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hiveretcafe's review against another edition
4.0
This review was originally posted on my blog, Hiver et Cafe
I was provided with an e-ARC from Diversion Books via Netgalley. This fact does not affect my opinion in any shape or form. This review is my honest opinion and I was not compensated in any way for this review.
THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES is told in dual perspective that switches between the points of view of 15 year old Elisabeth, the future Empress of Austria, and Elizabeth, a 15 year old with a repulsion disorder living in modern society.
The book is written in a way that it leaves you on a cliff hanger with each chapter as you switch to the other person's perspective. It leaves you wanting to continue on with the story of the person you were just reading. I have to admit I found Elizabeth's journey of learning to deal with her disorder and learning about Empress Sisi much more interesting than Sisi's story herself, even if her story takes a turn for the paranormal.
Throughout the book, I didn't really understand why I was reading the perspectives of two different people. Their stories didn't truly intersect until the book was about 75% through or so. And because of this and the switching perspectives, the story feels a little disjointed and not a smooth ride. I think that if each of the perspectives were fleshed out a little more, each of the perspectives could stand as a story by themselves.
I really liked learning Elizabeth's story and her struggles with her OCD. It's eye opening and a little tragic how she got to the point of needing to be rehabilitated. I liked watching her heal and grow and learn to broaden her horizons. I liked that there was depth and complexity to Cory's character and I would love to know more about him
Sisi, I thought was kind of meh. She is dealing with the perils of her position as a high born duchess. Her father is an eccentric playboy who teaches Sisi circus tricks and takes her with him on a hunt. She is coming into her womanhood and learning the difference between duty and love. She does a lot of things without thinking them through. There were points in her story where I mentally screamed at her to stop what she was doing, because seriously, she's one of those "do now, think later" people.
I liked the way Sisi's story turned out and since the story ends on a Sisi chapter, I would have liked to know how Elizabeth and Cory turned out. I rather like those two.
I was provided with an e-ARC from Diversion Books via Netgalley. This fact does not affect my opinion in any shape or form. This review is my honest opinion and I was not compensated in any way for this review.
THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES is told in dual perspective that switches between the points of view of 15 year old Elisabeth, the future Empress of Austria, and Elizabeth, a 15 year old with a repulsion disorder living in modern society.
The book is written in a way that it leaves you on a cliff hanger with each chapter as you switch to the other person's perspective. It leaves you wanting to continue on with the story of the person you were just reading. I have to admit I found Elizabeth's journey of learning to deal with her disorder and learning about Empress Sisi much more interesting than Sisi's story herself, even if her story takes a turn for the paranormal.
Throughout the book, I didn't really understand why I was reading the perspectives of two different people. Their stories didn't truly intersect until the book was about 75% through or so. And because of this and the switching perspectives, the story feels a little disjointed and not a smooth ride. I think that if each of the perspectives were fleshed out a little more, each of the perspectives could stand as a story by themselves.
I really liked learning Elizabeth's story and her struggles with her OCD. It's eye opening and a little tragic how she got to the point of needing to be rehabilitated. I liked watching her heal and grow and learn to broaden her horizons. I liked that there was depth and complexity to Cory's character and I would love to know more about him
Sisi, I thought was kind of meh. She is dealing with the perils of her position as a high born duchess. Her father is an eccentric playboy who teaches Sisi circus tricks and takes her with him on a hunt. She is coming into her womanhood and learning the difference between duty and love. She does a lot of things without thinking them through. There were points in her story where I mentally screamed at her to stop what she was doing, because seriously, she's one of those "do now, think later" people.
I liked the way Sisi's story turned out and since the story ends on a Sisi chapter, I would have liked to know how Elizabeth and Cory turned out. I rather like those two.
100pagesaday's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
After a series of rapid changes in her life, fifteen year old Liz's OCD has gotten out of control and landed her in a psychiatric unit. After her release, Liz learns of another change; instead of returning to the sparkling clean city loft with her mother, Liz will be moving in with her father, his girlfriend and the girlfriend's brother, Cory on their goat farm. Liz tries her best to deal with the messiness of the farm and does her best to follow her therapist's advice to engage. Liz finds another obsession at her therapist's office when she mentions that Liz reminds her of the Duchess Sisi of Bavaria and allows Liz to see the Duchess' childhood journal. In 1850's Bavaria, Duchess Sisi is also going through a series of changes as she grows and realizes that her destiny is more than she can imagine. As Sisi falls in love the first time, she meets the enchanting Lola who makes promises that seem too good to be true. With Sisi's locket and journal in Liz's hands, she finds that their lives may be connected by more than their circumstances.
