When it comes to style and flare Jay Kristoff knows how to deliver! From the characters, the world to the plot everything just clicks. I was constantly on the edge of my seat waiting for what will happen next. I cannot wait for book 3

This is the best book of the year already. As sequels goes this one had everything it need it to forward the story and create an intriguing plot to keep readers hooked. It takes a risk by introducing a lot of new characters which played very well to the overarching story. We also get a lot of depth to characters previously introduced in book one. This one really plays on the heartstrings with the main characters relationship dynamic as they face the challenge of building and maintaining trust and faith in each other throughout adversity and disappointment. This one is easily one of my favorite series of all time definitely will be picking up book 3.
PD The artwork was amazing too

Yeah this was perfection and I wish it had been the entire book and not just a sample. This perfectly recapped the last book and continued on in the intense journey of our intrepid heroes (kind of heroes). I'm ready for this book to destroy my soul with the ending. LET'S GO.

Seems insane that I read my favourite book of the year in February, but here we are. This is a review but also a general apology to everyone who has had to deal with me in the aftermath of Empire of the Damned.

Even going into Damned, I knew it was going to hurt, It was meant to. But, I am also a sucker for punishment especially in the form of booms that make me cry. And while the pain lived up to my expectations, everything else about this novel exceeded them.

Back with Gabe and Dior, and some new friends, some old ones, the plot continues hell for leather, with Jay writing these characters into corners so tight all hope seems lost, and that's only in the first half. But the reason all this hopelessness hits so damn hard is down to the character development. It's just so good. And I just care so much about what happens to everyone.

Every scrape, every threat, every page shows us more of our (don't call me a) hero, Gabriel, and all of these smaller moments lead to big revelations and character moments that genuinely threw me. But Damned doesn't reply on cheap thrills. All these reveals and shocking moments contribute to what has to be one of the most blood soaked and best finales I have read. maybe ever.

Gabriel aside, side characters also get more pages in Damned than Vampire and have just as much intrigue. You love some of them, you hate some so fiercely you pray for their violent demise. And on that note, blood and gore is (to no one's surprise) in no short supply between these pages.

From the razor to the rosary Empire of the Damned is a masterpiece- techically, the plot, the pace, the prose etc. All are perfect- but that aside am a STORY GIRL first, and I am utterly consumed by this one.

Also a moment for my unlikely favourite, Jean-François. In another world you would have lived kindle-unlimited smut.

“We only die if we are forgotten. Burn bright. Burn brief. But burn.”

Gabriel has saved Dior but the adventure is not over, somehow along the way, they have built an uneasy alliance with beasts and monsters that Gabriel once swore to rid the world of, but they are the only hope he has of deciphering how to end Daysdeath without ending the Grail herself. With their enemies coming from all directions, Gabriel will do anything to keep his promises to Dior and stay at her side, even if it means landing himself in the middle of a war.

I took a really long time with this one...only because of my own mental health and needing to be ready for the heartbreak this would inevitably wreck me with. It's no secret that I am a huge Jay Kristoff fan but being one has also taught me that his books are going to hurt at some point. So this one had to get put down for a bit while I sorted out my real-life mental state. With that said, this was AMAZING! I wasn't entirely sure how it could hurt more than the first one, but somehow he made it just as painful and sometimes more so. This book is dark and gruesome but also full of heartwarming relationships and love sometimes getting a win, albeit a small one. Waiting on the next one will be painful.

Empire of the Damned Sampler

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was so excited when I saw this available through NetGalley, then I realized it was only a sampler. lol

It picks up almost immediately after the ending of EOTV, but it adds in one slightly spicy scene with Jean-François and a little of his morning before restarting his interview with Gabriel de León.

Once the interview begins, it is right back at it.
🩸
I love the sick humor, the bloody battles, and the found family.

"Empire of the Damned" by Jay Kristoff is a thrilling addition to his dark fantasy repertoire. Kristoff's masterful world-building and intricate plot twists keep readers on the edge of their seats. The characters are deeply developed, with complex motivations and arcs that drive the story forward. This novel is a must-read for fans of high-stakes fantasy, offering a gripping and immersive experience.

Took me a bit to get to this one!! I was finishing off Empire of the Vampire, but this sample for sure had me immediately adding the full length book to my cart!

Not enough of a teaser to tell you much of anything, but I bought the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. 😂

The sample was NOT enough!!! And I mean that in the best way. In typical Kristoff fashion, what we got from the Empire of the Damned sample was amazing and left me excited to grab the novel at release!

