INCREDIBLE!! More than 5 stars 🌟 I loved every bit of this book. It made me laugh, cry, jaw drop, mind blown, all of the things I lovvvve in a great fantasy book. I cannot wait to see what comes next in this series, Stacia Stark just gets me 🥰

An absolute must read!

If Gladiator and the Hunger games had a magical baby it would be this book. I have honestly devoured this book and can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy for my book shelf.

The heroine is doing her best just to survive day to day when she is blackmailed into doing someone else’s bidding. As a result she is thrust into a dangerous world while also having to relive the worst time in her life. As she fights her way through, she rediscovers an old love, a few new allies and begins to learn about her own powers. The book sucked me in to the last page.

If you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries, you will LOVE Stacia Stark's newest series! Now, you may start reading and think, "Kimberly, just because there are vampires doesn't mean it's like TVD." Just keep reading.

Then there's the element of Roman Gladiators which is so unique compared to the insane amount of fantasy stories I've consumed.

I have a feeling (especially since it's TVD-esque) that I know partly where this is going to go and just like I felt watching my favorite series, I have mixed emotions and know that my heart will simultaneous break and cheer.

This book is both character and plot driven, so you get the best of both worlds!

My first initial reaction after finishing We Who Will Die: WHAT A FREAKING TRIP?!!!

First off big thank you to NetGalley & Avon/HarperCollins Publishing for an early copy to read and review! This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it didn’t disappoint.

I’d first like to say this is my very first Stacia Stark book and let me tell you it will not be my last. After finishing this bad boy I can’t wait to go backwards and read her other series. But I digress, back to her newest 2025 release, We Who Will Die. This book was a freaking rollercoaster ride. I honestly thought this was going to be “Hunger Games but with Vampires”. BOY OH BOY was I wrong. Instead we have Roman Empire inspired world filled with ruthless vampires, insane magic systems, and mythical creatures.

I will not lie this world was brutal and intense so please check trigger warnings before you decide to read this. Many of the fighting and combat scenes are graphic. And they got so intense at times I had to put the book down and take a breather. That being said, not only is the action intense. But the plot and subplots are complex and elaborate. Part of the reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 was because it felt like the book was trying to push too many things into one book. And at times all of those storylines can get confusing. Heck even I had to back track at certain points just to make sure I read and understood everything correctly. I think what would’ve made all of these subplots better is if we had a dual POV. We only see Arvelle’s POV. I hope in book two we get Rorrik’s POV.


Another thing that kept me from giving this 5 stars was the romance. Now I’m not going to go into crazy detail cause I wanna keep this spoiler free. But I have a love/hate relationship with the romance. I know who I want to be with Arvelle. But I don’t necessarily like the set up. There’s one line in particular that was said, gave me the side eye yuck face. I’m hoping we get a more elaborate explanation after that sentence. Even with that said I’m excited to see this love story play out. And I hope the tension goes even higher in book 2.

Overall, I throughly enjoyed this book. I 100% recommend everyone reading it when it releases December 30th.

This was received as an ARC in exchange for an honest review — thank you Stacia Stark & Netgalley for the gifted eARC.
Book: We Who Will Die
Series: Empire of Blood
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Rating: 5⭐ (x ∞)

5/5 Relationships
5/5 Characters
5/5 Plot
3🌶

*:✿˚⋆ SPOILER FREE REVIEW *:✿˚⋆

I am absolutely IN LOVE with this book. As of yet, I can officially say that this is my favourite read of the year. I am genuinely so sad that I have a bunch of ARCs to review on deadline because I want to start my re-read right now. I have been raving about this book on insta while reading it because I am obsessed with it, I cannot stop talking about it, it’s all I can think about. My relationship with this book is 100% unhealthy and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Strap in, this will be a long review.

The main plot is so well written that, 60% into the book, I still had no clue how the story would end. I generally get the premise’s layout pegged early on, which allows me to predict how the story will unfold through the book. As a self-proclaimed “narrative ninja”, a plot that keeps me on my toes and doesn’t let me predict the outcome is a major +++ as I get to experience the plot to its fullest. In this case, you think you know the whole plot within the first 25%, but you only really know the surface of it all. As you get deeper into the book, you understand that the premise is multi-layered, and by the end you realise that even though you’ve seen a few layers, the depth of the plot has barely been reached. What you do see of the premise is captivating and keeps you hooked and reeling for more throughout the entirety of the book, which makes it incredibly hard to put it down and return to reality. It has been some time since a book has kept me reading until 4AM knowing fully well I had to wake up in a few hours to go to work. I simply could not stop reading and frankly, did not want to, regardless of the consequences. There were no significant plot holes, if any.