The Empress Diaries is an enchanting young adult fantasy intertwining the lives of a modern teen and the young Empress Sisi of Bavaria. Both Liz and Sisi's characters are compelling while facing some parallels in their lives, but have very different challenges in front of them. Liz is trying to live her life with OCD as everyday situations like eating or touching a non-pristine surface send her into a panic. Her time on the farm is challenging her in every single way from the home itself, to sharing a bathroom to eating the food. I was actually surprised at how unaccommodating Liz's dad and girlfriend were with her diagnosis, just expecting her to deal with life in this very different environment. I enjoyed seeing Liz and Cory's relationship grow as well as she helped Cory deal with his own demons. Sisi is dealing with change herself, she is experiencing her first love while learning that her and her sisters are destined to be married off to royalty, their cousins. Lola's character is intriguing and I wish the magical components of Sisi's locket and journal were introduced earlier. I was chalking up the happenstance to wishful thinking and imagination.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Empress Diaries is an enchanting young adult fantasy intertwining the lives of a modern teen and the young Empress Sisi of Bavaria. Both Liz and Sisi's characters are compelling while facing some parallels in their lives, but have very different challenges in front of them. Liz is trying to live her life with OCD as everyday situations like eating or touching a non-pristine surface send her into a panic. Her time on the farm is challenging her in every single way from the home itself, to sharing a bathroom to eating the food. I was actually surprised at how unaccommodating Liz's dad and girlfriend were with her diagnosis, just expecting her to deal with life in this very different environment. I enjoyed seeing Liz and Cory's relationship grow as well as she helped Cory deal with his own demons. Sisi is dealing with change herself, she is experiencing her first love while learning that her and her sisters are destined to be married off to royalty, their cousins. Lola's character is intriguing and I wish the magical components of Sisi's locket and journal were introduced earlier. I was chalking up the happenstance to wishful thinking and imagination.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
momwithareadingproblem's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Diversion Books for providing an eARC. This in no way affects my views on this book.
The Empress Chronicles by Suzy Vitello is an interesting piece of historical fiction, with alternating points of view between Liz in the present and Sisi in 1850s Austria. Liz is a city girl who while her mother is away on business is sent to live with her father on a goat farm. Not only is this cruel, but unbearable to Liz who is OCD and just got out of a psychiatric hospital. Sisi, better known as Empress Elisabeth of Austria, is fifteen and not yet Empress. She is introverted, a daddy's girl, and still living in her "childish ways" when her mother and aunt call her and her sister Helene to arrange their marriages. When Liz finds Sisi's old diary and locket, Liz becomes obsessed with the translation and the potential to change her fate.
The Characters
Liz is a fifteen year old who has had a rough start to high school. Teased in middle school about her hair, then a failed romantic endeavor, and the divorce of her parents lead to her having a mental breakdown. You see, Liz has OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder. She believes that everything about her is bad, everything is covered in germs, and if she doesn't fix it then people will be hurt. After cleaning a bathroom she shared with her mother and mixing the wrong chemicals, she lands herself in a psychiatric institution. Once released, her mother sends her to live with her father and his new girlfriend on a goat farm. To me, this is just cruel to send a girl recovering from an OCD breakdown to a farm that is crawling with dirt and germs. Not only is she stuck at this farm with her dad and Willow, but girlfriend's trouble-making brother, Cory, is sent there too. Cory is a carefree teenage boy, or at least that's how he wants people to see him. In reality he is just as troubled as Liz.
