Ivan the Terrible of Russia: Backdrop for a Historical Saga

Ivan the Terrible
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It's been awhile since I posted about Russia or Ivan the Terrible. I read something that suggested that a great idea for a blog post for authors is to write about the back story or world that your story take place in. As I explained in THIS POST, the release date for Citadels of Fire was pushed to next year, but that doesn't mean I can't talk about the world it's set in.

So Ivan the Terrible was a tyrant who sat the throne of Russia during the 1500s. He was the first ruler to adopt the title of "Tsar" which is the Russian equivalent of Caesar. He was revered by his people, even though he was brutal.

Ivan was a very lonely child. His father died when he was only three, making him ruler of Russia under his mother, who would serve as regent until he came of age. When Ivan was eight, she died, and little Ivan, along with his simple-minded brother, Yuri, were swept under the rug. Every time Ivan latched onto someone and came to care for them, they were murdered in the bloody gyre that was the struggle for the Russian throne. The two boys often slept in closets or hid from assassins. Their childhood was full of paranoia and mistrust...

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