
Tsarina
A Novel
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $24.74
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Anna Krippa
-
By:
-
Ellen Alpsten
About this listen
"Makes Game of Thrones look like a nursery rhyme." (Daisy Goodwin, New York Times best-selling author of The Fortune Hunter)
“[Alpsten] recounts this remarkable woman’s colourful life and times." (Count Nikolai Tolstoy, historian and author)
Before 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.
St. 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.
Born 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?
From 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.
Tsarina is the story of one remarkable woman whose bid for power would transform the Russian Empire.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press
©2020 Ellen Alpsten (P)2020 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Romanov Empress
- A Novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Narrated by the mother of Russia’s last tsar, this vivid, historically authentic novel brings to life the courageous story of Maria Feodorovna, one of Imperial Russia’s most compelling women, who witnessed the splendor and tragic downfall of the Romanovs as she fought to save her dynasty in its final years.
-
-
Pure Excellence!
- By Bunny on 09-09-18
By: C. W. Gortner
-
Antoinette's Sister
- By: Diana Giovinazzo
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Marie Antoinette took her last breath as queen of France in Paris, another formidable monarch - Antoinette’s dearly beloved sister, Charlotte - was hundreds of miles away, in Naples, fighting desperately to secure her release from the revolutionaries who would take her life. Little did Charlotte know, however, that her sister’s execution would change the course of history - and bring about the end of her own empire.
-
-
Started off good, but I lost interest as time went
- By Tess of the D'urbervilles on 02-02-22
By: Diana Giovinazzo
-
The Queen’s Vow
- A Novel of Isabella of Castile
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“No one believed I was destined for greatness.” So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens - the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a new world. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.
-
-
Excellent historical fiction!
- By nursebettyknitting on 07-30-12
By: C. W. Gortner
-
Courtesan
- By: Diane Haeger
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 22 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Court of François I is full of lust, intrigue, and bawdy bon temps—a different world from the quiet country life Diane de Poitiers led with her elderly husband. Now a widow, the elegant Diane is called back to Court, where the King's obvious interest marks her as an enemy to the King's favorite, Anne d'Heilly. The Court is soon electrified by rumors of their confrontations. As Anne calls on her most venomous tricks to drive Diane away, Diane finds an ally in the one member of Court with no allegiance to the King's mistress: his teenage second son, Henri.
-
-
Heart Breaking
- By Anonymous User on 11-29-23
By: Diane Haeger
-
The Last Grand Duchess
- A Novel of Olga Romanov, Imperial Russia, and Revolution
- By: Bryn Turnbull
- Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Grand Duchess Olga Romanov comes of age amid a shifting tide for the great dynasties of Europe. But even as unrest simmers in the capital, Olga is content to live within the confines of the sheltered life her parents have built for her and her three sisters: hiding from the world on account of their mother’s ill health, their brother Alexei’s secret affliction, and rising controversy over Father Grigori Rasputin, the priest on whom the tsarina has come to rely.
-
-
Crying like a baby
- By Amazon Customer on 07-11-23
By: Bryn Turnbull
-
The Queen's Fortune
- A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire
- By: Allison Pataki
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the French revolution ravages the country, Desiree Clary is faced with the life-altering truth that the world she has known and loved is gone, and it’s fallen on her to save her family from the guillotine. A chance encounter with Napoleon Bonaparte, the ambitious and charismatic young military prodigy, provides her answer. When her beloved sister, Julie, marries his brother, Joseph, Desiree and Napoleon’s futures become irrevocably linked.
-
-
Fascinating Heroine
- By HistoryNerd on 04-08-21
By: Allison Pataki
-
The Romanov Empress
- A Novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Narrated by the mother of Russia’s last tsar, this vivid, historically authentic novel brings to life the courageous story of Maria Feodorovna, one of Imperial Russia’s most compelling women, who witnessed the splendor and tragic downfall of the Romanovs as she fought to save her dynasty in its final years.
-
-
Pure Excellence!
- By Bunny on 09-09-18
By: C. W. Gortner
-
Antoinette's Sister
- By: Diana Giovinazzo
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Marie Antoinette took her last breath as queen of France in Paris, another formidable monarch - Antoinette’s dearly beloved sister, Charlotte - was hundreds of miles away, in Naples, fighting desperately to secure her release from the revolutionaries who would take her life. Little did Charlotte know, however, that her sister’s execution would change the course of history - and bring about the end of her own empire.