Sisi is also fifteen years old when this story begins and I love her! She is portrayed as the tomboy sister, interested in everything her father does. It isn't until her imperious aunt makes a rather mean comment about her teeth that Sisi becomes concerned with her looks. Throughout the book, the author portrays Sisi as a carefree child, then she slowly becomes more and more a teenager, even having her first menses. It's actually quite sad to read as the vibrant character goes out of Sisi as the book continues. Also Sisi is a bit of a romantic. She wants to be unabashedly in love, and as every teen has had a first crush knows it doesn't always end well. Sisi when thinking about her parent's relationship and her uncle's affair with a gypsy says this:
The Plot
This is truly a coming-of-age story that centers around social issues such as anorexia, bulimia, depression, and of course OCD, typical mental health diseases that usually begin during adolescence. Liz is fighting to overcome her compulsions. All she wants is to be normal, to not feel like she has to wash her hands or wear gloves all the time, but to just be normal. Cory becomes her lifeline in a sense. Together they steal Sisi's journal from her psychiatrist, and because Cory can read German, he begins translating it for her. Cory as I already stated is just as troubled as Liz and together they begin to overcome their obstacles.
Sisi, unfortunately, begins a downhill slide as she succumbs to the pressures of her mother and governess. She must act more like a lady. And, again unfortunately, she falls in love, but with the wrong person. Sisi's love is sent away and then as history tells us she is forced into another marriage. Or is she?
As the synopsis says, Liz finds a link to the past with Sisi's journal and locket, and well let's just say it gets really interesting. As a first book in the series, the author has set the stage well for the next book leaving a great cliff-hanger and an enchanting mystery.
My Conclusions
As my friends know, historical fiction is my vice. I love it! This book tops them all for creativity and to be honest, I'm not sure I've ever read another quite like it. The author blends the past and present so well as Liz's and Sisi's stories run parallel to one another. I really can't wait for the next one, and since this book just came out I'm guessing I have a long wait. If you enjoy historical fiction, young adult literature, coming-of-age stories with a little magic thrown in I highly recommend you check out this new book.
The Empress Chronicles by Suzy Vitello is an interesting piece of historical fiction, with alternating points of view between Liz in the present and Sisi in 1850s Austria. Liz is a city girl who while her mother is away on business is sent to live with her father on a goat farm. Not only is this cruel, but unbearable to Liz who is OCD and just got out of a psychiatric hospital. Sisi, better known as Empress Elisabeth of Austria, is fifteen and not yet Empress. She is introverted, a daddy's girl, and still living in her "childish ways" when her mother and aunt call her and her sister Helene to arrange their marriages. When Liz finds Sisi's old diary and locket, Liz becomes obsessed with the translation and the potential to change her fate.
The Characters
Liz is a fifteen year old who has had a rough start to high school. Teased in middle school about her hair, then a failed romantic endeavor, and the divorce of her parents lead to her having a mental breakdown. You see, Liz has OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder. She believes that everything about her is bad, everything is covered in germs, and if she doesn't fix it then people will be hurt. After cleaning a bathroom she shared with her mother and mixing the wrong chemicals, she lands herself in a psychiatric institution. Once released, her mother sends her to live with her father and his new girlfriend on a goat farm. To me, this is just cruel to send a girl recovering from an OCD breakdown to a farm that is crawling with dirt and germs. Not only is she stuck at this farm with her dad and Willow, but girlfriend's trouble-making brother, Cory, is sent there too. Cory is a carefree teenage boy, or at least that's how he wants people to see him. In reality he is just as troubled as Liz.
Sisi is also fifteen years old when this story begins and I love her! She is portrayed as the tomboy sister, interested in everything her father does. It isn't until her imperious aunt makes a rather mean comment about her teeth that Sisi becomes concerned with her looks. Throughout the book, the author portrays Sisi as a carefree child, then she slowly becomes more and more a teenager, even having her first menses. It's actually quite sad to read as the vibrant character goes out of Sisi as the book continues. Also Sisi is a bit of a romantic. She wants to be unabashedly in love, and as every teen has had a first crush knows it doesn't always end well. Sisi when thinking about her parent's relationship and her uncle's affair with a gypsy says this:
How a man could fall so deeply in love that nothing else mattered. Not the silly laws, nor the arguing over where a country border should go, or even who should wear what hat when. Who cared about what time a beer garden should shut down for the night when real tears and passions and hearts were involved?Like I said, she's a romantic ;)
The Plot
This is truly a coming-of-age story that centers around social issues such as anorexia, bulimia, depression, and of course OCD, typical mental health diseases that usually begin during adolescence. Liz is fighting to overcome her compulsions. All she wants is to be normal, to not feel like she has to wash her hands or wear gloves all the time, but to just be normal. Cory becomes her lifeline in a sense. Together they steal Sisi's journal from her psychiatrist, and because Cory can read German, he begins translating it for her. Cory as I already stated is just as troubled as Liz and together they begin to overcome their obstacles.
