First and foremost, much gratitude to Avon Books and Harper Voyager US as well as Stacia Stark for access to this eARC.

I received this eARC on 6/18/25 and finished it on 6/20/25. This is a four star read for me. I truly enjoyed coming back to this book after a long day and following the characters from one high intensity scene to the next. Though this book is relatively short at 416 pages it still packs a punch. So much information and plot twists are crammed in here that it could’ve easily been 100 or more pages. But isn’t that the hallmark of a good book and an intelligent author? To leave us wondering and wanting more? Stacia Stark is at the top of her game with this one. She knows what the romantasy addicts want and she supplies it every time.

As for the love triangle trope; it’s nothing groundbreaking. It feels reminiscent of those in TOG, ACOTAR and Twilight. Does that mean it’s predictable or boring? Absolutely not. Who doesn’t love the affable and long suffering first love after all? But most of us fall for the morally grey secondary MMC. The tension between the two love interests versus the tension between the trio as a whole is palpable and delightful.

The FMC epitomizes what it means to be the eldest daughter and all the emotional trauma that entails. Add in substance use issues and poverty to round out a character that we all can relate to either from personal circumstance or from observations in our own community. I do wish we would’ve gotten more backstory on what is going on Arvelle’s sigil mark, but perhaps that will be explored in a future book. I do think Stacia does a good job of showing how Arvelle grows emotionally throughout the book.

As for the supporting characters; let’s start with Ev and his lung issues. The mine story feels random, but I think it serves the story in the sense that we understand Arvelle’s motives and we see how she sacrifices for others. I think the same thing could’ve been accomplished if he were born with the condition. Bran could’ve been fleshed out a bit better imo because we really aren’t that invested in him and he just appears at times randomly. Leon could’ve benefited from more emotional exchange with Arvelle given the immense amount of history between them. I just wanted more growth for them. As for Tiernon; he gives me Tamlin vibes. He believes that Arvelle needs to be coddled and protected and the moment the Primus is introduced as a mysterious character who never takes his helmet off it is painfully obvious that he is her childhood lover. Rorrick on the other hand gives Rhysand vibes. He sees Arvelle as his equal in most ways and pushes her to lean more on her own intuitions and instincts. He doesn’t romanize who she is. He is delightfully complicated and terribly moody. Maeva is such a girls girl and we love that for Arvelle who so badly needs a friend to fill the hole left by Kassia. Maeva doesn’t want to be Kassia and that makes her so much more interesting.

The spice level in this book is low, but the plot survives and even thrives in spite of that. The world building could’ve been better, but since this is going to be a series this has the potential to expand on this more as the story continues. There are enough loose ends that you are filled with anticipation for the next book. Personally, I’m glad I got an advanced copy don’t get me wrong. However, I’m sad that the wait for the next one will feel even longer.

Absolutely devoured this read! Stacie does a fantastic job balancing tension, action, and storytelling. I loved the gladiator inspired plot with a strong FMC lead. Book 2 can't come soon enough!

5/5 stars :)

I am so emotionally invested in this like the wait for the second book is going to be treacherous.

This plot is pretty complex in this one so you definitely have to pay close attention, but there's so many things to keep your interested piqued between the mystery, lots of character development, & high intensity moments (my jaw was dropping over and over). There's so much left to explore I just know this is going to develop so well across the next books of this series.

I will say there were some points were small details seemed to be a bit inconsistent/confusing but idc the vibes were too good to not give 5 stars.

I am also SO dialed in for Rorrik...like it's so serious to me.

Thank you so much to netgalley for the arc!!

I wanted to love this book (it seems everyone else has! I’m an outlier here) but I just didn’t. There was a LOT going on and it was confusing, it just felt a bit all over the place. I’m not even sure how to describe it, it just felt clunky.

On the positive side - I did enjoy the love triangle (something I’m normally not a fan of). But it was well done and that is the one thing that would make me want to read book 2. I also didn’t see the twist at the end. So that was nice.

Not a bad book, just not my fav.

Impulse control is at zero but we still thriving. This book takes you on a JOURNEY. There’s trials, political plots, romances, possible love triangles, friendship. It’s kind of jam packed and I was entertained.

