ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to receive a first look at part of this book and it left me wanting so much more! It was everything I was hoping for and you best believe I’m purchasing it the day it releases to finish it! I would definitely recommend this series if you like fantasy and dystopian!

I was approved for this sample of Empire of the Damned and it only reinforced my decision to preorder the book. I loved Empire of the Vampire and no book that I read afterwards compared to it. I have been anxiously waiting for the sequel. This sampler took me right back to the story, right to where I left off. It whet my appetite and is making me ever more eager to finish the book. I can't wait until March for the rest of the story.

Wow!!!!!! Even though this was a sample it was amazing! I couldn’t put it down and now I will be impatiently waiting for the release of this book to finish it!

I didn’t get approved for the full version but was given a snippet. And it is not enough! Excited for the full release and will be giving my full review on Goodreads

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for a sample, a large one, of the latest book in this fantasy/ horror series.

Empire of the Vampire, by Jay Kristoff, was a book that impressed me quite a bit in that that book was large enough to be used to drive stakes into numerous vampires hearts, or to be used as a stool for smaller vampire hunters to reach of the side of large caskets. However even with the length, I never felt lost, or bored, or wondered if the writer was being paid by the word. The world was very unique, the storytelling different, with flashbacks, flash-forwards, and interesting twists to tell a very compelling story.

The sample I read, of the second book Empire of the Damned, is similar in some ways, but Kristoff has adapted to the fact that Kristoff can't surprise the reader the way he did in the first book. So Kristoff has added more techniques to his game, and has found new ways of ratcheting up the tension. Also Kristoff's way of telling the story has changed slightly. Kristoff knows that most readers are in for the long haul, but Kristoff still works at making those more fickle readers flip pages, drawing the reader deep into the story, before unfolding a few big surprises, surprises that I am sure are going to have big effects on the latter half of the Empire of the Damned. Which I am looking forward to reading.

Jay Kristoff looks like he has another winner on his hands, and trees have another reason to be afraid as there is going to be a lot of paper needed for these books.

Holy sh—
This was phenomenal, too bad it's only an excerpt but can't wait for the rest!!
I can't believe we get Liathe's pov, can't wait to read more of it!

Enjoyed this sampler - although I did initially think it was the entire story, my mistake! I enjoyed this and am looking forward to the rest of the story!

This sneak peek at the sequel to Empire of the Vampire has succeeded in making me anticipate the full novel’s publication even more than I already did. The story picks up just where Empire of the Vampire left off, with a nice little recap as it has been awhile since we visited the vivid world run by the Dead. The bond between Gabe and Dior is very sweet and a little sad. The illustrations are gorgeous. I am excited to hold the full book in my hands!

I've not read Empire of the Vampire yet (My mistake, I know), it's been on my list but I just hadn't gotten to it.
After reading the sample of Empire of the Damned I'm ordering copies of both and beginning EotV as soon I receive it.

In most cases it might be difficult to give an thorough impression based on a sample but Jay Kristoff immediately grabbed my attention. I felt the fear, the uncertainty. I found the dialog to be real, credible. All in all this was a great way to begin my reading year and I look forward to reading more (all) in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Sample of Empire of the Damned.

This was such a great intro to book two of Kristoff’s latest series. His writing style makes me feel like I’m in the story, I can’t wait to see what happens next!

This was a great sampler, though devastating to learn it's a sampler (lol).

400 pages went really smoothly and much faster than I anticipated. I loved book 1, but it was a huge learning curve to understand the world and history. Book 2 so far feels a lot smoother simply because we already know the world and it's just now building upon the story.

I LOVE the way this is being told, it's a story about a story and that's so cool and far less confusing than it was in book one when I had no idea what was happening.

The sampler leaves off right as Celene is about to tell her story and that was mean, but I'm so excited to get more about her side. I really enjoyed having more of her in this book.

I do beg of Jay to please please let the horses alone, like c'mon give them a break man. PLEASE.

Thank you for letting me read this sampler, can't wait for March!

oh my goodness! This was so amazing and I can not wait until the book is out! Such a good start!! Jay Kristoff continues to amaze me with his writing style.

Empire of the Damned is a phenomenal book packed with suspense and action.

Gabriel has saved Dior from death at the hands of Sister Chloe and the Silversaints of San Michon but where do they go from there? A perilous path falls before them at the behest of the vampire Liathe but it is an uneasy and untrusting truce.

This book will grip you from the first chapter and never let up. There are so many twists and turns that you both expect and don’t. The last 100 pages are brutal, in true Kristoff fashion. If you enjoyed Empire of the Vampire, you are going to love Empire of the Damned!

Disappointed it was just a sampler- but can’t wait for the full tale! I’ll read anything and everything this author writes.

