The Empire (The Empire, #1)
- Downloads：2773
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-10-08 00:52:31
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Michael Ball
- ISBN：1804180548
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
Welcome to The Empire Theatre。
'It's the jewel of the north， The Empire。 Lord Lassiter bought it for his second wife， Lady Lillian and she supervised every detail of the restoration。 There's not a finer theatre in the country'。
But The Empire is not just a theatre。 From music hall to vaudeville， from revue to grand musical spectacular， it holds a special place in the nation's heart。 For its audience， for its actors and singers， for the stagehands， the front-of-house staff， for its backers and its debtors - and above all for its owners - it truly is a palace of dreams。
And for young Jack Treadwell， struggling to adapt to civilian life after the horrors of the trenches， it's a lifeline。 When he receives a letter out of the blue inviting him to work at The Empire， he leaps at the chance。 After all， it's owned by the family of his former commanding officer， Edmund Lassiter。
But as Jack soon discovers， it is not just the actors who are donning a disguise。 With whispers of a cover-up， a scandal and sibling rivalry， tensions rise， along with the curtain。 For there is treachery at the heart of The Empire and a dark secret waiting in the wings。 Can Jack discover the truth before it is too late， and the theatre that means so much to them all goes dark？
Following the lives and loves of the Lassiter and Treadwell families， from the aftermath of the Great War and the Roaring Twenties to the dark days of the Second World War and the Blitz， Michael Ball's debut fiction series charts the story of the high notes and the low notes of British musical theatre in all its glamour， greasepaint and glory。
'It's the jewel of the north， The Empire。 Lord Lassiter bought it for his second wife， Lady Lillian and she supervised every detail of the restoration。 There's not a finer theatre in the country'。
But The Empire is not just a theatre。 From music hall to vaudeville， from revue to grand musical spectacular， it holds a special place in the nation's heart。 For its audience， for its actors and singers， for the stagehands， the front-of-house staff， for its backers and its debtors - and above all for its owners - it truly is a palace of dreams。
And for young Jack Treadwell， struggling to adapt to civilian life after the horrors of the trenches， it's a lifeline。 When he receives a letter out of the blue inviting him to work at The Empire， he leaps at the chance。 After all， it's owned by the family of his former commanding officer， Edmund Lassiter。
But as Jack soon discovers， it is not just the actors who are donning a disguise。 With whispers of a cover-up， a scandal and sibling rivalry， tensions rise， along with the curtain。 For there is treachery at the heart of The Empire and a dark secret waiting in the wings。 Can Jack discover the truth before it is too late， and the theatre that means so much to them all goes dark？
Following the lives and loves of the Lassiter and Treadwell families， from the aftermath of the Great War and the Roaring Twenties to the dark days of the Second World War and the Blitz， Michael Ball's debut fiction series charts the story of the high notes and the low notes of British musical theatre in all its glamour， greasepaint and glory。
Reviews
Mel Pretorius
，
I know I will be in the minority but I didn't enjoy "The Empire" by Michael Ball very much。 I'm a big fan of Mr Ball， having followed his theatre and music career for many years but unfortunately I didn't feel that writing is his strength。 If it wasn't written by him， I think I would have abandoned the book after the few early chapters。 Things aren't all that bad though， the last few chapters after the premiere of Riviera Nights were action-packed and enjoyable。 I know I will be in the minority but I didn't enjoy "The Empire" by Michael Ball very much。 I'm a big fan of Mr Ball， having followed his theatre and music career for many years but unfortunately I didn't feel that writing is his strength。 If it wasn't written by him， I think I would have abandoned the book after the few early chapters。 Things aren't all that bad though， the last few chapters after the premiere of Riviera Nights were action-packed and enjoyable。 。。。more
Liv
，
The Empire is a busy theatre in the 1920s， and this book weaves together the lives of several people around the Theatre。There are a lot of characters in this book， which made it a bit difficult to follow at the beginning。 However， once you get into the book and are more familiar with the different storylines， its a treat to experience their stories！I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Jacqueline sharp
，
Review to follow blog tour Jackiesreading4leisure。home。blog
Yvonne
，
