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St. Catherine's Crown
On the 16th of July 1918, near midnight, a squad of Bolsheviks secret police slaughtered the Royal Romanov the Czar, his wife, and their five children. S. Martin Shelton’s roman á clef “St. Catherine’s Crown” advances a dramatic narrative of the Romanov’s and the fiction that one Grand Duchess, though badly wounded, survived the massacre, was rescued by the Czech Legion, and evaded the dreaded Cheka who had vowed to capture and bring her to Soviet justice. 1917- Empress Alexandria understands that the Bolsheviks will soon topple the Czar. She charges her godson, Kirik Pirogov, to carry the imperial crown of Catherine the Great and a cache of Romanov jewelry to a secret czarist refuge in western China. Alexandra informs her youngest daughter, Grand Duchess Anastasia, of the escape route necessary to carry on the Romanov Dynasty. Kirik and Anastasia make perilous journeys across Siberia via the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Their story is told against a background of revolution, their hardscrabble life in the Russian village, constant fear of the Soviet secret police, and unscrupulous treasure-hunters.
534 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2013
109 people are currently reading
439 people want to read
About the author
S. Martin Shelton
17 books26 followersCaptain Shelton retired from active and reserve naval service several years ago. He was a photojournalist skilled in several facets of his profession and has an extensive background in Soviet and Chinese studies. He served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. His duties required that he travel throughout the world and with particular emphasis on the Far East.
Shelton earned his Bachelor of Science degree (Physics) from St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, and his Master of Arts in Cinema from the University of Southern California. For several years, he produced a host of information motion-media shows, winning over forty awards in national and international film competitions and festivals. He was elected a fellow of the Society for Technical Communication and the Information Film Producers of America.
Shelton has published extensively in trade magazines, peer-reviewed journals, and commercial publications. After retirement from the Naval Reserve, he completed his book Communicating Ideas with Film, Video, and Multimedia, which earned the Best of Show award in a major publication competition. He continued his writing completing his first novel St. Catherine’s Crown. He has authored a number of short stories and three novellas, all unpublished. Now he is working on his second novel, which he has titled Abyssinia. The narrative is set shortly after the conclusion of the Second Italian-Abyssinian War in 1936.
Shelton earned his Bachelor of Science degree (Physics) from St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, and his Master of Arts in Cinema from the University of Southern California. For several years, he produced a host of information motion-media shows, winning over forty awards in national and international film competitions and festivals. He was elected a fellow of the Society for Technical Communication and the Information Film Producers of America.
Shelton has published extensively in trade magazines, peer-reviewed journals, and commercial publications. After retirement from the Naval Reserve, he completed his book Communicating Ideas with Film, Video, and Multimedia, which earned the Best of Show award in a major publication competition. He continued his writing completing his first novel St. Catherine’s Crown. He has authored a number of short stories and three novellas, all unpublished. Now he is working on his second novel, which he has titled Abyssinia. The narrative is set shortly after the conclusion of the Second Italian-Abyssinian War in 1936.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 2, 2020
Probably 2.5 stars. I was intrigued the storyline of this book. Unfortunately, the first part was exceedingly slow and the end was a bit too fast. I found the dialogue very stilted, I excused it at first as being a stylistic way of indicating Russian speech, but when a British character appeared near the end, the dialogue was not better.
I paused reading for a while once Peking was reached. because the Chinese characters were a bit cliched. I did finish the book eventually as I was curious about the end.
I paused reading for a while once Peking was reached. because the Chinese characters were a bit cliched. I did finish the book eventually as I was curious about the end.
February 10, 2019
2.5 stars - rounded up since I think it is better than 2.
I was looking forward to reading this book since it has such great Goodreads reviews. It was rough getting through it. I kept waiting for anything to happen and almost nothing did in 500 pages. At first, when Alexandra asks Pirogov to help Anastasia escape, they both spend 1.5-ish years preparing. That was a nice change, since I was expecting them to just leave that night, fully unprepared, and this made more sense. So we follow Pirogov as he is preparing... still preparing... still preparing... okay, now he's traveling... still traveling... wow, a lot of traveling... yup, still traveling... and it was so tedious and boring.
I was looking forward to following Anastasia's adventures but her character was painfully undeveloped. That was the biggest disappointment to me.
The author struggled with telling instead of showing. Every time that we met a new character or went to a new location, there was a paragraph describing how it looked visually. I ended up skipping over those paragraphs since I didn't care about the type of mustache that the new guy has. Or there would be a paragraph where it goes something like:
I was looking forward to reading this book since it has such great Goodreads reviews. It was rough getting through it. I kept waiting for anything to happen and almost nothing did in 500 pages. At first, when Alexandra asks Pirogov to help Anastasia escape, they both spend 1.5-ish years preparing. That was a nice change, since I was expecting them to just leave that night, fully unprepared, and this made more sense. So we follow Pirogov as he is preparing... still preparing... still preparing... okay, now he's traveling... still traveling... wow, a lot of traveling... yup, still traveling... and it was so tedious and boring.
