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Empire of Blood #1
We Who Will Die
From the bestselling author of the Kingdom of Lies series comes a slow-burn romantasy set in a Roman-inspired world ruled by merciless vampires. Filled with breathtaking combat, vengeful gods, and magical creatures, We Who Will Die is the epic first installment in an enthralling new series perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent, Jasmine Mas, and Rebecca Yarros.
Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.
Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.
She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.
With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.
To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…
Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.
Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.
She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.
With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.
To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…
Hardcover
Expected publication December 30, 2025
1685 people are currently reading
91586 people want to read
About the author
Stacia Stark
18 books5,448 followersStacia Stark is an Amazon #1 bestselling author of romantasy filled with found families, self-reliant heroines, and brooding, grumpy heroes.
Her books have been translated into over 15 languages, her Kingdom of Lies series was nominated twice for Goodreads Choice Awards, and her traditionally published debut We Who Will Die releases with Avon in December 2025.
When she’s not writing or exploring the world, Stacia can usually be found sprawled on her sofa, lost in the pages of a good book.
Come say hi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stark...
Or learn more at Staciastark.com
Her books have been translated into over 15 languages, her Kingdom of Lies series was nominated twice for Goodreads Choice Awards, and her traditionally published debut We Who Will Die releases with Avon in December 2025.
When she’s not writing or exploring the world, Stacia can usually be found sprawled on her sofa, lost in the pages of a good book.
Come say hi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stark...
Or learn more at Staciastark.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,359 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A legally binding blood vow to overthrow a fictional tyrannical government after a fight to the death in a magical murder arena.
I don’t think it’s a reach that readers are pretty into the idea of escaping into fantasy worlds where people overthrow oppressive dictatorships, tyrants and monarchies right now.
That’s part of the reason why I ate up We Who Will Die, set in a gladiator inspired fantasy world with political rebellion. Another part is hot people with magic powers, yearning and many of our favourite romance tropes.
Even though some aspects of the premise could feel familiar to fantasy and romantasy regulars, I still think We Who Will Die adds originality with its innovation and twists. What innovation and which twists? That’s for you to find out, let’s not spoil the fun. But for real, I highly suggest just jumping in without even reading the synopsis which may give too much away. I kinda went in without knowing too much besides the bare basics and even though I can't scientifically compare, I'm pretty sure it made the experience more rewarding.
Anyway, I think a few things lifted this from a ”I had a fun time” four star to a “I had a really really fun time” five star rating for me:
Firstly, for people who side eye extreme age gap romances (immortal beings included)… there is NO thousand year ancient-age-gap à la Edward Cullen, Kingfisher or Leonardo DiCaprio. In this world, vampires can be “born” as well as “made,” and the ones we’re dealing with are roughly MC Arvelle’s age. Revolutionary! Bonus points to the author.
That said, I know everyone probably wants the tea on the romance plot line, but I don’t want to give too much away because I think it’s best discovered for yourself, especially the evolution. What I will reveal is that there are hot immortal vampires and there is a particular… angle I was more intrigued about and drawn to than another. Make of that what you will. And come back to me after you’ve read this so we can talk about it.
Secondly, Arvelle felt authentic to me in the sense that she wasn't some doe-eyed teen who hadn’t had any life experience. (No shade to doe eyed teens, y’all are cool, and we’ve all been you at some point). But yes, our gal has been through it! She’s mid twenties, guarded, traumatised, has a bung ankle and her backstory is heartbreaking: Parental neglect due to addiction, chronically ill brother, dead BFF, mysteriously vanished first love. She’s the eldest daughter who became the parent, protector and provider and my heart broke for her and everything she has been through. Her and her struggles felt real and I truly felt her pain. [I’m not an eldest daughter but I see y’all 🫂].
Besides all of that, I ended up really caring for many side characters, such as Maeva and Leon. I wanna see what other people think, but Leon gave me a little bit of Haymitch mixed with Vincent, from Serpent and the Wings of Night in characterisation. Both of whom I (/we) love.
