The Accidental Empress

by Allison Pataki

The New York Times best-selling author of The Traitor's Wife fictionalizes the little-known and tumultuous love story of "Sisi," the 19th-century Austro-Hungarian empress and captivating wife of Emperor Franz Joseph.

• ISBN10: 1410478823
• ISBN13: 9781410478825
• Publish Date: 27 May 2015 (first published 17 February 2015)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 1 July 2021
• Imprint: Thorndike Press
• Edition: Large type / large print edition
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 791
• Language: English

Reviews

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

I know very little of Empress Elizabeth of Austria, and one of my goals in adding The Accidental Empress to my TBR was to expand my historical fiction reading out of the Tudor Court. I am so glad I did – I have mixed luck with historical fiction because of the way it is written and I don’t often find many authors I enjoy. I’m happy to say I will be adding Allison Pataki to my list of wonderful historical fiction authors, alongside Philippa Gregory and Anita Diamant.

One of the first things I do with non-fiction is cross-check facts. Historical fiction is, of course, just that: fiction. But the best lies have a grain of truth at the center, so I wanted to see how well Pataki mixed fact and fiction. I’m pleased to say that many stark details of Sisi’s narrative are right out of historical fact. Empress Elizabeth left behind many journals, and it’s a historian’s dream to have ripe primary sources. I’m sure these journals and other primary and secondary sources influenced Pataki’s narrative. It was historical enough to feel real, and lyrical enough to be entertaining. Excellent writing, honestly.

It’s a very different historical fiction than I’m accustomed to, because of how much time I’ve spent reading about the Tudor Court. While there are still rumors and intrigue, the court gossip is in circles outside Sisi’s hearing, and I felt the novel was well-written to keep Sisi at the center, rather than to split the narrative between the empress and another. Elizabeth struggles with imposter’s syndrome as well as depression. Her story feels quiet, hidden between closed doors, and there is a lot of emotion in it. She’s a wonderfully written character that evolves and grows so easily and yet so subtly.

Then, of course, we have Sophie, the Arch-Duchess. I adored this character because I loved to hate her. Much like Sisi, I have a difficult mother-in-law, but nothing to this caliber. I did a little resource on Sophie as well (because the historian in me can’t not) and it was interesting to see how this character was also true to historical fact, but through the eyes of Sisi. If Sophie had been viewed through the perspective of any other character, she would have been very different.

I think the only thing I can criticize in this novel is the pacing. It flipped back and fort a bit, and there were scenes where the we were in the present as some sort of important event (revealed at the end as events caught up) and in the past. For a while, the narrative took on a meandering tone, and then it just… skipped forward. Four years. And while I understand the empress was away from court, I think I would have liked to hear about more? I’d forgive this if it was a standalone novel and Pataki wanted to focus only on Elizabeth’s ascent and contributions to Hungarian independence… but this is the first book in the duology and it would have been nice to at least get a sort of highlights sequence? But honestly, that’s all that rumpled my feathers.

I’d recommend The Accidental Empress for fans of historical fiction and who are interested in the Hapsburgs. I have to be honest and say I haven’t read a lot about this line of monarchs, and I’m not sure if my lack of knowledge played into how much I enjoyed it? But I did enjoy it and it was nice to read about a different regime.

[jnkay01]

The rare historical novel that did not make me want to learn more about the real people in history. Made it halfway through before concluding there was nothing redeemable about the three main characters, each apparently trying to be the most unlikeable person who ever lived.

[Veronica 🦦]

Alright, full disclosure. I read this book back in 2015 & I actually reviewed it on Amazon, so this is pretty much a copy & paste of that old review that I wrote back then. However, my opinion still stands. This book it an atrocity. It is horrifically terrible. I am ashamed that I actually spent a few days reading this book.



For the love of God, don't waste money on this book. If you love to read books where intriguing, complicated women are turned into simpletons whose worth are tied into whether or not they are loved by their husbands or another man, then by all means, read it. However, if you want a book that respects Empress Elisabeth, look elsewhere because this is not the book you are looking for.

Pataki's Sisi is reduced to a weepy woman who suffered only because her husband didn't pay attention to her. This author reduced the freedom loving, introverted Elisabeth who wrote poems yearning for freedom and who had a fear of strangers into a woman whose deep depression was caused solely by the fact that her husband paid more attention to her mother-in-law and the empire. This author did not give Elisabeth the respect that she deserved.

Let us not forget that she also reduced Archduchess Sophie into an evil mother-in-law who sought to destroy her niece rather than write her as someone who could not see past her own opinions and traditionalist values blinded her to everything but her own thinking.

Do yourself a favor and avoid this book. Historical fiction or not, the treatment that Pataki gave to all of these people was horrendous. Read [b:The Reluctant Empress|983942|The Reluctant Empress|Brigitte Hamann|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387715893s/983942.jpg|969437] or [b:The Lonely Empress: Elizabeth of Austria|995119|The Lonely Empress Elizabeth of Austria|Joan Haslip|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328849795s/995119.jpg|980613] instead. They might be biographies, but you will enjoy reading those at least and the people are given the respect they deserve.