I really enjoyed this sneak preview of Empire of the Vampire and I can't wait to be able to finish this book. I've already picked up a copy.

Rating: 9.75/10

Thanks to the publisher, author, and narrator for an advance listening copy of Empire of the Vampire for review consideration. This did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

Empire of the Vampire is sensational; a deliciously bloody slice of dark fantasy that leaves you thirsting for more. Vampires, violence, sex, drugs, and characters you can sink your teeth into come to a head in this epic story of love, friendship, loss, and revenge. This is Kristoff at the top of his game, and is only just the beginning of Gabriel de León’s story.

I feel like EotV has been THE book I’ve been most looking forward to since its announcement back in 2020. I thoroughly enjoyed The Nevernight Chronicle (another series I need to re-read), and based simply off the synopsis of this book, it seemed we were going to get something that was a step (or many steps) above in terms of not only length, but Kristoff’s craft.

While Nevernight will always hold a special place in my heart, EotV is officially my new favorite novel by Kristoff.

Gabriel de León is such an intriguing character, and the way in which his story unfolds is very reminiscent of The Kingkiller Chronicle meets The Witcher. We start at seemingly the end of León’s life where he is imprisoned and forced to recount his life story, and my my, what a tale it is (at least thus far).

While León’s back and forth jabs with his captor prove to be some of my favorite parts of the story (I always love some witty banter), his journey from boyhood to manhood is absolutely captivating. His revenge arc sets the stakes early and often, seeing him dealing with loss at such a young age, attempting to find his way into the Silver Order, and coming to terms with just who he is and how he plans to avenge the lost.

The world-building is vast and the magic provocative, giving you the notion that there is so much more left to explore. But in the end, the characters are what will keep you invested here. Kristoff has always had a way with enamoring readers with his characters and I for one believe he has only gotten better.

Get ready for a blood-soaked, pitch-black tale of epic proportions that will have you clamoring for Book 2.

If The Name of the Wind and Interview with the Vampire walked into a bar and met up with The Witcher, it still wouldn’t hold a candle to what Kristoff brought to the table with EotV. This epic novel needs to be on every bookshelf across the world. Well, every adult one… This novel is definitely intended for a more mature audience, so if your teen is looking for a new vampire novel, might be best to readthrough this one first and make your decision.

Stoked for this book! Just a little taste of the excitement to come. I've been looking for a vampire novel like this for a long time.

I didn’t realize this was just a sample. I will be reading the full book now! Can’t wait as I’ve heard such good things!

An absolutely amazing read! As a previous fan of Jay Kristoff, I had high hopes for this title and was not disappointed at all! Engaging characters, fulfilling villains, and plenty of mystery for the reader to speculate over! Brings vampires back to their monstrous roots, but still gives an adventure story that will draw you in! Will definitely recommend to adults looking for romance, blood and a diverse range of characters to drool over!

*Thank you to NetGalley for a sampler of this book.*

I am very hyped to start this new series from Mr. Kristoff and I am so excited to see what he brings to the vampire genre. I have been a fan of his for many years now and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

The brief glimpse I have had of this world and the characters has me very intrigued to read more.

With the vibes I got from the small snippet I was approved to read I will be ordering this book ASAP. This book gave me the nostalgia I got when I first immersed myself in the witcher universe, not necessarily the books but the video game (which in my opinion is a much bigger compliment)

Kristoff has appeared to done it again providing us with a dark, profane, very adult, and dare I say sometimes very sexy novel. While the read was only part of the entire novel, what I read has left me with an overwhelming desire to read the rest of the book, and as soon as possible. In this novel, we have Gabriel, a vampire hunter, imprisoned and awaiting execution. Asked to tell his story, he launches into the tale. The format of a character telling his take, gave me thoughts of the Kingkiller Chronicle by Rothfuss, which I later discovered was one of the inspirations for this novel. Overall, the sample was a great read and I think fans of Kristoff, new and longtime, will enjoy this book.

Wow. Just Wow. First of all, this "sampler" is 55% of the book. That. Is. Amazing.

The sampler also gave us the illustrations that will be in the book. I was NOT expecting that. Sometimes you do not even get the map with an early copy. The illustrations themselves need a separate rating and that is ALSO a 5 star.

Now to the book.

I do not know where to start with my gushing. The format for storytelling is unique and so creative. I love that Jean-Francois is randomly jumping in and giving some commentary - mainly to explain as if to a child but we are all children in this world so its obviously for our benefit. Obviously we know that Gabe is presently still alive since he is telling the story but that does nothing to still my heart when reading of his battles. I love the format and I hope it continues for the second and third book.

The worldbuilding is next level. While it is completely epic, I do feel that I understand the world and politics and I do NOT feel like it was info dump which often happens to me. Cleverly done, Mr. Kristoff.

The characters are all unique and bring something to the table. Gabe is the MC however Astrid STOLE THE BOOK for me. She isn't even on page all that much but I am in love with her. Which also completely terrifies me for the end of the book...

I cannot say enough that I know this will be my favorite read of the year. Absolutely amazing.

Thank you so much for approving my request!