Finally, I also appreciated the portrayal of the oppressing ruling class, the vampires, as the author took care to not portray them as a monolith. Some are kind. Some fight for the oppressed. Some are violent bigots. Pretty accurate to the nuances of people in real life, I would say. And I also would say the social commentary on classism, privilege and oppression was very on point too.
Anyway, I closed this book realising I would literally be the first one to perish in a gladiator arena. Highly recommend!
Quick note that this does get dark and has some trigger warnings to be mindful of, so please check them. [will add soon].
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Australia for the ARC!
I don’t think it’s a reach that readers are pretty into the idea of escaping into fantasy worlds where people overthrow oppressive dictatorships, tyrants and monarchies right now.
That’s part of the reason why I ate up We Who Will Die, set in a gladiator inspired fantasy world with political rebellion. Another part is hot people with magic powers, yearning and many of our favourite romance tropes.
Even though some aspects of the premise could feel familiar to fantasy and romantasy regulars, I still think We Who Will Die adds originality with its innovation and twists. What innovation and which twists? That’s for you to find out, let’s not spoil the fun. But for real, I highly suggest just jumping in without even reading the synopsis which may give too much away. I kinda went in without knowing too much besides the bare basics and even though I can't scientifically compare, I'm pretty sure it made the experience more rewarding.
Anyway, I think a few things lifted this from a ”I had a fun time” four star to a “I had a really really fun time” five star rating for me:
Firstly, for people who side eye extreme age gap romances (immortal beings included)… there is NO thousand year ancient-age-gap à la Edward Cullen, Kingfisher or Leonardo DiCaprio. In this world, vampires can be “born” as well as “made,” and the ones we’re dealing with are roughly MC Arvelle’s age. Revolutionary! Bonus points to the author.
That said, I know everyone probably wants the tea on the romance plot line, but I don’t want to give too much away because I think it’s best discovered for yourself, especially the evolution. What I will reveal is that there are hot immortal vampires and there is a particular… angle I was more intrigued about and drawn to than another. Make of that what you will. And come back to me after you’ve read this so we can talk about it.
Secondly, Arvelle felt authentic to me in the sense that she wasn't some doe-eyed teen who hadn’t had any life experience. (No shade to doe eyed teens, y’all are cool, and we’ve all been you at some point). But yes, our gal has been through it! She’s mid twenties, guarded, traumatised, has a bung ankle and her backstory is heartbreaking: Parental neglect due to addiction, chronically ill brother, dead BFF, mysteriously vanished first love. She’s the eldest daughter who became the parent, protector and provider and my heart broke for her and everything she has been through. Her and her struggles felt real and I truly felt her pain. [I’m not an eldest daughter but I see y’all 🫂].
Besides all of that, I ended up really caring for many side characters, such as Maeva and Leon. I wanna see what other people think, but Leon gave me a little bit of Haymitch mixed with Vincent, from Serpent and the Wings of Night in characterisation. Both of whom I (/we) love.
Finally, I also appreciated the portrayal of the oppressing ruling class, the vampires, as the author took care to not portray them as a monolith. Some are kind. Some fight for the oppressed. Some are violent bigots. Pretty accurate to the nuances of people in real life, I would say. And I also would say the social commentary on classism, privilege and oppression was very on point too.
Anyway, I closed this book realising I would literally be the first one to perish in a gladiator arena. Highly recommend!
Quick note that this does get dark and has some trigger warnings to be mindful of, so please check them. [will add soon].
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Australia for the ARC!
Review of advance copy
Contrary to the popular belief that this is top tier, I honestly did not have a good time reading this bland Roman inspired, gladiator-vampire fantasy. I know I’m the minority on this one but this book and I did not click. I was completely miserable while reading it and I think that’s because I’ve set my expectations too high due to very high ratings (they were quite misleading for me) on both Goodreads and NetGalley.
I’m going to expand on this in my full review.
I’m going to expand on this in my full review.
December 14, 2025
3.5 ☆
He looks up at me, and I can’t deny the sight of him on his knees ..
