BookCompleted2021

Empire of the Vampire

by Jay Kristoff

Book 1 in Empire of the Vampire

This is vampire grimdark with teeth: holy orders, ruined kingdoms, blood-soaked quests, and a narrator who is already broken when the story begins. Read it for voice, atmosphere, brutality, and the doomed love threaded through the carnage.

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goodreads 4.33/5 79,870 ratings

storykind_community 4.5/5 2 ratings

Quick fit

Is this story right for you?

A decision-first view of the reading experience.

Think twice if…

Content warnings: Graphic violence, Gore, Sexual assault (referenced), Child death, Animal death, Suicide, Substance abuse, Alcoholism, Religious trauma, Religious bigotry, Torture, Child abuse (referenced), Violence, Blood, Death, Murder, War, Injury detail, Drug use, Alcohol use, Grief, Death of a parent, Homophobia/transphobia, Body horror, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Addiction, Self-harm

Length739 pages

Series statusCompleted series · 3 books

Spice3/5 · Passionate / intense

PacingMedium

Story profile

What the story promises

The strongest reviewed signals about romance, fantasy, and the reading experience.

Romance promise

Forbidden love
Male/female pairing (M/F)
Delayed romance
Medium
Passionate / intense
The angst delivered

Dark/tortured soul
Star-crossed
Dark / taboo style
Book hangover
Reluctant hero
Addictive read
Warrior/fighter

Fantasy promise

Dark fantasy
Temple / church / monastery
Grimdark / dark fantasy
Vampires
War front / rebellion
Gothic

Prison / captivity
Post-apocalyptic

Reading experience

First person
Dark
Heavy
High
Epic
Immersive

Brooding
Atmospheric
Intense
Sharp
Lyrical
Dangerous
Forbidden knowledge
Slow descent into darkness
War-torn kingdom
No one is safe
Bonds forged in war

Similar in ways that matter

Matched by the most important shared story signals, with the tradeoffs made explicit.

368 pages Completed

The Year of the Witching

Alexis Henderson

Similar because

Dark fantasy · Star-crossed · Forbidden knowledge

Different because

Spice is lower (1/5 vs 3/5). A shorter read (368 vs 739 pages).

709 pages Completed

Empire of the Damned

Jay Kristoff

Similar because

Vampires · Sharp · Reluctant hero

Different because

Spice is higher (4/5 vs 3/5).

Completed

Alecto the Ninth

Tamsyn Muir

Similar because

Dark fantasy · Delayed romance · Sharp

Different because

Spice is lower (1/5 vs 3/5).

Book details

Length: 739 pages
Language: English
Format: Book