I really didn't know what to expect when I first saw this book， and I only glanced at the synopsis to know it was one I wanted to read。 The author has trod the boards of theatres around the world and so it makes sense that his first book would be set in a theatre。 The Empire is a theatre that has pretty much been left to its own devices。 It is owned by the Lassiters， but neither really seems to take a huge amount of interest。 The day-to-day running is done by Grace， a young woman with a passion I really didn't know what to expect when I first saw this book， and I only glanced at the synopsis to know it was one I wanted to read。 The author has trod the boards of theatres around the world and so it makes sense that his first book would be set in a theatre。 The Empire is a theatre that has pretty much been left to its own devices。 It is owned by the Lassiters， but neither really seems to take a huge amount of interest。 The day-to-day running is done by Grace， a young woman with a passion for theatre。 Not officially in charge， but knows that she needs to organise things to keep it running。 The behind-the-scenes crew go about doing what they need to。 When Jack is told to go and see Mrs Lassiter for a job it is Grace who he sees。 Mrs Lassiter is in the US still in the morning over the death of her husband。 As there seems to be no one really paying attention to the Empire， it seems that another businessman sees an opportunity to take advantage。 The author brings his passion for theatre， musicals and variety to every page of this wonderful novel。 There are stories within stories and some real mysteries that are wonderfully woven into this tale of family disagreement， rivalry and blackmail。 Underneath all of this though is the dogged determination of those who do not want to go down without a fight。 It is their stubbornness and belief that gives magic to this story。 They add glamour and glitz if you like。 While this is a story about grief and getting on with your life it is also about accepting mistakes of your past。 There are a few juicy little secrets that the author has snuck into this story and it is one that had me hooked from the very first pages。 As well as the story of The Empire， this is also a story about certain characters as well。 It is the everyday lives and working relationships of those who work in the theatre。 They are a family and they have close bonds and therefore loyalties。 This is something that I adored， as the author took me through the mazes behind the scenes， to the offices， the foyers， the dressing rooms and the stage。 The story has a bit of everything in it， so it is a romance， a mystery， it has loss and regret and hope for the future。 Set between the wars in the 1920s this has the glamour and glitz of the music hall and variety shows。 This is where the author really did work his magic so well。 There were several times when I got goosebumps reading this book。 Whether it be the cast getting a scene right， someone singing and dancing at an unexpected moment or when the cue for the show is called。 The emotions and feelings that this book oozed were spo0t on for me。This is a fabulous story and one that I really adored。 It has the razzmatazz and the glamour， it also has the shady and the undesirable， but all the way through this story the feeling of "the show must go on" is one that resonated with me。 No matter what the pitfalls there is always something to work toward， whether it is in the belief of others around you or accepting that you are capable of being successful， there is always a glimmer of the possible。 A fabulous debut novel from someone who knows the industry， the history， the backstage and centre stage of theatres。 A time when Jazz was making its way across the Atlantic and the roaring 20s was making itself heard。 It is an addictive story and one I would absolutely recommend。 。。。more
Seriesbooklover
，
It has been a rough few weeks， so I was in the mood for an uplifting book and The Empire by Michael Ball was the book equivalent of snuggling under the duvet。I received a copy tof this book for a free and unbiased opinionThe book has several points of view but the main character is the enthusiastic Jack Treadwell who has been given an enigmatic message from his late mum to speak to Lady Lassiter （ a former actress now second wife to the Late Lord Lassiter）。 Jack finds himself thrown into the wor It has been a rough few weeks， so I was in the mood for an uplifting book and The Empire by Michael Ball was the book equivalent of snuggling under the duvet。I received a copy tof this book for a free and unbiased opinionThe book has several points of view but the main character is the enthusiastic Jack Treadwell who has been given an enigmatic message from his late mum to speak to Lady Lassiter （ a former actress now second wife to the Late Lord Lassiter）。 Jack finds himself thrown into the world of the theatre-sometimes glamorous， sometimes dirty， sometimes dangerous but never boring。I loved the characters， they all felt human， with all the strengths and weaknesses you would expect。 The fact it is set in the North also makes this different to other showbiz books which are usually set in Hollywood， Broadway or London。There is a gentle love story between Grace and Jack， and the plot moves at a leisurely pace with lush descriptions， humour and mild peril but the author does write about some of the darker aspects of showbiz and how this can affect women in general。So， I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to read an uplifting book where most of the characters are honest， happy， generous and willing to do anything to save The Empire。Content WarningDescriptions of sexual assault 。。。more
