Ugh. I slogged through the first book—through the overblown, over the top metaphors, through the rampant misogyny, the absolute bro-dom of Gabriel, and was truly not going to attempt to read the second book. But people kept saying they loved the first book, were so looking forward the the second so I wondered if maybe I’d judged it too harshly and decided to give it a second chance with this excerpt from book two.

Nope. Didn’t misjudge. This was just as bad as book one. DNF this excerpt at 40%—I could not tolerate reading one more page and honestly have no idea how people can manage to read an entire book of this ilk. No thanks. Never requesting another book by this author. It’s just too irritating and could not get engaged in it in any way. Won’t get those hours back. Not for me.

I'll keep this short, as the book was a sampler and not the whole thing, but thanks to Netgalley for the ARC sampler.

Wow, what a book! I was so looking forward to the second book, after the amazing and unexpected first book, but with a little trepidation about middle-book syndrome. Don't worry, this was amazing. I can't wait for the full book to drop to find out where it goes...........dive in!

I really enjoyed this book! It grabbed my attention and kept me wanting more! This was emotional and so thrilling. Definitely a 4 star read!

First of all, thank the book powers that be that there is a synopsis included in the beginning. Awesome summary of all the characters and happenings from Empire of the Vampire, otherwise I would have had a hard time remembering. Empire of the Damned is a continuation of De Leon and Dior's journey to bring back the sun.
I loved the way the first book was written in a conversation format and I still love it. The vampires are unique, as is the magic system that is very interwoven (not even sure to call it magic). In my opinion, this book is even better than the first, it is more fast-paced (probably because it doesn't have to build the world as much). I could do with less event explanation, to be honest, I just can't remember every story that gets told even though I want to, and at times I had to backtrack because I was confused.
Highly recommend the book, especially for those who love a good true Vampire book.

Amazing continuation of the story. Hay creates such amazing stories and worlds. Can't wait to see where the rest goes. Thank you for the preview.

I just finished Empire of the Vampire last month, so getting the sampler of Empire of the Damned was just what I needed to continue the rush! I can’t believe this sampler was over 200 pages–that’s practically a book all its own–but everyone knows these are thicc tomes! I feel like I can’t talk too much about this sampler because it starts off and then expands on a huge reveal at the end of book one. But, I can say this sampler dives right back in to where EOTV ends and gives us some bigger reveals right off the bat. There is no breath to be taken and no downtime to be had by Gabe and Dior. I cannot wait until the book is released so I can see what the heck happens next because where the sampler left off pretty much blew my mind, and that was only the beginning!

I know this was only a fraction of the real thing, but I'm already so exciting for this! I can't wait to see what happens. The world building and character development is insane, ans the first book kept me on my toes!

I can not wait for this! The sampler is not nearly enough. Although I may need a recap, it feels like it's been a bit since book one.

Thank goodness I have the full arc now to contend with because — wow! I honestly didn’t know if empire of the vampire could be topped but the emotions just in these two “books” was off the charts amazing. The brother/sister relationship pulled at my heart and this is really their book. One chapter, in particular, got the tears going. Honestly though this story is epic, and fast paced, the stakes are sky-high, and the fatherly bond Gabe has developed with Dior also gives the heart a good squeeze!

I cannot wait to read more and a million thanks to SMP for this sampler!!

Sequels aren’t usually as strong as the beginning or last book, but this one picks up with a fast pace right at the start. All those questions you still had answers to get answered. And more questions arise too. I love seeing more of the duskdancers and Blood Dyvok in this book. But get ready for another fantastic and bloody brilliant book!

So far this book seems just as amazing as the first. While the email for this "Read now" was a little mis-leading and I thought for sure this was the whole book, its still nice to get a little preview of whats to come! Hopefully this comes around to request the whole book soon!

Even though this was a sampler, I am certain Empire of the Damned is going to be just as incredible as Empire of the Vampire was. I appreciated the recap at the beginning of where we were in the story and felt like I was right back into the story where we left off. I am so excited for my pre-order to come in but also hate that I have to wait that much longer. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for this sampler of one of my most awaited books of 2024. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, and cannot wait to finish the second. My fear with large epic books like this is forgetting where the first story ended, but Jay Kristoff does a wonderful job of including a character summary at the beginning of this one, reminding us all where the characters were at the end of the last novel. Hang on tight, you are in for a wild ride!

Well I’m sold… I have really high hopes this won’t suffer from second book in series syndrome. Can’t wait till March!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC sample. My only complaint is that this is not the whole book - it’s going to be a long wait until March. Loved the Dramatis Personae in the beginning - very helpful refresher. Very eagerly awaiting the full book!

The only bad thing here is that it’s just a sampler. I was immediately back in the world and loving it. I’d forgotten how good the art is and how much it adds to everything. March needs to hurry because I am so ready to see what happens next!

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

EotV was one of my favorite reads the year it was released, and I had been lucky enough to win a physical ARC through a US cover reveal contest the author shared across social media (thank you!). To say I'm excited for EotD would be an understatement. Grateful for the sampler, and can't wait until the full book is released!

Spoiler free review of the sample. Firstly, in most Kristoff books we get a Dramatis Personae, which I think should be standard in any fantasy series. Then, as I had hoped, the story picks up basically a few days after we left off in the tower. Right away you are sucked back into the world or vampires and it is SO GOOD. Gabriel’s devotion to Dior is beautiful and is what gives this gritty, dark story just the right amount of softness it needs to make it heart wrenching as well as it is bloody entertainment.
I couldn’t put this down and I feel like it ended at a great spot. I can’t wait to read the rest in March!

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the illustrations. The art in this book is so good I would frame every piece.

I emailed 3 people (including Mr. Kristoff himself) and offered a contract in blood, signed up for a giveaway, and pre-ordered all in the hopes of receiving one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. I was blessed with an eARC so thank you to the publisher!
While this was a sample, it felt like the length of a short book. More than enough of a teaser to tell if you want to read the full book! Empire of the Vampire was my first Kristoff book and was a 6/5 for me. I followed it up with the Nevernight and found it to be in my top 5 favorites of all time. I love his writing style and that continues here. Just the right amount of pretentiousness to keep you interested without giving you the ick. The narration reminds me of Nevernight in the beginning (gentlefriends, gentlereaders). One of my favorite things about Kristoff's writing are the summaries he either blatantly includes or stealthily sneaks in. I read EotV a year or two ago and it was easy to jump back in. We start off right where we left after the massacre at San Michon and we are introduced to a few new layers of lore as the story continues. We seem to be getting more character POVs as the story progresses so that keeps it interesting. My giddy little heart loves the banter between the Historian and the Chevalier, the comedy and the wit included. While a 700+ page book can seem daunting I found when I start reading I don't want to put it down. Can't wait for the full length!!

I simultaneously love and hate this sampler because now I have to wait for the rest. I can only give this five stars because I rapidly consumed this and need more ASAP.