Empire of the Vampire

Book One

By: Jay Kristoff

Narrated by: Damian Lynch

"Narrator Damian Lynch’s depiction of the sword is especially creepy and compelling. Lynch has a great sense of dialogue and pitch overall, and keeps this dramatic tale moving." -Locus

From New York Times bestselling author Jay Kristoff comes Empire of the Vampire, the first volume of an astonishing new dark fantasy saga.

From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hand sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.

It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness.

Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order could not stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains.

Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope:

The Holy Grail.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press.

©2021 Jay Kristoff (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

It's Good to be Bad

(No Spoilers) This is basically all the vampire books I've ever read put in a blender with a giant doorstopper Fantasy book thrown in for good measure. Somehow, rather than coming out stale or cliché, this book has just enough swagger that it works.

THE GOOD

It's Good to be Bad: The main character is an asshole, and I'm all for it. And since we know Bad Boys all secretly have hearts of gold (hint: that's only true in fiction), it's OK to root for him!

The Curse Whisperer: I had a notepad to write down the hilarious put downs that are non-stop throughout the book. The subject matter is all rather heavy and a smidge emo, but the humor injected by all the inventive cursing really tickled me. I suspect the author was paid by the word, but only one word in specific. And it's the word F*ck.

So this ain't reading material for your sweet granny, unless your granny happened to have been a dominatrix. Or a sailor. Or a dominatrix sailor. In which case you have a really interesting granny and should probably visit her more often.

Back to the Future: This story has more timelines than a Flash episode, but with way more graphic sex and cursing. We have the timeline where the MC is being interviewed ala Interview with the Vampire, then we have the Origin Story timeline, and finally the Somewhere In Between timeline. It may seem like that is a lot of pointless hopping around, but it was never confusing and I can see how it was a better choice than simply telling a linear story. A lot of well sowed mysteries are created (and left dangling) with this method, and I thought it was cleverly executed.

Extropeaganza!: I think literally every trope from the vampire and Fantasy genre's are on display here, and rather than being a big lazy mess, I think they all play off each other well, and broaden the appeal of the book. There's really something here for everyone. Talking magic swords? Yep! Angsty vampiric love affairs? You got it! Grimdark bleakness? Yes please!

Straight Outta The Vatican: Religion is front and center in this book. Typically this is a major turn off for me, yet this author manages something rare: a story filled with religion that doesn't preach. Despite nearly constant references to what is clearly a Catholic analog religion, the author appears to have no agenda beyond encouraging you to "believe in something" even if it's only your friends.

THE BAD

I got nothin. Seriously, this book is pretty good.

THE UGLY

The actual vampires. There ain't no sparkle to these vampires. Some are more human than others, but most are half-rotten mindless killing machines, and I dig it.

THE VERDICT

I'm giving this a full throated recommendation for anyone who enjoys vampire books, or epic fantasy, and especially if you like both.

A fantastic story

One of the best fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. I’ve laughed, I’ve felt the suspense, and I cried. It is a story of courage, of lost faith, of love and redemption … told with words that often sounded like poetry. Philosophical at times, harsh at others, it takes us to the journey of a man who …. (Can’t tell you more without spilling the beans 😉)
Cant wait for book 2… Jay, you truly have outdone yourself with this one. Simply beautiful!

True Craftsmanship

A beautiful book. Altered world history with a unique ecology that seems right. I enjoyed this fully.

mooooorrrrre I need moooooorrrreee

like the addiction the zealots are under, I need book two as soon as possible!

Just amazing.

If you like vampires, alternate histories and incredible storytelling, look no further. The narrator is amazing, too. A very fun (and dark) read. I loved it!

great story

it is a great read for anyone who enjoys good story telling from a great author

An absolutely badass book

Usually takes me a minute to get into a book but I immediately was pulled into this amazing story. Gabriel is a badass, the twists and turns are awesome. Such a visceral, dark fantasy with everything I love - absolutely dyyying for the sequel and I might go buy a pipe after reading this hahaha

awesome, hooked, I want to know is there a sequel

It was an awesome book. I did not want it to end I'm excited to find out what happens next if there's even a sequel we're not sequel. Captivating I couldn't wait to hear what happened next

Brilliant.

A complete masterpiece. Interview With the Vampire meets The Witcher meets utter greatness.I you like vampire stories, you'll love this. If you don't like vampire stories, you'll love this.

Amazing story and performance!

Definitely a new great series if this first book is anything to go by. It grips and holds tight the whole way! The only complaint is some minor audio problems but nothing that distracts from the story too much.