I was looking forward to following Anastasia's adventures but her character was painfully undeveloped. That was the biggest disappointment to me.
The author struggled with telling instead of showing. Every time that we met a new character or went to a new location, there was a paragraph describing how it looked visually. I ended up skipping over those paragraphs since I didn't care about the type of mustache that the new guy has. Or there would be a paragraph where it goes something like:
Anna said "I am very upset by this news" as they sat down for dinner. Alex rose and said "thank you for the lovely dinner."
We were told that Anna was upset without actually being shown it, and then I guess we had a nice dinner... I would have liked to seen how the characters interacted, but I guess I'll just take Alex's word for it.
The dialogue was also very awkward and formal. It reminded me either of Shakespeare plays or older novels where you have conversations like "I am distressed." "Yes, I too am distressed." or books that were originally written in another language and translated to English sometimes have the awkward formality and are missing the natural cadence of real dialogue. From what I can tell, this was originally written in English and only a few years ago.
March 4, 2019
ST CATHERINE'S CROWN BY S. MARTIN SHELTON is a historical fiction in which Princess Anastasia Romanov survived the murder of her family back in 1918. In the novel Anastasia is gravely wounded and is cared for and nursed back to health by the Czechs aboard a traveling hospital train. During her stay she changes not only her name but her looks to become another person as she knows she is still being hunted down.
I love historical fiction and ST CATHERINE'S CROWN is no different. The author plunges the reader back into old Russia. You can feel and "see" what the conditions and the lives were for the people trying to survive Lenin's nightmare. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a work of fiction not real. Real or not,the author did a great job at putting the reader into the story. In all fairness , there are a few spots in the book,not many where it got to be a little slow but all in all well worth the read if you love historical fiction.
I received this e book free in exchange for an honest review.
I love historical fiction and ST CATHERINE'S CROWN is no different. The author plunges the reader back into old Russia. You can feel and "see" what the conditions and the lives were for the people trying to survive Lenin's nightmare. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a work of fiction not real. Real or not,the author did a great job at putting the reader into the story. In all fairness , there are a few spots in the book,not many where it got to be a little slow but all in all well worth the read if you love historical fiction.
I received this e book free in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2018
This book offers a look at what might have happened if Grand Duchess Anastasia had survived the murder of the imperial family. I liked that the author showed what life was life for several of the different factions. I also liked that he incorporated so many historical figures. Quite an intriguing story!
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Yay!
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Yay!
August 28, 2018
Fascinating
I love how much historical accuracy was taken into account for this book. Often historical fiction stories are written with a feel good bend, but not this one. It felt real, trying to implore the reader to feel the desperation of those times. And it remains true that no one really wins in any war.
I won this book on a goodreads.com giveaway.
I love how much historical accuracy was taken into account for this book. Often historical fiction stories are written with a feel good bend, but not this one. It felt real, trying to implore the reader to feel the desperation of those times. And it remains true that no one really wins in any war.
I won this book on a goodreads.com giveaway.
September 15, 2018
I can tell a great deal of research went into this book. I really feel like Anastasia got under-developed though and having some female femme fatale was very misplaced. The ending was also very lack-luster. I enjoyed the book until the last few chapters. Left a lot to be desired.
September 17, 2019
A well-crafted "could-have-been" story of heroes and villains and love and duty and truth and lies, St. Catherine's Crown presents a tapestry of characters set in a world that assigns just the right amount of historical fact to make it believable. A fascinating story from start to finish.
August 19, 2020
Great Descriptions
It's a great story with many actual facts. Understanding the deaths of all of the Romanov family aided my ability to separate the facts and the fiction. A good read for anyone fascinated by Russian history.
It's a great story with many actual facts. Understanding the deaths of all of the Romanov family aided my ability to separate the facts and the fiction. A good read for anyone fascinated by Russian history.
November 19, 2018
Anyone who enjoys the mystique of the Romanov dynasty will just adore this book!
July 22, 2021
Both enjoyable and informative!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned a lot about Russia in this period of history while reading it. I highly recommend it!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned a lot about Russia in this period of history while reading it. I highly recommend it!