“There is no one more afraid of dying than things who live forever.”
The latest chapter in the Empire of the Vampire saga draws you further into the world of SilverSaints and Vampires. Gabriel is trying to save the Grail who will save the world from darkness. Excellent world building and character development in an engaging style. Fantastic read.

Action packed, and plenty of violence. Took a long and torturous route just to end in a cliff hanger. The sex scenes were embarrassingly graphic and so unnecessary. Don't think I'm the target audience vampire smutt.

This is how you write a 700-page sequel! Wow. This was excellent. Jay Kristoff takes everything he started in Empire of the Vampire and cranks it up to 100. I loved this so much and cannot wait until we get book 3!

THIS BOOK ! Read it in 2 days .... its HUGE ! I also did a re-listen to the audio book just prior to getting this one and meeting Jay in person in San Diego on his book tour. The depth of character trauma, twists/turns, HOLY SH!X moments where you cannot believe what happened , more animal trauma (its a running joke with him). but truly this is a work of art. It is High fantasy, but you just go with it as you are so immersed in the story and it is beautifaully written to take you a long the journey. You dont need glossary to read along. There are SOOO many spoilers, but it caused emotional drama multiple times. A few really good blindsides in it. The ending and cliff hanger leaves you thinking about it for days/weeks while you try to write the 3rd book in your head. THE ENDING ! I cant say that enough ! going in for a listen of the audio book again. The ARTWORK (look on his instagram) it really helps narrate the story. 10 out of 10

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I am glad I found him because he really knows how to write a vampire story and the world building is unique and fascinating and written where you feel like your a part of this world.
I love a great Vampire story and this one is good.
The story is about the life of Gabriel the MC who is telling his story from jail along the way We meet a few different characters and learn about the Vampires way of living the action is non stop and at 736 pages it is a long one but well worth the time. This is the second book in this series and I didn’t read book one before diving in but the author gives you enough back ground so you have the sense of who’s who but as always I would recommend reading book one of the series first. If you like an action,romance,and a bloody Vampire book this one’s for you. I highly recommend it and I am looking forward to the next book in this series. Thank you netgalley

I really enjoyed this sequel- so well written. It’s daunting at over 700 pages, but Kristoff does an amazing job at providing a refresher as needed woven throughout the story. I found Dior to be really annoying in the first book, but it was great to see her exist outside of the group, and fend for herself outside of Gabriel. I missed their dynamic throughout the book though. I loved all the new characters, and more of Phoebe. There is plenty of violence, and gore, but also well balanced with humor and some spicy scenes. There were parts where I felt the story lagged and drawn out, but other than that, a great follow up. Looking forward to the next book!

Jay Kristoff strikes again. Empire of the Vampire sits as one of my all-time favorite books and Empire of the damned is not far off. We pick up where Gabriel left off in EoV, but this time we get multiple pov's and I loved getting into the heads of some of the other players in this story. This book is irreverent, action packed, expansive and also heartbreaking. There were a few points in the book I had to put it down and walk away because Jay doesn't want us to be happy. This didn't have the dreaded second book slump and I can't wait for the next installment.

I am still reeling over how crazy that was! This book left me speechless with its incredible writing and gripping storyline. The dynamic between the main characters, the emotional rollercoaster, and the sheer intensity kept me hooked from start to finish. I buddy read this with the boyf and he liked it just as much as I did, if not more. i took quite a few breaks near the end just to scream internally and regain the emotional energy this book put me through.

If you're into epic fantasy with vampires, gore, and plenty of twists, I highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff. This is book 2 in the series.
The genre of this book is listed under fantasy, vampires, and paranormal.
Because this is book 2, the author does a great job of doing a summary of what happened with each character in the beginning of the book. I wish more authors did that.
A quick summary is the book is the life story of our main character Gabriel. He is in jail while he is telling this. He is half human half vampire and was part of a holy order to get rid of vampires. The reason Gabriel is in jail is because he saved a woman named Dior that was supposed to be sacrificed in a ritual that would’ve gotten rid of the days death and because he did this, they could be damned forever.
The second book takes place right where it left off with Gabriel in prison, but with this book we get some other povs with Dior and with Gabriel’s sister Celene. We get to learned about different types of vampires and the vampire hierarchy. We get some love interests and some other main characters. This was definitely more of a middle book that’s preparing us for the vampire apocalypse and for the climax and end of the series.
I’m excited to see where Jay Kristoff takes us with the rest of the series

Such complexity and outstanding worldbuilding and narrative/character development. I loved it from beginning to end and shed a tear or a thousand.