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.

This review is only for the sampler, not the entire book.

If I thought Empire of the Damned was the strongest book in the series, I might have just been proven wrong. Empire of the Dawn starts off incredibly strong. There’s no dilly-dallying here. The tension picks up right where we left off, and I’m here for all of it.

The stakes are at an all-time high, and I just know this is going to be devastatingly good.

Kristoff’s prose is still as beautiful as ever. What a time to be alive. Patiently waiting for the book’s official release.

ᴇᴍᴘɪʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀᴡɴ ᴇ-ᴀʀᴄ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs

I was disappointed to find out that the 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 E-ARC through NetGalley was a sampler of book one of 𝘌𝘖𝘛𝘋, but I will take whatever crumbs are offered in regards to my favorite series of all time.

•••

The sample alone proves that 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 will be the explosive conclusion that this trio has been building up to.

The momentum from the finale of 𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘯𝘦𝘥 did not let off and I was thrown right back into the feelings of abysmal dread of the world of 𝘌𝘰𝘛𝘝. Kristoff’s prose remains gorgeously poetic and dark. I was pleased to find the witt and dry humor I have come love remained intact.

Relationships are messy, the stakes are dialed up and MCs have zero shits to give. After laying my eyes on the first 186 pages of what I know will be an absolutely epic read, my heart is aching, yet yearning for more torment.

And most importantly there are pictures my dear readers.

Stunning illustrations.

Even with a new illustrator coming in and tackling this finale, the artwork within remains gorgeous.

I cannot possibly give a proper rating to a sample of a novel, but can feel it in my bones that 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 will be chock full of emotional torment, and a bittersweet goodbye to this world that @misterkristoff has so masterfully created.

I am ready to be crushed.

Thank you to @stmartinspress, the author and @netgalley for making a sample of my most anticipated release of the year available in exchange for a honest opinion.

Thank you to @dreamingofreading_ for holding my hand through this sampler, sharing thoughts and hatching theories. Now we can stew in anticipation together until November until our physical copies arrive.

✌🏻

I do not know why I am constantly blown away by Jay Kristoff's writing. I am also quite sad this was just a sample. I cannot WAIT for the rest!

Jay Kristoff never disappoints. I love that he puts a synopsis at the beginning so we don’t forgot the key details. I’m so excited to finally get my hands on the ending of this 5 star series.

This sampler includes the first “book” in the third installment of the Empire of the Vampire series. It felt like going home, getting back with our gang of misfits… if your home is a dark, depressing world where all your favorite characters come to die lol.

Thank you netgalley, St. Martins Press, and of course, Jay Kristoff himself.

Jay Kristoff is such a tease of an author and this sampler is even more so a tease, I am DYING to get my hands on the rest of this book. These characters are incredible and the complex and beautiful world that has been crafted is one of my favourite to live in. Gabriel is an excellent character and narrates the story in such a dramatic and compelling way, I can't wait to see how his and Dior's story end. This will always be a top tier vampire series that I recommend to anyone who loves dry humour, crazy dramatics, and so much heart.

This story is a ride from start to finish! I cannot wait to finish the book when it comes out - Kristoff brings the same wit and macabre vibes to Empire of the Dawn that made me fall in love with this series to begin with! I could not put the book down! I love the style, the characters, and the writing!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher!!!

Wow....that was a tease! Thank you so much for the sampler!

I'm ready for November now!

This has just made me all the more excited for the finale!! Can't wait for November to finally be able to see how the trilogy ends!

Okay.
Dear NetGalley,
I TRULY THOUGHT THIS WAS THE WHOLE BOOK AND I WAS SO EXCITED AND NOW I AM SAD.

HOWEVER.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this Sampler. I am obsessed and need more immediately. This is probably one of the best written trilogies in the genre in a long time, especially those with vampires. I love how Kristoff writes his characters: full of wit and sass, and complexity that makes you hate them while caring and being completely sucked in. I have a feeling that when this book comes out, there will be no stopping the pages just flying by and I might have to take a day off of work to finish it haha!!

Thank you again for this sampler. I cannot wait to read more and although this was just a taste, it may be enough to tie me over until November 18th.

Jay Kristoff has built a truly tantalizing world of vampires and monsters full of truly fun characters with enough depth to keep you invested. The storytelling aspect of it draws me in on a level that even the Kingkiller chronicles (despite its flaws) never managed to do. I’ll be picking up the full volume with enthusiasm upon release.

I am very in love with this novel and I cannot wait to read the final book in this trilogy! It's going to be amazing!

Expectations are always high when it comes to the penultimate book in a series, but the sampler of 'Empire of the Dawn' proves that this conclusion will be well worth the wait. I was immediately sucked right back into this world and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Honestly, this series will go down as one of the canonical "must reads" in vampire lore. 10/10, no notes. I thought it'd be easier on my emotions since I'm now on Zoloft but that was a lie.

How does one ever review a Jay Kristoff book and give it the credit it deserves? Reading the first book within Empire of the Dawn I cried, I laughed, I was taken off guard, mesmerized, and I fell in love with Jay Kristoff’s writing all over again.

I’ve been with Empire of the Vampire since its debut, and it feels bittersweet reading the last words in its tale. To say goodbye to the characters I have loved is heartbreaking and so reading these words — their last adventures on these pages — is not without great feeling. I will love this book till the end of days.

My warmest regards to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read early, merci mon ami.