Disclaimer - I received a free digital download of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading the story of Tsarina. It was interesting to see how an innocent young girls life could be turned so inexplicably upside down in so many ways, to then end with her in what some people may say is such a fortunate position. I liked the way the story was portrayed and the strong character development. It helped to empathise with Marta through her struggles and particularly towards the end as her decisions became more questionable. 

I’m not much of a ‘history buff’ and hadn’t really heard of the Tsar of Russia or Marta, but it was interesting delving into their story and getting to know them. I enjoyed reading this book and felt the story was well portrayed and enjoyable.

REview based on an ARC provided by the publishers. 

Following Tsar Peter the Great's death, his second wife, Catherina, is crowned Tsarina of all Russias. This is the re-imagined story of how the poor bastard Marta became one of the famous rulers of Russia. Inevitably, it's also the story of Peter the Great and how he tried to bring Russia closer to Europe.

I liked sections of this but it didn't work for me overall. The characters were okay but it was just lacking something overall. It didn't have an interesting point to link into for me but I can see why others would enjoy it.

This isn’t a period of history I knew a vast amount about before going into this novel, although I have long been fascinated by Russian history. And whilst I certainly did learn a quite a lot about the period and about the Russian politics of the time, I can’t help but feel like this is overshadowed by the sheer amount of smut included here. There is a huge amount of sex described in gratuitous detail here, both consensual and not. Personally, it felt overdone and unnecessary. You could cut half of the erotica out and replace it with more detailed character development of Peter’s cabinet and further historical detail and make a far better historical novel. When combined with the brutal details of torture, rape and general unpleasantness that made up much of Peter’s reign, it makes for uncomfortable reading at best.

I would also state that this isn’t really the novel it pretends to be; much of the blurb is focussed on what happens after Peter’s death, however 95% of the novel if not more is Catherine’s life story. It’s a fascinating story, and could have been even more so if some of the gratuitous sex was replaced with historical narrative. There is virtually no time given to her short years as Empress, which seems to be a missed opportunity and certainly doesn’t fit what I had expected from the blurb. This could have been far more than it actually is, and that’s a real shame. And whilst Catherine’s life is fascinating, a huge amount is glossed over in preference for pages of explicit sex. Characters who are hugely important in the early novel are virtually forgotten, despite still being important players who are close to Peter and Catherine. The deaths of her children - even potential heirs - are given less page time than the descriptions of rape.

But onto what you do get from the novel, Alpsten is good at portraying a completely unsanitised view of historical events; she doesn’t pull her punches and I can honestly say I was frankly horrified by many of Peter’s decisions and actions, particularly in his later reign. Her writing evoked feelings of disgust, of horror and of pity for those around the ‘great’ man. He starts as an unpredictable bully and finished his reign as a despot and a tyrant. He may have done great things for Russia as a whole, but he was a thoroughly unpleasant man and made individuals lives a misery. I would be interested to know how many of his later actions were caused by his untreated syphilis, a question that the author doesn’t even try to touch.

There were parts of this that I really enjoyed, such as how Peter built St Petersberg, the socio-politics, how his relationship with his son dissolved and Catherine’s relationship with the secondary players of Peter’s reign. Despite my disgust, I was fascinated by the atrocities of his latter reign and how he devolved into paranoia, jealousy and hatred. This is what I was looking for, and sometimes I got it. But more often this is a highly explicit and frankly gratuitous erotica, rather than a serious historical novel. That isn’t what this was described as and it wasn’t what I was looking for. The author would have done much better to cut at least half of the sex scenes and bring the focus back to definite historical events or relations between characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

What a truly brilliant read! I have never read something so truly empowering and engaging. I was hesitant at first but the more I read the more I loved this story. Definitely worth a reread and will be picking up a physical copy for sure.

This is a rags to riches tale of how Marta, courtesy of her life taking various turns, some good, some bad; ends up meeting the Tsar of all Russias, Peter I.  Then it is the story of their love affair and their relationship resulting in 12 pregnancies and quite a bit of heartache.

It's a moving read, and I did rather enjoy it.

Set in a period I know little about, I found this well researched, richly detailed, atmospheric and easy to get lost in.
Catherine I of Russia’s Life was not an easy one, but it sure makes for a great historical epic, that doesn’t shy away from some of the rather brutal realities of the time. 
Excellent debut - a writer to watch.

