This is the love story of Sisi and Franz, their early marriage, and Sisi’s ongoing struggle for control over her marriage, her children, and her life from her mother-in-law.
I enjoyed this book, and am currently reading the second book in the series, entitled “Sisi: Empress On Her Own”.
Title: The Accidental Empress
Series: Sisi
Author: Allison Pataki
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Howard Books
Release Date: February 17, 2015
Format: Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook
Pages: 495 Pages
The year is 1853, and the Habsburgs are Europe’s most powerful ruling family. With his empire stretching from Austria to Russia, from Germany to Italy, Emperor Franz Joseph is young, rich, and ready to marry.
Fifteen-year-old Elisabeth, “Sisi,” Duchess of Bavaria, travels to the Habsburg Court with her older sister, who is betrothed to the young emperor. But shortly after her arrival at court, Sisi finds herself in an unexpected dilemma: she has inadvertently fallen for and won the heart of her sister’s groom. Franz Joseph reneges on his earlier proposal and declares his intention to marry Sisi instead.
Thrust onto the throne of Europe’s most treacherous imperial court, Sisi upsets political and familial loyalties in her quest to win, and keep, the love of her emperor, her people, and of the world.