where they discover Chloe survived but learn she and the Silversaints intend to kill Dior to end Daysdeath. Gabe tries to stop them, but his former brothers slit his throat and throw him into a chasm, only to be saved by Liathe. She heals Gabe and reveals she is his half-sister Celene Castia who was turned into a vampire by Laure, she promises to answer his questions after he saves Dior. Gabriel kills several of the Silversaints, including his old mentor Greyhands and Chloe, saving Dior in the process. Present The vampire historian, Jean-François, has filled up his tome and must leave for the day. Gabe tries to kill Jean-Francois, but he is saved by his fledgling. Gabe continues to wait in his cell for him to return and tell the rest of his tale, while also thinking about his failures. Reception The book was mostly well received by critics, who praised its exploration of vampire lore and the character of Gabriel. Janelle Janson, in a review for Cemetery Dance Publications, wrote that "Kristoff's visceral writing style, vivid imagery, and knack for the macabre made me swoon." Critics were divided as to Empire of the Vampire's genre, with Publishers Weekly calling it "dark fantasy" and Janson describing it as "an adult fantasy series with horrific elements." Rob H. Bedford, in a review for SFF World, dubbed the book "epic horror" which depicted the themes and tones of the horror genre on a larger scale more closely associated with epic fantasy. Some reviewers have compared to fantasy novels such as Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind. References Dark fantasy novels Vampire novels Novels by Jay Kristoff 2019 Australian novels Australian fantasy novels 2021 novels