Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Empire of the Damned - Holtbirodalom

So edgy. So dark. So much sex that I ended up skipping chunks of it to get back to the plot.

I think I'm gonna hate-read book 3. Two major plot points are STILL unresolved, and Kristoff keeps dangling new threads in front of our faces.

I want to know how Big Daddy Voss was killed, and I want to know how they finally end the reign of the vampires, ffs.

The series feels like a game of the White Wolf system said, "ya know, I'm gonna make several novels out of this." It reads like a cross between Vampire: the Masquerade, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and a soupçon of I Am Legend.

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hojo4489's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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chaptermaggot's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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pacifickat's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

*review to follow*

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sabrinz's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Mes amis, what can I say - this is another bloody ride full of tears, terror and torn limbs, with a side helping of wholesomeness before it's wripped away again.
We continue almost seamlessly where we left off in Book 1 and Gabriel de Leon continues telling the story of "how he lost/broke the Grail" after saving Dior at San Michon from his former fellow Silversaints.
Unlike the first book, we get some more insight into Francoise, the historian, and a glimps of the machinations at the castle the Chastaines keep Gabriel. Moreover, we also get another point of view for Dior's story as (who would have guess) almost nothing goes according to plan and paths split up before they cross again.

I know, this is very vague, but I do not want to spoiler anything.
We get more details and information on the vampires, this time the Dyvoks are in the spotlight - and what can I say? They are as terrible as book 1 and Gabe's haunted memory of his time in Ossian fighting them let's us assume - and they are just as unhinged.

I can't wait to see where all this is leading and how all those things will come together in the end. Because one thing I realized when I was re-reading the first book again was that history and what actually happened can be two different things - and it all depends on who's telling the story.

So, what of Gabe's story can we really believe and what might be ... misleading for the vampire ears wanting to hear his/Dior's story?

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booksalacarte's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Empire of the damned- 4.75⭐️ 3🌶️

Dark Epic Fantasy

Second book

Vampires

Dual POV

Storytelling narration

Catholic inspired religion

War

🏳️‍🌈 representation

Character recap!!!

My confusion is why the first 2 sections of this book weren’t included in the first book. It would have been a full arc of a story. The break in storytelling would have been very natural due to where “book 3” starts/picks up. But I understand the shift in narration necessary to go onto section 3… interesting.

But putting that aside, I loved this book!! It was a great second book that didn’t suffer the sophomore slump. I was engaged and invested and excited for what was revealed through this part of the story. I really enjoy Jay Kristoff’s writing style. I was worried about the addition of a second storyteller, but it worked out!

Messy characters make me love it even more. Give me all the drama and messy relationships/friendships. Make me gasp. And this author delivers. I enjoyed side characters becoming main players.

The things that I didn’t enjoy include misogyny standard to European medieval feudalism centered around religious orthodoxy. If you thought a book that was inspired by medieval Catholic Europe was going to be without it being present, I don’t know what to tell you. But it’s there, it’s never fun to have to read in excess. But it’s an adult fantasy, with cursing and I get.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the eARC of sections 1 & 2 of this book. All opinions are my own.

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karapillar's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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