I love how J. Nelle Patrick revives Russia, the splendour and the chaos, you can even breathe tension, but I think Nelle's words on the author's note are perfect to describe it all
"Every line in Tsarina leads to a single truth: that when you forget that those you disagree with are people, not just your faceless opposition, you don’t end up proving who is right and who is wrong. You end up with a body count".