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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
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
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Empire of the Vampire reminded me why I love sinking into a huge, blood-soaked fantasy…even if it took a while to get there. For the first half, I kept waiting to feel fully invested; I was entertained, sure, but not yet hooked. Somewhere around the midway point the story finally sank its fangs in, and from that moment I couldn’t look away.
Kristoff’s world is gorgeously grim: a twilight realm where faith, vengeance, and the last scraps of hope are always at war. His framing device—Gabriel de León recounting his life to a chronicler—creates a sweeping, almost mythic atmosphere, and once the parallel timelines found their rhythm I loved how the past and present refracted off each other.
Gabriel himself is equal parts scoundrel and reluctant hero. Early on his swagger and over-the-top bravado tested my patience, but as his backstory unfolded, the cracks in his armor—and the grief that forged them—came into focus. By the end I was invested not just in his survival, but in the complicated, messy heart beating beneath all the bravado. I don’t want to say a ton about the characters because I enjoyed going in blind but I will say that all the characters - main and supporting were well developed and interesting (Astrid is my favorite).
"I’d tear the wings off an angel to fly this cage. I’d claw down the sky to carve my name into this earth."
For all the gore and grit, what lingers is the scope: brotherhood and betrayal, the ache of lost faith, the stubborn flicker of love in a world gone dark. And despite the page count, it’s remarkably easy to read—one of the most compulsively readable fantasies I’ve picked up in years.
“And I wondered then: Could goodness come of sin? And if so, how could it be sin at all? What care I, the life these two lived? The Dead cared not for who we loved, nor creed nor kin nor any other measure”
The book itself is a work of art: the black-and-white illustrations scattered throughout are dramatic and perfectly matched to the story’s gothic mood. And the audiobook? Next-level. It’s the kind of immersive, cinematic production that feels less like listening to a recording and more like watching a film unfold in your mind.
“‘How does a man pray?” “‘I don’t know. I don—” “‘He prays on his knees, Gabriel."
Why not a full five? Simply because it took half the book for me to feel truly pulled under. But once it hit its stride, this tale of darkness and defiance delivered everything I want from epic fantasy—can’t wait to pick up book 2.
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff is an epic, dark fantasy novel chronicling the life of Gabriel de León, the last silversaint, as he battles a world plunged into near-eternal darkness by the rise of vampire empires. This book is widely praised as a daring, intricate masterpiece and considered a 5/5 star read for lovers of gritty, beautifully woven vampire tales.
The story is set in a world where the sun has been dimmed for twenty-seven years, allowing vampires to wage war against humanity and build their own empire. Gabriel de León belongs to the holy Silver Order, dedicated to eradicating vampires, but the order ultimately fails, leaving Gabriel as the last hope.
Empire of the Vampire stands out for its atmospheric storytelling, emotionally real characters, and inventive take on vampire fantasy, making it truly deserving of a 5/5 star rating among dark fantasy enthusiasts.
The story is set in a world where the sun has been dimmed for twenty-seven years, allowing vampires to wage war against humanity and build their own empire. Gabriel de León belongs to the holy Silver Order, dedicated to eradicating vampires, but the order ultimately fails, leaving Gabriel as the last hope.
Empire of the Vampire stands out for its atmospheric storytelling, emotionally real characters, and inventive take on vampire fantasy, making it truly deserving of a 5/5 star rating among dark fantasy enthusiasts.
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff is a book that truly caught me by surprise. In all honesty, the title is sort of ... forgettable. Like something you'd see in a line up of books in the fantasy section, and it just feels so generic that you move on without ever giving it a second thought. I know this is be definition, judging a book by its cover, but still. It was recommended to me by a friend because of its "biting dialogue". I was pleased to be wrong in my assumptions about this book.