I first heard the story of Peter the Great's second wife Catherine on a trip to St Petersburg and thought it was a fascinating story,so I was happy to receive an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.It took me a while to get into it,as it's very long and doesn't really pick up until about a third of the way through,but it gives a very good depiction of the woman who rose from being a washerwoman to becoming the ruler of Russia after the death of Peter the Great.
It tells of the development of St Petersburg and the ways in which Peter tried to bring Russia into Europe,but also doesn't hide his cruelty ,and the torture and murder of his enemies,and even of his own son,which I found quite difficult to read about in places.
The character of Catherine is well developed and shows how she managed to stay as  the mistress and then the wife of this very difficult and complex man,and doesn't cover the ruthlessness required to do so.There are some purple passages and some of the writing strays into bodice ripper mode but it is a gripping story and I did enjoy reading it once I got into the book.
This review reflects my own opinions.

Found it hard to get into this book but I think the fault lay mainly in the awful formatting of the Kindle version of this ARC, which I downloaded - didn't get a chance to get the other version provided, but the Kindle version, I expected it to be a good layout, not having sentences running into each other and with punctuation being practically non-existent between sentences which then made this read cluttered and a mess to decipher
The story itself was riveting, the historical details magnificent (though so many characters, and the author relying on the first-pages 'cast' and not giving a tidbit of who's who through the read made this troublesome to figure out, especially when said cast just ran sentence into sentence in the awful Kindle ARC that I downloaded here - decidedly dampened my enjoyment of a book I had been so eager to devour)

Tsarina is the story of Catherine I of Russia – not to be confused with Catherine the Great! Born Marta Skowronska in 1684, we first meet her as an illiterate peasant growing up in Livonia. When a rich merchant passes through her village, Marta’s family sell her to him as a maidservant and she is forced to leave her home behind and embark on a new and very different life. From these humble origins, we follow Marta’s rise to become the most powerful woman in Russia, first through her marriage to Peter the Great, who renames her Catherine Alexeyevna, and then as Empress in her own right.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I had initially been put off by the cover, which hinted that it would be more of a bodice ripper than the serious sort of historical fiction I prefer, but as I had seen some very positive reviews I decided to give it a try anyway. Although I’ve read quite a lot of novels set during other periods of Russian history, I’ve never read any that cover the life of Catherine I, so I thought if nothing else this would be a good introduction to a woman of whom I previously knew very little. And in that respect, it was a success because I finished it feeling that I’d learned a lot and had come away with a good knowledge of Catherine’s life and significance, while remembering that the book is a work of fiction and not everything in it can be assumed to be completely true – particularly in the early chapters, as so little is known for certain about Catherine’s early years.

Tsarina is a long novel and I could tell the author had put a lot of effort into researching it and trying to create a complete and believable 18th century Russian world. The book begins with a map of Russia under Peter the Great and a full list of characters, including all the members of the Tsar’s large family, the many courtiers at the Russian Imperial Court and the serfs and peasants with whom Marta/Catherine grew up in her village in the Baltics. Despite all of this I didn’t find the book quite as immersive as I would have liked, and although some parts of the story are certainly very gripping, I found myself struggling to get through other sections. As I’d suspected, there’s a lot of focus on Catherine’s sex life and many pregnancies, as well as a lot of long and graphic descriptions of the general violence, drunkenness and debauchery of Peter’s court – and while I’m sure it was all quite accurate, it did become repetitive after a while.

Still, it would be hard not to have some admiration for a woman like Catherine who overcame so much hardship in life (I won’t spoil the plot for those of you who know nothing about Catherine, but the novel shows how she was repeatedly exploited as a young woman and treated with brutality and unkindness) and even after she began to rise to power, she knew that her position was precarious and that she couldn’t afford to be caught off guard even for a moment. As for Peter, the author captures the many different facets of his personality, from his monstrous cruelty and ruthlessness to his intelligence and his vision of Russia as a modern western empire.

Although this wasn’t really the right book for me (or maybe I was just in the wrong mood for it) it was good to have the opportunity to get to know Catherine I.

Born into poverty Marta is sold to a merchant in a Baltic town.  His violence causes Marta to find a way to escape and  destitute she works as a servant and then a washer-woman throughout a war zone.  Chance finds her in the path of the Tsar of Russia, the wild and charismatic Peter.  As Marta rises from mistress to wife to Empress, she has to balance her life against the railing of Peter whose syphilis-driven madness leads him to increasingly wild actions.
Based on a true story, that of Catherine I, this is a romanticised story which has more the requisite amount of sex and violence to enthralled the reader.  The story is long and lurches from one wild tale to another yet Alpsten knows how to make the whole engrossing.  It's not high fiction yet is also a little bit more than either a bodice-ripper or a gentle historical romance.  It's actually great fun!

I am a big Historical fiction fan, especially Russian history.

Tsarina reimagines the life of Marta, a Polish-Latvian peasant girl who rose the ranks to be Peter the Great’s wife, and Empress of Russia.

