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A review by julinino19
Empty Theatre by Jac Jemc
3.0
I don't know, man. This was aggressively average. I was under the impression there would be a more concrete plot to this, but nope.
✨No plot, just vibes✨
The vibes being two royals that kinda sucked.
This is a fictional account of the lives of King Ludwig II and his cousin, Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) of Austria.
(P.S. There is actually a new Netflix show all about Empress Elisabeth called The Empress)
The narrative is a chronological one, following them from birth up to their deaths. We get to see what unfolds as Ludwig and Sisi take on their new roles as King and Empress.
Aaaaaand that's pretty much it.
This being a fictional account of two historical figures, I was expecting there to be more embellishment to the plot and narrative. But as I have already stated, there isn't a plot, and the narrative was very straightforward.
Without quoting anything from this ARC, here is an example of how the narrative read in my head: "This person didn't like this person, so they avoided them at all costs. This person decided to go to Italy to not have to deal with said person." Lol.
It was all just so blunt and...boring.
That being said, I can see how others will not take issue with the narrative. As I was reading, I could recognize moments of sarcasm, wit, and whimsy, but unfortunately, I was still bored for the majority of the book.
So, why is it just hella average?
✨Because I didn't hate the writing style, but was not engaged by the way the story was told.
✨Because I did find it interesting to learn about these young royals (a lot of what's in this book really did happen), but I was expecting a plot, not a history lesson. And this is coming from someone who has read a lotttt of historical fiction and tends to love it.
✨And because Ludwig and Sisi honestly suckedddd. They were entertaining in the way reality TV can be entertaining, but I don't like reality TV. A novel would have been a good opportunity to add more to these characters; make them juicy, dynamic beings. But they came off as caricatures after a while.
2.5 rounded up. I didn't have a great time with it, but this is one of those books where I would recommend it to the right person. I can appreciate what the author wanted to accomplish, even if I didn't enjoy the way it was realized.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and FSG for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
✨No plot, just vibes✨
The vibes being two royals that kinda sucked.
This is a fictional account of the lives of King Ludwig II and his cousin, Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) of Austria.
(P.S. There is actually a new Netflix show all about Empress Elisabeth called The Empress)
The narrative is a chronological one, following them from birth up to their deaths. We get to see what unfolds as Ludwig and Sisi take on their new roles as King and Empress.
Aaaaaand that's pretty much it.
This being a fictional account of two historical figures, I was expecting there to be more embellishment to the plot and narrative. But as I have already stated, there isn't a plot, and the narrative was very straightforward.
Without quoting anything from this ARC, here is an example of how the narrative read in my head: "This person didn't like this person, so they avoided them at all costs. This person decided to go to Italy to not have to deal with said person." Lol.
It was all just so blunt and...boring.
That being said, I can see how others will not take issue with the narrative. As I was reading, I could recognize moments of sarcasm, wit, and whimsy, but unfortunately, I was still bored for the majority of the book.
So, why is it just hella average?
✨Because I didn't hate the writing style, but was not engaged by the way the story was told.
✨Because I did find it interesting to learn about these young royals (a lot of what's in this book really did happen), but I was expecting a plot, not a history lesson. And this is coming from someone who has read a lotttt of historical fiction and tends to love it.
✨And because Ludwig and Sisi honestly suckedddd. They were entertaining in the way reality TV can be entertaining, but I don't like reality TV. A novel would have been a good opportunity to add more to these characters; make them juicy, dynamic beings. But they came off as caricatures after a while.
2.5 rounded up. I didn't have a great time with it, but this is one of those books where I would recommend it to the right person. I can appreciate what the author wanted to accomplish, even if I didn't enjoy the way it was realized.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and FSG for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.