This book is a fictionalized account of Catherine, the second wife of Peter the Great. She became the first Empress of Russia. Her rise from servant girl to empress was rather flat for me. In this telling, her only claim to fame is her beauty and willingness to have sex with a ruler who was sick with syphilis. She also was extremely fertile and was continuously pregnant throughout the book. I wasn't intrigued by the "person" of Marta/Catherine. This was not a book that drew me in and kept me reading to the end. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book will make you happy to have a warm bed, food, and thankful it's not early 1700s. There is not much known about Catherine I as I look up after reading this book, which I suggest doing- going in a bit bind. I learned so much from this even though its historical fiction it’s that nice bit when it's an amazing story weaved with facts. 
Alpsten does a wonderful job of getting the reader to fall for Marta at the start and hope that she makes it through all her hell. There was a lot of ‘Good GOD” of “Holy HELL” coming from my head while reading this book. Also, after reading so much English Regency it was such a change as Russia was insane during this time period. All the war, sickness, death, and more death! But even with all that I couldn’t stop reading as I wanted to know what was going to happen next. 
This is one of my favorite historical fictions yet! Yes, there was some liberty taken with her life and others but man oh man was it good! 
After living in Eastern Europe for some years I visited Russia and it was fun to read about the building of St. Petersburg and places I had visited. Along with the food I now miss and parts that were just very Russian. 
I can’t wait to read more of Ellen’s books in the future. You can tell she took her time researching for this one and put her heart into it! This one has a lot of steam, death, war, rape, and more death. 
Overall, 4.5 stars

Thanks to St. Martin's for this book in exchange for an honest review!

I have mixed feelings about this book. I like the fact the book is well written. It is about the reign of Peter I which is a topic I didn’t know much about and I appreciated learning about. What I didn’t like is the  over abundance of sexual scenes in this book, but that is obviously a preference thing and really no reason to completely dislike a book. It took me longer than I would like to finish this book, but it was a solidly written book, that was not just not to my liking. This was a good book and I would probably read this author again.

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten 

Tsarina covers the life of Tsarina Catherine, the second wife of Peter the Great. There are many factors that make her life interesting, but the first and foremost is that she was born into abject poverty in the rural Baltics. 

The blurb suggests that Catherine is faced with a great responsibility upon her husband’s death. While this is certainly true, very little of the book is devoted to Catherine’s ascension to power as the first woman to rule Russia in her own right. Rather, this is more of a “record scratch—freeze frame—you’re probably wondering how I got here” narrative, in which we examine the events that led up to Catherine scrambling to cover up her husband’s death until her position is more secure. 

That being said, the ascension to power is certainly tumultuous. Daisy Goodwin describes it as “mak[ing] Game of Thrones look like a nursery rhyme”, and frankly, I can think of no better description. Readers who are faint of heart should take those words as a warning, for a romance novel, this is not. There are graphic depictions of rape and torture among the typical manipulative scheming one might find in any royal court. 

Catherine is an endearing protagonist who recognizes from an early age that the only person who she can depend on is herself. This is a mentality she holds throughout her entire life; there is no moment in which she can let her guard down. She must occasionally do things that are morally objectionable, but she believes them to be necessary in maintaining her position. 

I would absolutely recommend Tsarina. Once I started reading, I was hooked. I read large chunks at a time because I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. The GoT metaphor is apt, not just because of the graphic depictions, but also because of the astounding path to greatness. Certainly, liberties have been, but to quote Drake, “Started at the bottom and not we’re here.” With such an unconventional journey to the palace, it’s surprising that Catherine’s story is not more widely known. Hopefully, with Tsarina’s publication, that will change. 

This is a stunning debut, and I’m looking forward to reading more from Alpsten in the future. 



I received an ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley

Tsarina gripped me from the beginning and didn’t let go until the ugly, bitter end.  Like looking at a gruesome car accident or death scene, my morbid curiosity of just how grotesque the events unfolding could get, spurred me on, and just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it got worse.

This was an incredibly hard, yet addictive and fascinating read.  Though I love history, Russia’s past has never been one that has held my attention for long.  I have heard of Peter the Great, but the details of his reign are hazy, as are the few tidbits I can remember about Catherine I.

To grasp what she endured in her lifetime is incomprehensible.  The abuse and heartache alone would’ve killed a weaker woman.  To go through everything she did, including being married to the devil himself, and still be so strong and relatively grounded is shocking.

