The Romanov Empress
A Novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna
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Narrated by:
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Katharine Lee McEwan
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By:
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C. W. Gortner
About this listen
For listeners of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir comes a dramatic novel of the beloved Empress Maria, the Danish princess who became the mother of the last Russian tsar.
"This epic tale is captivating and beautifully told." (Lisa Wingate, New York Times best-selling author of Before We Were Yours)
Barely 19, Minnie knows that her station in life as a Danish princess is to leave her family and enter into a royal marriage - as her older sister, Alix, has done, moving to England to wed Queen Victoria’s eldest son. The winds of fortune bring Minnie to Russia, where she marries the Romanov heir, Alexander, and once he ascends the throne, becomes empress. When resistance to his reign strikes at the heart of her family and the tsar sets out to crush all who oppose him, Minnie - now called Maria - must tread a perilous path of compromise in a country she has come to love.
Her husband’s death leaves their son, Nicholas, as the inexperienced ruler of a deeply divided and crumbling empire. Determined to guide him to reforms that will bring Russia into the modern age, Maria faces implacable opposition from Nicholas’s strong-willed wife, Alexandra, whose fervor has led her into a disturbing relationship with a mystic named Rasputin. As the unstoppable wave of revolution rises anew to engulf Russia, Maria will face her most dangerous challenge and her greatest heartache.
From the opulent palaces of St. Petersburg and the intrigue-laced salons of the aristocracy to the World War I battlefields and the bloodied countryside occupied by the Bolsheviks, C. W. Gortner sweeps us into the anarchic fall of an empire and the complex, bold heart of the woman who tried to save it.
Praise for The Romanov Empress:
“Timely... [Gortner’s] ability to weave what reads as a simple tale from such complex historical and familial storylines is impressive.... Maria’s life as a royal reads like a historical soap opera.” (USA Today)
“Gortner, an experienced hand at recreating the unique aura of a particular time and place, will deftly sweep historical-fictions fans into this glamorous, turbulent, and ultimately tragic chapter in history.” [Booklist (starred review)]
“Mesmerizing... This insightful first-person account of the downfall of the Romanov rule...is the powerful story of a mother trying to save her family and an aristocrat fighting to maintain rule in a country of rebellion.” (Publishers Weekly)
“A twist on the tragic story you’ve heard many times before.” (Bustle)
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Critic reviews
“A lost age and a woman for the ages come to life in this epic tale. Gortner skillfully opens a window into the life of a woman who is both complex and entirely human, and sets the stage for the violent end of the Russian empire. Captivating and beautifully told, this story is a gem as rich as the opulent era it depicts.” (Lisa Wingate, New York Times best-selling author of Before We Were Yours)
“A sweeping saga that takes us from the opulence and glamour of tsarist Russia to the violent, tragic last days of the Romanovs. Brave and inspiring, Maria Feodorovna confronts assassinations, the Rasputin affair, and the Russian revolution. C. W. Gortner breaks new ground here, skillfully painting an intimate, compelling portrait of this fascinating empress and her family.” (Stephanie Dray, New York Times best-selling coauthor of America’s First Daughter)
“The Romanov Empress has all the glitter and mystery of a Fabergé egg. The waning days of a doomed dynasty are recounted by the vivacious but tough Danish princess who would become one of Russia’s most revered tsarinas, only to see her line end in war and revolution. Gortner pens a beautiful tribute to a lost world, weaving a tale as sumptuous as a Russian sable.” (Kate Quinn, New York Times best-selling author of The Alice Network)
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Set against the lavish backdrop of the French Court in the early years of the 18th century, The Sisters of Versailles is the extraordinary tale of the five Nesle sisters - Louise, Pauline, Diane, Hortense, and Marie-Anne - four of whom became mistresses to King Louis XV. Their scandalous story is stranger than fiction but true in every shocking, amusing, and heartbreaking detail.Court intriguers are beginning to sense that young King Louis XV, after seven years of marriage, is tiring of his Polish wife.
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Best book I've listened to in ages
- By Dr. A. on 01-09-16
By: Sally Christie
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The Agincourt Bride
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Catherine Harvey
- Length: 16 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When her own first child is tragically still-born, the young Mette is pressed into service as a wet-nurse at the court of the mad king, Charles VI of France. Her young charge is the princess, Catherine de Valois, caught up in the turbulence and chaos of life at court. Mette and the child forge a bond, one that transcends Mette’s lowly position. But as Catherine approaches womanhood, her unique position seals her fate as a pawn between two powerful dynasties.
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Disappointing
- By Michelle on 02-16-13
By: Joanna Hickson
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Antoinette's Sister
- By: Diana Giovinazzo
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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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.
