An enjoyable story that gave a different perspective on the Romanov family. It works well as a standalone (as I haven't read the first in the series). I did find it jumped about a little bit, which made it hard to follow at times but once I got into it I found I enjoyed it more. The characters were so vivid and memorable, an interesting read.

I don’t know where to begin with this review, as it was such an epic, twisty book. I loved its predecessor and can’t wait for the third instalment of this trilogy.

Rich in detail, Lizenka’s life as the daughter of Tsar Peter the Great & Russias first Tsarina, Catherine, unfurls. She faces the many intrigues of court, love and duty. The excess of Russia’s elite is at sharp contrast with its many peasants in the 1700’s. Cruelty is rife, expected and even celebrated. Lizenka herself, is not without compassion, but faces hard choices which mould her into the woman she becomes. In the Russian court, no one is safe.

Highly recommended to lovers of historical fiction.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for my free advance copy. This last paragraph will not be submitted to Amazon as part of my review because they keep rejecting my reviews and I am worried that this acknowledgment of a free copy is the reason why. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions to circumvent this.

If you asked asked to name Russian imperial rulers before last week I could have managed Peter the Great, Catherine the Great and the doomed Tsar Nicholas. Now I’ve read Tsarina’s Daughter by Ellen Alpsten and I can hold forth at length on Peter the Great the rulers that follow him. The Tsarina’s Daughter tells the story of Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great and his second wife. It is the second in a trilogy of novels, a fact that I didn’t discover or suspect until I had finished devouring the Tsarina’s Daughter. An absolutely fascinating glimpse into a patch of history that I previously knew nothing about. Now I’m off to find Tsarina, the first in the series and then wait impatiently for the third instalment.

Although I enjoyed the very evocative setting and the wonderful relationship between the siblings, I found this very hard to get into, even though it is typically a read I would plough through. Perhaps it is the sense of unease and of being watched with the notoriously treacherous Russian political landscape its set in, with the impending revolution, but this narrative didn’t flow easily for me. Will be trying again to read this more consistently to appreciate it, but the heavy freezing Russian winter setting is perfect for a cosy reading day when the weather is grey and gloomy outside, the chillier the better!

I am really sorry I just could not get into this book. So I did not finish it.

The book was not exciting and found that it was not as what I expected and could not read any further.

As A lover of Russian history this novel brings to life the world of Peter the Great and his wife Catherine the First and their daughter the beautiful princess Tsarevna Elizabeth. As it begins one realises that Elizabeth is the envy of the Russian Empire but she lives in luxury and is guarded from the statecraft as a woman. So she enjoys her own interests and then life radically changes when her mother dies and her life is upended and now her own life is nin danger from the different factions who support Peter. By the time she is in her twenties all her clothes, jewels and possessions have been taken away and she is penniless and living under threat daily How she shows her steel and begins to plot her way to eventually becoming the sovereign is beautifully written. It is a savage time and debauchery and poverty is carefully told through Elizabeth's struggles as she faces foes who she thought were family or friends.

Having enjoyed the first book in the series I was looking forward to this sequel. However I found it really difficult to engage with the story and that was partly due to the layout of the proof which left short lines, random capitals etc. It's probably;y not the authors fault so I will park the novel to come back to in future

Really gripping historical account. Changing fortunes and constant danger in the battle for power. Set in an age of gruesome cruelty, extreme poverty and riches. The story never flags as we follow Elizabeth's story. Highly recommended reading.

A solid historical novel, interwoven with intrigue and romance, was definitely what I needed after a steady stream of thrillers. I could feel myself being transported into Czarist Russia and its ruthless court. Highly recommend this book!

Elizabeth is a daughter of Tsar Peter the Great and Tsarina Catherine I, whose life changes when her father, mother and fiancée all die close together. She needs to learn how to survive during the years with changing rulers amidst the court intrigues. Peter tried to westernize and modernize Russia during his reign, which wasn’t well-received by everyone. So, when he dies, some people try to bring back the old ways, which also affects Elizabeth’s life.

