Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire #1)[January 28, 2024]

[Tonari no Emily]

Johanna wrote: "Tonari no Emily wrote: "Book VI, Chapter 19 [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

Right? Its fun to figure things out...

Finished! (view spoiler)[ i was expecting a bit more to be wrapped up but a lot is left for future books... all nicely summed up here too with the last few lines from the historian... i dont think thats Gabriels father anymore, but i can't help but to think his patronage is significant. (hide spoiler)]

[Tonari no Emily]

Johanna wrote: "Finished
..."

Yes! (view spoiler)[ exactly how i felt at the end! Wheres the rest of the story??? Lol guess its good we'll get to the sequel soon! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Finished
..."

Yes! [spoilers removed]"

Haha, yes it's definitely needed 🤣🤣

[Nirkatze]

Starting! Really enjoying the mood from the start... seeing much of what y'all've been saying so far (the spoiler tags I've been brave enough to open, anyway)--the interview format made me think of Interview with the Vampire before Name of the Wind, but probably just 'cuz Vampires, and I definitely feel the Kadoshim feeling. Also getting Nevernight vibes--more than Kristoff's other work--in the narrative voice and format. And then a bit of Blade too, 'cuz vampires.

[Tonari no Emily]

Lol, well that would be the obvious one, but my mind definitely didn't go there for some reason :D

I can kind of see Nevernight in the voice, but here it seems much more serious

[Nirkatze]

The French accents on the audio keep making me think Interview with the Vampire meets Three Musketeers...

The dark humor, violence, and past/present narration, along with training sequences, missions etc remind me of Nevernight... but do agree, much more serious vibes here... Nevernight was one woman's revenge story... this is a world under siege...

[Tonari no Emily]

Oh yeah I wanted to bring up the whole French thing... I always find it weird when a writer wants to indicate they're speaking a different language by using random words from that language... Like how is this translated into French with all the ouis? lol

[Nirkatze]

LOL Good point... I wonder if they turn them into American accents? Kind of want to ask a translator now...

I'm almost getting an impression that the whole (view spoiler)[loss of the sun and endless night happened on our earth during the height of French power, and now they're all living in a French culture empire with altered Catholicism ... maybe Martin Luther was a vampire and they never got the Hugenots or Protestantism... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Last BR of the month... gonna binge it tomorrow... might read the first chapter tonight, might not... 1hr left in Emily Wilde, at 3x speed...

[Nirkatze]

Finished!! Really enjoyed it--world is very immersive, and the interview style. Agree on the ending--(view spoiler)[lots of questions left!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Started: did Jay Kristoff seriously end a series called Nevernight (with 3 suns and very little darkness), to a series about Forevernight (27 years of darkness)...

I find this funny, for some reason...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Finished the prologue, I think (whatever comes before Part 1 / Book 1: (view spoiler)[so the MC Gabriel smokes powdered blood?... that seems like playing with fire, in a world of vampire hunters... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Book 1, Chapter 4: (view spoiler)[WTF is Gabriel?... that sex scene embraced vampire tropes of virginal blood to the Nth degree, and Gabriel isn't even a vampire, is he?... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Finished book 1... alot of setup, after the previous comment, basically, I think...

But the more I read, the more I believe the theory posited above... also, I'm curious how Gabriel got to be the last Silversaint around... clearly things haven't gone well during the 27 years of Daydeath...

(I didn't spoiler tag this because most of what I commented on is revealed in the book blurb)...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Finished book 2, nearly 25% through...

The back and forth structure of this book is interesting...

Something about the loner nature of Gabriel, and the albino fanart, reminds me of Witcher and all it's white-haired characters and worldbuilding...

[Johanna]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Finished book 1... alot of setup, after the previous comment, basically, I think...

But the more I read, the more I believe the theory posited above... also, I'm curious how Gabriel got to be the ..."

