Wow! Wow! Wow! As Gabriel would say, “F*ck my face!” That book was so freaking good and that ending was so freaking epic I’m just sitting here in awe. The layered nuance of the story unfolding further, being told now to Jean-Francois by both Gabriel and Celine, but also at times from three perspectives, the battles, the horror, the love, both romantic and familial, it all was just so very rich and enthralling! I love the new places Kristoff took us to, the new main characters forged in a unified belief in Dior and the Grail. The banter, the wit, the insults and creative combination of filth spewing out of mouths…I just loved it! I never foresaw where this story was taking us at just about any turn in the book! Aaron, Baptiste, Phoebe, Lachlan, Celine, Ash, and more—all so richly layered and uniquely their own—I just love them all! Plus the artwork is phenomenal and really enhances the experience of reading this tale. But, the reveals at the end, bam, bam, BAM!! And then one final one from each sibling—holy crap!! Like mind blown and blown again! I need more and I need it now! Such a fantastic world Kristoff has created with epically badass characters and a unique take on the whole vampire lore world!!!

Thank you to netgalley and SMP for the opportunity!

This was such a fun sampler that I absolutely DEVOURED.
Kristoff does it again (and really...he never disappoints), and I highly recommend it to anyone that loves a darker read.
I cannot wait for the next!

Thank you to NetGalley for supplying me a free copy of the first portion of the book. Of course, I devoured it in one night and then had to anxiously wait to get the full copy in my hands. Always still appreciate receiving free copies to read before others. This full review is after I read the entire book, not just the free portion you receive. The free portion is the first 220 pages and ends with a cliffhanger of introducing a second narrator that is also imprisoned.

Wow, what another fantastic dark fantasy book from Jay Kristoff, and a perfect sequel to the masterpiece that was Empire of the Vampire. I read Empire of the Vampire just last year (2023), so I luckily only had to wait a few months before this sequel came out but I was still counting down the days to get my hands on it. Kristoff did not disappoint.

I'm very impressed how Kristoff keeps the timelines so clear and fluid. Although you bounce back and forth to the past and present, it never feels abrupt. Every stop and restart has a specific reason and adds something extra to the storyline. The interview aspect of this retelling also adds an extra dimension that makes the story that much more entertaining.

The main character and narrator, Gabriel, was just as fantastic as in the first book. Witty, brutal and flawed but also with a tender, bleeding heart makes for an intriguing combo when fighting vampires and trying to keep the Holy Grail and savior for their world alive. I love how he and Dior's relationship continues to develop, the way they speak to each other at times gives much needed levity between fight scenes and dark situations. Plus, it just makes both characters even more interesting.

There is a second narrator added to this book to help fill in scenes where Gabriel is unable to shed light on. I enjoyed this addition to get a bit more detail regarding vampire's lifestyles and hierarchies as well as receive more development on this second narrator. You also get a great new character, Phoebe, who helps Gabriel see things in different ways. I felt she was a wonderful addition and enjoyed the complexity she added to everything. However, Gabriel is definitely the best character of the series and I so enjoy his side comments and quips as he is recounting the story.

This sequel has several heartbreaking scenes, I of course won't give details but best to warn you so you prepare your mind and heart. Although a bit sadder and darker at times than the first book, it was a thrilling book that continued to raise the stakes of the Grail and Gabriel's journey. Some of the secrets brought up in book one are revealed which I appreciated as it's hard to keep guessing for 3 books straight. The last 100 pages of this book was masterful with a whirlwind of action, emotion and overall chaos. This sequel was just as compelling and hard to put down as the first book and this series is definitely another favorite of mine. I just know the third and final book will perfectly wrap up this story and I cannot wait to fan girl over all these characters again once that book is written and released.

Wow. There's not much more I can say about this book. Mr. Kristoff, you did it again. I think this book surpasses the vampire. Once again, you've ripped out my heart. Do you enjoy bringing angst to your readers? I'm anxiously waiting for the next book in the series, yes, I'll read it, and have my heart destroyed once again. Damn you Jay Kristoff!!!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Fantasy

This is a follow-up to Empire of the Vampire, a vampire dark fantasy story that I really enjoyed. The Silversaint, Gabriel, continues to tell his story to the historian vampire, except in this book, we also have a new narrator, Gabe’s sister Celene. They both narrate the story to the historian about the events that preceded their arrest and what happened to the Grail.

In this sequel, many new, important characters affect the direction of the story. Like book one, this one, too, has excellent world-building and interesting characters with complex dynamics. The author ensured that the tale was filled with crucial events and action scenes.

