Thank you NetGalley, Ellen Alpsten and Macmillan USA for the advance readers copy for my honest review.

This book is dubbed as a historical fiction, which it is to an extent. The story is based on Marta, who spent 25 years with Peter theTsar of Russia who became Tsarina Catherine of Russia. However, reader beware, there are numerous sex scenes deeply written about - consensual, rape and deviant. Additionally, there are numerous gruesome violent acts written in great detail. The story of Tsarina life was interesting and new for me. Yet, I struggled with the sex and violence in the book.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for allowing me to be a part of the blog tour for Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten.
A dramatic, sweeping historical novel, an epoch in Russian history.
Catherine Alexeyevna started her life in 1684, as Marta, a humble peasant girl. She cannot read or write, but she learns things quickly.
The saga of her adventures as she rises from poverty to become first mistress, and then wife to Tsar Peter the Great.
A fascinating journey through a violent and primitive time when women were treated like chattel and rape was an everyday occurrence.
She used her wits and fought her way to the top in Imperial Russia.
The story was quite compelling and the characters were really brought to life by the author.
I did feel it went on a little too long and some details were very disturbing. But overall a well researched and engaging read.
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

Tsarina is a breathtaking epic historical novel about the rise of Empress Catherine the First of Russia. She is born a poor girl named Marta who is taken into a German home to work. She is always a beautiful girl and then woman and when she manages to flee to claim her independence, she catches the eye of the Tsar of Russia, Peter.
This story is full of a richness of atmosphere and detail that lets the reader truly feel compassion and understanding for the choices Marta makes throughout her life. She has many struggles and joy throughout her life. She becomes the partner to Peter and has many pregnancies, fewer living children before he even marries her. She allows Peter to “rename” her, Catherine, when they begin to have a relationship. She essentially has to decide how much she is willing to give of herself in order to be the wife to Peter. Peter is a complex character who can be a loving man to his partner but he is also a tyrant who does terrible, spiteful acts as well. He has very little emotional control and she often bears the brunt of his rage. She alone is often the person most able to tell him difficult facts. These facts sometimes sway his plots and other times do not. The atrocities he committed, as well as the lavish lifestyle were often issues that weighed heavily on Catherine.
Ultimately, Marta/Catherine is a fascinating figure who became the first Empress of Russia. She also remained true to her roots and was a real person who understood the hardships of her people.
This is absolutely a must read for historical fiction lovers, especially anyone interested in the history of Russia.
Beautifully written.
#Tsarina #Netgalley #StMartinsPress

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for making this ARC available to me. Following is my honest reivew Tsaria by Ellen Alpsten.

I was intrigued by the premise of the book and the opportunity to learn more about Catherine I and her Empire of Russia as my knowledge of the region and the Romanovs begins with her predecessors. Catherine's life story of rags to riches is compelling and original and Alspen's telling of it in vivid detail makes for an enjoyable read. As others have commented, there is a lot of adult content and I often found myself skipping paragraphs as it just became too much and detracted from the impact of the story. I understand that Alspten was trying to highlight the general debauchery and excess that accompanied the times, but unfortunately these frequency of these graphic scenes had a negative impact and cheapened what was a very engrossing story.

I’ve read many a book on the Romanovs, and a history book on Catherine the Great, but to read about the Catherine the Firsts early years was a treat, as it explained so much about the strength of this Russian ruler and the road she paved for other Tsarinas.

Ms. Alpsten’s depth of writing, her obvious research on Catherine I are commendable. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Catherine I, I didn’t expect such a rough road Marta (as she was known as a child) had in her childhood. Russia and the road Catherine takes to become Tsarina are both educational and entertaining during a very tumultuous time period in history.

Ms. Alpsten’s debut novel is one that everyone should read if you love history and especially Russian history. This book is not easily put down. It’s easy to forget that this is historical fiction and not a straight up History Channel Documentary it feels as if the details of this book are written from letters of the Empress herself.

Thank you, Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Ms. Alpsten for the opportunity to read this book in lieu of my honest review.

When I first started reading Ellen Alpsten’s historical novel I had to put it down. Not because it wasn’t good—quite the opposite. The cover and title gave me the impression Tsarina would be another Cinderella story a la Disney+ with some steamy sex scenes thrown in for good measure. Poor girl with a heart of gold captures a king’s love and becomes wealthy not to mention powerful.

Yada, yada.

