Böcker av Gigi Griffis

As mysterious deaths sweep the countryside and rumors of a local beast intensify, many see this as a curse. But for Joséphine and Clara, it's a dark opportunity to break free from their harsh lives. Step into this chilling, historical horror inspired by the unsolved mystery of the Beast of Gevaudan. When a series of brutal, mysterious deaths start plaguing the countryside and whispers of a beast in the mountains reach the quiet French hamlet of Mende, most people believe it's a curse--God's punishment for their sins. But to sixteen-year-old Joséphine and her best friend, Clara, the beast isn't a curse. It's an opportunity. For years, the girls of Mende have been living in a nightmare--fathers who drink, brothers who punch, homes that feel like prisons--and this is a chance to get them out. Using the creature's attacks as cover, Joséphine and Clara set out to fake their friends' deaths and hide them away until it's safe to run. But escape is harder than they thought. If they can't brave a harsh winter with little food... If the villagers discover what they're doing... If the beast finds them first... Those fake deaths might just become real ones.

The Empress is a dazzling reimagining of the courtship between one ofhistory's most iconic and beloved couples: Sisi and Franz of Austria.