“Do you feel powerful in this moment, darling?”
how can i NOT be a Rorrik apologist when he graced me with that undefeated scene and quote? 👆🏽
i have mixed feelings on this book, i did like it but i don’t necessarily agree with all the hype it’s been getting. the gladiator fight scenes were well written, along with all the action but the characters were a bit lackluster in my opinion. Arvelle is not in a position where she can afford to make so many stupid mistakes, which sometimes costs the people around her their lives. it started to make me irritated by her, i just needed her to use her brain. the “Primus” had no distinct personality traits, he’s fine i guess but i found him very vanilla and boring.
Rorrik on the other hand, is my reason for the extra .5 in the rating — he’s the antagonist of the book but he’s also the most compelling. he’s so cunning, while also being completely unpredictable and still managing to make me see his side of things at the end of it. another issue i had was that the world building is never properly developed, there’s a lot of things that just get thrown at you without much explanation. i was living for the drama between the brothers though, it kept things interesting and messy and i am curious to see what’ll happen next.
➳ many thanks to NetGalley, the author, Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc, all opinions are my own.
He looks up at me, and I can’t deny the sight of him on his knees ..
“Do you feel powerful in this moment, darling?”
how can i NOT be a Rorrik apologist when he graced me with that undefeated scene and quote? 👆🏽
i have mixed feelings on this book, i did like it but i don’t necessarily agree with all the hype it’s been getting. the gladiator fight scenes were well written, along with all the action but the characters were a bit lackluster in my opinion. Arvelle is not in a position where she can afford to make so many stupid mistakes, which sometimes costs the people around her their lives. it started to make me irritated by her, i just needed her to use her brain. the “Primus” had no distinct personality traits, he’s fine i guess but i found him very vanilla and boring.
Rorrik on the other hand, is my reason for the extra .5 in the rating — he’s the antagonist of the book but he’s also the most compelling. he’s so cunning, while also being completely unpredictable and still managing to make me see his side of things at the end of it. another issue i had was that the world building is never properly developed, there’s a lot of things that just get thrown at you without much explanation. i was living for the drama between the brothers though, it kept things interesting and messy and i am curious to see what’ll happen next.
➳ many thanks to NetGalley, the author, Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc, all opinions are my own.
December 28, 2025
WHAT WAS THIS ENDING!????? NEED THE SECOND BOOK RIGHT NOW😭
I actually loved this way more than I thought I would and this might be the only love triangle in which I couldn’t decided which love interest I like more🫣
I finally feel motivated to write a review after months so rtc
┆ ⤿ 🧛♀️ ༝ pre-read:
I’m so excited to read this!!!
vampires x gladiator is such an interesting concept, in my mind you can’t mix those two lol but this have a lot of great reviews so let’s see how good it is🤞🏻🤸🏻♀️
I actually loved this way more than I thought I would and this might be the only love triangle in which I couldn’t decided which love interest I like more🫣
I finally feel motivated to write a review after months so rtc
┆ ⤿ 🧛♀️ ༝ pre-read:
I’m so excited to read this!!!
vampires x gladiator is such an interesting concept, in my mind you can’t mix those two lol but this have a lot of great reviews so let’s see how good it is🤞🏻🤸🏻♀️
November 29, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this romance fantasy novel! It is a slow burn romance that is filled with magic, a strong female main character, combat and adventure! While reading this, I felt tense, emotional and hopeful. It is set in a Roman inspired world, where the heroine gets into a deadly bargain. This is a story where the vampires are the ruling class. The magical system and the world building in this book is amazing and very detailed. It has political intrigue, paranormal creatures and comes with a lot of action!
I found that the characters in this story were strongly developed, mostly lovable and diverse! Furthermore, I found the characters to be very multilayered and have strong relationships. It came with an intriguing plot, that was fast paced and predictable, but very satisfying. It has a very ancient and atmospheric setting, that just draws you in. It has a brutal world that is filled with emotional drama, an arena used for combat and a yearning romance! If you are a fan of the movie “Gladiator” mixed in with the “Vampire Academy” books, I am sure you will absolutely love this book! Be sure to read the content warnings. Overall, I was very pleased with the entirety of this book and give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Stacia Stark and Avon and Harper Voyager for this eARC in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is set to be released on December 30, 2025!
