I had a bit of a love-hate relationship with this book. Empire of the Vampire is essentially Interview with a Vampire in reverse, and it’s not my favourite style of storytelling. I made my peace with that, however, what really stuck in my teeth was how much of the Catholic religion is enthused in this book. Kristoff has gone down the alternate history route with Empire of the Vampire, and in some ways he’s done a fantastic job. However, putting new names on a concept doesn’t change anything if you keep the base concept the same. Essentially the silversaint protagonist, Gabriel de León, is a monk in a relabelled Catholic Church complete with all the almighties, holy zealousness, corruption and misogynist narrow-mindedness that the real Church was known for back then (and is still known for to some degree today).

This was quite disappointing for me and is what stops me from giving the book a full five-star rating. There is some amazing world-building in this book, and I feel that the religious part could have done with some of the magic that Krisoff has shown to everything else in the book. The rest of the book feels like pure magic, and is everything I wanted from Empire of the Vampire. I was reminded a lot of Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel Legacy series where she recreated an alternative history, as Krisoff did, including the world religions. Unlike Kristoff, she thoroughly recreated the world religions to adapt to the fantasy world she created. I do not see why Kristoff could not have done the same and kept his storyline the same way.

The point comes down to the language used, and I find myself taken back to a point that author Elizabeth May made during a panel at the CYMERA festival earlier this year; all our curse words are based in religion. The idea of unholiness comes from religion, and I’d have liked to have seen Kristoff go further with that idea instead of borrowing from real life. In the sampler the religion of pagans is briefly mentioned, the Moonmothers, which is similar to real life Paganism. I’m curious to see how that compares, and whether he has adapted their religion to a fantasy setting or like Christianity he has simply just renamed a few things.

The vampire mythology is wonderfully intriguing, and I’ll probably stick with this series after the first book. I’ll definitely be picking it up to finish it, especially after that cliffhanger, as the storyline is one that I really enjoy. I had an idea of where it was going, but not quite where it was going. That was a nice surprise, as nothing had been given away by Kristoff to suggest that possibility.

Unfortunately, the e-book sampler of Empire of the Vampire had no illustrations. I do not know if this is the same for the final version of the e-book, but I would suggest getting this in hardback or paperback so that you can truly appreciate them. Illustrations play a major part of the book throughout it, and if the cover is anything to go by they are going to be glorious.

Oh what a teaser.. I wish I didn’t get it and I’m glad I did! The sampler was so big that I actually forgot it was a sample, needless to say it was a shock when it abruptly ended.

It was my first time reading anything by Jay Kristoff, he has always seemed like a very marmite author to me. I’ve only ever seen either glowing reviews or really negative reviews with no in between. With all the hype surrounding EOTV and the fact I’m partial to a vampire book.. I decided this would be the one I would try. I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised.

There is no doubt he’s a talented writer, he managed to draw me in immediately with his atmospheric world building, cinematic writing and humour. I can’t wait to read the rest of this book.

I have a special edition on order and will be reading it from the start. Full review to come after.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC sampler in exchange for an honest review.

This book is insane. Considering my difficulty getting into Nevernight, I have to admit, I was dubious when starting Empire. However, I can now fully say that Kristoffs writing style is so much more agreeable for me with an adult book.

This book isn’t bingeable for me, I want to thoroughly enjoy every part of this behemoth, and I thought I’d be frustrated about its lack of bingeability, but I feel like this story is so interesting to read and taking it slowly adds to its appeal.

I’d be really interested in reading a Chloe Novella, her character is really interesting to me and I’ve grown quite fond of her lately.

WHY DID YOU END IT THERE?!? 😭😭

Thoroughly enjoying this Kristoff magic. Pleased it's now out in the world so I can get a copy and continue.

This is intricately plotted and the characters are strongly drawn. Gabe is no one's hero but could he be what the world needs?

I will do a full review on this once I have the full book but suffice to say I am very excited and cannot wait to read the rest of this book. I love Jay Kristoffs writing and am so excited to see how this ends!

This is one of those rare occasions in which I realised very early on that this book would almost certainly be a 5* read. At the halfway mark at which this sampler ends, it only seems all the more likely that will be my rating for the book overall.

If you loved Nevernight, you will most certainly love this - Empire of the Vampire is just as gory and irreverent, with the same amount of humour and heart too. Similarly, if you didn't like Nevernight - which is undoubtedly a "marmite" book - this probably won't be for you, especially if the writing style wasn't your cup of tea (though if you hated Nevernight's footnotes in particular, we don't have those here!).

The interview framing device Kristoff uses is great, and reminded me a bit of what I've read of The Name of the Wind. At first I was a bit thrown by the non-linear storytelling, but it actually works very well, and only leaves you constantly wanting more - fitting for a vampire tale! Fond as I am of magical school storylines, and as good as the magical school in this one is, so far I'm a smidgeon more invested in adult Gabriel's adventures, and the mystery of Dior.