This is the second book in a series but works well as a stand-alone. I haven’t read the first book, which tells the story of Elizabeth’s parents but could follow easily. I haven’t read a book about Elizabeth before, so this was a nice change.

The book follows adolescent Elizabeth trying to survive the court politics but sadly ends when her reign starts. I would have liked to read more about her reign. There are some magical elements in there which seemed a bit far fetched. But it’s not a huge part of the book so it didn’t matter so much.

My one problem was that it wasn’t always clear how much time has passed. At some point, it becomes clear that some years have passed but it’s not always clear how much time. But all in all, it was an enjoyable, quick read and I do want to read the previous book too.

I was given a free copy of this e-book in return for an honest review, thanks to the publishers and Netgalley.

I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to fully enjoy this story as its not my usual genre. But wow was I hooked after 25% of the way through.

You follow Lizenka through her childhood and into adulthood whilst her country and relationships shift and change.

A prophecy is given to Lizenka quite early on which the shapes the future for her in sometimes cruel but other times beautiful ways.

I'd recommend this book if you are looking for a historical/political/romance/redemption fiction. Also have you seen that cover, it's to die for.

I have read and enjoyed <i>Tsarina</i> by the same author, so I was eager to try this one. Although it takes place directly after it, there is no real need to read the first one, but I would suggest it, because they were both great reads.

Born from the powerful Tsar Peter the Great and Tsarina Catherine I, Elizabeth is used to a life of privilege but everything changes after the death of her mother. Suddenly she finds herself under constant threat and surrounded by enemies, and she has to use all her wits to survive.

If you enjoy political and court intrigue you will be delighted by this book, because it is full of it. The whole time I was reading I was on the edge of my seat, wanting to see how Elizabeth would survive against all her foes, both different rulers of Russia and different political players. She had to face a lot of heartbreak and many impossible situations and, although I knew she would succeed in the end, I was so anxious for her. I loved how she became more cunning and manipulative as the story went on, and how she managed to survive in situations where her end seemed certain. However, I wanted her to be a bit more ruthless at times, but I also understood her reasonings .

As it happened to me with <i>Tsarina</i>, I was a little sad that the book ended right at the start of Elizabeth's reign, since I would have liked to see her as a ruler. However, the ending worked very well and it was just right for the story.
I was glad to learn that Ellen Alpsten is planning a third book in this series. I can't wait to read it!

The Tsarina’s Daughter, by Ellen Alpsten
Publication Date: 8th July 2021
Rating: 5/5
I was incredibly excited to get an advanced copy of this novel, and it did not disappoint. Romanov Russia is not an area of history that I am familiar with, but this novel seemed to transport me right into the thick of it. It follows Elizabeth Romanov, a Tsarevna, as she navigates a court full of betrayals, heartbreak, death and destruction. When her mother and father die, she is faced with a horrific fate, and she must fight to survive against all the odds. I absolutely adored the pros used to describe the settings. Alpsten is a truly magical writer, who is skilled at transporting you into another world. I could almost feel the chill of the snow, and hear the rich rustles of fabric. Elizabeth was a joy to follow, and moved me to tears at certain moments. Her passion and desire to survive cried out from every page.

I am incredibly excited about this book!

The Tsarina’s Daughter by Ellen Alpsten review

I got The Tsarina’s Daughter by Ellen Alpsten from Net Galley for a fair and honest review.

The Tsarina’s Daughter tells the story of Elizabeth daughter of two rulers of Russia, Peter the Great and his second wife, Catherine I, the first woman to rule Russia. In her own right.

The novel starts when Elizabeth is entering a room which contains a baby, while she is deciding what to do with it.

The book then goes back 18 years when Elizabeth was dealing the death of her young brother and heir to the Russian throne.

The story then follows Elizabeth’s life from that moment until after she has entered the room with the baby and how she deals, with the aftermath.

