First published 2016
Elisabeth sits in the opulent halls of Vienna's Hofburg Palace, trapped by imperial protocols and a crumbling marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph. Known as Sisi to her adoring subjects, she plays the role of their beloved fairy queen while yearning for freedom. The mid-nineteenth century Habsburg court swirls with waltzes, champagne, and deadly intrigue. Sisi escapes when she can to her Hungarian estate near Budapest, where she finds comfort in visits from Count Andrássy, the charismatic statesman who captures her heart. When tragedy strikes, she must return to Vienna's world of gossip and envy. As her marriage deteriorates and the First World War looms, Sisi faces an impossible choice between holding her family together and pursuing her own liberation. She battles to claim her place as empress, win her people's devotion, and preserve a dying empire, but the greatest fight may be for her own survival.
Genres: romance, historical, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forbidden-love
Setting: Vienna, Hofburg Palace, Budapest, Hungary
Period: Mid-19th Century, World War I
464 pages · Hardcover · The Dial Press