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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
First read 2021: 4 stars
Second read 2024: 4.5 stars
Third read 2025: 4.5 stars (not me anxiously holding my breath for all 600+ pages of this book while I am reading it for the third damn time. FUCK MY FACE this book is just so good.)
If there's any author who can get away with this level of deliciously dark edginess, it's Kristoff. Empire of the Vampire is a bloody fucking brutal gutpunch of a story, and I have no doubts that it will shatter even the coldest of hearts.
Upon my first read, I remember going in with the highest of high expectations simply based on my obsession with The Nevernight Chronicle. And while I was not left disappointed, I think I did put unfair pressure on myself to adore it no matter what, which somewhat hindered me from just sitting back to enjoy the wild ride. Now, fast forward 2,5 years, I returned to this story and allowed it to just be what it is, which made me enjoy this re-read even more than I could ever have anticipated.
How Kristoff manages to juggle three plot/timelines that are all equally compelling and engaging is honestly just beyond me. This chunker of a book truly has zero business being this utterly bingeable, and yet it totally is. Each time I thought I preferred one timeline over another, we switched back and I immediately changed my mind again.
Gabe is just the most loveable idiot who you can't help but root for, and I really enjoyed seeing how the events in his teens set him on the path to become the jaded grump as an adult. The discussion on faith and religion is so beautifully woven into his harrowing and gutwrenching personal journey, and I loved hearing him narrate his own tale in his quirky and unconventional way. Also, all the the little interjections of cutting banter between Jean-Francois and Gabriel in the present honestly gave me life, perfectly balancing out all of the darkness that permeates every aspect of this story.
Moreover, the entire cast of side characters, from the big important ones to the most minor and inconsequential ones, is established with exceptional skill. Kristoff knows damn well how to write complex characters that you can love, hate, love to hate, or even hate to love, and I really like that absolutely nothing and no one is proven to be safe. Emotional damage, anyone?
Especially the sort of lone wolf and cub dynamic between Gabriel and Dior really tugged on my heartstrings, and I loved seeing how their tentative bond of trust and love only got stronger along the way. Though, Astrid is the absolute MVP, and I honestly think we deserved to be graced with her presence more often in this story. I mean, I don't know if I want to be her, be with her, or never ever cross paths with this fierce and dangerously seductive spitfire of a woman, but gosh is she just the best!
Now, I do still stand by what I said in my old review that sometimes the stylized prose or more archaic dialogue gave me a bit of a headache. But hey, brownie points for just leaning into the melodrama of it all! Plus, all the effortlessly amusing bits of dark, sarcastic, and self-deprecating humour nicely balanced out the more demanding prose at times, which makes this story just so easy to breeze through.
It is a true testament to Kristoff's writing that even though I knew what was coming this time around (at least, in so far as my memory didn't betray me, oops), I was still glued to the page with my heart in my throat. Every emotional beat hit just as hard, and I am so glad I now have the sequel to dive into, because this ending has me yet again hungering for more in all the best ways. Empire of the Damned, here I come!
********************************************
2021 review:
Look, I already knew I was a sucker for morally grey vampires (Team Damon? Team Klaus? Hell yes.), so it shouldn't be a suprise when I say that I absolutely loved this 😍
It did take me a little while to get fully invested and to adjust to the somewhat archaic style of prose (and dialogue) in some parts, but OH BOY did I end up turning these pages like my life depended on it as I got further into the book.
Nevernight is still my personal fave, but is it even fair to compare the first book in a series with a completed trilogy? Anyway, I can't wait for the rest of this series; give me all the dark, goth & bloody content 🤘🖤
Second read 2024: 4.5 stars
Third read 2025: 4.5 stars (not me anxiously holding my breath for all 600+ pages of this book while I am reading it for the third damn time. FUCK MY FACE this book is just so good.)
If there's any author who can get away with this level of deliciously dark edginess, it's Kristoff. Empire of the Vampire is a bloody fucking brutal gutpunch of a story, and I have no doubts that it will shatter even the coldest of hearts.
