The Winter Palace cover art

The Winter Palace

A novel of the young Catherine the Great

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The Winter Palace

By: Eva Stachniak
Narrated by: Beata Pozniak
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Summary

When Vavara, a young orphaned Polish girl, is brought to serve at Empress Elizabeth's glittering, dangerous court in St Petersburg, she is schooled by the Chancellor himself in skills from lock-picking to love-making, learning above all else to stay silent - and listen. Soon, she is Elizabeth's 'tongue' - her secret eyes and ears.

Then Sophie, a vulnerable young princess, arrives from Prussia as a prospective bride for Elizabeth's heir. Set to spy on her by the Empress, Vavara soon becomes her friend and confidante, and helps her navigate the illicit seductions and the treacherous shifting allegiances of the court.But Sophie's destiny is to become the notorious Catherine the Great. Are her ambitions more lofty and far-reaching than anyone suspected, and will she stop at nothing to achieve absolute power?

 Fiction Historical Fiction Russia Inspiring Royalty

Critic Reviews

Riveting... Stachniak has uncovered a treasure trove of rich material... The real core of Stachniak's tale is that [Catherine and Elizabeth] are women... Casts light over recent Russian history too, which is exactly what historical fiction should do (Jane Smiley)
A wonderful novel, riven with intrigue and startling details, the sort to savour on a long winter evening
The kind of big busty read that sends you back to the history books
Extraordinarily absorbing... will have you on the edge of your seat
A wonderful tale of the Imperial Russia court in all its glittering glory. Eva Stachniak vividly brings to life the early years of the meek young bride who would become the terrifying, fascinating Catherine the Great (Kate Williams, author of England's Mistress and Becoming Queen)
Fantastic, bold, colourful, assured and wonderful writing - and what a story! An outstanding book, magical, beautiful with writing as crisp and fine and breathtaking as a Russian winter (Manda Scott, author of the Boudica trilogy)
Luxuriant... baroque and intimate, worldly and domestic, wildly strange and soulfully familiar
A whirlwind saga of intrigue, shifting allegiances and illicit liaisons, this engrossing story really captures the imagination
A wonderfully majestic and evocative tale of 18th century Russia at a key moment in history
An intensely written, intensely felt saga of the early years that shaped the 18th century's famous czarina, Catherine the Great. Her survival in the treachery of the Russian court was an amazing feat, and Eva Stachniak captures the fluidity and steeliness that propelled Catherine from a lowly German duchess to one of the towering figures of the century (Karleen Koen, author of Through a Glass Darkly)
All stars
Most relevant
4.5 Stars

A Russian spy narrative set in Tsarist Russia -- not what I expected, but it was a happy surprise.

This book has been on my TBR for years, and I was excited to read this as I loved Garden of Venus. Honestly, though, the story felt very slow at first. However, as the book continued through Barbara's life, I began to become really attached. In fact, the majority of characters grew up and made so many preventable mistakes.
Why are women so mean to other women? There were so many moments I wanted to give the characters hugs in this story.

A Russian spy narrative set in Tsarist Russia

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when the voice of the reader is really good you can't put it down 💖

I loved it

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