The pacing was, in my opinion, some of the best I’ve seen. It felt realistic and consistent. The flow was easy to follow and understand, and even without the author having to mention the checkpoints often, you could estimate how long each event had been from each other with ease.

The writing was eloquent, evocative and rich. There wasn’t any point in the book where I felt like the writing was wonky, or thought that a sentence could have been better written. The author provided an abundance of details and flavor, allowing the reader to clearly picture the scenes and environments (which is something I often struggle with). The writing provided clear images and deep understanding of the events, and I could easily picture memories or flashbacks and deeply empathise with the characters' feelings.

The world-building was rich and vivid. I would say it might not be one of the deepest world-buildings I’ve seen, but probably one of the most well-balanced. The author immaculately immerses you into the world, allowing you to immediately understand how it functions, but still managing to not let it feel like an information dump, which allows the reader to enjoy the book from the very beginning.

Now, on to the characters. I love these characters so so much. I think they were very well presented, and their personalities very well constructed. I truly loved every single character — whether loved to love them or loved to hate them. Every significant character has a depth to them; some that you get to dive through immediately, and some that are still left to deep-dive into. The background and history of each has been introduced and somewhat dipped into, but you can tell that there is still so much to learn about all of them. The FMC is relatable and beautifully flawed, and the MMCs could not be more different from each other while having such intricate depth to them, which I cannot wait to deep-dive into in the next book(s?). The side characters also have some depth that rivals the main characters, which allows you to fall in love with them just the same.

Now to my favorite part: the relationships. Whether it’s with family, friends, or lovers, they are all so interesting and enticing. The development of friends to new-found family, or even the sibling relationships, will tug at your heartstrings and make you feel as if you are right there with them, living the emotions. The romantic relationships, though, are on a whole other level. I swear, the last time I have been this giddy and enchanted was when I first read ACOTAR and Fourth Wing. I am so in love with the romances in this book, it’s insane. I really don’t want to say too much about this because I truly thinks it’s one of the best, most well-written romances of its genre, and I don’t want to spoil the experience for anyone, but I will say that the romantic relationships in this book are definitely in my top 3 all-time romances in any genre.

This has got to be one of the longest reviews I’ve ever written, so if you made it this far, I tip my hat to you. I truly hope that I was able to convince some of you to read this book because, if you are looking for your next Fantasy Romance, you should pick up this one, no hesitation. I think this absolutely has the potential to be the next big thing, and I really hope it does because omg does it deserve it. I cannot wait for it to be published so that everyone gets to experience it, it’s honestly one of the best reads I’ve ever had.

3.5 rounded up!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!
This was so good. There are vampires, humans, tons of mythical creatures. SO MANY PLOT TWISTS?! I never saw ANY of the twists coming, which I LOVED.

Arvelle is a tough FMC. She is protective & loyal to her twin brothers who she raised. She is strong, brave, & I loved rooting for her.
The way she acquired power threw me for a loop, especially since Arvelle is so honorable & caring. It's like it was a gift.

I loved how the author showed Arvelle's grief & how Kassia's death so many years ago affected her then AND now because grief & blaming herself doesn't just go away. It takes work to move forward with that pain & guilt.

LANGUAGE: several uses of f-word & a few of other minor swear words
SPICE: 2 open door scenes (within ch25 & within ch27) that was easy to skip.

I'm excited for the next book after that ending!

I was so excited to receive an ARC for We Who Will Die after seeing many 5 star early reviews, but unfortunately I was left a bit disappointed. Let's start with what worked: the premise of the book is incredibly compelling- a strong female character who has to enter a series of gladiator-style trials and kill the emperor in order to save her sickly brother. This book also has the beginnings of a possible love triangle between our FMC and two brothers, which I usually eat up. The last 20% of the book is fast-paced and full of so many twists and turns.

Where it fell short for me was the execution. There was just too much happening all at once- too many characters, too many names, and too many side plots. I even took notes of the characters early on, and I still found myself flipping back, confused about who was who. This lessened the impact of some big reveals later in the story because I was having trouble keeping track of everyone and remembering why they were important.

That said, We Who Will Die was still a worthwhile read, and I am excited to read the second book after that cliffhanger ending!

We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark combines gladiators and vampires in a thrilling Roman Empire-inspired fantasy romance.

The Roman Empire-inspired aspects in this story are something I've never encountered before in a fantasy, and my little history nerd brain loved it so much. This story provided such a unique combination of plot elements, all tied together in this imperial setting.

