Empress

Gigi Griffis writes feminist historical fiction often featuring little-known histories and unruly female characters. She lives in Europe with an opinionated Yorkie mix named Luna, and spends her free time hiking the Alps, cycling around small villages, and eating as much French food as she can get her hands on. Her work has been featured in WestJet Magazine, Get Lost magazine, and Fodor's Travel, among others, and has been translated into French, Italian, Portuguese, and Estonian. The Empress is Gigi's adult novel debut.

“Sumptuous . . . Griffis lends her leads admirable strengths and forgivable flaws and colors them in with plenty of lush period detail. She also brings dramatic flair to the political intrigue before satisfyingly tying up the plot’s burning questions. Nothing in this story disappoints.” —Publishers Weekly“A fresh, fast-paced take on a legendary woman and one of Europe's most notorious royal love stories—guaranteed to win Sisi new fans.” —Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author of Bringing Down the Duke“I absolutely loved Gigi Griffis's The Empress—history combined with fiction with a real sense of people, time, and place. Fascinating!” —Heather Graham, New York Times bestselling author“In an era where marriages were rarely about love and largely about country, The Empress brings us the irresistible beginning to an unexpected romance, that begs the question: what would you do for love? Fans of Daisy Goodwin's Victoria, The Crown, and Reign will delight in the coupling of Sisi and Franz." —Jenni L. Walsh, author of Becoming Bonnie and The Call of the Wrens“A gem of a novel with a compelling feminist bent, The Empress blends political machinations and high-stakes family drama to craft a treat both for the head and the heart.” —Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi“Quite simply delightful. In The Empress, Gigi Griffis has given us two sisters so spunky and unconventional that we want to crawl into the pages to join them, and palace intrigue enough to keep us turning pages late into the night.” —Meg Waite Clayton, international bestselling author of The Postmistress of Paris“In The Empress, Gigi Griffis, with her elegant prose, has woven a mesmerizing tapestry of romance and court intrigue. From start to finish, I was held enthralled.” —Lorraine Heath, New York Times bestselling author