Elizabeth, daughter of Catherine I and Peter the Great of Russia, is a princess in a time of massive upheaval in The Tsarina’s Daughter. In an empire filled with danger, she is almost all on her own after her parents pass and she is constantly pushed aside in the choice for who should be the next tzar/tsarina, but she stays loyal to her Russia. I have some mixed feelings about this book, it took a long time for me to really get invested and some of the violence is so graphic I almost had to stop. But overall, I’m glad I pushed through. Elizabeth is so lonely, but she’s so resilient and powerful. She’s brave and I loved her journey finding love and finding strength to push forward. She never gives up. The tale is tragic, dark and harrowing, and there’s so much political intrigue. This isn’t my usual type of read but it was beautifully written and interesting!

I loved Tsarina and this book was a worthy follow-up. Alpsten does her research and finds a way to make even the most mundane historical moments interesting. I found the intricacies of royal life fascinating and Elizabeth's experiences were hard to believe even though they're real. The end of the book was somewhat abrupt and I hope that's because Alpsten has another coming our way!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the copy to review.

This second book of a three-book series focuses on the early life of Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine I of Russia. While Elizabeth and her older sister seem to have their futures planned out, after their parents’ deaths, a host of political machinations keep Elizabeth out of power and often struggling for self-preservation. The book ends with her ascension to the throne, presumably setting us up for the third entry.

This book is slow at times, but worth reading. Its release is particularly timely with current world events. However, it gave me powerful cravings for snow and spiked chai. #TheTsarinasDaughter #NetGalley

THE TSARINA'S DAUGHTER takes you back in time to the world of Imperial 18th century Russia, where intrigues, lies and lives are always on the line and one must take one step at a time to maintain their heads.

I went into this knowing only basic details about Elizabeth Petrovna, and this book was a great introduction into her world and life. From the very start of the novel, lives are on the line and learning to navigate the tricky world of Russian politics has proven that it is not for everyone. Elizabeth tumbles and falls and rises with the turning of fate's wheel; loves are won and lost, power is gained and snatched away.

However, the book fell flat for me in a number of ways; although the timeline seemed straight, I would have wished for a more condensed and detailed work about this woman. I also don't know much about the real history of Elizabeth, as stated, but it also seems really far fetched in some points of the book. All-in-all, I would like to give it a rounded 3 stars from a 2.5. Worth a read if you like the era and have an interest in this era in Russian history.

It is nighttime, and Elizabeth Romanov stands in the nursery of her infant cousin the Tsar of All the Russias, contemplating her next move and all the events that brought her here.

Though the prequel Tsarina is on my TBR, this is my first taste of Alpsten's work. Luckily the work stands alone. And it was a fascinating read. I knew very little of the early Romanovs beyond that one of them picked his wife in what was basically a marriage cattle fair, which is probably not of much use. Anyway.

What I really enjoyed about this book was how vivid all the characters were. Elizabeth and those who surround her are well-sketched, and despite the large cast I was able to easily keep track of them. Her larger-than-life family members in particular were enthralling in their appearances on the page. The story is also an interesting one, with many twists and turns.

However, I did not quite enjoy the writing style, which jerks the reader around from scene to scene sometimes. All the little snippets made it difficult to stay immersed. Because of this too, the novel's pace is inconsistent, and it was exceedingly difficult to keep track of passing time in the story due to it. Also I did not enjoy the various romances between Lizenka and her suitors, as they all felt rushed in their progress. 

Ultimately an interesting and engaging read, and I am interested in the series as a whole, but I don't know that I would reread this book.

The Tsarina’s Daughter is masterfully researched and tells a fascinating story.

I did not know that this was the second book in a series before I read it, but this did not affect the storyline or my reading and understanding. Alpsten did an amazing job telling the story of Elizabeth Petrovna Romanova and the history of her family. I loved the drama, intrigue, and the history of Russia during this tumultuous time.

My favorite part of this story was following the growth of Elizabeth’s character from a very spoiled young lady to a woman of power who made sacrifices and delt with quite a bit of heartbreak.

I also cannot get over how Alpsten writes in such a visual and atmospheric way. From the very beginning I was fully transported into the story as I traveled through time and places with Elizabeth. Really, this is a story that fully comes to live through the characters and setting!

Overall, this story was a beautiful blend magic, tragedy, and history. All of this blended together to create a world that will capture any reader and drawn them in.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

The pacing for The Tsarina's Daughter was so slow. The sweeping saga will be the perfect book for those interested in this bit of Russian history. Unfortunately it was NOT for me.

