This book was a lovely read. Written from a very interesting perspective, that of a young "tongue" (spy) in the Russian court of the Empress Elizabeth, who befriends a young lonely girl destined to become Catherine the Great. I enjoyed the perspective both because it was different and because it offered a chance to get a side story and another view of the court. So we got to see how things were not just for Catherine but also for a "commoner" in the city and court during that time. Also, I loved how we got to see the rise of Catherine and her youth, starting as Princess Sophie. It is an angle that is not examined that often and I enjoyed it. The details all seemed wonderfully accurate, in general, and the writing was exactly right for this type of novel. The only thing that bothered me was the constant foreshadowing of terrible consequences and things to come from the narrator. It never seemed as bad as it could have been, because it was all built up too much beforehand. It actually ended up taking away some of the gravity, rather than adding to it. All in all though, a wonderful and enjoyable read.