A review by bashfulbooknerd
We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

Okay. So. We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark? I was not prepared.

This book throws you into a brutal, Roman-inspired vampire empire— think The Vampire Diaries meets Gladiator. Arvelle is fierce, reckless, and completely driven by her love for her younger brothers. She doesn’t care about power—just keeping them safe. So she enters the Sundering, a gladiator-style bloodbath with freedom on the line.

The fights? Brutal. The romance? Deliciously painful.

🌹Interest One: The boy from her past, full of unresolved heartbreak. Their history is messy, and Arvelle isn’t the girl he remembers.

🌹Interest Two: The infuriatingly seductive, dangerously perceptive, and entirely morally grey vampire that has a way of getting under Arvelle’s skin.

It’s not just a love triangle, it’s blood ties, betrayal, and impossible choices. Meanwhile, Arvelle’s powers are growing, powers that could be more too dangerous to be discovered.

The world-building is top-tier: savage politics, a ruthless hierarchy, and divine magic, all delivered in digestible chunks. The pacing balances bloodshed with romance, backstory, and quieter emotional moments.