I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are min

This is a debut English language book and what a debut

Historical fiction is my favourite genre so was thrilled to be able to read this. I have very little knowledge of Mexican history and this is wonderfully researched and beautifully descriptive.

An absolute joy to read
I very rarely give 5 stars but this justifiably is worth it

Complicated sentence phrasing and forced descriptions and back story break the narrative. I couldn’t get into this story.

I knew I was going to love this book when it began with a cast of characters à la a Shakespearean play. Enriched with little known history and authentic persons, the dullness of centuries past becomes suffused with color, bright and alive.

Somewhat reminiscent of Philippa Gregory’s works, The Empress is full of Mexican culture, international politics, power struggles and aristocratic manipulations. Though centurial affairs can be at times dry, there was never a lack of interesting storylines. Martinez-Belli kept the narrative thriving through her many characters, especially the regal Empress Carlota and her questionable lady, Constanza.

I absolutely adore all things history and yet I had never heard of the brief and chaotic empire of Mexico. At times I was so engrossed that I forgot to note mention of food! What a beautifully dramatic period piece it would be. This must become a movie or a series; I’m not picky.

Overall, I found The Empress to be a well written, extremely fascinating and satisfying read. I cannot wait to cook up some Mexican influenced Belgium meals!

A historical fiction would be a great book if the author can manage to introduce the setting and characters in an interesting way. I loved the characters and everything but the story just didn’t keep me interested. It just got too boring in the middle and I DNFd the book at around 65% . I do wish I’ll be able to complete the book one day but for now it was an average book.

This just wasn't my cup of tea. No matter how interested I am in reading historical novels, this was not the one to start with. The POV switches made following the storyline very difficult and I at times did not agree with certain terminology. DNF

I understand that historical accuracy and fiction are hard to combine, especially when you’re trying to stick to a timeline and out thoughts into historical characters heads. But this was boring. I struggled to get through it. When compared to books like Sisi that attempt to do the same it was a downright disappointment. I feel like if the author had tried to bend the timelines/characters a little outside their historical knowledge it A have been a much better book. The thoughts and historical actions just didn’t like up. The descriptions, background, and characters were all well written, and overall it was enjoyable but it wasn’t entertaining unless you enjoy reading history textbooks. It read like someone tried to shove a history textbook into a novel.

I love historical fiction! This book did not disappoint. What an amazing story the author told. Thank you NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for the ARC.

Charlotte of Belgium and Maximilian of Austria are victims of history. Napoleon III appoints them as Emperor and Empress of Mexico in a bid to establish a European presence in the Americas. Regarded as outsiders from the start, the odds are against their being accepted by those they presume to rule. Nationalist rebels plot their demise. Charlotte and Maximilian are not married in the physical sense; both seek lovers. Despite this, she embarks on an arduous and fruitless journey to get financial and military aid for her husband from the European leaders. Laura Martinez-Belli has written a fictional account of this woman, using historic figures, both those who pledge their lives to her and her husband and those who work against them. Circumstances leading to his assassination and her descent into madness, along with rumors of illegitimate children, are depicted. Readers are advised to pay close attention to the chapter dates provided.

The Empress begins with a list of characters and places that will be mentioned throughout the novel. I found this informative and a great reference point, as throughout reading I did have turn back to remember which character was which and so on.

The foundations of Charlotte/Carlota’s life and displeasure of her marriage are laid early on and you instantly begin to feel for for this young woman who is married into a world unlike what she expected.
The timelines of this novel jump significantly but all end up tying together - unlike traditional novels where a timeline flows from start to finish.

Throughout The Empress there are in-depth perceptions of the women of the time, and their views surrounding Mexican and European politics and their everyday lives. One quote I highlighted was “A women wears many disguises, dear, to defend an idea. To survive. Mine is that of a self-sacrificing wife. There are nun, there are prostitutes, but we all choose what we want to be under the mask.”

What I liked most about this novel was how the author managed to really show the reader how the characters were feeling. You can tell that both Carlota and Maximilian show an eagerness to rule and have ambition, but Carlota’s is much more clear. You can understand the love that Carlota has for her Mexico, the excitement that the young couple has for their own court, their own empire - far from everyone else.
You can tell what Mexico looked like to a newcomer from distant lands and the beginning of Carlota’s madness.

Though I did find some explanations of character’s backgrounds unnecessary to the novel, I found myself researching further into Carlota and Max’s family and their short lived reign.
It speaks to me as historically accurate where needed and mixing a taste of fiction too.

Highly recommended.

The Empress is a story about a time of turbulence in Mexico and one of the solutions was to instate an European monarchy to give structure to Mexico and her citizens. The novel follows several viewpoints from both European and Mexican civilians and royalty. Martinex-Belli did a wonderful job of laying down a detailed, well-researched base. I felt like I could be in Mexico with all the characters and see the country side in my mind's eye. While fiction, the historical events were obviously well researched and kept as accurate as it could be. It was very easy to start caring about the characters as they were all three dimensional with emotions, conflict and growth.

One little thing that bothered me was the jumping back and forth in the timeline. It always took me a few pages to realize what was going on and which part of the timeline I was currently reading. I can see why it was done that way to add to the suspense of the story line but even with that, there were questions that never really got answered in my opinion. I think it could've easily been written as one solid timeline.

