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.
This is a vampire book for people tired of brooding romantics. Kristoff gives you terrifying predators, a world without sun and a hero who hunts them. The engine is the confession: Gabriel tells his life to a captor, and the sparring between teller and listener is where the book comes alive. Reviewers reach for Interview with the Vampire and The Name of the Wind, and the comparison holds for the frame, though this book is its own thing.
The book's pleasures come with some bruises. The opening half has unlikable characters and swearing some readers find randomly placed, and one reviewer needed perseverance before it turned brilliant. Publishers Weekly found the melodrama heavy and the storytelling choppy. Genre fans are far warmer, and Cemetery Dance calls it Kristoff's best work. Treat it as a taste test: if the voice hooks you early, it pays off.
Publishers Weekly admired the moral questions but balked at the choppy pacing. Genre readers have been much more enthusiastic, with a 2025 retrospective calling it one of the strongest trilogy openers in recent fantasy. Most of the grumbling lands on the first half.
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High-concept dark fantasy and science fiction narratives featuring intricate world-building and morally complex protagonists have established a distinct presence in contemporary speculative fiction. Australian author Jay Kristoff became widely known to readers internationally with his expansive dark fantasy sagas, beginning his novel-publishing career in 2012 and subsequently releasing eighteen novels across both adult and young adult categories.
Born on November 11, 1973, in Perth, Western Australia, Kristoff grew up reading extensively and playing tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons. Before transitioning into full-time fiction writing, he spent more than ten years working in the advertising industry. After launching his debut novel in 2012, he relocated to Melbourne and established a prolific writing career. His books have sold over two million copies worldwide and have been published in more than thirty-five countries.
Throughout his publishing career from 2012 to the present, Kristoff has earned substantial industry recognition, including eight Aurealis Awards, an Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA), and a Gold Inky Award. His books frequently appear on major international bestseller lists, including the New York Times, USA Today, and Sunday Times bestseller charts.
Kristoff's speculative fiction is recognized for its dark atmosphere, visceral action, and detailed lore. His works often focus on antiheroes navigating corrupt political empires, brutal religious institutions, and severe personal tragedy, consciously avoiding neat resolutions in favor of complex stakes. His narrative approach blends cinematic pacing and sharp humor with expansive world-building across both fantasy and science fiction subgenres.
Empire of the Vampire