The incredibly graphic sexual depictions had my stomach churching, as I usually stick with much cleaner reads, and try to avoid graphic sex scenes.  I fought with myself the entire time, debating on if I should put the book down and not read further, as there were moments I felt as if I were reading soft core porn.  But instead, I chose to skip the graphic parts as much as I could (which was insanely difficult since there are SO many scenes involving some form of sexual acts) and while I skimmed the pages I thanked God that I was not a woman during that time!  

If this book is a testament to the treatment of women back then, I can say with clear conviction, that they were treated just a smidge better than the animals!  The way men took them with no care for their feelings or desires is grotesque, and fidelity certainly wasn’t practiced by anyone.  Sex was used as a tool, a weapon, to get what you wanted, nothing more, and loyalty was out the window.

With intimate details of the wars, and the different Russian towns and countryside, I had a feel that this was well researched, though I haven’t had the time to truly see just how accurate it really is.  I will say, the fact that there are not any dates does give me pause about the validity of the details. 

Tsarina is clocked in darkness from the beginning, a vice growing ever tighter with each depraved sexual encounter, and every inhumane and unimaginable torture and punishment.

What kept me going was my desire to find out if Catherine herself would ever find the peace, love, and happiness that she so craved.  Being the wife of Peter the Great, a man that seriously had no soul, I didn’t have high hopes, and when finished the final page feeling numb and in utter shock...well you can imagine it wasn't he happiest of endings.  I couldn't stop thinking about the novel after I put it down, muttering to myself, "There is no way this all happened in real life!  This is the stuff of nightmares!"

Though I rated it higher than I originally intended, thanks to the incredible writing and world building, and the fact that I seriously didn’t put it down for two days, I can’t, with a clear conscience, recommend it.  Though I do believe it is a story that needs to be told, I also believe this story could’ve been told without the depravity being so graphically detailed.

DNF'd around 55%.

Just sooo boring. What could’ve been an interesting exploration of Catherine the I's rule and how she came to power got bogged down by 200+ pages of what seemed like every day of her life while she was with Peter the Great. And it was so focused on him, just her telling us what he was up to. I don’t care what Peter was up to! Get that over in 100 pages, speed it up, and get to some drama or something. OR steer away from the dramatic historical fiction vibe and offer some real emotional depth to Catherine the I. Sadly, this book was neither.

If this book was shorter and focused more on building Marta/Catherine the I as a dynamic character with an inner life, I could’ve carried on but Im not ready to bother with 500+ pages of her just following Peter around and popping out his babies. Embellish a bit & explore Catherine as a character if you’re going to bother fictionalizing this story!

Big thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read the ebook for a review.

I found the story dark, raw, brutal, and enlightening. The amount of research was amazing and added so much to the story. The brutal and and dark situations brought layers of depth that brought forth the inner strength and survival instinct of the characters.

Definitely recommend but not for the faint of heart.

I loved this book! wonderfully written and filled with such detail that I felt I was actually in the situations Catherine experienced. Interesting complex characters. I could not put this book down! so interesting, kept me turning the pages. I received a copy from netgalley and I absolutely loved this book! A must must read!!

This story is about Catherine I, also know as  Marta  who started life in poverty and rose to become Empress Russia. This book is raw and brutal.  There are many triggers so be warned . There’s rape, murder, torture, and everything wicked you can think of .
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At the beginning of the book I was really into it , it was awesome to learn about  Catherine’s begins and how she came to this high position  . The story is told between the past and the present , there’s a sense of mystery and suspense surrounding Thestory .
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As Marta gets older and is bought by Peter, Tsar of Russia, we get to learn about his involvement in multiple wars and and the violence that surrounds him . It’s intriguing , but it also quite depressing and heavy . And long . I felt like one of those kids on a road trip, I keep saying “ Are we there yet ?. I love historical fiction and I though I would love this but i wasn't as invested.

I became totally engrossed in this book. This was not a fast book for me but one that needed to be absorbed with all the intense descriptions and scenes that really made this story so amazing. I also spent time researching Peter the Great (fun fact- he was 6’8”) and Catherine (her reign as Empress was a little over 2 years) and was so impressed at how painstaking the author must have researched this book because facts and her fiction felt very similar. I will say there are brutal scenes in this book but for this place in time I think it is a necessary part of the history to share, Catherine continued Peter’s vision to modernize Russia and opened the way for other women to rule as well- an amazing story about an impressive woman.