Upon my first read, I remember going in with the highest of high expectations simply based on my obsession with The Nevernight Chronicle. And while I was not left disappointed, I think I did put unfair pressure on myself to adore it no matter what, which somewhat hindered me from just sitting back to enjoy the wild ride. Now, fast forward 2,5 years, I returned to this story and allowed it to just be what it is, which made me enjoy this re-read even more than I could ever have anticipated.
How Kristoff manages to juggle three plot/timelines that are all equally compelling and engaging is honestly just beyond me. This chunker of a book truly has zero business being this utterly bingeable, and yet it totally is. Each time I thought I preferred one timeline over another, we switched back and I immediately changed my mind again.
Gabe is just the most loveable idiot who you can't help but root for, and I really enjoyed seeing how the events in his teens set him on the path to become the jaded grump as an adult. The discussion on faith and religion is so beautifully woven into his harrowing and gutwrenching personal journey, and I loved hearing him narrate his own tale in his quirky and unconventional way. Also, all the the little interjections of cutting banter between Jean-Francois and Gabriel in the present honestly gave me life, perfectly balancing out all of the darkness that permeates every aspect of this story.
Moreover, the entire cast of side characters, from the big important ones to the most minor and inconsequential ones, is established with exceptional skill. Kristoff knows damn well how to write complex characters that you can love, hate, love to hate, or even hate to love, and I really like that absolutely nothing and no one is proven to be safe. Emotional damage, anyone?
Especially the sort of lone wolf and cub dynamic between Gabriel and Dior really tugged on my heartstrings, and I loved seeing how their tentative bond of trust and love only got stronger along the way. Though, Astrid is the absolute MVP, and I honestly think we deserved to be graced with her presence more often in this story. I mean, I don't know if I want to be her, be with her, or never ever cross paths with this fierce and dangerously seductive spitfire of a woman, but gosh is she just the best!
Now, I do still stand by what I said in my old review that sometimes the stylized prose or more archaic dialogue gave me a bit of a headache. But hey, brownie points for just leaning into the melodrama of it all! Plus, all the effortlessly amusing bits of dark, sarcastic, and self-deprecating humour nicely balanced out the more demanding prose at times, which makes this story just so easy to breeze through.
It is a true testament to Kristoff's writing that even though I knew what was coming this time around (at least, in so far as my memory didn't betray me, oops), I was still glued to the page with my heart in my throat. Every emotional beat hit just as hard, and I am so glad I now have the sequel to dive into, because this ending has me yet again hungering for more in all the best ways. Empire of the Damned, here I come!
********************************************
2021 review:
Look, I already knew I was a sucker for morally grey vampires (Team Damon? Team Klaus? Hell yes.), so it shouldn't be a suprise when I say that I absolutely loved this 😍
It did take me a little while to get fully invested and to adjust to the somewhat archaic style of prose (and dialogue) in some parts, but OH BOY did I end up turning these pages like my life depended on it as I got further into the book.
Nevernight is still my personal fave, but is it even fair to compare the first book in a series with a completed trilogy? Anyway, I can't wait for the rest of this series; give me all the dark, goth & bloody content 🤘🖤
I was hooked from the first line and was kept entertained the whole way through. When I gave myself time to properly sit down and read, I quickly became engrossed and lost track of time.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
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
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is too long. Toooo longggg. I really wanted to love it and it started out so fascinating. I was all in on the secrets of the Silversinct and the war with the vampires. It was a bit confusing with the changing in timelines, but I did get the hang of it and was interested to see how these three timelines connected because they felt so different. But about 2/3rds through I just lost interest. Maybe I didn't connect with any of the characters in the way I had hoped by this point, but I also just think there is no reason this book had to be so long. Unfortunately, I didn't care about the ending as much as I had hoped and I won't continue this series.
Note: I listened to the audiobook and while I like this narrator, I could not for the life of me remember that for most of the story Gabe is supposed to be 16.
Note: I listened to the audiobook and while I like this narrator, I could not for the life of me remember that for most of the story Gabe is supposed to be 16.
DNF
I wanted to like it because I think the story can be interesting, but I really don't need to read about a teenage boy's erection and odd sexual references.
Strange choices are made in this book.
I wanted to like it because I think the story can be interesting, but I really don't need to read about a teenage boy's erection and odd sexual references.
Strange choices are made in this book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
This book is Ambitious, and it fully pulled it off.