ARC sample acquired by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

*** This book is NOT for children. I repeat: THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR CHILDREN!! ***

“And in sight of God and his Seven Martyrs, I do here vow; Let the dark know my name and despair. So long as it burns, I am the flame. So long as it bleeds, I am the blade. So long as it sins, I am the saint.
And I am Silver.”

Friends, I am so glad I waited until closer to publication to read this sampler from NetGalley, because where the sample ends is gut-wrenching and I immediately downloaded the ebook so I could finish Book 4.

Empire of the Vampire is very reminiscent of Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, and I know the author has said that he was inspired by the classic for this book. Our main character Gabriel de León is imprisoned by the very beings he has hunted and is forced to recount his story to a historian named Jean-Françoise. During his storytelling, Gabriel jumps back and forth between two timelines; one where he is 15 and is figuring out who and what he is, and the other is over a decade later after he is already known as a hero. The timelines remind me the way The Lies of Locke Lamora is written in that it jumps around and the timelines contain information that feed into the next timeline. It also has occasional interruptions from Jean-Françoise. During the first 410 pages that I’ve read, I never felt confused by the jumping storylines. I also wasn’t taken out of the story by the interruptions. They happen so frequently that I never forgot that Gabriel is telling a story. Overall, I really enjoyed this sample of the novel and am so grateful that I got a chance to read half of this massive tomb before publication.

“Who the fuck told you I was a hero?”

 Gabriel de León “The last Silversaint” now 35 and imprisoned by the vampires he has sworn to eradicate, he is forced to tell his story from his first encounter with the vampires that can now walk during the day thanks to a phenomenon known as daysdeath that has clouded the sky in perpetual darkness. It’s interesting to see Gabe’s character development in the first half of the book. We see him go from devout holy man to non-believer, but we haven’t quite figured out how he got there yet (figures crossed the second half of the book gives me some answers). I also love his sword, Ashdrinker and can’t wait to find out her backstory.

“I’m no princess. I’m a fucking queen.”

 Astrid Rennier “A girl who wields books like blades.” is probably one of my favorite characters so far. Astrid is a sisternovice which is basically a nun in this world, and I love seeing her defiance during the storyline we get to see her in (again, I’m hoping for more insight on her in the second half). She is two years older than Gabe and I feel like she falls into the trope of the one who corrupts the good boy and brings him to the dark side.

This is my first experience with Jay Kristoff’s work and I’m very impressed. I cannot wait to read the second half of this book and write a proper review. I’m also more excited to read Jay’s backlist. I’ve owned the Nevernight trilogy for over a year now, and they just moved up further on my TBR.

“A life without books, is a life not lived.”

The quotes above were taken from a ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Happy U.S. release day to @misterkristoff Empire of the Vampire. What a beaut. The illustrations in the exclusive edition at Barnes and Noble are gorgeous and the color on the inside cover 🤤 @monolimeart bravo. Not to mention that this first edition baby is signed by the author. Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley I was given the opportunity to read this amazing book prior to release date and let me tell you reader…you aren’t ready.

Gabriel de León, last of the Silversaints, a holy order of medieval knights created to protect humanity from the depravity of evil brought upon by a now sunless earth, has seen better days. Addicted to his pipe and drink, he never expected to be confronted by a group of travelers with faces both familiar and new at a tavern, let alone be dragged into a quest to find the holy grail. If found it will end the endless night and save the world from fiendish monsters of the vampiric type. Four royal ancient vampiric houses with four incredibly powerful gifts threaten to stop him and his companions at every turn but Gabriel does not fold easily…Did I also mention he’s rather not fond of sunlight himself?

Reminiscent of Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice and drenched in the grit, lust, savagery and action that only Jay Kristoff can summon from his dark little heart, Empire of the Vampire is the most exciting book I’ve read all year. Grab yourself a copy and get ready for a roller coaster of greatness. You’ll be a bit bruised once it ends…🦇⚔️🖤 but fear not dear reader, this is only the first book of the trilogy.
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Not for children 👀)
#jaykristoff #EOTV #nytbestseller #vampire #silversaint #dyvok #voss #illon #chastain #gabrieldeleon #fantasy #horror #fiction #blogger #stmartinspress #netgalley #fall #bookstagram #blogger #reviews #art #love #topten #fall #spookyseason #fallready

Hozier probably wrote Someone New just for me, "I fall in love just a little ol' little bit every day with someone new" based on my bad and painful habit of falling in love with fictional characters: Tristran Thorne, Joona Linna, Kvothe, Peeta Mallark, Tobias Eaton, Jon Snow, Tric, and now I'm on the verge of loving Gabriel de León!

I first encountered Jay Kristoff as an author via the Nevernight Chronicles, and I quickly realized that although he is a relatively new-to-me author, he is rapidly becoming a favorite - right up there with Stephen King and Neil Gaiman, my #1 and #2, respectively. Time is fleeting and precious, and with a busy life and many hobbies, time is often scarce. For me, my time is the ultimate compliment because I have so little of it. Empire of the Vampire is only the 4th book I've read by Kristoff, and one of the very best investments of my time.