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Started off good, but I lost interest as time went
- By Tess of the D'urbervilles on 02-02-22
By: Diana Giovinazzo
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Push Not the River
- By: James Conroyd Martin
- Narrated by: Dawn Harvey
- Length: 19 hrs and 40 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Push Not the River is the rich story of Poland in the late 1700's - a time of heartache and turmoil as the country's once peaceful people are torn apart by neighboring countries and divided loyalties. It is then, at the young and vulnerable age of seventeen, that Lady Anna Maria Berezowska loses both of her parents and must leave the only home she has ever known.
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Save your time; buy something else.
- By AMS on 10-22-15
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While Beauty Slept
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Story
I am not the sort of person about whom stories are told.And so begins Elise Dalriss's story. When she hears her great-granddaughter recount a minstrel's tale about a beautiful princess asleep in a tower, it pushes open a door to the past, a door Elise has long kept locked. For Elise was the companion to the real princess who slumbered-and she is the only one left who knows what actually happened so many years ago. Her story unveils a labyrinth where secrets connect to an inconceivable evil. As only Elise understands all too well, the truth is no fairy tale...
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EVIL THOUGHTS TAKE STRENGTH IN THE DARK,
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 02-08-15
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Fates and Traitors
- A Novel of John Wilkes Booth
- By: Jennifer Chiaverini
- Narrated by: Christina Moore
- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In Fates and Traitors: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth, New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Chiaverini renders for the first time as fiction the compelling interplay between these pivotal actors - some willing, others unwitting - who made an indelible mark on the history of our nation.
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Read more like Wikipedia than a novel?
- By Star on 09-30-16
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First of the Tudors
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Tom Clegg, Non Haf
- Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Jasper Tudor, son of Queen Catherine and her second husband, Owen Tudor, has grown up far from the intrigue of the royal court. But after he and his brother Edmund are summoned to London, their half brother, King Henry VI, takes a keen interest in their future. Bestowing earldoms on them both, Henry also gives them the wardship of the young heiress Margaret Beaufort. Although she is still a child, Jasper becomes devoted to her and is devastated when Henry arranges her betrothal to Edmund.
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War of the Roses, Again
- By Laurel on 03-27-17
By: Joanna Hickson
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A Triple Knot
- By: Emma Campion
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Joan of Kent, renowned beauty and cousin to King Edward III, is destined for a politically strategic marriage. As the king begins a long dynastic struggle to claim the crown of France, plunging England into the Hundred Years' War, he negotiates her betrothal to a potential ally and heir of a powerful lordship. But Joan, haunted by nightmares of her father's execution at the hands of her treacherous royal kin, fears the king's selection and is not resigned to her fate. She secretly pledges herself to one of the king's own knights, one who has become a trusted friend...
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GOOD HISTORICAL FICTION - FOR A CHANGE
- By The Louligan on 10-05-14
By: Emma Campion
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American Duchess
- A Novel of Consuelo Vanderbilt
- By: Karen Harper
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon
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Overall
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Story
Karen Harper tells the tale of Consuelo Vanderbilt, her “Wedding of the Century” to the duke of Marlborough, and her quest to find meaning behind “the glitter and the gold”.
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Surprisingly interesting life
- By labradoodler on 07-24-19
By: Karen Harper
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The Memoirs of Mary, Queen of Scots
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Born Queen of Scotland, married as a young girl to the invalid young King of France, Mary took the reins of the unruly kingdom of Scotland as a young widow and fought to keep her throne. A second marriage to her handsome but dissolute cousin Lord Darnley ended in murder and scandal, while a third marriage to the dashing, commanding Lord Bothwell, the love of her life, gave her joy but widened the scandal and surrounded her with enduring ill repute.
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Fiction being the key word
- By Bonnie-Ann B on 09-25-09
By: Carolly Erickson
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The Boleyn King
- Boleyn Trilogy, Book 1
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Just seventeen years old, Henry IX, known as William, is a king bound by the restraints of the regency yet anxious to prove himself. With the French threatening battle and the Catholics sowing the seeds of rebellion at home, William trusts only three people: his older sister Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by William’s mother, Anne Boleyn.
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Great idea, bad story
- By S. D. Ristick on 09-22-14
By: Laura Andersen
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Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife
- Pride and Prejudice Continues
- By: Linda Berdoll
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Every woman wants to be Elizabeth Bennet Darcy - beautiful, gracious, universally admired, strong, daring and outspoken - a thoroughly modern woman in crinolines. And every woman will fall madly in love with Mr. Darcy - tall, dark and handsome, a nobleman and a heartthrob whose virility is matched only by his utter devotion to his wife. Their passion is consuming and idyllic - essentially, they can’t keep their hands off each other - through a sweeping tale of adventure and misadventure, human folly and numerous mysteries of parentage.
