If you're looking for a book that will keep you on edge from start to finish, I highly recommend Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff. The book is part of the Gabriel and Dior series and is guaranteed to leave you wanting more. Kristoff's writing style is superb, and his ability to craft a gripping narrative is unparalleled. Even if you think you know what will happen, Kristoff surprises you with twists and turns. The back and forth between Paleblood and the murderous death will keep you on the edge of your seat. Still, Kristoff can inject some light-hearted moments and witty banter between characters to give readers a break from the intensity. This unique take on vampires will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about the genre. I had previously read the first book in the series and was excited to see where the story was going. The characters are well-developed, and their personalities and motivations are fleshed out in a way that makes them feel real. I can't wait to see how it all ends, but reading titles like these only makes the wait for the next book feel even longer. If you're a fan of dark fantasy or just looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, read this! Five of five stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for a review!

I loved this book! Unfortunately for me, I'm immature and roll my eyes at certain phrases in the adult scenes. It's not something that really truly takes anything away for me.. It's a me problem I swear lol. As always, we loveeee Kristoff's writing! It always has a sense to pull you in quickly and get you hooked.

Jay kristoff is one of my favorite authors- and I’m so thankful to have gotten this arc sample!! I will be saving any official reviews for once I have access to the full book, but I will ensure that I mention that I received the first section as an arc! I’m so invested in this story and now must wait to finish it, which is PAINFUL! But as always, Jay slays.

I love absolutely everything by Jay Kristoff! This novel was amazing and had huge twists and turns. So many great characters, scenes...I’m still processing.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall Review (spoilers)

So often books fall victim to the sequel curse. But not this one. Empire of the Damned may be better than Empire of the Vampire. The plot twist with his sister? The relationship with Dior? And the whole historian getting more of a personality was amazing. This book continues perfectly where the last one left of, and leaves you wanting more. I cannot wait for book three. I may actually have to reread this book after my physical copy arrives in March!

TLDR: we get to spend more time with our grumpy half vamp and his adopted daughter as they be absolute menaces.

Plot Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Genre: fiction, fantasy, high fantasy, vampires

Trigger Warnings: lots of cursing, blood, gore, murder, etc.

Though this is only a small sample of Empire of the Damned it sure packed a punch. I was a bit worried it would take me a bit to be able to fall back into the rhythm of the way this story is told since I read the first book a while ago, but I easily fell back into it and didn't want to put it down. We've already learned so many new things! The only part of this that was remotely disappointing is where this sampler left off! Thank goodness I've already preordered this so as soon as it comes out I can pick it right back up.

Oh! My! God!
Jay does it again, yanking me into this beautiful, nightmare world. The characters are continuing to develop, the world is growing, and the plot continues to thicken. There are so many surprises and twist in just the first hundred or two pages. Each moment gives the reader payoff on previous intrigue and builds more for the reader to discover. I am so curious about what’s going to happen next.

I enjoyed this sampler for the book! I didn’t know it was a sampler when I started it so that was a bit disappointing but it still made me very excited for the full book when it releases!

Interesting continuation of the story, LOTS of gory battles, and a cliffhanger ending. Oy!

But seriously - this is a fast-paced adventurous ride, barely stopping for breath. We're do learn more about Gabriel's sister's backstory, and a cool character from the first book makes a surprising reappearance.

I like Gabriel's character a great deal, but feel there less focus in this book on making him dimensional amd more on a) some of the other characters, b) moving the story forward apace. Not a complaint at all - just something I noticed.

I am curious about book 3 - hoping to learn more about Gabriel's interlocutor, Jean-Framçois.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my feedback. It's much appreciated as this is a really fun series.

I was anticipating this being the full book and not a sample. The sample is fine but not something I can give a real decent review of.

I don’t know what happened between Empire of the Vampire and Empire of the Damned. As soon as I was offered an ARC of Empire of the Damned, I accepted immediately because I enjoyed Empire of the Vampire so much.

Empire of the Damned picks up with Gabriel continuing to tell his tale with the focus now being on Dior and the new addition of Celene, Gabriel’s sister.

Empire of the Damned’s lore and history is so dense as compared to the previous novel. There is so much more to learn and digest that I had a hard time keeping up.

I disliked the dialogue. There’s a stark difference in how certain characters speak. The cadence, style, and tone are so different that sometimes it’s hard to reconcile the difference. I understand that the vampires are so old that that is the reason for their Shakespearean style of speaking, but it gets old coupled with the modern vulgarity of the other characters.

