Published: February 2024
Pages: 709
Series: Empire of the Vampire #2
Summary
Gabriel de León has saved the Holy Grail from death, but his chance to end the endless night is lost. Drawn into an uneasy alliance with the mysterious vampire Liathe, Gabriel must now deliver the Grail to ancients of the Blood Esani, and learn the truth of how Daysdeath might be finally undone.
But the Last Silversaint faces peril, within and without. Pursued by terrors of the Blood Voss, drawn into warfare between the Blood Dyvok and duskdancers of the frozen Highlands, and ravaged by his own rising bloodlust, Gabriel may not survive to see the Grail learn her truth.
And that truth may be too awful for any to imagine.
My thoughts
Continuing the dark and bloody tale of Gabriel de León, the last silversaint, this book is another fantastic addition to this series.
“Measure yourself not by where others are, but where you used to be.”
Kristoff once again immerses us in a world shrouded in eternal night, where vampires reign supreme and humanity struggles to survive. Empire of the Damned picks up where its predecessor left off, with Gabriel de León continuing his grim and often tragic recounting of his life to the vampire historian, Jean-François.
“life without books is a life not lived, Dior. There’s a magik like no other to be found in them. To open a book is to open a door – to another place, another time, another mind. And usually, mademoiselle, it’s a mind far sharper than your own.”
Gabriel, Gabriel, Gabriel.. what a man. He is such a complex characters and we got to see more of his internal struggles, bloodlust and his relentless sarcasm (which at times did mildly annoy me but then again, I’m not living in a world where vampires are taking over the world, who knows how I would react if I could survive long enough). I enjoyed this story as we really get to see more of Gabriel’s mind, more of his history and the inner workings of his heart. He is fearful, bruised, dealing with a huge amount of grief he has no time to work on but he is incredibly smart.
He is supported by a cast of characters old and new that are similarly complex and richly described. This is not a simple story and that reflects on our characters. Power and fear can drive people to do many things and this book is a deep dive of desperate people.
Another booked packed with action
There is soooo much action in this one again. Some points of this book I really struggled with and being a mum of two little kiddies. I just could not stomach it at all. I completely understand it, it really adds to the turmoil and desperation people are facing, their families and life threatened. It feels very real and adds emotion to this story, but boy was it difficult at times. I hope the world never falls to crazy powerful vampires.
The world building has always been one of my favourite parts of this series. It is richly imaginative, I feel as though I am standing right there with everyone, experiencing the same feelings, the harsh cold and immediate threats. This book is just as engaging while diving into new places, new vampire houses and the larger mystery at play – what is going on with Daysdeath?
“The right book is worth a hundred blades”
I love books with art and this series takes the cake with the beautiful artwork. Every edition is filled with stunning illustrations that really bring the characters to life. When you spend so much time with these characters I love it when we’re given an image of how the author imagined them. It adds another layer of storytelling and I eat it up every time. The books are gorgeous and the story is brilliant.
“The road is black ahead,’ I told her. ‘And it’s hard to keep walking when you can’t see the ground beneath your feet. But that’s what courage is. The will to keep walking in the darkness.”
My minor critisicms of this book is similar to book one and that’s the pacing. This book is incredibly slow, if I didn’t love the characters so much I think I would have struggled keeping up with this one. But its a small thing and it didn’t dampen my excitement for book three!
“This world won’t give you what you want just because you asked nicely, girl. Not respect. Not love. Not peace. You get what you earn. You eat what you kill.”
Would I recommend?
Absolutely, this is a fantastic series. Written incredibly well with an intricate plot, rich characters and filled with emotion. I am equally excited and terrified for the third book..