
Member Reviews

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.

I received an ARC copy of Empire of the Damned via #NetGalley
I really wish they would have provided a full copy of this book! Just like the first in the series, I wasn't able to put this one down. The story line is so intricately weaved and complex that it's hard to touch on all of it. The novel picks up right at the end of the first and continues the adventures of Gabe and Dior. Fair warning, there is gore galore in this book. I recommend reading the first one before jumping into this one so that you know what exactly is going on. Overall, I cannot highly recommend this book enough.

The perfect teaser to get me ready for the book's release. As always Jay Kristoff's writing pulls you in to the darkest reaches of his character's story and has you begging for more. Thank your to NG and the publisher for my ARC excerpt.

LOVE JAY KRISTOFF! This sneak peek to the second book in the series was wonderful and I can't wait to keep reading.

Kristoff is the master of amazing fantasy books. This was a bloody good time from start to end. I made a whole table display and have been handselling the series like crazy

This is one of my all time favorite series! Having this little section to read before release of book two was so nice and I really enjoyed it. Kristoff’s prose is both whimsical and dark and I loved every second of it. The prologue of this book caught me right from the beginning and I couldn’t stop. Definitely will be reading the rest of this fantastic book.

Empire of the Damned is the second book in the Empire of the Vampire series and it’s just as devour-able as book 1!
Without giving away book 1… this story picks up with Gabe and Dior’s big adventure. I loved that I as a reader got other perspectives besides Gabe’s this time. He can be narcissistic and biased at times so it really built out the world and story seeing other perspectives.
It’s hard to fully review a book that is this intricate and complex, both with the world building and the abundance of characters. You truly step into another time and dimension as you’re reading and this book requires your full attention.
If you’re looking for an unpredictable, complex, bloody vampire book, this series is exactly what you’ve been looking for.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. The review expresses my own opinion.

This review is way overdue! I’ve been traveling abroad with little to no internet and its about time I get back to my book reviews!
This series is a must-read. The second book is engaging, offering a recap of the first book through a historian’s account of the characters’ fates in Empire of the Vampire three years prior. Introducing new characters adds to the appeal. The book delves deep into world building, unveiling the history of vampire factions and their internal conflicts.
This book is not for the faint-hearted, as it includes gore, darkness, and grim elements, alongside exceptional world-building and character interactions. The prose and witty one-liners add a touch of humor, balancing the dark themes portrayed. The book, as anticipated, is lengthy, so set aside ample time to read it slowly, though once you start, you’ll likely be hooked by Kristoff’s captivating writing and be unable to set it aside.
**This book was received in exchanged for an honest review. Thank you St. Martin's Press!

The perfect sequel to empire of the vampire! It was just as dark and suspenseful as the first one. I am really looking forward to the third and final book in this series!

This was such an amazing sequel to this series!!!! It was an excellent mix of familiar characters and a well realized fantasy world that went very well with the new characters that were introduced. I know this is a trilogy, and it is a doozy of one, but i look forward to the third book.

So good! Once again, Jay Kristoff deftly weaves horror, suspense, and hilarious wit to make this masterpiece.
I was hanging on every word, caught up in the unfolding world of drama that Gabriel and company have been thrust into. Waiting for book 3 will be delicious torture!
Thank you @JayKristoff, @StMartensPress, and @NetGalley for this amazing read!!!

I always enjoy a good Jay Kristoff story. This was no exception, the story was fast paced and interesting. I loved how it was multiple POVs once the main characters were separated in the story. Jay always has you guessing what will happen or how will it end this book was a roller coaster until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I received this book from NetGalley.

Struggled to get into it, but good overall. A bit wordy, but I know some people love that. Love the actual interaction of characters though.