-
-
Started off good, but I lost interest as time went
- By Tess of the D'urbervilles on 02-02-22
By: Diana Giovinazzo
-
The Queen’s Vow
- A Novel of Isabella of Castile
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“No one believed I was destined for greatness.” So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens - the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a new world. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.
-
-
Excellent historical fiction!
- By nursebettyknitting on 07-30-12
By: C. W. Gortner
-
Courtesan
- By: Diane Haeger
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 22 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Court of François I is full of lust, intrigue, and bawdy bon temps—a different world from the quiet country life Diane de Poitiers led with her elderly husband. Now a widow, the elegant Diane is called back to Court, where the King's obvious interest marks her as an enemy to the King's favorite, Anne d'Heilly. The Court is soon electrified by rumors of their confrontations. As Anne calls on her most venomous tricks to drive Diane away, Diane finds an ally in the one member of Court with no allegiance to the King's mistress: his teenage second son, Henri.
-
-
Heart Breaking
- By Anonymous User on 11-29-23
By: Diane Haeger
-
The Last Grand Duchess
- A Novel of Olga Romanov, Imperial Russia, and Revolution
- By: Bryn Turnbull
- Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Grand Duchess Olga Romanov comes of age amid a shifting tide for the great dynasties of Europe. But even as unrest simmers in the capital, Olga is content to live within the confines of the sheltered life her parents have built for her and her three sisters: hiding from the world on account of their mother’s ill health, their brother Alexei’s secret affliction, and rising controversy over Father Grigori Rasputin, the priest on whom the tsarina has come to rely.
-
-
Crying like a baby
- By Amazon Customer on 07-11-23
By: Bryn Turnbull
-
The Queen's Fortune
- A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire
- By: Allison Pataki
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the French revolution ravages the country, Desiree Clary is faced with the life-altering truth that the world she has known and loved is gone, and it’s fallen on her to save her family from the guillotine. A chance encounter with Napoleon Bonaparte, the ambitious and charismatic young military prodigy, provides her answer. When her beloved sister, Julie, marries his brother, Joseph, Desiree and Napoleon’s futures become irrevocably linked.
-
-
Fascinating Heroine
- By HistoryNerd on 04-08-21
By: Allison Pataki
-
A Most English Princess
- A Novel of Queen Victoria's Daughter
- By: Clare McHugh
- Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan
- Length: 17 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To the world, she was Princess Victoria, daughter of a queen, wife of an emperor, and mother of Kaiser Wilhelm. Her family just called her Vicky...smart, pretty, and self-assured, she changed the course of the world. January 1858: Princess Victoria glides down the aisle of St. James Chapel to the waiting arms of her beloved, Fritz, Prince Frederick, heir to the powerful kingdom of Prussia.
-
-
A most delightful audiobook
- By Trudy D on 10-28-20
By: Clare McHugh
-
The Poison Keeper
- An Enthralling Historical Novel of Renaissance Italy (Italian Renaissance Series)
- By: Deborah Swift
- Narrated by: Diana Croft
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Giulia Tofana longs for more responsibility in her mother’s apothecary business, but Mamma has always been secretive and refuses to tell her the hidden keys to her success. But the day Mamma is arrested for the poisoning of the powerful Duke de Verdi, Giulia is shocked to uncover the darker side of her trade. Giulia must run for her life and escapes to Naples, under the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, to the home of her aunt Isabetta, a famous courtesan.
-
-
Too religious
- By Anonymous User on 06-06-22
By: Deborah Swift
-
The Confessions of Catherine de Medici
- A Novel
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 15 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this brilliantly imagined novel, acclaimed author C. W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in her own voice, allowing us to enter the intimate world of a woman whose determination to protect her family’s throne and realm plunged her into a lethal struggle for power. From the fairy-tale chateaux of the Loire Valley to the battlefields of the wars of religion to the mob-filled streets of Paris, this is the extraordinary untold journey of one of the most maligned and misunderstood women ever to be queen.
