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Gigi Griffis

The Empress: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Gigi Griffis (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

214 ratings

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“Sumptuous . . . Nothing in this story disappoints.” —Publishers Weekly

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 . . .

Print length

310 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Zando
Publication date

September 15, 2022
File size

1608 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
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Enabled
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

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, and her YA debut (The Wicked Unseen) will follow in 2023. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

“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.” —Publishers Weekly

“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

“I absolutely loved Gigi Griffis's The Empress—history combined with fiction with a real sense of people, time, and place. Fascinating!” —Heather Graham,New York Times bestselling author

“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." —Jenni L. Walsh, author of Becoming Bonnie and The Call of the Wrens

“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.” —Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times  bestselling author of Kaikeyi

“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.” —Meg Waite Clayton, international bestselling author of The Postmistress of Paris

“In The Empress, Gigi Griffis, with her elegant prose, has woven a mesmerizing tapestry of romance and court intrigue. From start to finish, I was held enthralled.” —Lorraine Heath, New York Times bestselling author

“Prepare to be dazzled by this glittering gem of a book. The Empress rings with rich historical detail, riveting court intrigue, and a passionate love story that leaps off the page and into our hearts. Unforgettable!” —Lenora Bell, USA Today bestselling author

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09YC1SJ5L
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Zando (September 15, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 15, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1608 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 310 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1800752520

Best Sellers Rank: #130,964 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #168 in Biographical Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #525 in Romance Literary Fiction
- #528 in Biographical Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
214 ratings

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Gigi Griffis

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Gigi Griffis is the author of The Wicked Unseen (coming summer 2023!) and The Empress (as seen on Netflix), among other things. She’s a sucker for little-known histories, “unlikable” female characters, and all things Europe. After almost ten years of semi-nomadic life, she now lives in Portugal with an opinionated Yorkie-mix named Luna and a fancy blender that cost more than her couch.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5

214 global ratings

5 star		46%
4 star		31%
3 star		11%
2 star		4%
1 star		7%

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Sarah

Read it in one sitting!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 29, 2022

Verified Purchase

I've followed Gigi Griffis for years now and was super excited to read her adult debut. It did not disappoint! The story was captivating from the beginning and though I was a bit wary at first as I usually stick to regency historical romance, I really fell into the story. I liked the characters and the development, plus the instant soul mates trope is one of my favorites. The only part I disliked was how quickly it ended as I didn't want to say goodbye to the characters. Fingers crossed for a sequel!

7 people found this helpful

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sara schwanke

Amazing book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 27, 2022

Verified Purchase

I was worried at first that I wouldn't like this book. But it turns out I loved this book. Now time to watch the show. I couldn't put the book down and the TV show is amazing.

One person found this helpful

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kim amis

Excellent book!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 8, 2022

Verified Purchase

The Empress is a wonderfully told story based on true life. I saw the Netflix, I bought the book and audio book!

One person found this helpful

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Amazonlaura richards Customer

Empress

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 17, 2022

Verified Purchase

Good story

One person found this helpful

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debra slott

Stinks, no history except for what color the wallpaper is

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 27, 2022

Verified Purchase

Novel stinks. There is no history in it only superficial sex.

One person found this helpful

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Fun historical romance read and intro to Empress Sisi. Love story did not pull me in.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 14, 2022

I saw this series on Netflix and then remembered I also had the book on my TBR…of course I had to read the book first before diving into the show. I’ll also say I was unfamiliar with the story of Sisi and Franz prior to reading this, though I did look them up when I started reading. I cannot speak to historical accuracies though, I don’t know enough of their real life story to do so.

This is a reimagining of the courtship between Princess Elisabeth (Sisi) of Bavaria and Emperor Franz of Austria. Elisabeth has promised that she will have a great love, or no man at all, despite expectations of the time that she eventually marry someone of her family’s choosing. Emperor Franz is initially promised to Sisi’s older sister, Helene, but falls in love with Sisi instead. Drama ensues.

I enjoyed this. I liked Elisabeth’s character and how she had standards. I also felt for Helene when she felt that Sisi betrayed her. Maxi was an interesting character and I found him more enjoyable to read about than Franz. And having had a complicated relationship with my mother growing up, I related to Elisabeth’s relationship with her own mother. I also liked the writing style and overall prose.

Ironically, I didn’t love the love story. I didn’t feel the passion and longing between Sisi and Franz, nor did I feel their chemistry. They felt like good friends to me, than lovers. There is insta-love here, but perhaps that was how it happened in real life?

The ending was quite abrupt. And there were some things thrown in that felt like unnecessary drama - Maxi flirting with Elisabeth, Franz’s PTSD that seemed to be completely forgotten about as the book progressed, Elisabeth’s initiation into court life felt like it was very rushed - I imagine someone of her character would have difficulty adjusting to court life (as I understand, historically she did have trouble adjusting).

The story is told in third person from Helene, Sisi and Franz’s POV.

I will still be watching the show and would read future works by this author. Recommended if you enjoy historical romances, and Sisi’s story in particular.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 20, 2022

This book was like an experiment, as I have never read a story like that - The Empress is a Netflix series novelized on paper by Ms. Griffis. I was a fan of animated series aired in Poland when I was a kid - Princess Sisi, which told Elizabeth of Bavaria's history, but for a younger audience.
This story is also not telling the full story and all details, but I found it well enough for fictionalized huge a well-known love story, with rather plain writing, that was nice, but there is a place for improvement, and I hope will be done in the future. If you want to start your journey (or read it rarely - like me), then I think this book can be well suited for you - as it's very easy to follow and reads quickly lie one day or two, and it's not heavy on history theme.
The Empress is told from the perspective of a few characters and in the third person - those characters are Elizabeth, Helene (her sister), and Franz - each different, as each has different ideas for their life. The older sister was, to say the least, groomed and schooled to be the best choice for the future empress, she was like a doll that was to be played with, Elizabeth, on the other hand, a younger one had a wild part in herself that allowed her to mesmerize the Emperor. Helene - well I have a problem with her, but when I understand her feeling I don't get the actions that just made us readers hate her (and I can suspect it was like that in reality). There is also one plot part that I'm not fond of - and I find it added for shocking purposes only.
I'm wondering what will be my impression of the Netflix show and I hope it will be a really nice experience of my own that will bring memories from the Princess Sisi cartoon.

One person found this helpful

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Caleigh

love it

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 27, 2023

i watched the series forst and then listened to this. love all the extra details.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Peter Boettcher

The Empress: A Dazzling Love Story as Seen on Netflix.

Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on February 8, 2023

Verified Purchase

Glad I did not watch this on Netflix.

Suzanne Soneff

Show is better, but true to the book.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on November 28, 2022

Verified Purchase

I found the book was rather childish, but I loved the show and the show was quite true to the book.

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