Queen of Tomorrow
(Stolen Empire Series #2)
by
Sherry D. Ficklin
Synopsis
Sophie―now Catherine, Grand Duchess of
Russia―had a tough first year at Imperial Court. Married at sixteen to
Grand Duke Peter, heir to the throne, and settled in their own palace,
things start to look up. As a new day dawns, Catherine thinks only of
securing her future, and the future of their country, during one of the
greatest political upheavals of her time. Fighting desperately against
forces that try to depose the Empress Elizabeth and put the young Prince
Ivan on her throne, Catherine soon finds herself in the middle of a war
brewing between her beloved Prussia and her new empire. While
navigating the fragile political landscape, she quickly realizes that
she has only begun to discover the tangled web of deceit and infidelity
woven over the lavish court of Oranienbaum Palace.
When a strange and delicate alliance forms between the young couple, Catherine glimpses a future of happiness, only to see it vanish at the hands of those who still seek to end her life―and prevent her reign. Out of favor with the empress and running out of options, Catherine must sacrifice her own innocence on the altar of Russia if she is to save the nation and herself. To survive, she will have to do the unthinkable, betray those closest to her and become something greater and more dangerous than she ever imagined she could be… a queen.
When a strange and delicate alliance forms between the young couple, Catherine glimpses a future of happiness, only to see it vanish at the hands of those who still seek to end her life―and prevent her reign. Out of favor with the empress and running out of options, Catherine must sacrifice her own innocence on the altar of Russia if she is to save the nation and herself. To survive, she will have to do the unthinkable, betray those closest to her and become something greater and more dangerous than she ever imagined she could be… a queen.
Review
I became obsessed with this series while reading Queen of Someday, which you can get get for free in the Kindle store. I got the paperback of Queen of Tomorrow for Christmas and I started it right away. (I actually finished the book weeks ago, but because I've had to focus on hitting my editing deadline, I've had zero time or motivation for reviews...or for anything else. Hopefully things will go back to a normal pace next week.)
Book #2 has all of the intrigue, history, and romance that I loved about the first one. Things were a little different this time around though. Peter's wrath gets more intense and there's some pretty dark stuff that readers will have to deal with. The story takes you back and forth between two castles and courts. I was surprised to find out I didn't want to leave Winter Palace as much. After reading the first book, it kind of felt like home.
There is great character development for our dear little Sophie. After the heartbreaking events in Queen of Someday, she is certainly hardened. She has a lot of tough decisions to make and there isn't always a "right one". After she is finally pushed to her breaking point, she resolves to do something I don't think anyone saw coming.
Ficklin's story telling is beautiful and brilliant, as always, and I didn't want this book to end. I think the only real problem I have with these books is that they're too short! I'm definitely getting the conclusion, Queen of Always, soon, so catch up to me and watch out for the review!
5 stars
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