Review: Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten

Publication Date: May 14, 2020

Bloomsbury Publishing

I didn't realize that I needed to read more historicals set in Russia until I read Tsarina by Ellen Aplsten! My word, this book was a wild, sexy ride through Peter the Great and Catherine I's reign, and I loved every minute of it!

I'm a huge fan of the darker side of history and the more debauchery, the better and Tsarina had all of that in spades! Catherine I begins life as a young girl named Marta living with her siblings and father in a small, run-down shack when she is sold off to a man to become his servant which sets off a series of events that will leave Marta used and abused and passed to other men until she finally meets Tsar Peter. Their marriage and the ungodly amount of children that Catherine bore is detailed as well, which was fascinating!

Tsarina will immediately grab you from the first page and will leave you breathlessly turning the pages to see what will happen next. If you're sensitive to violence and sexual scenes this book may not be for you but I thought it was an exceptional read about a woman that rose from a life of servitude to become the first woman to rule Imperial Russia. An absolutely stellar read, I was highly impressed that this was Alpsten's debut novel. I will definitely be on the lookout for her future books!

Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I didn't realize that I needed to read more historicals set in Russia until I read Tsarina by Ellen Aplsten! My word, this book was a wild, sexy ride through Peter the Great and Catherine I's reign, and I loved every minute of it!

I'm a huge fan of the darker side of history and the more debauchery, the better and Tsarina had all of that in spades! Catherine I begins life as a young girl named Marta living with her siblings and father in a small, run-down shack when she is sold off to a man to become his servant which sets off a series of events that will leave Marta used and abused and passed to other men until she finally meets Tsar Peter. Their marriage and the ungodly amount of children that Catherine bore is detailed as well, which was fascinating!

Tsarina will immediately grab you from the first page and will leave you breathlessly turning the pages to see what will happen next. If you're sensitive to violence and sexual scenes this book may not be for you but I thought it was an exceptional read about a woman that rose from a life of servitude to become the first woman to rule Imperial Russia. An absolutely stellar read, I was highly impressed that this was Alpsten's debut novel. I will definitely be on the lookout for her future books!

About the Author

Ellen Alpsten was born and raised in the Kenyan highlands, before attending L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris. Whilst studying for her Msc in PPE she won the Grande École short story competition with her novella Meeting Mr. Gandhi and was encouraged to continue writing. Upon graduating, she worked as a producer and presenter for Bloomberg TV in London. She contributes to international publications such as Vogue, Standpoint and Conde Nast Traveller. Tsarina is her first novel. She lives in London with her husband and three children.