I was extremely lucky to receive a Netg@|ley cOpy of this book. |loved Empire of The Vampire, so I was so excited!!!! I'd have to give this book 5 stars!
Keeping spoilers at a minimum, here is my revi€w!
I really enjoyed the multiple POVs this time instead of just being focused on Gabe like in the first book. I liked the introduction of the new characters like Dior! We find out a lot about Gabe's sister Celene, who's some strange Esani Vampire with insane abilities. The character building is excellent, as we get to learn so much about Celene, but so much more about Dior. She goes through struggles and adventures and just witnessing(reading) her reactions and just all the way she responds is phenomenal. We also learn about the Vampire hierarchy, where we learn a lot of them are pieces of crap. This is definitely fantasy, and it kept me entertained throughout the entire book!!
I highly recommend this book!!! Thank you St Martins Press so much!!

Thank you @ Netgallery for the arc sample and thank you St. Martin's Press.

Empire of the Vampire (book one) was my first induction into the lushly descriptive world of Jay Kristoff. It doesn't so much as lower you into the setting as it plunges you into the occult and sinister. To say I fell in love with the craft of it all was an understatement. The sequel does not disappoint! Empire of the Damned is a dark and delicious follow up and I devoured the teaser!... And it was just that. A TEASE! I can't believe you left it like that? I need to know what happens next! This book is not for the faint of heart- more blood, more witty dialogue, more action, more twists. I appreciated the recap and was happy to reunite again with some of my favorite characters. The ones you root for and the ones you love to hate and the images peppered throughout were a treat!

Though I think the first book will always hold a special place in my heart, I can't WAIT to get my hands on this. I know it's going to be a wild ride for the rest!

As I only received a sampler, I find it difficult to give this higher than a 4 stars. I did enjoy this snippet, however! The writing style continues to be evocative. Gabe continues to be one of my favourite fictional characters. The same sense of impending doom and overarching sense of grief is weaved throughout the story, and I truly can't wait to see what the rest of the book has in store!

Couldn’t wait for the sequel vampire ridden novel and I’m not disappointed at all!!

Great world building, bloody action and betrayal. I’m here for you it!!

I absolutely loved the first book and was beyond desperate to continue the story! Even though this was only a small portion of the second book it had me hooked instantly. I didn't realize how quickly I was burning through it until was on the last page of the sneak peak. I it could've been the entire book because now March can't come soon enough! I'll always recommend Jay Kristoff he's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC.
To be really straightforward, this installment of the series was pretty boring ("sucked," one could say). The first book had the same goofy, overwrought, banter-y writing style which for that book was quite fun, but it's now gotten very old. Kristoff knows how to use flowery language, but here it was too much. I hardly finished this story. And I really firmly believe now that Kristoff also cannot write a solid female character. Dior reads like "one of the boys" who is (barely) treated like an equal because she's the savior of the world and can punch and stab stuff. The dialogue between her and Gabriel was, again, incredibly boring. Having women characters who are not victims, tropey "badasses," or tropey sex objects is maybe something to consider at this point.

As for the plot, could take it or leave it. The flashbacks narrated by Gabriel worked well in the first book, but did not translate well into this one. Why continue in that style rather than changing the point of view to first-person present tense or something similar? Kind of a minor quirk for me in the grand scheme of things, considering the story did not progress very far. Maybe I will pick it up and finish in the future, but for now I need a more engaging read than this.

This sequel to Empire of the Vampire picks up right where the last book left off with the last Silversaint captured by vampires. He recounts his rise to infamy all the way to his final adventure to end the endless night that had plagued his home for decades.

The narrative style in which this story is told certainly takes some getting used to, but I appreciate its unique perspective and the hilarious interjections to the story. Other readers might find this jarring, but I appreciate this multi-dimensional aspect. The timeline in this book is more linear than the last, which is something I appreciate.

The world-building in these books are so incredibly immersive and vast. I love the wide range of characters that we meet and the amount of care and detail that goes into creating this absolute beast of a series. I’ve described to people that it’s a fantasy adventure that’s almost like D&D with a post-apocalyptic setting and some incredible vampire villains. It is such a fast-paced thrill ride that will delight readers that appreciate more blood-thirsty enemies and the highest of stakes

Now I only got the sampler, so I only got a taste of this awesome book, but if you love evil vampire villains, a jaded and hilarious anti-hero, and an incredibly detailed post-apocalyptic fantasy world, then Empire of the Damned comes out on March 12, 2024!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the opportunity to read this AMAZING title in exchange for an honest review.

OMG I'm going to try not to fangirl too hard in this review (and inevitably fail), but this was knock-your-socks-off FANTASTIC and I could not put it down. I feel so privileged to have gotten an ARC! Wow, wow, WOW! Stop what you're doing and go read this book!

Thank you, Jay Kristoff, for writing such an immersive and gorgeous story!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC sample in exchange for an honest review.

From the first page, this sequel to Empire of the Vampire had me hooked. It immediately picks up where the first book ended and jumps right back into action. So far, this book is just as intense, mysterious, and addictive as the first. The sample ended on such a cliffhanger… I will be counting the minutes until March 12