I don't usually agree with 5 star reviews. I've left several over the years, but only on the books I grew up loving or the books that shook my soul or transported me to a new world. The first of this series, Empire of the Vampire was a five star read for me and from this sample... this is also going to be five stars.
I'm not going to write any spoilers, so if you are glancing at my review to find them... keep moving. I'll probably come back to discuss the real content of the book after is released and I've finally found out how it all plays out. I want to write today about the feeling of this sample without giving away the journey this took me on.
So, you know this book is about vampires and a vampire hunter and a very brooding gentleman named Gabriel if you know nothing at all and while this concept alone sounds pretty great, it's isn't the important parts of this book. This story is horror and thriller and romance and fantasy... hell, I'd even let it fall under epic journey, but it isn't just a vampire book. I've seen so many jokes about sparkling vampires when referencing this book and the lack of them in this series, so go into this series knowing it isn't a sparkly love story... but also appreciate that without the sparkling vamps of the past you might not be reading this book or thousands of others might not be reading it.
When I write a review, I try to find a book you might have read that reminds me of this story...
Have you read Salem's Lot? Have you read The Dark Towers? And yes, I know those are both Stephen King books, but this series has always felt like a love letter to those novels and the real body tightening scares within them. Kristoff knows how to make you not only feel FOR his characters, but how to make yourself see yourself in them. You don't have the typical horror tropes with the girl walking alone in the dark while you are screaming at her to look behind her because you just KNOW she's getting eaten, instead you have characters who think through their decisions, even the bad ones, and you can relate to the decisions and the craziness and you NEED them to succeed because you know you would have made the same choice (or you hope you would have made the same choice). I hope that makes sense and it gives you a real idea of what you are in for with this book and this series.
Over the past year, I've jumped from sci-fi to romance to historical fiction to horror, but I kept finding myself in the need of MORE. This story brought back my love of reading in a fierce way I had almost forgotten the experience of sitting alone and safe in my house while my heart raced and my tension drove me from comfort. I have always been a reader. I always have a book with me, but in the past year or so it felt more like a habit than a true pleasure. This book was a pleasure in the most decadent sense and I can not wait for the rest in this book and in the series. I need to know what happened! It's a desperate need at this point, but until the release date I will have to make due with my own fantasies.

Now to the point I always want a review to get to - Do I think YOU should read this book? YES! If you have any love of horror, read this book. If you have any love of an epic journey, read this book. If you have any love for worlds outside our own, read this book. Kristoff built a world unlike our own, but one we can all see ourselves in and it is some kind of magic to see yourself in a world you've never known. So, I recommend this book without hesitation. The journey is wild and I now have sooo many new terms for people who annoy me (thank you for all of those Mr. Kristoff), but most importantly I have a whole new fantasy world waiting for me to fall into it whenever I damn well please!

Without spoiling anything from book 1, I can say that book 2 wastes no time throwing Gabriel back into the thick of things. No rest for the wicked very much applies to Gabriel it seems. In this sampler, we get more blood, more loss, more betrayal and tons more questions. Unlike book 1, the story doesn’t meander as much with only two timelines to follow. We learn a bit more about the vampire bloodlines and what Dior’s role may really be. But as always, Jay Kristoff leaves us with more questions than answers. March 2024 can’t come fast enough, because I am hoping that we will get some answers by the end of Empire of the Damned. Although, I wouldn’t put it past Kristoff to leave this one off on another killer cliffhanger. Highly recommend picking up this series if you are a fan of epic fantasy or are just looking for your next incredible vampire read

"Empire of the Vampire" has become a beloved favorite of mine. The author skillfully evoked intense emotions that nearly moved me to tears and made me deeply invested in the characters. It's truly remarkable when a book can elicit such strong reactions, a testament to the author's masterful character development.

Having read this sample, the anticipation for "Empire of the Damned" has become almost unbearable. I find myself torn between the desire to delve into the story immediately and the temptation to wait until I can fully immerse myself in it.

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and Jay Kristoff for the opportunity to experience this sample, even though it has heightened the anticipation for the full release.

I loved the first book in this series so I had really high expectations for how this one was going to go. It still is an entertaining story, with an interesting framework however it felt like this first part was almost rushed through to get to the next portion of the story. As if the author was getting bored with Gabriels point of view and was ready to switch, but it ended up being more of a drag to get through. That to say, I am still going to be buying this book to finish it. It still was entertaining and I am genuinely curious on how they are going to finish this book/series. I rated it a four star because objectively, still a really great beginning, I just lost some of that same push that the first one had.

I stopped after chapter 1 but I think fans will be very pleased, an easy four to five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

Such an amazing book that will always have a special place in my heart along with the first book. The take continues with our lovely vampire and his trials of life.