I would like to thank netgalley and swift press for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable look at a time period and a heroine I've always wanted to know more about.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
Even if you haven't seen the Netflix version of this book (I haven't) you might know of the love story between the Austrian Hapsburg Emperor Franz and Sisi from Bavaria. Their personalities are clearly shown: funloving, unconventional Sisi and Franz's efforts to obey expectations despite his grand plans. They are drawn to each other and their love story is beautiful and fascinating. The drawbacks for me were the American word spellings and the use of present-day colloquial language, such as the party being 'in full swing ' and I have reduced my rating by one star.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! I knew barely anything at all about Sisi before reading this and specifically held off from watching the series before i had started and finished this. It feels rich, sumptuous, luxurious, but also very sad at times. I love that it was a love story that was never meant to happen but also felt for both of them as they went through struggles and pressures. Excited to see the series now! This was very well written and conjured up imaginations of huge detail

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Swift Press and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

This was a nice intro, bite-sized novel about the future Empress of Austria, Sisi.

For me this was very history-lite and definitely won’t be winning any literary awards. The characters weren’t very well-developed and the story jumped quickly, whilst somehow never really telling us much at all.

However, it’s a nice introduction for an Empress not as well-known as others, and would be an easy beach holiday read.

A reimagining of the love story of Sisi and Franz of Austria, this was a maybe best suited to those who already knew the stories. But none the less this is an enjoyable historical romance with all the classic components. The chemistry between the characters is fantastic and the historical elements wonderful, if at times a little fictionalised. I understand that this is a script adaption of the Netflix show, so perhaps won’t be for everyone. I feel I would maybe enjoy the show more as not knowing the background I found the book quite a tough read.

The book I was glad I read before my trip to Vienna!

A beautiful historical novel with more than just a hint of romance it was a brilliant introduction to the art and splendour of the Imperial Palaces I was about to see, and a vivid introduction to ‘Sissi’, the Empress Elizabeth whom most of the things you’ll see in Vienna focus on, and the magical tale of the wild and carefree Barvarian duchess who accidentally becomes empress. Okay, so some of what was in the novel contradicted the chronicle of Elizabeth’s life in the Sissi Museum in her former apartments in the Hofburg Palace, but isn’t trying to divine the thoughts and feelings of historical figures part of the fun of historical fiction? I raced through this, honestly my first five star review of 2023!

Last year I visited Vienna and loved the Sisi Museum, I was so excited when I saw this book on NetGalley.

Firstly I've given it 3.5 stars, with the lack of meaty historical content being the reason why. BUT, I so enjoyed the relationships in this book, the romance was lovely and the sisterly relationship was captured well.

This was a quick and enjoyable read for anyone wanting a bit of history and romance.

The book is easy to read and flows a bit choppy. There isn't a lot of depth and everything seems to be paint by numbers. I will say that it reads like a YA version of Alison Pataki's book up until when Elisabeth and Franz marry.

This is an enjoyable read and the basis in historical fact really helped to draw me in - although I realise the facts it is based on are stretched quite thin in some places! I did enjoy doing some research after finishing the story and learning more about the real story of Sisi and Franz.

The story is very romanticised, but I think this works well for the time period it is set and also with the ages of the main characters as Sisi is only 16 at the time the events are taking place.

The story has a good flow and is well paced, making it an easy and engaging read. I also enjoyed the use of different POVs throughout, this helped to build the narrative and flesh out the supporting characters and their different perspectives.

I can understand why this has been snapped up by Netflix and as a lover of Bridgerton and other historical romance I am hopeful the adaptation is a good watch! The book ends just at the point you would hope things would get really interesting - but I guess that's where poetic licence will be used perhaps to create a second series if the first one is well received? An enjoyable lighthearted read, fans of historical fiction will enjoy.

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

Absolutely loved this
and have since seen the TV show based on this

Brilliant

A book based on a TV/Netflix series? When I heard about it for the first time, I worried about it. I thought it could be boring after seeing the show. Fortunately, you can enjoy reading this book even if you know the series. The plot is the same. However, it covers about two episodes only. It means we get more details on what the characters think and do. Gigi Griffis’ style is easy to read. The author entertains you all the time.
The story is captivating, although it describes only a few days in a year. In the beginning, the historical facts are reliable even though they are modified.
The names and titles were a mess in The Empress. It continues here.
Helena is of Bavaria instead of in Bavaria. Your Majesty, Your Highness, and Your Royal Highness are interchangeable. I don’t find appropriate that the Habsburgs already owned Kaiservilla in (Bad) Ischl.

What I liked were the characters’ backgrounds. It is something that the series did not bring.


To summarize, The Empress is a thrilling story for your entertainment. What would distinguish it from the average historical romance (and Sisi deserves it) is a thoroughly built real historical world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift Press for a free digital review copy. This is my honest review.

Epic! Loved this even more than the Netflix series…. The year is 1853, and sixteen-year-old Elisabeth "Sisi" of Bavaria has been very clear: she will wait for the sweeping, head-over-heels kind of love the poets speak of, or she will have no love at all. It is not her fault Mother refuses to listen. After all, just because her older sister Helene has chosen the line of duty, and is preparing to marry Emperor Franz of Austria, does not mean Sisi also needs to subject herself to such a passionless, regimented existence. Sisi knows there is more to life than corsets, luncheons, and woefully unfashionable dukes … if only someone would give her the chance to experience it 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 Bavarian princess, Helene, at his upcoming birthday celebration. How better to unite the country 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 their families, their connection cannot be denied. And as their illicit conversations turn into something more, they must soon choose between the expectations of the court, and the burning desires of their hearts…

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.

A wonderful novel but nothing new under the sun. Romy Schneider on steroids. Great historical details but too much efforts too romanticize a very cold and dysfunctional imperial family. It was definitively written with Netflix in mind. It was fun, light but it could be easily forgotten. A must for anyone addicted to historical romances.

Many thanks to Swift Press & Netgalley for this funny ARC.

I read this book unbelievably fast! Sisi is one of my fav historical figures, her fairy tale romance that takes a turn, her beauty routines, her insufferable in-laws, and her connection to bring countries together she had a mad ride of a life.

When i heard Netflix was doing a series i was beyond excited, to then find out there is an accompanying book to keep me entertained until the series was released was basically Christmas. Read this book and watch the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest view. All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this period drama and wanted to make sure I had read it before I watch it on Netflix! I thought all the characters were interesting and the power dynamic between the duke and his mother particularly so. The descriptions of the palaces were vivid and I felt drawn into the relationships, especially that of the sisters. I felt it ended too quickly- there’s more I wanted to know and read. Hopefully a sequel?!

I have never heard anything about the true story that this book is based on and I found it very interesting and intriguing within this book. A great read and I look forward to watching the Netflix adaption.

I enjoyed this! Although I did feel like the story never really got going and there wasn't much of a plot. But the descriptions of the scenery and clothes were really beautiful so I enjoyed it nonetheless!

A brilliant book, this is the first time I have come across the story of the empress and I am now really interested to learn more. I loved the dynamics between the characters especially the sisters. I am now going to watch the adaptation and see how that matches up with the book.

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.