Overall fine, but it wasn't for me! If you loved older Philippa Gregory or Diana Gabaldon, meaning you like your Historical romance with a capital-H-history, then this will be right up your alley!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy of Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten. It published November 10, 2020.
Wow! What a sweeping novel! I feel like I experienced Catherine's life with her and what a life she led! I didn't want to put this down. I have read quite a few books about the Romanov family, both fiction and non-fiction, and this one will fit in perfectly with it's book siblings on the shelf!
I will say you need a strong stomach for this book, as there are a lot of, LOT, of triggers. This book doesn't shy away from anything. I found the sex, and sexual assault to be too detailed for my sensitivity, but I know that doesn't trigger others as much as me. There's also quite a bit of violence and gore, as one would expect of a Tsar from this time frame. There's also a lot of war. And syphilis.
Aside from those triggers, this is a sweeping novel that makes me want to know all the things about Catherine!

If you know even the smallest bit about me, you know I’m Royal Family obsessed. And I don’t just mean the British royal family. I’m also really into learning about the Russian Royal Family’s.

Catherine I of Russia is one of the ones I don’t know much about. Other than some rumors I’ve heard, my knowledge has always been limited. But Alpsten’s historical fiction was really well researched! It started off kinda slow cause of her life but it didn’t stay that way for long. I found myself not doing anything else but sitting on the couch with this one.

If you like historical fiction, I recommend this one. If you like learning about the Russian RF, I recommend this one. If you like entertaining books about royal people, I recommend it.

It is 1725 and Peter the Great is dying.  He doesn’t want his son to be his heir and is writing out a decree to announce the next ruler of Russia.  Fate has other plans when he dies without finishing the sentence.  In steps his second wife, Catherine Alexeyevna.  Catherine may be ambitious and ruthless in her maturity, but she wasn’t always that way.  She was born into poverty and had to overcome many challenges on her way into the good graces of the Tsar himself.  She knows that as a woman, her role in any home is on shaky ground, but with Peter’s attention constantly roving, Catherine has had plenty of practice designing schemes to get what she wants.

Tsarina is a historical fiction story that is not for the faint of heart.  The events described are violent and sensual and readers won’t know which is coming next.  Although the violence of war and the graphic nature of violence against women during this time are understandable, I did not like how Alpsten took every opportunity to graphically describe sex scenes in the middle of an otherwise appropriate storyline.  I didn’t care that the characters were having sex; it was the details of the acts that were not needed in this novel.  Tsarina is a good historical fiction story with a different spin on the backstory of Catherine Alexeyevna.

TSARINA • Ellen Alpsten • ⭐️⭐️💫 {rounded down}

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brief Synopsis: Before there was Catherine the Great, there was Catherine Alexeyevna: the first woman to rule Russia in her own right. This debut novel is the story of her rise to power: from her start as Marta, a peasant girl sold by her own family without a second thought, to when she was christened Catherine Alexeyevna, the influential wife of Tsar Peter the Great.

What I love about this book is how true to history it is, especially because this story showcases a pivotal period of Russian history that tends to be glazed over. We all know about Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, but very few can claim much knowledge about Russia's first Catherine. Alpsten took a few liberties to fill in history's gaps (as to be expected, if not hoped for!), but she kept the essence of Catherine Alexeyevna's life as it has been recorded in the history books — laying bare all the strength, scandal and intrigue that Catherine Alexeyevna’s story has to offer.

My lower rating for this book derives from my inability to engage with this story. For someone as crazy about the Tsars as I am, I expected to be a lot more into it. Instead, I felt myself slogging through the pages at times. 

I believe the main catalyst for this came from expectations.  Had the book been marketed differently, I may have gone in with different expectations and enjoyed the book for what it was.  Catherine's story is interesting in its own right, but I feel as though Alpsten did nothing to enhance it. Had this book been meant to be a nonfiction expose of Catherine's Alexeyevna's life, that would have been fine. But as a work of fiction meant to grip a multitude of readers? Eh. 

TL;DR: While I applaud the research that no doubt went into writing this book, the experience I had with this book fell flat likely because I was anticipating something different when I first began the book.

I loved this book! Filled with passion, intrigue, and gorgeous descriptions of 18th century Russia. Catherine Alexeyevna’s rise to power in a court dominated by cutthroat men was truly inspiring. This book is an excellent fall read. Author Ellen Alpsten participated in a blog tour for my blog (link below) and I shared this on all social media accounts.

