The Empress
A fresh, fast-paced take on a legendary woman and one of Europe’s most notorious royal love stories—guaranteed to win Sisi new fans.”
- 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.
ISBN
9781638930167
Language
English
Page count
320
Edition
Paperback
Sale date
September 27, 2022
Dimensions
5.5 x 8.25
About the Book
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 . . .
Reviews
“Sumptuous… 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.”
“A fresh, fast-paced take on a legendary woman and one of Europe’s most notorious royal love stories—guaranteed to win Sisi new fans.”
“I absolutely loved Gigi Griffis’s The Empress—history combined with fiction with a real sense of people, time, and place. Fascinating!”
“A gem of a novel with a compelling feminist bent, THE EMPRESS blends political machinations and high-stakes family drama to craft a treat both for the head and the heart.”
“Quite simply delightful. In THE EMPRESS Gigi Griffis has given us two sisters so spunky and unconventional that we want to crawl into the pages to join them, and palace intrigue enough to keep us turning pages late into the night.”
“In an era where marriages were rarely about love and largely about country, The Empress brings us the irresistible beginning to an unexpected romance, that begs the question: what would you do for love? Fans of Daisy Goodwin’s Victoria, The Crown, and Reign will delight in the coupling of Sisi and Franz.”
Gigi Griffis
Gigi Griffis writes feminist historical fiction often featuring little-known histories and unruly female characters. She lives in Europe with an opinionated Yorkie mix named Luna, and spends her free time hiking the Alps, cycling around small villages, and eating as much French food as she can get her hands on. Her work has been featured in WestJet Magazine, Get Lost magazine, and Fodor’s Travel, among others, and has been translated into French, Italian, Portuguese, and Estonian. The Empress is Gigi’s adult novel debut.
