Tsarina

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are authors such as McCullough and Larsen who are able to make the historical characters about whom they write jump off the page so that the reader feels as though they are in their presence. Alpsten does not have that ability. The book is much too long, with extensive and unnecessary scenes of debauchery and cruelty. The first 350 pages are so stultifying it is almost like reading a Russian history ( deathly in itself ) textbook. It is not until after Alexy's death that there is any life to the main character and Peter. The rest never truly come alive. As to the supposed shrewd intelligence and calculating manipulation possessed by Catherine, they are never truly revealed. There is as the blurbs claim--sumptuous decadence but not vivid life. There is a Cinderella story, I suppose, though this handsome prince is barbarous to all around him, including Catherine and cannot be accused of fidelity. It took me forever to get through the book, but I hoped to learn something of a supposed strong, powerful woman--well, she was strong, I guess, but not terribly powerful. This is a review of an ARC won from Goodreads for that purpose

View all my reviews