I already know I'm going to want to get my hands on the sequel straight away after I've finished this...hopefully I won't have too long to wait!

Kristoff's vampires remind me of Anne Rice. His characters & storyline are a bit cheesy but somewhat entertaining.

"Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." Jay Kristoff writes books that are the literary equivalent of throwing yourself head-first into the pit at a Slipknot gig.

What an incredible ‘little’ sampler this was. The writing is simply incredible. From the very first page Kristoff draws you into his dark and twisted new world, and he sure as hell doesn’t let go.

I love the way this is written – how Gabriel waves his story through different stages of his life, yet also manages to keep the narrative moving forward in the same direction. It’s a bloody tale of murder, hatred, revenge and betrayal, yet somehow manages to be a story of love and faith and redemption.

I cannot wait for the rest of this tome to thump onto my doorstep, its fucking fantastic.

I’m so glad this book is out now so I can read the whole thing. I can’t believe that the “sampler” alone was about 400 pages. I don’t even need to say anything about the plot. Just go read it and join the madness.

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an early sampler of this book. I have loved everything that Jay Kristoff has previously published and it looks like i am going to love this one too. The characters are gripping me and i want to know where this plot leads. Cannot wait to read the full book

2.5 stars

I’ve been dying for a new great vampire book but this wasn’t it for me sadly

• The main character is just like a blend of other bland masculine characters I’ve read and the side characters aren’t very attention worthy either – in over 300 pages I still felt no emotional attachment to anyone and that’s hard to do cause I’m a softy when it comes to this stuff
• The humour would have been up my alley when I was 14 but not anymore – I couldn’t care less about swearing but I do like a Malcolm Tucker finesse to it in books – not swearing just cause there’s nothing interesting to say (how many ‘I fucked your mom’ jokes can be made? The answer: too many!)
• The framing device of the interview is questionable – I don’t see what it adds to the story. Aside from the delightful and not at all tiring interjections that all go a similar way
Jean: You need to tell me (insert detail)
Gabriel: Fuck off, vampire
I don’t see how their interactions add anything to the narrative (perhaps that comes in later on in the book) but 340 pages is not a small portion and they feel more annoying than enjoyable. I don’t mind non-linear storytelling usually, but this tended to cut away as soon as it got intriguing leading me to lose interest easily and often.
• I was promised sapphics so I presume that’s coming later cause this book felt very het

I do like some of the lore though I find the way Jay Kristoff dispenses information difficult to absorb. It’s certainly a dark and gritty story unlike some of the more popular recent-ish vampire releases but this contrast isn’t enough to make a good book. All that said, I do love vampire shit so will probably force myself to read the rest of the book in hopes the narrative improves.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, Harper Voyager, for the first c.300 pages of Empire of the Vampire in exchange for an honest review.

It occurred to me, whilst reading this sampler, that literally all of the vampire fiction I’ve read or watched over the past decade or so has involved vampires who are inexplicably obsessed with re-attending high school and dating teenage girls. Jay Kristoff’s vampires are the rip-your-throat-out-and-play-with-your-intestines kind. It makes a surprisingly refreshing change.

I really enjoyed reading this and am thoroughly looking forward to ploughing through the second half of the book. The mythology and lore established by the author is great, the plot kept me hooked throughout and the characters will, I suspect, stay with me beyond the page.

Roll on publication day. Recommended.

I received an advanced review copy of Empire of the Vampire in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Jay Kristoff and Harper Voyager. Minor spoilers may follow.

"It was the twenty-seventh year of daysdeath in the realm of the Forever King, and his murderer was waiting to die."

The murderer is Gabriel de Leon. Paleblood. Silversaint. Vampire-hunter and bane of the creatures of the night. He is a legend and having settled a vendetta, killing the Forever King, he is now at the mercy of his enemies. The new ruler of the vampires wishes for Gabriel's story to be recorded before his demise. In a similar fashion to The Name of the Wind, the historian Jean-François of the Blood Chastain chronicles the events of our protagonist's epic tale, as told by the chevalier Gabriel himself.

With this being the setup, in addition to the above-mentioned "present-day" storyline, there are two past timelines that the killer recounts. The first of these surrounds the events of Gabriel's teenage years including his relationships with his parents and sisters, daysdeath and the increased strength and threat of the vampire empire, his infatuation with blood, and his perplexing abilities which leads Gabriel to the brotherhood of the Silversaints. The second of the past accounts finds a thirty-something, disgruntled, addict Gabriel, whose deeds are the tales of legends. He reluctantly joins a sort of fellowship, bemused to find himself part of a prophecy that relates to a god Gabriel thinks is a prick.

