Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC excerpt.

This review is based on the 400 pages of this 700+ page book. It's an excerpt ARC, not the whole book.

I will start off by saying I think the world building is fascinating. The world in which this story is set seems very well thought out and well developed. There is a lot of vampire lore and the idea of an order of vampire hunters was very intriguing. The weaponry, initiation procedures, tattoo art, weapons and devices to combat the vampires were inspired and memorable. The setting is well described and I could easily visualize this dystopian, dangerous, dark world, based on the writing.

The story takes place as an interview, which is something that has been done before in vampire literature. It's an ok format. The story is not revealed in a linear fashion, which may be a bit confusing to the reader (to the interviewer too, it seems). The interviewer was interesting but I could not warm to the main character at all. He's overdone. He's over the top, too edgy, too ready with the perfect quip every time. Too many facile insults at every turn. He's every trope come to life with a one-liner for everything.

Some of the writing felt overdone also--too many words and phrases, metaphor upon metaphor, simile up on simile, in the same paragraph and much of those felt wordy and somewhat indulgent, or didn't make sense and took me out of the narrative and not in a good way. Phrases that were there that didn't' advance the story or help set the setting or mood but felt like they were there because they sounded edgy or cool or what have you.

The premise is well thought out and enthralling.. The setting is very interesting. The characters are not engaging and the writing style was . . . I think magniloquent describes it best. It made it hard to get through.

I wanted to like this. I was overjoyed to get an ARC after seeing the hype for this book and the overall positive reviews. I love reading fantasy and dark fantasy and vampire books. But this one didn't engage me. I don't have the last 300 pages of this book in this ARC and I'm not overly broken up about that.


Well done on the world building overall and I am rating it mostly for that. .

I have been waiting on pins and needles for this book since Jay announced it and I am so glad that I was able to get the sampler! I’m so sad that I have to wait for the rest of it now!! It is exactly what I expected from a Kristoff vampire novel. It was beautifully written and I didn’t want to stop reading it. It was undoubtedly his voice, so if you’ve enjoyed Jay’s other works you’ll love this!

Magnificent! Of course just a sample, but a big one, now I just have to wait until it comes out to read how it ends, but definitely a book you want to read!!

I have no ideas why I started reading this sampler but now I regret it , this book is so Good! I need the full book right now! September 14th is so close. Thank you st Martin press for this sampler.

The world building is amazing and the characters are amazing. I won’t say much but if this book is on your tbr you won’t be disappointed and if it’s not on your tbr please add it.

Empire of the Vampire is well worth the wait! I’ve been dying to get my hands on EoTV the moment Jay announced it and with numerous pre-orders under my belt, I can tell you not a single penny was wasted. The world is rich, dark, with deep religious undertones that had me glued to the pages. I loved the different houses of Vampires and their abilities. The setup of Gabriel telling Jean-Francois his story and how it wasn’t always told chronologically. There is just so much to unpack with EoTV that I feel it’ll take several reads for me to get a handle on the world. The monster hunting, the lore, the anti-hero, and the small flicker of hope in a world gone dark. To say I loved it would be an understatement. Fans of the Witcher I feel would have a huge draw to this book as it taps into that same vein of a dying breed that stands between monster and man. I cannot wait for the release of the rest of the book!

I’ve never rated an ARC 5 stars so fast in my life. Disclaimer: I’ve never read a book from this author so I had no idea what to expect. I was hooked from page one. This book had everything that I’ve been craving from a story for a while. Do yourself a favor and read it already!

I enjoyed Kristoff's Nevernight so I had high hopes for this one, but the sheer misogyny in the "edge' just left a bad taste in my mouth. I think what I enjoyed about Nevernight was that with a female protagonist, the edgy statements had to get more creative than 'haha I fucked your mom", but with EotV"s male protag, Kristoff went straight back. I will give credit to the excellent worldbuilding however, and Jean-Francois' snark is an absolute delight. On the other hand, period guzzling scene.

I just recently discovered Jay Kristoff's work and started with Nevernight. I knew that I needed to put that trilogy down to start this so I could have the other two books to help the book hangover with EotV. I found this book difficult to stay focused on because the layout was hard to read to me. It is set up interview style, but not in a format that is easy to follow. There are so many quotation marks that I couldn't keep track of who was saying what. The overall story was great, and I was intrigued by the characters. I could not finish this sampler because of the format on my kindle, but I am going to give it an immediate second chance once I can get a physical copy. 4/5 stars because I could not finish currently, but plan to retry upon release!

I seriously can’t wait for this book to release and need it right now!!! This excerpt just 🤯🤯 This book is going to be epic I just know it omg.

