Ellen Alpsten's novel, The Tsarina's Daughter, is the story of Elizabeth, daughter of Catherine I and Peter the Great. Born into the House of Romanov, Elizabeth lives a life of luxury, but when tragic events happen in her life, she finds herself relying on others. I voluntarily read and reviewed this complimentary copy of this well-written book full of love, loss, danger, survival, and scandal. If you like historical fiction, this book is for you!

This book was phenomenal until the part where the MC was forced to perform oral sex on her attacker. I really feel like there should have been a trigger warning for that as it was pretty graphic. Unfortunately, I couldn't read past that point even though I really think I would've loved it.

It took about half of this book for me to actually get into it. So many names, it was hard to keep track. The last 3rd of the book is where it really picks up, and you can't help but love Elizabeth's charecter. Reading the Tsarina first is definately recommended. I give this one 3 stars. The research is well done, the author obviously knows a lot about this history and has a passion for it. My biggest complaint, and its not really a complaint, is that it's so dense.

I will say I'm curious what this author comes iut with next. Maybe something on the life of Catharine the Great.

This book focused on Tsarevna Elizabeth, the daughter of a serf, Catherine and Peter the Great, and how her turbulent life went through a series of ups and downs with the changing of Russia's rulers. This story started out strong and I loved reading about the young Elizabeth. However at times the story fell a bit short because I felt that it rambled a bit and was a wordy in ways that didn't contribute to the imagery and plot development. Overall, it was very well researched and provided a lot of information on a little known but significant Russian ruler.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This apparently is book 2 in a series, although I read it as a stand alone. I enjoy all aspects of history so I was drawn to this story. It was very well written and I really enjoyed it. It was long but it didnt even seem that way!

I loved the history and the amount of research that the author must have done is tremendous. However, I felt that the book dragged too much- something I found can happen a lot with historical books and authors who wamt to share their knowledge. It is a longer book and at times I had to make myself continue reading it.

This story, although long was inspiring, this is my first Alpsten book.. The second in the series can be read as a stand alone, in the author's note there will be another book making this a trilogy. The Tsarina’s Daughter is an insightful, enthralling tale set in eighteenth-century Russia that tells the story of Elizabeth Petrovna Romanov, the second-eldest daughter of Tsar Peter the Great and Catherine I. Her life seemed to have been fated by the dark prophecy predicted by a woodland spirit when she was a child and who after bearing tragedy after tragedy, loss after loss, and survived in a world in which friends easily turned to foes, and calculated maneuvers and political advancement were always higher on the agenda than love. She became the Empress of Russia in 1741, at the age of thirty-one, and ruled until strokes led to her death in 1762. She lived a tumultuous life, born out of wedlock, shunned by the throne and later succeeded in re-establishing her place in the Russian hierarchy. A woman of perseverance and dominance, she was not to be messed with and by the end of the novel I felt respect for her story. Overall, The Tsarina’s Daughter is another fascinating, absorbing, immersive saga by Alpsten that does a spectacular job of once again highlighting her incredible knowledge and impeccable research into the infamous House of Romanov and the remarkable life of this last direct Romanov to ever reign in Russia. The sheer amount of research the author completed to add to the story is amazing and well done.

I thank St. Martin's Press, the author and netgalley for the opportunity.

Well this is a weird review.

It too me far too long to read this book. I mean really it took several months. And not because the book was long, it was just taxing to try to get thru. My main issues with this was the pacing. I felt like we were just thrown around in time, I was unsure what was going on when we would just get dropped into some of the scenes. I found myself just getting confused as to what was going on, how much time had passed, or where exactly we were. I do love history so I was trying to make the connections with the Romanov family.

Overall, I just don't think this was for me and that's okay! Every other review I have seen has been positive :)

I enjoyed this book even though I wasn't aware it was the second in a series when I initially requested it. I read it as a stand alone and did find some names/nicknames tricky. It is quite the commitment time-wise as it is a larger book. But if you're in the mood for a deep dive into Russian historical fiction, this is a good one.

Palace intrigue told in a flowery style that never shies away from the descriptions. And there are a lot of them, so much so that continuity is rough. Stilted dialogue and info dumps at every paragraph hamper the ebb and flow. The cover is beautiful and the author's passion for the subject is evident, but a thinly drawn character does not live up to a courageous and cunning princess. Disappointing.

Who here is interested in Russian history? I’ll admit- this time period intrigues me!

The Tsarina’s Daughter is the follow up to Tsarina- which I read in 2021. The story shifts from the strong and incredible Catherine I to her daughter Elizabeth. Elizabeth enjoyed a luxurious childhood and grew up thinking she would eventually be married to Louis XV- King of France. After her father’s death, Elizabeth was cast aside— because she’d been born out of wedlock. Much like her mother, Elizabeth realized that life at the Russian court was dangerous and she could be imprisoned in a covent if she stepped out of line.

I liked this book, but I will admit that it wasn’t always easy to follow. There are way too many characters with the same name and I sometimes struggled remembering who we were interacting with. At 514 pages, this was a hefty read and the timeline was often hard to follow.

I’m glad I read this one, but wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who didn’t find the time period incredibly interesting. Three stars!

