Empty Theatre; or, The Lives of King Ludwig II of Bavaria & Empress Sisi

This is a vivid, cinematic retelling of two lives that should have been a fairy tale—yet refused to behave. Jac Jemc’s novel follows King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the visionary behind the castles that inspired Sleeping Beauty, and his cousin by marriage, Empress Elisabeth of Austria—Sisi—whose beauty and hunger for freedom turned her into a myth in her own time. From shockwave romances to devastating griefs, from statecraft to spectacle, from secret letters to public rebellions, we watch two young royals reach for life on their own terms and find that the price is steep. The book moves quickly, full of intimate moments that feel like whispers behind velvet curtains and big turning points that shake Europe. It’s tender, funny, brutal, and modern in its honesty. If you know Ludwig’s castles or Sisi’s famous hair, you’ll leave knowing the people inside those legends: the restless energy, the sleepless longing, the defiance and the consequences. Consider this your 30-minute walk through a hall of mirrors where the reflections are finally real.

• Fans of lush, character-driven historical fiction
• Listeners curious about Sisi, Ludwig II, and nineteenth-century Europe
• Readers who love art, music, and politics woven into intimate lives
• Anyone drawn to stories of freedom, identity, and the price of beauty

Jac Jemc is the author of acclaimed novels and story collections, known for elegant, emotionally precise prose. In Empty Theatre, she reimagines the lives of King Ludwig II of Bavaria and Empress Elisabeth of Austria with warmth, wit, and a modern eye. She teaches creative writing at the University of California San Diego.