In Allison Pataki's The Accidental Empress, readers get a glimpse into one of the most famously beautiful royal women of all time: Elisabeth (or "Sisi"), the Empress of Austria. A bright, passionate young woman, Sisi is surprised when Emperor Franz Joseph chooses to marry her instead of her sister, as intended. The fairy tale quickly fades as Sisi struggles to adjust to the formal Austrian court and to her domineering mother-in-law, but she finds her purpose in supporting the Hungarian people.