Don’t get me wrong. Tsarina is about Marta Helena Skowrońska, a peasant washerwoman whose beauty and compassion causes Peter the Great to fall in love with her. But it’s not Disney fare, not by a long shot. It’s intensely dark, full of Machiavellian power plays, death, exploitation, cruelty and brutality—with a little bit of love thrown in. At times Alpsten’s descriptions of Russia’s wintry landscape dazzled me. At others, her graphic depictions of the primitive behavior that prevailed in 18th-century Moscow surprised and disturbed me. And in case you’re wondering, there are plenty of sex scenes—some of which are steamy. Others…not so much.

But back to why I set down the book.

I’d heard of Peter the Great’s efforts to westernize his country and had even visited St. Petersburg as a student (which, by the way, is gorgeous). I also knew a little about Catherine the Great, who ruled decades after Peter’s death. But I never gave any thought to Peter’s second wife. I’m not sure I even learned about her in my Russian history class—or if I did, I promptly forgot about her. So when I requested Tsarina I was half under the impression the book would be about Catherine the Great. I didn’t realize Marta changed her name to Catherine Alexeyevna when she was christened in 1705. I also didn’t know Catherine I ran the country for two years after Peter’s death—making her the first woman to rule Russia.

So after I read a few chapters I had to know if Alpsten was mostly making stuff up. She wasn’t. From what I could tell from my random googling, she stuck pretty closely to fact. Which, for me, made the novel even more readable. The author’s note at the end of the book confirmed what my search had told me: Alpsten did her homework.

The only thing I felt didn’t wholly work was the frame story. Tsarina begins at Peter’s death bed and it takes a long time for the narrative to circle back to that moment—the entire novel, in fact. Something about that long interval didn’t quite gel for me. I also expected a little more about Catherine’s time on the throne. But the book is more about her rise to power and less about the time afterward, when she actually has to exercise it. It’s also about the internal changes her meteoric rise force upon her. Peter can be wonderfully charming…yet he’s also a monster. Likewise, Catherine has to sacrifice certain qualities along the way. As is true of the real-life tsarina, she is a complex character who lived a remarkable life.

If you’re looking for a powerfully realistic historical tale, then I recommend this book. Much thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5

Tsarina is a historical fiction that imagines the life of Catherine I of Russia, apparently not to be confused with Catherine the Great, which is who I spent the majority of the book believing that it was. Catherine starts out as a simple peasant girl named Marta, who against all odds survived multiple assaults, wars and tribulations before she catches the attention of Peter I, the Tsar of Russia. As we watch Marta transform into Catherine Alexeyevna, the indomitable empress consort who stands at her husband's side, we watch as Catherine navigates the politics and drama that is the Russian Imperial Court. By the time Peter dies, she has triumphed multiple affairs (of her husband and her own) and tragedies galore, Catherine faces her greatest challenge yet: using her husband's death to claim power in her own right as Tsarina, or to fade into obscurity.
So again, I was focused on the wrong Catherine throughout this novel, which I think colored my enjoyment of this book a little. Not fault of the book or author at all in that respect. Alpsten's writing style is lovely, and I was enraptured as she brought the world of 18th century Russia to life with its flamboyant aristocracy, vivid landscapes, and social/political turmoil. Now that I know which Catherine we're talking about here, I really enjoyed this imagining of her early life and rise to power. In a world where men ruled the day and women were denied basic human rights, My main issue with this book had to do with the lack of any sort of trigger warnings for the rather graphic descriptions of sexual assault that caught me by surprise. While rape and sexual assaults' was certainly a reality for women all throughout history, this is a piece of fiction, and it felt like it was just there for plot purposes sometimes. I think if I had been forewarned, I would have thought differently. Also, the pacing in this novel could be slow and drag on at times. But what remains is this: Catherine's story is one of resilience, shrewdness and survival that any woman who dared to claim power in such a world would have to exhibit, and Alpsten has breathed some much-needed life and exposure to us as modern readers to not just Catherine's story, but the story of women throughout human history.

Catherine learned at an early age how to take care of herself. She was actually from one of the poorest families in the area. And due to several intriguing circumstances, she ends up as the Tsarina to all of Russia. Catherine was extremely intelligent, even though she never learned to read. She had and intuitiveness which helped her to achieve goals way beyond anyone’s expectations.

I fluctuated between 4 and 5 stars on this one. It is not without problems. But I was captivated. This is not the first Catherine the Great novel I have read. I love this time period. And I think she is truly one of the most fascinating of all the historical women. The author did a fabulous job with the research and with the realities surrounding this unique monarch.