I don't ever read blurps for this reason

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Bloodmage: around 33% and (view spoiler)[Gabriel's surprise powers (thought extinct), are giving me White Court Vampire in Dresden Files vibes... at least Thomas/Justine, and how their touch burns (for much different reasons)... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Reached book 4: (view spoiler)[not much to say, but they've discovered the prophecy mentioned on page 1...

And it's been interesting watching Gabriel try to learn about his blood magic, and train a nun in swordfighting and stuff... makes me think of the Red Sister trilogy a bit... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Home stretch, 75%... I've been commenting more in the other thread, since they have interesting spoiler tags in the first half of the book...

Most people here commented towards the end or when finished...

[Siobhan]

So excited to read book 2 all together! :D

[Tonari no Emily]

Johanna wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Finished book 1... alot of setup, after the previous comment, basically, I think...

But the more I read, the more I believe the theory posited above... also, I'm curious how ..."

Yeah I try to know as little as possible going in lol

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Finished: so many questions... (view spoiler)[So much happened in the last 10%... revelations, and new questions waiting to be answered in books 2-3...

I guess Francois the Historian probably isn't Gabe's father... who is the Dark Mother? (that was a new moniker, right?)... Gabe's sister... killing half the silversaints... thwarting the ritual/prophecy for being too heinous... lots of events listed by the historian left to cover, too... (hide spoiler)]

Glad we don't have to wait long for book 2 (it's been nearly 3 years since book 1 came out, right?)... hopefully the end of book 2 isn't as "bad" (I bet it is)...

[Chris]

I stalled out a bit.....Finished part 1, saw everyone was starting and finishing since I listened to any.....

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chris wrote: "I stalled out a bit.....Finished part 1, saw everyone was starting and finishing since I listened to any....."

Sorry, buddy... you know my reading speed/schedule... I have like 50 other BRs each month this year, from severe overbooking...

[Chris]

Not your fault. Concentration has been an issue of late, more than anything....

I started again this morning, but I've forgotten why Gabriel is where he is lol

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Gabriel's location at the start / in the framing story, is a large part of the mystery... clearly a lot has happened in his life, and now (view spoiler)[he's the only Silversaint left, and is in vampire captivity...

But he's had a lot of notable victories along the way...

The vampire historian wants his life story, for some reason... and there's also the whole Holy Grail thing... (hide spoiler)]

I think that's about all it's safe to say, that I remember, from early on and the book blurb...

[Paula]

Chris, I am starting today so I am glad that someone is still reading it too. Too many exciting buddy reads to pass

[Chris]

Oh, I remember the framing story setup....It's where I am now, Book Two, Chapter V.....

I guess it's just the early part of Book Two I'm fuzzy on. Though I have the ebook so I can go skim that bit and catch up in my head...

Great, Paula...welcome

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

The book jumps back and forth in the timeline alot...

There's

1) The framing story (27 years after Daydeath)

2) Middle Years & Questing (view spoiler)[hunting vampires, mostly the children of the Forever King... at this point, Gabriel is an adult, married to Astrid, with (view spoiler)[a child (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

3) Early years (starts around 8 years after Daydeath, Gabriel age 13, and goes from there to Silversaint training/etc)

[Paula]

so I have started and I am in Book 2 chapter 4 (view spoiler)[ As Iain said it's funny how kristoff wrote two series with such different day/night cycle. I wonder what he will do next, maybe go for a normal cycle just to takes us by surprise

Maybe it's been a minute since I read Nevernight but did they insult people as much? Because Talon is cursing every other word

I like the different timelines but the drawback is than when Justice died I felt nothing because I haven't had time to get to like him. But maybe on reread or even later on it will make me sad

I am also curious about his powers because he isn't weak for sure and also what happened to make him the last silversaint (hide spoiler)]

[Chris]

I read a good bit today, switching between audio and eBook. The audio is great, but seeing the names in print helps to keep them straight.

I'll probably switch back and forth throughout

[Johanna]

Paula wrote: "so I have started and I am in Book 2 chapter 4..."