I found that the characters in this story were strongly developed, mostly lovable and diverse! Furthermore, I found the characters to be very multilayered and have strong relationships. It came with an intriguing plot, that was fast paced and predictable, but very satisfying. It has a very ancient and atmospheric setting, that just draws you in. It has a brutal world that is filled with emotional drama, an arena used for combat and a yearning romance! If you are a fan of the movie “Gladiator” mixed in with the “Vampire Academy” books, I am sure you will absolutely love this book! Be sure to read the content warnings. Overall, I was very pleased with the entirety of this book and give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Stacia Stark and Avon and Harper Voyager for this eARC in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is set to be released on December 30, 2025!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Netgalley and HarperAudio Adult/ Avon for an ALC of We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark!
One of the BEST feelings as a reader is when you pick up a book expecting to have your standard good time and instead are blown away by a grapeshot at 1,000 mph.. Which was definitely the case here. I honestly only skimmed the synopsis and gravitated more to the incredible rating. But to be frank, I don't think any synopsis could prepare you for the magnificent artistry that is this book!
We Who Will Die could and should be used as a teaching tool. Because the way every single "trope"used takes a backseat to the storyline is nothing short of literary nirvana!
A prime example of top-notch storytelling and writing. The story is so engrossing, I found myself momentarily forgetting major details.. like some of the characters being flippin VAMPIRES. Because the story itself is just so addicting!..and as an avid reader that is just, ohh so refreshing!
I feel as though a lot of the times authors use these "tropes" as a crutch that gets stuck carrying the whole book. In my useless opinion this causes the reader to grow tired of the tropes faster because after a while it starts feeling very generically processed. If more books were written like this one, we would never grow bored!
A must add to everyone's 2026 TBR and one I will most definitely be adding to my hard copy collection!
Until next time,
Hades
🩵
One of the BEST feelings as a reader is when you pick up a book expecting to have your standard good time and instead are blown away by a grapeshot at 1,000 mph.. Which was definitely the case here. I honestly only skimmed the synopsis and gravitated more to the incredible rating. But to be frank, I don't think any synopsis could prepare you for the magnificent artistry that is this book!
We Who Will Die could and should be used as a teaching tool. Because the way every single "trope"used takes a backseat to the storyline is nothing short of literary nirvana!
A prime example of top-notch storytelling and writing. The story is so engrossing, I found myself momentarily forgetting major details.. like some of the characters being flippin VAMPIRES. Because the story itself is just so addicting!..and as an avid reader that is just, ohh so refreshing!
I feel as though a lot of the times authors use these "tropes" as a crutch that gets stuck carrying the whole book. In my useless opinion this causes the reader to grow tired of the tropes faster because after a while it starts feeling very generically processed. If more books were written like this one, we would never grow bored!
A must add to everyone's 2026 TBR and one I will most definitely be adding to my hard copy collection!
Until next time,
Hades
🩵
December 13, 2025
1⭐️ (DNF @ 37%)
If I had one word to describe this book, it would be...yikes. I tried. I tried and tried and tried but I had zero interest to continue this story. I genuinely feel like I've had a completely different reading experience than everyone else whose read this cause this was really...not good.
This book made just about zero sense. The characters were shallower than a pond, the writing was beyond poor, and the execution of the plot missed the mark by a mile. I know I didn't get to read much of this book, but I'm going to write this on what was in the 37% that I did read, and trust me, I don't really have much nice to say about it.
First of, the characters. Our FMC, Arvelle, was shallow and boring. This book is based on the fact that she enters trials and plans to kill the emperor to save her brother through the deal of a vampire. I was thinking to myself that this sounded interesting, but everyone in this book was SO bland. None of the characters, not a single one, had redeeming qualities about them. The relationships felt as superficial as a paper cut.
Then we get to the writing...BOY DO I HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS.
The writing and execution of the plot was the WORST thing about this book. Now, I am perfectly okay with jumping straight into a plot, IF IT IS DONE. RIGHT. There needs to be explanations, there needs to be set up, there needs to have details established in order for this to work. This book had none of that. The explanation of the magic system is disgustingly poor. I had not a damn clue what was going on and what everything meant because it was NEVER EXPLAINED. The author would use specific terms that related to the story without actually explaining what they meant. I kept waiting and waiting for some, ANY explanation or description on what even the basis of the plot meant and was deeply disappointed.