Cora
，
Well this was a slow starter and I almost gave up on it， but then wow！ Secrets， skulduggery and all the shenanigans of the theatre。 Fantastic story in the end， although some parts of the story were predictable/easy to work out。My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book。
Jenn
，
Look。 No one is saying Michael Ball isn't an absolute legend， because he is。 I've adored everything I've ever heard or seen him do， and Ball and Boe are permanently on my Christmas wish list。 In fact， let me just run and see if this year's CD is showing up online yet。。。yes！ Together in Vegas！ Awesome！Right， where was I？Right， right！ The Empire。 Michael obviously has a deep， deep love of theatres and the people who populate them。 The scenes set backstage are amazing。 The characters are great。 The Look。 No one is saying Michael Ball isn't an absolute legend， because he is。 I've adored everything I've ever heard or seen him do， and Ball and Boe are permanently on my Christmas wish list。 In fact， let me just run and see if this year's CD is showing up online yet。。。yes！ Together in Vegas！ Awesome！Right， where was I？Right， right！ The Empire。 Michael obviously has a deep， deep love of theatres and the people who populate them。 The scenes set backstage are amazing。 The characters are great。 The fact that the bad guy is only a bad guy because he loves theatre a bit too much - wonderful。 I want very much to see Hamlet！！！ - I wonder if the RSC are showing anywhere near me any time soon？However， the shenanigans were not my favourite part of the story。 The prologue introduces us， very rapidly， to a lot of people who will later be varying levels of important to the story。 In my proof copy， there's no spaces or definition between people， so one line is about Jack and the next is about Lillian and it took me a minute to catch up each time。 Likewise， there's a cast list at the start， but in my proof it's all messed up so I couldn't track who each person was。 Neither of these will be a problem in the finished copy， of course。 The first half also goes by much slower than the first while pieces are being moved into place， but once it takes off it really takes off and by the end I was quite out of breath。I don't know how closely Michael based the characters on people he's known - I'd be interested to learn who Usher might be！ - but if this does ever get filmed， and I think it would be perfect for a Christmas evening movie， I'd like to suggest Michael as Ivor。 He could do it perfectly！ I really did enjoy this， and I look forward to reading more in the series。 I really don't know how Michael fits everything in！ 。。。more
Lynda
，
As an avid musical theatre goer I was so excited to read this and it didn’t disappoint。 As a debut novel it was a good one。 A cosy read， set in the North of England， that tempts you in to explore the enchanting loves and lives of the theatre staff， owners and performers in the 1920s。 There is a massive cast of characters and it did make it hard to get into the flow of the book as quickly as I would like; I did have to refer back to the cast list a few times which isn’t so simple reading on kindl As an avid musical theatre goer I was so excited to read this and it didn’t disappoint。 As a debut novel it was a good one。 A cosy read， set in the North of England， that tempts you in to explore the enchanting loves and lives of the theatre staff， owners and performers in the 1920s。 There is a massive cast of characters and it did make it hard to get into the flow of the book as quickly as I would like; I did have to refer back to the cast list a few times which isn’t so simple reading on kindle。 That said once I had everyone clear in my mind I whizzed through the book。 Briefly， the Lassiter’s are a wealthy family in Highbridge and following the death of the patriarch his second wife and former actress has left The Empire in the hands of Edmund Lassiter along with all the other family businesses。 Returning from the trenches， and time spent in Paris， Jack Treadwell starts working at the theatre。 Alongside Grace he determines to save the Empire when local theatre impresario Joe Allerdyce uses underhanded means to close them down。 The storyline was a good one， with lots of threads that all came together well， although most of the twists were easy to guess well ahead of the reveals。 There was a satisfying ending which left it open for me to think there may be a second book。 I loved all the glamour and glitz alongside the hard work and greasepaint， the touches of romance， the devious characters and the triumph of good over bad。 A perfect musical in itself！ The book doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is - a good lighthearted read perfect for a sunny holiday or for wrapping yourself in a blanket on the sofa with a hot drink。 Very enjoyable。 。。。more
