I am so happy to have been given the chance to read this one early. This was a refreshing read and one that takes you on a rollercoaster of a journey. It kept me turning the pages wanting to know what was going to happen next. The world building was complex and very intricately woven. It had ancient magic, gods, vampires, mythical creatures, and even trialed games. It was interesting to see how these would all work together, and it flowed well. I liked that the magic system was unique as it was a tiered, caste like system. This was a slow burn romance that kept me wanting more. The hint of a possible love triangle was a twist I wasn’t expecting and I truly can’t wait for the next book! The characters were intriguing and Arevelle is a FMC that is relatable. You can’t help but want to root for her. I love how loyal she is to her brothers. Overall I truly enjoyed this one and can’t recommend it enough.

Thank you to Stacia Stark and the publishers for the chance to read this ARC.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book. I only have 2 days left with it on my shelf and I don’t have enough time to finish it. So I feel like this rating is a little unfair. There were some aspects of the book that I wasn’t enjoying which made it hard to pick up and read, but I never finished it so I feel as though this rating could be u fair.

A 5 star read and one of my favorite reads this year! Can't wait for this book to get hyped up when it comes out!!

I enjoyed the magic system and the world building. I liked the Roman settings, the Colosseum fights entwined with vampires.

I liked how Arvelle didn't back up from what she knew needed to be done in order to save her brothers and she gave everything she could for it.

I am really curious about the love triangle though. Really can't wait to see what direction we're going to go in the next book.

In love with Stacia's writing and I really need to read her other booksssss.

I am so sad this was just the ARC and now I need to wait a LOT more for the next book :(

Huge thanks to Stacia Stark and the publishers (Avon and Harper Voyager) for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own

I have been obsessed with Stacia Stark lately so to get this ARC I was foaming at the mouth.

If you love fierce but kind of not smart at times Female Main Characters with vampires and gladiator vibes this book is definitely the jam you’ve been looking for.

Overall I enjoyed the slow burn and in the beginning, while it may be very predictable who the guy is, you still have a good time and if you’re like me in the first part of the book you have no idea who she is actually interested in. I think that adds to the “I need to read more, I need answers” in me part of who I am.

Overall I cannot wait and am eagerly anticipating book 2.

There's a lot to love in this book if you're a romantasy fan. Vampires, a cool magic system, gladiator type trials, second chance romance, political intrigue, a morally grey (potential?) mmc... I really enjoyed Arvelle not being a young, naive fmc. She's gone through some sh*t and has real responsibilities.
I did have an issue with the writing at certain points. When big moments happened, it felt very rushed over. Like the moment didn't get a chance to breathe and be felt before we moved on. Very stop and start as another reviewer put it. You felt this a lot at the end with the big climactic moment that felt very muddled.
That being said, I still overall enjoyed the story and am looking forward to see where it goes in the next book.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collin's for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for the opportunity to read this advanced copy!

Holy. Crap. Y’all, this book! I was HOOKED by chapter 2. I was instantly caught up in this world…this story. I love the FMC, and the broody vampires. The suspense and twists were aplenty and I was wide-eyed the whole time. The book ended with the perfect cliff hanger and I’ll be miserable while waiting for the next installment.

Easily a 5 star read and for sure will be trending when it releases!

3.5-4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy! I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Arvelle is a fierce, morally grey FMC who’ll do anything for her brothers while carrying a lot of grief. I feel like we’ve only just scratched the surface of her backstory, and I’m sure that’s intentional—even if it left me a little confused at times.

The world of We Who Will Die is gritty and layered, filled with gods, sigilmarked magic, vampires, and hidden agendas. It’s fascinating but also a bit overwhelming—there are a lot of moving parts and subplots, which made the pacing feel uneven at times. I would’ve liked a little more clarity around the god system and worldbuilding up front. That said, I stayed curious and invested throughout.

And as for the romance… I think we might be headed into a triangle. Teirnon vs. Rorrick? I’m team Rorrick—no clue what that says about me. There’s clearly more to him, and I’m excited (and slightly terrified) to find out what.

If you’re into morally grey heroines, layered politics, and dark fantasy with bite, this is definitely a series to keep an eye on.

This was such an amazing book!! Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins publishing for sending me this ARC!