When a book has a very similar plot line to many, many of fantasy books out there, you need to make it special; you need to make it stand out. This book came off as very bottom of the barrel in terms of setup and execution. I have read fantasy books with this exact kind of plot line a million times over, and I don't mind because I genuinely enjoy it. The books normally have a few things that are very specific to that kind of book to set them apart. This book came off as very basic a big let down, and it's safe to say that I have no interest in even trying to finish this book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: 💜🥀
Trials?
Vampires?
SIGN ME UP RNNNN 😩
If I had one word to describe this book, it would be...yikes. I tried. I tried and tried and tried but I had zero interest to continue this story. I genuinely feel like I've had a completely different reading experience than everyone else whose read this cause this was really...not good.
This book made just about zero sense. The characters were shallower than a pond, the writing was beyond poor, and the execution of the plot missed the mark by a mile. I know I didn't get to read much of this book, but I'm going to write this on what was in the 37% that I did read, and trust me, I don't really have much nice to say about it.
First of, the characters. Our FMC, Arvelle, was shallow and boring. This book is based on the fact that she enters trials and plans to kill the emperor to save her brother through the deal of a vampire. I was thinking to myself that this sounded interesting, but everyone in this book was SO bland. None of the characters, not a single one, had redeeming qualities about them. The relationships felt as superficial as a paper cut.
Then we get to the writing...BOY DO I HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS.
The writing and execution of the plot was the WORST thing about this book. Now, I am perfectly okay with jumping straight into a plot, IF IT IS DONE. RIGHT. There needs to be explanations, there needs to be set up, there needs to have details established in order for this to work. This book had none of that. The explanation of the magic system is disgustingly poor. I had not a damn clue what was going on and what everything meant because it was NEVER EXPLAINED. The author would use specific terms that related to the story without actually explaining what they meant. I kept waiting and waiting for some, ANY explanation or description on what even the basis of the plot meant and was deeply disappointed.
When a book has a very similar plot line to many, many of fantasy books out there, you need to make it special; you need to make it stand out. This book came off as very bottom of the barrel in terms of setup and execution. I have read fantasy books with this exact kind of plot line a million times over, and I don't mind because I genuinely enjoy it. The books normally have a few things that are very specific to that kind of book to set them apart. This book came off as very basic a big let down, and it's safe to say that I have no interest in even trying to finish this book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: 💜🥀
Trials?
Vampires?
SIGN ME UP RNNNN 😩
November 4, 2025
INCREDIBLE. One of my favorite reads of the year!
I’ll admit I was skeptical at first. The beginning of the book was a bit of a slow start for me, but things began picking up around the 35% mark and halfway through I was HOOKED.
So much happens in this book; I honestly did not know where the story was going most of the time. In other books this may have resulted in a story that is too convoluted, but thankfully that was not the case here. Stacia Stark does an amazing job of building a rich world/magic system, and a dynamic plot, that is very well executed and flows seamlessly.
I’m not always a fan of love triangles, but this one was really well done and sets itself up perfectly for book two. Fans of The Vampire Diaries will absolutely eat this up. Rorrik is 100% for the Damon and Rhysand girls, but I expect there will be those who really like Tiernon too.
I would absolutely recommend this book to any Romantasy reader, and if the beginning feels slow, all I can say is trust the process with this one; you won’t regret it. There’s no way I won’t be picking up book two!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
I’ll admit I was skeptical at first. The beginning of the book was a bit of a slow start for me, but things began picking up around the 35% mark and halfway through I was HOOKED.
So much happens in this book; I honestly did not know where the story was going most of the time. In other books this may have resulted in a story that is too convoluted, but thankfully that was not the case here. Stacia Stark does an amazing job of building a rich world/magic system, and a dynamic plot, that is very well executed and flows seamlessly.
I’m not always a fan of love triangles, but this one was really well done and sets itself up perfectly for book two. Fans of The Vampire Diaries will absolutely eat this up. Rorrik is 100% for the Damon and Rhysand girls, but I expect there will be those who really like Tiernon too.