Sisi, unfortunately, begins a downhill slide as she succumbs to the pressures of her mother and governess. She must act more like a lady. And, again unfortunately, she falls in love, but with the wrong person. Sisi's love is sent away and then as history tells us she is forced into another marriage. Or is she?
As the synopsis says, Liz finds a link to the past with Sisi's journal and locket, and well let's just say it gets really interesting. As a first book in the series, the author has set the stage well for the next book leaving a great cliff-hanger and an enchanting mystery.
My Conclusions
As my friends know, historical fiction is my vice. I love it! This book tops them all for creativity and to be honest, I'm not sure I've ever read another quite like it. The author blends the past and present so well as Liz's and Sisi's stories run parallel to one another. I really can't wait for the next one, and since this book just came out I'm guessing I have a long wait. If you enjoy historical fiction, young adult literature, coming-of-age stories with a little magic thrown in I highly recommend you check out this new book.
verityw's review
3.0
Copy provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review
I'm really conflicted about this book. I liked the idea, but it seemed to take a long time to get going and I'm not always great with "magical elements" to books if you know what I mean - I really like Philippa Gregory's Tudor monarch books - but I got fed up with the magic elements of the Wars of the Roses books by the end of The White Queen. I think basically I have a limited tolerance for the supernatural and the magical elements of this didn't necessarily always work for me.
I think, really, I wanted to prefer Sisi's story - I was drawn to this book because of the fact that I'd just read and enjoyed another book about Sisi, but I had trouble with some elements of her story - and I wanted to know more about Liz and her problems - but I understand that in a YA book you can't go into to much detail about OCD and eating disorders because it can encourage/enable similar behaviours in people who are actually in the target age range for the book.
So I finished it, I quite enjoyed it - and I wanted to know how it ended, but I didn't love it. I've given 3 stars, because 2 seemed too harsh and I know that other people may really like this.
I'm really conflicted about this book. I liked the idea, but it seemed to take a long time to get going and I'm not always great with "magical elements" to books if you know what I mean - I really like Philippa Gregory's Tudor monarch books - but I got fed up with the magic elements of the Wars of the Roses books by the end of The White Queen. I think basically I have a limited tolerance for the supernatural and the magical elements of this didn't necessarily always work for me.
I think, really, I wanted to prefer Sisi's story - I was drawn to this book because of the fact that I'd just read and enjoyed another book about Sisi, but I had trouble with some elements of her story - and I wanted to know more about Liz and her problems - but I understand that in a YA book you can't go into to much detail about OCD and eating disorders because it can encourage/enable similar behaviours in people who are actually in the target age range for the book.
So I finished it, I quite enjoyed it - and I wanted to know how it ended, but I didn't love it. I've given 3 stars, because 2 seemed too harsh and I know that other people may really like this.
amycbooks's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
I enjoyed most aspects of this novel. I was not expecting the duel narrative but Vitello did a great job making both sides of the story interesting enough that I never felt like I was just getting through one chapter just to get back to the other story. Over all I thought the story was good with a few complaints.
(rest contains minor spoilers.)
The first is it took too long to get to the "wormhole" aspect of the story. It seemed as if this was a big part of the story but it took almost 2/3 of the book to get there. Not that I did not enjoy the journey it just seemed the novel was not really about crossing into a different era. Another thing that brought this book down for me was how there were times Vitello would gloss over details or events and simply summarize aspects of the story which would have been interesting had she put them into the story. The last big complaint was the abrupt ending. I know that this is a series however it seemed with the way the book ended it feels as if I just read 260 pages of a prequel and we just go to the heart of the story when it ended.
I enjoyed most aspects of this novel. I was not expecting the duel narrative but Vitello did a great job making both sides of the story interesting enough that I never felt like I was just getting through one chapter just to get back to the other story. Over all I thought the story was good with a few complaints.
