Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff is a sprawling, dark fantasy epic that will leave you breathless. While clocking in at over 700 pages, the novel maintains a breakneck pace, fueled by a relentless atmosphere of dread and a central mystery that unfolds with shocking twists.

The world Kristoff builds is bleak and unforgiving. Humanity cowers under the rule of vampires, monstrous creatures who stalk the night and feast on human blood. Our protagonist, Gabriel de Leon, is a monster hunter, a man burdened by his past and stained by the violence he enacts in the name of survival. Despite his flaws, Gabriel is a compelling character, a weary warrior clinging to a sliver of hope in a world seemingly devoid of it.

Empire of the Vampire is not for the faint of heart. The violence is brutal and unflinching, and the portrayal of the vampires is chillingly inhuman. However, beneath the surface gore lies a thoughtful exploration of faith, redemption, and the price of clinging to humanity in a world that seems determined to tear it away. If you're looking for a dark, fast-paced fantasy that will stay with you long after the last page, then Empire of the Vampire is a must-read. Just be prepared to be shaken to your core.

Empire of the Vampire is the epic story of Gabriel de León, the last silversaint. Imprisoned by the vampires he has dedicated his life to eradicating, he is forced to relive his life story – how he came to be a silversaint, his triumphs, and his woes, how he became known as the infamous Black Lion, and how he ended up on a quest to find the holy grail and end daysdeath once and for all.

Empire of the Vampire is one of those books I wasn’t sure would live up to the hype. I absolutely loved Nevernight, but I wasn’t sure Empire of the Vampire would be as good. I’m so glad to say I was wrong and this is without a doubt, one of my favourite books of all time. This book is a masterpiece and I have been in a reading hangover ever since I put it down.

There are so many things about this book that blew me away. The story is so engrossing, and so compelling, that I was glued to this book and could not put it down. There were moments I never saw coming and it is so far one of only two books that have made me cry in 2023. The writing is incredible, it oscillates between beautiful, poetic writing to quick, witty banter and crazy insults. I loved every second of this book and I cannot wait to read Empire of the Damned.

Empire of the Vampire is definitely a book that stays with you, it’s full of atmosphere and there are plenty of dark, eerie, edge of your seat moments. The characters are fantastic, I typically find I like a few characters and there’s always some I’m not so fond of, but each and every one – Gabriel, Astrid, Dior they were all so well crafted and I couldn’t help but grow attached to them all. Empire of the Vampire is without a doubt one of my favourite books of the year and if you’ve been thinking about picking this one up, autumn is the absolute perfect time to get lost in this terrific story.

For those who love a dark and twisted take on Vampires, this book is for you. I devoured this excerpt and continued on to get the full book for myself.

What a mammoth of a book! But it's such a fast paced and gripping story that you can easily get lost in the story. It is full of darkness and vivid descriptions, but I'd expect nothing less from Jay Kristoff. It's easy to become invested in the story and charcters!

Now, I must admit I got all vampired out when I was a teen so it’s very rare I find a vampire story that utterly grabs me, but Empire of the Vampire did exactly that. This is a vampire tale with horror elements all intertwined within an epic fantasy novel. If you at all enjoy vampires, you’ll adore this, if you aren’t totally sold on vampires you should read this anyway.

This is a story with vampires as evil and dark as vampires should be. This is a book thats dark and gritty and more than a mere vampire story though they are very much at the heart and forefront of this story. Empire of the Vampire is also a story about loosing your belief, your live’s purpose the compass you’d been following.

The protagonist, Gabriel de Leon is a sarcastic, brash and grumpy acclaimed Silversaint with a chip on his shoulder. You follow Gabriel on his quest to fulfil his vow, with a few diversions and near death experiences along the way.

4 Stars!

This was in my list of top 10 that I want to read for 2022 and I can finally say I've read it. Honestly this book was darkkkkkk and I loved it. It just felt so gritty, lewd and vulgar all things I think Kristoff does in such a way I can't not enjoy. The humour he brings each and everytime is always so on point because of of snarky and sarcastic his characters are.

I actually read this with my boyfriend and finished before him and the conversations we've had so far because of this!

Looking forward to the next instalment.

My first Jay Kristoff book and I absolutely LOVED this dark and twisty tale.

The combination of fantasy, lore, and religion had me hooked from the very beginning. NEED book 2 now!!

This book is epic in every sense of the word. I was hooked from page one and was thoroughly enthralled the whole way through. I've always loved Jay's work but this book in my opinion is next level and I cannot recommend it enough!

Honestly love it and own two copies of the book already with another pre-ordered.

Jay Kristoff is an amazing storyteller.

Loved this excert of the book! I've loved Kristoff's writing since reading Nevernight, and this definitely carries over the essential Kristoff-isms from that series. I can't wait to read the rest!

Oh Kristoff, you've done it again! This was fabulous, eviscerating, gory. I couldn't put it down! Twists and turns abound, and that final cliffhanger is the worst-how long will we need to wait to learn what happens next?

This is a fantastic novel, written in a similar style to Nevernight. Readers beware: it is a meaty book, at around 800 pages!

Empire of the Vampire is the first in a saga, and our main character, Gabriel, is a former monster-slayer, telling his story to vampires whilst he's imprisoned. The story is dark, vulgar, and about so much more than vampires. It's haunted, deep, gripping, visceral, and the world-building is exquisite. There is something of Geralt from The Witcher in Gabriel. Every character had depth and I felt invested in their paths.

I thoroughly enjoyed the non-linear style of the novel, though it does take some getting used to, and may not be to everyone's taste. However, I do have to say that this style of storytelling REALLY paid off towards the end of the book.

Overall, the book may not be for everyone - as many books aren't. Some may find it indulgent, too gory, smutty, but it is utterly fantastical and everything that was promised in the run up to its release. I cannot wait to read the next installment in the series.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an excellent book, one of the best I've read in a while. I've waited till the book came out to leave the full review. The narration style is similar to the protagonist in the Name of the Wind however the plot is much wilder and much more exciting.

Vampires are creatures of evil in this grisly world. The plot is an epic journey through de Leon's life littered with tragedy. Again, one of the best fantasy books I've read in a while and I can't wait for the sequel.

This was only an excerpt but the whole book was one of my top reads of the year. Absolutely amazing - Jay Kristoff at his finest!

I loved this, admittedly very long excerpt!

Jay Kristoff is such a great author and I really hope Empire of the Vampire is the first in a long series, I'm so glad vampires are making a comeback. This has the hallmarks of a great epic fantasy and I'm excited to read the full book!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a sample of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Rich in world building and vivid description, this promises to be an amazing read. Dark, gothic and beautifully crafted, I was drawn in immediately. Based on this sampler - a massive 300 pages- this book is going to be the start of a compelling series.

This sample was purely torture! I can't wait for the full release!

Full review to be posted soonish. I'll update review with links to socials.
I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I'm not longer interested in reading this book but I have to write a review for my ratio...

one of the best examples of the genre! absolutley binge worthy. one of his best. you wint be able to put it Down!

Wish it had been more than an excerpt as I love Jay Kristoff’s writing and I like to know how things end before I hand-sell a book. If it doesn’t stick the landing then I don’t like to have my customers come back to me sad about my recommnedation.