Not since "Interview with the Vampire" have I been this excited for a new dark, vampire series! Too many recent books have made vampires sexy, glittery and nice. We're finally back to an epic story which involves vampires that see humans as prey. This was everything that I didn't realize I needed!

Some of the specific things that I loved in this book included the medieval family houses, a full map of the locations, and characters with specific roles. The descriptions of Gabe's family background and the angst between he and his father set the tone for the conflict within the book.

The entire book has a fabulous dark and gothic landscape. I was really pleased to read that this will be a trilogy. I also can't wait for the final, published copy with full illustrations. (I've already pre-ordered it!)

My only complaint with the book was the beginning of the book which was WAY too similar to Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. Gabriel de Leon is in a jail when he is instructed by Jean Francois to "tell him his story" for historical purposes. I was full on irritated with "an interview" format. Instead of Jean Francois collecting the story on behalf of the queen I would've preferred that Gabriel tell the story directly to the queen with a non-central character recording the information in a back corner of the jail cell. It felt a bit like stolen plot but I later dismissed as I continue to get absorbed into the story.

A full review will be posted on GoodReads and Instagram after I've seen the illustrations.

Such a great start to a new series can't wait to finish reading this book. It was interesting and kept me on my feet while getting into the characters and the setting. It was wonderful to see Jay Kristoff's righting again and get into his familiar way of telling a tail. Great introduction to this grand new world.

This book was a lot and it wasn't even the whole book. A tale within a tale that felt very epic and old fashioned, in a good way. An interesting take on vampire mythology.

Gabriel de León, the last silversaint, has completely grabbed my heart.

Characters: 5/5
The characters feel realistic. I am already attached to them, and feel for their hardships; Of which there are plenty. Even minor characters or people who are deceased drew me into the plot further due to the way they were described.

Story/Plot: 5/5
Gabriel de León telling his experience as the last of his order is a wonderful way to tell the story. Reminiscent of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. The world being plunged in darkness gives the book a fantastic vibe and history. Jay Kristoff has the ability to design worlds with "lost histories:" meaning even the characters don't have all the information about the past, and you discover things along side them.


Writing: 5/5
This book is dripping with gothic dark atmosphere and beautiful poetic writing., It is immersive in the way it was written, and the world building has me intrigued and wanting more. It is not difficult to understand, and has not had any large instances of info dumps.

Other:
My favorite part of this has to be the illustrations, as they are done by one of my favorite artists. I think more books need to follow this model; it really helps me engage with the book more.


Final Verdict:
I will be picking this up Day 1! I have enjoyed Jay Kristoff's previous Dark fantasy trilogy Nevernight, and I knew this book wouldn't disappoint. However it exceeded my expectations in every way!

Empire of the vampire is a delightfully grim old school vampire story but it's so much more than that. Taking a deep dive into the story you get horrifying images of dark characters with a mix of beautiful elegance that leaves you thirsting for more.

I really enjoyed the perspective of the novel, the thought that it's a story from the perspective of the character is always a joy. It allows a fun element to enter the story where we really get to hear their thoughts and feelings as they replay the events that happened to them. I'm not in this review business to spoil much but this was delightful treat you will want to sink your teeth into - pun completely intended. The fight scenes in this book are so wonderfully detailed you don't have to leave much to your imagination. To see the characters growth over the novel really brings a touch of realism to this story as well despite it being about supernatural bloodsuckers. Essentially Empire of the Vampire has all the elements of a fantasy supernatural fantasy book - romance, action, gothic scenery. What more could you really want.

There was really nothing not to like so I don't have anything bad to say.

To sum it all up - this was a wonderful book that deserves to be put in your hands. Please do not give this book to children or even young teens - this is an adult book that deserves to be read by an adult who can latch onto the themes and suggestive nature of this book. It's damn good and I'll be first in line on release day to get my hand on a physical copy. 5/5 from me.

Empire of the Vampire is by far my most anticipated read of 2021 and this sampler did not disappoint. Similar to Kristoff's style in the Nevernight Chronicles, he keeps the reader both seriously invested in the story but also laughing at the crass humour. Kristoff is not for the faint of heart. In just 400 pages, which I believe is roughly half the book, I laughed, I was at the edge of my seat and I was devastated. What a rollercoaster ride. I cannot wait for pub day so I can read the rest of the book. I enjoyed the first half so much I will likely read it in full at that time. If you loved Nevernight I am certain you will love Empire of the Vampire! Before I close this off, I also want to give a nod to the beautiful illustrations in the book! They are certainly a beautiful way to enhance the story.

I never thought I would be saying this, but 400 pages just wasn’t enough for me!!! I am on the edge of my seat, marking off my calendar day-by-day until pub day.

This is the first book I’ve read by Kristoff, and honestly, I’m really glad I held off. I think I can safely assume that Empire of the Vampire is in a league of its own. The characters, the plot, the world building, the dark and gritty atmosphere...it’s perfection.

