Published by Diversion Books
In this
dazzling first book in the EMPRESS CHRONICLES series by the author of THE
MOMENT BEFORE, one courageous girl seeks keys to the past to unlock the future…
When city girl Liz is banished to a
rural goat farm on the outskirts of Portland, the 15-year-old feels her life spiraling out of control. She can’t connect to her father or his young girlfriend, and past trauma adds to her sense of upheaval. The only person who seems to keep her sane is a troubled boy who is fighting his own demons. But all of this changes in one historical instant.
*
One-hundred fifty years earlier, Elisabeth of Bavaria has troubles of her own. Her childhood is coming to a crashing end, and her destiny is written in the form of a soothsaying locket that has the ability to predict true love. But evil is afoot in the form of a wicked enchantress who connives to wield the power of the locket for her own destructive ends.
*
When Liz finds a timeworn diary, and within it a locket, she discovers the secrets and desires of the young Bavarian princess who will one day grow up to be the legendary Empress of Austria. It is in the pages of the diary that these two heroines will meet, and it is through their interwoven story that Liz will discover she has the power to rewrite history—including her own…
Readers of books like Rachel Harris’s MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY will love THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES
What an enjoyable book with some twists and turns that I didn't see coming. The Empress Chronicles is told in alternating points of view; one present day, one historical 1800s. This brought a unique edge to the story that I rather enjoyed. I could definitely see people on the younger end of Young Adult loving this book.
The one thing that got me was the pacing. Though Suzy Vitello is a wonderful and inventive writer, I struggled a bit at the beginning to get into this story. Regardless, both characters are very intriguing. The Empress Chronicles is one of a kind, and I know historical fiction fans will flock to it!
**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.
Suzy Vitello is a proud founding member of a critique group recently dubbed The Hottest Writing Group in Portland, and her short stories have won fellowships and prizes (including the Atlantic Monthly Student Writing Award, and an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship).
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