Tsarina
2 primary works
Book 1
‘Alpsten’s colourful narrative does full justice to her extraordinary career’ Sunday Times
‘With its sprawling canvas and huge cast ... it’s an entertaining romp through the endless intrigue, violence and debauchery of court life’ Mail on Sunday
‘A vivid page-turner of a debut’ The Times
‘The extraordinary life and career of Catherine I of Russia is brought to life in Alpsten’s colourful novel’ Sunday Times, Summer Reading Picks 2020
Lover. Murderer. Mother. Meet TSARINA, the most powerful woman history ever forgot.
Spring 1699: Illegitimate, destitute and strikingly beautiful, Marta has survived the brutal Russian winter in her remote Baltic village. Sold by her family into household labour at the age of fifteen, Marta survives by committing a crime that will force her to go on the run.
A world away, Russia's young ruler, Tsar Peter I, passionate and iron-willed, has a vision for transforming the traditionalist Tsardom of Russia into a modern, Western empire. Countless lives will be lost in the process.
Falling prey to the Great Northern War, Marta cheats death at every turn, finding work as a washerwoman at a battle camp. One night at a celebration, she encounters Peter the Great. Relying on her wits and her formidable courage, and fuelled by ambition, desire and the sheer will to live, Marta will become Catherine I of Russia. But her rise to the top is ridden with peril; how long will she survive the machinations of Peter's court, and more importantly, Peter himself?
Book 2
Discover the highly acclaimed historical fiction series set within the glittering and ruthless House of Romanov.
‘Gripping … Who would not want to spend more time in the mad, bad world of the Romanovs?’ The Times
‘A delicious hotbed of greed, lust and envy’ Heat
When they took everything from her, they didn't count on her fighting to get it back...
Born into the House of Romanov to the all-powerful Peter the Great and Catherine I, beautiful Tsarevna Elizabeth is the world’s loveliest Princess and the envy of the Russian empire. Insulated by luxury and as a woman free from the burden of statecraft, Elizabeth is seemingly born to pursue her passions.
However, a dark prophecy predicts her fate as being inexorably twined with that of Russia. When her mother dies, Russia is torn, masks fall, and friends become foes. Elizabeth’s idyllic world is upended. By her twenties she is penniless and powerless, living under constant threat. As times change like quicksand, an all-consuming passion emboldens Elizabeth: she must decide whether to take up her role as Russia’s ruler, and what she’s willing to do for her country – and for love.
Praise for Tsarina
‘It makes Game of Thrones look like a nursery rhyme’ Daisy Goodwin
‘A vivid page-turner of a debut’ The Times
‘Tsarina should come with a health warning – once you start reading, it’s impossible to stop’ Hannah Rothschild