(view spoiler)[I felt something! For me it's super easy to relate to scenes where you lost an animal friend because I feel so much for animals. So even though Justice was in his first scene, I could feel the attachment. I always hate so much if something happens to animals, it triggers me so much. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Was that the scene where (view spoiler)[Gabriel put the boy inside to heal?... that felt like such an homage to Star Wars... (hide spoiler)] (mostly targeted at people finished already, in case it's a spoiler for a later thing...

[Johanna]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Was that the scene where [spoilers removed] (mostly targeted at people finished already, in case it's a spoiler for a later thing..."

(view spoiler)[Nope, Justice died at the beginning. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Thanks... I had a feeling I was mixing events... already read a dozen books since then...

The event in my spoiler, I think happened closer to the 25-50% mark...

[Johanna]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Thanks... I had a feeling I was mixing events... already read a dozen books since then...

The event in my spoiler, I think happened closer to the 25-50% mark..."

Haha, yeah I have also read that amount of books after this one, but I remember well everything I have read. And that event you thought about happened later

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Sometimes details lock-in for seemingly forever... sometimes they fly out of my head... this year hasn't been great for detail retention, with everything else I'm dealing with IRL, it seems...

[Siobhan]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Was that the scene where [spoilers removed] (mostly targeted at people finished already, in case it's a spoiler for a later thing..."

That scene reminded me of that (view spoiler)[ Leonardo DiCaprio film, The Revenant, (view spoiler)[where he climbs inside a dead bear to survive the cold... 🥶😫 (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I haven't seen it, but heard about it... I was thinking of (PG re-enactment):

(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

[Paula]

Johanna (view spoiler)[ For me if I don't spend some time with them I don't feel attached just like the human characters. I feel kinda sad but I prefer to spend some time with them to properly feel their deaths (hide spoiler)]

[Chris]

Finished....

Fuck my face, that was awesome.

(view spoiler)[ So, I liked the early theory that the interviewer was Gabriel's father, but I'm thinking definitely not or we'd have seen Gabe shift into an animal form by now. Jean-Francois is Chastain, and their special ability is to turn into animal forms....

What had me surprised most was Liathe turning out to be Celene. I saw a wiki that had Celene as not dead, so knew she'd turn up. But didn't see that coming...

The Sangreaumancy (sp?) thing is pretty awesome.

Here's my question: How is Celene doing this, if she's Voss blood? This seemingly belongs to the 5th bloodline, (Esani) which we believe Gabe is a member of.....

Though....it does link to a theory I've been keeping for awhile now:.....Gabriel is a descendant of Esan and the Redeemer. I mean, it's not a huge stretch to get "Esani" out of "Esan", right?

But perhaps there isn't a 5th bloodline at all. Maybe Esani is just vamps that have the Esan blood combining with their paleblood powers. Dior's blood burns vamps. Gabe can burn vamps by holding them. Maybe he didn't get that power from his father at all, but his mother... (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Oooh, I like all of your theorizing, Chris... psyching me up for the next one...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I like the theories, too... agree on most, but you managed to squeeze in a few at the end I hadn't thought of...

[Chris]

I did a search online to see if Kristoff ever confirmed how many books this series would be. It's a trilogy...

https://www.harperreach.com/2023/11/2...

Interesting stuff there too....I think we saw the influences well enough

[Paula]

Finished! (view spoiler)[ So many crazy stuff going on, especially regarding Gabriels sister. I didn't saw that coming but I am very curious as to why she refers to herself as "us". She said Liathe is her title so maybe when there is vampire of both bloods is names like that or the ancient vampire is like a parasite and enters the new vampire and changes it. But then Celine would have been Voss and that can't be. I am just throwing ideas but I don't think I am anywhere near the correct answer

I like Chris theory. Maybe Gabe and Celene got their powers through her mother (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Ooh, Chris, that interview was very interesting, thank you for sharing!

I like you theories too, Paula! I know I only just read this, but all y'all's ideas are making me want to do a reread again before the next anyway...