Empire of the Vampire

Empire of the Vampire, Book 1

By: Jay Kristoff

Narrated by: Damian Lynch

Length: 27 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

The SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestseller from the award-winning author of the Nevernight Chronicle

It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise.

Ever since, vampires have waged war against humanity building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Gabriel de León, half man, half monster, and last remaining silversaint–a sworn brother of the holy Silver Order dedicated to defending the realm from the creatures of the night–is all that stands between the world and its end.

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

The Holy Grail.

©2021 Jay Kristoff (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"This book is bloody brilliant." (V.E Schwab, New York Times best-selling author of The Invisible Life of Addie Larue)

"With a delicate balance of the ancient and the magical, this tense and brutal tale is unflinching, thrilling and satisfying." (Publishers Weekly)

"A gothic bloodbath that will leave any reader breathless. The story is a vast apocalyptic canvass, reminiscent of Justin Cronin’s The Passage or even Stephen King’s The Stand, yet Kristoff’s work stands on its own ruthless merit as the opening gambit of a richer tale yet to unfold. I can’t wait to return again to this rich, lush, and bloody world. Until then, read this book now!" (James Rollins, number one New York Times author of The Last Odyssey and The Starless Crown)

Great build up, but 27 hours and no ending Ouch!

Jay Krisfoff is a great writer. This story drags you in with its complex world plan and detailed characterisation. But the ending just comes bang, out of the blue, as if the tape recorder ran out (OK not quite so dramatic as that) but it's a very long investment for an installment that leaves you hanging. Having gotten over the disappointment, it is a great story and his word craft is brilliant. The narrator is excellent. I hope the next book doesn't take too long, it's a very long listen to have to repeat if I need a refresher...

Best Vampire Book in Ages

Loved every second of it. Amazing story, compelling characters and superb narration. I can't wait for the next one.

Another gem from my favourite author

This is the third series by Jay Kristoff I had read in a compulsive mode, unable to put it down until the end. I can’t wait for the next one.

Very well good tale, well told

Enjoyed this tale from the point of of a condemned prisoner imprisoned by the vey thing he has fought all his life. cant wait to listen to the next book

Dark and Excellent

First of all. The narration is wonderful. It's worth it,choosing the audio over the print edition.
Lovely to see vampire themed fiction after a long while as well.
This book is a dark, bloody, adult tale, told really well and immersive. Both in writing and narration. I also found it thought provoking, a sign of a good story. I don't know what it is about the author's writing, I find it incredibly soothing, despite the dark themes and style (both this one and Nevernight trilogy). Not everyone's cup of tea for sure, but definitely mine.
At one point your momma insult is majorly overused and is making fun of it's own sheer stupidity, and I find it simply genius.
I would not call the ending a cliffhanger, but some might find it lacking in some sort of conclusion.
I don't mind the way it ended, this is only the 1st installment of the story, so I will be eagerly waiting for the 2nd one.

Disappointed

This felt like a build up to nothing. Every fantasy cliche is used and no gratifying ending is supplied. For such a large investment of time I'm pretty saddened as the never night chronicle is one of my all time favourite books.

The Best

Damien Lynch is one of the best audio book narrators imo. He brings the characters to life. The story was excellent and kept me listening through many more chapters than I'd intended.

Best fantasy I've read/listened to this year

I could just make this a really short review and say 'it's probably the best fantasy novel I've finished this year'. It was one of those I got super-excited about back when all we had was a title and a thumbnail image that read 'cover not yet available', and, for once, it's one of those that saw that high pedestal I put it on, laughed, and took it a notch higher.

Our story is told through the eyes of Gabriel de León, the last silver-saint. Which is to say, the last half-breed vampire who fights all things dark and deadly with the powers bestowed upon him by his vampiric father. Unlike those who came before him, and unlike the man he used to be, Gabriel has utterly lost his faith in God. It's not so much a mild crisis of faith, it's more a case of 'he'd have a darn good go at giving the Almighty a bloody nose if they happened to cross paths'. A bit of a downer when so much of the Silver Saints' powers are rooted in their faith.

Gabriel de León's tale is told to his captor, a vampire who's mistress wishes to compile a written history before those who it concerns are extinguished forever. The banter between the historian and Gabriel is utterly wonderful, it makes the scenes in between Gabriel's recollections so much more fun than they otherwise might have been. I saw Kristoff write somewhere that this is like 'Interview with a Vampire meets Name of the Wind' as far as the storytelling goes, and that's a pretty damn perfect description.

Kristoff's writing is glorious and I love everything about the world he's created. The descriptions are vivid, the imagery vibrant. The bonds forged between the characters speaks of a master of his craft and I can do nothing other than salute him for the depth, detail and brilliance of what he is currently creating. 

What keeps this fresh is how it's told. It doesn't simply focus on one linear narrative. Gabriel will realise the historian is enjoying the flow, decide he's not one to make a vampire happy, and suddenly decide to skip forward or back in time to focus on another area of his past. It's an approach that, when done badly (which this most certainly is not) is outwardly bad. Kristoff manages to get it blending seamlessly so the different periods of time don't feel jarring or shoe-horned.

I enjoyed this audio book so much that the twenty-seven hours simply sped by and the only real negative I have is, after said twenty-seven hours of storytelling, we are treated to the line 'a fine night's work' ... just how long are these nights? Damian Lynch worked his magic upon this to the point where, were we a few hundred years in the past, he'd be checked for witch craft. His narration was brilliant and each and every character was brought to life incredibly well. Top marks for the performance and piece overall.

stunning

After such a long book I am desperate for the next. There is just so much left of this story to tell. The telling in three different timelines takes a bit to get used to, but it works. A special mention has to be made for the narrator it's like he was born to read this book, with such a powerful voice.

Wow

What a story.
I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through.
So clever, funny and exciting.
Just love it. Can’t wait for the next one.

Usual Dark Fantasy

I really wanted to rate this book as excellent but unfortunately it settled down into the usual fantasy trope, I've listened to a lot of books in this genre and the majority just turn into hours of grim dialogue, the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are classics because there is a quest and things happen along the way, it's called a story and not hour after hour of characters telling everyone how evil and corrupt the world is. Go somewhere and do something, that's what it needs...

started good, unfortunately

starts like the name of the wind,
keeps on avoiding being a Mia covere 2 being harry potter, which is a relief.
tries hard to be as trash as one can be with only words at one's disposal. which is far from mature.
then traces the moral blueprint for three whole tomes. which means no surprises with the characters, and all that is left to the reader, like in never night, is an impossible and grotesque buff of the main protagonists, and their motives. which is a bore.

Intense and Dangerously Dark

Wow, I'm an emotional mess after that intense experience 😳 this book had everything I was hoping it would.

Darkness and pain
Sex and death
Vampires and Slayers

very happy I managed to read the whole thing, it did take me a few days to get through.

definitely worth the read 📚

The masterpiece everyone needs to read

I have waited so long for this book and now that it is here and I have read it twice; it is the perfect book and it is Mister Kristoff’s finest writing to date. This was phenomenal. Recommend to anyone over the age of 18

Breathtaking. A Epic tale.

Jay Kristoff is a master story teller. you need to read this book. it is the best vampire book ever written.

Loved it! More please

Can't wait for more in the series to come out. Loved it. Great characters. main character very well made, with a troubled past, a great anti-hero. Very emotional in places.