oh my goodness gracious I cannot wait for this book to be released! so incredibly good. I love how each book introduces a new set of characters and obstacles for Gabriel to overcome. Also knowing that we have 2 unreliable narrators makes the story all the more interesting. I cannot wait to see how this story ends.

This may just be a sample but it was WOW. Go pre-order this book now. I am counting down the days until the full book comes out. I absolutely love every part of this series.

I will put out my complete review when the full book is published.

Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

I thought I was going to get the entire book but it was just a short snippet 😭 but you know what? I ain’t going to complain because it was so worth it. God, this might be one, if not, my most anticipated book and I cannot waaaaaait. Jay Kristoff is NOT playing (only with my feelings tho).

Amazing! 6/5

Everything Jay writes is an auto-read and EOTV is my favorite series from him. After finishing book 2, I was so excited to read Empire of the Dawn. Only later did I realize it was only a sampler 😭 I was so excited that I missed that crucial info when requesting lol. Regardless, I enjoyed diving back to the story and finallyy getting a better picture of what's happening.

Now off to rereading EOTV & EOTD before official release. Can't wait for IC's announcement of their edition to complete my set :)

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the sampler. All opinions are my own.

I'm not doing my official to the public review until I can read the entire thing.
This wasn't labeled as a sampler when I requested, and the hangover from this 1/4 of the book is terrible.
What am I going to do with myself now till November while this lives rent free in my head?

That saying, I already laughed a whole lot, I know I'll cry by the end of this, and I already know this will be one of my top reads for the entire year no question. How could you just give us a little bit like this?

Like Gabriel said "Fuck my face."

My arms have been flailing in anticipation of the final installment of the Empire of the Vampire trilogy since Book #2. Even with this short sampler, it was great to be back with these characters, and I already have a few theories brewing on what's to come. I am all too familiar with Jay Kristoff's ability to twist and stomp on my emotions, and I have no doubt the rest of this book will continue to do so. November can't come soon enough!

I had the opportunity to read the first 15 chapters and I am, once again, obsessed with Gabriel. I love the recap at the beginning of each book - it definitely helps and highlights the main focus points to remember.

I cannot wait for the rest of the book to be available and I have a feeling that everyone (including myself & the horses) will be unalived by the end.

I was gifted an eARC of a SAMPLE of this book (the first 15 chapters to be exact). The sample of the book flew by for me, and now I'm left waiting for the rest of it to be published. So, here I am waiting for the release date so I can finish reading the epic finale and see how everything wraps up in this series. It will be a LONG WAIT!

Thanks NetGalley for this eARC!

I have not read the whole book yet but Netgalley was so kind to send me a sample of it and I just finished but sad its not all of it. However, I have this amazing book already on pre-order.

I Loved every minute of this. But I have loved Gabriel de Leon, Lachlan, Aaron and Baptiste and Dior since the beginning . The weaving of the story and plots are top tier, being told by the Historian As he speaks to Gabriel and Celine.

Every exciting moment of battle, every sad tear spent has made this book and this series a masterpiece. Jay Kristoff has a great writing style that isn't dull but poetic. Yes its poetic and beautiful.

I enjoyed this series so much (and the Nevernight chronicles).

More to come when I finish the rest after release day (unless a miracle happens).

Didn’t realize this was a sampler when i requested it and I'm not able to rate this fairly because of it. Zero stars because it’s a sampler with no hint on the listing that it’s not the complete book, and 5 stars because it’s Jay Kristoff…so an average of 3 stars for an incomplete sample of a book

What a sample! Our eccletic cast of characters are back,, and you find yourself caring for them more than ever, despite some of their choices and situations you find them in.

No spoilers, but this sample clearly indicates Mr. Kristoff is gonna nail the landing for this series. The level of expectation has been raised, and I expect, after reading the full work, that this will rank as one of the best fantasy/horror trilogies ever composed, and perhaps the best vampire series ever.

