Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire, #1)

by Jay Kristoff

you see Danton didn’t really become anything. He’d just had the shackles of consequence removed. Give someone the power to do anything they want, and they’ll do exactly that. That’s the horrifying part—the only thing holding some folk back from the worst atrocities they can imagine is the fear they might not get away with it.

Hero,’ he scoffed. ‘Mark my words, youngblood. You don’t want to be a hero. Heroes die unpleasant deaths, far from home and hearth.’

Your past is stone, but your future is clay. And you decide the shape of the life you’ll make.’

We carry the greatest burdens not on our shoulders, but in our hearts.

“No time to fret, I told myself. No time to fear. “When there’s little you can do, do what little you can.

But in truth, we weep not for those departed, but for we who remain. And it’s ever best to take the time to say good-bye. All too often, fate robs us of the chance.