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Great Listen...but not for everyone!
- By Michelle on 03-09-12
By: Linda Berdoll
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Royal Mistress
- By: Anne Easter Smith
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Jane Lambert, the quick-witted and alluring daughter of a silk merchant, is twenty-two and still unmarried. When Jane’s father finally finds her a match, she’s married off to the dull, older silk merchant William Shore. Marriage doesn’t stop Jane from flirtation, however, and when the king’s chamberlain, Will Hastings, comes to her husband’s shop, Will knows King Edward will find her irresistible.
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All history, no romance!
- By Erin on 07-05-13
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Skye O'Malley
- A Novel (O'Malley Saga, Book 1)
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Indomitable and bold in an era of royalty and rogues, Skye O'Malley is a woman who embraces her unbridled sensuality as valiantly as she fights for her children, her lovers, her empire. A woman of justice and honor, she will match wits with and challenge the most dangerous and powerful woman of her time: Queen Elizabeth I.
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A Classic
- By JuJu on 10-15-20
By: Bertrice Small
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Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule
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In 1844, Missouri belle Julia Dent met dazzling horseman Lieutenant Ulysses S Grant. Four years passed before their parents permitted them to wed, and the groom's abolitionist family refused to attend the ceremony. Since childhood, Julia owned as a slave another Julia, known as Jule. Jule guarded her mistress' closely held twin secrets: She had perilously poor vision but was gifted with prophetic sight. So it was that Jule became Julia's eyes to the world.
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Stellar
- By Connie on 06-10-15
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What listeners say about The Romanov Empress
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- Amelia
- 11-01-18
Authentic and beautifully written and narrated
A beautiful depiction of a history seldom written so beautifully. You will become totally enveloped in the characters in this incredible book.
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- CGrey
- 07-15-21
One of My Favorites
I'm a huge C.W. Gortner Fan, and, like another reviewer, re-read this book at least once a year. Everything about it is superb - the story, the pitch-perfect narration, the way Gortner makes you care intensely about his characters and what will happen next. As a writer myself, I am just in awe of his craft. If you love historical fiction, this is a must for your library.
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- KLMadison
- 01-27-19
LOVED IT!!!!
Wonderfully narrated, could not stop listening. New perspective on the Romanov history, will listen to this one again!
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- Melissa Holden
- 05-24-22
Wow. so good! I learned so much!
I learned so much about this period of history in Russia. It was an amazing story, and I Can't believe that it's all true.I highly recommend it.
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- Mbailey
- 12-14-22
Mesmerizing
Wow, I cannot say enough good things about this book & performance, a historical novel that transports you back in time to empirical Russia and it’s fall. The narrator is perfect and really enhances the experience.
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- rebecca birdwell
- 02-09-23
Great performance Great story
I love CW Gortner’s writing and the performance was excellent. I latched on to this book immediately. Subsequently, I researched a lot more of the history of the various villas and palaces they describe in the writing. It’s given me even greater interest in learning more of this incredible period of history. Read this for sure!
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- ciparliamo
- 09-17-18
Excellent!
This is excellent in all areas. I loved listening and the reader was excellent. The history was intriguing and I found myself researching the Romanov family. It was interesting to look at the pictures of the real people that I was reading (listening) about. I didnt realize how Tsarina Alexandra was so instrumental in causing the hatred displayed toward the family. What a sad story that unfortunately isnt fiction. Well worth the credit.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-31-18
Riveting Historical Novel
Great character development; intriguing plot;beautifully written descriptions. I would recommend this book to book clubs and anyone interested in Russian history.
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7 people found this helpful
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- leongork
- 08-12-18
Inside the mind of an empress
The world of common people is far from the world of royalty. Royalty collapses when the two worlds collide and royalty pays the price. The author has done a brilliant job of bringing us into the lives of royalty but I can’t avoid the disgust I feel when contrasting this with my knowledge of the impoverished state of the common people. The author has succeeded so well in arousing sympathy for the ultimate fate of the royals and for the empress, throughout the story, that I almost suppress the joy which I want to feel, when they finally get their just deserts.when the fall into the hands of the Bolsheviks. Her sympathetic portrayal of the empress as a kind, motherly lady doesn’t manage to disguise her autocratic tendencies. I think that herein lies the brilliance of the author; every word of the story rings true and I feel grateful to the author for giving us such a beautiful story. It’s beauty lies in it’s truth, even though I’m aware that most of the story is the author’s imagination.
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- Sunshine
- 01-16-22
History
Even if we know the history of what happened in Russia I still enjoyed this book her life her losses
I also enjoyed the narration good job
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