Publishers Weekly
09/28/2020
Alpsten’s overlong but ultimately rewarding debut chronicles the life of the first woman to rule Imperial Russia. In 1725, Peter the Great dies without a male heir old enough to rule, and his second wife, Catherine Alexeyevna, schemes for a place in the succession. Alpsten flashes back to Catherine’s past, beginning with her birth as a peasant in 1684 and the poverty and abuse she suffers until her beauty catches the eye of Alexander Menshikov, the czar’s closest friend, when Russia’s wars with Sweden brings its army to her home near the Baltic Sea. Peter is drawn to her sexuality and fearlessness and takes her as a mistress. None of her 12 pregnancies with him result in a male heir, but her shrewdness helps cement her relationship with the czar, who marries her in 1712 and crowns her czarina in 1724. Catherine bonds with Menshikov and others as a way to cope with Peter’s philandering and cruelty, even as his vision transforms a once-hidebound nation with a series of modernizing reforms. Though the prose can be clumsy and the time spent on Catherine’s early years feels superfluous, Alpsten shines once she puts Catherine in Peter’s orbit. Lovers of Russian history, strong women protagonists, and sweeping historicals will savor this vivid portrait. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
"As detailed as the jewels and enamel inlay on the creations of Faberge...[a] crisp, elegant fictional account of history, woven with emotion and brio." —Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Shoemaker's Wife
“Astonishing...the ultimate Cinderella story [that] makes Game of Thrones look like a nursery rhyme.” —Daisy Goodwin, bestselling author of The Fortune Hunter
“Gripping...Love, sex, and loyalty vie with war, intrigue, and treason to create an epic canvas as exotic and powerful as eighteenth-century Russia itself. Masterfully researched and beautifully written, this is historical fiction at its best.” —Nancy Goldstone, author of Daughters of the Winter Queen and Rival Queens
"A fascinating and extraordinary ride from slavery to royalty...[for] fans of historical fiction, Russia, political intrigue, and powerful women." —Booklist (starred review)
“Alpsten shines...Lovers of Russian history, strong women protagonists, and sweeping historicals will savor this vivid portrait.” –Publishers Weekly
“Intrigue, rivalry, and sumptuous decadence leap to vivid life in this fascinating story of Peter the Great’s second wife...conjuring the gorgeous marble of the Winter Palace and deprivation of Russia in the 18th century, the perilous ascent to power of the first woman to rule as empress is a gripping and unforgettable journey.” —C.W. Gortner, author of The Romanov Empress
“[Alpsten] recounts this remarkable woman’s colourful life and times." —Count Nikolai Tolstoy, historian and author
Library Journal
11/01/2020
DEBUT Marta was born an illegitimate serf in the harsh lands of Swedish Livonia. In the early 18th century, Tsar Peter of All the Russias cast his gaze east, seeking to conquer an ice-free port for his eponymous new capital of Saint Petersburg. During the ensuing 20-year war, Marta gradually elevates her station until she comes to Peter's notice, first as his mistress, then as his wife. She bears him 12 children, but only two girls survive. Upon Peter's death, the now renamed Catherine I succeeds as tsarina and transforms the weakness of being born female into her greatest strength. In this debut, journalist Alpsten ambitiously imagines Catherine's ascent to power through war-torn decades. The story's strength is its portrayal of the vulnerability of the serfs in contrast to the elites. Marta suffers multiple rapes in the course of survival; Peter's cruelty extends to murdering his own son. Supporting materials such as maps of now nonexistent countries through decades of war would aid comprehension of such a thick history. VERDICT This debut features a female power player who triumphs over misogyny, but the nonlinear time line, narrative jumps, and many characters who are not fleshed out may confound all but the most die-hard historical fiction fans.—Jessica Bushore, Xenia, OH
