritz with his mistress and Stana longs for a divorce – but Militza is an interesting character and the one who drives the story forward, working to raise the sisters’ profile at court and to get close to the Tsarina. As a ‘witch’, she is also the more powerful of the two, conducting séances and speaking to the dead. The magical aspects of the book confused me, though; I wasn’t sure whether we were supposed to believe that Militza really did have magical powers and really was a witch or whether it was all just a pretence.

The first half of the novel felt too long and repetitive – there were only so many times I wanted to read about the sisters being snubbed at parties and taunted for their provincial background and ‘smelling of goat’ – and I wondered when Rasputin was going to arrive on the scene and liven things up. His first appearance doesn’t come until halfway through the book and the story does become more compelling after that, as Militza and Stana begin to regret their role in bringing him to St Petersburg and wonder how they can get rid of him. However, this is a particularly repulsive portrayal of Rasputin! Some of it may be realistic, but I wished there wasn’t so much graphic detail on how dirty and revolting he was. This is not really a book for the squeamish.

I had a mixture of feelings about The Witches of St Petersburg, then, but overall my interest in the Russian history and in two women I had previously known nothing about was enough to make me keep reading.

This is a really difficult book to review - so much potential but it did not really deliver. Delving into a little bit of everything, yet ending up just going round in circles. I also seriously question the ebook page tally of 206 - try doubling that at least. It adopts two main themes, Russian court drama combined with the supernatural - but it never really hits the mark.

It is a deceptively large (remember the questionable page tally) read with a vast array of characters (listed in the beginning) all pertaining to the dying days of the Romanov family rule in Russia. The author has most certainly done her research as she details the shallowness of the Russian aristocracy. The many characters provide a great insight into the cut throat life at court. If the tales here provide any indication, it is no wonder a revolution ensued.

‘There was distinctly more than a whiff of revolution in the air. It was a stench. Like the smell of smoke before a fire, people could sense it coming.’

Secondly, the book deals with a lot of supernatural themes. A lot. It’s so overt that some readers are bound to be put off with explicit sordid details. Once more, the author does not feign the details of character traits, sexual activities or occult outcomes. Dark or black magic is certainly at play here. I love reading about the Romanov’s but found their portrayal here sad, said to be driven by drugs and the influence of Rasputin.

‘But I am the reason Rasputin is not here!’ ‘To hell with him!’ ‘He’s the only one who can help.’ ‘You don’t really believe that! You’re much more powerful than him. You made him!’

There is such potential, but it is never fully realised in this opulent tale. It’s a strange read - really strange. The pace was slow which does not bode well for a large book and the repetition of the sisters attempts to influence the royal family become boring. Conceptually there is most definitely a story, but in fruition it failed to deliver. Without doubt, the author is most passionate and well informed with a plethora of facts and details from this period. So if the final days of a dying dynasty appeal to you then this window into Russian court life is the book for you.

‘No wonder my family are haunted by death, no wonder they hide in their palaces, fearful of assassination. No wonder they cower when they’ve been hunted and shot like dogs over and over again, for centuries.’






This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

Spooks and scandals brought down the mighty empire

Two beautiful princesses were the sisters, Grand Duchess Militza and Grand Duchess Anastasia, also the daughters of King Nikola of Montenegro. They were also the witches, who summoned the dead people’s spirits and used black magic. They became friends with Tsarina Alexandra, who struggled to give birth to the male heir for Tsar Nicholas II of the Russian Empire after a series of female births.

Finally, Alexei, the Tsarevich, entered the world and suffered from poor health conditions. The witches tried to make him better but without success. Then, they learned that there was a saintly guru, named Rasputin, in the Siberian village.

He arrived and brought happiness to the Imperial Family until things went wrong. Rasputin was not the “saint” as being claimed. There were many scandals throughout the Imperial Court and Government, and Russia was on the brink of the social revolution.

This is one of the greatest Russian historical fiction, based on true events, written by Imogen Edwards-Jones. I love this novel.

