This book was freaking amazing!! I loved everything about it and had an incredibly hard time ever putting it down!

Princess Sophie was everything you could ever want in a main character. She was intelligent, witty, and fierce, but not so much that it was overwhelming or unbelievable.

I loved the entire concept of the story! Ficklin did and amazing job of weaving together a heart-pounding adventure with the perfect about of romance mixed in! This book is sure to take your breath away!

This story was so enchanting. I was thoroughly enthralled from beginning to end; it was all so very fascinating to me. The romance, betrayal and scheming – all were exactly how I like my books about “court” to be. This was well written and exciting. I loved it!

I must admit, I know nothing factual of Catherine the Great, but I think that is how my love of all historically important people comes to be. I will now start reading up on her. Maybe get to know the real Catherine the Great.

I don’t when the next book will be out but I can guarantee it will be too long. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

After five years on the state teen book award committee, I have experienced the good, bad and ugly of all that the YA genre has to offer. Queen of Someday, is by far, the best YA title I've had the privilege to read. It has a few issues, don't get me wrong, but they aren't enough to keep it from being the leader of the pack.

This book was magical to me. I began it with little knowledge about Catherine the Great but I became enraptured with this book.

There is so much happening. I loved the dynamic between all of the characters. He protector Sergei was always there in the background watching and biding his time until he could have his time with her.

Peter was crazy and possessive and so immature. He was spoiled and too used to getting his way. His mother was nice until you did something she didn't want you to do and then you had to watch your back.

Alexander was so nice and normal for being in the position he was. He was a friend of Peter but he connected with Sophie in a way she didn't expect. Sophie didn't think the kind of love she found with him existed. And while their relationship ended in heartbreak it taught her a valuable lesson about what was important.

This book was a Game of Thrones minus the supernatural. There was intrigue and layer of romance. Sophie had hard choices to make and in the end the only person she could depend on was herself. It made her stronger and fiercer and more determined to find happiness when she could.

My Initial Reaction…

I had no idea that Queen of Someday was a fictional biography for Catherine the Great when I started it! The synopsis hints with “the greatest empress in history” and the references to Russia and the Imperial Court, but I thought it was straight up historical fiction – not a reinvention of real people. I didn’t know until the end and that knowledge made a good book even better! This is a series I will be following VERY closely.

The Characters…

I love reading about strong young women and Queen of Someday is chock full of them!

Sophie (AKA Catherine the Great) is our main character and Queen of Someday is told entirely from her point of view. I loved Sophie immediately. She starts off as a bit of a tomboy (though usually dressed in gowns) – battling off thieves that attack her and her mother as they travel to St. Petersburg, where Sophie is to *hopefully* marry Peter, heir to the throne. I thought Ficklin did a really great job showing how Sophie was strong and intelligent, and yet still youthful – meaning sometimes naive. The Imperial Court is a tough place for the innocent and Sophie endures quite a bit as she grows into a fierce young woman. Her path is punctuated with intense love, intrigue, and devastation.

Two other strong women in Queen of Someday are Sophie’s mother and Empress Elizabeth. I absolutely hated Sophie’s mother and in so many ways she actually seems weak. She’s so determined to restore the family’s wealth and status and is willing to use her daughter to do so. She acts quite dumb and selfish – most often an embarrassment to Sophie. And yet, I call her strong, because it is she – not her husband – who made the dangerous journey with their daughter. It is she – not her husband – who is actively working to secure her daughter’s marriage alliance. Oh and she’s up to something else (I won’t spoil for you) that you wouldn’t expect from a woman of this era. I much preferred Empress Elizabeth – since she’s more like the grown up – less innocent (and somewhat less likeable) – version of Sophie. She’s intelligent and fierce – definitely not a woman to trifle with. And yet I feel confident that Sophie will be so much more than Empress Elizabeth.

I’m really curious to see how Sophie’s two ladies in waiting – sisters Rina and Elizavetta – will develop over the series. Rina is so sweet and Elizavetta is so not, lol. I can’t wait to see the ways that Sophie will *hopefully* manipulate the hell out of Elizavetta in future books! I think they both will have an intrical part to play as the series continues and I find myself wishing I knew the history better so I had some guesses!

As great as the story is, it’s really the intricate and complex characters that make Queen of Someday so great, in my opinion. I don’t want to go on and on and on, but I have to tell you about the male characters! There’s three that we HAVE to talk about. Peter, Alexander, and Sergei. The quick version? Peter sucks. Alexander is so sweet. Sergei is the man.