Gabriel is an awesome character. He's humorous, bitter, witty, sweary, and world-weary. He isn't thrilled to have to tell his tale to the vampire historian but, as the stories progress, there is some excellent back-and-forth banter between the duo. An element that often made me smirk is when the historian will tap his quill on his manuscript, a nonchalant reminder to Gabriel that the Queen of Vampires wishes for him to explain certain parts in-depth, as if to a child. As Kristoff jokes in his Goodreads review of this novel, this is definitely for adults and is "not a book for children". I'd hesitate to say that it is a bit too dark and violent for even the youths of the vampire empire. By the historian doing this though, it adds extra depth and insight and makes for clever worldbuilding when explaining intricacies such as the vampire houses, or familial powers or legacies, etc... Gabriel's "I don't give a fuck"-attitude is prevalent in these exchanges too, especially when Gabriel opts to time hop in his tale instead of telling it chronologically, to the frustration of Jean-François. The Silversaint calmly signals the word PATIENCE that is tattooed onto his knuckles.

I read de Leon, especially as he ages, as being reminiscent of Geralt of Rivia from Sapkowski's The Witcher Saga. He comes across as a reluctant hero at certain points, a legendary warrior and swordsman that possesses magical abilities, with acts of bravery or heroism normally following a sigh or a "for-fuck's-sake" grunt. At least that's how I envisaged him.

"I am the boy's master. He's impatient. Arrogant. Far too keen for glory. But he's one of the finest swords I've trained, and he took down this highblood alone, drugged to the eyeballs on rêvre. If what I suspect of his line is true... he could be the greatest of us, Talon." "Or the most terrible."

Although this is Gabriel de Leon's tale, he shares the page-time and has interesting relationships with a whole range of intriguing characters. Favourites for me were the rival Aaron de Coste, the master Greyhand, the enigma Dior, and the Holy Sister Astrid. He also has an unhinged talking blade called Ashdrinker. The members of the Forever King's family whose paths cross with Gabriel's in Empire of the Vampire make for fine antagonists, being imposing, beautiful, ageless, and terrifying. A part that I really enjoyed and applaud Kristoff for the way he presented this, was when a character we were familiar with from de Leon's youth returns to the page over a decade and a half later in the other timeline. This brought a few true smiles to my face.

There is a lot to enjoy here in Kristoff's horror-tinged, vampire-laden, epic fantasy tale. In fact, it was the most I’ve enjoyed a fantasy novel for a long time. I thought it was very well written, being descriptive enough for my mind to fill in the blanks, crafting some impeccable imagery, and adrenaline-fuelling grand set-pieces. Occasionally dancing on the line of melodramatic, but for me personally, it stayed on the right side, being more cinematic than needlessly extravagant. Empire of the Vampire is packed with many stand-out scenes, and knowing that this is only a portion of de Leon's legendary tale, I'll be picking up a copy of the sequel as soon as I can. 9/10.

Final Note: The internal artwork by Bon Orthwick (@monolimeart) is incredible.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for the early short copy!

To tease us with this sample is pure evil! Based on this, I cannot wait to read the rest of this book - even though I know it's gong to hurt when I do.

I am so happy I have a few Special Editions coming, so I will have reading copies and beautiful copies for my shelves as well.

If you have not yet put this on your TBR or it as not on your radar just yet - come on this epic journey with us! You won't be disappointed.

Boy, this is one hell of a teaser! I cannot wait for publication day now. This is a compelling, exciting and exhilarating fantasy that is a must-read for any fantasy fan. Superb!

OMG OMG OMG I need the rest of it right now!! I'm not a huge fan of vampires but OH MY, I am definitely changing my mind.

Absolutely love what I have read so far!
I’ve had this sat on my netgalley for so long dying to read it … it has killed me waiting but I just knew if I read it any sooner the wait for the rest of the book would have killed me … I was right … because I’ve only got a couple days to wait and it is already driving me crazy.

I absolutely loved Jay’s Nevernight series, it is still one of my favourites ever (along with The illuminae Files) so I had high hopes for this new series, damn I was not disappointed! Sooo good!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this 300 page early read, can’t wait for my 6 copies of this book to arrive!

I unfortunately just haven't clicked with the writing style in this sampler. I don't generally love books where it's just one character telling another their life story and I found it really hard to get immersed and was pretty bored. I really haven't connected with Gabriel at all.

I may still finish the book when my physical copies arrive (must stop preordering multiple copies of books I don't know I'll like!) but I'm not sure this one is for me. It's totally a taste thing, though, and I would still recommend picking it up to try.

After reading the sampler novel of this book all I can say is wow!. It's bloody, spooky, gothic, atmospheric and transports you with you the creative atmospheric writing.
I could see the world building taking great shape and the characterisation was brilliant. I am excited to read the rest.
My thanks go to the publisher, author and Netgalley in providing this sampler arc in return for a honest review.

Lives up to the hype...not that I doubted it. It has been a long time since I read a fairly decent vampire book and it wasn't Twilight. I can't wait to get my hands on a finish copy and finish the book. As, Jayne Cobb from Firefly says "I'll be in my bunk" that will be me on release day.