A dark, immersive fantasy that really pulls you in. It took me a while to get through it, mainly because there are so many complex characters and plot twists. It can be a bit overwhelming at times, so you definitely need to pay close attention.

One of the highlights for me was the relationship between Gabriel and Dior. Their bond grows stronger throughout the story, and it’s both beautiful and heartbreaking. Gabriel’s determination to fight for Dior adds a lot of emotional depth to the narrative.

The world-building in this book is unique and incredible. Kristoff has created a richly detailed world that feels alive and real. The action is non-stop, making it a truly thrilling read. If you love dark fantasy with intricate plots and deep character relationships, this book is a must-read!

Jay did it again. This is an amazing follow up to book one. This teasing sample was just not enough!

Jay Kristoff is an author who should be on everyone's automatic buy this. Every book is pure perfection, and this book will be the same. It's simply... amazing. I want it all

I love this book . I was hooked from the beginning.
I love the story and I can’t wait for the next book.

A bloody, sensual adventure. Continuing the adventures of Gabriel de Leon as he tells his story to the his captors, and catches us up to the present day.

This book is best described by the term Rococo - over-embellished, ornamental, and excessive - but never in a way that detracts from the story.

While the book ends on a cliffhanger, there is plenty of action and resolution to characters and plotlines. Violence for days. The world is expertly built and all I can say is "Give me more!"

I absolutely love this series!! Jay Kristoff is a master wordsmith. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

I received an ARC copy of Empire of the Damned via #NetGalley

I really wish they would have provided a full copy of this book! Just like the first in the series, I wasn't able to put this one down. The story line is so intricately weaved and complex that it's hard to touch on all of it. The novel picks up right at the end of the first and continues the adventures of Gabe and Dior. Fair warning, there is gore galore in this book. I recommend reading the first one before jumping into this one so that you know what exactly is going on. Overall, I cannot highly recommend this book enough.

The perfect teaser to get me ready for the book's release. As always Jay Kristoff's writing pulls you in to the darkest reaches of his character's story and has you begging for more. Thank your to NG and the publisher for my ARC excerpt.

LOVE JAY KRISTOFF! This sneak peek to the second book in the series was wonderful and I can't wait to keep reading.

Kristoff is the master of amazing fantasy books. This was a bloody good time from start to end. I made a whole table display and have been handselling the series like crazy

This is one of my all time favorite series! Having this little section to read before release of book two was so nice and I really enjoyed it. Kristoff’s prose is both whimsical and dark and I loved every second of it. The prologue of this book caught me right from the beginning and I couldn’t stop. Definitely will be reading the rest of this fantastic book.

Empire of the Damned is the second book in the Empire of the Vampire series and it’s just as devour-able as book 1!

Without giving away book 1… this story picks up with Gabe and Dior’s big adventure. I loved that I as a reader got other perspectives besides Gabe’s this time. He can be narcissistic and biased at times so it really built out the world and story seeing other perspectives.

It’s hard to fully review a book that is this intricate and complex, both with the world building and the abundance of characters. You truly step into another time and dimension as you’re reading and this book requires your full attention.

If you’re looking for an unpredictable, complex, bloody vampire book, this series is exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. The review expresses my own opinion.

This review is way overdue! I’ve been traveling abroad with little to no internet and its about time I get back to my book reviews!
This series is a must-read. The second book is engaging, offering a recap of the first book through a historian’s account of the characters’ fates in Empire of the Vampire three years prior. Introducing new characters adds to the appeal. The book delves deep into world building, unveiling the history of vampire factions and their internal conflicts.

This book is not for the faint-hearted, as it includes gore, darkness, and grim elements, alongside exceptional world-building and character interactions. The prose and witty one-liners add a touch of humor, balancing the dark themes portrayed. The book, as anticipated, is lengthy, so set aside ample time to read it slowly, though once you start, you’ll likely be hooked by Kristoff’s captivating writing and be unable to set it aside.

**This book was received in exchanged for an honest review. Thank you St. Martin's Press!

The perfect sequel to empire of the vampire! It was just as dark and suspenseful as the first one. I am really looking forward to the third and final book in this series!

This was such an amazing sequel to this series!!!! It was an excellent mix of familiar characters and a well realized fantasy world that went very well with the new characters that were introduced. I know this is a trilogy, and it is a doozy of one, but i look forward to the third book.

So good! Once again, Jay Kristoff deftly weaves horror, suspense, and hilarious wit to make this masterpiece.

I was hanging on every word, caught up in the unfolding world of drama that Gabriel and company have been thrust into. Waiting for book 3 will be delicious torture!

Thank you @JayKristoff, @StMartensPress, and @NetGalley for this amazing read!!!

I always enjoy a good Jay Kristoff story. This was no exception, the story was fast paced and interesting. I loved how it was multiple POVs once the main characters were separated in the story. Jay always has you guessing what will happen or how will it end this book was a roller coaster until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I received this book from NetGalley.

Struggled to get into it, but good overall. A bit wordy, but I know some people love that. Love the actual interaction of characters though.

I hit the end of this sampler and while I continue with the book in its entirety I just have to say this may have taken me out had I not read it with the full novel on hand. The cliffhanger this ends on......whew! Overall I have been enjoying the continuation of Dior's story and learning more about all the characters, especially Celene. This book is just as action-packed as the first and full of snark and banter. One thing I appreciate is Jay Kristoff's ability to reiterate what you need to know from book one as we dive further into the story of Gabe, Dior, and the rest of the crazy cast. - this sampler is a 5-star and is headed in the right direction.

This was a great fantasy book! Ive read a few other books by Jay Kristoff that I have enjoyed and this was no exception! The characters in thus book were great, very relatable and easy to connect with from the beginning. I loved the plot this book had and how it developed as the story moved along. I also loved the world building in this book and how much imagery it gave me as a reader as I tried imagining the setting, characters, and what was taking place during the story. I really enjoyed the fantasy elements in this book I thought they were well done and believable for the setting and characters, as well as how the fantasy elements were mixed in with some darker themes throughout the book! Definitely recommend giving this one a read if you enjoy a dark fantasy read with great character and world building!