Empire Of The Vampire by Jay Kristoff

EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE

When I received this advance proof from @harpervoyager_uk I was beyond excited. Vampires, nuns, the grail: SIGN. ME. UP. I would die for a screen adaption with Keanu Reeves as the main character. Die.

Published in September, it featured on the Adult Fiction NYT bestseller list (amongst others), no easy feat for fantasy, particularly such a hefty book weighing in at 719 pages. Already this book has a legion of fans, including yours truly.

The premise is expansive and detailed. 27 years since the last sunrise, vampires have waged war against humanity; building an eternal empire. Gabriel de León is the last silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood of warriors. We find him imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the prose structured through the medium of Gabriel being forced to tell his story. 

This is a sumptuous, suspenseful tale of battles and forbidden love, with elements of mythology, and magic. What I didn’t expect was the nuanced exploration of morality, belief in God and faith which is cleverly interwoven in the dialogue. This elevates the book, compelling the reader beyond the action usually found in this category. 

I loved the distinct voice of Gabriel, the acerbic sarcasm frequently made me laugh. The pace and length of chapters ensured that at no point does the plot stagnate, which given the length of this book is an achievement. This is assisted by a large caste of characters and detailed world building.

Think The Witcher meets Game of Thrones meets Underworld. This is only the beginning of the series and the next book will be an immediate read for me. Thank you so much to my pals at Harper for sending over a copy. I would fight by your side in any war.

~ Chaya