Book description
A Novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna From the opulent palaces of St. Petersburg to the World War I battlefields and the bloodied countryside occupied by the Bolsheviks, C. W. Gortner sweeps us into the fall of an empire and the bold heart of the woman who tried to save it.
Why read it?
2 authors picked The Romanov Empress as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Gortner's story of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, the wife of Tsar Alexander III, features incredible historical detail on the tumultuous events sweeping through Russia from the tragic death of her husband to the awful murder of her son, Nicholas II, and his family. Told in first person, we see through the tsarina's eyes the slow and inevitable collapse of the Romanov dynasty in the face of gargantuan political and social upheavals. The descriptions of jewels and dresses and festivals underscores Romanov privilege when only a few had so much more than most.
What I found particularly interesting was Gortner's description of…
From Ken's list on the triumphs and tragedies of Russia's Romanovs.
The sumptuous story of Nicholas II’s mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna, aka Princess Dagmar of Denmark. Initially engaged to his brother, she becomes the wife of Tsar Alexander III. This elegant novel follows the new empress from the triumphs of her early years in Russia, conflicts with her son’s wife, Alexandra, and the challenges and heartbreak of the Russian Revolution.
From Jennifer's list on the last Romanovs.
If you love The Romanov Empress...
Notes of Love and War
Set against the backdrop of the flourishing musical community during the 1940s in Baltimore, Notes of Love and War weaves together the pleasure of musical performance with the dangers of espionage and spying.
Audrey Harper needs more than home and hearth to satisfy her self-worth. Working as a music critic…
Want books like The Romanov Empress?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Romanov Empress.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,277
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like The Romanov Empress, you might also like...
Katy: The Woman Who Signed the Declaration of Independence
One woman, Mary Katharine Goddard, signed the Declaration of Independence and risked hanging by doing so.
She was supposed to marry and have children, living the ‘normal’ life of an 18th-century woman. Destiny said otherwise. Instead, at the behest of her impulsive brother, she moved from one colony to another,…
Salvation in the Sun
In an age of splendor, a heretic king strips Egypt bare—forcing his queen to quell rebellion and plunging his children into a conspiracy against the crown.
Salvation in the Sun follows Nefertiti as she ascends the throne beside Pharaoh Amenhotep—soon to become Akhenaten—just as he declares war on Egypt’s ancient…