We Who Will Die has so many exciting twists and turns, ferocious battles, and stunning, heart-wrenching plot twists. All the artfully layered plot elements ensure readers are never quite sure what will happen next. There is so much suspense built into this story, and it keeps readers on their toes and on the edge of their seats.

This book is incredibly timely. It gives a strong message about megalomaniac rulers and the oppressive societies they rule from their gold-gilded palaces. Despite the fact that it is entirely set in a fantasy world, it feels incredibly applicable to our modern society.

That said, We Who Will Die features an impressive cast of characters that fit into an elaborate story and expansive world. These characters beautifully demonstrate grief, anger, and love. Despite the fact none of them are human in the way we are, they perfectly demonstrate the highs and lows of humanity.

There are gladiators. And vampires. Did I even have to say more? We Who Will Die is a truly excellent fantasy, with an incredible idea that was executed beautifully, and I loved every page.

I loved this take on magic and vampires. This book also pulled from ancient Roman culture with the gladiator style fighting and temples to all the various gods. I loved watching our FMC overcome her grief and figure out how to become a person again as well as how she had to heal a whole mess of childhood trauma from her "druggie" mom, to her brothers injury, to her best friends death, to her best friend/boyfriend leaving her without a trace. I felt like I got to see her grow up to become who she was always meant to be and who she wanted to be.
I will without a doubt be reading the rest of this series.

If you love the Gladiator and vampires, you’re going to want to pick this one up!
Arvelle is just trying to make ends meet for her brothers and keep them healthy, but then she’s approached and coerced by a vampire to return to the place where she lost her best friend.
This book was FILLED with twists and turns! My only complaint is it felt a smidge too long focusing on Arvelles training but the action is nonstop from page 1! Arvelle goes through a LOT in this book and has so much personal growth from being closed off to making new friends and allies. I enjoyed the banter she had with the MMC (trying to not give anything away!), and their history together made me love them even more. In a sense this book is a second chance romance!
In this book you get grief representation, familial issues, friends to lovers to frenemies back to lovers (lol), LOTS of forgiveness and growth, and of course vampires.
I think if you’re someone who enjoys a strong FMC and books with trials you’ll definitely enjoy this one!

Thank you Avon and Stacia Stark for this arc!

This book slayed in every sense of the word. Gritty, gripping, and full of heart—We Who Will Die is high-stakes fantasy with characters you’ll ache for. The emotional depth and slow-burn tension were chef’s kiss. Utterly epic.

This was a good start to what I can tell is going to be a great series. It took me a second to get connected with the fmc because she did frustrate me at times but I know it’s for the character growth that’ll come later in the series. This book gave me such Direbound vibes but in a good way. They are similar without being exact copies of each other and while some parts of the book is predictable. There are still moments where you’ll be taken by surprised and eagerly turning the pages. This book never got slow or boring for me and reading the budding start to some of my fav troupes like found family, future bad ass heroine, and the mix of mystical creatures was just chefs kiss. I really enjoyed the Roman, gladiator vibe of the story. (It was the right amount of brutal and dark that satisfied my dark side.) And dare I say that while tiernon is lovely and edible… I want the brother LOL. I hope we have a bit of a love triangle that turns to a reverse harem because I want BOTH of em. I feel like this book set the scene perfectly for things to pop off later and will be gladly reading the next books. Well done Stacia Stark, I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of your work!


(Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a chance to read this beauty!)

Thank you so much to Harper Collins and NetGalley for this ARC!

I am a longtime fan of Stacia Stark and this did not disappoint! This was a really cool blend of fantasy, Greek/Roman History, and slow burn romance.

Our FMC- Arvelle- is cynical, yet compassionate. Every big sister that has ever had to step up and parent in any way could relate to her drive to make life better for her brothers. Yet, the book also shows her evolution and emotional development to come out of that pain and let others in. I appreciated that the author did not spend a lot of time discussing how she looked but rather told us of her intelligence, her wit, her passion, and her ability to care even when she didn’t want to.

Our MMC(s) - I’m putting plural because yes there is an obvious one but the “villain ” isn’t quite a villain and my dark romance heart wants it to become a why choose love triangle. It probably won’t be but I’d be here for it!
Nevertheless the MMC-Ti- is brutal yet protective of everyone in his life. I appreciated how he is not at all one dimensional and I his growth in this trilogy will also come alongside the FMC well.

