Take a little Interview with the Vampire, mix it with a zombie apocalypse and stir it into a grimdark fantasy, and you have Jay Kristoff’s epic Empire of the Vampire series. The writing is melodramatic with purple prose, and a lot of swearing and testosterone, but that is what it is: grimdark. Extremely cinematic with intricate world-building, short chapters, and a propulsive pace. The characters are yes, over-the-top, but they are meant to be. Now I only had a sampler to read, so I can’t leave a proper review, but from what I read, this seems to be just as good as the first book (which I read a third of, in order to be able to judge this one). I am not the right audience for this series (not a big grimdark fan) but I completely get the enthusiasm for these books.

I will post my review once ST Martin's Press addresses their racist employee. I apologize, but I stand strongly with these beliefs and will wait until they address the issue.

I loved every minute of this sample, it was just as good as the first, but I can’t wait until the full book comes out!! Jay’s writing was amazing as always, with witty and hilarious characters, intense action and an exciting plot!

I had no idea this was book #2…
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read the sampler. Liked it so far can’t wait for it to come out!

Omg I just want to read the full ARC!! Can't wait to see where this story goes!! Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

Quick teaser read. I can see why this is a fan favorite. It peeked my interest and had me reading book one in order to know what was going on. Interesting story that took me out of my comfort zone that's for sure!

Didn't realize this was only a sample, but what I read makes me very excited to keep reading this series.

My feedback on this is the fact that I have learned not to request a sampler from NetGalley going forward. Don't get me wrong, this is an excellent book and part of an excellent series, but it was like getting to the end of the book and finding out there was a huge cliffhanger. Which it was. Iin part because we only got to read SOME of the book....and now have to wait for the rest. Ugh!

So, if you have read the first book, you will be thrilled to know that it wasn't a fluke. This story is getting even better.

If you haven't read the first book, that is your first mistake. Don't start here. Go find book 1 and go from there. That way you can be waiting with bated breath for this book to come out in 2024.

And if you have not read the first book, you can thank me now.

Your welcome.

This was the perfect sampler and did not disappoint! I devoured it in one sitting, leaving me desperate for more. A summary of the characters and events was provided in the beginning from where Empire of the Vampire left off, which I found incredibly helpful since I read EOTV when it first came out over two years ago. The sampler is in a conversationalist format like EOTV, and I love this kind of storytelling. Gabriel’s principle of right and wrong makes him a compelling protagonist, and I think readers will either love or hate him. His relationship with Dior is a special one–shifting between friendship and parental/child relationship, and I’m excited to see how their bond develops, especially after where the sampler ends. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves vampires, especially the more horrific and dark side of paranormal fantasy.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the sampler!

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ability to read this book sampler before release day. I am SO excited for this to come out, it's going to be a great addition to the Empire of the Vampire series, and I can't wait to get back into this world!

This sampler is the perfect length. An enjoyable sneak peek into the next book, it picks up right where the previous book left off and leaves just enough hype for the full release.

I thought I would see if this sampler would be better than his other works but it was a bit of a slog to get through and I probably won’t bother with Kristoff in the future.

This sample has me so hype for the new book! Give me more Jay Kristoff vampires! I am anxiously awaiting Match 12th for the release of Empire of the Damned!

I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were well developed and the plot flowed in a way that made sense. I would recommend this book to others and look forward to reading others by this author.

Thank you to St Martins for the sampler!

This was fantastic! picks up right where we left off and I can’t wait to read more.

I would do anything for a full arc!

Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff is a thrilling and intense read that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The world-building in this book is absolutely incredible, transporting readers to a dark and grim setting.

Overall, Empire of the Damned is an exceptional book that fans of dark and gritty fantasy will thoroughly appreciate.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for this sampler. I am so glad I already pre-order a copy and I can not wait until next year to read this sequel

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you so much, St Martin's Press, for the chance to read this sampler in exchange of an honest review.

I can't believe I got the chance to read the first chapter of one of my most anticipated reads of 2024! I'm so involved in this story and I can't wait to read more about Gabriel and the Holy Grail (those who know, know) and their adventure. It was so wonderful getting back to their world and starting to know and discover more things about what exactly brough Gabriel to his present and, while this sampler satisfied a bit my curiosity, I can't wait to have the whole book in my hands!

My gosh.
This story.
I love it so much.

It’s taking turns I wasn’t expecting!! I’m questioning everything. My world is unraveling.

And that cliffhanger was brutal!

Truly though? This is the coolest story. For me, at least.

It’s gothic, medieval, complex, intricate. And the expanse it’s beginning to take…!

I am loving the dark empire vibes. The deeper glimpse into the faithless.

This story is without a doubt vampire, but I'm getting more Game of Thrones vibes this go-round too!

And I cannot wait to see where this installment is headed!!!

[Update] Check out my Goodreads page for the full book review, thank you St. Martin's Press!

Thank you, thank you for this sampler! Now I'm even more excited about this book! I so need to get again in this world and I can't wait to read this whole book!