Thank you to Negalley for an ARC of The Tsarina’s Daughter in return for my honest review.

~~~ I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~~~

WOW! What a saga! I really admire authors that take on heavy time periods and leaders like imperial Russia. This book and the story of Tsarina Elizabeth Romanova is riveting. The author has portrayed her struggles and the scene so well, I felt like I was there with her. The biographies of historical figures such as the Tsarina make natural soap-opera-esque stories. This book is full of drama, scandals, criminal acts, treachery, war, love.... in short is has all the requirements of an engrossing novel. Tsarina Elizabeth's story is both intriguing and amazing. This book may have been a tad long, but it was worth it. Also, the absolute inhumane treatment of "enemies and foes" is disturbing- but that's the brutal reality of imperial Russia. It is obvious the amount of effort and time that Ellen Alpsten put into researching and writing this novel (and I so appreciate it!) I understand this is the 2nd in a trilogy- (I did read the first and it was just as good) and I'm looking forward to the last!

Much like its predecessor, "Tsarina", this story is as epic as a Russian novel; fraught with incredible loss, betrayal, subterfuge, and despair. Yet it also speaks of opulence, the excesses of the rich and powerful and how one safely navigates such a world as that of a changing Russia of the 18th century. It is a riches to rags back to riches story of a plucky young girl, whose cleverness, sensuality, quick wit and tender heart guide her through the quagmire of aristocratic life with all of its precarious pitfalls and occasional shining moments. This is the story of young Elizabeth, the eventual Empress of all of the Russias.

Author Ellen Alpsten has crafted an incredible story of Herculean proportions about Elizabeth, the younger daughter of Peter the Great and his second wife, Catherine I. She cleverly provides a purely fictional yet believable account of the early years of this legendary woman. Relying on the available historical records of the Romanov court, Alpsten weaves a rich and epic story about this strong, courageous and religiously devout woman. In one stroke, she captures the beauty of the Russian landscape as well as the soul of the Russian people with her painterly writing style. In another, she captures the shear brutality of aristocratic life and its associated struggles for power.

Trigger warning: scenes from the boudoir as well as those of horrific brutality are quite graphic. This may all be closer to the truth than one would hope.

Regardless, the book was interesting, well researched, well written and most informative regarding Russia's history and this amazing woman's place within it.

I am grateful to St. Martin's Press for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

After having recently read several historical fiction books surrounding the Romanov empire, I was really looking forward to reading The Tsarina’s Daughter. Overall it was alright. The prologue was hauntingly beautiful, but the rest of the book dragged on, the writing fell flat and I struggled trying to keep track of the timeline. I did appreciate the list of characters presented at the beginning and the authors notes at the end. I’m sure this story will appeal to many readers, it was a miss for me.

An advance digital copy was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and this is my honest review.

3.5 This epic Russian history we go back to when the Romanovs were on the throne. We follow Elizabeth as her life is turned upside down again and again. This book is full of political intrigue and did a really good job of bringing Russia to life. I really enjoyed this book and it made me want to learn more about Russian History. The only downside is I felt at a disadvantage not knowing the history prior to reading this book.This book is full of characters with many nicknames and many times I was pulled out of the story trying to figure it out. I feel that Russian History Lovers will really appreciate the detail of the events are included in the story. I do want to thank the publishers and Netgalley for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

The Tsarina's Daughter by Ellen Alpsten
I like how this novel merges well with Tsarina. Moving from Catherine I to her daughter Elizabeth fluidly. Each character has background, persona and motive. The court is full of those looking to move up and most times it's at the expense of others. The struggles Elizabeth endures to maintain what is hers kept me riveted.

I especially enjoyed the touch of magical realism based on prophecy for the sisters. Not only does Alpsten flesh out these historical figures, she adds touches like the prophecies that fit local superstitions. However, I did feel it was longer than I'd like and the plot was choppy in places that interrupted the flow.

Alpsten has done an excellent job with representing the Romanovs in both novels. She's quickly become an author I'll be continually looking for more from.

Thank you St. Martins Press for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Alpsten expertly re-tells the story of a historical figure, and makes her sympathetic and relatable through a modern lens. This would not be my first personal choice of a historical era to explore. However, the story is captivating. The romance deserved so much more, but perhaps the real people did as well. While this book may not have a high level critique of the relationship between the Russian monarchy and ordinary people, it's clear how insular the Russian aristocracy always was.

This was a fascinating view into the early years of the House of Romanov. It is told from the view of Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine, who fought for her right to ascend to the throne. Her life was a roller coaster falling in and out of favor with the Russian Empire due to her legitimacy and her social habits. I found the writing to be so beautiful and descriptive as the characters came to life. As the reader, I could feel Elizabeth’s frustration when denied what was inherently her’s and felt the emotions of her turbulent times. I didn’t expect the flair of fantasy but reading the Author’s Note, gave me a better understanding of this element.

If you like Tsarina, you will probably like The Tsarina's Daugher. I unfortunately did not like either. One thing I appreciated about this book was that it did feel very consistent with the first in the series. The things I liked this book were things I liked in the first one but the things I didn't like in this book were also things I didn't like about the first one. Ellen Alpsten provides really vivid descriptions which make this book easy and fun to visualize. However, sometimes the book meanders a little too much and it's hard to keep track of how much time has passed/where you are in the story. Sometimes too much time is spent on things that don't really add to the story and plot points that should be exciting just kind of happen with no fanfare.

I absolutely loved this book. The writer made Elizabeth come alive for me - I connected with her and became invested in her story. This is one book I could not put down and I look forward to reading the author’s next work.