"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.

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.