The empress was an interesting read.

A mix of romance with what life at the palace means to say it shortly.

Sisi is a well-known character in the history. The descriptions of the settings in the Bavarian mountains are really drawing attention and the whole romanticised story will get the attention of fans of historical romance.

A lot of this book is based on their characters and mostly on the relationship between Sisi and her sister, Helene, as well as Franz, the emperor.

There are a few things that didn’t really worked for me here. I felt like the past and present could’ve been more developed, especially since Franz has suffered for so long with PTSD and it’s normal. Afterwards, he had to witness so much cruelty and violence over the years.

Sisi is a “do whatever she wants” character. She won’t abide by the court rules. She wants to marry because she loved her future husband and tries everything to escape her royal duties.

In my opinion, she acted various times like a spoiled child and not like a young woman that would be a proud empress. Her rebellious facade is understandable but everything has limits, in my opinion.

Overall, it is an interesting, romanticised story where fiction and reality combine to bring a show to the masses.

3.5 stars

NetGalley arc