Caesar XIII

Breakaway Reviewers received the copy of the book to review

"The Witches of St. Petersburg" introduces us to two sisters, princesses from Montenegro, married well into Russian aristocracy. However, no matter how much Militza and Stana try, they're not being accepted by the court. They need the influence though - their father counts on Russian help, so the sisters ingrate themselves with the Tsar and Tsarina, bringing a holy man to help them conceive the son, the so - much - needed - to - boost - morale Heir to the throne. When it doesn't work, they try magic and another holy man in the person of Rasputin - but are they going to loose all their influence with his arrival?

Even though my knowledge of Russian history is rather non - existent, there are some periods of times that pick my attention, and the Romanovs' story is one of them. This book has for sure delivered in matters of the descriptions of the Russian aristocracy, their lives and all the ins and outs of the court life. There were balls and parties, jewellery, incredible dresses, tons of gossip and conspiring and I enjoyed those parts of this story very much. Yes, there came a moment that there was a ball one too many, that they started too feel like a copy of each other but I still think that they were the most colourful and best parts of this novel.

There are many characters in this book. Hundreds of them, actually. Brownie points go to the author for the names - list at the beginning of the novel, although my copy being on kindle I couldn't just turn back the pages to see who is this character and what's their background, and I had really huge problems to keep on track with all of them, especially as their names either sounded all the same or changed all the time. Still, the characters were ones of a kind. There came a moment that I stopped to try to understand them - they had their own motives and motivations and of course we have to take into consideration the times the story took place - people needed something all time, there were political businesses to be done and they were not afraid to stop at nothing. They were selfish and looking after their own business only - though is it different nowadays? But it was also fascinating to see how the two "Black Princesses" worked their way into the Palace, how irreplaceable they became to the Tsarina - a thing that so many have tried and failed at before them. They were incredibly interesting and different to all the characters that I usually read about. Especially Militza and her abilities, I was fascinated with her ability to see things other people didn't notice, and of course with her magic skills. I think you could easily say that she was a powerful witch, but I also had a feeling that she was not a "complete" witch - she wasn't able to do magic, just like that, she could use her skills only in particular aspects of life - or so, at least, it looked like for me.

I'm really in two minds about this book. It could be a great read but I had a feeling its potential hasn't been used there. It felt chopped and not too coherent, and the jumping between things and events and time seemed as if it wasn't planned. Some of the scenes were really too much for me - the half - developed chick, keeping of the miscarried fetus or simply the idea of the Tsarina dropping to her knees to eat someone's vomit... I'm not too soft nor sensible but well, no. Just no. On the other hand, I do understand that the story needed it. And to be honest, the pace felt too slow. It is a large book, with almost 500 pages and it simply started to feel repetitive - the sisters try to help the Tsarina all over again, they attend one ball after another and they're not accepted and are being called they're witches smelling of goats we get this on repeat. There was so much potential in this book, and some really interesting concepts but the development was what was being missed for me. It was as if the author had some great ideas but didn't know how to execute them.

"The Witches of St. Petersburg" is a book that plays with supernatural, with dark magic, with paganism. In a brilliant way it describes the shallowness of the Russian aristocracy, it deals with using and being used. The characters are full of charisma and even though you may not understand all of them, I think you're still going to appreciate them for their personalities. It was vivid, engaging and gave a great insight into Russian history - in retrospect you can't help but understand the fact of the revolution, with Tsar under cocaine influence and his wife, not being able to think for herself without asking Rasputin for an advice. A captivating and different read about power, about favours, mixing reality with supernatural.

Militza and Stana are daughters of the king of Montenegro. In a political match, they are married to two Grand Dukes of Russian society. Quickly they use their 'witchcraft' to infiltrate the heart of the Russian imperial family, and become confidantes of the Tsar and Tsarina.

As the Tsarina becomes increasingly desperate to produce a son, the 'witches of St Petersburg' use all their power to help her conceive one; including the introduction to the court of the provincial man of God, the legendary Rasputin.

