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ida's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
4.0
This book is not for the fainthearted! It's over 700 pages (28 hours on audiobook) and it contains so many names and dates it can make you dizzy at times. It is also, however, incredibly interesting, and I've learned so much! I had no idea that Russia had many female rulers, or just how many times they were battling it out with the Swedes. Also, you just never know where it's going to go, from affairs with nieces, castration by cannonball (an accident) and a fake Rasputin penis that turned out to be a sea cucumber, this book has it all! It can be a bit tricky to keep all the names straight, especially since it's the same families who keep popping up, but the book does have a list of 'cast' before each chapter, which is very helpful! The book focuses more on the family, drama and relations with other people and countries, than it does going into detailed descriptions of battles, which I liked. And honestly, the amount of backstabbing and murder is astounding.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism and Fatphobia
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