I like a good vampire story, same for dark fantasy, or almost any fantasy for that matter, and because it appeared to be a mashup of a couple of genres I read, Jay Kristoff’s EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE ended up under my Christmas tree last year. It also helped that the book came highly recommended by some people whose opinions I value. And I am not afraid of a lengthy tome, as this book comes in at more than 700 pages (for my paperback). It certainly could have been edited down to quite a few pages less, but like many fantasy writers, Kristoff does like to build his world extensively.

One definite thing about EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE is that it literally puts the “dark” in dark fantasy, as it is set in a European medieval style society where there has not been a sunrise in 27 years, as the direct daylight has been blocked by a permanent cloud cover, the reason why is only speculated at, but many believe is supernatural in origin, and thus requiring a supernatural salvation. In this world, vampires are free to go about uninhibited by nature, and are waging a war against humanity, one that the latter is slowly losing. The main character is Gabriel de Leon, a silversaint, making him a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to fighting the blood suckers. These silversaints are recruited from the offspring of vampire fathers and human women, and possess some of the traits of the former, including a desire for mortal blood. Give Kristoff credit for tweaking the vampire myth in a way that adds something to his story. The book is told through two parallel stories, one through the eyes of a teenage Gabriel as he enters the brotherhood as a novice and has to prove himself to some very tough mentors, while also meeting Astrid, who will be the love of his life, this despite a rule against silversaints marrying and carrying on their cursed bloodline. The second story is told by an older Gabriel, who has been kicked out of the order for getting Astrid pregnant and then marrying her, as he seeks to protect a character named Dior, who just might be the Holy Grail that will end the permanent twilight. Kristoff borrows from Anne Rice here, in that the story is framed by Gabriel as he tells both tales to Jean-Francois Chastain, a vampire historian after Gabriel has been taken prisoner.

I liked this book a lot, as I am a sucker (pun intended) for a good vampire story, and though I pointed out that Kristoff is wordy in his world building, he does a good job of it. There is a lot of cut and paste from medieval history and other fantasy novels, but it feels pretty seamless. The land where most of the action takes place in is clearly modeled on France (a lot of French names and terms are used), and there is a state religion modeled very closely on Christianity. Kristoff liberally borrows a lot of fantasy tropes, including the young novice who must endure a lot of rough treatment from his mentors and a bullying fellow novice as well (shades of Harry Potter), and a forbidden library filled with ancient books and scrolls where knowledge vital to the hero’s origin might be found. There is a mystery in the main character’s background: who is the vampire that fathered Gabriel? Throw in a couple of plot twists and a Big Reveal or two and you have a story. Kristoff makes his vampires very menacing, something essential to making this kind of horror novel work. Danton Voss and his sister, Laure, are monsters right out of a great nightmare, and their father, Fabien, is even worse. His appearance in the book, which constitutes a major scene, is a master class in horror writing. My favorite part of the story is when a young Gabriel has to gather a makeshift army of nuns, monks, and blacksmiths to throw back an invading vampire army coming through an unguarded mountain pass. It’s another fantasy trope, but done very well.

A number of reviewers online have taken Kristoff to task for his language and for what they consider to be his misogyny toward his female characters. I think some of them are being way overly sensitive, while others just have an agenda against certain types of storytelling, mainly having to do with the “male gaze.” They are certainly entitled to their opinion, but I think Kristoff was trying to create a gritty and down and dirty world modeled very closely on medieval history much in the manner of George R.R. Martin and his GAME OF THRONES. And in that real world, as in the fantasy one, women, to put it mildly, often did not get treated well. As it is, EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but also, that is how it should be. This fantasy and horror fan certainly enjoyed it, and because it is the first book in a trilogy, I am looking forward to finishing the series.


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