Why this doesn’t get five stars from me is because I feel like there’s plot holes. I tried to convince myself I was missing things but it kept happening. I also felt like a lot was packed in but not unpacked enough. I’m hoping that is fixed in book two.

For example, a character who was maybe mentioned once was murdered and the FMC was asked to identify the body because she knew them?? Knew who? And the FMC at one point abandons her plan completely but there were multiple people helping her with said plan and also so many risks for abandoning it. I was like what are you doing, girl??

I’m very interested to see where the love triangles takes us though so I’m looking forward to book two!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this opportunity to read and review this book.

Check out this review on Fable
https://fable.co/review/d3124a39-b064-4aac-a753-c8e464f06eba/share

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! I really enjoy her fantasy books and this one was a page turner. There were surprises that weren’t expected along the way as well as good character development. There are some aspects I have read in romantasy novels before but there are some new aspects to this one as well.

I appreciated the deep dive into the grief she felt over losing her best friend and the healing that took place along the way as the book progressed. Leon’s character was a constant safe place for Velle.

The contrast between the brothers was interesting and her pull to each of them in different ways was engaging. I loved the childhood flashbacks!

There are so many unanswered questions and several directions the story could go which makes me excited for the next in the series!

“The pain of loss never ends. It never gets better. Anyone who says it does is lying. The agony of "what if' chews at you, hour by hour, minute by minute, until you'd give almost anything for it to just put you out of your misery. And then, when you finally begin to function again, it waits, silently, and slams into you full force when you least expect it.”

“Silence stretches between us. We used to spend hours in silence. Content silence. Comfortable silence. The kind of silence two people have when they don't need to share their thoughts, because the other person knows them down to the bone.”

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and the author for this ARC!

✅ second chance romance with a first love
but also….
✅ a very different, very morally grey man in the mix 👀
✅ intricate world building
✅ ‘fight or die’ trials
✅ tyrannical vampire government and ancient gods at play
✅ FMC who has always been a badass, but has to find herself along the way

This one checked all the boxes!

Okay. So. We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark? I was not prepared.

This book throws you into a brutal, Roman-inspired vampire empire—think The Vampire Diaries meets Gladiator. Our girl Arvelle is fierce, reckless, and totally driven by her love for her younger brothers. She doesn’t want power—she just wants to keep them safe, even if it means volunteering (if you can call it that) for the Sundering: a gladiator-style bloodbath with freedom as the prize.

The fights? Brutal. The romance? Painful in the best way.
• Interest One: The boy from her past, full of “what ifs” and unresolved heartbreak. Their past is messy, but Arvelle is not the same girl she used to be. Honestly, their scenes broke my heart a little.
• Interest Two: The infuriatingly seductive, dangerously perceptive, and entirely morally grey vampire that has a way of getting under Arvelle’s skin.

It’s not a simple love triangle—it’s full of broken trust, blood ties, and impossible choices. And Arvelle? She’s changing. Developing powers no one can explain—powers that might shake the entire vampire system.

The world building is incredible – from the brutal politics to the savage vampire hierarchy, it is layered, immersive, and served to us in digestible chunks that don’t feel completely overwhelming.

Even with the heavy arena scenes and power plays, the pacing still feels natural—romance scenes, back story flashbacks, and quieter character moments balance the blood and betrayal.

Dark, emotional, messy, and addictive.

Stacia does not miss. I have loved everything she has written, whether I read a physical book or listen via audio. It’s so good.

Excited to dive in! Thank you, Avon & Harper Voyager & net galley for the advanced copy.

vampire diaries in a roman empire setting. Gladiator style fightingng. Unexpected plot twists. Possible love triangle. say no more. This book will blow up in 2026.

Okay, I’m obsessed with this book!
Finally, a Romantasy that feels truly unique!
It’s like Romantasy meets Roman gladiators with vampires, deadly trials, gods, political drama, magical creatures, an evil emperor, romance, AND plot twists I did not see coming. I was hooked from page 1 and didn’t want it to end. Now I’m desperate for book 2!
Seriously, if you’re into fantasy romance with danger, betrayal, and mystery. Add this to your TBR immediately!

The story follows Arvelle, who’s been through hell and would literally do anything to protect her brothers, even if it means making a dangerous deal with a vampire. That deal leads her to join the emperor’s elite guard, where she trains just to get close enough to do the unthinkable: assassinate the emperor himself.