Like I said earlier, this novel has a few problems. It is slow to start. Plus, at the first of this book several of the same type of things happen to Catherine. I don’t want to give anything away. But I had the thought…if this happens ONE MORE TIME! Luckily, as the book moves along the writing takes on a very good rhythm and I did not want to stop reading. I found myself very caught up in the life of Catherine as well as Peter the Great.

This is a gripping tale you do not want to miss!

Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was part cinderella story, part Russian History lesson with game of throne vibes.

Absolutely wonderfully written historical fiction book. I'm not very familiar with the Russian dynasties and so it was great fun for me to read and learn about some royalty that I hadn't read much before, especially when it was written so well!

I have to start this review with a couple of disclosures.
First, at one point, I majored in history in college. I’ve always been a history buff of all time periods and thought I might like to teach it. There were two classes that absolutely kicked my butt.
The first was an Ancient Egyptian class that was fascinating, but the professor was a savant of some kind and his test questions were the “Who was the fifth king of the 23rd Dynasty, and why was he important” type. A LOT of minutiae that was difficult to remember.
The other class was Russian history in two parts. The first was the early years of the tsars (c. 1500-c. 1700) and the second class was the emperors (Peter the Great through Nicholas II). They were fascinating classes but full of so many people and twisty relationships that I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
I flunked it twice and switched to a Theatre/English major.
The other disclosure is that my parents and I visited Russia in the mid-1990s. At the time I wished that I had made it through the history classes, but our tour was so informational (and honest) that I still count it as one of my favorite trips ever.
I say all this because I obviously have a love/hate relationship with Russian history. That’s just one reason that I was excited about reading this book. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but whatever it was, I was not disappointed.
The author managed to convey all of the intrigue and intricacies of the Russian Courts without it being mind-numbingly confusing. That right there is a feat of its own.
The other thing that I found interesting was the author’s choice to show the rough side of the monarchy. That was something that we learned while we were in Russia. The courts were definitely wrapped in pageantry, wealth, and opulence (as can be seen in their palaces) but the underbelly was quite sordid.
I liked how the author chose the “warts and all” approach. It made everything much more vivid. And boy, are things vivid. Sexual encounters and fights, feasts and festivities, all get lavish descriptions. I will say that if you are faint of heart, some of the more graphic encounters may be a bit much for you. Read wisely.
As to the plot itself, well…let’s just say that it in some ways it doesn’t matter what is real and what is the author’s artistic liberties, because it all weaves together seamlessly. If there is anything that is not factual, it is close enough to the truth to fit into the narrative.
It’s a story about the two extremes of society, the nobles who constantly angled for higher status and the poor who were nothing to the aristocracy and there to be used. Ultimately, it’s also about a woman who went from one of those extremes to the other and ruled Russia as any man would.
It’s an epic read for anyone who is interested in historical fiction that sticks to the reality of history (not some romanticized version of it).

Through a masterful weaving of known historical fact and rich description, Ellen Alpsten has written a fascinating epic, telling the story of Marta Scavronskaya, who becomes the second wife of Peter the Great. From her humble beginnings as the illegitimate elder daughter of a Baltic peasant, Marta rises to the highest position in Russia, Tsarina Catherine I. The tale begins with the death of Peter, who has died without naming an heir. While hatching her plan to become Tsarina, reflects back on her life.
When Marta's mother dies, she is left in the care of her father, much to the dismay of his wife, who despises the girl. Marta grows into a dark beauty. At the first opportunity she has to rid herself of the girl, Marta's step mother sells her to a Russian. Thus begins her life of being abused by different men, rape, almost sold into white slavery, taken advantage of by a minister's son, war, rape again. After her rescue by a kindly Count Sheremetov, Marta joins Prince Menshikov's household, where she meets Tsar Peter the Great and becomes first his lover, then his wife.
Ellen Alpsten has given a true portrayal of the times, life in the various places, where Marta found herself, the vast regions of Russia, the rages of the war with Sweden, the scorch and burn tactics. This book reminds me a lot of Boris Pasternak's "Doctor Zhivago", a book, that I have read and reread many times. We learn a lot about the reign of Peter the Great, his personal life, his accomplishments, his rule and his orgies. These were brutal times, unfortunately, and the author describes them honestly and in detail, too vividly in some people's eyes. But that was life then. This book is not for the squeamish. Her descriptions of the food in the markets, the menus in the various households and the pleasure taken in consuming these foods actually made me hungry!
I am amazed, that this book is in fact a first novel for the author. I don't know what Ellen Alpsten can write to top this one. She has set the bar high for herself. She is definitely a writer not to be missed. I look forward to her future works.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3660115488

This book was something else.

