This is an accessible and interesting overview of the five empresses that ruled Russia in the 18th century - and the coups and political scheming that kept them in power. There are detailed accounts of Russian Royals who met terrible fates - be they be murdered or imprisoned since childhood - and it’s the bloodier side of history that interested me as much as the scandals in Court. Anisimov’s conversational style whilst accessible can sometimes lean into more personal opinion and judgment than I’m comfortable reading in history. Let the facts speak for themselves, you don’t need to tell me an obviously morally bad action is bad. Overall I enjoyed this, and it’s introduced me to parts of Russian history I’m interested in reading more about.