I would absolutely recommend this book to any Romantasy reader, and if the beginning feels slow, all I can say is trust the process with this one; you won’t regret it. There’s no way I won’t be picking up book two!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
November 26, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for a chance to review this ARC! So happy I got this one!!
Dedication ; « For the eldest daughters. You are seen, you are loved, and you are enough. »
This came extremely close to be a 5 stars read for me. Arvelle has raised her younger brothers (as someone who raised her younger brothers and still takes care of the youngest, this hit close to home) and is still taking care of them. They’re her entire universe and there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for them (felt this to my core).
« They’re growing into good people. The kind of people who make me proud to know them. To have-
- Raised them. If they’re good people, it’s because you showed them how to be good, despite how hard your life was. You should be proud. »
This book took me on a wild ride. We have a mix of Roman inspired world with ruthless vampires, a cruel Emperor, magical creatures, gods, epic combats and an amazing magic system.
It’s truly a world I wouldn’t want to be in. It’s ruthless and it was sometimes difficult to read some of the passages! So please check the TW.
« They’re the best and brightest things in my life. I would do anything for them. There are no limits. » (about her brothers)
That being said, there’s a lot of plots and subplots and the pacing is uneven - I sometimes had to reread passages because I got confused as to what we were talking about exactly. With this many plots and things going on - this book would’ve benefitted having other POVs. I always felt like we didn’t get all the details since we were only following Arvelle’s POV.
I liked the romance at first. I liked that it was sort of a second chance romance but felt that the emotional connection was lacking. I sincerely didn’t like the love triangle with the brothers and didn’t appreciate it always being in the background. The whole « I saw her first » thing rubbed me the wrong way. Hope this gets cleared up in the next book!
Overall, I had a fun time with this. 2 plot twists really took me by surprise - one of them almost made me drop my kindle & the other made me sit up straight. I was at the edge of my seat for a good chunk of this. It’s a good Epic Fantasy! I can’t wait for the next book!!
« Look at everything you’ve achieved while being a shell of a person. Imagine what you could do if you let yourself heal. »
Dedication ; « For the eldest daughters. You are seen, you are loved, and you are enough. »
This came extremely close to be a 5 stars read for me. Arvelle has raised her younger brothers (as someone who raised her younger brothers and still takes care of the youngest, this hit close to home) and is still taking care of them. They’re her entire universe and there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for them (felt this to my core).
« They’re growing into good people. The kind of people who make me proud to know them. To have-
- Raised them. If they’re good people, it’s because you showed them how to be good, despite how hard your life was. You should be proud. »
This book took me on a wild ride. We have a mix of Roman inspired world with ruthless vampires, a cruel Emperor, magical creatures, gods, epic combats and an amazing magic system.
It’s truly a world I wouldn’t want to be in. It’s ruthless and it was sometimes difficult to read some of the passages! So please check the TW.
« They’re the best and brightest things in my life. I would do anything for them. There are no limits. » (about her brothers)
That being said, there’s a lot of plots and subplots and the pacing is uneven - I sometimes had to reread passages because I got confused as to what we were talking about exactly. With this many plots and things going on - this book would’ve benefitted having other POVs. I always felt like we didn’t get all the details since we were only following Arvelle’s POV.
I liked the romance at first. I liked that it was sort of a second chance romance but felt that the emotional connection was lacking. I sincerely didn’t like the love triangle with the brothers and didn’t appreciate it always being in the background. The whole « I saw her first » thing rubbed me the wrong way. Hope this gets cleared up in the next book!
Overall, I had a fun time with this. 2 plot twists really took me by surprise - one of them almost made me drop my kindle & the other made me sit up straight. I was at the edge of my seat for a good chunk of this. It’s a good Epic Fantasy! I can’t wait for the next book!!
« Look at everything you’ve achieved while being a shell of a person. Imagine what you could do if you let yourself heal. »
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
» :: started: nov. 22, 2025 ꒱
꒰ ꕤ finished: dec. 10, 2025 «
4.5 stars!
minnie's journal ᯓ⟢ review #24
💌 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 [1] 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞..