-
-
Pretty good but historical details are terrible
- By Kindle Customer on 07-10-11
By: C. W. Gortner
-
The Secret History
- A Novel of Empress Theodora
- By: Stephanie Marie Thornton
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso
- Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In sixth-century Constantinople, one woman, Theodora, defied every convention and all the odds and rose from common theater tart to empress of a great kingdom - the most powerful woman the Roman Empire would ever know. The woman whose image was later immortalized in glittering mosaic was a scrappy, clever, conniving, flesh-and-blood woman full of sensuality and spirit whose real story is as surprising as any ever told....
-
-
How very hard to sympathize with a narcissist
- By DrBon on 03-15-22
-
The Accidental Empress
- By: Allison Pataki
- Narrated by: Madeleine Maby
- Length: 18 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1853, and the Habsburgs are Europe's most powerful ruling family. With his empire stretching from Austria to Russia, from Germany to Italy, Emperor Franz Joseph is young, rich, and ready to marry.
-
-
learn your pronounciation
- By SK on 03-18-15
By: Allison Pataki
-
The Last Queen
- A Novel of Juana La Loca
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of history's most enigmatic women tells the haunting, passionate story of her tumultuous life. Juana of Castile is just thirteen when she witnesses the fall of Moorish Granada and the uniting of the fractured kingdoms of Spain under her warrior parents, Isabel and Fernando. Intelligent, beautiful, and proud of her heritage, Juana rebels when she is chosen as a bride for the Hapsburg heir.
-
-
A NEUROTIC BIT OF PULP FICTION
- By The Louligan on 11-19-09
By: C. W. Gortner
-
The School of Mirrors
- A Novel
- By: Eva Stachniak
- Narrated by: Ell Potter
- Length: 16 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During the reign of Louis XV, impoverished but lovely teenage girls from all over France are sent to a discreet villa in the town of Versailles. Overseen by the King’s favorite mistress, Madame de Pompadour, they will be trained as potential courtesans for the King. When the time is right, each girl is smuggled into the palace of Versailles, with its legendary Hall of Mirrors.
-
-
Fascinating but pedophilia nonetheless.
- By Barbara W. on 05-10-22
By: Eva Stachniak
-
The Women of Chateau Lafayette
- By: Stephanie Dray
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert, Emma Bering, Rachel L. Jacobs
- Length: 23 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An epic saga from New York Times best-selling author Stephanie Dray based on the true story of an extraordinary castle in the heart of France and the remarkable women bound by its legacy.
-
-
An absolute masterpiece of a book!
- By Kindle Customer on 05-15-21
By: Stephanie Dray
-
The First Princess of Wales
- A Novel
- By: Karen Harper
- Narrated by: Bianca Amato
- Length: 22 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the height of the Middle Ages in the 14th century, King Edward III of England is determined to use any means necessary to expand his power and gain control of England's bitter rival, France. His own son, Edward, prince of Wales, is far from immune from his political plans. And when Joan of Kent, now free from exile, sees her chance for revenge, she takes it. A calculated plot to scandalize the royal family for revenge for her father's downfall and execution soon turns into the most surprising thing: love.
-
-
Dissapointing
- By Pamela on 09-18-20
By: Karen Harper
-
The King's Pleasure
- A Novel of Henry VIII
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 23 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the private side of the legendary king Henry VIII and his dramatic and violent reign in this extraordinary historical novel. Young Henry began his rule as a magnificent and chivalrous Renaissance prince who embodied every virtue. He had all the qualities to make a triumph of his rule, yet we remember only the violence. Henry famously broke with the Pope, founding the Church of England and launching a religious revolution that divided his kingdom. He beheaded two of his wives and cast aside two others.
-
-
Love this author
- By Amanda on 06-17-23
By: Alison Weir
-
The American Adventuress
- A Novel
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Ell Potter
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daughter of New York financier Leonard Jerome, Jennie was born into wealth—and scandal. Upon her parents’ separation, her mother took Jennie and her sisters to Paris, where Mrs. Jerome was determined to marry her daughters into the most elite families. The glamorous city became their tumultuous finishing school until it fell to revolt.