I found this read fascinating, an intriguing and fresh look at the Russian imperial family, the influence of Rasputin, and the political power struggles of the time.

I don't really have much to say about this book. At its core it had an interesting story, but I had problems getting into it and staying interested. The names where all very similar, which really isn't the books fault, but some times I got really confused. Overall this must have been a very interesting time period and I was interested in the witch aspect of it all, but as it turns out, I would have enjoyed a more analytical approach, more non-fiction than fiction.

Especially the sex scenes with Rasputin later in the book were very uncomfortable to read. Before he showed up, I still felt mostly interested in the story. The religious aspect of it also felt very strange to me, but that is probably just a personal thing.

Overall I think the basic premise isn't bad and this book shows some promise. Still, it wasn't for me. It took me a week to read this, when usually, I read books this length in 2 to 3 days. I just never felt like going back and had to sit down and force myself to at least continue skimming through. If you're already acquainted with this part of history, I think the story might be interesting. For someone who didn't know anything like me, the most interesting part was the epilogue.

My thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am grateful to the author and editors for including a list of characters at the start. As I learned when reading Tolstoy, the titles and variations of names in pre-Revolutionary Russia can be daunting. As to whether the historical details were correct, I am not that familiar with this period of history so have placed my trust in Imogen Edwards-Jones’ journalistic background and the Head of Zeus’ editors. While sometimes the dialogue felt modern it didn’t grate on my nerves.

I had not heard of the ‘Black Princesses’ before reading this novel and it was my own background in esoteric studies that drew me to request it as I was interested to learn more about the sisters and their place in history.

Even without their interests in spiritualism and the ‘dark arts’, it is clear Militza and Stana are considered outsiders in the Imperial Court, despite their being princesses of Montenegro, having made good marriages, and having the favour of the Tsar and Tsarina. Indeed, this closeness and influence incites envy and jealousy among members of the Court and there is the sense that the sisters are always on thin ice. Their introduction of Rasputin to the Tsar and Tsarina only increases this marginalisation.

I enjoyed this novel and overall I felt it captured the opulence and decadence of the Russian Imperial Court. While not a main focus of the novel, the impending collapse with echoes of the French aristocracy before their Revolution was very evident.

Rich in description of jewellery, clothing, architecture and interior design, it was a very visual experience. It was Militza who stood out the most for me. Her rather naive belief that she had control over Rasputin was a cautionary reminder that summoning dark entities, even in human form, is very tricky and likely to blow back on the summoner.

From Imogen Edwards-Jones’ end notes it is clear that this was a labour of love and took many years to research and write. I also admire that she contacted the London College of Psychic Studies and not only read and asked about these practices but studied palmistry, mediumship, etc. herself. That dedication brings a greater sense of authenticity to the esoteric aspects of the novel.

It makes for a fascinating mixture of fact and fiction and was an engaging read throughout. I am not only recommending it to friends interested in historical fiction but also to those who have studied this period of esoteric history as apart from Helena Blavatsky the Russian involvement is often overlooked.

4.5 stars

Thankyou to NetGalley, Head Of Zeus and the author, Imogen Edwards-jones, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Witches of St Petersburg in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I love reading historical fiction, which is why this book initially piqued my interest. I also thought the cover was beautifully done.
Unfortunately, I found myself struggling to read this book. It just seemed to drag along in places and it didn't really keep me interested. Not a book for me sorry.

I was fascinated by the synopsis and really tried to love this book. Unfortunately it fell flat and it was not my cup of tea.
Even if I loved the concept and the setting, I found it slow and a bit repetitive.
There's a lot of potential but it didn't worked for me.
Many thanks to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for this ARC

It is one of those really rare instances when I am not sure how to go about talking about a book without sounding ungrateful or horrible. However I really must say that I tried, I really tried to give this book a chance but frankly, at 65%, I DNFed it. I simply couldn't go on. There were many factors into this and I am not sure if I should talk about it but let's just say that this book wasn't for me. Let's just leave it at that.