"Tsarina" is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and those intrigued by the powerful women who shaped history. With its rich detail, engaging plot, and strong protagonist, this novel is a testament to the enduring allure of Imperial Russia and the indomitable spirit of Catherine Alexeyevna.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advanced copy of this book. I apologize for the delay in sharing my review. Now that I've recently retired, I’ve been able to tackle my backlog of reviews, and I’m excited to share my thoughts on this one. You can find my review on my Instagram account @shhi_iamreading. Here’s the link: https://www.instagram.com/shh_iamreading

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten is a gripping and immersive historical novel that tells the remarkable story of Catherine Alexeyevna, Peter the Great’s second wife and the first woman to rule Russia in her own right. Born poor and illiterate, Catherine's rise to power is a testament to cunning, resilience, and strength in a brutal and unforgiving world.

I went into this knowing a small amount about early 18th-century Russia or Peter the Great, and Alpsten paints a vivid picture of the era. From the cold that bites to the bone to the harsh realities of court life, the setting is atmospheric and thoroughly researched. That said, the prose can be a bit much at times, overflowing with description to the point of feeling overwhelming in places.

This is not a sanitized version of history. The book pulls no punches in portraying the violence, sexual exploitation, and deep class divides of the time. There are multiple disturbing scenes, including rape and brutal warfare, so it’s not for the faint of heart. But Alpsten doesn’t romanticize anything, she leans into the gritty realism of the period.

I appreciated how the novel steers clear of turning into a historical romance. It stays rooted in the politics, the power struggles, and the raw survival instincts of a woman trying to navigate an oppressive system. The dual timelines, shifting between Catherine’s rise and her later life, were a bit jarring at first, but they settle into a rhythm as the story unfolds.

Catherine’s story is extraordinary, and I’m genuinely surprised I never learned about her in school despite covering Peter the Great in detail. Alpsten does a phenomenal job bringing her to life with depth and nuance.

If you're new to historical fiction or Russian history, the dense detail might be a challenge. But for fans of strong female leads and meticulously researched stories, this is a standout. It’s one of my favorite reads of the year, and I’m excited to see what Alpsten writes next. Highly recommended.

I have come to the realization that this book is not my cup of tea. I've tried a couple of times to get into it and am just not feeling the story. I think this book could work really well for someone who loves this period of history.

Marta is such a strong, brave, and interesting character. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her life and journey and her rise to power. What an uplifting book. Well written and well worth all the praise it received, I would definitely recommend Tsarina.

I loved this one set in St. Petersburg, 1725 during Peter the Great's era and Catherine, his wife. Two polar opposites in society as she was born very poor, Catherine used her womanly wiles to earn her way to her heart's desires. But Peter was a terribly cruel man and Tsar. After his death, Catherine used her brain and beauty to do the unthinkable in her day and age...she gained POWER unlike any other Russian woman of her time.

It was very interesting to see how Catherine manipulated her way to the top, so-to-speak. I thought she was a manipulative master who knew how to climb to the top of power and she had a great deal to admire.

While the writing was a little muddled and hard to follow, the storyline was (as usual with this subject) fascinating. The subject alone is really want kept me invested in the book.

This book was beautifully written and made Cathrine I a real human being. The pace of the book was a little hard to follow when the story went back and forth in time. The main character was intriguing to watch read. She was not a damsel in distress and it was refreshing to read about a protagonist who was strong and independent. This book motivated me to look into the other works of fiction about the Cathrine and the Russians.

I'm attempting to clean out my netgalley list of books. I initially didn't recall reading this book, but after I read the summary, I not only read it but purchased it along with the next book by this author. I loved this book, as I am a fan of all Imperial Russian history. I plan on rereading and giving a more in depth review on instagram and facebook.

This was a wonderful historical novel about a part of Russian history I was not very familiar with. I enjoyed that the characters were lively and interesting as people and were not just static historical figures with no real life on the pages. I got a little of the vibes of Heather Morris's books, particularly Cilka's Journey, mixed with a little of the TV show Reign. This was a good mix of historical, political, and dramatic. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a captivating historical drama, Russian stories, or stories of overcoming a very rough life to survive.

I found this book to be unusually cruel and beautiful. Like it was morbidly graphic in it's descriptions of violence, illness and sex. I don't know if I loved it.

"Tsarina" by Ellen Alpsten is a rich and enthralling historical novel that brings to life the captivating story of Catherine Alexeyevna, the woman who would eventually become Russia's first female ruler. Set against the backdrop of the opulent and treacherous world of Imperial Russia, Alpsten weaves a tale of ambition, ruthlessness, and passion that captivates from the very beginning.

The author's vivid prose immerses readers in the sumptuous courts of St. Petersburg and the intricate political intrigues of the time. Catherine's journey from poverty to power is depicted with a keen understanding of her complex motivations and the challenges she faces. The book's exploration of her relationships, particularly with Peter the Great, is both sensuous and intense, adding depth to the characters.