(rest contains minor spoilers.)
The first is it took too long to get to the "wormhole" aspect of the story. It seemed as if this was a big part of the story but it took almost 2/3 of the book to get there. Not that I did not enjoy the journey it just seemed the novel was not really about crossing into a different era. Another thing that brought this book down for me was how there were times Vitello would gloss over details or events and simply summarize aspects of the story which would have been interesting had she put them into the story. The last big complaint was the abrupt ending. I know that this is a series however it seemed with the way the book ended it feels as if I just read 260 pages of a prequel and we just go to the heart of the story when it ended.
smart_girls_love_trashy_books's review against another edition
3.0
-POTENTIAL SPOILERS-
-I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FOR FREE IN A GOODREADS CONTEST-
Well, let's get started, shall we?
When I first started reading this book, I didn't like it. Like at all. I couldn't relate to any of the main characters, and since this book is told in two separate narratives, I'll judge them both separately. The contemporary narrator I found myself annoyed by how much I wasn't able to relate to her. We both have mental disorders, oddly enough centered around rituals, and that's basically it. My mental disorder is pretty tame compared to the norm, and I couldn't help but to wonder if the author had gone overboard in describing just how exact her rituals had to be.
However, I did start to like her near the middle of the book, where we see she was bullied when she was younger for really stupid things(she gets a bad hair cut and spills glue on herself), and I found myself being able to relate! Plus she starts to develop as the book goes on. She becomes more daring and less focused on her perfect rituals; she wants to live in the moment. I was glad she developed strongly as a character like that, and the historical parallels between the two worlds were very interesting, such as when Elisabeth's crush dies and Lisbeth finds the guy she cares about about to overdose in her outhouse the next chapter.
Speaking of which, let's get to the historical aspects of this novel, which was the main reason why I wanted to read it. At first, I wasn't very keen on this part. The author seems to assume you know everything there is to know about Empress Elisabeth and dives right in-and I don't. All I know is that she was Empress of Austria-Hungary and has my name spelled with an 's'. Some sort of historical background would've been nice, like who was she related to, who were her favorite servants, etc. Some of it's there, but it wasn't enough. Unlike Lisbeth, though, I didn't really warm up to Elisabeth's narrative by the end. Sure, she grows and develops as a character too, but if I don't know very much about her historically, then why does it matter to me?
Despite this, I liked reading this book, despite the fact both main characters share my name. It's not a great book or anything, but the author knew what she wanted to do, and did it well enough.
EDIT: Evidently there's a sequel to this, which I think is strange. I think it wrapped up rather nicely at the end there; the only possible plot I could think of would be them meeting in either the past or present. I don't know yet if I'll read that or not.
-I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FOR FREE IN A GOODREADS CONTEST-
Well, let's get started, shall we?
When I first started reading this book, I didn't like it. Like at all. I couldn't relate to any of the main characters, and since this book is told in two separate narratives, I'll judge them both separately. The contemporary narrator I found myself annoyed by how much I wasn't able to relate to her. We both have mental disorders, oddly enough centered around rituals, and that's basically it. My mental disorder is pretty tame compared to the norm, and I couldn't help but to wonder if the author had gone overboard in describing just how exact her rituals had to be.
However, I did start to like her near the middle of the book, where we see she was bullied when she was younger for really stupid things(she gets a bad hair cut and spills glue on herself), and I found myself being able to relate! Plus she starts to develop as the book goes on. She becomes more daring and less focused on her perfect rituals; she wants to live in the moment. I was glad she developed strongly as a character like that, and the historical parallels between the two worlds were very interesting, such as when Elisabeth's crush dies and Lisbeth finds the guy she cares about about to overdose in her outhouse the next chapter.
Speaking of which, let's get to the historical aspects of this novel, which was the main reason why I wanted to read it. At first, I wasn't very keen on this part. The author seems to assume you know everything there is to know about Empress Elisabeth and dives right in-and I don't. All I know is that she was Empress of Austria-Hungary and has my name spelled with an 's'. Some sort of historical background would've been nice, like who was she related to, who were her favorite servants, etc. Some of it's there, but it wasn't enough. Unlike Lisbeth, though, I didn't really warm up to Elisabeth's narrative by the end. Sure, she grows and develops as a character too, but if I don't know very much about her historically, then why does it matter to me?
