'Can you smell the salt tinged air? Can you feel the heat of the sun? Are you living, Arvelle?'

⭐⭐⭐½

This book was a wild ride through a Roman inspired fantasy world, and I absolutely flew through it.

In We Who Will Die, I enjoyed reading about the different trials and political intricacies in this brutal world. I really do think that if you loved The Serpent and The Wings of Night, you'll like the magic system and the trials within this book, as they were very comparable.

I love how immersive Stacia Stark's writing style is, but one thing that frustrated me about this book was the extensive cast of characters. I had the same issue with her earlier Kingdom of Lies series, and found that there are far too many characters who really don't all need to be there.

Many of the side characters mentioned in this book lacked depth, and it was impossible to differentiate some from others. If they did meet an untimely end, I found it a bit hard to care too much. It only served to overcomplicate the plot, in my opinion, which was already quite dense with multiple subplots.

That being said, this book was still really entertaining, and I thought the setting with its Ancient Greek/Ancient Roman setting was fun and unique. I'd love to see the Gods explored more in depth in book 2, and after that cliffhanger, I will definitely read the next book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Stacia Stark for the ARC!
This started a little slow, but once it picked up I was hooked. By the end, I was desperate for more, Book 2 can’t come soon enough!

Arvelle is such a layered FMC, fiercely protective of her brothers and still carrying the trauma from previous trials. Her strength, determination, and depth made her perspective so engaging

The love triangle was a highlight, two very different, equally compelling love interests. If you’re a Vampire Diaries fan, you’ll love this dynamic! I also adored the flashbacks, which gave a richer look at Arvelle’s past and added emotional weight.
Packed with magic, trials, vampires, mythical creatures, and dark, dreamy men, this is a must-read for fantasy romance fans

This brought me out of my reading slump!

An intriguing story with a lot of plots and subplots, political intrigue, schemes left right and centre and a second chance romance and are we sensing....a love triangle? Yes ma'am I think thats where the next book will go! Think Stefan x Damon vibes

I was getting Red Queen mixed with roman empire gladiator vampire vibes, a tough FMC named Arvelle who will do anything to protect the only family she has left.

The magic system, confusing at first, grows and develops throughout the book, and because I read this as an e-Arc the formating confused me at times because there were flashbacks at points but the formatting didnt change to show I had started reading a flashback.

I also hope we get ALOT more Rorrik in the next book lol.

Synopsis:

Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.

Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.

She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.

With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.

To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…

I fear I won't stop thinking about this book until I can get my hands on the next installment. This book was incredible. The world building was easy to follow and totally immersive. The characters felt well rounded and I loved the relationships that developed between them. When I saw the book has been compared to the Vampire Diaries I was immediately sold and the comparison did not disappoint! I too found myself wondering if it was okay to love them both...

This HAS to be the next big book in 2026 or I'll be having words with you all!

I am genuinely saddened that this book is over, I could have easily read another 400 pages, but alas, I have to wait for the second instalment (im crying for the wait)

We Who Will Not Die has reignited my love for Roman/Greek Mythology and Vampires! Stacia has done an incredible job of immersing us into Arvelle's world, and it is one of my favourite fantasy reads of 2025.

"In exchange for her brother’s life, Arvelle must enter the Sundering - a deadly competition where the winners are chosen for the Imperius - the emperor’s elite guard."

The story not only has a compelling plot but it is also character-driven. There magic system is unique and there is so much action (think Roman Empire colosseum fighting) and the stakes are HIGH. A lot of the themes also hit close to home (grief in particular, but it was written so tastefully).

Arvelle's personality was great. she was consistent and headstrong and was always eager to learn. She has a TON of character growth but her values and morals always stayed the same. I really appreciate those traits in an FMC.

Also our entourage of side characters? perfection! Every character interaction had me hooked, each side character felt fleshed out and every single one brings something important to the story.

I actually loved the one P.O.V, it's added so much suspense, and I truly just loved Arvelle as a character, so sticking with her throughout the book is something I have no issues with.

The themes are terrifying, vivid, and harsh. Stacia has done an amazing job in showing us how brutal this world is and we are only just scratching the surface on how deep the lore goes.
I CANNOT wait for the second book!

This 👏🏼 book 👏🏼! 4.5 stars!! If it’s not already on your TBR add it immediately!!! I could not put it down, and absolutely loved it 👌🏻 It’s Gladiator x The Vampire Diaries vibes, complete with vampires x sigil marked, a complicated love triangle, tension, magic, magical creatures, twists and turns, hidden identities, emotional damage and a kick ass FMC who I loved.

Arvelle’s a sigil marked whose world is violent, unforgiving and gritty. She’s forced to make a magically binding vow to assassinate the vampire emperor in order to keep her brothers safe, but not everything is as it seems. Made to compete in a high stakes competition known as the Sundering, in order to join the elite guard for the Emperor and complete her mission, Arvelle uncovers a deadly conspiracy whilst also drawing the attention of not only The Primus but the Emperors sadistic son Rorrick, all whist fighting for survival. I cannot wait for book 2, because the ending left my jaw on the floor and wanting to re read it to find any clues that ai missed in the first read 🖤 ✨

Thank you to NetGalley and Stacia Stark for the eARC 🥰

"All this time I thought leaving you smashed my heart into pieces, and I’d be picking shards out of my chest until the day I died. But my heart wasn’t smashed. I left it with you, and you’ve held it hostage ever since.”

Would you believe this is my first @staciastarkauthor book I’ve ever read! I wish I hopped on that train ages ago because I’ve been missing out 😍

As usual, the tropes are below for your perusal 😉

💗 Unique Magic Systems
⚔️ Deathly Trials
💗 Vampires
⚔️ Gladiators
💗 Mysterious Murders

This follows Arvelle who lives with her twin younger brothers in the slums of Thorn. She’s not only struggling to ensure there is enough food on the table and taxes are paid, but she also needs to provide tonics to her brother Ev, who has a deadly lung disease. That is until a vampire shows up on her doorstep with a deal that will change their lives forever. Kill the ancient vampire Emperor, in exchange for her brother to be healed fully.

This gave me Vampire Diaries meets Gladiator vibes!

Arvelle is the perfect example of what not to do when grieving someone. But she at least acknowledges that she is cold and distant because of it. She eventually realises the error of her ways and gradually changes towards the end of the story. She’s also pretty badass!!

I do like Tiernon, though towards the end I feel he was somewhat forgettable at times 😬 if he wasn’t mentioned I didn’t miss him.

My favourite character throughout was Rorrick. Not sure what is it with me and psychotic bad boys, but it appears I cannot help it. Does he enjoy killing and torturing people? Sure, I mean it appears that way. But I know he has a heart deep down and does care for certain people. Or I could be completely delulu and he just enjoys doing those things for fun since he’s so old. But I’ll stick with my first assessment.

As a whole, I really enjoyed the story. The unique magic system intrigued me. Though I feel we could have benefited from multiple POV’s. I also feel going back and forth between timelines could be outlined a little better. I would at time get confused because it felt like i was still in the present not the past or vice versa.