--- product_id: 41163436 title: "Sisi: Empress on Her Own: A Novel" price: "₱2259" currency: PHP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.ph/products/41163436-sisi-empress-on-her-own-a-novel store_origin: PH region: Philippines --- # Sisi: Empress on Her Own: A Novel **Price:** ₱2259 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Sisi: Empress on Her Own: A Novel - **How much does it cost?** ₱2259 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ph](https://www.desertcart.ph/products/41163436-sisi-empress-on-her-own-a-novel) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A sweeping historical novel that tells the dramatic story of Sisi, the empress of Austria-Hungary who fought for her family, her people, and her empire in a changing world “Irresistible—completely impossible to put down . . . Allison Pataki reimagines the reign of the nineteenth-century Princess Diana in this stunning book.”—Michelle Moran, bestselling author of Rebel Queen Married to Emperor Franz Joseph, Elisabeth—fondly known as Sisi—captures the hearts of her people as their “fairy queen,” but beneath that dazzling persona lives a far more complex figure. In mid-nineteenth-century Vienna, the halls of the Hofburg Palace buzz not only with imperial waltzes and champagne but with temptations, rivals, and cutthroat intrigue. Feeling stifled by strict protocols and a turbulent marriage, Sisi finds solace at her estate outside Budapest, where she rides her beloved horses and enjoys visits from a man with whom she’s unwittingly become enamored. But tragic news brings the empressout of her fragile seclusion, forcing her to return to her capital and a world of gossip, envy, and sorrow where a dangerous fate lurks in the shadows. Through love affairs and loss, dedication and defiance, Sisi struggles against conflicting desires: to keep her family together, or to flee amid the collapse of her suffocating marriage and the gathering tumult of the First World War. In an age of crumbling monarchies, the empress fights to assert her right to the throne beside her husband, to win the love of her people and the world, and to save an empire. But in the end, can she save herself? Featuring larger-than-life historic figures such as Bavaria’s “Mad King Ludwig” and the tragic Crown Prince Rudolf, and set against many of Europe’s grandest sites—from Germany’s storied Neuschwanstein Castle to England’s lush shires— Sisi brings to life an extraordinary woman and the romantic, volatile era over which she presided. Review: Loved this book! - Well written, great book! The historical accuracy is very good. The writers emotional additions based on the history were so well done. Highly recommend this book! Review: sad later life of Elisabeth of Austria - This is the second of a pair of novels by Pataki about Elisabeth of Austria, wife of Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria (and later Austria-Hungary) during the second half of the nineteenth century. Elisabeth, widely known by her childhood nickname of Sisi, was the Princess Diana of her day—renowned for her beauty, loved by many but criticized by many others, and mired in an unhappy marriage and an uneasy (at best) relationship with her royal in-laws and their court. I strongly recommend reading the first novel of the pair, The Accidental Empress, before reading this one; Pataki does briefly sketch the events of the first half of Elisabeth’s life in this second book, but readers will have much more understanding of Elisabeth’s character if they take the books in order. This book begins in 1868, shortly after the first book ends, and continues to Elisabeth’s assassination by an anarchist thirty years later—an event foreshadowed in sections throughout the book. It has less romance and more tragedy than the first book, though Sisi does have a strong attraction to Bay Middleton, her English companion during endless hunts in Britain in the first half of the book. The tragedies include the mysterious death of her cousin and friend, “Mad” King Ludwig of Bavaria, builder of the ultimate fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein, and the suicide of her only son, Crown Prince Rudolf, at the family’s Mayerling hunting lodge in the Vienna woods in 1889. Pataki sticks close to the facts of Elisabeth’s well-documented life, but she is writing a novel, not a nonfiction biography, and she is writing it from Sisi’s point of view (though in the third person). Since Sisi was an emotion-centered person, the book therefore is also emotion centered, and it tends to take Sisi’s side more than a nonfiction book might, somewhat glossing over her contributions to the unhappiness of her marriage and to the tragic mess Rudolf makes of his short life. Despite this, I found Sisi less appealing than I did in the first book; she criticizes Franz Josef for his unrelenting devotion to the duty of running the empire, but she seldom seems to consider that she, too, might have a job to do as an empress and a mother and ought to make some attempt to do it now and then rather than spending all her time traveling, horseback riding, and getting her hair done. As in the first book, I think Pataki does a good job as a historical novelist, making her characters lively and basically sympathetic. Whether I agreed with their attitudes and actions or not, I really felt by the end of the books that I knew these people—and that’s what a novel should achieve. I strongly recommend both books to anyone who enjoys royal dramas. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #79,729 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #177 in Biographical Historical Fiction #204 in Biographical & Autofiction #1,077 in Family Saga Fiction | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 4,535 Reviews | ## Images ![Sisi: Empress on Her Own: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81yMy37bu3L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Loved this book! *by M***E on July 19, 2026* Well written, great book! The historical accuracy is very good. The writers emotional additions based on the history were so well done. Highly recommend this book! