This was a decent book but it isn't really my genre so I had a hard time getting into it. The cover is beautiful and the author's writing style is excellent but it just wasn't for me.

The first-person view allows readers to live through the stunning story of a young woman as she lives though tragedy and upheaval in the cold, treacherous halls of the Russian royal palaces as Tsarevna Elizabeth would have.

This book made a very turbulent time in Russian history so personal and real. I really felt for Elizabeth (Lizenska) as the throne is kept from her over and over again. There were parts of Russian history that I wasn't aware of--like that one diosece alone owned over 50,000 serfs. I knew about the Tsar owning serfs, but not about the church. Rather appalling. No wonder they revolted.

I also wasn't as aware of this bit of the history of Russia. We all know about the two Peters. About Catherine the Great. But this bit in between I wasn't familiar with at all. It kind of gets eclipsed by later history. And this is just as intriguing. The story made it all come alive and feel human and immediate. History can so often be dry and just a list of events. This was so much greater than that. This was personal and real.

Books about the Romanovs always bring the glitter and shine, an almost unreal sense of wealth and a constant pulse of impending doom and tragedy. So it's an adrenaline ride. The story here didn't meet my expectations, with the woodland creature losing me and breaking the spell that I alone concocted for the story. Sometimes the reader is completely at fault for not loving the story, and that's definitely the case here. So I'll grade only on what my expectations were and were fulfilled so beautifully. Alpsten is a gorgeous writer, and I'll seek out her other titles.

This sequel is a very consistent follow-up to the previous ‘Tsarina.’

It overlaps and continues in a very nice way, to where the story shifts seamlessly from Catherine I to her daughter, Elizabeth. And this does exactly what I want from an historical fiction novel - it takes key people from history and humanises them. They are no longer facts and dates but become characters. Obviously a lot of liberties are taken with this story, but I didn't mind it too much.

My main issue was with the writing itself. The narrative is a little all over the place. It's pretty inconsistent pacing without any real indication of how much time has actually passed and other times felt unauthentic to the time period. It also took me a very long time to tolerate Elizabeth as a character. I would have much rather the narrative focus more on her reign, rather than her early years, because of this reason.

But overall, this is an easy-to-follow story that can be read as a standalone. I think if you have any interest in this time period, then it would be a book I would recommend, as long as you go into this expecting entertainment value only.

Historical fiction has a tendency to be either hit or miss; some historical figures just do not merit an entire book about them, and some are embellished to the point of being mythologized rather than seeming like a real person, even some centuries removed from every day. The Tsarina's Daughter had none of these problems, instead revealing a side of history in the Russian royal family that is fast paced, constantly evolving, and yet easy to follow despite having a huge amount of characters.

None of this would be possible without the main historical figure of Elizabeth who the book follows from when she is fourteen years old to when she is thirty-two. Rather than tackle her years in power, this novel follows her rise to power and all of the pitfalls along the way. I did not know much about Elizabeth before reading this novel and initially, I was worried that her lack of bloodthirsty qualities were an effort to make her more palatable (considering Russian history tends to be heavy on coups and bloodshed) but after learning that she spent her entire reign without ordering a single execution, you still leave this book marveling at how she managed to gain her power.

I really enjoyed this and am planning on reading Tsarina as well.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Tsarina's Daughter is a great book by Ellen Alpsten. It is about Tsarevna Elizabeth of Russia, the daughter of Catherine I and Peter the Great. I have always been fascinated by the Romanovs of Russian history and this historical really made me even more curious with this family. I loved learning more about Elizabeth and see her strength, determination, and bravery through life. I was not sure of her at first but she grew on me as she matured through the years. I thought it was a great book!

I am giving The Tsarina's Daughter a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for the readers who enjoy reading historical fiction based on real figures from the past. I will be most definitely looking for more historical novels by Ellen Alpsten in the future.

