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4.53 AVERAGE
4.53 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
Jay Kristoff continues to be one of my favourite authors. The last 100 pages or so of this book had me on the edge of my seat - racing towards the end - anxious to know what would happen next. This book was full of action, scheming and suspense. Strong themes of love, family and perseverance continue to carry through from chapter to chapter. How characters overcome obstacles are satisfying and really make you root for them. The villains are wonderfully written and the extent of their violence and cruelty really show off their monstrosity in a terrifying way. I can’t wait to read the next one!
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Ate and left no crumbs. Last third of the books I had to stop and take a breather every 4 pages because I kept getting so mad. Beyond obsessed. Finished in about 5 days and devastated to have to wait for the third one. This book makes me feel near as crazy as game of thrones does
My most anticipated sequel! Thanks a million to the publisher for providing me with a physical ARC of this one. I never thought I would be big potatoes enough for something that cool.
Empire of The Damned is the second installment in Jay Kristoff's grimdark epic vampire apocalypse romp and has all of the elements that made the last book fun with a slightly different flavor.
In book one, we were pretty limited to just Gabriel's point of view. In book 2, Gabe is still trapped and telling his story, and so is his long-lost sister Celene- who we have now learned is an Esani Vampire with some wild abilities. Celene can be somewhat omnipresent and thus provides us with some missing information about the stories of several other characters, namely Dior. The additional POV is refreshing. Not only do we get to learn about Celene herself, but Dior takes center stage in this book. Her adventures, struggles, and character open up significantly as we see her through the neutral and largely indifferent lense of Gabe's sister.
This POV also gives us additional insight into the vampire hierarchy, both providing them with much-needed character work and also proving indeed that the lot of them are bastards.
If Empire of the Vampire was half magic school and half apocalyptic survival story, Empire of the Damned is more of a traditional fantasy, focusing mainly on the upcoming battle between ancient vampires and literally everyone else. It, in some ways, has that "middle book" syndrome in the sense that it can be a tad aimless at times, but it's never BORING. The EotV series has designed itself as a long, sprawling epic that has earned its right to take its time and let you sit in its world, soaking it all in. It borrows some of these qualities from beloved 80s-90s classics like Wheel of Time but moves significantly faster. If you have a short attention span, you may find yourself shockingly entertained by this 700-page-long doorstopper. Kristoff's writing style lends itself to making scenes where nothing is happening feel fun.
EotD is also a book where a lot of secrets are revealed. Lingering mysteries set up in book one are wrapped up quite nicely as the vampire apocalypse threat is looming, and our main characters are all fighting to find a way to save the world. The slow drip of worldbuilding and mystery reveals are a huge reason why this series stands so strong. There is absolutely minimal info dumping and exposition. The general frame of mind is that you'll learn more when it's pertinent to the story.
And this time out, the "calm" before the storm gives us a lot of time with our favorite characters and introduces some great new ones. Where Gabe might be a bit confused with a character like Geralt in book 1, it's pretty hard to deny he's a petty pain in the ass in Empire of the Damned. His flaws start laying bare as he loses control over his situation. Dior, Celene, and several other female characters take center stage in this book, with Gabe taking a backseat. He's still getting a ton of love, but if you are a huge fan of EotV's female characters, this book will delight you. As a massive Jean-François fan, I was also not let down by his scenes, which are easily my favorite in the series.
The character relationships- particularly Celene and Gabe, also get a lot of love, though external struggle is the name of the game in Empire of the Damned. This book focuses first and foremost on the complicated and twisted world of the Vampire threat, Particularly how it has affected enslaved Thralls. You still get all the juicy character interactions you have come to want from the series, but again, Empire of the damned follows a more old-school story structure and is setting up a considerable conclusion. I can not state enough that this installment is basically
im not a regular middle book ina. trilogy, I am a FUN middle book in a trilogy"
Finally, as a side note, this is the book that confirms that pretty much every single character in this world is bisexual or gay. If you are looking for queer rep, EotD is going to delight you. If you hate gay people, prepare to be disappointed.
Fans of Kristoff or fans of EotV will truly be rewarded with Empire of the Damned. It is a book that gives so much context to the world that these characters inhabit and puts time and energy into developing a satisfying build-up to the final book. Patience is rewarded in spades, and Kristoff's hyper-approachable and readable writing style makes what could have been a very dry plot into something vibrant and devourable.
Empire of The Damned is the second installment in Jay Kristoff's grimdark epic vampire apocalypse romp and has all of the elements that made the last book fun with a slightly different flavor.
In book one, we were pretty limited to just Gabriel's point of view. In book 2, Gabe is still trapped and telling his story, and so is his long-lost sister Celene- who we have now learned is an Esani Vampire with some wild abilities. Celene can be somewhat omnipresent and thus provides us with some missing information about the stories of several other characters, namely Dior. The additional POV is refreshing. Not only do we get to learn about Celene herself, but Dior takes center stage in this book. Her adventures, struggles, and character open up significantly as we see her through the neutral and largely indifferent lense of Gabe's sister.
This POV also gives us additional insight into the vampire hierarchy, both providing them with much-needed character work and also proving indeed that the lot of them are bastards.