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ sad later life of Elisabeth of Austria *by L***) on February 14, 2019* This is the second of a pair of novels by Pataki about Elisabeth of Austria, wife of Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria (and later Austria-Hungary) during the second half of the nineteenth century. Elisabeth, widely known by her childhood nickname of Sisi, was the Princess Diana of her day—renowned for her beauty, loved by many but criticized by many others, and mired in an unhappy marriage and an uneasy (at best) relationship with her royal in-laws and their court. I strongly recommend reading the first novel of the pair, The Accidental Empress, before reading this one; Pataki does briefly sketch the events of the first half of Elisabeth’s life in this second book, but readers will have much more understanding of Elisabeth’s character if they take the books in order. This book begins in 1868, shortly after the first book ends, and continues to Elisabeth’s assassination by an anarchist thirty years later—an event foreshadowed in sections throughout the book. It has less romance and more tragedy than the first book, though Sisi does have a strong attraction to Bay Middleton, her English companion during endless hunts in Britain in the first half of the book. The tragedies include the mysterious death of her cousin and friend, “Mad” King Ludwig of Bavaria, builder of the ultimate fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein, and the suicide of her only son, Crown Prince Rudolf, at the family’s Mayerling hunting lodge in the Vienna woods in 1889. Pataki sticks close to the facts of Elisabeth’s well-documented life, but she is writing a novel, not a nonfiction biography, and she is writing it from Sisi’s point of view (though in the third person). Since Sisi was an emotion-centered person, the book therefore is also emotion centered, and it tends to take Sisi’s side more than a nonfiction book might, somewhat glossing over her contributions to the unhappiness of her marriage and to the tragic mess Rudolf makes of his short life. Despite this, I found Sisi less appealing than I did in the first book; she criticizes Franz Josef for his unrelenting devotion to the duty of running the empire, but she seldom seems to consider that she, too, might have a job to do as an empress and a mother and ought to make some attempt to do it now and then rather than spending all her time traveling, horseback riding, and getting her hair done. As in the first book, I think Pataki does a good job as a historical novelist, making her characters lively and basically sympathetic. Whether I agreed with their attitudes and actions or not, I really felt by the end of the books that I knew these people—and that’s what a novel should achieve. I strongly recommend both books to anyone who enjoys royal dramas. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Third time is a charm for Allison Pataki *by S***N on March 8, 2016* Sisi, Allison Pataki’s third novel (and sequel to The Accidental Empress) is a marvelous work of historical fiction. At times this genre can be dense, but Pataki has a flair that few do. Pataki demonstrates an ability to convey a painting to her readers of some very complex, but real, characters. She creates a landscape of Europe in the late 19th Century. Her Empress Sisi, a very colorful persona, comes alive in this wonderful and fun book. While she writes in light hearted way, there is no conceivable way that one comes out from this read without knowing (or perhaps even more likely, feeling) more about 19th Century European monarchies. Pataki takes the reader away into the drama of Sisi’s complex and rigid world. Clearly some of it is her own making but, regardless, this is a clever work of writing - seeing the inner workings of a woman who is trapped in a marriage she once she so wanted. This hierarchy of European monarchies is written of in a truly palpable sense as even their existence is questioned by revolutions and disequilibrium in the balance of power of the nation-states. Sisi’s mother-in-law, Sophie the archduchess, plays a perfect role and is used splendidly for historical context stating such things as “the whole world slept soundly at night. With Austria at the helm of Europe, it was the age of the great monarchs. Dynasties were assured; all was in its proper order. People knew who their leaders were. There was none of this bickering over constitutions and revolutions and laissez-faire governments. There was peace. There was order!” Some truly wonderful dialogue. Pataki brings Sisi and the Hapsburg Empire to light in her skilled water-colored writing. I found myself whisked away in the intrigue and the drama of it all. The men that fascinate her and are obviously forbidden – they simply highlight her opulent life as a prisoner of her own throne. These novels continue to impress me and I hope Ms. Pataki might find other characters in history she finds worthy to write about to all of her readers’ enjoyment. This is good and fun writing. It obviously makes for a grand read. ## Frequently Bought Together - Sisi: Empress on Her Own: A Novel - The Accidental Empress: A Novel - The Queen's Fortune: A Novel A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ph/products/41163436-sisi-empress-on-her-own-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.ph/products/41163436-sisi-empress-on-her-own-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Philippines* *Store origin: PH* *Last updated: 2026-09-01*