I will for sure be first in line on pub day to purchase a physical copy.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

From start to finish I was captured by the storytelling. I loved the prose and how it's a story within a story. I can see the inspiration from Name of the Wind and Interview with a Vampire and The Da Vinci Code, but this somehow takes all three and makes them better.

Pros: I loved all of the creative new ways to insult someone. The jumping from the past being told and back to the present was really well done as the character that's "interviewing" our main guy asks him to explain things that the reader might not have understood otherwise.

Cons: I don't really have a ton at the moment. The flipping between French and Scots when the characters speak was a little rough to get through in some places.

Overall, though I love the story and I really cannot wait to get both copies of it that I ordered

This book is a marvel. I went in with medium expectations. I like some of Kristoffs earlier work, but it had a lot of flaws as well. Vampire fiction has been tragically limited over the past few years and this was a welcome surprise.

A few unexpected things: I did not realize how involved the storyteller/audience angle would be, and I loved it. It reminded me a little of Name of the Wind, only more genuinely involved in the present. The main character's chemistry with the Coldblood listening to his story explodes off the page, making the actual telling of his tale extra rich and interesting.

Even minor characters have such beautifully woven personalities. The main character's family, who we don't see for very long, can all be pictured and appreciated. His various friends, enemies, and allies all have something interesting and unique about them that makes them memorable.

The pacing was top tier, I never felt bored or wondering what we were doing there. This is sure to be a modern classic.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff in exchange for my honest review.
This was a lot. A lot of book. A lot of characters. A lot of places. A lot to sift through. And a lot of blood. A lot of adult situations and adult content. It’s a long book, over 700 pages, and I think I got lost in all those pages. Just not in a fun way. There were parts where I got lost, but sadly it wasn’t enough for me to LOVE this one by Kristoff.
Heed the author's warning – this is not for children and trigger warnings are needed.
What I liked about Empire of the Vampire: the world-building was incredible. There is a beautiful map at the beginning that was fun to dive into. The hero’s journey from eagerness to please, in his prime, to resignation was well written. The story jumps around a lot, from “present” to the MC’s childhood, and back and forth, which at times I was into, and then times, I just wanted the story to unfold. I really enjoyed the depiction of the vampires. The balance of elegance and beauty with the grotesque and monstrous was just handled so well. AND so different from most fantasy stories.
For me, I enjoyed the interview scenes more than the actual telling of the MC’s story. The idea of a vampire interviewing a vampire slayer was brilliant, I just wanted to love this one more than I did. All that said, I would highly recommend this to fans of Kristoff and dark fantasy in general.

While I enjoyed Nevernight when I read it initially as a young adult, there are elements to this book and its writing that just aren’t what I’m looking for these days in my fantasy.
The writing I do think works with the setting. We’re surrounded by vampires and vampire hunters who are absolutely obsessed with themselves (whether from self-loathing or just self obsession it depends) and there’s a frame story here where a legend tells his own story, which is often full of unreliable narrators up their own asses (which I find highly entertaining). I think that characterization works here, and is to be expected, and I was honestly excited to see how it would play out.

However, in the first portion of this book, Jay Kristoff did something I am so tired of seeing male fantasy authors do that it has become an instant no-go for me personally while reading, which is this ‘ambiguous consent’ (which is NOT AMBIGUOUS - consent was NOT given, please read the sarcasm within the quotations). Every now and then, I happen across a romantic scene in a fantasy book that includes something along the lines of ‘she protested, but her body was already responding and she pulled him closer’ and it’s almost always taken in stride, and the characters fuck, and it’s just NEVER FUCKING ADDRESSED that the main dude didn’t get consent and in fact had a verbal ‘no’. Here, there are multiple verbal protests and verbal 'no's, and none of them are heeded, as if they're just 'in the throes of passion' and 'can't stop'. In this scene, the MC then goes on to bite the girl because he’s fixated on her period blood, and THAT part IS treated as fucked up, and while I understand that in this book there’s grey morality that borders on a full everyone-is-a-villain, my issue is just that it’s there, and I’ve read it enough, and I’m tired of the ‘well he’s not a good dude’ excuse, when your narrative didn't take the stance that the lack of consent was fucked up in the first place. Find a different way to establish that your male MC isn’t good, because you’re ALSO making him hot, and covered in tattoos, and funny, and charming, and I’m not sold that you want this guy to be unlikeable.

I really wanted to give this a solid chance and finish the book beyond this sampler, but I have so many books I’d like to read that I’d rather pick something up that doesn’t do this age-old male led fantasy bullshit. I do love my grey-morality, but I’m tired of it always being established at the expense of women in the narrative.