The fact that this was only a sampler (yes, an extended sampler, but still not the full book) and cut off as things were getting good is a crime. 10/10 I loved this book so much. Jay Kristoff makes vampires cool again.

This was an expansive world that was beautifully rendered with very interesting and unique vampire lore.

Late review because I really wanted to give it a chance before deciding to not finish it.
I was so excited for this book and even pre-ordered multiple special editions considering Jay Kristoff is one of my favorite authors.
I actually love the setting of this book and it's overall aesthetic but unfortunately I couldn't get into it and ended up DNF'ing @ 20%.
This is a personal preference but I wish the illustrations through-out the book were done in a more traditional pencil drawing art style, the obvious digital art just didn't make sense to me.
I plan on giving it another chance sometime later, maybe near the release of the sequel.

I finished the excerpt of this book and immediately purchased the book when it came out. Jay Kristoff is one of my favorite fantasy authors and I will pick up anything he writes.

This book wasn't what I was expecting. I've never read a Jay Kristoff book so I wasn't sure what I was getting into. It was different to be sure and maybe if the world wasn't so crazy I would have liked it better, but it was too intense for me and I can't see myself recommending it to patrons.

Wow! Jay Kristoff did it again…that bastard. Like any high fantasy book worth reading, it took me a while to understand this one and really get into the story. But once everything clicked into place I just hung on for the ride. The world building was truly amazing. I fell in love with this whole Fantasy world and of course I fell for Gabriel. I loved the horse (who’s name I won’t say because it’s a spoiler kind of). I loved Astrid and Dior. Also, I love vampires and don’t have an issue with gore, so I knew this would be great for me. I laughed at all the ridiculous analogies and the hilarious dialogue. I also died a little inside by the end, like I knew I would. I’ve been putting off reading it for so long, because I just wasn’t ready for the emotional damage. If you want to be scarred for life by a book, go ahead and read this one. If you like audiobooks, I really recommend the audio to listen along. It was amazing to just lay there sometimes and let the story wash over me. I’m going to go cry in a corner now and wait for the bastard to write the second one.

Ugh so late... for some reason, I just couldn't get into it.

Thank You to Jay Kristoff and St. Martin’s Press, for the digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

I don’t know what else to say about this book other than it’s incredible. I loved every minute of this book and it was certainly worth what felt like an agonizing wait. Jay Kristoff is the master of entangling his readers and devastating them all at once. It’s a gift and a curse to his devoted readers.

I devoured this book as much as I tried to prolong it solely because I didn’t want it to end. I love the style of how the story is told. Showing both the current timeline and the past as it’s being told to someone. It was very well done too because sometimes this method can just straight flop if not done correctly.

The reader sees the defining moments of Gabriel’s life, from a young age and with each part of the book, showing him a bit older until he reaches the point of cynical man. There were so many characters I loved, even the baddies were such fleshed out in depth characters. The atmosphere was so dark as was the story itself, and I’m a sucker for dark anything so this met every need.

More than anything, I cannot wait for the next book. I want it ASAP.

Trigger Warnings: Human death (adult and child), animal death, physical abuse, mention of alcohol abuse

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff is the first book in the series of the same name. Told in a way that is very reminiscent of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, the reader is introduced to Gabriel de León, the last of the silversaints. His life has not been an easy one and as he weaves his tale he does not shy away from that fact. Becoming a silversaint is not easy and even more difficult is surviving in a land of everlasting night.

Several years ago the book market was practically flooded with vampire novels. While this isn’t a particularly bad thing when the market is oversaturated even new and unique novel ideas can seem old fast. This is one of the main reasons why I have reviewed only a handful of vampire-based novels here; there just wasn’t anything new or interesting on the market.

That’s where Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff comes in.

Told in a series of flashbacks, Empire of the Vampire is a novel that has taken numerous tropes and ideas and gives them a unique twist. It’s a coming-of-age story that isn’t quite that at all. It’s a story with secrets and mysteries a-plenty, the majority of them merely hinted at. It’s a story with fight scenes and battles where the good guys don’t always win – and that’s if you can tell who the good guys actually are.

At close to 900 pages and only the first book of the series Empire of the Vampire offers an incredibly tantalizing taste of the world Kristoff has created. The characters that populate the story are a varied bunch each with their own goals and ideals. What those goals and ideals are aren’t always readily known, leaving the reader to wonder. With as much that is said there is just as much left unsaid.

