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!

My thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for giving me a digital sample for review.

I loved this so much! I can't wait to read the rest of it, and if it's anything like the sample, it is going to be well worth the wait. It continues right where the first one left off and we get to return to these beloved characters who are trying to survive in a brutal world that just wants to kill them. I love the journey they are going on, loved the writing and the atmosphere. I felt transported while reading this, which is sometimes a rare phenomena anymore. Again, loved this so much!

Sorry I’m a little late I needed to sit on it a little bit like I did with book 1. I highly enjoyed this one just like I did with Empire of The Vampire. As always my love for anything vampire has done it again. I highly enjoyed Empire of The Damned so much. I highly recommend it to everyone. I will be doing a reread of both books during spooky season for anyone who wants to join me I am BookLovingNerd_87 on instagram. Just message me if you want to join me in my reread during spooky season.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC.

Ready for round two with Gabriel de León? I thought I was, but this book far exceeded my expectations

I loved Empire of the Vampire, and I actually enjoyed this more. There was a lot of action right from the beginning, which set the tone for the rest of the book. Gabe was wittier than he was in the first book, leading the reader on this journey he finds himself a part of again. I

If you liked the first one, you'll like the first one. What a great read.

If you loved EOTV then you're most likely going to love EOTD. EOTV was my favorite book in '21 and I believe this will be my favorite in '24. Gabe is still held captive and is again acting as the narrator for book 2, so you're going to be giving the story in the same delivery and format as book 1. I did like how there was very little recap at the beginning of the book. I personally don't like to wade through an hour or so of recap, I want to simply get back into the story, and book 2 does this. We spend more time with Gabe's sister Celene, we get to see more growth in Dior, as well as Gabe. You're going to get a ton of those great one liners and dark whit like the first book gave us. There's tons of great action filled fight scenes that everyone loved from book 1. There are hooks after hooks, because this is one huge long book, Jay has got to keep you reading. You're going to get a big delivery towards the end at maybe a hour to a hour and a half left. Overall, lots to love about book 2.

What an amazing and intense sneak peak into this fabulous book! I've already purchased the physical book and cannot wait to dive in!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this sneak peak into this exciting read!

Wow, where do I even start? Empire of the Damned did not fall victim to the second book syndrome, because I actually think it was better than the first. While I liked the first one a lot, I LOVED this one! Even though the first one came out years ago, If felt like no time had passed, and Kristoff did a great thing by giving us a complete character summery at the beginning of the book.

Gabe was even funnier and wittier in this book, and really stepped up in the father-like role for Dior, and their relation ship in this book was extremely heartwarming and tender. Dior also went through a tradition in this book, and in my opinion, was way more likable. Celene also became a favorite character in this book because we get a little more of the relationship between her and Gabe. I personally loved all of the character developments in this book.

I also loved the second point of view in this book, as where we were limited to Gabe’s in the first book, it was refreshing to hear what someone else thought of the story as it is unfolding for both them and us.

My only negative was the excessive use of quotation marks, like I get that we were bouncing between dialogue, and also different points of view but I think it could have been framed differently. It just left me confused and had to backtrack a bit to make some things make sense.

Overall, this book was fantastic and I was so happy that one of my most anticipated books was a success!

Thanks again to NetGalley and the Author for an advanced copy for an honest review!

Fuck my face. Holy shit what a great sequel! More character development, more relationship development! Ahh. Why must wait until the third comes out? Such a dark and amazing world building!! Loved every second of it!! Gabriel is such a good character. I can’t get enough. So dark, so funny! Give me more!!

This was such a fun sampler and follow up to the first novel, I cannot wait to read the entire full length once it arrives on my doorstep!

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

There's not a Jay Kristoff book I'm not blown away by, and Empire of the Damned is no exception. I read breathlessly from start to finish.

I don’t know how Kristoff does it, but he has written a sequel that not only lives up to my expectations, but surpassed them in leaps and bounds. I loved EOTV, but this book was even better! There is no middle book syndrome here. The world building is so rich, so visceral, you feel like you’re on this journey with Gabriel and Celene and Dior. Living the horrors and celebrating the victories. It’s one of those books where you forget you’re reading because you’re so far immersed in the story that when you have to come up for air you feel disoriented. In the best possible way. I knew going in that Kristoff would break my heart, and f*ck my face if he didn’t succeed. I need book 3 like yesterday!

An entertaining and enticing excerpt from this novel. It’s much anticipated from me and looking forward to finishing the story.

This sequel captivates with its deep dive into Gabriel de León's tumultuous journey. Tasked with an almost impossible mission, Gabriel's alliances and inner battles paint a rich tapestry of conflict and intrigue. Introducing multiple perspectives breathes life into the story, offering a panoramic view of the dark world Kristoff has masterfully created. Dior's character growth is particularly striking, adding a layer of resilience and depth to the ensemble. This sequel skillfully dodges the second-book slump, weaving action, emotion, and character development into a compelling plot that leaves readers yearning for more. The added illustrations only amplify the immersive experience, making every page a journey. Kristoff's storytelling prowess shines brightly, setting an anticipatory stage for the series finale.