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This book was a challenge for me to read. I thought it was toooo long, and could have been trimmed by 150 or more pages. Cheryl's note early on is one I could agree with. Whose story was it anyway?!?!?! My favorite part of the book was the first 100 or so pages, and I liked the young girls. As they grew older and more characters were introduced, I found myself watching how the relationships and the protocol with the royal families and tradition was getting in place for our reading. I question if
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Entertaining historical fiction, readers desiring a book rich with intrigue and spying will be disappointed. Despite what the subtitle says, the center of this book is Barbara, an orphaned girl who becomes a spy in Empress Elizabeth’s court in St. Petersburg and befriends the future Catherine the Great when she arrives as a (very) young bride.
The book’s biggest fault is that Ms. Stachniak never delves into any of the characters’ heads. I was willing to chalk this up to a desire to stay historica ...more
The book’s biggest fault is that Ms. Stachniak never delves into any of the characters’ heads. I was willing to chalk this up to a desire to stay historica ...more
WHOSE STORY IS THIS ANYWAY? VARVARA'S? CATHERINE'S? ELIZABETH'S? I'M CONFUSED… I LIKE THE IDEA OF A COURT SPY'S POINT-OF-VIEW AND THE FACT THAT WE SEE VARVARA'S MATURATION ALONG WITH HER CONTINUED LOYALTY TO CATHERINE, BUT I THINK IT' HER STORY, NOT CATHERINE'S. THE LAST THIRD OF THE BOOK REALLY SAVES IT.
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