Scan barcode
A review by amandasbookreview
The Tsarina's Daughter by Ellen Alpsten
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, Ellen Alpsten, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. It was released on March 15th, 2022!
The Tsarina’s Daughter by Ellen Alpsten is the follow-up novel to Tsarina that was released in 2002. The first book is about Catherine I. This book is about her daughter, Elizabeth. This book can be read as a standalone, although I do wish I read Tsarina first. Elizabeth is born into the Romonav House and her father is Peter the Great. He has offered her hand in marriage to King Louis of France. Her hopes are high and can’t wait to assume her new role. But then her father dies and her mother, who was a former serf, rises to the throne. However, those who have their own ambitions rise in court, and Elizabeth’s life is filled with danger, even by those who she trusted. She will discover that loyalty comes and goes with the wind. She will watch the rise and fall of many leaders and hope she can survive.
It took me a while to get into this book. While the subject matter has always interested me, it just felt a little lackluster. I took a class on Catherine the Great, who I assume will be the main character in the next novel? The part that is so intriguing is the political intrigue–it is the danger and not knowing who to trust. But I felt that concept took the backburner in this story. The focus was love and Elizabeth’s loneliness after Leshy (a forest spirit) told her she would never marry. I did love the lore, but there is so much more to Elizabeth than her love life. It just made her feel so unrealistic. She felt like a character, not a historical person. But the emotion is there. Every time she lost someone in her life, it did pull my heartstrings.
After the death of Peter the Great, the pace of the novel really picked up. I did appreciate how the author talks about the different visions of the Tsars. Some wanted to change, and some wanted to keep to the Old World ideologies. While the main plot is consistent with historical facts, there were some minor details that were not accurate. For instance, Count Lestocq would always whip out his tarot cards. While tarot cards did exist then, they weren’t used for fortune-telling purposes until much later. As I said, this is a minor detail. It just felt like something that didn’t need to be a reoccurring part of the story. But I will probably look into reading the first book. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.
It took me a while to get into this book. While the subject matter has always interested me, it just felt a little lackluster. I took a class on Catherine the Great, who I assume will be the main character in the next novel? The part that is so intriguing is the political intrigue–it is the danger and not knowing who to trust. But I felt that concept took the backburner in this story. The focus was love and Elizabeth’s loneliness after Leshy (a forest spirit) told her she would never marry. I did love the lore, but there is so much more to Elizabeth than her love life. It just made her feel so unrealistic. She felt like a character, not a historical person. But the emotion is there. Every time she lost someone in her life, it did pull my heartstrings.
After the death of Peter the Great, the pace of the novel really picked up. I did appreciate how the author talks about the different visions of the Tsars. Some wanted to change, and some wanted to keep to the Old World ideologies. While the main plot is consistent with historical facts, there were some minor details that were not accurate. For instance, Count Lestocq would always whip out his tarot cards. While tarot cards did exist then, they weren’t used for fortune-telling purposes until much later. As I said, this is a minor detail. It just felt like something that didn’t need to be a reoccurring part of the story. But I will probably look into reading the first book. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.