If Empire of the Vampire was half magic school and half apocalyptic survival story, Empire of the Damned is more of a traditional fantasy, focusing mainly on the upcoming battle between ancient vampires and literally everyone else. It, in some ways, has that "middle book" syndrome in the sense that it can be a tad aimless at times, but it's never BORING. The EotV series has designed itself as a long, sprawling epic that has earned its right to take its time and let you sit in its world, soaking it all in. It borrows some of these qualities from beloved 80s-90s classics like Wheel of Time but moves significantly faster. If you have a short attention span, you may find yourself shockingly entertained by this 700-page-long doorstopper. Kristoff's writing style lends itself to making scenes where nothing is happening feel fun.
EotD is also a book where a lot of secrets are revealed. Lingering mysteries set up in book one are wrapped up quite nicely as the vampire apocalypse threat is looming, and our main characters are all fighting to find a way to save the world. The slow drip of worldbuilding and mystery reveals are a huge reason why this series stands so strong. There is absolutely minimal info dumping and exposition. The general frame of mind is that you'll learn more when it's pertinent to the story.
And this time out, the "calm" before the storm gives us a lot of time with our favorite characters and introduces some great new ones. Where Gabe might be a bit confused with a character like Geralt in book 1, it's pretty hard to deny he's a petty pain in the ass in Empire of the Damned. His flaws start laying bare as he loses control over his situation. Dior, Celene, and several other female characters take center stage in this book, with Gabe taking a backseat. He's still getting a ton of love, but if you are a huge fan of EotV's female characters, this book will delight you. As a massive Jean-François fan, I was also not let down by his scenes, which are easily my favorite in the series.
The character relationships- particularly Celene and Gabe, also get a lot of love, though external struggle is the name of the game in Empire of the Damned. This book focuses first and foremost on the complicated and twisted world of the Vampire threat, Particularly how it has affected enslaved Thralls. You still get all the juicy character interactions you have come to want from the series, but again, Empire of the damned follows a more old-school story structure and is setting up a considerable conclusion. I can not state enough that this installment is basically
im not a regular middle book ina. trilogy, I am a FUN middle book in a trilogy"
Finally, as a side note, this is the book that confirms that pretty much every single character in this world is bisexual or gay. If you are looking for queer rep, EotD is going to delight you. If you hate gay people, prepare to be disappointed.
Fans of Kristoff or fans of EotV will truly be rewarded with Empire of the Damned. It is a book that gives so much context to the world that these characters inhabit and puts time and energy into developing a satisfying build-up to the final book. Patience is rewarded in spades, and Kristoff's hyper-approachable and readable writing style makes what could have been a very dry plot into something vibrant and devourable.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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
Jay Kristoff does it again—Empire of the Damned is a brutal, breathtaking continuation of Empire of the Vampire, diving deeper into themes of loss, redemption, and the nature of humanity.
Picking up just six days after book one, Gabriel’s tale resumes as he faces the consequences of his actions while continuing his search for the Graal. In the present, tensions rise in the Chastain court, and the fate of Margot’s reign hangs in the balance. But this time, the story isn’t just his to tell. A second perspective adds depth, showing us the pieces Gabriel himself never witnessed, painting a fuller picture of the blood, betrayal, and bonds that shape this world.
While still steeped in sorrow, Empire of the Damned carries an undercurrent of something new—hope. Gabriel remains haunted by his past, but his present interactions, particularly with Jean-François and Dior, reveal growth, vulnerability, and even moments of unexpected warmth. The world-building is as immersive as ever, and Kristoff’s ability to weave raw emotion into his storytelling is nothing short of masterful.
And that ending? Absolutely jaw-dropping. I can’t wait to see where this epic tale leads next.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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:
No
The LORE DROPS in this book were insane!!! Such good twists and turns that I could only guess a couple of the countless reveals. So so so good.
To quote Mike's Book Reviews....This book slaps.
I will take it to another level....This book f****ing slaps.
Epic in scope, violent and gory to the core, characters that feel and make you feel...and just a touch of divine magice mixed in.
This is how vampire stories should be written....and who knew that the best evil vampires in all of fantasy spoke like Frenchmen? :)
5 Stars and I cannot wait for Book 3.
I will take it to another level....This book f****ing slaps.
Epic in scope, violent and gory to the core, characters that feel and make you feel...and just a touch of divine magice mixed in.
This is how vampire stories should be written....and who knew that the best evil vampires in all of fantasy spoke like Frenchmen? :)
5 Stars and I cannot wait for Book 3.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
Fantastic, cannot wait for the next one!!!
Only qualm I have iswhy on earth did they introduce Connor just to kill him off the second he is revealed? I didn’t have a particularly strong emotion any which way about his death, because he was introduced as exposition and left shortly after his reveal. Reveal is a strong word, as he was the only missing highlander mentioned (besides Phoebe’s mother, though we see someone wearing her pelt, so very unlikely to be her), the Dyvok were using highlander blood for an edge, and the only potential character we’ve met who could be a highlander on the Dybok side is the very intelligent wolf that’s called “prince” (not even very subtle with the naming there). So, it wasn’t much of a plot twist to me, and I don’t feel like it added anything. That, and putting the human thralls on the frontline after a lot of dialogue regarding running out of blood, are my only issues. the rest is fab!
Only qualm I have is
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
Enjoyed slightly less then the first. There were parts where the pace really started to slow down and it became a chore to pick back up. Overall decent with some good twists and it did leave me excited for the next book