I received a paperback copy of The Tsarina's Daughter from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

This book is the second of a trilogy about the Russian aristocracy in the times of Tsar Peter the Great and his descendents who were collectively known as the House of Romanov. In this second novel which can be read as a standalone, Elizabeth is trying to find her path in life, specifically as it pertains to the royal court. There are those who support her as an heir to the throne, even though she is female, but others who seek to detract from her standing in order to gain power and status. As a child, she was given a harrowing prophecy by a menacing witch who she would remember throughout her life.. As Elizabeth ages, she finds each line of this prophecy coming to pass one-by-one that makes her fear for her future. This era in Russian history is popular in fiction, but I hadn't read too much about it. But I did enjoy traveling there into the ice and snow of harsh winters to see what became of Elizabeth through the years. I didn't want to spoil any outcomes by researching as I was reading, so I didn't know the details about how things played out in real life. But I can tell you that Elizabeth's journey took a sharply winding path that kept me reading into the night. There is a slight element of fantasy with the appearance of the witch, but it doesn't dominate the story except for providing the outline for the road Elizabeth travels to her ultimate fate. My advice is to take a chance and preorder your copy. Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read it early.. Pub date is March 15, 2022.

A birds eye view of life in Russia during the times the Tsar Peter the Great and his Romanov heirs. Elizabeth is his only surviving child, and she quietly bides her time until she is named the new Tsarina and work to complete the initiatives her father started. She has to endure heartache to get to her final goal.

An interesting look at 1700s Russia and how the Tsar and his family lived. Great descriptions of Russia and the people that lived and existed in that time period.

Sadly, I had to DNF this one around 20%. I was in the mood for some historical fiction and intrigued by a subject and setting that I'm less familiar with. The level of detail helped me learn a lot about the subject of the book, but also made it feel bogged down. Combined with some really stilted and over the top dialogue, and a really unlikeable Elizabeth, I just couldn't get into this.

This was ok, but I just couldn’t finish it. Personally it felt slow to be and I had a hard time getting in to.

The Tsarina's Daughter, by Ellen Alpsten, is part history, part fiction with some good old fashioned bodice ripping included. I enjoyed learning about some of the history that led up to Tsarina Elizabeth becoming Elizabeth of Russia. The book opens at the point right before she becomes the ruler of all the Russias, then quickly takes us back in time to when her beloved father, Peter the "Great", was in power. When her father dies her mother, Catherine l, becomes the first woman ever to rule over Russia. This is when all the different factions, vying for power, start to show their true, very ugly colors. While this family was really missing out on basic human decency, some of the extended relatives were really scary. There's a very real reason that her cousin, Tsarina Anna, was often referred to as Ivanna the Terrible. The Russians even refer to her reign as a "dark time". We get to "see" all this and more until we're, full circle, back to right before Elizabeth begins her reign. This is a good book for anyone who enjoys Russian and world history.

What happens when you request a title from NetGalley without looking at the author’s name, only to find out it was the same author whose previous book you LOATHED? You’re about to find out. I requested and received a copy of The Tsarina’s Daughter by Ellen Alpsten from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

One of my first reviews for this blog was Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten. I loathed the book. You can click on the link and read my review, I’m not going to rehash it, but suffice it to say that it was not my cup of tea. I had no recollection when I saw a book on the Russian royal family on NetGalley that it was the same author of the book that I almost DNF about 5 times but persevered. I hoped for a better outcome. I was pleasantly surprised.

Years ago, when I first started reading about the Romanov family, I picked up a book called Elizabeth & Catherine: Empress of all the Russias from a library book sale. I got a general sense of Elizabeth but the book left me wanting me to know more about her, but most Russian Romanov history is about Peter, Catherine or the last Romanov, Nicholas. I never followed up, however.

The book traces Elizabeth’s life from the time she’s about ten, up until she ascends to the throne. But getting there wasn’t easy. Simply living to adulthood was a struggle, even for nobility. Smallpox, Diphtheria, and a host of other diseases could wipe out a city. It was no different for Peter the Great and his wife, Catherine. They had something like 15 children, but only three survived to adulthood. Not to mention Peter the Great’s insistence on having a male heir. His son with his first wife didn’t please him, so he had him killed, leaving his grandson, Peter, just a boy, as his heir. Elizabeth and her sister, Anna were born out of wedlock, so even though Peter married their mother, Catherine, people in the royal court still called them illegitimate. Besides, they are girls. Boo!

There’s all sorts of court intrigue and double-dealing and back stabbing and all the things that make for a good soap opera. Elizabeth, while strong and feisty, for the most part knows how to keep her head down low and curry favor of the power brokers behind the throne. After Peter the Great dies, his wife and Elizabeth’s mother, Catherine, becomes Empress. But she falls under the spell of Peter’s right hand man, and it’s really he who rules. And he does not like Elizabeth at all.