But something dark is stirring in the empire. Mysterious murders are on the rise, and Arvelle is changing. Powers she doesn’t understand are waking up inside her and she can’t risk anyone finding out.

To survive, Arvelle must work with the mysterious Primus and the emperor’s son, Rorrik, to harness her powers and stay one step ahead of the emperor’s wrath.
Because if she fails, she won’t just lose her chance at revenge.
She might lose everything.

Read it. You won’t regret it!

I gave this 3 stars on goodreads because I don’t like to go lower than that on public reviews but it’s really more like 2 for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC for my read and review. Some relatively light spoilers below.

Set in a magical timeline inspired by Ancient Rome (but with vampires! And magic!), the world building here was pretty solid. However, the story gets an ok from me, and not a great, because I couldn’t get over how many times the female lead, Arvelle, had to resign herself to various activities. Yes, her brothers were basically hostage but then either get out there and act with intent or give up. I was more interested by the apparently evil brother to the main male character but even his actions were a bit goofy with no sign of clear motivations). Some spicy scenes around the 2/3 point.

It wouldn’t surprise me if this book does take off since it’s similar to the Hunger Games and other “girl fights evil” stories but this reads like its first in a series and while I do love a series, I’m more captivated by a first book that brings me in on its own. Honestly though, I’m a little over dragons so it was nice to read something a bit more different.

Every fantasy that Stacia Stark puts out I’m always going to put it down. The heroine is powerful, relatable, and fierce. The world building is always elite.

Vampire diaries meets Gladiator? That is a combo I didn’t know I needed until I read this book, and now I wish there was more!

We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark follows Arvelle, previous winner of the Sands and devoted older sister, as she makes a deal to fight in the Sundering and kill the Emperor. Her goal is to save her brothers and her path is filled with perils both in and out of the fighting ring. The multiple conspiracies and secret players make this a fast paced page turner. Couple that with Arvelle’s need to ally with the man who broke her heart and the emperors sadistic son, and we have a truly delectable slow-burn romance mixed in as well.

How will I survive until book 2? By rereading this one!

A fun new edition to the romantasy genre that is going to be big once it releases next year.

Our main character, Arvelle, must make a deal with a Vampire to save her brother and part of that deal is competing to join the emperor's guards and complete a task that is almost impossible. Along the way she meets someone from her past who hurt her and someone who is now who they seem.

This was a very entertaining book that adds a twist to the Romantasy genre with its Roman inspiration, Vampires, Sigil marked, and other magical creatures. The world created feels new but also mimics problems we have in our world today. The characters are well written, creating emotional attachments to them. I genuinely cannot wait until the next book in the series comes out so I can see what else will happen to Arvelle, Rorrik, and Ti.

If you enjoyed Bloodguard by Cecy Robson or Trial of Bronze and Blood by M.K. Deoradhán then you'll absolutely love We Who Will Die for its Roman-inspired gladiator trials and setting. It's just a bonus that there are unique vampires, mythical creatures, and an intricate magic system of sigil-marked mortals with varying powers and strengths setting themselves apart from the powerless mundanes. This book has something for everyone.

Arvelle, our brave FMC, is probably one of the best female leads I've read the perspective of in a while. She's as tough as nails - and she has to be given the lot she's been handed in life; but there's also something so sweetly sentimental about the love she has for her little brothers and the tenderness expressed in her memories of a long-lost love interest. She's hurt and bitter when the story picks up and her emotional journey throughout is riddled with upsets and obstacles, uplifting highs, and depressive lows. Being in her head and experiencing her thoughts was a thrilling pleasure as she evolved along the way.

The two (potential?) love interests couldn't be more different from one another. Tiernon reminds me of a man whose in love with a girl from the past who isn't very much like the woman he meets in the present. His love is sweet and unassuming - and in a world of vampires and political intrigue he comes off to me as a little unexciting. He's a good guy who deserves Arvelle..
But how could I deny Rorrik of the right to her? This bad-guy potential(?) love interest is a delicious mix of threatening and maddeningly arousing. He's everything that every woman should stay away from but I find him to be so much more interesting than his opposition. He's got secrets that need to be uncovered and it's obvious that at least part of his cruelty is all for show - but at the end we're still left questioning how much? Is there really a good man under all that sordid reputation and smarmy smirks?
I'm so here for book two. I cannot wait for this fandom to explode.