Despite this, I liked reading this book, despite the fact both main characters share my name. It's not a great book or anything, but the author knew what she wanted to do, and did it well enough.
EDIT: Evidently there's a sequel to this, which I think is strange. I think it wrapped up rather nicely at the end there; the only possible plot I could think of would be them meeting in either the past or present. I don't know yet if I'll read that or not.
littlebookowl's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 stars!
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Original review from Little Book Owl
The Short
The Empress Chronicles is a fun and promising start to a new series. This first book really builds up towards the end. I am certainly intrigued, however I feel like the ending was cut short a little too abruptly. I would have loved to have been introduced to some of that excitement a little earlier.
The two main characters, Liz and Sisi, have very distinct voices, which worked wonderfully for the dual points of view. Their development throughout the story was wonderfully executed, and I loved getting to know the two characters.
The Long
Full video review found here: Youtube
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Original review from Little Book Owl
The Short
The Empress Chronicles is a fun and promising start to a new series. This first book really builds up towards the end. I am certainly intrigued, however I feel like the ending was cut short a little too abruptly. I would have loved to have been introduced to some of that excitement a little earlier.
The two main characters, Liz and Sisi, have very distinct voices, which worked wonderfully for the dual points of view. Their development throughout the story was wonderfully executed, and I loved getting to know the two characters.
The Long
Full video review found here: Youtube
megsbookishtwins's review against another edition
3.0
I received this from the publishers via NetGalley
Liz has OCD and it has lead to issues with food and germs. When she is forced to move to a farm on the outskirts of Portland with her Dad, she fears the worst, and she worries she won't be able to handle it. She finds comfort in the diary of Elisabeth of Bavaria, who became the Empress of Austria. She realises she may have the power to change history, and to change herself.
I'm still not sure what I think of this. I think it is probably just an average read, nothing special, but I wouldn't exactly call it a bad book either. It was dull in places and I did find myself getting bored and wishing the story would hurry up. I found that the 'magical' element of the book was a little bit pointless, and a bit unrealistic. Obviously, anything magic isn't realistic, but the way Liz came to the conclusion that she did about the book I don't know, something about it felt like it was just a little far fetched. Perhaps it is because the world building wasn't very good, that it all felt very fake and flat.
The characters, though interesting, felt a little flat to me, especially Sisi. I felt that Liz was the more interesting, and she was the one who had the character development, where as I don't think Sisi had any character development. I think Liz was more interesting because it was interesting being in the mind of someone who had OCD, and we could see how she battled it and how she managed, to not overcome it yet, but she was making progress, and I think that there was some decent development with Liz. Sisi however, was a let down. I felt like the setting in Sisi's time wasn't done very well and I didn't really get a sense of 1800s.
Overall, an average read, with some entertaining aspects.
Liz has OCD and it has lead to issues with food and germs. When she is forced to move to a farm on the outskirts of Portland with her Dad, she fears the worst, and she worries she won't be able to handle it. She finds comfort in the diary of Elisabeth of Bavaria, who became the Empress of Austria. She realises she may have the power to change history, and to change herself.
I'm still not sure what I think of this. I think it is probably just an average read, nothing special, but I wouldn't exactly call it a bad book either. It was dull in places and I did find myself getting bored and wishing the story would hurry up. I found that the 'magical' element of the book was a little bit pointless, and a bit unrealistic. Obviously, anything magic isn't realistic, but the way Liz came to the conclusion that she did about the book
Spoiler
, that the book was magic and if you wrote in the diary, Sisi would be able to see it in her time.The characters, though interesting, felt a little flat to me, especially Sisi. I felt that Liz was the more interesting, and she was the one who had the character development, where as I don't think Sisi had any character development. I think Liz was more interesting because it was interesting being in the mind of someone who had OCD, and we could see how she battled it and how she managed, to not overcome it yet, but she was making progress, and I think that there was some decent development with Liz. Sisi however, was a let down. I felt like the setting in Sisi's time wasn't done very well and I didn't really get a sense of 1800s.
Overall, an average read, with some entertaining aspects.
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