Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Empire of the Damned - Holtbirodalom by Jay Kristoff

8 reviews

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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mhyland's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

I adore this series so much, the writing is so good and the story grabs my heart and shreds it into pieces! Can't wait for the next one! 
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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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sarainfantasyland's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is one of the most stressful books I've ever read. Most fantasy I read, even epic and high fantasy, have the "oh my god I'm so scared whats gonna happen" mosts then their balanced with some calmer moments. This - I was on edge the entire book. It's a quieter scene but... who is coming out of the bushes to murder everyone? Please don't let this happen. Maybe it won't. It does. But its nothing like I imagined. It equally makes it very engaging but exhausting. I still had an amazing time. 

I was a bit worried how the format would follow up to the first with switching back and forth between Gabriel's past and.. further past. But the next twist
of having Celene's POV
was surprising and yet a great follow up.
I always wondered if she was still alive and wanted to know more about her. She's fascinating and infuriating all at once.
 

Gabriel's sister Celene added such an interesting dynamic to the main cast. No idea if I love or hate her. Her hatred for her brother seems so unfounded because everything that happened to her, he had no control of and it seems absurd to blame him.
Also still not sure if I trust the Esani.
Gabriel himself continues to grow in depth. And I remain immensely curious how he ended up where he presently is. And just HOW he killed the Forever King. His relationship with Dior is wonderful and shows the complexity of a father/daughter dynamic. The war between a teen girl wanting independence and a father's need to get them to listen when he knows better. Despite being a rash and slightly arrogant girl, Dior more than proved her mental in this one. She was the one I was most stressed about. Likely because she's the only main character where we're uncertain of her fate.
The ENDING has me stressed and hopeful. Her imprisonment by the Dyvok's was terrifying. Not knowing if she would be thralled or how she would escape.
And AARON. I'm furious. My favorite character and he's just being TORTURED.
I'm devastated he's Dead. And for what he was forced to endure. His scenes where by far the most disturbing to read. I do have hope for him but you can't cure being a vampire...


The action and worldbuilding continue to be a highlight. Going even deeper into the politics of a vampire clan. Understanding more aspects and history of the empire before daysdeath. The moonmaid/shapershifter culture was my favorite bits. To see how every type of magic has been effected by daysdeath. Also the deepening of the religion itself.
I lost my MIND when it was revealed that the Redeemer himself created the vampires of the Priests who murdered him.
The battle at the end was by far the best part of the book. So many moving pieces and plot twists that were executed so well. I cannot tell you how much I love a book that uses character/lore/worldbuilding/plot in balance. And Jay has that talent in abundance. 

I'm still so curious where the present timeline is going.
What do the Chastain's want and think they can do with the Grail? It obvious humans are becoming scarce. How are they going to deal with that? What is Gabriel's role? Will daysdeath end since it seems that Dior is alive in the present? How does she end it? What is the next book about and how accurate are Celene and Gabe's stories since they are clearly lying about Dior to the Historian?
Such an intricate web and I love it. I know it'll be years before I get the next book but I hope I can remember enough not to have to reread again when the time comes. 
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charles237's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
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magyklyxdelish's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book left me shattered and reeling from a cliffhanger and now I have to wait for the final one?? Ughhhhh 
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amy_reading_23's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

4.25

The ending made me cry. I'm still reeling. 

I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first, but I still really enjoyed it. The first half was a little slow but it picked up around the middle and then raced towards the end. At some points I thought maybe it was becoming predictable, bit then the unexpected would happen. 

I enjoyed the whole lore around Pheobe's clans. Since book one was so heavily monotheistic and christian-like, it was interesting for this book to have some focus on a matriarchal society who is pagan and believes in multiple gods, yet still has a prophecy about Dior, hinting that maybe all could be true.

I think something the writer does well is complicated characters. Even though some of the characters themselves believe in a black and white world of good and evil, its shown throughout the books that this isn't the reality, and every character comes with as many flaws as redeemable qualities. Even some of the more "villanious" characters can be enjoyable (like the Marquis and Kiara) and understandable in their own way. Book one very much was anti vampire - all vampires are evil - whereas this one was a bit more complex in that regard.  

These books are so rich with world building, lore, love, loss and emotion. I'll truly miss this world when the third one is finished. 

I genuinely cried at the end when Dior called Gabriel Papa. So hard. And cried again when she passed. I don't know what to make of the last few pages, although it made me reflect on one thing. Both Gabriel and his sister have said how the other is an unreliable narrator. And there's definitley things they're hiding from the historian. I'm intrigued for book 3 as I imagine it will combine both the events that happened after Dior's "death", how Gabriel killed Fabien, but also I think there will be some plot set in the present as we finally find our what Gabriel's plan is here. 

I also think his sister is in on it. I think their fight is a rouse and I think maybe the grail isn't truly lost.  But what keeps me afraid is that the author has said he doesn't believe in happy endings. So whether the dark days end or Gabriel lives or dies in book three I really don't know.


There is more explicit horror in this book. I didn't find the first book too disturbing horror-wise but this one does contain more torture and brutal deaths so definitley check the trigger warnings.

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