THE EMPRESS

Narrators Ellie Rose Boswell and Dominic Burgess transport listeners to the 1853 court of Emperor Franz of Austria. To fulfill his duties to the Habsburg Empire and please his domineering mother, Franz has agreed to consider Princess Helene of Bavaria to be his bride. When Franz meets Helene, he also meets her sister, Princess Elisabeth. After an accidental encounter in the gardens, Franz and Elisabeth feel a physical and intellectual attraction that throws everyone's well-made plans into turmoil. Boswell gives Elisabeth a light, lively attitude. Her voice is melodic, and her accents accurately reflect her status. As Franz, Burgess sounds appropriately regal, but he also makes Franz very human. With chapters alternating between Franz's and Elisabeth's observations, a complicated love story unfolds. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2022]