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  • Empire of the Vampire

  • Empire of the Vampire, Book 1
  • By: Jay Kristoff
  • Narrated by: Damian Lynch
  • Length: 27 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (926 ratings)
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Empire of the Vampire cover art

Empire of the Vampire

By: Jay Kristoff
Narrated by: Damian Lynch
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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)

What listeners say about Empire of the Vampire

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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.

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13 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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6 people found this helpful

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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.

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3 people found this helpful

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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.

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Cant wait for the next one!

I LOVE this book, and think about it ALOT.
A truly great story that swallows you whole in a cold and cruel world, with the help of an amazing narrator.
This was actually my first ever audible-book and I will forever hold it on my heart.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent vampire yarn

Really enjoyed this story and the narration was top notch . Great main character and several great supporting ones too. Highly recommend

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Amazing

Loved every bit of it!! Finally a good vampire book! I still remember that playing Dracula when I was a kid on my PC and the terror of facing a vampire! This made me feel the same way! One of the best books I’ ve read lately!! Waiting for the sequel!

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You feel the thirst!

With out question the best vampire story I've ever read 10/10! Looking forward to book 2

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Fantastic

This month i've decided to try audibles i wouldnt normally try this being one. I've have never read or listened to anything by this Author til now, but i loved this audible from the getgo the tone of the narrator was spot on and very discriptive and i cant wait for book 2.

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Wow!

What. A. Story!

Perfect narrator and such a magnificent tale. This was my re-read ( or re-listen?) . Cannot wait till February 2024 when book 2 releases

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