As we travel through the years and several different rulers in a short time frame (three in five years, I believe), I thought Alpsten did a good job of showing the maturity and growth of Elizabeth. She’s smart to curry favor with the various rulers, but gets a little P-O-ed about other people being chosen as ruler when she, as a daughter of Peter the Great, should also stand in the line of succession. Time and time again Elizabeth is screwed over by the succession of rulers. Then she would fall back into favor. So she goes through periods of great wealth and abundance, and then she’s nearly destitute for a time. Wash, rinse, repeat several times.

But, as would prove to many a person, she’s also a fool for love. I do have to say that there are no gratuitous sex scenes like there were in the author’s previous work. That’s not saying the book is completely devoid of it, but when it’s there, it’s appropriate, and not beleaguered like the last book. She takes a handful of lovers throughout her young life, but there’s no wild sex parties going on.

One thing I do wish, because the book spans many years, is that there were dates at the beginning of each chapter. I found myself wondering how old Elizabeth was at any given place. Sometimes it is mentioned, but not enough to keep track when the book jumps ahead several years, then several years again. I’ll have to Google to find out just how old she was when she came to the throne.

After reading The Tsarina’s Daughter, I feel I got to know Elizabeth better, as it covers her life from childhood to ascension to the throne, but now I hope I can find a non-fiction book about her to see how much of Alpsten’s prose was fiction and how much was real life. Despite my misgivings going in, this was a very good read. The Tsarina’s Daughter goes on sale to the general public March 15, 2022.

"Ellen Alpsten's stunning novel, The Tsarina's Daughter, is the dramatic story of Elizabeth, daughter of Catherine I and Peter the Great, who ruled Russia during an extraordinary life marked by love, danger, passion and scandal.

Born into the House of Romanov to the all-powerful Peter the Great and his wife, Catherine, a former serf, beautiful Tsarevna Elizabeth is the envy of the Russian empire. She is insulated by luxury and spoiled by her father, who dreams for her to marry King Louis XV of France and rule in Versailles. But when a woodland creature gives her a Delphic prophecy, her life is turned upside down. Her volatile father suddenly dies, her only brother has been executed and her mother takes the throne of Russia.

As friends turn to foes in the dangerous atmosphere of the Court, the princess must fear for her freedom and her life. Fate deals her blow after blow, and even loving her becomes a crime that warrants cruel torture and capital punishment: Elizabeth matures from suffering victim to strong and savvy survivor. But only her true love and the burning passion they share finally help her become who she is. When the Imperial Crown is left to an infant Tsarevich, Elizabeth finds herself in mortal danger and must confront a terrible dilemma - seize the reins of power and harm an innocent child, or find herself following in the footsteps of her murdered brother.

Hidden behind a gorgeous, wildly decadent façade, the Russian Imperial Court is a viper’s den of intrigue and ambition. Only a woman possessed of boundless courage and cunning can prove herself worthy to sit on the throne of Peter the Great."

I am TOTALLY obsessed with the Russian Imperial Court!

Trigger warning... there is an attempted rape scene. It also has some detailed (consensual) sex scenes, so if that's not your thing, also be warned. There's also a fair bit of humiliating one's enemies (which is not uncommon historically among ruling parties).

Putting aside the above, I did enjoy this book as I did its predecessor. I will admit though, I kept looking at my progress through the book and wondering how everything was going to fit in as there was so much to get through but so little left in the book. It did happen though! I will suggest having some kind of family tree handy to follow along with while reading. As someone who knows a little, but not a lot, of Russian history, it can be confusing. There are many repeat names much like in the history of the English monarchy. This book partly overlaps with the last one, during the rule of Peter I, known as Peter the Great and his wife, Catherine I, not the great (who are not to be confused with Peter III, not the great, and his wife Catherine II, who was known as Catherine the Great... see what I mean?) Anyway... it tracks through the rise and fall of six members of the ruling Romanov family. I do hope that the author continues the series to track the rest of the Romanov's that came after.