I love historic fiction based on truth. This book is based on the daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine, Tsarevna Elizabeth. An entitled, spoiled woman brought down quickly and brutally. The descriptions of the court and the politics of the time is so well written I read them twice. A truly beautiful book.
Thank you NetGalley for providing this copy. The opinion in this review is solely my own.

Wow, what a book! I was hooked from the beginning, though this title did take me some time to read. I decided to step away from it in favor of a work reading project, but it was so easy to come back to. And once I got to the 50% point, I was hooked and couldn't put this one down!

Elizabeth is the child of Peter the Great and Catherine I, the first Tsarina of Russia. She has led a life of both privilege and fear, and continued to do so until she eventually succeeded in a coupe and reigned as Tsarina. Her story was exciting with touches of Russian folklore. While Elizabeth had no children, Russia was like a child to her. She was a woman full of love for her romantic partners, her family line, and her country. Ellen Alpsten does a fantastic job of showing this character as someone who wasn't always likeable at times and had to do some terrible things to get to her position, but always believed in not shedding a drop of Russian blood.

I will say that I know next to nothing of Russian history. While you don't need to read Tsarina, the book about Elizabeth's mother Catherine I, to understand this title, everything I read in the first book came flooding back to be quickly. I loved Alpsten's interpretation of characters Catherine loved that Elizabeth either loved too or did not get along with. These people were complicated with varying motivations.

Elizabeth isn't always likeable, but I feel she was loveable in her passion for her people and her country. I also really enjoyed the romance aspects of this story. Elizabeth's belief that she would never have children after a Leshy spirit told her this as a child did not stop her from falling in love many times over and experiencing what joys of life she could.

Overall, this was a wonderful read. I am so thankful to have received an eARC and physical ARC in exchange for my honest review and to have been a part of this blog tour.

I absolutely loved this novel. If there's a historical fiction account of Russian royalty, I've read it. My lifelong fascination with Russian culture began with the 1997 film Anastasia and has never wavered since (including many years of university studying the nation). I knew all about the history of Tsarina Elizabeth coming into reading this book (more about her reign than her rise I'll admit) but knowing the ending only made this story more interesting and harrowing.

I loved the addition of the Leshy prophecy which fits so well with the folklore and culture of the place and adds a bit of magic to the whole affair. Alpsten doesn't shy away from the less magical bits though. The Russian court was a brutal place to be for most of history and the decades of Elizabeth's early life where tumultuous and full of change beginning with the ascension of her father Peter the Great. There are points when you'll be uncomfortable but that's true to how it was.

What I appreciate so much is the humanness of the characterization of Elizabeth. She can be hotheaded and impulsive (and she pays a high price for it) but also calculating and cool. She experiences a true ton of loss early in life and watching her wrangle with that was entertaining and heartbreaking. Her love for Russia really carries her through. It was her North Star and her conviction was inspiring.

This is historical fiction at its best. The facts are there and they're expanded on to create a story that's rich with emotion and feeling, truly bringing the past to life. I absolutely loved it and am so happy to add it to my list of Russian royalty novels. The acknowledgements at the end made it sound like there may be a third in the series from Alpsten (Catherine maybe? Oh my goodness please??) so I'll be anxiously waiting for news on that. Highly recommend this one!


Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

So I dunno what it was about this book, I could just not get into it. And I. Sorry I couldn't because I was so looking forward to this one. The story line with it's plethora of characters was just too much to keep track of for me. Also it was just a little too slow at the beginning and I had trouble following along because my mind kept wandering while I was reading. I can see why the author left an index of characters but for me it was too much to flip to this as there were so many to keep track of, what can I say this reader is lazy. Also the length I felt could have been condensed more. But that's just my opinion. I just didnt jive with this one. I'm sorry.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for my complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second in the series, but I read this as a standalone. This sweeping historical fiction tale takes us back in time to when the Romanovs ruled Russia. You’ve heard of Peter the Great, this is the story of his daughter, Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s circumstances changed several times, from the privileged upbringing as Peter’s daughter to being ostracized and cast out of favor because her parents weren’t married when she was born. She was threatened several times that she’d be sent to a convent for a life of misery.

You never know who to trust at court and there are several regime changes. There’s all the opulence of the court contrasted with the poverty and pain of the people of Russia. There’s even a little magical realism in this one with several prophecies for Elizabeth and her sister.

This is an intriguing historical, steeped in toxic Court politics, about a little known Romanov, Tsarevna Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine I.

The novel opens on a dilemma for Elizabeth Petrovna Romanova, the only surviving child of Tsar Peter's fifteen offspring. She must choose between taking the throne herself (through the deposition of her adored one-year-old cousin Ivan) or being banished to die in a convent or Siberia.

The story moves back and forth in time to reveal the ups and downs of Lizenka's fortunes, and what led to this.

