In book 2, Gabe is still trapped and telling his story, and so is his long-lost sister Celene- who we have now learned is an Esani Vampire with some wild abilities. In true Kristoff fashion, it took turns I wasn’t expecting, blew my mind several times, and consistently broke and stitched my heart back together, ultimately advancing my therapy needs. The Castlevania franchise is one of my favorite games to play, and Hellsing Ultimate is one of my favorite animes of all time. Plus, I ended up loving reading Gabriel’s brotherhood with Aaron and Baptiste, too, and trust me, from the first half of the book, this was a mission impossible. I'm going to get them as ebooks because the weight of physical copies will absolutely break my bookshelf.

It is a book that gives so much context to the world that these characters inhabit and puts time and energy into developing a satisfying build-up to the final book. Liathe saves and heals Gabriel, revealing she is his half-sister Celene Castia; turned into a vampire by Laure when she destroyed their village. You’ve read my rants on the book, and if I were to give a rating based only on the first half of the novel, it would barely be a 2 stars rating. Jay Kristoff skillfully weaves the journeys of our reluctant hero and the chosen one with themes of found family, family drama, morally grey heroes, and sometimes redeemed villains. This seems to be on brand with many of Kristoff’s other books, but I sometimes worry he alienates potential readers because his books are not sexy.Whether it’s Gabriel when he was 15 or 32 years old, he constantly behaved like a brat, bastard, or an asshole with no redeeming factor. The second half, however, was undoubtedly Jay Kristoff at his best, a magnificent 5 stars rating through-through. While I haven’t read a book exactly like this before, it still feels like an amalgamation of all fantasy books written by white men for white men.

I mean if you love a good vampire series and a story of redemption, love, and the will to survive and do what it takes, you really need to read this. I’ve read many grimdark fantasy novels featuring characters doing questionable actions I disagreed with. When referring to patience, is he referring to his daughter or to the literal definition of the word itself? The grip this installment had over me 💀 It’s such an intricately crafted story that contains multitudes. The EotV series has designed itself as a long, sprawling epic that has earned its right to take its time and let you sit in its world, soaking it all in.I am a fan of framing narratives; seeing how the details of the legends explored and achieved often felt satisfying to me. Let’s be honest – there are only so many times you can use the line “life has been hectic”, or some variation thereupon before it becomes boring. For me, I had already read and loved Nevernight, that couldn’t be erased, but how I behaved and reacted could be controlled and done in a way that was respectful of those who were hurt.

BOOK PREVIEW: Empire of the Vampire (2 Editions) by Author Jay Kristoff This is at the very top of my TBR. But instead, 458/739 pages in, I’ve realised this is likely to be the last time I read a book by Jay Kristoff. Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing! Now imbued with the empathizing characterizations and vivid world, all the themes, revelations, betrayals, brutality, violence, vendettas, and heartbreak transformed Empire of the Vampire into a pulse-pounding and breathtaking story. I don’t know if I would have enjoyed it more if it was two books, but I reckon I would have finished it sooner and wouldn’t have so much time to mull over why it’s taking me so long.The fictional religious theme from the first book continues and expands in the second, taking unexpected turns that leaves you breathless and aching. Empire of the Vampire is an awkward name for a book or series; I would’ve preferred Vampire’s Empire or The Silversaint Chronicles.