I also appreciate that the technical cliffhanger didn’t have me sobbing . Yes, I wanted to keep reading but it didn’t leave me with emotional damage that won’t be soothed for a year. Rather it ended with a little bow- I’m excited to see where book 2 takes them!

This review is going to change between now and publication, but I had to get some of my thoughts down now.

What a wild ride this was! I was immediately hooked on the plot and the intrigue, and the romantic tension had me on the edge of my seat. Would Velle give her former lover a second chance? Why did he abandon her? What is he hiding? And why is his evil older brother so hot and maybe, just maybe, not so evil??

We Who Will Die is easily in my top reads of 2025, possibly THE top read. I loved the Roman feel to the story with the gladians and the sadistic emperor. Mix in vampires, magic, and one woman who REFUSES to stay down, and you have a must-read novel.

Thank you so much, Avon and Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this. I'll flesh it out as my heartrate lowers. Those twists and turns! Holy guacamole!!!!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this absolute masterpiece. Stacie Stark absolutely blew me away with the book series this court, so cruel and lovely and this one blew me out of the water without amazing. It absolutely was the enemies to lovers was amazing our FMC was very relatable in a lot of ways. The vibes throughout this book were perfect. The pacing throughout this book was really also amazing. I did not feel bored once throughout this book, something was always happening and not into an overwhelming way either it just kept my attention throughout the whole thing. The trials in this book were what made me want to read it in the first place because I am a big trials and games lover, and this book hit every single mark with that. Plus add two brooding MMC‘s and this book was definitely a 10 out of 10. I will definitely recommend it to all of my followers and everybody because Stacy has done it once again.

If you love vengeful gods, which who doesn’t games and trials which are completely addicting enemies to lovers which that is top notch book trope and a deliciously sizzling slow burn. Please pick this one up. You will not be disappointed at all.

This story blends historical and fantasy elements with a compelling, character-driven plot. The magical touches enhance the emotional journey without overpowering the narrative. The characters feel authentic and their struggles resonate deeply. The pacing is steady, drawing you in while keeping the mystery alive. It’s a beautifully balanced book that offers both heart and mythological elements..

Stacia Stark has absolutely hit it out of the park with We Who Will Die! From the very first page, I was completely hooked. The character development was phenomenal! Watching each of them grow and evolve kept me glued to the story. I especially loved the chemistry between Velle and Ti... and even Velle and Rorrick. The dynamics between the three have me so intrigued, and I can’t wait to see where book two takes them!

What truly blew me away was the depth and detail woven into the gods and their histories. The world-building is so vivid, I felt like I could see the scenes playing out in my mind. Stark’s writing is immersive, emotional, and downright magical. I need more!! Book two can’t come fast enough!

I will post on instagram @heartofhomesteadreads closer to release!

Review:
This book grabbed me from page one and didn’t let go. The vibes were dark and dangerous in all the right ways, and the storyline felt fresh and original. I loved the high-stakes setup, the magic, and the brutal world Arvelle is forced to navigate to protect her brothers.

The Sundering trials were intense and immersive, and the pacing kept me turning pages late into the night. But what really stuck with me were the complicated relationships—especially with the two vampires tangled up in Arvelle’s fate. I still have so many questions about their true motives, which makes me even more excited for what’s to come in the series.

Stacia Stark blends fantasy, romance, and mystery in a way that feels effortless. The twists surprised me, the tension was palpable, and the emotional stakes hit hard. If you're into morally gray characters, layered worldbuilding, and heroines who never stop fighting, this one is a must-read.

I’ll definitely be continuing the series.

Finger-licking good doesn't even begin to cover it-this Roman-inspired Romantasy devours you whole and leaves you begging for more.

Think: enemies-to-lovers slow burn with just the right amount of forced proximity, set against a backdrop of political intrigue, magical trials, and gods with grudges. Vampires stalk the shadows, magical creatures roar in the blood-soaked dust, and every choice could shift the empire-or end it.

Our fierce FMC doesn't flinch, whether she's facing divine wrath or a broody MMC (or two) who'd rather brood than bleed. The banter? Hilarious. The stakes? High enough to make your heart race. The family? Found, feral, and full of feels.

It's got vengeful gods, deadly trials, sizzling tension, and a love story that burns slow-but hits hard. If the Roman Empire had fang-baring romantasy with bite, this would be it.

First off, I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged, and I finished it in a day! The FMC, Arvelle, is strong-willed and fierce, which I really liked! I also really enjoyed the battles and political intrigue. There was some confusion at times, and I felt like there could have been a bit more detail or explanation.

This book features high stakes, action, and romance. I am looking forward to what the next book entails!