Rekha Rao
，
The Empire by Michael Ball is a charming， captivating， majestic， electrifying， exciting and dazzling masterpiece。 I know I used a lot of adjectives here but this wonderful piece of work deserves all the praises in the whole wide world。 I am not sure if I read a story or watched a play。 As I was reading through， I could imagine all the scenes （and acts） in my head。 The glitz， the glamour， gossip and rumor， villains （well， every story must have one， right？） and a dash of romance， this book is an a The Empire by Michael Ball is a charming， captivating， majestic， electrifying， exciting and dazzling masterpiece。 I know I used a lot of adjectives here but this wonderful piece of work deserves all the praises in the whole wide world。 I am not sure if I read a story or watched a play。 As I was reading through， I could imagine all the scenes （and acts） in my head。 The glitz， the glamour， gossip and rumor， villains （well， every story must have one， right？） and a dash of romance， this book is an absolute masterpiece。 I loved the characters and the setting。 I have read a couple of historical fiction novels but if I have to pick a story that stood out from the rest， I would definitely pick The Empire。 Soon after joining The Empire， Jack learns there's a lot more to a theatre than just plays。 The actors， things that happen backstage， the costumes and of course， juicy gossip that threatens to hamper progress。 The story gets real juicy （with a twist or two） when Jack learns of a shocking secret - good enough to bring down what he built so far。 The ending was a huge surprise - one last twist before the curtain falls。 If I have to choose a favorite character - well， a difficult task this as I also loved Grace， Stella， Evie， Edmond （a perfect villain）， Billy， Lance， Usher （whose name sounds like sheep eating blancmange） and Lillian - I would choose Jack。 From a PoW to doorman to assistant to manager， he's had the most transforming role in the story。 There's also a bit of mystery - something to do with stolen funds and false accusation。 This side story took an interesting turn when someone close to Jack decided to investigate。 The game is afoot！ I absolutely loved every bit of this book - from characters to story to storytelling。 If you are looking for a magnificent and captivating read set in the 1922， full of drama， glitz and glamour， I highly recommend you to give The Empire by Michael Ball a try。 。。。more
Jade Doodes
，
As a huge fan of the theatre I was so excited when I saw this pop up on NetGalley and it definitely didn’t disappoint！ It was definitely a slow start but it definitely made up for that， it was an easy read with characters I ended up really caring about and a story that firmly held my attention。
Mark
，
Well it was all I expected it to be tbh， fun， happy， sad， and romantic with many sub stories that all centred around ‘The Empire’， a bustling theatre in the 1920’s…。it has great highs and even greater low’s， precise description of theatre life and front and back stage gossip/life and a trailblazing set of I’d say 20 main characters…and yes there is a cast list at the beginning to refer to if neededIt’s written with passion and an obvious love of all things theatre and as a debut it’s really good Well it was all I expected it to be tbh， fun， happy， sad， and romantic with many sub stories that all centred around ‘The Empire’， a bustling theatre in the 1920’s…。it has great highs and even greater low’s， precise description of theatre life and front and back stage gossip/life and a trailblazing set of I’d say 20 main characters…and yes there is a cast list at the beginning to refer to if neededIt’s written with passion and an obvious love of all things theatre and as a debut it’s really good， one of those books you fall into in the first few pages， instantly picture yourself as part of the book and just really love reading and being part of the razzmatazz and all the dramaVery enjoyable， definite standing ovation here 😋 。。。more
Chris Chanona
，