So Peter is sadistic. He likes to play at emotional torture at best and from what I’ve seen physical torture will probably become his favorite game if it isn’t already. Thank goodness Sophie’s so smart! No other way she could survive that bastard. Alexander is so incredibly sweet. Poetic even (literally, he writes poetic love notes!). Too sweet, unfortunately. He doesn’t belong at the Imperial Court, especially not waiting on Peter. I hope he gets far away – though I’d miss him – because I don’t see a good future for him if he stays.

Sergei, though, is perfect for Imperial Court. He knows how to play it smart and he has the right people on his side. He’s a great advisor to Sophie. The only thing that didn’t really sit with me was that he was IMMEDIATELY devoted to her. Why? I don’t know what motivated him to like her so much right off that bat. He shows up to save her and her mother at the beginning, only to find that she’s pretty much already saved herself. So perhaps he just admires her independence. But I felt like his loyalty, even when it wasn’t necessarily to his advantage, came too easily. It’s a good thing, though. Sophie’s gonna need him…

The Story…

At first the story for Queen of Someday felt a bit… silly? I’m not sure that’s the right word – but when it starts, we’re basically just watching a girl (Sophie) try to win the affections of a brat (Peter), working against other women, just to secure her family’s wealth. But then the stakes kept gradually increasing. Until suddenly, wedding a brat – who turns out to be a sadist actually – is more than just about wealth. It’s about life and death, for more than just herself. Since I didn’t realize this was the story of Catherine the Great, I didn’t see the developments coming. But I don’t think it would hurt to know – in fact, it would probably help you understand what’s really going on earlier than I did.

Concluding Sentiments…

I know only bits and pieces of Catherine the Great’s story – and what I do know well is from later in her life, so most of Queen of Someday was a complete surprise for me and I have no idea how much is Ficklin’s creation. But she definitely took an interesting historical character and brought her to life. I CANNOT wait for more! This is one of those moments where you’re so glad you got to read a book early and yet devastated that it’s going to mean waiting even longer for the next one…

I have enjoyed Sherry D. Ficklin’s previous novels; Extracted and Losing Logan, so I was very excited to read Queen of Someday. The cover is beautiful and when I discovered the setting was Imperial Russia I knew I had to read it. Queen of Someday was wonderful, and I quickly slipped into this world froth with danger and romance. Sophie is an amazing, kick-ass heroine who transforms in this novel, and I cannot wait to return in the next novel.

Five Reasons to grab a cup of Imperial coffee and lose yourself in Queen of Someday

The setting..Hello, it is Imperial Russia, with the court, the Queen, politics and balls. It made me giddy. I love the tension, backstabbing, and plays for power. Now for those of you who aren’t big on historical fictions this tale isn’t weighted with lengthy details. In fact, my only complaint about the entire book is that I wanted more details regarding settings, customs, etc.
Sophie is fifteen when she and her mother travel to the Imperial Court, in St, Petersburg. The Queen favors her to marry the Prince. Sophie is brilliant, and a heroine you cannot help admire from the onset. The girl is kick-ass with a blade and arrow. She is also quick-witted and observant. She doesn’t whine when the world treats her cruelly; she stands up dusts herself off and takes action to strength her position. One of the things I admired about her, was that despite everything that occurs she holds her head high, lets go of her anger and still manages to treat those around her with compassion. Ficklin’s portrayal of Sophie was brilliant, and I cannot wait to see how she continues to grow.

Queen of Someday portrays a young Catherine the Great. For history buffs, who aren’t overly concerned with the details, the author offers up a clever, captivating tale about a girl who became Queen. Ficklin includes information in the back of this novel, and I am happy she chose to explore Catherine’s story.

Romance in the Imperial Court is crazy, and Sophie is not immune. In fact, she has several suitors. It is complicated, wonderful, and heartbreaking. Filled with friendships and political moves these threads kept me on edge and showed many facets of a young queen in the making. The romantic threads will move you, make you swoon, and shed a tear, but it will also transform Sophie..

Read Queen of Someday for the writing style. Despite wanting more details regarding the castle, surroundings and customs, Sherry Ficklin held me captive from page one. Her characters have depth, unique voices and show growth. Love them or hate them she weaves them into your heart. The tale moves at a nice clip with plenty of twists and turns keeping the reader fully engaged. Ficklin equally balances the lighter and the darker moments of the story, keeping the anticipation high without weighing down the readers overall mood.

Queen of Someday was a captivating interpretation of a young Catherine the Great and one I cannot wait to continue. Fans of strong, feisty protagonists and Imperial Russia will delight in Ficklin’s tale.