Joseph II. and His Court: An Historical Novel

The narrative dramatizes life at the Habsburg imperial court across successive reigns, interweaving political councils, dynastic marriages, personal rivalries, and cultural episodes to portray the tensions between tradition and reform. It follows the empress's counsels, an ambitious heir's reforms and intimate troubles, diplomatic missions and intrigues involving other European courts, artistic patronage and operatic episodes, crises such as rebellions, famine, and war, and private tragedies that shape public decisions. Scenes alternate between statecraft and salon, blending historical incidents with domestic scenes to examine power, duty, and the human costs of high politics.