The Empire by Michael BallIf you fancy a light-hearted easy reading story then this is it。 It tells a tale set in and around the Empire Theatre and is set 100 years ago in 1922。 The main character， Jack Treadwell， is engaging and you quickly build sympathy for him。 There are a lot of other characters， none of whom are expanded on to the extent Jack is and some are rather stereotypes of actors。 But I guess Michael Ball knows a lot more about this than I do！ It did not take away from my enjoyment The Empire by Michael BallIf you fancy a light-hearted easy reading story then this is it。 It tells a tale set in and around the Empire Theatre and is set 100 years ago in 1922。 The main character， Jack Treadwell， is engaging and you quickly build sympathy for him。 There are a lot of other characters， none of whom are expanded on to the extent Jack is and some are rather stereotypes of actors。 But I guess Michael Ball knows a lot more about this than I do！ It did not take away from my enjoyment of the book。The plot revolves around making the Empire succeed against various plots by three sets of villains。 If you are an avid reader you will quickly work out what is what and the ’twist’ can be worked out in advance， though none the less satisfying for that。 I liked the cast of players in the novel and found it an engaging read。 I also enjoyed the historical aspects of the book and references to the Great War。 Would be ideal holiday reading and does not pretend to be great literature。 But the prose flows along nicely and I was so keen to get back to the story that I read this in two sessions。I read a proof copy provided by NetGalley and the publishers。 Recommended。 。。。more
Chrissie
，
I am so pleased that I have been given the chance to read Michael Ball's debut book The Empire It is a wonderful story set in 1922 theatreland ，the Empire is struggling but then along comes Jack and everything changes 。There are some great characters and the descriptions of how a theatre works were brilliant I really felt I lnew the characters and the theatre。These were the days of glamour ，it is a story of love and hope against all the odds and most of all Family 。。I loved it and hope a sequel I am so pleased that I have been given the chance to read Michael Ball's debut book The Empire It is a wonderful story set in 1922 theatreland ，the Empire is struggling but then along comes Jack and everything changes 。There are some great characters and the descriptions of how a theatre works were brilliant I really felt I lnew the characters and the theatre。These were the days of glamour ，it is a story of love and hope against all the odds and most of all Family 。。I loved it and hope a sequel might be written ？ Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC。 。。。more
Emma Hardy
，
A great escapism read that take you back with such a great ensemble of characters and themes。 A gentle easy read but with characters that you end up really rooting for。 I am sometimes cynical of celebrity authors but this is easy to forget and I got so immersed in the story。
Sharon
，
This is a cracking debut novel from Michael Ball。。。。。 and yes， it IS， THE Michael Ball！ I was so surprised to see this pop up as an option for me to preview and I'm very grateful for it。It's very well written and you feel as though you are experiencing the theatrical era in which it is set and the characters are three dimensional and interesting。It's the perfect， escapism， holiday read and I enjoyed it immensely。There's an ailing theatre， villains and the dash of fairy dust that you'd expect if This is a cracking debut novel from Michael Ball。。。。。 and yes， it IS， THE Michael Ball！ I was so surprised to see this pop up as an option for me to preview and I'm very grateful for it。It's very well written and you feel as though you are experiencing the theatrical era in which it is set and the characters are three dimensional and interesting。It's the perfect， escapism， holiday read and I enjoyed it immensely。There's an ailing theatre， villains and the dash of fairy dust that you'd expect if you've ever listed to Michael Ball！I definitely recommend as an escapist， enjoyable read。 Congratulations to the author and thanks to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview。Great Christmas present！ 。。。more
Helen
，
A bit of a slow start but stick with it。 I didn't read the cast of characters wanting to meet them as the story unfolded。 I came to care about the characters and their circumstances。I am not a fan of historical tales but thoroughly enjoyed the story。I am hoping there will be a second book and it carries on from where the book finishes and expands on some of the other characters I met and enjoyed。 A bit of a slow start but stick with it。 I didn't read the cast of characters wanting to meet them as the story unfolded。 I came to care about the characters and their circumstances。I am not a fan of historical tales but thoroughly enjoyed the story。I am hoping there will be a second book and it carries on from where the book finishes and expands on some of the other characters I met and enjoyed。 。。。more
Sharon
，
Review to follow
Books By Your Bedside
，
Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review。I start this review by saying I LOVE Michael Ball。 I’ve seen him once in the Les Miserables Concert， and once alongside Alfie Boe。 So I was desperate to read this novel and desperate for me to love it， but sadly， it fell a bit short for me。Quite a number of characters are introduced in a very short space of time so make sure you’ve got your wits about you when you start this， as even seemingly insi Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review。I start this review by saying I LOVE Michael Ball。 I’ve seen him once in the Les Miserables Concert， and once alongside Alfie Boe。 So I was desperate to read this novel and desperate for me to love it， but sadly， it fell a bit short for me。Quite a number of characters are introduced in a very short space of time so make sure you’ve got your wits about you when you start this， as even seemingly insignificant characters will play a large part to the overall story。It’s not the most proficiently written book， but as a debut from someone not in the industry， it wasn’t too bad， My main positive is that it really revisits the splendour of old-school， classic glamour and theatre， and as a big musical theatre lover， I really appreciated that。 There is definitely an ease to reading it。 It doesn’t take itself too seriously and it’s just a bit of fun。 I also really liked the main character of Jack。 I didn’t think I would because at the start I thought he was a bit much， a bit forward， but he quickly grew on me。However， that’s where the positives end for me。I didn’t think much of any of the other characters。 I didn’t dislike them but I didn’t like them either。 They were very middle of the road and I didn’t find myself caring about them。 The only exception to this tepidness was Joe Allerdyce。 He was meant to be the villain of the story but he wasn’t particularly a good one。 He was quite insipid but not very scary， but randomly get changing personas。 I felt he needed more development， as did the characters as a whole。I found it lacking in substance。 It felt drawn out and rushed。 There seemed to be very little going on for the most part of it， and yet chapters were dedicated to it。 Like I said， it wasn’t as accomplished as I’d hoped but it’s still a relatively pleasant read。 I would be interested in reading any future works as I think his storytelling will grow in time。 I did have my concerns that he’d used a ghost writer like a number of celebrity authors， but my gut instinct is he’s done it himself， which is good。Honestly - and I hate saying it because I absolutely adore him - but speaking from a neutral position， it just fell flat， and there were some bits I was simply tempted to skip。However， even though my review is mainly negative， I won’t say it was a bad book。 All the other reviews I’ve seen have been 4 or 5 stars so I’m aware it’s just personal taste。 It was a pleasant， easy read and I’ll admit the ending was satisfying and added a few twists that suggest a sequel。 So if you’re in the majority and like it， then it feels like there’s more to come。Sorry Michael。 。。。more
Misfits farm
，
I’ve admired Michael’s talents for many years， from the stage through screen to the radio。 He makes me sing， smile and the occasional tear with his astute，caring， humorous personality and this shines through in this his first novel。 It's set in an environment he knows intimately- that of a theatre and I'm sure there are the odd reflections of real characters amongst the fictional ones。 It's brilliantly written and there's the odd line here and there which if you “ know” Michael it's his wonderfu I’ve admired Michael’s talents for many years， from the stage through screen to the radio。 He makes me sing， smile and the occasional tear with his astute，caring， humorous personality and this shines through in this his first novel。 It's set in an environment he knows intimately- that of a theatre and I'm sure there are the odd reflections of real characters amongst the fictional ones。 It's brilliantly written and there's the odd line here and there which if you “ know” Michael it's his wonderful sense of humour coming through the pages。 （I've never met him- would dearly love to- but from hearing him for many years you feel that you “know” the public personality in a small way）。 For example， without giving anything away there's a chap who lives above a fish and chip shop- the line goes “ his place above the shop” （plaice？？）。 It's a serious book but lighthearted and for me， wonderful that there's the smile factor stamping Michael’s own personality on this。 Jack has returned from the war and his mother always said he should work in the theatre。 He tries his luck and gets thrown in at the deep end。 One thing leads to another and Jack with Grace who is also a woman of all trades begins to try to save the theatre as it is likely to be bought by a rival and become a picture house so the rumours have it。 There's lots going on both on and off stage， in and around the theatre and those whose lives it affects。 Can Jack and Grace keep pulling together to save the day and more？I read over 200+ books a year of several genres。 This one shines through in a very good way。 There is a real ease of reading and a sense of comfort， a passion and love coming through the pages。 There's drama， a little romance and scandals of various kinds which keep the pages turning and turning。 I can't say how brilliantly this is written ， it's stunning as if by a seasoned author。 I truly enjoyed reading this and hope that perhaps there will be more。 A wonderful， uplifting sensational read。 A big 5* from me。 。。。more
Louise
，