I really felt transported to this place and time. I loved this scene because the language, cuisine, smells and colors were all so very sensual and sumptuous. My favorite scene was the point in the novel where Chancellor Bestuzhev seduces Varvara. There were many places in the novel where I re-read passages simply for the lyrical beauty. Stachniak has a gift for weaving together language in a unique, intriguing way.
I loved the lyricism in many of the sentences of this book. This is a tale of loyalty, betrayal and a friendship of two diabolical women in 18th century Russia. In the end, Varvara must decide to move on with life for herself and her young daughter. An act that could cause Varvara to lose everything, including her young daughter, After Varvara decides to support her friend, when all is said and done, Varvara realizes that she was never Catherine the Great's only tongue and that their friendship may not have been that important to the Queen after all, even after everything she's risked. This includes kidnapping Paul, the son of Catherine and Peter, and bringing him safely to his mother's side.
In the face of losing power forever, Catherine the Great takes bold measures to claim her right as the ruler of Russia, under the auspice of regent for her son Paul, and Varvara must decide whether or not she will risk everything to back her friend and mistress. Peter and Catherine have never gotten along and now that he has a mistress to keep him happy, things are much icier than they've ever been. When Queen Elizabeth dies, Varvara finds herself shut out of the inner circle of the Queen's nephew, Peter the Great.
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