Beautiful photography, scenery, costumes, and actors. The title, I believe, is poorly translated, however, as the word "mistress" today generally implies a female companion of a married man and most definitely someone other than his wife. "Life of a Mistress" sounds a bit cheesy, also. This story is centered on the complicated life of a beautiful serf (slave or servant) who is also the illegitimate child of a nobleman. An Amazon Prime reviewer suggested the title should be "Manumission," as it is a better translation for the document "Volnaya Gramota" (the Russian title) that ensures freedom for the enslaved person. I agree. The manumission document or lack thereof is the very key to how her future life will be lived.
Be prepared for a great number of complex plots and sub-plots to surface throughout the series. I have completed watching only half the episodes at this point and am taking a break due to over-saturation! It's a fairly elaborate and sometimes exasperating experience, but enjoyable all the same. As Trumpkin would say, it's "Yuge!"
