I thought I would give the second book in this series a try even though I really did not like the first book. I'm not sure if I should have because this solidified that I will not be continuing in this series at all. I hate the way this series portrays women I had how weird the main character makes me feel. The concept of this world is super cool but I could do without the whole Jay-ness of it all

Suffers from a lot of the same flaws as the first book, like being overly long and worldbuilding that largely feels like it's pieces of other media thrown into a blender. It also suffers from being a middle book, in that nothing really feels resolved.

It does have its moments of being an engaging read, but I often felt like I was trudging through. But if you didn't have a problem with the first book, you'll love this one.

Honestly, I'd probably enjoy the series a lot more without the framing device constantly hinting at things we haven't gotten to yet and if each part were considerably shorter.

I’m just going to post my review here as I don’t like posting negative reviews. I know that this book will be a smash hit with the fans. I tried really hard to get into this book/series but I think I need to accept that the author isn’t for me. I’ve enjoyed the books he’s cowritten with Amie Kauffman but have not enjoyed his solo writing. I’m sorry.

Empire of the Damned is an enthralling and engaging sequel to Empire of the Vampire. As the second book in this trilogy, we are continuing the story of Gabriel de Leon, the last Silversaint, as he recounts his history to Jean-Francois, the court historian for the vampire Empress. In the first book we were introduced to the characters and the story, but in the second book, we have the opportunity for richer character development and deeper mysteries unfolding as we transition towards the conclusion. Sometimes middle books can be tough, but the excerpt from EOtD was just as interesting and exciting as EotV. The writing is excellent, as Gabriel’s character clearly comes through in the language and flow of the story. While the story is dark and complex, I found myself laughing at the humor as well. Gabriel is a tortured anti-hero, and his self-loathing comes through just as strong as his bravery and skill. Empire of the Damned starts strong and is just as thrilling and engaging as Empire of the Vampire.

In EotD also have the additional POV from Celene, Gabriel’s sister who was turned into a Vampire. (Though in this excerpt I was not able to read chapters from her explicitly, but it was implied.) I am definitely excited to read EotD in full, and cannot wait to find out what happens with Gabriel, Dior, and Celene as the story moves forward towards the conclusion of the series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced excerpt from Empire of the Damned.

"Empire of the Damned" by Jay Kristoff is a dark and thrilling sequel that delves deeper into the world of vampires and holy relics. Building upon the events of its predecessor, Kristoff takes readers on a relentless journey filled with danger, betrayal, and startling revelations.

Gabriel de León, the Last Silversaint, finds himself entangled in a web of intrigue as he seeks to fulfill his destiny and end the endless night. With the Holy Grail in his possession, Gabriel must navigate treacherous alliances and deadly enemies to uncover the truth behind Daysdeath and the fate of the world.

Kristoff's writing is as sharp and evocative as ever, immersing readers in a world of darkness and despair. The action is relentless, with each page brimming with tension and suspense. From epic battles to heart-wrenching betrayals, the story unfolds at a breakneck pace, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

What sets "Empire of the Damned" apart is its richly developed characters and intricate world-building. Gabriel's struggles with his own bloodlust and moral dilemmas add depth to his character, while the supporting cast of vampires, humans, and otherworldly beings adds layers of complexity to the narrative.

While the story can be dark and at times unsettling, Kristoff infuses moments of humor and humanity that provide a welcome respite from the relentless darkness. With its gripping plot, compelling characters, and jaw-dropping twists, "Empire of the Damned" is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and epic storytelling.

Celene is such a delight, I'm enthralled with her in this book. Delight compared to Gabriel, of course, which isn't saying too much when he's this much of an idiot (lovingly). Similarly to the first one, I was shocked and awed each time I looked at the page I was on and realized how much I'd read without realizing it- I am forever impressed with how Jay manages to keep my attention for this chonker of a book.

The main focus of this one was the character relationships, and to great effect- I loved the new insights given to us by the new POVs and now that we know all the ~vampire lore~ I loved seeing everyone have more room to be themselves. I am eagerly anticipating book 3.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC for review!

I honestly felt myself dragging through Empire of the Vampire, but Empire of the Damned was more enjoyable. I love Dior and the focus on her character really helped for me. I really think these books just probably aren’t for me, I never found myself fully immersed in the story or very attached to any of the characters with the exception of Dior.

This was just a sample of the full sequel but it was an intriguing read, I might give the rest a shot!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a fantastic sequel that is full of action. You get to meet a few new terrifying but interesting characters, plus you will learn some interesting secrets about other characters we are familiar with from the first book. I am excited to see how a certain sister's story plays out in the next installment.

