I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I am not familiar with Sherry Ficklin’s other books, but I love young adult books and I love historical fiction, so I was excited about the opportunity to read Queen of Tomorrow.

Queen of Tomorrow is the second book in Ficklin’s Stolen Empires series. Catherine is a young girl married to the heir to the Russian throne. Court life is full of intrigue, and plots, and forbidden dalliances. Catherine knows that she needs to produce an heir in order to ensure the continuation of the dynasty, but her husband Peter is wholly unsuitable, thanks to his mercurial temperament.

It’s difficult to share more of the plot without venturing into spoiler territory, but needless to say, I enjoyed myself. This story was full of gossip and juicy secrets. Alliances can shift, and no one can be trusted. The story is loosely based on the life of Catherine the Great, who went on to become one of Russia’s most famous monarchs. Her origin story is quite fascinating. There is, of course, definitely an emphasis on “fiction” in this historical fiction, but the liberties and exaggerations are what kept me entertained.

I’ve mentioned that there are plenty of dalliances. These are not graphic in their depiction, but there was one scene with a disturbing amount of violence. It was quite shocking, but Catherine is able to show her resiliency. The incident only makes her stronger; there is too much at stake to allow herself to be defeated.

I would recommend Queen of Tomorrow. I have not read Queen of Someday, but I have plans to rectify that. Ficklin has a great deal of love for Imperial Russia, and this is reflected in her writing. The story ends with a cliffhanger, and I am excited to find out what lies in store for Catherine in the third book in this series.