I would recommend it for any historical fiction reader. It is during the Victorian reign of England and Leopold I of Belgium. The majority of the story does take place in Mexico.

Refreshing historical novel of a little known time of the short lived Second French Intervention in Mexico. Martinez-Belli brilliantly portrays the tragic story Empress Carlotta of Mexico, daughter of Leopold I and wife of Emperor Maximillian. A page turner.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction so I was excited to read this one and it definitely didn't disappoint. The Empress is a sweeping historical fiction based on the life of Carlota, The Empress of Mexico.

Through this novel we we learn the history of Princess Charlotte of Belgium who marry's Maximilian von Habsburg, the Archduke of Austria.at just 17 and how she becomes Carlota, The Empress.

Napolean III wants to instil a Monarchy in Mexico after taking control of the country and Maximilian is pushed to take up this post. Charlotte is struggling in a loveless marriage and feeling isolated and frustrated and she believes the move to Mexico will be the the fresh start for herself and her husband. With the ambitious Charlotte's encouragement, Maximilian and Charlotte embark on the voyage to Mexico and are placed on the throne. They would now be known as Maximilian and Carlota, Emperor and Empress of Mexico.

Life in Mexico becomes a constant frustration for Carlota. Her husband is constantly away dealing with trivial matters and rumours swirl that she is unable to bare children while her husband seems to prefer the company of men.

Unrest is swirling around them and Napolean III refuses to hear Carlota's pleas for help, as it is she who is fighting to keep the monarchy alive in Mexico and trying to do what she believes is right for the Mexican people.

What follows is a tragic story of betrayal by those closed to the Empress. We feel this amazingly strong and resilient woman lose her grip on reality as those around her seek to destroy her and all that she holds dear.

The author does a spectacular job of entwining historical facts and timelines into the story and whilst at times I got a little confused by so many different characters appearing throughout the story, this was more from my own lack of knowledge of this period in time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it has left me wanting to learn more about The Empress Carlota and her life.

If there is an audiobook version of this, I hope Dana Schwartz reads it. I first learned about Carlota through the Noble Blood Podcast, and when I was reading Tsarina, I felt like I was reading a transcript of that podcast. In case I need to be explicit, I LOVE Schwartz's podcast. There wasn't enough dialogue for my liking, but that just gives it a non-fiction feel. While I personally had trouble staying focused while reading, I think anyone interested in history would love to read (or listen) to this book!

Empress, a work of historical fiction, concerning Mexico and the second empire. The rulers of this empire was Maximillian an Archduke of Austria and a brother of the Emperor of Austria and Charlotte a princess of Belgium and cousin of Queen Victoria. Maximillian and Charlotte were invited by the French Emperor Napoleon III and the conservative party in Mexico to engage in a bit of empire building in the Americas and establish the second empire in Mexico. By doing this Max and Charlotte would become Emperor and Empress of Mexico and by extension lead busier and more fulfilling lives which up until then had been pretty aimless and boring. Çharlotte, trapped in a dynastic and lifeless marriage, really came into her own in Mexico, finding her strengths and her voice. I enjoyed her development in this novel. This book has a full cast of charecters, some historical and some not, that support Max and Charlotte on their ill fated adventure and make for very good reading. I liked that the book concentrated on Charlotte and did not have too many characters as many historical novels do, trying to mention everyone involved plus a few made up ones, making it almost impossible to keep straight who is who unless you are already familiar with the history which I was not. I also liked the way the author mentioned What else was going on in the world at the time to orient to the time these events were taking place. What I did not like we're the flashbacks in time which I am not a fan of as I much prefer a straight forward story. I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. The book captured my imagination and I read it in about two days. This book also has a bibliography if you wish to read more about Maximillian and Charlotte.

Sweeping tale of Empress Charlota of Mexico, weaving together the history of her reign and fall. Brilliantly told multiple person narrative weaves together the sub plots of Charlota's life. Truely fascinating read for those who this is the first glimpse of the Victorian Era.

Solid historical fiction novel about a less well known (to me) historical figure. Novel in translation.

The Empress by Laura Martinez-Belli is an excellent translated historical fiction featuring the tragic life and story of Carlota Empress of Mexico (Charlotte of Belgium).

I have to admit, I did not make the association between Carlota and Charlotte, the daughter of King Leopold I of Belgium and his second wife. Of course, after reading this, I had to research as much as I could about this tragic woman. Life was difficult for any woman at this time, and Carlota had her work cut out for her. Unfortunately, there were so many external factors that were beyond her control, that helped add to her downfall.

This is an excellent translation that was thoroughly engaging, easy to understand and follow, and kept my interest throughout. What more could one ask from a historical fiction novel?!

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR account immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

A well-researched story on a subject I knew absolutely nothing about--which is exactly what I like to get from historic fiction. Martinez-Belli humanizes royalty without making them caricature.

I began this book with very little knowledge of the actual historical events about which this novel revolves. While a certain amount of information might have been helpful, after a point I was able to pick up the historical references and follow along. Knowing that this story has a basis in history made it so much more real to me. Although the conversations are imagined, and this is in fact a novel, it is very easy to believe that it could in fact be a memoir. The way each character is portrayed,, including their background, gives you an insight into why they believe what they believe. The time frame in both Mexico and Europe is a character itself, and is so well described that you feel invested in both countries. By the end, you can empathize with almost everyone in the story. Almost everyone.