-
-
Cw Gortner is amazing
- By Ris Gray on 02-13-23
By: C. W. Gortner
-
Russian History
- A Captivating Guide to the History of Russia, Including Events Such as the Mongol Invasion, the Napoleonic Invasion, Reforms of Peter the Great, the Fall of the Soviet Union, and More
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Desmond Manny
- Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This new Captivating History audiobook serves as an overview of Russian history over the span of more than a millennium, from the foundation of the Russian state by the Viking Prince Rurik in AD 862 until the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991.
-
-
greater depth
- By Paul on 11-19-18
What listeners say about Tsarina
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 08-23-24
Wonderful narration
Only halfway through the book, but love how the narrator reads the story. She brings it to life with all the accents!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- K&T
- 07-15-21
Wow. This is historical fiction at its best!
Not flinching from the abuses of Peter, the author drags us through two and a half decades of his companion and wife, Catherine, and his life with her. I say “drag” as you often want to stop hearing and seeing this syphylitic monster of a man. As expected, Catherine transforms from a girl of poverty into a person that young girl would no longer recognize. The reader is left to ponder the atmosphere of this accepted cruelty and immorality of the court of Peter, and the starvation and acceptance of this type of rule by the people of Russia —who are impoverished, frozen, and at war the vast majority of Peter’s rule. I will not call him “the Great”, and nor will you after this book.
I highly recommend this read if you enjoy historical fiction.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Elizabeth
- 04-16-21
An amazing story and narrator
I'll admit I haven't read much Russian History, fiction or non fiction, but I have to say that this book totally ignited a curiosity in me about all the characters in it. I found myself researching all the main players as the book progressed, just to get more information about their life and times.
And as well written and full of intrigue and drama that this book has, the narrator is truly the crowning touch to the extraordinary talent of the author. Her beautifully accented voice and inflection throughout the story bring you to every emotion to be experienced. The soothing melodic accent combined with her fluent russian pronunciation sounds beautiful. I believe I would listen to any book she narrated just to hear it again.
Kudos to this author for a masterpiece of well researched and written history, woven into an unforgettable story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- morryah
- 02-11-22
Narrator was wonderful
this book was absolutely enchanting. the story of Marta/Catherine I was not only impressive but lovely. the narrator was absolutely wonderful and her pronunciation of the Russian names was beautiful. many steamy scenes that were (mostly) tastefully written, and the way the author set scenes or made me hear the ruffle of fabric is all due to incredible writing. I also appreciated how long the book was.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- KDL
- 01-05-22
Wow
I was enraptured by this story from start to finish. The narration was beautifully done. Reading about Catherine I was an amazing journey, and I even started to feel bad for the emperor towards the end a little. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book and recommend to all.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- HistoryNerd
- 04-01-21
Russian History for the Win!
I adore Russian history and believe there needs to be more historical fiction that’s set in this country. Catherine I is very overshadowed by her granddaughter-in-law, Catherine II (the Great) so it was wonderful to read a full scale treatment of her remarkable life. While her reign was short (two years), her most significant contribution was giving birth to a future empress that transformed Russia—her daughter Elizabeth would ascend the throne a few years after her death. Additionally, her daughter Anna gave birth to Paul I, who is better known for being overthrown by his wife, the Empress Catherine II. None of this is mentioned in the novel, not even in a note at the end, and I think it should have been.
Also, there is A LOT of explicit sex in this novel. I’m not a prude but towards the end of the novel, I started skipping ahead because I was over it. Certainly sex played a significant part of Catherine’s rise to power (as it did with many of history’s most powerful women) but geez, there’s only so many times it can be used in a story without becoming superfluous.
Other than that, “Tsarina” was a wonderful book and I hope to read more from the author in the future.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Loryn Eriksson
- 05-31-23
Couldn’t stop listening
This was a fascinating story, and while at times graphic, felt true to the times and experiences of the Tsarina. The narrator was one of the best narrators I’ve listened to which added an additional layer to the story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sheryl G
- 12-18-22
wonderfully detailed
wonderfully detailed storyline with believable characters interwoven with historical facts make this a must read for Russian history.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sam H
- 12-31-21
Very interesting story
I really enjoyed the stories of old Russia and of Catherine the great, who'd have thought she could rise so far
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- CJ
- 04-08-22
Complicated story...
Brutal but fascinating. From lowly serf to Empress of all Russia. Improbable but entirely true.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful