{"product_id":"9781250214430","title":"Tsarina : A Novel","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eTsarina\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Ellen Alpsten\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Makes \u003ci\u003eGame of Thrones\u003c\/i\u003e look like a nursery rhyme.\" \u003c\/b\u003e—\u003cb\u003eDaisy Goodwin, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Fortune Hunter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[Alpsten] recounts this remarkable woman’s colourful life and times.\"\u003c\/b\u003e —\u003cb\u003eCount Nikolai Tolstoy, historian and author\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore there was Catherine the Great, there was Catherine Alexeyevna: the first woman to rule Russia in her own right. Ellen Alpsten's rich, sweeping debut novel is the story of her rise to power.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSt. Petersburg, 1725. Peter the Great lies dying in his magnificent Winter Palace.  The weakness and treachery of his only son has driven his father to an appalling act of cruelty and left the empire without an heir. Russia risks falling into chaos. Into the void steps the woman who has been by his side for decades: his second wife, Catherine Alexeyevna, as ambitious, ruthless and passionate as Peter himself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBorn into devastating poverty, Catherine used her extraordinary beauty and shrewd intelligence to ingratiate herself with Peter’s powerful generals, finally seducing the Tsar himself. But even amongst the splendor and opulence of her new life—the lavish feasts, glittering jewels, and candle-lit hours in Peter’s bedchamber—she knows the peril of her position. Peter’s attentions are fickle and his rages powerful; his first wife is condemned to a prison cell, her lover impaled alive in Red Square. And now Catherine faces the ultimate test: can she keep the Tsar’s death a secret as she plays a lethal game to destroy her enemies and take the Crown for herself?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the sensuous pleasures of a decadent aristocracy, to the incense-filled rites of the Orthodox Church and the terror of Peter’s torture chambers, the intoxicating and dangerous world of Imperial Russia is brought to vivid life. \u003ci\u003eTsarina\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of one remarkable woman whose bid for power would transform the Russian Empire.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eTsarina\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A fascinating and extraordinary ride from slavery to royalty...[for] fans of historical fiction, Russia, political intrigue, and powerful women.\"   —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Alpsten shines...Lovers of Russian history, strong women protagonists, and sweeping historicals will savor this vivid portrait.” –\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A sweeping debut...\u003ci\u003eTsarina\u003c\/i\u003e evocatively explores how far one woman would go to stay alive, even if it means serving a man with unbridled power and then picking up that mantle herself.\" --\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Astonishing...the ultimate Cinderella story [that] makes \u003ci\u003eGame of Thrones \u003c\/i\u003elook like a nursery rhyme.” —\u003cb\u003eDaisy Goodwin, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Fortune Hunter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"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.\" —\u003cb\u003eAdriana Trigiani, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Shoemaker's Wife\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“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.” —\u003cb\u003eNancy Goldstone, author of \u003ci\u003eDaughters of the Winter Queen\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eRival Queens\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The extraordinary life and career of Catherine I of Russia is brought to life in Alpsten's colourful novel.\" --\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunday Times, \u003c\/i\u003eSummer Reading Picks 2020 (UK)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"An entertaining romp through the endless intrigue, violence and debauchery of court life.\" --\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMail on Sunday \u003c\/i\u003e(UK)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A vivid page-turner of a debut.\" \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--The Times \u003c\/i\u003e(UK)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“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.” —\u003cb\u003eC.W. Gortner, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Romanov Empress\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[Alpsten] recounts this remarkable woman’s colourful life and times.\" —\u003cb\u003eCount Nikolai Tolstoy, historian and author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Luscious…Alpsten has clearly done some brilliant research. It reads like \u003ci\u003eGame of Thrones \u003c\/i\u003ewithout the dragons.” —\u003cb\u003eNatasha Pulley, author of the international bestseller \u003ci\u003eThe Watchmaker of Filigree Street\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eTsarina \u003c\/i\u003eshould come with a health warning—once you start reading, it’s impossible to stop.” —\u003cb\u003eHannah Rothschild, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eHouse of Trelawney\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781250214430\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"St. Martin's Press","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":40744302411982,"sku":"9781250214430","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_afe87dd6-c166-429a-8add-53667cc94a1c.jpg?v=1641446965","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781250214430","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}