Content Warning: Sexual Violence, Miscarriage, Domestic Violence, Abortion, Violent & Gruesome Deaths, Child Deaths.

Tsarina is the story of Marta, a serf born out of wedlock, who faced terrible tribulations before becoming the mistress and then wife of Peter the Great, Tsar of all Russias. Peter renamed his wife Catherine.

I briefly knew of the history of Russia, but this historical novel took me deeper into the heart of Peter's reign from the never-ending war with Sweden to the villainy of the future tsar of Russia (Peter's son from his first marriage) to the building of an empire. Yet, despite his whoring about Russia and Europe, it was Catherine he loved.

It is amazing to see how such a young woman survived as she did. Her unique beauty doomed her, but also saved her. She was sold to a man who repeatedly raped his servants, and was a sadist to those who crossed him. When she finds the perfect home, she's taken advantage of. She marries a soldier, only to be raped on her way to see him as he's dying. She's saved by Russian soldiers and then her new life begins.

It's Catherine's knowledge of how to care for someone having a seizure that captures the tsar's heart. He is its sufferer.

This book intrigued me so much. She was a serf that one day became the Empress of Russia. I had no idea.

I will stress the content warnings on this. Do not read if you are sensitive to any of those warnings, because it happens repeatedly. There was so much rape & sex, this became borderline Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty series. After awhile, you become desensitized to it, because you take into consideration the time period and the evil side of war. The multiple miscarriages and early deaths of children are the terrible tribulations many parents went through during that time. Lack of good medical care, lifestyle, living conditions, etc. are just the many things that contributed to the struggle to produce children.

I will warn you that you'll feel the sharp chill of winter throughout this book.

A very intriguing book.

So a little known tidbit about me: I had a brief period where I was truly OBSESSED with Russian history. Like, deeply into it. I read all kinds of books, studied up on folklore, you name it. I 100% blame Cathrynne (a fun theme here) Valente's Deathless. But I digress.

This book is so very lush. It's scary at times, but everything within is just so...rich. I understand why Catherine the Great made a LOT of the hard choices she was forced to make, while still being able to recognize that she was a hot mess of a human.

Not entirely a spoiler, but do be advised that there's a somewhat graphic depiction of rape within the book. It's not gratuitous or anything, but it exists. It's historical, rural Russia. It's. Yeah.

Marta, baby Catherine, had a really rough go at it from the very beginning, but she still had that deep seated fire to live, to survive. And honestly, more power to her!

Deep and dark, this is honestly the perfect book as we go into winter. I give Tsarina 4 out of 5 bottles of kvass. Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for review.

My intense love and wonder for Russia/The Romanovs' has been absolutely lit on fire by this amazing Historical Fiction novel about a time period that I have woefully neglected! Ellen Alpsten has woven a gorgeous tapestry rich with history, imagery, and fully developed characters that will envelop you from the very first page. Tsarina is an incredible example of historical fiction done absolutely right and will leave you scrambling for all the book recommendations for non fiction and historical fiction alike, to continue your journey into Russia and the deep history of the Tsars' and their families.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book early and participate in the book tour St. Martin's Press!

The life story of Catherine Alexeyevna from a penniless servant to the lover and eventual wife of Peter the Great. The reader follows along with Catherine as she struggles for power within Peter’s court and within his heart.

This one took a little for me to really get into as the beginning has some dark moments, but once Catherine first meets Peter, this book grabbed a hold of me and would not let me go. I was left amazed at the author’s ability to breathe such life into these historical figures and facts. The reader truly witnessed the development of a meek, scared child into a strong and ruthless woman/ruler. What intrigued me the most were the struggles and emotions that went with trying to produce an heir-the desperation, hope, and ultimate sorrow and this story sheds light on the unfair treatment and burden that was placed on women in this time.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the digital copy and for having me as part of their blog tour.

It was fun to learn about Peter the Great and Catherine the First of Russia. I have not read anything about these people before and was fascinated with how cruel people could be. Know that this has some very graphic descriptions. Catherine and Peter had a lot of sadness in their life. It is always nice to read about real people and how they lived day to day. I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Masterfully written,Tsarina is the epic tale of the rein of Russia’s Peter the Great as told from Catherine the Great’s intimate perspective. Finely tuned detail transports the reader through the horrors of war, plague, and famine to the glory of victory and the construction of an opulent and glittering St. Petersburg. Alpsten compellingly describes Peter the Great’s fascination with Western art and culture, particularly that of Parisian influence. The reader witnesses Peter’s anguish over his traitorous son, and Peter‘s raucous and bacchanalian behaviors in his quest for a male heir. An outline of what purports to be historical accuracy frames the novel. Lurid and lusty detail ooze from the gaps left by scholarly accounts. Far from didactic, Tsarina is as steamy and emotional as any romance novel.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author who provided an ARC of this monumental accomplishment in exchange for this honest review.