October 15, 2022
I loved this book. Would read again. It was a wonderful tale of “what if”
August 7, 2018
Ever since I was a child, I have been enthralled with the different stories of the Romanov mystery. This book did not disappoint! I enjoyed the character development throughout, but I did feel like some characters added in near the end didn't really match the feel for the rest of the book and that the ending felt slightly rushed.
March 20, 2017
Riveting story!
This was an absorbing and exciting story that you don't want to miss. The characters were incredibly real and authentic. A truly great read.
This was an absorbing and exciting story that you don't want to miss. The characters were incredibly real and authentic. A truly great read.
May 15, 2016
The Ides of March were not only a bad day for Julius Caesar, who was murdered by members of the Roman Senate in 44 BC, but also the Ides—many centuries later— were a bad time for Czar Nicholas II of Russia. On that fateful day in 1917, Czar Nicholas signed abdication papers ending a 304-year-old royal dynasty and beginning the Bolshevik rule of his vast country. He, his family, and all their retainers and servants were taken into custody by the secret police. A little over a year later in July 1918, all of them were brutally executed by a Red Army firing squad.
Or were they? In the chaotic melee of this bloody mass murder—one of many the Bolsheviks would perpetrate during their revolution—one family member, it was widely believed, managed to escape, although badly injured.
Thus begins the fascinating tale written by Captain Martin Shelton, a retired Naval Officer with background in Soviet and Chinese studies. He writes an intriguing tale of historical fiction based on his vast knowledge of the history, the politics, and the sociology of the area.
One of the Czar's daughters, the lovely and vivacious Anastasia, was widely believed to have escaped the butchery. Her mother had told her of a secret enclave of White Russians just across the border in China to which her aunt attempted to escape and toward which Anastasia, almost entirely healed of her wounds except for a telling limp, decided, in her profound loss and desperation, to try to find.
However, once word begins to emerge of the escape of one of the daughters of the Czar, many forces come into play: those attempting to destroy Anastasia and those wanting to rescue the princess. Her nemesis is an utterly psychopathic Chinese femme fatale, who murders without a second thought, and who seeks not only Anastasia's death, but the great riches of the Czar’s royal jewels, St. Catherine's Crown, which she believes Anastasia carries with her or knows the whereabouts of.
This compelling tale will take you into a part of history, now, too often forgotten or neglected, yet enthralling in its power, conflict, and final resolution. As the forces of government evil, corruption, and violence concern us all in these politically turbulent times, St. Catherine's Crown may well be a bellwether of things to come.
Do not hesitate to read this exciting, compelling adventure.
Or were they? In the chaotic melee of this bloody mass murder—one of many the Bolsheviks would perpetrate during their revolution—one family member, it was widely believed, managed to escape, although badly injured.
Thus begins the fascinating tale written by Captain Martin Shelton, a retired Naval Officer with background in Soviet and Chinese studies. He writes an intriguing tale of historical fiction based on his vast knowledge of the history, the politics, and the sociology of the area.
One of the Czar's daughters, the lovely and vivacious Anastasia, was widely believed to have escaped the butchery. Her mother had told her of a secret enclave of White Russians just across the border in China to which her aunt attempted to escape and toward which Anastasia, almost entirely healed of her wounds except for a telling limp, decided, in her profound loss and desperation, to try to find.
However, once word begins to emerge of the escape of one of the daughters of the Czar, many forces come into play: those attempting to destroy Anastasia and those wanting to rescue the princess. Her nemesis is an utterly psychopathic Chinese femme fatale, who murders without a second thought, and who seeks not only Anastasia's death, but the great riches of the Czar’s royal jewels, St. Catherine's Crown, which she believes Anastasia carries with her or knows the whereabouts of.
This compelling tale will take you into a part of history, now, too often forgotten or neglected, yet enthralling in its power, conflict, and final resolution. As the forces of government evil, corruption, and violence concern us all in these politically turbulent times, St. Catherine's Crown may well be a bellwether of things to come.
Do not hesitate to read this exciting, compelling adventure.
November 19, 2016
Based on historical fact, this fast-paced story cleverly imagines an alternative scenario to what might have happened to Princess Anastasia Romanov after surviving the assassination of her family. Shelton interweaves additional story lines and characters into his book, which keeps things exciting and moving along nicely.
October 19, 2016
What if.......
This is an intriguing novel. What might have happened if Anastasia had escaped the slaughter of her family. Also a look into the history of a little known part of the world.
This is an intriguing novel. What might have happened if Anastasia had escaped the slaughter of her family. Also a look into the history of a little known part of the world.
January 31, 2023
An excellent book about what if Anastasia had survived the Romanov execution in July 1918 and was able to escape Russia with the help of the White Russianspeople.And what if some of the royal jewelry was able to be saved. If only these events had occurred how different things could have been
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews