We Who Will Die (Empire of Blood, # 1)
By: Stacia Stark
Expected Publication: January 20, 2026 by Avon
432 pages
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Vampires, Magic, Paranormal
Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)
*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.
Goodreads description--From the bestselling author of the Kingdom of Lies series comes a slow-burn romantasy set in a Roman-inspired world ruled by merciless vampires. Filled with breathtaking combat, vengeful gods, and magical creatures, We Who Will Die is the epic first installment in an enthralling new series perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent, Jasmine Mas, and Rebecca Yarros.Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.
Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.
She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.
With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.
To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…
Arvelle has been left with her brothers to care for. One of her brothers was injured in an accident that caused damage to his lungs. He needs help that she just can't provide. One night, he is so sick she thinks he is going to die. It just so happens that a vampire has been waiting to use this to trap her into an agreement. He will cure her brother and take both of her brothers under his protection (or captivity, depending on how you look at it) if she will compete in the Sundering--which is a gladiator-style competition where the victors are allowed entrance into emporer's elite gaurd. Ultimately, her agreement with the vampire is that she will kill the emperor.
Arvelle has lost so much, she's barely living. She is only surviving to keep her brothers alive and well. Nearly everyone in the Sundering has magic of some kind. Arvelle is "sigilmarked," and she does have a "gold crown," but her magic is small. Either way, vampires are the rulers of this world. The Primus and Arvelle have a history. It takes her a while to realize who he is. The reader definitely understands before she does.
Arvelle's mother was addicted to glister, but that isn't the only substance in this world that is addictive. Vampire blood/bite is as well. Many of the quotes I highlighted had to do with addiction.
Favorite quote:
-There's no worse feeling than watching someone you love die. The helplessness slices you into pieces. And grief sets those pieces on fire. Until you're nothing but ash.
-"I'm not going to kill you. That would be far too easy. Almost...boring. I'm going to take everything you love, everything you remotely care about, and I'm going to ruin it." ... "Why?" I ask, and Rorrick's eyes glint with amusement. "Because I can."
-Loving an addict is like being an addict yourself. Only you're addicted to hope. You constantly tell yourself that this time will be different. Things will get better. And always, always, you know that one day, when they're dead and cold, after their addiction has sucked the breath from their lungs...you'll still wonder if you could have done more. If you could have been more--even though their addiction was sucking the breath from your lungs too.
-When you love an addict, you know their addiction isn't their fault, even as you resent everything about them that made them fall prey to it.
I do wonder if Rorrik is going to turn out to be a Damon Salvatore if you catch my drift. Right now, he seems crazy, but you can also tell that there's more to his story than has been revealed.
I'm torn on wanting to continue the series. Overall, I felt like We Who Will Die was "okay." Pieces of it had me hooked. And pieces still have me curious as to what will come. The language was high, and there were some spicy scenes if you'd rather skip over those. We Who Will Die gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read We Who Will Die? What did you think? Let me know!
No comments:
Post a Comment