I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to St. Martins Press for providing me this arc via Netgalley!
This book completely wrecked me and this was only a sampler.
Everything about this was amazing. I loved the original way Jay Kristoff told this story and the world building was absolutely magical.
Every character was so interesting and I can't wait to figure out more about each of them. I can safely say this is becoming one of my favorite series ever and I can't wait for the rest.

I am so excited for this book. I love the Nevernight series and cannot wait to read what Kristoff has in store next.

Love everything about this. The fact that there is fan art by the drives before this is even released is a testament to the way this tale wraps you up in an endless breath-holding pause until you close the book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I finished the sampler last week and I am still thinking about this book. I can’t get it out of my mind. It’s like a ghost haunting me or a toxic ex-lover stalking me. I’ve read the Nevernight trilogy (and thought it was fantastic) but while Empire of the Vampire is in the same dark, sexy, brooding vein, it hits so much deeper. It’s more than just a vampire story. It’s a story of losing your faith, your trust, the very compass that guides you
through life. How does one live when that is gone? Can it be found again? What do you become without it?

From what I read, I can honestly say this is the best thing the author has written. Which is a bold statement coming from a woman who would live and die for Mr. Kindly. I am on pins and needles waiting to read the rest of it! The gradual world-building, the dark humor, and the emotional depth of the characters are pure perfection!


So while this was not the entire book but a decent-sized sample of ~300 pages. All it did was just confirm the fact that this book is amazing and that I was wise to pre-order it! Of course, I don’t know how it ends but I trust Jay Kristoff’s writing enough to say I'm confident that however, he ends the book, it won't be so horrible that I would dislike the entire story Could my heart be shattered into a million pieces? Yes, most likely, knowing Mr. Kristoff. Will I thank him for doing so? Yes, I will.

So... maybe not the entire book but a very decent sampler! And it just confirm that I want to buy it when it will be release. Kristoff style is so unique and the way he builds this new world, his vampire, this look like it could be an all-time favorite series of mine! Of course, the ending could change my opinion, but it couldn't be very much better than it already is, and I'm confident enough that the ending won't be such a miss that I would dislike it overall. I highly recommend reading it!

THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR THE ARC !!!

I've never read anything by Jay Kristoff, so I had no expectations or ideas going into "Empire of the Vampire." But I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the world building, writing, character development, and overall badass-ness of Gabriel de Leon.

First of all: GABE. GABE. GABE. Long story short, he's very much Geralt of Rivia if the Witcher smoked vampire blood and had long, black hair. Bless him.

Secondly: the description of everything. The dark imagery. The chills that crept up my spine as I read about the horrors of the coldbloods and the terror they reeked everywhere. Kristoff is a masterful wordsmith.

Lastly: Astrid is my wife. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

If you love The Witcher x Interview of the Vampire, read "Empire of the Vampire" !!!

5 stars. <3

I can't give a full review, since (unbeknownst to me) this was just a sampler! I could have cried in outrage when that paragraph ended and 'Thanks for reading our sampler" popped up!

Cruel, wicked humans.

From what I read, the writing style, similar to Nevernight, took a second to adjust to. I think, however, having read Nevernight immensely helped with the Kristoff learning curve.

At times it was difficult to separate the dialogue with the chronicler, vs actual story being told - BUT - I think this issue was solely because this was not the published novel, and reading will be significantly smoother once in my hands - and I can assure you that cannot come soon enough.

The world may seem confusing, but I have no actual questions in regards to the whats wheres or whys - all is explained in due time, and much like Gabe says - Patience.

I cannot wait until 9/14 to have the finished copy in my hands and be able to finish the story from THAT moment (insert angry face) , but bravo thus far.

Thank you to Jay, and St. Martin's press for the free, teasing sampler!

Man what a ride this book was! Empire of the vampire wasn’t like any other vampire story I have ever read and I have read plenty! I cannot wait to see where this series goes and this book hasn’t even officially released! I need the next in the series ASAP!

This took me a bit to get into but I definitely understand what the hype is all about surrounding Jay Kristoff’s books! I will be purchasing this when it comes out!
Thank you to Netgalley for this arc exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this incredible exclusive sample of the amazing Jay Kristoff's new book, Empire of the Vampire!

