This book was spectacular! Thank you for this advanced copy.
The characters, the story, the world- unique and written so well. This book will be the next big Romantasy imo!
I already cannot wait for book 2 and this book hasn’t even been released yet!

Amazing combination of fantasy with historical fiction - I cannot wait for this series to continue! Plot twists kept you fascinated while balancing an interesting love triangle. I’m sure this will be at the top of viral book sensations upon its release date.

Woooowwww!!I loved everything about this! When she said, the vampire diaries meets the gladiator she was not joking!!

This was action packed with gladiators fighting in a deadly tournament to impress a tyrant emperor. Not only are there vampires but sigilmarked (with unique powers - bronze-silver-gold) and humans (non magical people). Also has magical creatures.

She obviously set it up for book number two and I know book number two is going to be juicy!!

We Who Will Die is dark, immersive, and slow-burning tension. The Roman-inspired vampire empire was such a fresh setting. It starts slow but builds into a rich, high-stakes story with everything I love in a book: vampires, magic, rebellion, and romance. I can’t wait for this book to be released; I will instantly pick up an audiobook version once it’s available!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

If you liked the Hunger Games, you’re going to like this book. If you liked the movie Gladiator, you’re going to like this book. If you put both of these in a blender, add in an all new fantasy realm with new fantasy powers, but also familiar mythical staples, you’d end up with We Who Will Die. You’ve got vampires and griffon and wyvern and even a gorgon, too! Scrumptious!

The voice of the story waffled back and forth between YA and adult feeling prose, so I think it fits the 24-year-old main character, Arvelle, well. And though she is a deeply motivated character with believable thoughts and feelings, my favorite character was Maeva. She had a bit more depth than I originally gave her credit for, and I love a good surprise.

The love interest (vague for spoilers) fit the grumpy, protective-but-also-really-soft-for-the-sharp-girl role to a T. There are some spicy scenes too, so it will absolutely scratch that particular itch as their feelings ignite.

Apart from the main antagonist, I definitely could not predict how the story would unfold—the clues and hints were sprinkled nicely through the story without being blatantly obvious—and the ending was just surprise after surprise (in the best way).

The only things keeping this from being a 5-star read for me was the beginning was a little slow and the set-up for a love triangle.

The pace bogs when Maeva gives Arvelle the scoop on the important people, or recaps what happened when Arvelle wasn’t there. But there’s a lot to build up and divulge, since this is a series after all. It’s a minor world building thing, and is contained within the first third of the story.

I think the love triangle aspect speaks for itself. I'm not big into that, but I know a lot of readers are. Not my cup of tea, but to each their own!

But once We Who Will Die gets going, it twists and pivots and the action doesn’t quit. Especially those last few chapters. Holy guacamole, the frenzy, Batman!

I had the opportunity to read an advance review copy of We Who Will Die for free, thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley. My review is honest and given freely.

If you’re a fan of Gladiator, The Vampire Diaries, and/or magic and magical creatures, you’ll love this one! I was instantly drawn in by the magical class system that in some ways reminded me of the class system in Red Rising, but with magic. The FMC, Arvelle, will do anything to protect her brothers and does her best to also protect herself from losing anyone else in her life, albeit by walling herself off. I can relate a lot to that and found myself wondering what decisions I’d also make and what I’d do differently if I was the one in her situation. There is a ton of mystery and you can’t help but be in “one more chapter” mode to try to get to the bottom of things! The MMCs are easy to equally hate and... not LOVE, but understand. Rorrik especially caught my attention and I NEED more of his story. Stacia Stark left us wanting more with the ending and I’ll just be impatiently waiting for the next book.

I absolutely love Stacia Stark and her writing. If you enjoy trials and vampires, you will love this. This book is intense and has a lot going on so take your time reading. An epic story about doing whatever it takes to protect the ones you love. I would say this is more on the high fantasy side with a romance sub plot. I definitely felt the major gladiator vibes and really enjoyed the twists at the end!

I really wanted to absolutely love this book. The mix of gladiators and vampires was so intriguing and unique. However, I felt the world-building was quite flat. Despite the FMC fully knowing how sigilmarked magic works, I was piecing together the knowledge that was spread throughout most of the book.

