The Empress
A Novel
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- £8.99
Publisher Description
“Sumptuous . . . Nothing in this story disappoints.” —Publishers Weekly
“A fresh, fast-paced take on a legendary woman.” —Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author of Bringing Down the Duke
As seen on Netflix, The Empress is a captivating, vivid, and remarkably modern tale about falling in love and finding one’s voice.
The year is 1853, and Princess Elisabeth “Sisi” of Bavaria has been very clear: She will wait for the head-over-heels love the poets speak of, or she will have no love at all. Just because her older sister, Helene, is eagerly heeding their mother’s advice and preparing to marry Emperor Franz of Austria does not mean Sisi must also subject herself to such a dutiful existence. Sisi knows there is more to life than luncheons and corsets—if only someone would let her experience it all firsthand.
Meanwhile, in Austria, the emperor is recovering from an assassination attempt that left him wounded and scared. In a bid to keep the peace, Franz has recommitted himself to his imperial duties—and promised to romance the pliant Helene of Bavaria at his upcoming birthday celebration. How better to unite the empire than with the announcement of a new empress?
But when Sisi and Franz meet unexpectedly in the palace gardens, away from the prying eyes and relentless critique of the court, their connection cannot be denied. And as their illicit conversations turn into something more, they must soon choose between the expectations of their families and standing up for what they truly believe in . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Griffis debuts with a sumptuous historical, recently adapted for Netflix, involving a romance among the royal families of the Habsburg empire. In 1853, 15-year-old Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria is determined to avoid the fate of her older sister, Helene, who is intended to marry Emperor Franz Joseph, 23, their cousin whom they've never met. Elisabeth, a budding poet with a mind of her own, repeatedly rejects the noblemen recommended by her mother. When the three women travel to the Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl so Helene can meet Franz, chance encounters between him and Elisabeth lead to a deep intellectual and physical attraction. Franz, preoccupied with modernizing the empire and keeping it out of a war that's brewing between France and Russia, hadn't been keen on marrying, but now tells his controlling mother he will marry Elisabeth or no one. Elisabeth is thrilled by Franz's proposal and eagerly accepts, which causes a painful rift in her usually close relationship with Helene. Griffis lends her leads admirable strengths and forgivable flaws and colors them in with plenty of lush period detail. She also brings dramatic flair to the political intrigue before satisfyingly tying up the plot's burning questions. Nothing in this story disappoints.
