This fascinating read offers a new perspective of the complex character of Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary.
First of all a bit of a disclosure: I haven’t read the first book focusing on the Empress (the first part being titled The Accidental Empress) by Allison Pataki, but as someone who has discovered a lot about the Empress through two trips to Vienna and research this doesn’t matter too much. However, if you are discovering her story for the first time, it would be worth reading the first book.
This being said, this second book in the series devoted to telling the story of Sisi is extremely vivid and captures the complex nature of her relationships with her family as well as the people of Austria.
It is clear from the outset that Allison Pataki has really done her research on the character (who was an endless source of fascination in the same way that Princess Diana was) because the world in which the reader sees through her eyes has so much detail to it. This is not simply in the surroundings but all the way through to her relationships to her children: her uncertainty of the Crown Prince Rudolf and how he is growing up for example and the way in which she deals with her increasing isolation from her husband Franz Joseph when she travels are two examples which are explored thoroughly.
There is a real depth of emotion in Pataki’s writing that is irresistible and sweeps you into the world of this royal family. However, it does have to be said that the interspersing thoughts of a character that impacts on Sisi’s future drags the reader out of the story slightly, as does the jumps in time disrupting the flow of the story slightly.
While the character of Sisi can be considered as selfish (which is perhaps another reason why reading the first book in the series would help those unfamiliar with her story), there is a deep rooted sadness to her story as it becomes clear that she is never fully comfortable with her royal role and the fact that she is never able to be truly herself, which brings to mind some modern royalty.
At the centre of it all, it is her relationships with the men in her life that perhaps reveal the most. The way in which she is able to be open with the likes of Captain Bay Middleton and Gyula Andrássy offers a more relaxed perspective of the character. They seem to allow her to open her heart a bit more.
The writing is consistently engaging and it is possible to feel completely immersed in the empress’s world and her thoughts – just highlighting the tragedy of her life further.
Impressively written overall, despite a couple of elements that could have been left out, Sisi: Empress on Her Own is a really engaging read that draws oyou into the royal court of Austria effectively.
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️