In short, Empire of the Vampire is the epitome of what a vampire novel should be. Admittedly, I did not enjoy Stoker's Dracula, but I did like the Twilight series. So, I can see where my opinion, regarding what a vampire novel should be, can be taken with a grain of salt. However, although Interview With the Vampire remains on my to-read list, I greedily consumed and loved Salem's Lot . . . so maybe I'm not as ill equipped to judge a vampire book as it would appear on paper, at first glance.

It is quite rare that I rate a book with 5 stars. I'm typically consistent with doling out the 3 ratings, and I occasionally give a 4 star rating and review. My 5 stars are reserved for those who painstakingly earn it, and that is not an easy task. In looking at my previously given 5-star reviews via Goodreads, I've given less than 20 from hundreds of books read and enjoyed. This is the 3rd 5-star rating I'm giving to Kristoff alone.

In summary, this book needs to be read by ALL, and I need to starting obtaining all of Jay Kristoff's previously written works. THANK YOU from my heart, brain, and eyes for this ARC. I will consistently be looking for the next ARCs Kristoff has to offer!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for providing me with this sampler I am exchange for an honest review.

Jay Kristoff has done it again. "In Empire of the Vampire," we are introduced to a world where the sun no longer shines and vampires are able to run rampant because of this. Our main character, Gabe is a half vampire, half human vampire hunter known as a Silversaint. This book is the Chronicle of his life, told in two timelines.

Kristoff always weaves such amazing worlds full of their own religion and lore. This book is no different. The incredible world building paints a vivid picture of what this horrifying world looks like. His prose is quite lyrical, and I always love the way he writes his dialogue. I feel like it adds some dark humor into a very dark fantasy world. His character development is second to none-you get fully fleshed out and distinguishable characters. The way the story is being told is similar to that of Nevernight, so if you loved that trilogy, you will most likely love this one as well. Though the story has some very deep and heavy moments, you can't help but want to binge read the whole thing! I rushed out to buy my pre-orders immediately after reading this because why on earth would you leave us hanging like that at the end of the sampler! I am already enthralled by this new story Kristoff has introduced and I can't wait to dive in and finish the rest!

If you love a good vampire book with plenty of action, gore, and fantastic characters with incredible world building, GO PICK THIS UP Now!

So I actually read a sampler from Netgalley that included the first 400 pages and I’m reviewing based on that but

OH MY HOLY LORD

You just THOUGHT you were vampires and here comes Jay Kristoff pulling you back in!

I have done this thing with Kristoff before where I start out all “this is so derivative, like why is he borrowing so much from history and lore, come up with your own stuff” and then BAM I’m sucked into this world 100%. So give yourself about 250 pages and then just try to stop!

It’s hard to give you everything without spoiling it so I’ll just tell you that you’re getting kickass action, amazing female characters, cool religious commentary, vampires, gore, seriously screwed up shite, and so much more!

Off to buy the finished copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my free sampler copy. These opinions are my own.

Who decided to end the sampler there?!?!?!?!? Of al places to end, who was in charge of the decision to end it at that particular place because I would like to have words with them! Thankfully my copy is on it's way to me so I can pick up where I left off soon because OMG.

I'll come back when my brain returns to my head.


Wow.

Just....Wow.


Thank you, NetGalley! <3

Jay Kristoff does no wrong! He is the master of fantasy and gore. This new tale of a half breed vampire hunting down vampires is a fresh new take on vampire novels. Much better than the YA paranormal romance tropes that are so overdone!

Jay Kristoff has done it AGAIN! I cannot put into words how much I loved this, and I truly cannot wait for the sequel. All the world building and twists that I've come to love from his writing were all here, and he pulls it off as brilliantly as ever. Maybe even more so! I, personally, am a fan of werewolves, but Jay makes a pretty good argument for vampires here... Well done, and highly recommended! (BUT STILL NOT YA!)

Imagine the Vampire Lestat and Pillars of the Earth. That is my approximation of the scope and tone of Jay Kristoff's deliciously dark and robust new novel. It is the story of Gabriel de Leon, silversaint, a sort of knights templar-esque society charged with protecting the world from evil and supernaturals. But, you see, they've kind of failed. living in a sort of post-humane world where vampires are able to run a bit amok. Gabriel is the last of his kind and the world has become the perfect place for vampires not vampire hunters, if you will. So our guy Gabe is out-numbered and out-fanged. He's imprisoned at the start of our story, bu he gets to be a boy again at the start of his, a story he is made to tell so vampires can amass all of the silversaint secrets he possesses.

I know all of that sounds enticing, especially if you love vampire fiction. But vampire history ins't the good bit, despite the endless capacity for world building it affords (and believe me Kristoff takes advantage. For me, lit-crit-nerd-extraordinaire that I am, the good bit is that it's meta. It's meta and massive and beautiful. It's a veritable buffet of visual, auditory and gustatory imagery. And despite the language being dense and a bit purple in places; it is also deliciously dark and poetic. Could the story be a bit more streamlined? Yes. Would cuts take away from it? it might, and it's not worth finding out when it works.

I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This preview only wets my appetite for me! I love the way it starts and the hero of the book. The vampires in this book are fearsome and yet irresistible. I absolutely loved the way it played out and I can't wait for more!