Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff is an amazing follow up to Empire of the Vampire. The plot was engaging, fast paced, and full of unexpected twists. The familiar world was so easy to fall right back into. The writing was absolutely beautiful. I loved how easy it was to immerse myself in the story. The characters were phenomenal. So unique and full of flaws. I loved getting to know them throughout the story. This one just blew my mind and I can't wait for the next installment.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this second installment. I am anxiously awaiting the 3rd book. This book picks up on the same night as the first book with Gabriel telling his story. However, we also hear chapters from Liathe perspective too. The writing is beautiful and the story is so interesting.

Absolutely loved it! I've been a fan of Jay Kristoff for many years but this series has me wanting to watch twilight and interview with a vampire asap! I love his no bars hold writing style!

A great preview! Can't wait to read the rest of the story and it's proceeding sequels. This is definitely going to be intense.

This is sadly not as appealing as the first book, really struggling to make my way through it! I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to try it early though!

This 2nd installment of The Empire of the Vampire series was action-packed and did not disappoint. Kristoff knocked it out of the park with this book and expanded on the dark unforgiving world we were introduced to in book 1. The relationship between Gabe and Dior reached new heights and together, they have become one of my favorite duos in fiction. As long as this book was, the pacing was fast and you will fly through this tome of a book in no time. Overall I was wary going into this middle book since my expectations were so high after the Empire of the Vampire. But I have to say, this exceeded all of my expectations and was just as crazy of a ride. This is how a vampire story should be. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book. My opinions and thoughts are my own.

Good teaser for the full book. Though I wish that was more clear when requesting it as I didn’t know until opening it. I m not deducting stars for that though and still liked what I read a lot

"Empire of the Damned" picks up seamlessly where the first book left off, continuing the saga with a strong emphasis on dialogue. The majority of the story is dialogue driven, which was difficult to stay engaged in for such a lengthy book. The dialogue between Gabe & Dior was the highlight of the book and provided much needed entertainment.

Despite its considerable length, the book does not seem to advance the plot significantly and often feels like a filler. Fans of the series may find enjoyment in the character development, but the pacing might leave others wanting more.

Jay Kristoff always delivers top teir reads in the fantasy genre, and this book didn't disappoint. I highly recommend this for genre fans of any and all ages.

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.
idk what it is about his writing style, but Jay Kristoff can have me laughing and crying and eagerly turning pages like no other author. When I tell you this book had me SOBBING... I'm confident that I will never recover.

If you loved the first book, prepare to love this one even more. All the immersive worldbuilding, deep character development, sass and snark, engaging lore, but all diving even deeper and amplified tenfold. I loved getting to spend more time with favorite characters and watch as their dynamics evolved and unfolded. There are so many twists and turns and I often didn't know what was coming next (or found myself blindsided when I foolishly thought I did). If you thought the first book got dark, you haven't seen anything yet. No one escapes this volume unscathed and I can't wait to see what happens next. I'll be screaming crying throwing up every hour on the hour until book three is in my hands.

I dnf book 1 & 2 of this series sadly!!! I couldn't get into book 1 at all cause the writing of this author that I thought I knew and loved changed alot and didn't love that aspect

I thought I got lucky and got an early copy of this book. LOL. No, it was just a few chapters. That's okay, it's still epic.

it’s going okay so far.

i’m not enjoying it as much as the first one. it’s lacking some of the oomph that the first one has.

A beautiful sequel to Empire of the Vampire. I loved the complex world building the dynamics of the characters. This book is definitely hefty for a reason.

I liked the setting--a world ruled by vampires in endless night and cold, caused by some magic they performed decades before that shrouds the sky in thick clouds. The last vestiges of free humanity huddle in walled cities that fall one by one as time goes by. The characters are complex and interesting, although the main character is so flawed its hard to feel much for him. There is a reluctant savior character--a teenage girl who grew up in the gutter--who offers the only hope of the vampires' defeat in the form of prophecy.

There is quite a bit of description of the horrific things the vampires have done to the humans and a lot of cursing. Lots of blood and guts in the battles and aftermath as well.

I would like to thank #netgalley and St. Martin’s press for the ARC of #EmpireoftheDamned in exchange for my honest review.
I was so excited when I read the first story and couldn’t wait for this second one. I couldn’t wait to dive back into this world and after I received the second one it didn’t disappoint. This story is everything you wanna read and more.

Empire of the damned continues the incredible story the previous book. I can’t begin to explain how you make the cake on vampires. This book is. It is set in a dark and twisted medieval time and the story really gets under your skin. This is incredible. Follow up and it does not disappoint. I highly recommend, you continue the series

This was a small sampler so there’s not much to review. Love Jay Kristoffs masterful story telling and can’t wait to read the full book

I appreciate being able to read a digital ARC sampler of Jay Kristoff's "Empire of the Damned," thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press. I was elated when I saw that I had received approval for the book but discovered I only had access to a sampler. Oh well, I enjoyed reading it. The story, a seamless continuation from where the first book, "Empire of the Vampire," left off, kept me engaged. I was impressed by the author's world-building and portrayal of humans and vampires. The sampler whetted my appetite, and I'm eager to read the novel.

Jay Kristoff knows how to write a story that pulls you in and keeps you invested from the first page. His characters and world building are rich and addictive. Cannot wait for more