The world this story took place in was so well thought out. Sigilmarked humans of varying ranks versus vampires and their hierarchy. Arvelle’s need to protect her younger brothers gets her into a very messy situation. I love who the undertone of this whole story was no one is solely good or evil, there is always a mix and the way the author went about portraying this point was fantastic. It created so many levels of conflict and added so many layers to each situation. The twists that occurred in this story kept me on the edge of my seat and every dot that got connected made me gasp! Such an amazing plot and I can’t wait for the next book as this left me on the biggest cliffhanger I’ve read in a long time!

It’s 2 a.m., and I am wrecked in the best possible way. This book grabbed me by the heart and refused to let go. The worldbuilding is rich, dark, and completely immersive. Think ancient empires, gladiators, magical creatures, vampires, sigil-based magic, and just the right touch of historical influence woven seamlessly into every page. The historical details were fascinating. I was especially blown away by how the author incorporated real research, including a reference to the “Roman special forces,” which completely floored me.

The protagonist is everything I love in a heroine. She is fierce, self-reliant, and deeply loyal. As an oldest daughter myself, her sense of duty and devotion to her brothers really resonated. The portrayal of friendship, especially between women, was beautifully done and added so much emotional depth to the story. The book also explores difficult topics like addiction, grief, and the brutal consequences of power, fear, and ideological conflict. Political intrigue and violent faction rivalries are central to the storyline, driving much of the tension.

The romance had me holding my breath the entire time. The tension and slow burn were absolute perfection. I found myself hoping with everything in me that there was more to her story with a certain so-called “evil monster.” That trope always gets me, and this book delivered it flawlessly.

I can’t wait to read the next one. I wish I had it now! I definitely wouldn’t be getting any sleep, though, so for now I’ll catch up on rest and wait for Stacia to drop her next aether bomb on my heart. 💥❤️‍🔥

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a fast paced book that grabs attention quickly. I enjoyed the balance in the story, from the arena, to the character development, and of course the tension between the characters.

Vampire Diaries x The Hunger Games? I’m in. Listen I knew going in there were gonna be 2 brothers. Personally not a huge fan of love triangles because I tend to be the girly who feels bad for the loser. Honestly this book had me. I really thought “wow look at me I’ve really grown. Maybe I don’t always choose the brooding, dark, mysterious men. Maybe this is the book where for once I will pick the nice, sweet, loyal man.” And I was there. For like 97% of the book. I was tempted to the other side but I was determined to stick with my ship. One line though. One line is all it took for me to be like “yep and this is why we always root for the morally-gray characters.” (Not really a spoiler but sorta so don’t keep scrolling unless you don’t mind) P.S. thank you sooo much to the publisher for allowing me to read as an ARC! Already can’t wait for the next one :)





Slight spoiler bc my thinking is probably not the healthiest: Killing? Acceptable. Being an Asshole? Acceptable. Leaving the person you love (even if for their safety)? Unacceptable. 🤷🏼‍♀️

4.5 🌟
1.5🌶

I really really liked this one. I finished it within 25 hours because it sucked me in. It had gladiator/roman vibes with a magical system and vampires.

I really like Arvelle, her story and how she is overcoming everything she needs to. Her loyalty to her brothers made me😭

The story was really well written and does end on a cliffhanger so now it's a wait for book 2💔 which I will be reading 💯

The only thing I wasn't a fan of is im not sure if a love triangle between her and the brothers is the point or not.. I'm just not a fan

Some great tropes in the story include
*trials
*Vampires
*badass FMC
*magical world

It seems like recently, a lot of books I’ve read have an element of Roman society; emperors, gladiators and the like. This book just handled that really well. While the fantasy is there, (vampires, magical creatures and gods) it is woven seamlessly into the historical aspects. The FMC is basically a badass, but traumatically wounded. So the story has both her strength and weakness. The MMC is conflicted and has difficult family problems. Without spoilers, i can say I’ll be anxiously waiting for the next installment. I received this ebook as an ARC. The book doesn’t publish until later this year. I just hope I don’t have to wait too long for book #2.

Okay… this book? Was EVERYTHING. And when I say everything, I mean everything.