Okay... oookkkaaaayy now.... I feel like this was the freaking best thing I've ever read and I only read the first 400 pages out of a little over 700 pages of this book. What do I say? How can I convince everyone reading my little review that this is a masterpiece? First, it's Jay Kristoff... that's point 1 in favor of this book. Second... Vampires. All kinds of Vampires! I'm serious, so many different Vampires happening here and honestly, what more do you need in your life? A home, food, clothing, job etc..... AND VAMPIRES!!!!

Literally sate your thirst by reading this book, obsessing possibly, and perhaps giving it a bite or two just to make sure these pages aren't actually full of vampire blood that would make you immortal, incredibly sexy with amazing hair, and the ability of becoming simply a very cool person that everyone who sees you stops and stares, wondering Who is that gorgeous brilliant super intelligent person and how can I become their best friend?

Okay, so that's actually just some bs if you can't tell. This book centers on Gabriel. He is part vampire but is taught with others like him to fight and destroy the full blooded Vampires and the wretched(mindless creepers roaming and attacking innocents). They are taught all the skills to fight but really their biggest weapon is their faith in God which lights up the silver tattooed on their bodies that is quite destructive towards the Vampires.

The reader really meets Gabriel years later when he has somehow been caught by Vampires and the main thing he is going through is just telling his whole story to a chronicler (vampire) named Jean-Francois. This is really brilliant. The back and forth between these two mixed with Gabriel's incredible story is simply hypnotizing in the sense, for me, that it kept me very interested and I did not want to stop reading.... (honestly if someone could just, you know, throw the last 300 pages In my direction that'd be really great...)

I do not want to go into anymore detail because I think the story should be shrouded in secrecy and mystery. If you order the book I suggest sitting in a dark cold room in a creaky chair and reading by the light of a single candle. Or, perhaps a comfy couch or chair with a blanket and pillows and a puppy or kitten curled up asleep in your lap. Just, whatever.

Obviously I recommend this! Collect your vials of blood and be prepared to stay up all night reading this awesome book!

Before I start the review, I have to say that EOTV is not a book for children–it’s dark, violent, contains a loot of swearing, and has sexual content. NOT FOR KIDS.

With that out of the way, let’s get to the review.

[The Last Silversaint — Gabriel de Leon, art by Monolime]

My rating: 3.5/5

EOTV is a long book (~750 pages), but Jay Kristoff creates such a rich world that you just don’t mind. AND! There’s a beautiful map right at the get-go so you can get your bearings.

Kristoff has a unique writing style, a mix between the standard ornate descriptions typical to fantasy and a dry casual tone, which, somehow, works.

Now, I’m not looking to give any spoilers of course, but that severely limits what I can say. So I’ll keep this short.

1. Great setting. So many wonderful locations.
2. Great mix of resignation and hope — true to the setting of a world overtaken by darkness. Gabriel’s attitude is also just right, a hero past his prime, who’s seen the world and fought for it, and somewhere along the way saw something that made him lose his faith.
3. Effective jumping around on the timeline that leaves you with SO many questions. I’d complain more, but I found both stages of the story interesting *shrugs*.
4. The whole manner in which faith is dealt with in terms of how they repel vampires. The aegis is pretty impressive but Rafa’s scene (you’ll know it when you read it) was just *chef’s kiss*
5. Great depiction of Vampires. It’s been a while since I’ve read vampires that come across as both elegant and utterly monstrous, usually, you tend to forget the latter. Not the case in EOTV.

The one, occasional downside for me was the amount of swearing, or rather, just the use of coarse language in some situations. But it didn’t take away from the overall experience…just took a little getting used to at the beginning.

I have so many questions that I need answers to, I’m already looking forward to EOTV2. So, I recommend this book to everyone, but more so to those who enjoyed the Nevernight trilogy, like Vampires or love the Dark Fantasy genre.

EOTV comes out on 7th September and you all should most definitely check it out, and pre-order to support the author!

P.S: Can we take a moment to appreciate this beautiful cover and the absurdly magnificent art by Monolime?!

Till next time, readers!

This is such a fun read. Without spoiling anything, I would say it’s Underworld meets Deadpool. That’s the combo that comes to mind. It’s wild fun, and anyone that reads it will love it, if you like this genre.

