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princessxnicole's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Cursing, and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Addiction, Sexual content, and Homophobia
cheseliz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The writing is fantastic, the characters hilarious and flawed, and the world-building is done well. The story is dark and bleak with bits of hope scattered throughout, so be aware of that before picking it up, as well as the strong themes and ideas that dive into dark parts of religion and belief.
Contains:
-Explicit language
-Sexual content
-Violence and gore
Graphic: Violence and Cursing
Moderate: Sexual content
kommatator's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- Dislike of illustrations
- No fan of anoying bards
- Hating the found family trope
- Family freud with a vampire clan is a no go
- Love of the drug addicted, alcoholic main character who's grieving and a bastard
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Alcohol, Violence, Drug use, Grief, Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Cursing, and Murder
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Sexual content
foreverinastory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Rep: Achillean Black male side character, achillean male side character, two sapphic female side characters, various BIPOC side characters.
CWs: Alcohol consumption/alcoholism, animal death, blood, body shaming, child abuse, cursing, death, death of parent, fire/fire injury, gore, homophobia, injury/injury detail, misogyny, murder, religious bigotry, sexism, sexual content, torture, violence, war.
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and War
rebthack's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Reminiscent of Kristoff’s Godsgrave series, empire of the vampire tells the story of a fallen hero - lots of snark, drink, and anger. But under it all, Gabriel has a strong moral compass, compassion, and is raw with pain. Definitely not for the feint of heart, this book is bloody, dark, complicated, and has a lot to say about religion.
If you have a twisted sense of humor, love a good adventure, and embrace the ambiguous path that life throws at you, this book should be right up your alley.
Just remember, Jay Kristoff doesn’t believe in happy endings…
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Violence, War, Alcohol, and Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, and Child death
t_higgsreviews's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Re-Read = 26 October 2022
5 Stars
CAWPILE = 9.43
In the sight of the Seven Martyrs I declare this book a masterpiece! I've taken a while to write this because it's impossible to go into too much about what I loved about it without spoiling anything but I'll give it a shot. It's a dark, snarky, multi-layered, gore-filled deep dive into what a world without sunlight and inhabited by vampires would be like. This has great, immersive world building, complex and flawed characters as well as a rollercoaster of a plot that will have you feeling ALL the emotions. Now just to wait on book 2 with bated breath and pine for yet another thing that Jay Kristoff has come up with that doesn't exist.
Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Grief, Confinement, Cursing, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Murder, Blood, Child death, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Vomit, Child abuse, Excrement, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting
Minor: Pregnancy
applejacksbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.
From start to finish I was captured by the storytelling. I loved the prose and how it's a story within a story. I can see the inspiration from Name of the Wind and Interview with a Vampire and The Da Vinci Code, but this somehow takes all three and makes them better.
Pros: I loved all of the creative new ways to insult someone. The jumping from the past being told and back to the present was really well done as the character that's "interviewing" our main guy asks him to explain things that the reader might not have understood otherwise.
Cons: I don't really have a ton at the moment. The flipping between French and Scots when the characters speak was a little rough to get through in some places.
Overall, though I love the story and I really cannot wait to get both copies of it that I ordered
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, and War
leahjanespeare's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Sexual content, Torture, Religious bigotry, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia, Animal death, and Stalking
Minor: Sexual violence