The political intrigue was a cool aspect that I really enjoyed, especially the angle of not everything that’s seen is the truth.

I did not expect a love triangle so that was quite frustrating, but the romance was fun and there was a lot of depth.

I loved the FMC and she was the main reason I kept reading. He grief and survivor’s guilt has shaped who she is and she truly has to work through it. I was so happy that she didn’t simply overcome these huge parts of her character. She was vulnerable and acted as such.

I’d give 3.5 if I could, but rounded up since the last 20% really got me invested and looking forward to the next book.

4.5 stars for We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark. This book was so close to being a 5 star read for me. I loved the gladiator and ancient Rome vibe/writing of this book. Throw in vampires, magic, and a mystery that needs to be solved? Yes, please! I love that the FMC is strong yet human. She can save herself, but just like a normal person, she needs help sometimes. The chemistry between the FMC and the 2 MMC's (the brothers) was so steamy. I have a feeling in the next book that it's going to get even better. I feel, right now, it is a toss-up as to which one she will end up with in the end. Also, the magic and vampires in this book are so intriguing, and I am hoping we get to learn more about the FMC's powers in the next book. There are so many things I am looking forward too/hoping for in the next book. I can't wait! If you love strong FMC's, multiple love interests, vampires, unique magic systems, political intrigue, and slow burn love interests, then make sure you check out We Who Will Die. Thank you to Avon books, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for the gifted eARC.

I absolutely loved *We Who Will Die*! From the very first chapters, I was hooked by Arvelle—she’s such a fierce yet vulnerable heroine, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. The mix of vampires, gladiator-style trials, and a richly built world felt fresh and kept me turning pages late into the night.

The romance is a delicious slow burn, full of tension and sharp banter, and the plot twists genuinely shocked me (in the best way!). It starts off a little dense, but once the story hits its stride, it’s completely addictive.

If you’re into dark, gritty romantasy with strong heroines and morally grey characters you can’t help but love, this book is an absolute must-read. I’m already counting the days until the sequel.

Thank you, NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Stacia Stark for this arc ebook!

This was an absolutely fantastic read! The twists and turns throughout the story were chaotic and had me guessing at every turn.

I really enjoyed all the fantasy elements. From the vampires to the sigil-marked and all the ways magic was showcased. I also loved the underlying mystery weaved through the story. It made it harder to figure out what was going on and I found myself second-guessing everyone.

I couldn’t decide if this was a love triangle or not. Like it’s clear she has almost a second chance with one guy but I couldn’t tell if his brother also had feelings for her too. They all had excellent tension and I’m so curious to find out how things unravel in the next book!

Many thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for this ARC.

This is a second chance romance with morally grey vampires, deadly trials, magical creatures, and political intrigue. The FMC is cold and naive at first but shows a lot of growth throughout. The MMC is a cinnamon roll. There are some twists, turns, and meddling side characters. The ending was bland but also left a lot of space for the story to grow and shift, which I'm very curious and interested in!

Thank you to Stacia Stark, Avon & Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!
This book has been on my TBR ever since I saw it was coming out. Ancient Roman setting w/ Gladiator/Hunger Games vibes + trials + vampires - yes please!!
I binged this book so, so fast, and now I don't even know what I'm going to do with myself until book 2 comes out.
Our story follows our FMC, Arvelle, who is blackmailed into competing in the Sundering arena in exchange for saving her younger brothers. She's a well thought out character who feels very real and is easy to connect to.
And then we have our two love interests - Tiernon and Rorrik. Other than reading the general premise, I went into this book blind, so I didn't know this was going to be a love triangle or why choose trope, which is not my favorite. Despite this, I really like both our MMCs, who are both tortured souls and morally gray, though I will admit, I'm drawn more to Rorrik. His banter and chemistry with Arvelle is undeniable.
Overall, a great read! Really looking forward to continuing the story in book 2!

this was promoted as the Gladiator with Vampires. I am here for it. While struggling to save her family, Arvelle makes a deal. What she doesn't know is that this deal shoves her firmly into her past. Politics and scheming and hidden relationships all combine to make an explosive and exciting romantasy read. I binged while getting new tires and was not sad about it at all. I will be super excited for the next installment.