Alpsten's meticulous attention to historical detail enhances the authenticity of the narrative, transporting readers to a time of lavish feasts, religious rites, and the lurking dangers within the Russian court. The tension and uncertainty that surround Catherine's efforts to secure her position and outmaneuver her enemies create a gripping and suspenseful atmosphere that keeps the pages turning.

While the novel's grand scope and intricate portrayal of Imperial Russia is commendable, at times the pacing might feel slightly uneven as it shifts between moments of opulence and darker, more intense scenes. Nonetheless, Alpsten's skill in crafting a vivid historical tapestry remains evident.

"Tsarina" is a captivating debut that captures the essence of a remarkable woman's rise to power, painting a vivid portrait of a tumultuous period in Russian history. Ellen Alpsten's ability to blend history and fiction in such a compelling manner makes this novel a worthy read for fans of historical fiction and anyone intrigued by the fascinating world of Imperial Russia.

Taken from her family and forced into work after a run in with generals, Catherine is abused and forced to run away. She ends up on the church doorstep and just as life starts to look up… it all comes crashing back down. Until she runs into Tsar Peter in a Russian war camp.

This novel really put into perspective the trials and tribulations of simply being a woman in this time period.

TW: SA, Rape, Miscarriage, Stillborn birth are just a few that were triggering for myself. I’m sure there were more I missed.

From what I could tell, this novel was pretty in line with history. Some things seemed to be out of order but I may have been looking at the wrong thing or if not, I’m sure it was done to create a better flow of the story. It was very hard to be a woman in these times. The Tsar/kings could do as they pleased but the Tsarina/Queens were to remain loyal.

A great read that looks at the history of Catherine I and how she transformed the Russian empire. Thank you to the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've been wanting to learn more about Catherine's story, but I don't think this is the right book for me. The narrative wasn't a fit for what I was hoping to read. However, given the glowing reviews for this book, I'm sure it will be a much stronger fit for other readers.

Fascinating read about a peasant woman’s drive for power during a period of Russian history that was anything but kind to women, especially peasant women. I knew next to nothing about Russian history prior to reading this book, but Ellen Alpsten created such an engaging story that I found myself Googling information about Peter the Great and Russian monarchy throughout the story. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction and strong women characters. Thanks to #NetGalley and #St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

Thank you to St. Martin's press and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book for my honest opinion.

While the history behind this book was very interesting I found the storytelling just a bit gratuitous and overly dramatic. I am no prude and enjoy a good sex scene where it makes sense but here there were many and all either over-the-top, mind blowing sex or sexual assault. I know it was not an all sunshine and rainbows. period of history but it was a lot. The cruelty of Peter was a lot.

I did appreciate the cast of characters in the beginning of the book because there are a lot of characters.

If Russian History is your thing, this book is available now.

Ooooooo I liked this book! Like is not strong enough actually thank you to the author ( what an outstanding debut!), the publishers, and NG for this copy of the book in exchange for my review. I loved this book so much that if I lost my place at work I would just start the entire chapter over because I didn’t mind listening to it again. Or I’d fall asleep after working 12 hours and just jump back three chapters and again, just listen to it again. I actually do not know much at all about Russia and its history unless it’s Catherine or Nicky and Alex. So this book has me researching for more books. I have a veritable book stopper on Peter so there’s a start. Definitely this book is an inspiration to me. Most definitely! Great work!

1.5 "overwrought, inconsistent, gratuitous" stars !!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and St. Martin's Press for an e-copy. I am providing my honest review. This was released November 2020.

Whew...I am very glad that this book is finished. I only completed this work as a way to understand this novel's prose and structure and why it almost completely did not work for me.

This is a historical fiction biography of Russia's Catherine...the tsarina...Peter the Great's second wife.

For me this book was a disaster albeit at times educational and occasionally entertaining. I want to be clear that this was far from the worst of historical fictions that I attempted but all the heavy flaws combined with my pretty constant exasperation prevent this novel from even getting to two star quality.

The book combines poorly done romantic melodrama with quasi historical fiction with very self-important chick lit overtones. This is extremely jarring and rings very false to my reading ears.

Catherine's personality psychology is extremely inconsistent and superficial. I did not believe at all in this author's interpretation of her temperament or life choices.

There is way too much slapstick violence and gratuitous sex that feels extremely cheap. The emotions seem false, overwrought and vacillate frequently.

The writer is very talented in being able to bring in tastes, smells and sights of the times and for me this was probably the only redeeming quality to this book.

Really this is a one star book that I am giving an extra half star because I wanted to finish despite my mostly very poor reading experience.

I do own the sequel but will not be moving forward in this series.

WHEW! What a saga. Thank you, Netgalley, for letting me lose some days of my life to this story, which leaves few things to the imagination (other than perhaps the clothing). It is not a novel for the faint of heart, I'll just leave it at that.

I didn't know a lot about Peter the Great or this period of Russia's history prior to reading Tsarina, but because I'm that person I did a lot of side research while reading this in order to have a more factual basis for the novel (though clearly not to the depth this author had). I do love me a good piece of period fiction, and this was, in my opinion, an exquisite one.

I enjoyed this immensely.