10 Jul 2015

Queen of Tomorrow by Sherry D. Ficklin

Posted in Historical, Reviews, Romance, Young Adult |

Book Title:

Queen of Tomorrow (Stolen Empire #2)

Book Author:

Sherry D. Ficklin

Book Series:

Stolen Empire, #2

Publishing Date:

July 14, 2015

Publisher:

Clean Teen Publishing

Date Read:

July 9, 2015

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.

My Review

Rarely have I come across a second book in a series that is even close to being as good as the first. This is one of those cases where I actually enjoyed the second book better than the first.

I read this book in less than a day, I loved it so much.

The story picks up where the previous one ended (just a few months later), and does so seamlessly. It picks right back up on the action, the love story, which isn’t so much of the love square that it was in the previous book. Actually, it seems more of a forbidden love story between just Sophie (now Catherine), and Sergei. A lot happens in this book (and I hate to say too much because I don’t want to mention any spoilers, especially if you haven’t read the first book), and there isn’t a dull chapter in the entire thing.

If you thought poor Catherine couldn’t get a break in the first book, this one is even worse. She has to endure a ridiculous amount of hardships and such horrible treatment from not only the empress, but also from Peter, her own husband. She has come a long way since the last book, and her maturity and growth as a person really shines through. I love reading a book series that allows you to see how a character really develops, and Queen of Tomorrow does not disappoint. While all the hardships and abuse she has to endure keeps her kindhearted and loving throughout most of the book, the end of the book is quite a surprise, and I honestly didn’t expect it.

If you enjoyed the first book, Queen of Someday, this book is a must-read. It’s every bit as amazing as the first, if not better.

I honestly have no negative comments about this book. It was an amazing read, and the cliffhanger at the end really makes me look forward to the final book in the series, Queen of Always.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.