Note: There is a character named Kaeso. It gave me great joy. lol

Thank you so much Stacia Stark, HarperCollins, and Netgalley for the early review copy!

If you are a fan of The Hunger Games, Vampire Diaries, etc, then this book is definitely for you! It had all of this plus revengeful gods and a possible love triangle??

The MFC Arvelle comes from the poverty stricken town of Thorn. With the loss of many of those close to her, her main goal is to care for her younger brothers. Which is made harder for her when the threat of a vampire puts her and her brothers’ lives in jeopardy.

When it comes to the MMC… MMC’s?? I love them both. Like I couldn’t even begin to decide on that hot mess (hot being the operative word because 🥵) you definitely get the protective hero versus the bad boy and I’m pretty sure I want this to end up being a why choose at this point because I cannot live without both of them!

I have my theories, but I am so excited to see how the Gods come into play in the next books, and what the end game is!

This book is in my top 10 for this year for sure! I am unwell with the thought of waiting for the next book 😭.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel!

WOW what a ride this one was. I heard deadly competition romantasy mixed with Roman Empire and I was hooked. Plus vampires! So much fun (except for the characters themselves!) Aaaaanyways, I was hooked from the get go. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out there was a smidge of murder mystery going on in the background. It had me curious to find out who was behind a string of murders of competitors and their trainers while wondering how the heck our heroine was going to get out of her magic bargain to kill the emperor. Also I really loved that vampires in this world weren’t these all powerful beings, and that they could end up driven mad by the loss of the sun. Really creative stuff! Overall I flew through this novel and cannot wait for the next so I can inhale it as well. Five stars!

4.25 ⭐️

This book is going to be a huge hit with the romantasy lovers, myself included. I was engaged from the very first page. Arvelle, the fmc, is endearing and you are rooting for her the entire time. I loved this book and could not put it down.

The magic system is captivating with vampires, sigilmarked and mundanes. There are deadly and violent trials, which Arvelle must participate in as part of a dangerous deal. This is just an all around good time, steamy, romantasy that you will not be able to walk away from.

Packed with action and drama and angst without ever tipping over too far and feeling over-the-top. The FMC is a little too impulsive but doesn’t quite fall into TSTL territory (usually), moreso that she’s got bad luck and is surrounded by absolute mayhem and danger and villains. A good romp, plenty of conflict, and intriguing enough that I’m already curious about book two.

Gladiator meets vampires and magic wielders with a bit of a love triangle to keep things extra tense. 😏

There’s political scheming, magical battles, and a fierce, determined FMC who’s thrown into an arena where only the strongest survive. Not only does she have to survive for her own sake, she’s in a magically binding contract to save her brothers. I was hooked from the start. But the chapters are loooong, so be ready to settle in.

If you’re into deadly games, slow burn tension, and high-stakes magic, this one’s for you!

✨ tropes & things: trials, enemies to lovers vibes, found family, love triangle, hidden powers, betrayals, murder mystery, enemies to reluctant allies, grief and vengeance

I loved the Kingdom of Lies series so much I knew I had to read anything this woman wrote. The writing was great, per usual. I actually went into this pretty blind. Aside from knowing there were vampires.

There was a lot of world building and a lot to learn. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, I just found it a little hard to follow at times in the beginning. There’s multiple trials mentioned, different sigils, mundanes, gladians, vampires, healers, and all kinds of other creatures. I honestly am still confused on the different types of sigils and powers even after finishing the book. It was a unique twist on the different types of worlds and combining things I’ve never seen done in a book before. This was truly unique.

However, like I mentioned, I went into this pretty blind. It was marketed as enemies to lovers (which is my favorite!) but I did not realize this would end up being a love triangle. And I DESPISE love triangles, why choose, etc. When I saw some reviews when I was at the 10% mark, I almost DNF’d. But with it being an ARC and an author I love, I did decide to keep reading. The love triangle doesn’t really happen much in this book, but I fear it will in the future installments.

This does end on a cliffhanger and is book one in a trilogy. So there will be a pretty painful wait for the next books in the series.

Thank you to netgalley, the publishers, and the author for a chance to read this eARC!