As a historical reimagining the novel is engaging and factually correct as fa as I could gather.  
The cover of it infers a bodice ripper, whilst the blurb set out a sweeping biography of a Russian Empress.  But the novel sits somewhere in the middle.  It’s a sexy blockbuster (think Jackie Collins or Harold Robbins), and there are many scenes of rape, sexual assault, sexual deviancy that would make you toes curl if you are in any way prudish.

No punches are spared in the brutality of the period.  Peter the Great is depicted as the monster that he was, and no punches are spared in the brutality of the period, and the cheapness of life.  If you have triggers this book may not be for you.

But it also is a sweeping, epic novel into a historical period where not much is written about – the court of Peter the Great.  The Tsarina herself is a deserved heroine who has no problem taking matters in her own hand when required.  Think a Russian Scarlett O’Hara.  I am ruthless about googling things that I do not know, and I found the facts consistent with what I found online – for instance the naming of Red Square predated the Bolshevik Revolution (which is something I didn’t know).

This is a very long novel, with lots of violent and at times unnecessary sexual scenes (and I am no prude), but I did enjoy it and would recommend it to any lover of historical fiction.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and  opinions are mine

Historical fiction is my absolute favourite genre.  
I should also say that Russian history is something that has fascinated me since I was a child so I was thrilled to be able to read this

This is an absolute joy to read.  I could not put it down.  Clearly heavily researched and beautifully descriptive.  I very rarely give 5 stars but this absolutely deserves it

Can't wait to read more from this author

Gorgeous

Tsarina by Ellen Aplsten definitely lived up to its claim that it is like Memoirs of a Geisha (one of my all time favourite novels) meets Game of Thorns as it details how Marta meet  Russia's young ruler, Tsar Peter I and became Catherine I of Russia. Definitely an amazingly dark, gritty historical romance that everyone should read.

Tsarina tells the story of Catherine I of Russia and her tumultuous life. The life of Catherine is a true from rags to riches story. From humble beginnings to Empress of Russia. Her journey to Empress is filled with horrendous moments, this includes being violated and abused but also witnessing various horrors. Imagine giving birth twelve times and only see two of your children survive into adulthood. 

Catherine, or previously known as Martha, is a determined, strong and cunning woman. A true survivor and someone who will go to any lengths to survive. Even though she’s illiterate, she manages to outsmart most in the room. A powerful woman to read about which makes the story even more compelling. 

Ellen Alpsten writes a truly captivating story. The history is compelling and you can feel that it’s very well researched. The writing is vivid and pulls you into the story from the first page. The story starts with the death of Tsar Peter and the uncertainty that comes with it regarding Catherine and her safety. After that we go back in time and have various flash-forwards to the time shortly after the Tsar’s death. This way your curiosity is immediately peaked because you can’t wait to unravel Catherine’s story to see where she started and how she got to the point of the Tsar’s death.

One of my first historical fiction reads and I’m hooked!

Tsarina; a sweeping, sensual historic portrayal

There is nothing better than good historic fiction to sweep you away from everything that’s happening in the current world and immerse you. Tsarina, the debut novel from Ellen Alpsten did just that for me; vividly portraying the extraordinary life of Catherine I of Russia. 

Let me point out, I am not talking about Catherine the Great; rather Catherine I was Empress of Russia over 50 years before Catherine the Great. One of the factors that makes the life of Catherine I so extraordinary is that she was born illegitimate, was a common serf and sold by her family into household labour at the age of 15. Yet what is so astounding is that her life has never been told – until now. And crikey – what a life it was.

Born Marta, her lover Peter the Great changed her name to Catherine. She bore him 13 children and after being his mistress for many years, she eventually became his second wife and then Empress of Russia . 

In a cruel world where women were sold and passed around as sexual toys for men, Marta fights for respect and compassion; not just for herself but also for other women. I loved Marta for this as she was prepared to sacrifice all she held dear to ensure she and her friends were respected by the men they loved. 

Many refer to Marta/Catherine’s story as a Cinderella story, but in my view this description is doing her a misjustice. Marta is a survivor with great determination and spirit. She is also very beautiful but I think the reason why the Tsar loved Marta above all his other women was because of her empathy, sense of humour and integrity. When she firsts meets Peter he is at his most vulnerable, yet she ignores that he is the Great Tsar or Russia and uses her wit and compassion to help him.

There are aspects of this book which I have to admit I found a tad shocking, especially the brutality, the treatment of women and the portrayal of Peter’s court. Believe me, I’m no prude, but crikey, they liked to party fuelled by drink and sex. I tell you, if your missing your Game of Thrones fix, read this book! 😉
https://noveldelights.com/2020/05/17/tsarina-a-sweeping-sensual-historic-portrayal/
This is a chunky novel rich in historic detail. For me I found this fascinating, especially as I love history and all the political intrigue that comes with it. It is so evident that Ellen Alpsten is passionate about vividly portraying Catherine as the powerful, intelligent and empathetic woman she was. It is clear from Alpsten’s writing that Catherine greatly influenced Peter and shaped history.
 