I received We Who Will Die as an ARC on NetGalley. Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Stacia Stark for the opportunity to fall into a world rich with inspiring lore and super hot vampires.

This romantasy is set in a world of vampires and magic users crossed with a Roman societal structure. The main female character, Arvelle, is targeted by a high ranking vampire so they can force her participation in a plot to assassinate the vampire emperor. Her access to the emperor would come via her imvolvement in a prestigious gladitorial competition - she's already won a competition in her youth, but the tragic death of her best friend has kept her grief-stricken and away from fighting.

Arvelle winds up in the training ring, and a mysterious guard captain keeps pushing at her to drop out and go home - she can't, but she can't exactly say why, can she? This book should appeal to those who loved Violet and Xaden's relationship in the Fourth Wing series. The fight scenes are engaging and creative - this romantasy is worth the read!

Stacia Stark delivers a jaw-clenching, emotionally immersive fantasy with 'We Who Will Die,' the first in a new romantasy trilogy that sinks its teeth into empire, survival, and betrayal - literally. Set in a vampire-dominated empire where humans are both subjugated and expendable, the novel follows Arielle, a young woman from the Thorn district who binds herself to an impossible mission: kill the emperor or die trying.

The book opens with quiet devastation - Arvelle trying to protect what remains of her family in a world that's already taken too much from her. That quiet quickly detonates into brutality when a binding sigil forces her into the empire's infamous Sundering tournament, a bloodsport designed to entertain the elite and dispose of the defiant. But this isn't just another "girl in the arena" plot. Arvelle is no chosen one - she's broken, determined, and deeply human. The oath she makes is less a bold more than a desperate one, and that desperation grounds the story with emotional weight.

What elevates this book is the layered, tension-filled romance. Arvelle is reunited with Tiernan, the vampire general she once loved and who now stands in direct opposition to her goal. Their shared history is written into every glance, every decision. It's slow-burn and morally messy in all the right ways. Add in the emperor's enigmatic son, Rorrik, and you get a triad of characters caught between duty, desire, and survival. Stark does an excellent job building romantic tension without sacrificing narrative drive or character integrity.

The world-building is sleek and cinematic, with Roman Empire overtones twisted through a dark, vampiric lens. The tournament scenes are brutal and tense, but the book also carves out quieter, intimate moments - grief, loyalty, reckoning - that keep it from feeling like spectacle for spectacle's sake.

'We Who Will Die' is for readers who crave high-stakes fantasy grounded in emotional truth. It's fierce, romantic, and never predictable. Fans of 'From Blood and Ash' or 'The Shadows Between Us' will find a new obsession here. I'll be anxiously waiting for book two - and for more time with Arvelle, a heroine whose strength isn't in her sword, but in her scars.

Dragons. Vampires. Gladiator Inspired Fights to the xx. I was frothing at the mouth with Stacia announced this for good reason.

I have seen this story pitched to fans of Vampire Diaries - I however might be in the small population who didn't watch that show - and it didn't hurt me at all!

I was obsessed. 2nd chance love, mixed with what seemed to be a potential second love interest - color me intrigued. The plot moved the entire book. The world was amazing. The world building, and foundation laying to take us into book 2 raring to go - this just is magnificent.

The only downside to having read this stunner early, is that I have to wait SO long for book 2. Stacia - I've got a perfectly good kidney for you if you want to let a girl read it early

If I could give this more than five stars, I absolutely would. We Who Will Die is everything I’ve come to love and expect from Stacia Stark — a fierce, emotionally charged, and utterly addictive read that had me hooked from the first page.

Stark has a way of crafting characters that feel so raw and real, with stakes that matter and worlds that demand to be explored. This story was brutal, beautiful, and deeply immersive, with twists that hit hard and relationships that left my heart aching in the best way.

Stacia Stark has officially solidified her spot as an instant-buy author for me. Every book she writes immediately goes to the top of my TBR, and this one reminded me exactly why. If you’re a fan of dark fantasy with complex characters, impossible choices, and tension you can cut with a knife, don’t miss this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC — I’m voluntarily leaving this honest review, and already eagerly awaiting whatever Stark releases next.