For the most part, the journey is just as exciting and dark as it was in the first book, but I believe that I still prefer the first book to this one. It is possible that Celene's narration was not as entertaining as Gabe's. I am not trying to imply that hers was poor; however, I believe Gabe's had a more significant impact.

The relationship between the brother and sister, as well as their interaction with Dior, is, in my opinion, the biggest highlight of this installment. It would be an understatement to say that the ending is iconic. It satisfies, but at the same time, it makes you want to read book three as soon as possible.

Note: I received a sampler copy from NetGalley but ended up purchasing the book myself when it was released.

This was such a fun sampler and follow up to the first novel, I cannot wait to read the whole book. Definitely love books about vampires and this one doesn't disappoint.

Thank you to SMP and NetGalley for an eARC for my honest review!

I really enjoyed starting this book with a recap of what happened in book 1, more authors should do this!!! It is so easy to forget what happened in the previous books in series!

I was very intrigued by the second POV and I think it threw some very good depth in there!

I really enjoyed this!!!

Note: Review was also posted to Amazon. Unable to link because it's pending approval.

I re-read Empire of the Vampire before diving in to this (most recent) installment. I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time through. My original review of that book claims that it's Kristoff at his best, and I stand by that. It's a solid, heavy-hitting work of epic fantasy. The re-read took me longer than I expected, but SO MUCH happens, and it's a journey worth dedicating your time to.

When I started Empire of the Damned, I expected it to take me just as long as EotV. However, my journey through this book felt much shorter. I'm not sure if that's based on literal time spent reading, since I don't time myself when reading books, or if it's because of the content. There are lots of adventures in this book, but I still got to the end and felt like I (and the characters) really hadn't gotten anywhere.

EotD picks up where EotV left off. We follow Gabriel as he attempts to deliver the Grail to someone who will be able to help end daysdeath. Of course, this goes about as well as you'd expect. (There is another book in the trilogy, you know, so resolution can't come just yet.) Gabriel's thirst is getting worse, his religious trauma and resentment are just as present as they were in the first volume, and he's scared of losing yet another person who's important to him. Those internal struggles are, in my opinion, the best parts of this book (well, those and Gabe's banter with the Grail).

After so many of the vibrant characters from volume one were lost, I expected to be introduced to a new colorful cast. However, there are minimal new characters in this book, and they fell flat for me. I can't say much more without running the risk of spoilers, but I really wanted some new well-rounded characters and felt like I had to settle for a rather two-dimensional supporting cast this time around.

I'm still eagerly awaiting the trilogy's conclusion, because I am very invested in the outcome of this saga. I need to know what happens with the tension between Gabriel and his interviewer. I need to know what's up with the moth (moths?) fluttering around the captive's tower. I need to know what happens to the Grail.

I'd still recommend this book, though not as wholeheartedly as book one.

Note: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

What a great start to the 2nd book in this series. Sometimes 2nd books or continuations tend to drag and not get to the point but the author did an amazing job at keep you engaged in the world and the atmosphere. I was sad that I only received a sample but I can't wait to read the rest. Thank you netgalley for this arc!

I was given a sampler of Empire of the Damned from #Netgalley and, holy moley, Jay Kristoff has done it again!

This book picks up where the last one left off. Vampire Jean-Francois has been told that he must continue to get Gabriel's story. And so he sits down with Gabriel and the story picks up with Gabriel and Dior at San Michon after the attempted ritual to sacrifice Dior. They have now picked up Gabe sister to travel with them as well as they try to figure out where to go next.

I have gotten a full copy of the book now, and I can't wait to finish the book!

What an amazing follow-up to EoTV! Sometimes book 2 in a series tends to drag or fall short, but that is not the case with this epic continuation. Gabe & Dior’s relationship is expanded so so much here, as well as other relationships. This one delves deep into “found family” ties vs blood ties.

And, as expected, it’s brutal, bloody & heartbreaking, almost in equal measure.

Mr. Kristoff reigns supreme at savage bloodthirsty brilliance. I cannot wait for the next!

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the e-arc. My opinions are entirely my own.

The bloody, gritty narrarive continues in book 2 as Gabriel continues to dictate the next part of his story to Jean-Francois. Their interactions are intriguing and i'm interested to know more about him too. Adding a new POV also expands the story and adds a new element to how we understand it. Ready to be emotionally wrecked on this continuing adventure.

This is the book I've been waiting for. I was lucky enough to receive an eARC from NetGalley of "Empire of the Damned", the second book in the series by Jay Kristoff. I was unlucky enough that it only included the first 200 pages.