I would recommend this book/series to anyone who enjoys dark epic fantasy!

I am forever wrecked. Kristoff’s writing ✍️ is a masterpiece and his second novel of the trilogy blue the first one out of the water. My heart is smashed and I’m devastated at the changes in the relationships that occurred in this book.

Amazing start, I can't wait to see where this book goes. Of course there will be lots of blood, death, and angst. Got to love vampires (and most especially Gabriel!)

I remember really loving the first book, but found this one occasionally dense. I definitely needed the summery of the first book at the beginning and often found myself looking back to understand who characters were. Overall, I like the writing and am really into having dangerous/scary vampires back in media.

A fantastic start to another favorite! I can't wait to read the rest. Kristoff is always an auto buy.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC sampler.

This is how you start a sequel!!

5⭐️

So many trilogies suffer from middle book syndrome, where the second book does little to advance the plot. This sampler of Empire of the Damned shows that this series will not be one of them.

EOTD picks up right where EOTV left off, but gives us bits and pieces more of Jean-Francois story as well as Gabriel’s. The introduction of new point of views, and the immediate continuation of a dark and bloody action packed story made this sampler addictive.

This book also featured a recap of main characters from the first one, which is entirely helpful given the time span between publications. Based solely on the first 100 pages, I would guess that this book will be another easy 5 star book for Jay Kristoff, and I eagerly await it’s publication date, so that I can delve immediately into my preordered copy.

An ineluctable gift for storytelling has author Jay Kristoff, propelling this newest Series, EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE, inescapably as an avalanche of boulders coursing down a high mountain. This novel and the prior (EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE) indeed are couched in literal storytelling, as "the Last Silversmith," Gabriel de Leon, is tasked (at imminent point of torture, torment, and death) to relate his life history, recorded by a wry coldblood [vampire] historian, for the delectation of the dreaded Vampire Empress. So the story unfolds, packed with more action, adventure, trauma, gore, and death than one could readily imagine, pinning readers to the edge of their metaphorical seats. Let us hope, this Series shall continue.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for this ARC. This was an amazing start to book 2 of this series. Cannot wait to purchase the book and finish it.

There’s no denying Kristoff has a certain magnetism to his writing, and fantasy fans—especially dark fantasy and vampire fans—can’t seem to stay away. I would be considerably more impressed, however, if he had a more original voice and his storytelling technique and world building weren’t heavily borrowed and drawn from myriads of other sources. The interview format is from Anne Rice, the concept of the Christ figure having a child with one of his creations/followers from The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail and The DaVinci Code, part of one of the fights from Empire of the Vampire read literally word-for-word from ‘Salem’s Lot, and his dark sky concept is even in one of his other series, Nevernight. Add to that the sheer immensity and length of this book, just the sample size, and the overly repetitive nature of the plot with the constant fights and battles, I felt very tired reading this and that only a fraction of its total length. I will be finishing the book, as I ordered several copies because of the need to be informed by popular books nowadays, but I can’t seem to really like this series. I will say, the grammar and mechanics, particularly the subject and object pronoun usage, is blessedly correct in this one, to my delight. And whoever proofread all of those quotation marks deserves a raise and a medal.

I didn’t enjoy the first one as much as I did this one so that was a wonderful surprise. I’d definitely recommend this series to another fantasy reader.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the arc. Unfortunately, I do not think EotD is the book for me. I read the first book forever ago and while there was a reminder of who the characters are in the beginning of the sample, I don't really remember the plot nor feel invested enough to continue the series.

This almost went sideways at the beginning. The opening scene is a very graphic sex scene, and I usually skip graphic sex scenes in books. I wasn't sure if that boded well for the remainder. The scene felt gratuitous and unnecessary and makes absolutely no difference to the remainder of the book, which was a great continuation of the story.

I liked that Jean-François didn't interrupt Gabriel every minute asking for explanations and for him to tell a different story that the one Gabriel wanted to tell. It made it feel less like "Interview with a Vampire" and more like its own story (which it well and truly is).

Because this came from NetGalley, I only got to read the first 200ish pages so definitely need to read the full book because I really want to know where the story goes from here!

Rating four stars only because of that first scene.

I absolutely hate Mr. Kristoff and how he introduced me to this world. 😒😂 Because then I would have gotten more than an hour of sleep rather than me sitting there in bed devouring the book, lying to myself that I would read only one more chapter..

Then I wouldn’t have gotten to the end 🤯 saying WTF and now wondering what I will do with my life while I have to patiently wait for the next book. 😭😭😂😂😭😭