The Tsarina’s daughter is an historical fiction novel with political intrigue, as well as being a story with a young woman, who is at heart a survivor.

The novel was written well and was easy to read, with narration being told solely through the point of View of the main character, which helped with the political intrigue and how it affected Elizabeth’s standing in court rise and fall with who was the Tsar/Tsarina at the time and her standing with them.

There is always a danger when reading an historical novel set in another country to the reader as in this case, that you will be confused with what is happening, however this was not the case with The Tsarina’s Daughter.
This was because at the heart this is Elizabeth’s personal story, so you always knew what was happing in her life. In addition to this the writer Ellen Alpsten did a really good job of filling in the historical context.

One minor complaint I have is that at the start of the book you go back 18 years and from then on there are few references to any specific date. What would have been nice would have been having how many years we had moved through the story after we had gone back ten years.

Another way would have been to have a year entered at the start of a chapter or a part. However, as I said this is a small complaint and did not alter my enjoyment of the novel.

As stated previously The Tsarina’s Daughter is a story about a young woman growing up, but with the added problems of the political intrigue and dangers of being a member of the ruling Romanov family in 18th century Russia.

All this makes The Tsarina’s Daughter an intriguing novel to read, and I can highly recommend it.

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

First of all - loved the cover
Historical fiction is very much my genre and I really enjoyed this

Russian history has always fascinated me and this is wonderful

A new author to me, I would certainly be up for reading more from them

I had a tough time with this book. I really enjoyed the history and overall story, but the writing at times felt a little off. It was a good read but definitely took me longer than it should’ve.

This is a really interesting and enjoyable historical novel. It is good to read a book about a different historical period. It is set in Russia during the 1700s during a turbulent time in Russian history when Russian rulers were forever changing. What I found interesting was that this history in some ways is very similar to the Royal Courts of England with back stabbing, claims to the throne, sex and scandals. The book covers a sweeping time period of 18 years, which was sometimes confusing as it wasn’t always clear how much time had passed between events. However, it was good to follow in the footsteps of an incredibly strong female of the 1700s in Tsarevna Elizabeth Romanov. I would happily read more from this author.

Tsarina’s Daughter by Ellen Alpsten is such an interesting story from the early Romanov era, full of intrigue, violence and debauchery…it reads as an adult fairy tale yet the story is based on true events set around the life of Elizabeth, the daughter of Catherine 1 and Peter the Great.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this epic tale which transports you into the outrageous world of volatile Imperial Russia, loaded with greed, dysfunctional families, love, hate, desire and desperation…just a walloping, big fat juicy read which I definitely recommend and look forward to reading the next instalment. Also, it was fascinating reading the ‘Authors Notes’ which listed the actual events during the period the book was set around which clarifies that this incredible story was based on facts.
Big thanks to Ellen Alpsten, Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

Maybe 3 ½! Deals with the adolescence of Elisabeth, a daughter of Peter the Great. She constantly needs to keep her wits about her to avoid disgrace, death etc and the uncertainty of actually achieving her aims and keeping her status is ably told by Ellen Alpsten. It reminded me of the life of the much earlier, young Tudor princess Elizabeth: always having to plot to stay alive and maintain her position in the succession. Like 16th century England, 18th century Russia was a very dangerous place for the young royals. Thanks to Netgalley for this read. I will be looking out for Alpsten's previous book 'Tsarina'.

Loved, Loved loved this book!!!
What an amazing and fascinating read! I've always find the Romanov family interesting and enjoy reading about them, factual or fictional so I was drawn to this book. I loved it and finish it in one sitting, it was a lovely way to spend a bank holiday sat reading this delight in the garden, I found the plot enchanting and loved the descriptive writing, I could pictured every scene and could feel the feelings of the characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it stayed with me after I finished the last page. I kept thinking about how great it was. I would highly recommend this book to friends and fellow book readers. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read in exchange of a review and many thanks for introducing me to a this author.