5 big ole bloody stars, and I cannot wait until November to get my hands on the whole thing!

The final installment in Kristoff’s Empire trilogy.

This review is for the ARC sample up the 186 page mark, graciously provided by NetGalley.

I’ve said it before, but Jay’s Empire series manages to be both story and character forward, which is a rare treat for a book, and something I don’t indulge in lightly as a reader. This series is his magnum opus, and I am happy to report that he does not suffer from the well-known affliction of many a series author in building up an incredible world and absolutely phoning it in on the last book.

Look, I only had 200 pages of this puppy and already I cried several times. The first “side quest” in Dawn has us seeing new facets of our characters and tying up storylines in brutally (no HEAs! Jay always says) fulfilling ways.

The fully fleshed out book is supposed to be 800 pages according to ‘Zon, so I only had 1/4 of it and already I am UNWELL.

And as a final commentary, I just fucking LOVE Jean-François. I could absolutely be mollified if everyone died but my dude the historian.

Final review to come after I get my grubby paws on the complete book, but already I will tell you: go buy this book.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a wonderful start to the third and last instalment of this series! This sample had my heart racing, and breaking, and I fear it was not enough, November will feel like an eternal wait, until I can finally read the rest! This series is and has always been magnificent and you honestly cannot ask for a better start to a book!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the sampler ARC. I wish it was the full book but alas even with this teaser I cannot wait to read the full book in Nov. It is already starting off with unexpected plot twists and setting you up to not know who (for the most part) is going to survive in the end. Also what’s the dead horse count up to now? 6…7… I should keep track. I cannot wait to read the conclusion of this trilogy and I know I will not be prepared for the emotional damage. I know there was a change in the artist for this book but the art is still beautiful and helps continue to paint the scenes and immerse yourself in this world Jay has built. Less of an anime vibe but still gorgeous art to accompany the story.

I have been waiting for this final installment and can’t wait for the full book!!! This series has been one of the best I’ve read in a long time, and Mister Kristoff is just going to destroy me with this ending… I know it! I’m anxiously awaiting my destruction.

Yes please..... I have theories... and I PRAY I'm wrong. Otherwise this book is going to destroy me. (yes, yes I know Kristoff is suggesting this will happen... I just don't want it to happen in the way I'm thinking)

I can already tell this is going to be one epic conclusion. Kristoff knows how to throw you right into the fray and I cant wait to get my hands on this in November.

My only criticism. This is only a sampler and now I have to wait for the rest of the book!!! I love these characters deeply and emotionally. Kristoff writes in a way I feel I know them. We live their highs and their very painful lows and judging by what this sampler sets up. We are in for pain yet again. I'm not ready for this series to end. But Kristoff's writing is a joy to read, he is already setting the final scene and leaving breadcrumbs for you, this will be something special. I cannot wait,

Once again, it was sooo good!! Can't wait to have the full book in november!! Jay Kristoff is a wizard with this unievrse

Even in just three chapters, Empire of the Dawn already feels like a fitting, brutal, and emotionally loaded finale to the series.

Jay Kristoff wastes no time plunging readers back into the blood-soaked world of Gabriel de León. The tone is bleak, the writing sharp, and the emotional weight palpable. From the first page, it’s clear Gabriel is broken in new and devastating ways—grief, rage, and resignation all swirling beneath his surface like a storm ready to break.

The action starts fast—no filler, no soft landings. Characters old and new are swept into motion, and Kristoff's signature voice rings through every line: sarcastic, poetic, gut-punching. Even without knowing how the story ends, the stakes already feel apocalyptic. Dior’s absence looms heavy, and the suggestion that she still lives adds both tension and a fragile thread of hope.

What really impressed me in this early look is how confident the narrative feels. There’s no hesitation—just an immediate pull into the chaos. It reads like the final movement of a symphony: dark, loud, inevitable.

No spoilers, but if the rest of the book keeps this pace and depth, we’re in for one hell of a conclusion. And let’s be honest—there will be heartbreak.