A review by foxonabook
Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten

Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
I DNF'ed this at roughly 30% of the way through, and despite that I still have quite a few thoughts about this book, so here they are. I want to preface this by saying that I rarely write negative reviews because writing a book is hard, however there are instances where staying silent isn't an option. Trigger warning for mention of sexual violence in my review. 

This book was recommended to me because of my love for historical fiction and my fascination with the Romanov dynasty. On paper this looked like the perfect read, I was hoping that it would read along the lines of [b:Wolf Hall|6101138|Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell #1)|Hilary Mantel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627203575l/6101138._SY75_.jpg|6278354] or [b:The Parisian|40718380|The Parisian|Isabella Hammad|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1542154799l/40718380._SY75_.jpg|63334665], where the book is driven by its characters who provide us with insight into the socio-political climate of time. After all, the book takes place at a pivotal point in Russian history where Peter the Great was waging near constant war while also trying to westernise Russia. Alas, this isn't that type of historical fiction...I would actually go as far as to say that this is a poor excuse for a historical fiction novel and is instead a gratuitous erotic novel with a thin coating of historical fiction in it.

The book is filled with unnecessary r*pe and s*x scenes. Yes, the book is set in a time where violence against women is rife, however we are still living in a world where violence against women is rampant so authors should be careful not to treat it as an easy plot device. In the case of Tsarina, it felt to me like Alpsten was using r*pe and other forms of violence as a plot filler, detailing every detail of the attacks. Even where (sexual) violence against women is necessary to the plot (say because the book is about trauma), there are more respectful ways to approach such a sensitive and horrific issue. This may be a work of fiction, but Alpsten's approach was not only gratuitous, it sometimes felt like she was trivialising it too. There really was no reason for five scenes of sexual violence less than 30% of the way through...

This book could have been so much. Catherine I's story is truly remarkable. Born a serf who cannot read or write, she defies all odds to become Peter the Great's second wife and Tsarina of Russia. There is no denying that only a brilliant woman could make such a leap. Unfortunately her greatness isn't reflected in the book. All of the characters lack depth and multifacetedness, including Marta/Cathering which is a reason why we don't ever get a sense of her shrewdness. Additionally, most character make a fly-by appearance which makes it harder to connect to any of them. 

Save your money and your time. Don't read this.

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