I was completely sucked in from the first chapter. Arvelle is such a ride-or-die main character, fierce, smart, stubborn, and so easy to root for. The plot had me on edge the whole time, especially the Sundering trials (I was stressed).

And the vampires?? Yeah. Yeah. I was not prepared. Tiernon has me in a chokehold, and I also hate how much I’m obsessed with Rorrik even though I know better. Like… you just can’t help but root for my guy Rorrik, my misunderstood villain. I see you, sir.

The tension, the betrayals, the magic, it was all just SO GOOD. And the slow unraveling of Arvelle’s powers and the whole conspiracy behind it?? I can’t wait to find out more. The twists actually caught me off guard in the best way.

I’m fully attached, emotionally ruined, and already spiraling about book 2. Stacia Stark, you did not have to go this hard.

I had a really fun time reading this book. The characters and the story were really enjoyable and kept me hooked the entire time.

I enjoyed the main characters interactions, not sure which male character is my favorite.

I really liked Tiernon, but at the end I think I love Rorrik more. I think its because he's so dark, dangerous and mysterious.

I already cant wait for the next book!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the gifted eARC!

When I saw this book I immediately requested. I’m a sucker for a good gladiator story and one where the lead gladiator is a woman? Sign me up! Because of this I think I was anticipating to love the story more than I did. Don’t get me wrong I still enjoyed it! But I didn’t get sucked into it in a way that would make me love the story.

There were times that I found it hard to keep up with who was speaking when, as well as times that one specific moment dragged out for way too long. I think those are the main things that pulled me out of the story a few times.

While I enjoyed the character development of our main fmc, I found the mmc a little lacking. I did however love some of the side characters such as Rorrick and Maeva. I’m excited to see how the storyline develops in the next book.

I’m invested enough that I wanna know what comes next after that cliffhanger at the end I would still recommend to others who may enjoy it more than I did.

I’m not sure where I stand on this. The world building was long and confusing. Even after finishing it, I’m still not sure I understand. Our main character Arvelle is likable but also kind of an idiot? You’re in a deadly game with vampires and magical beings - be less trusting. I do really like Tiernan and Rorrick. They remind me of two other characters whose names start with the same letters….ANYWAY. I know I have a version that will go through more edits so I don’t want to judge too harshly. It needs a little more polish and maybe some scenes from the middle cut for length but overall it was enjoyable. The story stuck with me as I went about my life which is a really positive sign. I’m curious to see the response when it gets published. I wouldn’t say it’s for the people new to fantasy so if it’s pitched as “perfect for lovers of X series” I think people will be disappointed. Let it be its own thing. Deadly games, vampires, people with magic, brothers that want the same girl, interesting power dynamics.

***Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for sending me an ARC of this book!**

Gladiator, Hunger Games, Vampires, what more can you ask for in vibes for a Romantasy book. This book is a bit challenging to read at times with pacing seemingly a bit off, but overall I really enjoyed this book. Enjoyed the world building, magic elements, Gods, myths, and vampires are so much to take in and see come together so wonderfully. Excited to see where the next book takes us.

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to read this ARC.
I absolutely love Stacia’s writing style. She has a way to immediately pull you into her worlds. The world building in this book was amazing. You can tell a lot of work went into her research to write this story.
We who will die, played like a movie throughout my mind. The entire vibe of the book kept me on my toes and guessing. The MFC- Arvelle was a relatable character, who was witty, feisty and had a strong personality. I instantly liked her. The Males has me swooning and I especially have a book crush on Rorrik. I am secretly cheering on the enemy to lover vibe.
This book had me falling in love with vampires again. I loved Stacia’s take on how vampires are transformed into night predators. I loved the mix of maginari, and I cannot wait to learn more about them.
I could not put this book down and I cannot wait for the next one!

An extremely unique read! I really enjoyed Arvelle as a lead, I thought she was strong FMC. My favorite parts were the ones with Arvelle and Tiernon. Their relationship made me very nostalgic and I’m absolutely loving them together so far. My concern was with some of the world-building in that it felt a bit like it was being dumped on me. I also thought the pacing of the story was a bit strange in hindsight, I’m not sure of the direction of the story. But the setting in this Roman inspired world was just great. Finally, I’m super excited to see what happens with Rorrick, is this a potential love triangle?