Wild, seductive and intoxicating! Wow, what a story. Fans of Outlander will love this.

In one woman’s story of survival, from poverty to prosperity, from the frozen tundra to the throne, Marta’s journey in becoming Catherine I of Russia seems almost too incredible to be true. 

I loved this book because of its roller coaster ride extremes. Marta begins her journey as a happy but unwanted child in a struggling family.  Her circumstances are worsened after being sold to an abusive master, but she doesn’t hit rock bottom until she is forced to flee and is left penniless in a snowstorm. Her luck slowly turns around after some hard work, a bit of luck and the kindness of a few strangers. It’s with their help that she begins to rise in station, eventually landing herself in the lap of luxury and into the company of Peter the Great.

Colorful examples of friction and contrast continued throughout this storyline. There were fiery tempers and freezing glares, passionate alliances and bitter endings for lovers, friends and enemies. The descriptions of war-torn landscapes and resurrected cities made the time period come alive, as did the lavish palace parties where vodka, jewelry and jealousy flowed like fountains. Both love and disease, safety and danger filled every page of Tsarina making it an incredible read. 

This book is not for the faint at heart, but if you love historical fiction with some grit, then you will love Tsarina.

#HappyPubDay to Ellen Alpsten for her debut novel “Tsarina”📚🎉
A big Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of the book. 
I have always found the history of royal monarchies completely fascinating. So I thoroughly enjoyed reading this brilliantly written, enthralling saga. Historical fiction truly has the ability to carry you away to another time period. Tsarina without exception is transportive. An intense, lavish and graphically detailed story that follows a young Polish girl, Marta who is born into a cruel and disastrous life of poverty, then sold into servitude by her family. 

She is an extraordinarily beautiful, highly intelligent and cunning young girl fighting for survival in Russia during the 18th century when times were dark and volatile. Though she never learned to read or write Marta is able use all of her abilities to stop at nothing to rise above her station of serfdom/servitude in life. She reaches the highest echelons of nobility becoming Catherine Alexeyevna. Ultimately rising to be the Tsarina the second wife of Peter the Great and upon her husband’s death Empress of Russia Catherine I. If you love historical fiction you will definitely want to read this riveting, sweeping and totally engrossing novel.
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Book Synopsis: Before there was Catherine the Great, there was Catherine Alexeyevna: the first woman to rule Russia in her own right. Ellen Alpsten's rich, sweeping debut novel is the story of her rise to power.

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.

I’m not going to lie, I am a huge sucker for royal stories… I think, for me, royal history a world where my love of history and pop culture collide and I’m just so weirdly enthralled by the glamour, the politics, and the tragedy of it all. So, I was obviously super excited to finally get my hands on Ellen Alpsten’s Tsarina!

Tsarina is the story of Catherine Alexeyvana, a beautiful and brilliant woman, born into serfdom and poverty, who charmed and strategized her way into the Imperial Court of Russia, and became the second wife of Peter the Great and Tsarina. But with Peter on his death bed, Catherine must fight for her life and seize the crown for herself… before someone else does.

Tsarina is the best kind of classic historical fiction that feels like a hyper-real and personal deep-dive into the life of a real historical figure. I loved that it focused on a lesser known, but incredibly important Russian historical figure, rather than a rehashing of more popular stories like Catherine the Great’s reign or the Romanov’s tragic end.

This book is such a uniquely captivating read, you can’t help but be sucked into Catherine’s story - it almost reminded me of a (very) adult version of the Royal Diaries books that I obsessed over as a kid!

Tsarina also inspired me to research Catherine the First, so I learned a lot too - did you know that Catherine was the first woman to rule Imperial Russia and paved the way for future Empresses after her, like her granddaughter-in-law Catherine the Great?!

At nearly 500 pages, Tsarina is quite an undertaking… but for fans of historical fiction, especially historical fiction based on real-life royals, this book is such a treat and is truly something to savor.

I highly recommend this book to fans of Wolf Hall, The Other Boleyn Girl, and anyone else who loved Royal Diaries books as a kid.

Tsarina is a historical fiction book about the life of Catherine 1 in Russia. It was fascinating reading about her rise from a peasant to the 2nd wife of Peter the Great to ruler of Russia when he passed. This was a tough read for me however due to all the  sex and swearing. If you love romance novels this will be right up your alley.