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alanis_thespookyreader's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug use, Grief, Animal death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Cursing, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Violence, War, Blood, and Body horror
sandrae04'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
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexism, Violence, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Blood, Child death, Homophobia, Addiction, Grief, and Animal death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death of parent, Torture, War, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Drug use
patrissia10's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, Alcohol, Death, Grief, Blood, and Gore
clairew97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Ableism, Animal death, Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Genocide, Grief, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Abandonment, Bullying, Cannibalism, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Torture, Alcoholism, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Violence, and War
thewereraven's review against another edition
Graphic: Drug use, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Murder, Blood, Cursing, War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Sexism
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, Body horror, Bullying, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Child abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Minor: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia
fivexfiveb'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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Torture, Grief, Bullying, and Child death
anntharai's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The issues I have with it REALLY irk me.
The world building is immaculate if a bit on the nose, really vivid writing and visceral descriptions, a great mechanic. Love the use of tattoos and the lore building. Overall I liked the story itself.
The issues, though?
I found myself rolling my eyes at a lot of the vulgarity because it was genuinely ludicrous at times. Swearing doesn’t bother me in the slightest but the lengths to which these characters went just to get a “banged your relative” joke in was over the top.
Everything has a simile. Everything. The doors locked like a secret. The floors cold like the night. The night air cold like knives. Wind like knives. Words like knives. Running frightened like a startled horse in a barn on fire and the devil whipping it all the way. The lips red like red things.
The repetitive phrases (fuck my face, like his lady’s lips the last time he kissed her, better a bastard than a fool) stopped feeling symbolic and started feeling like a crutch about half way through and using the same *twist* mechanic used twice (gender neutral names being the crux of two stories told so closely together) made it feel less polished than it could have been.
Thanks to various reviews etc I was also expecting a “big thing” to shock me at the end but I kind of felt it was obvious…?
Anti-climactic, in a word, but I do want to know what happens so it’s not like I hated it.
Graphic: Abandonment, Violence, War, Torture, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Outing, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Hate crime, Gore, Excrement, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Blood
shadeyc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed it mostly. There is always that moment when I read Kristoff books (actually not just Kristoff books, there are a couple that do it) where I sigh and roll my eyes and think 'here we go again, some more torture for your MC that doesn't actually give much to the story'. It's not bad, it's just a little tiring. Sometimes I think his books could be much shorter and properly breathtaking all the way to the end.
Anyway. I like Gabe. He's a bastard as intended. But he's also a dumbarse, but I guess that's the point.
I LOVE the illustrations, that was a cool touch. I have a special spot in my heart for Baptiste. And all the good good dogs, and good good horses, and good good giant kitties.
In general the story is pretty solid, and the format it unfolds in works really well to keep intrigue going (aside from that aforementioned horrid momentum dragging bit).
Oh also, I hate it when a reveal or reveals happen and you see them coming for miles, I cannot be the only one who saw all that foreshadowing, it was pretty heavy handed, there was A LOT.
Maybe I'm just tired and cynical, and want to get all my jolly's faster than I can read these bricks.
Will be interesting to see what actually gets put into the next book.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Gore, Blood, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying and Homophobia
Minor: Death of parent and Child death
karapillar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Stalking, Body horror, Child death, Drug abuse, Grief, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Gun violence, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Torture
Moderate: Excrement, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, War, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Vomit, and Stalking
Minor: Pregnancy and Rape
justanothergirl_23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
First of all can we take a moment to appreciate that cover? Because damn!
Now let's get to the actual book;
Jay Kristoff has never been known as a kind writer or even a writer who's anything less than brutal but holy shit for all of my mental preparation, I couldn't have possibly been prepared for THIS!
I now understand why Mr. Kristoff was hyping this book as much as he did; the man did not hold back! This was brutal and gory and graphic, and although I am not a queasy reader there were parts where I had to pause the audiobook and get some fresh air before I could continue!
There was one scene in particular that I can't think of without gagging, hell I feel like throwing up as I'm writing this and it there scene where
Don't get me wrong, yes it's gory as all hell but it's not a bad book in the slightest, nor is it gory just for the heck of it. The brutality is there because the story requires it and it's woven in very well.
Empire of The Vampire is told in a very interesting way, where it starts with our MC; Gabriel in a cell and he's asked to tell the story of how he killed the Forever King. But unlike I expected, that exchange wasn't a one-off thing, as a matter of fact the dialogue between Gabe and the vampire prompting him for the story are core parts of our tales and they give a lot of insight. We also jump from one point to another so the story isn't told chronologically but rather in a very "My ADHD-self telling a story I'm excited about" way; which may not be for everyone but I for one, loved it!
I ended this book with more questions than I started so I hope the next book will come out soon!
Overall this was an incredible albeit brutal read and if you find the idea interesting then I highly recommend it!
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Gore, Murder, War, Blood, and Violence