Tsarina is the ideal lockdown read as it will take you away from all the horrible things happening in the world today. It was only published a few days ago so you can read it now. 🙂

As literary genres go, historical fiction was my first love. This one is up there with the best. 

Even in my early school days, I was in trouble with my history teacher for questioning the dry facts that he presented to us. He happened to also be our current affairs teacher and, in those classes, he hammered home that we should verify and validate and cross-check the sources. When it came to history lessons, we were expected to believe everything that the historians had written without question. When I pointed out the conflict, his cane swished painfully across my hands or backside.

My view was that the historical fiction that I read COULD be very close to the truth and it certainly brought history to life much more than his crusty books. Again, the cane was his answer.

I haven’t changed!

Amongst my favourites are Rosemary Sutcliff, Nigel Tranter, John Prebble, Conn Iggulden and George MacDonald Fraser. 

Ellen Alpsten, with her debut novel is definitely added to my list.

Tsarina is narrated in the voice of an illiterate peasant girl from the village of Livonia in what is now Latvia. She is sold into servitude by her father and goes through periods of terrible abuse throughout her lifetime, even after she has found the favour of the Tsar, Peter the Great. He renames her, Catherine Alexeyevna.

There are many interesting characters in this book, not least the great Russian General Shermetev who gives her advice and guidance that steers her through the rest of her precarious life. Her calculated cunning, combined with huge determination to be her own woman and a great deal of luck see her through many very dangerous situation.

Se soon realises who she can trust and who she cannot and that it is often better to be ruthless in your dealings with those around you than to fall the victim of their ruthlessness. Everyone in that world, in that time, is trampling on those around them to gain their own advantage. Woe betide those who dare to cross either the Tsar or the Tsarina.

The time-linear narrative is occasionally interrupted with a flash forward into the time around the death of Tsar Peter. As you read, you can feel Catherine’s fear as she comes to terms with the fate that could befall her if she fails to gain the support of those who will hold her up as Empress of Russia.

I really enjoyed riding the emotional roller-coaster with Marta/Catherine as she told me her life story. This is tremendous historical fiction and I recommend it to all and I have no hesitation in awarding five well-deserved stars.

Learned a lot about Russian history with this book...I knew very little about this period and nothing of Catherine 1 of Russia so was fascinated to read this rags to riches saga. Full of fascinating detail and bursting with larger than life characters, this was an eye opening read and should be on the must read list for all fans of historical fiction.

This is a debut book of epic proportions. It’s Spring 1699. The strikingly beautiful, Marta has survived the brutal Russian winter in her remote Baltic village but is sold by her family into household labour at the age of fifteen. She only survives by committing a crime and this forces her to go on the run. 
Meanwhile, in another world,  Russia's young ruler, Tsar Peter I, progressive, determined and iron-willed, has a new vision for the  Tsardom of Russia. He wants to transform it into a modern, Western empire with little regard for the untold human costs. 

Marta cheats death at every turn, finding work as a washerwoman at a battle camp which leads to a chance encounter with Peter the Great. Her tremendous courage; wit and ambition ensure she makes it to the top. She will become Catherine 1 of Russia. 

It’s a graphic read of a brutal period in history. 
Enthralling; thought-provoking and richly textured, I really enjoyed reading this book engaging with the tale of the strength and lengths a woman will go to survive. A wonderful debut.

Tsarina was a fascinating, enthralling historical novel which really brings Russian history to life.

Firstly Catherine was truly an amazing woman. The fact she managed to get to such a high position when she was born a peasant, couldn’t read or write and was a woman in a male dominated society was truly remarkable. I found I admired her more as the book went on and I was firmly on her side, hoping that she succeeded.

The author has clearly done a lot of research into this period and all the little details about life back then helped bring the period to life. I knew nothing about this period so greedily absorbed everything I could. As the blurb says Catherine has mainly be forgotten from history which is really sad, and not much is known about her early life so the author has had to use some imagination at times which I found completely enthralling. Peter was definitely an interesting character who did much for modernising Russia. He was definitely a cruel man and some of his actions were very brutal which made for uncomfortable reading sometimes. One particular scene made me feel slightly sick so just be warned it’s quite graphic at times.

Overall I thought this was a fast paced, addictive read which I flew through in a few days. I found myself so completely emersed in the world she’d created that I found myself confused when I had to come back into the present. The author definitely knows how to make history interesting and I thought this book was brilliantly written and just draws the reader into the story. I will definitely be looking out for this author in the future.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Bloomsbury publishers for my copy of this book via Netgalley.