Author: Sherry D. Ficklin
Release Date: July 4, 2015
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Pages: 280
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 are finally looking up. As a new day dawns, she 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 trying to depose the Empress Elizabeth and put the young Prince Ivan on her throne, Sophie soon finds herself in the middle of a war brewing between her beloved Prussia, and her new empire. But even as she navigates 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, she glimpses a future of happiness, only to see it lost in a moment 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, Sophie will have to 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.
Excerpt
“She is trying to break me,” I say quietly, more to myself than to him. “Her cruelty know no bounds.”
“Yes, I suspect she is trying to break you,” he agrees. “But you will not break. You are stronger than she is.”
I shake my head. “I don't feel strong.”
“I know, but you have one thing she doesn't. You have the capacity to not only love, but to love deeply and with your entire being. It's that love that makes you feel weak, but it is also love that makes you powerful. Think about it, is there anything you would not do, any length you would not go to, to protect the people you love?”
I don't have to think about it, the answer is obvious. “No.”
Then use this pain, turn it to your advantage. Make it your strength.
He's right. As soon as he says it, I feel the pain begin to twist inside me, bending into a new form-a cold, steely resolve.
From there, my course became very clear. I could trace all my suffering back, not to Peter or my mother, but to the empress herself. And it was time she paid for my misery.
Book 1 is FREE
Review by J. Hooligan
I've been waiting for this since I finished the first one. I needed to get back into the story and see how Sherry Ficklin was going to portray Catherine next.
Time has passed a few months since the end of Queen of Someday, but Catherine has definitely grown as a person. It's clear she's becoming a powerful force with the way she handles situations.
I had to fight myself to interact with my family I hadn't seen in a while, because I didn't want to put this down. I had to literally hide my kindle and phone from myself. Even then, I felt like an addict who needed her fix that entire night. I can't remember the last time I felt that way while reading something.
Much like the first, I was totally engrossed in this book. The author has a way of writing that grabs her readers and doesn't let go until the book is over. Then they're left waiting for their next fix and with one hell of a book hangover. The more I read from her, the more impressed I am.
I am eagerly awaiting Queen of Always.
About the Author
She is the author of several YA novels and in her spare time she co-hosts Curvy Writer Radio.