Don't know why I didn't connect this to Alpsten's other book, Tsarina (Didn't enjoy that one). to this one. While there were elements I enjoyed, it just seemed to take forever to get through this book. I just couldn’t get invested in Elizabeth's struggles and kept putting this down reading other books..

Born into the House of Romanov to the all-powerful Peter the Great and his wife, Catherine, a former serf, beautiful Tsarevna Elizabeth is the envy of the Russian empire. She is insulated by luxury and spoiled by her father, who dreams for her to marry King Louis XV of France and rule in Versailles. But when a woodland creature gives her a Delphic prophecy, her life is turned upside down. Her volatile father suddenly dies, her only brother has been executed and her mother takes the throne of Russia.

As friends turn to foe in the dangerous atmosphere of the Court, the princess must fear for her freedom and her life. Fate deals her blow after blow, and even loving her becomes a crime that warrants cruel torture and capital punishment: Elizabeth matures from suffering victim to strong and savvy survivor. But only her true love and their burning passion finally help her become who she is. When the Imperial Crown is left to an infant Tsarevich, Elizabeth finds herself in mortal danger and must confront a terrible dilemma - seize the reins of power and harm an innocent child, or find herself following in the footsteps of her murdered brother.

Hidden behind a gorgeous, wildly decadent façade, the Russian Imperial Court is a viper’s den of intrigue and ambition. Only a woman possessed of boundless courage and cunning can prove herself worthy to sit on the throne of Peter the Great.

The Tsarina's Daughter is the follow-up novel to The Tsarina, and centers around Elizabeth (though better known throughout the book as Elizavenka) the daughter of Catherine I, the protagonist of The Tsarina and her husband Peter the Great. The end notes mention this is a trilogy of the Romanov's, so it is not unreasonable to assume the third and final book is likely to feature the most well-known of the tsarinas of the eighteen century, Catherine the Great. Meanwhile, the first two books are intricate histories of two lesser known women in a time and place that many authors choose not to write about. The Tsarina's Daughter was even more enjoyable than The Tsarina for me. I don't know if this is because I had expectations going in, or if Alpsten has hit a really good rhythm. Unlike her mother, Elizavenka knows nothing but a world of privilege growing up. It is not until her father's death that her world begins to crumble and she realizes that privilege is not guaranteed, and being in the orbit of the monarchy can be an incredibly dangerous place to be. Elizavenka goes back and forth between being favored and unfavored by her relatives and their cronies and her fortunes waver accordingly. She begins to realize that if she wants to survive to one day possibly sit on the thrown herself that she will have to play and win the games of strategy that take place at court and avoid making the wrong enemies. With such a long time period to cover - the book runs from when she is a teenager until age thirty when she seizes the crown - the story often doesn't go into great depth. That being said, Alpsten still does a wonderful job of giving the reader a feel for how it would have felt to be in Elizavenka's position and the danger and excess that came along with the life of a Romanov and the royal court. A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was given the chance to read this book as an ARC thanks to NetGalley! I absolutely loved the history in this story of the Romanov family, and how the author developed all of the characters. I was very lost at the beginning though because you are introduced to a lot of names and it was hard to keep everyone straight. I also found the story great and interesting but very long.

I thoroughly enjoyed Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten, so when I saw The Tsarina’s Daughter was available I jumped at the chance to read it.

In this novel we are once again transported to the volatile inner workings of the Russian royal court—this time following the story of Elizabeth (daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine I). The young Tsarevna is living a charmed life as the story opens. She’s the daughter of a revered ruler and on the cusp of an engagement to the king of France. But as so many fantastically heartbreaking stories go, she soon finds everything she thought her life would be swept away and she’s relegated to the life of a pauper on the fringe of the royal court she was once destined to rule.

The stark realities of Elizabeth’s life are highlighted by the cold, harsh descriptions of Russia during this time. Cold winters, poverty, and famine feature as prominently as each character in the book. Ellen Alpsten has once again done an amazing job of building this world and transporting us into it. It was a hard book to read only because I felt the anger and disappointment for Elizabeth’s predicament so strongly every time I opened the book—but not opening it again was never an option because I had to follow her journey through to the end.

The Tsarina’s Daughter is a fantastic historical fiction (and just a damned good book!). It will be released March 15, 2022 and I highly recommend it if historical fiction is your jam.



*I received a copy of The Tsarina’s Daughter from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review*