I first want to talk about the things I think would be most divisive before I go into what I like. This is the sort of book that wears its inspirations on its sleeve. Meaning, it has a very almost cartoonishly post 00s edginess. The main character, Gabriel De Leon, is by definition an unabashed edge lord. A grim past, a career cynic, unironically states: "I never called my self a hero", but... I love it. I'll get more into that in a bit. Another thing is that it really does subscribe to the grim dark atmosphere and does not pull its punches. Characters speak vulgarly, it depicts many levels of psychological, physical, and even sexual abuse. It is certainly not for the faint of heart, but I never got the feeling that it was being indulgent. I felt like it described things without needing to take a foray into unnecessary detail, which can be appreciated considering the level of brutality in this world.
The things I loved about this book have to be its dialogue and its characters. Mr. Kristoff is genuinely a funny person, and made me chuckle out loud a number of times. He also can write a really poignant scene, I genuinely teared up at one point, and I was bummed out for the rest of the day. I really love the pacing as well, it's told in three different time lines, and it alternates between third person (present) and first person (past) because the story is being recounted to us. Very cool concept that I haven't seen used that much. The character work is by far the stand out. I was very unsure of it at first, everyone sort of sucked in their own way, but then they really grew on me, and I felt myself genuinely caring what fates may/may not befall them. Also, the setting and atmosphere is superb. The world feels lived in, and takes a lot of inspiration from French history and by extension, a franchise near and dear to my heart, Bloodborne. I would consider this book a page turner. I would often tell myself that I can only fit in 10-20 pages on any given night, and sometimes I'd find myself breezing through 50+ pages, and on particularly good days, almost 100 in one sitting. I haven't done that since I read Game of Thrones a little over a decade ago.
Empire of the Vampire was a fantastic start to what will become a trilogy, and I find that I am fan of Jay Kristoff and will be looking into his other work. I cannot recommend this enough if you're looking for something with Bloodborne aesthetic, witty dialogue with a similar edge to Batman (2022), a gripping & imaginative world, and some truly harrowing scenes of despair. Love this book!
I first want to talk about the things I think would be most divisive before I go into what I like. This is the sort of book that wears its inspirations on its sleeve. Meaning, it has a very almost cartoonishly post 00s edginess. The main character, Gabriel De Leon, is by definition an unabashed edge lord. A grim past, a career cynic, unironically states: "I never called my self a hero", but... I love it. I'll get more into that in a bit. Another thing is that it really does subscribe to the grim dark atmosphere and does not pull its punches. Characters speak vulgarly, it depicts many levels of psychological, physical, and even sexual abuse. It is certainly not for the faint of heart, but I never got the feeling that it was being indulgent. I felt like it described things without needing to take a foray into unnecessary detail, which can be appreciated considering the level of brutality in this world.
The things I loved about this book have to be its dialogue and its characters. Mr. Kristoff is genuinely a funny person, and made me chuckle out loud a number of times. He also can write a really poignant scene, I genuinely teared up at one point, and I was bummed out for the rest of the day. I really love the pacing as well, it's told in three different time lines, and it alternates between third person (present) and first person (past) because the story is being recounted to us. Very cool concept that I haven't seen used that much. The character work is by far the stand out. I was very unsure of it at first, everyone sort of sucked in their own way, but then they really grew on me, and I felt myself genuinely caring what fates may/may not befall them. Also, the setting and atmosphere is superb. The world feels lived in, and takes a lot of inspiration from French history and by extension, a franchise near and dear to my heart, Bloodborne. I would consider this book a page turner. I would often tell myself that I can only fit in 10-20 pages on any given night, and sometimes I'd find myself breezing through 50+ pages, and on particularly good days, almost 100 in one sitting. I haven't done that since I read Game of Thrones a little over a decade ago.
Empire of the Vampire was a fantastic start to what will become a trilogy, and I find that I am fan of Jay Kristoff and will be looking into his other work. I cannot recommend this enough if you're looking for something with Bloodborne aesthetic, witty dialogue with a similar edge to Batman (2022), a gripping & imaginative world, and some truly harrowing scenes of despair. Love this book!