Tsarina is a historical fiction based on the life of Catherine Alexeyevna. We meet her as Marta and her humble beginnings. She is naïve but ambitious and soon becomes a mistress of Peter the Great. I have admit that I didn't know a lot about Russian history and found this story quite shocking, but fascinating.

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten |Book Review Blog Tour|
fictiveescapes Book Reviews, Book Reviews November 22, 2020 4 Minutes

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Jacket Copy:

“Makes Game of Thrones look like a nursery rhyme.” —Daisy Goodwin, New York Times bestselling author of The Fortune Hunter

“[Alpsten] recounts this remarkable woman’s colourful life and times.” —Count Nikolai Tolstoy, historian and author

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.

Author Bio:

ELLEN ALPSTEN was born and raised in the Kenyan highlands. Upon graduating from L’Institut d’Etudes Politiquesde Paris, she worked as a news anchor for Bloomberg TV London. Whilst working gruesome night shifts on breakfast TV, she started to write in earnest, every day, after work and a nap. Today, Ellen works as an author and as a journalist for international publications such as Vogue, Standpoint and CN Traveller. She lives in London with her husband, three sons and a moody fox red Labrador. Tsarina is her debut novel.

Early Praise:

“A fascinating and extraordinary ride from slavery to royalty…[for] fans of historical fiction, Russia, political intrigue, and powerful women.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Alpsten shines…Lovers of Russian history, strong women protagonists, and sweeping historicals will savor this vivid portrait.” –Publishers Weekly

“Astonishing…the ultimate Cinderella story [that] makes Game of Thrones look like a nursery rhyme.” —Daisy Goodwin, bestselling author of The Fortune Hunter

“As detailed as the jewels and enamel inlay on the creations of Faberge…[a] crisp, elegant fictional account of history, woven with emotion and brio.” —Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Shoemaker’s Wife

“Gripping…Love, sex, and loyalty vie with war, intrigue, and treason to create an epic canvas as exotic and powerful as eighteenth-century Russia itself. Masterfully researched and beautifully written, this is historical fiction at its best.” —Nancy Goldstone, author of Daughters of the Winter Queen and Rival Queens

“The extraordinary life and career of Catherine I of Russia is brought to life in Alpsten’s colourful novel.” –Sunday Times, Summer Reading Picks 2020 (UK)

“An entertaining romp through the endless intrigue, violence and debauchery of court life.” –Mail on Sunday (UK)

“A vivid page-turner of a debut.” –The Times (UK)

“Intrigue, rivalry, and sumptuous decadence leap to vivid life in this fascinating story of Peter the Great’s second wife…conjuring the gorgeous marble of the Winter Palace and deprivation of Russia in the 18th century, the perilous ascent to power of the first woman to rule as empress is a gripping and unforgettable journey.” —C.W. Gortner, author of The Romanov Empress

“[Alpsten] recounts this remarkable woman’s colourful life and times.” —Count Nikolai Tolstoy, historian and author

“Luscious…Alpsten has clearly done some brilliant research. It reads like Game of Thrones without the dragons.” —Natasha Pulley, author of the international bestseller The Watchmaker of Filigree Street

“Tsarina should come with a health warning—once you start reading, it’s impossible to stop.” —Hannah Rothschild, bestselling author of House of Trelawney

Buy Link: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250214454

Social Links: https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/ellen-alpsten


This was the first historical novel that I have read since I graduated from college. I was surprised that this novel was about how Catherine The Great bécane the Tsarina of Russia; Starting all the way back at her humble beginnings… when I started the novel I assumed that the novel would be all about her ruling over Russia. In reality, that point of time is completely skipped over in basically its entirety.

I enjoyed the fast pace of this novel; it wasn’t like reading a textbook at all… which is always my biggest concern when reading historical. It’s strange to think of a time when St. Petersburg wasn’t a huge major city in Russia.

The story of Catherine’s life is a sad one but not unpredictable in the slightest. The saddest part was how every single action of her life seemed to be made out of survival and preservation; nothing else.

I would recommend this novel to anyone looking to read about a point of history that isn’t talked about very often from a perspective that is normally greatly ignored. This novel made me want to read more books about Russia. It is a country that I haven’t had the chance to learn very much about.