As many other reviewers have stated, Empire of the Vampire is NOT a book for young readers. There are some adult readers who might have difficulties with it as well. Personally, I really enjoyed reading it and devoured it (pun intended) in just over a week. Were it not for pesky things like a job or a family I likely would have finished it sooner.

Readers who love a good, bloody (again pun intended) vampire novel packed with fight scenes and questionable characters would do well to check out Empire of the Vampire.

Sample...over 400 pages
Gabriel tells the story of his search for the holy grail. He is a half vampire who was trained to kill the real vampires.
Vampires, some smut, special powers

I had heard so many great things about this book. I received a e-ARC of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press and then I went out and bought a copy from my local bookstore. I have picked this book up twice now and I even tried to listen to the audiobook while reading to help me get through it. However, this book is a no go for me. I could just not get invested in the characters or the storyline.

I really enjoyed this book, I loved the world building in this story, very well done. I would highly recommend this book to everyone

Dark, twisted, and bloody.

I loved it.

Follow Gabriel, a tortured soul indeed, as he recounts his quest as the last Silversaint to rid the world of Vampires. And you’ll find no sparkly, veggie, Vamps here. These mothereffers mean murderous business. Ancient, blood thirsty, ruthless… I almost want to root for them.

If you love chaos, murder and mayhem this book is for you. If you come down more on the side of sparkly veg, maybe skip it.

5/5 stars for the clever use of the word “fuck”

Never have I read something by Jay Kristoff that I haven’t loved, and Empire of the Vampire did not disappoint! The story is intricate and completely immerses you in the world. The storytelling is unique and the ending leaves you begging for book number 2. The world building is heavy so prepare yourself! But in my opinion it’s absolutely worth it. Once I started I couldn’t put it down!

After reading this preview, I am excited to get my hands on the rest! Jay Kristoff is a master of setting the scene and this crazy new world he's created is one that many fans have enjoyed so far. I will be writing a full review once I finish the novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this extended preview!

I was pretty intimidated to read this book but I have to say, after about 1/4 of the way through the book, I was hooked! The story was a story within a story done so well and I can not wait to see where our characters !

I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next one in this series. There were times where I was left confused about the setting/scene due to the heavy metaphor, but through discussions with other readers, I was able to fully comprehend the text. From what I can understand, this is simply Kristoff’s style of writing, and maybe I am just not as strong of a fantasy reader.

The battle scenes were epic, and I am really glad that I purchased a copy of the full text from my local bookstore. I would have been missing out if I stopped at the end of the sample.

Five Star Rating!

Free arc from NETGALLEY

This book was literally everything. I loved how it’s told from an interview perspective. The timeline jumping wasn’t confusing at all. The characters were fleshed out and had their own personalities. The book is quite long so be ready to commit but totally worth it. Ready for the second installment!

*will be published on August 5th

This book is huge--honestly, it was a little intimidating going into it, but it was so worth it! I loved the whole concept as well as the plot. The characters were interesting (particularly the main character). The writing so so well done and the ending just left me hungry for the next book!

First of all, I enjoyed the presentation of the story. In Empire of the Vampire, the story is told by the main character, Gabriel de Leon. Held against his will, Gabriel is forced to tell his life story--everything from his childhood to his training as a silversaint and his falling out with the brotherhood. It was a little confusing the first time he jumped forward in time to another point in the story, but once I realized there was a pattern of switching between his early years with the brotherhood and the ones after he left I was able to keep up better.
Despite the minor confusion initially, I enjoyed the way the story alternated between Gabriel's early life when he had faith and his later years when he was cynical and jaded. It worked really to pull me into the story. Immediately, I wanted to know how things had gotten so bad. What had shaken Gabriel's faith so hard to turn him into that bitter, cynical man who was narrating the story?

The different timelines both held my attention in different ways. When Gabriel talked about his time in the brotherhood I was fascinated with the whole culture and rigid discipline. I was invested in the search for the holy grail and an end to daysdeath. I loved seeing the blossoming romance as well. It didn't overshadow the main plot but was still enjoyable to see play out.

The pacing was pretty steady throughout and the story had a good deal of action. It was a pretty dark story too (you've been warned), but I honestly loved the tone. Empire of the Vampire is perfect for fans of vampires and dark fantasy. I'm definitely looking forward to continuing this series and will be reviewing it in the future!

I'm a fan of Jay Kristoff. I loved the series he did with Amie Kauffman (Aurora Cycle), so I was anxious to read something done solely by him. I was not disappointed. I liked the world building and characters so far. I'm excited to read the rest of this novel.