Holy F’ing Redeemer! This was just the sampler but it is/will be glorious. I regret not a single one of my 10 different pre-ordered editions of this book. Jay Kristoff has a way of wringing every emotion out of a reader that is unparalleled and Empire definitely puts you through the wringer in the first 400+ pages. Shock, sadness, anger, confusion and on a deeper level a lack of faith or the questioning of it that resonates with anyone who grew up in a church or other religious entity. Yes, it’s a fiction novel about Vampires but is full of very real thoughts and conversations that people have. Beautiful writing that jumps off the page to play out like a movie in your head. Just magnificent.

This might be one of the most epic and delicious vampire books I have read this decade. Jay Kristoff does not disappoint. I absolutely can't wait to get a physical copy for my book collection!

I am lost for words. Dracula on crack! All of my emotions have been thrown into a jar, swished around and thrown out without a care. I will be leaving my full review upon release date. This is the first book I read from Jay Kristoff and I am officially hooked. I don't normally read adult fantasy but this book has changed my mind. The world building is fantastic and the suspense throughout is jut *chef's kiss*. Reading the sampler was a mistake because I am left hanging, with blood dripping down my sides, waiting for the rest. Why did I do this to myself?!

4.75 stars. I’m reserving a full five stars until I read the rest!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for this sampler!!!
The comparisons to Interview with a Vampire and The Name of the Wind are spot on, only Empire has a bit more snark. It isn’t quite as sarcastically sassy as Nevernight but it has its own specialness and I am loving it so far! I cannot wait to continue reading it!

Whaaat. I love Jay Kristoff’s ability to weave a story. His characterization and ability to weave darkness into a story is amazingly well done. Coldblood, I need the rest!

Thank you x a million to St. Martin's Press, MacMillan Publishing, and Mr. Kristoff for the chance to read this exclusive sampler before the book's release in September!

I just recently finished and HOLY SHIT. It was amazing! I love this world so much and feel, strangely (maybe not so strangely), very much at home with it and following along with Gabe's story. Jay's writing style effortlessly pulls you in and leaves you wanting more, more, more, so naturally, you can't put the book down. Did I also say, out loud, "holy shit" a few times while reading it? Yes. Yes, I did.

The tone is ominous and foreboding, and the anticipation of what's to come on every page, and at the end overall, leaves you perched precariously on the edge of your seat the whole time. But while your stomach may be in knots, you can't help but revel in the story unfolding before you, adore the characters as you meet them, flawed or not, and smile and snicker at that snark and wit which are still ever-present and perfect. But am I stressed? Definitely. And worried about so many characters? Even more so. And I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now... (probably start it over tbh).

A taste of what the story is like so far (no, not blood... ha-ha… okay maybe a little): Vampires meets the White Walkers meets The DaVinci Code meets Annihilation (I know, did that just confuse you more? Good lol).

Only one more month to go! I can't wait to start the sampler over in the meantime.

Cue me getting to the end of this sampler and screaming "WHERE'S THE REST OF IT?!" because I had forgotten it was only a sampler. That's alright though because all this did was make me even more hyped for the full book to release next month. I've already preordered the Kindle version AND a physical copy to add to my shelves (though sadly I missed out on that absolutely beautiful Waterstones edition). I'll honestly probably start the book from the very beginning too when it comes out just to prolong my enjoyment.

I got this Sampler from NetGalley and I am loving it! I will definitely be finishing this book as soon as my preorder arrives! I hated that it was just a sampler (even though it's over 400 pages), I really want to finish reading it! The book has very interesting characters with a lot of depth that we've only begun scratching the surface of. So far there have been several unexpected twists, which I love. I feel like this is going to be another wild and unpredictable ride steered by Jay Kristoff. With him at the helm, I fear all we can do is to hold on for dear life, and I am sure we will all sweetly suffer for it.

I will update the review once I finish reading the rest.

Synopsis:`
This book is set in a world where the sun has been dimmed and the creatures that were cowed by sunlight now roam free and seek wage war against humanity. Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order could not stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains. In the book, Gabriel is imprisoned and forced to tell his life's story to Jean-François, one of the very creatures Gabe has devoted his life to destroying; from how he became a Silversaint, to how he came upon humanity's last hope: The Holy Grail.