I enjoyed this one. It was a different take on Russian history as well get a look a Russian Grand Duchess that isn't Anastasia or one of her sisters. Though it's a still a Romanov. And it's almost as dark as the Romanov story we know. this one had me staying up late into the night because I had to know what happened. And how the story was going to end.

I really did not care for this novel. In the past, I have enjoyed books about Russia, both fiction and nonfiction. In my opinion, this author was trying to match the historical soap opera feeling of Showtime's series "The Tudors". Parts of the novel were indeed juicy. I was momentarily interested, then the narrative returned to enormous amounts of tedious detail.
For the first 10% (or less) of this fairly long book, I enjoyed the detail of life in Czarist Russia at the time of Peter the Great. The author described the environments so clearly that I could feel the atmosphere and picture the scenery. This is commendable. However, it went on and on and began to feel excessive. I skimmed shamelessly in search of the meat of the plot. There seemed to be a good story hidden amidst all of these descriptions.
Unfortunately, I never liked Elizabeth or her contemporaries. Their lives were completely decadent. This is probably an accurate depiction of Czarist Russian life for the royals and aristocrats, but these characters were not at all likeable. They were not even the types of soap opera characters a viewer (or reader) loves to hate. These were just despicable gluttonous people. Since this is a work of fiction, the author could have instilled some redeeming qualities in at least a couple of these characters. I could not have cared less about them. Nothing made me want to read their story.
I read ~80% of the book then skipped to the last chapter to see what happened. When I chose this book, I did not know it is the second in a series. However, if stands on its own perfectly well. Readers who enjoy enormous swathes of detail and are willing to read hundreds of pages of it may enjoy this book more than I did. I gave it 3 stars out of guilt. I did not like the development of these characters at all. This book might have been better if it were half the length.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn't realized there was a prior book, which isn't something I've read. However, this story did make sense on its own. However, it did seem a bit wordy/overdetailed at times, which stalled the plot and pulled me out of the story. I did enjoy learning a bit more about the tsars of Russia. Elizabeth is a well-crafted character with solid development. If you enjoy slow-burn historicals, you may want to check this one out. Reading the prior book may add to the enjoyment of this one.

The Tsarina's Daughter is a fictional retelling of Elizabeth, daughter of Tsar Peter the Great and his wife, the Tsarina Catherine. The setting is the 1700s. It is along the lines of Phillipa Gregory's books about the Tudor family in England. The book ventures between romance and political intrigue. I liked it because I learned a lot about the time period, which was very interesting, especially all the diplomatic intrigue between Russia and other countries. Elizabeth was a frustrating protagonist at times, sometimes strong, sometimes naive. At times it felt like we were only rooting for her because of her bloodline, which the book made clear shouldn't be used to determine a ruler. But still very interesting and entertaining. The visuals of Russia in this time, and the stark discrepancy between the wealthy upper classes and the great poverty in the country, were fascinating.

Life at Peter the Great's court in Russia is a deadly challenge for his daughter Elizabeth. Not knowing who to trust and who she can turn makes her every move dependent on her intellect and cunning. A well-written historical fiction book well worth the read.

DNF

This is one where I am like, "It is not you. It is me."... I think? Honestly I just was not connecting with it and I am not sure if it is the narrative style or just my head-space and patience as a reader. This may be one that I have to revisit later, but right now it is just not landing with me at all. I love that this is historical fiction that is NOT tackling WWII because I have WWII fatigue when it comes to my historical fiction, but this is more overwhelming than anything and I am just finding it hard to bring myself to character about the characters or story.

I received an ARC of this a few weeks back and unfortunately wasn't able to finish before publication because of work-related things (working in a college can be so stressful!) but anyways, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press!

Another unfortunately, but I didn't know that this was technically a sequel? I did not read the previous book so I went in blind. I think this book can be read as a standalone though since the previous book was about Catherine I. "The Tsarina's Daughter" is the fictionalized account of Elizabeth, the daughter of Catherine I and Peter the Great. I loved Alpsten's writing. They do a brilliant job of bringing life and vibrancy to history in a way that makes it feel very much larger than life. That said, I did find myself getting bored? At some points in the story, Elizabeth's perseverance just comes across almost nonsensically because it felt like she was being pointlessly reckless. I also thought that at the heart, the narrative was just boring. It was all about Elizabeth's loneliness and her search for love after everything the Leshy had told her it had "foreseen". I don't know why, but it just kind of felt lazy to me to rely so heavily on that aspect of Elizabeth who seemed to be very cool on her own.

I will say that I would recommend this for somebody who is interested in Russian history and the writing is gorgeous. I just felt it was a tad too long and some of the characterizations just felt unrealistic even for a fictionalized account.