Eva Stachniak

A reimagining of the early years of Catherine the Great traces the story of a naive German duchess as observed by young Barbara, a servant who watches her mistress's elevation and rises to one of Russia's most clever royal spies. By the author of Necessary Lies.

A Novel of Catherine the Great

The Winter Palace

From award-winning author Eva Stachniak comes this passionate novel that tells the epic story of Catherine the Great's improbable rise to power—as seen through the ever-watchful eyes of an all-but-invisible servant close to the throne. Her name is Barbara—in Russian, Varvara. Nimble-witted and attentive, she's allowed into the employ of the Empress Elizabeth, amid the glitter and cruelty of the world's most eminent court. Under the tutelage of Count Bestuzhev, Chancellor and spymaster, Varvara will be educated in skills from lock picking to lovemaking, learning above all else to listen—and to wait for opportunity. That opportunity arrives in a slender young princess from Zerbst named Sophie, a playful teenager destined to become the indomitable Catherine the Great. Sophie's destiny at court is to marry the Empress's nephew, but she has loftier, more dangerous ambitions. What Sophie needs is an insider at court, a loyal pair of eyes and ears who knows the traps, the conspiracies, and the treacheries that surround her. Varvara will become Sophie's confidante—and together the two young women will rise to the pinnacle of absolute power. “A majestic and splendidly written tale of pride, passion, intrigue, and deceit that is brought alive from the first page to the last.”—Rosalind Laker “At the same time baroque and intimate, worldly and domestic, wildly strange and soulfully familiar, The Winter Palace offers a flickering glimpse of history through the gauze of deft entertainment.”—The Washington Post “A thrilling point of view . . . Readers are treated to a firsthand account of the young princess's slow ascent to the throne, a path deliciously strewn with discarded lovers and sanguine court intrigues.”—Minneapolis Star-Tribune “[A] brilliant, bold historical novel . . . This superb biographical epic proves the Tudors don't have a monopoly on marital scandal, royal intrigue, or feminine triumph.”—Booklist (starred review)

Lacy W

I am just going to dig right into this review. This book was excellent. The writing, which was all prosey and beautiful, was very well done. I understood everything and could keep track of what was going on even with the prose. Vavara was a fascinating main character. Everything about this book was awesome except for one tiny thing, which i will get into later. 

The writing was probably my favorite aspect of the book. It was dark prose. Vavara describes events and people so dark and disturbing and beautiful. I found myself taking my time reading this book so I could savor the words and the beautifully constructed sentences. There wasn’t a word that wasn't needed nor a sentence. 

Vavara has to be one of my favorite main characters. I loved her harshness. She was shrewd and calculating. I found myself wishing I could be like her. I also enjoyed the softer side of Vavara that she should when she was around her daughter. The contrasting personalities worked so well. 

The one thing that really bothered me and kept me from giving this book a full 5 (five) stars was how Catherine was portrayed. I always felt Catherine to be a strong woman. But in this book, she was almost weak, falling prey to love easily and overall being a very weak character until the end of the book. Towards the end, I started to see the Catherine I liked. Maybe that is just how Vavara views people. But it just really bothered me a lot. Perhaps in the second book, her character will be redeemed. 

Overall, I loved the heck out of his book. It combined my love for Tsarist Russia with spying (a rather new fascination thanks to the show Chuck). Vavara was the star of this book and she has easily made her way to the my top 10 list of favorite female MCs. I can’t wait to see what the second book brings, which I believe is through the eyes of Catherine.

Her name is Barbarain Russian, Varvara. Nimble-witted and attentive, shes allowed into the employ of the Empress Elizabeth, amid the glitter and cruelty of the worlds most eminent court. Under the tutelage of Count Bestuzhev, Chancellor and spymaster, Varvara will be educated in skills from lock picking to lovemaking, learning above all else to listen and to wait for opportunity. That opportunity arrives in a slender young princess from Zerbst named Sophie, a playful teenager destined to become the indomitable Catherine the Great. Sophies destiny at court is to marry the Empresss nephew, but she has other, loftier, more dangerous ambitions, and she proves to be more guileful than she first appears. What Sophie needs is an insider at court, a loyal pair of eyes and ears who knows the traps, the conspiracies, and the treacheries that surround her. Varvara will become Sophies confidante and together the two young women will rise to the pinnacle of absolute power.

Ayden

I wasted so much time on a book that gave me so little

When Vavara, a young Polish orphan, arrives at the glittering, dangerous court of the Empress Elizabeth in St Petersburg, she is schooled in skills ranging from lock-picking to love-making, learning above all else to stay silent - and listen. Then Sophie, a vulnerable young princess, arrives from Prussia as a prospective bride for the Empress's heir. Set to spy on her, Vavara soon becomes her friend and confidante, and helps her navigate the illicit liaisons 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?

Jane Krauss

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.

The Winter Palace A Novel of Catherine the Great

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