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A review by mxsallybend
Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff
5.0
Damn it. I knew I was going to regret falling prey to the vampire's call and immersing myself in this early sampler of Empire of the Damned. The first book was so bloody amazing, and I've been so anxiously awaiting Jay Kristoff's sequel, that I surrendered myself to the thirst for more blood ... for the Grail ... for it all ... and now I fear I may go mad waiting for the rest of it.
This sampler captures, as near as I can tell, the first half of the book. It picks up right where the first left off, takes us through several new set pieces, thrusts us into increasingly deadly battles with the undead, twists the silver blade just a bit deeper into Gabriel's heart, unveils new layers of mythology, and leaves us with not one, but two cliffhangers.
There's not much I can say without spoilers, but this is a book that's heavy with consequences. There's the bloodbath that ended the first book, the loss of Gabriel's birth family, the fate of friends and allies, and (more than anything) the choices made that have led us here. That's not to say it's all doom and gloom - the wit, the banter, and the morbid humor of the first book is still here - but the more we know of the world and its characters, the more we feel the significance of every action.
Here's hoping I manage to land an ARC of the entire book before release but, if not, I'll be in line at the bookstore on release day with everyone else.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2023/10/23/book-review-empire-of-the-damned-by-jay-kristoff-fantasy-horror/
This sampler captures, as near as I can tell, the first half of the book. It picks up right where the first left off, takes us through several new set pieces, thrusts us into increasingly deadly battles with the undead, twists the silver blade just a bit deeper into Gabriel's heart, unveils new layers of mythology, and leaves us with not one, but two cliffhangers.
There's not much I can say without spoilers, but this is a book that's heavy with consequences. There's the bloodbath that ended the first book, the loss of Gabriel's birth family, the fate of friends and allies, and (more than anything) the choices made that have led us here. That's not to say it's all doom and gloom - the wit, the banter, and the morbid humor of the first book is still here - but the more we know of the world and its characters, the more we feel the significance of every action.
Here's hoping I manage to land an ARC of the entire book before release but, if not, I'll be in line at the bookstore on release day with everyone else.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2023/10/23/book-review-empire-of-the-damned-by-jay-kristoff-fantasy-horror/