Reviews

Empire of the Damned - Holtbirodalom by Jay Kristoff

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canyareads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-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

4.5

asecretplant's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

5.0

Damn I love this empire. I can’t deny that I love this series. The characters are well-developed, its twists are unpredictable, and the world is rich in lore. What’s not to enjoy? Vampires, blood magic, and of course Jean, my nasty little son. Great way to start a year of reading.

monbro's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

1.0

katbancroft's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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

THAT ENDING are you freaking kidding me??? Jay Kristoff emotionally eviscerated me all over again with this gloriously dark, bloody storyworld and its deeply damaged leading man. I was obsessed with the vampires, the politics, the battles and betrayals and the enormously complicated relationships. And the plot twists — THE PLOT TWISTS, my word. I might have permanent bruises from the number of times this book sucker-punched me.

I could say about “Empire of the Damned” what I said about “Empire of the Vampire”: I never totally swallowed that Gabriel was essentially writing a book out loud, and I could’ve done with less crudity. The writing, while absolutely beautiful, became long-winded at times, and the story’s pacing dragged in a few places. But once again, I’m compelled to give five stars for sheer emotional impact. This is the kind of intensity I crave while reading, and it’s going to be an excruciating wait for book three!

chelseyd1997's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced

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

4.5

bhall806's review against another edition

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5.0

Honestly what is there to say about this book that isn't already out there?

Vampires - Check
Great cusswords - Check

Starting off right where Empire of the Vampire took off this book picks up with Gabriel and Dior and others on their quest to end Daysdeath. Filled with peril and plenty of grim situations with your favorite characters. It deals with grief and death as well as the bond of those who have committed to each other for a common goal.

This builds on the first and keeps you hooked the whole time. Endless action and journeying with plenty of cut ins to the present day. I am looking forward to the next addition to this universe because I cannot get enough!