We kick of book 2 exactly where book 1 ended, Gabriel telling his story to the Historian, recalling his adventures with Dior Lechance, aka the Grail. After the slaughter at the Silversaint's abbey, and Gabriel's rescue by his sister Celene, the unlikely group have to make their way through vampire infested lands to gain the knowledge Dior needs to save the sun, and the world from evernight.

I like that Kristoff brings the action back immediately, there is no preamble, no pause in our story to reflect on something, or go backwards. The tension is also turned up higher, as now the stakes are getting so real. Even though we know Gabriel will make it through the events, we can't help but hold our breath at every fall, every battle, and every danger. Dior really shines in this one-- she has more time to be "The Grail", and she's starting to come to terms with what that actually means. Celene is as mysterious as ever-- and I hope we get more of her story, as I'm sure we will, because she is just a force of nature. My only criticism is the number of times that Kristoff writes "fuck my face"-- like I get it, it's edgy. Can't wait to read the rest, and hoping for a quick turnaround for book 3!

I need the rest of this book like I need air to breathe. I preordered a physical copy immediately because it was able to keep me hooked and I absolutely need to know how it ends (I see what you did there marketing with the sample haha and it worked on me)! This series is the first that I've read of Jay Kristoff and honestly I love how the story progresses, I enjoy how it is written, and aside from a couple small things I was able to stay immersed in the story instead of being taken out of it. I feel like it was fairly balanced between all the different plot points and development. Automatic star for picking up where the first one left off because I HATE timeline jumps between books. I also like that we got to see character development with Gabe as well! If you enjoyed the first one I definitely think you'll enjoy this book because based on the sampler, this book did not suffer from "second book syndrome" which is a breath of fresh air when it comes to series. Also, multiple POV! We aren't strictly limited to just Gabe in this book and I LOVED seeing other people's thoughts and perceptions. As of right now this is a 4 star read for me and I am eager to see if it jumps back up to a 5 star when I finish it when I have my hands on my physical copy!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this sampler in exchange for an honest review!

The preview was awesome! I just got my full copy today. Can't wait to get to the whole story. Kristoff is making vampires scary again and i'm here for it. This series has had major Anne Rice vibes throughout and engaging tale with well I won't call them loveable but definitely intriguing characters.

Empire of the Damned is a great sequel, that will leave you desperate for the next book. If you loved Empire of a Vampire, I think that you will like this one just as much, if not more than the last one. I’m happy the say that as one of my most anticipated sequels of the year, it lived up to the hype in my head.

The story follows what happened to the Holy Grail is being told to a vampire Historian. I really enjoy this style of narration because it allows for jumping into different time lines. Plus, it is a fun way to include world building, when the Historian asks the storyteller to elaborate on something.

The story has lots of blood, gore, action, and a sprinkling of smut. That with the magic, vampires, and vampire hunters it is definitely worth the read. If that doesn’t convince you, there is also found family, witty banter, and a cast of well developed characters.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC of Empire of the Damned.

Empire of the Damned, by Jay Kristoff is the second novel in the Empire of the Vampire series.

I have always loved vampire novels, ever since reading Interview with the Vampire. Empire has all the qualities that I loved from that series: a tortured main character with a sordid past, interesting other characters, epic world-building, lore, magic, and history.

Since this is the second in the series, I won't say too much about the plot. Like the first in the series, it's a pretty lengthy book at 709 pages. If you don't mind epic tales, love vampires, and a good story, I highly recommend this, but you'll need to start with the first book. You can find what I wrote about the first book in a mini review in this post -> http://cometgrrl.com/2022/06/2022-mini-reviews-part-1/.

This is a long one that kept losing me. I tried to love it, but I couldn't care about any of the characters; I'm not crazy about the plot, but the world building is fantastic.
Throughout the book, every time I would pick it up to read, I would fall asleep after a few pages, which means it took me forever to finish.

I wanted to love this because it was such a highly anticipated sequel, but this one wasn't for me.

I can see where readers of the genre will love it, and many fans of Kristoff will absolutely love this one.


Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

I was soo happy to be back in this world again. I really love Gabriel and Dior, and all of the religious iconography dripping from this book. I cannot wait to get my hands around the throat of the rest of this novel!

**Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for the e-copy of the sampler!**

The first thing that stood out to me was that there was a recap included at the beginning which was super helpful! I've never seen this in a book and it's something I wish authors did more in their series.

The writing was good but a little dense at parts which made it hard for me to follow and really get into this book fully. I’m not sure this series is my cup of tea, but I think those who are into dark fantasy would enjoy it!