⤷ {now opening message}
⋮ ⌗ ⚔️┆꒰𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝‧₊ ᵎᵎ🩸꒱
I don't really see myself finishing another book before next year, so I'm glad I ended 2025 with an almost 5 star read! Everyone go pre order this book because I actually lovedddddd it so much!!
«content warnings»
⟡ injury detail
⟡ gore and bloody violence
⟡ sexual content
⟡ murder and death
⟡ animal cruelty
⟡ grief, minor mentions of suicide
publishing date: december 30th, 2025
🩸 :: 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐲𝐩𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬⌢⌢
In We Who Will Die, an enthralling romance fantasy novel that explores the importance of family, forgiveness, and fighting against all odds for your future and the future of your loved ones, Stacia Stark spins a tale of survival, grief, and sacrifice, forcing readers to face the haunting question of what it truly means to fight for those you love.
In an Ancient Roman inspired world where the upper class consists of vampires, and the color of the magic sigil on your brow–if you were born with one at all–determines your strength and your social standing, Arvelle Dacien’s life should have been easy. She was born with a gold sigil, the most powerful color, and six years ago, she won the Sands, a brutal gladiator tournament that all eighteen year olds are required to participate in. But nothing in life is that easy; Arvelle’s sigil never developed, leaving her powers dormant, and winning the Sands cost her everything, including her best friend’s life. Years later, she is still grappling with grief and a bad ankle that never fully healed from the fighting, and struggles to provide for her two younger brothers, Evran and Gerith–not to mention Evran’s life threatening lung condition that requires expensive elixirs.
Then Evran’s condition worsens, and Arvelle is blackmailed by Bran, a powerful vampire, into a magical vow to save her brother’s life. With no other choice, she agrees, but the price is steep–she now must kill Emperor Vallius Corvus, a cruel and ancient vampire conqueror known for his viciousness. To do this, she must enter the Sundering, a gladiator arena where only the deadliest and strongest survive long enough to enter the emperor’s elite guard, the imperius. It’s there that Arvelle catches the attention of the Primus, the head of the imperius—and the one who once held her heart. While old sparks start to reignite, a new danger emerges in the form of Rorrik, the emperor’s sadistic son, whose motives are as dangerous as they are unknown. As Arvelle is forced to fight for her survival, she must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice for family, love, and the future she’s desperate to protect.
⚔️ :: 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬⌢⌢
I absolutely loved this book. It has so many elements of fantasy and romantasy that I love, and everything was executed spectacularly, from the character development to the love triangle–and that’s coming from someone who dislikes love triangles. Reading this novel felt like I was in this fantasy world with Arvelle, navigating through a complicated web of politics, bloodshed, treachery, and secrets, all while fighting for my life. The writing was fast paced but still immersive, and I found the world building to be really interesting and descriptive. I’ve never read any book with a Roman inspired world, and I loved that vampires were an important part of the world, since the ruthlessness of the species really weaved seamlessly with a world that revolved around violence and fights to the death. In addition, the magic system of We Who Will Die was very fascinating, with powerless mundanes, magic wielding sigilmarked, powerful vampires, and mythical creatures. The novel had plot twists that I did not see coming at all, and I think there are many tropes and elements in the book that most readers would enjoy reading.
And now...the romance. OMFG THE ROMANCE IN THIS AAAAAHHHHHH okay I'm actually eating up the love triangle so much. Coming from a person who actually dislikes love trianglesi still have trauma from tsitp Stacia Stark actually ate up so hard because one vampire's her childhood friend turned lover who broke her heart, and the other vampire is the emperor's son who happens to be a hottie hottie like a bag of takis. I am, without a doubt, team Rorrik all the way. Tiernon didn't even stand a chance. Also might be because I don't really believe in second chance romance, but Rorrik is just...better in every way possible. I've seen in other reviews this book being compared to The Vampire Diaries, but unfortunately, I've never actually read that series so...I wouldn't know but apparently it's supposed to be like that series. I loved the romance in this because like um hello they're vampires????? Vampires + gladiator arenas + love triangles = I'm sat, take my money.
As much as I loved this book, I have a couple critiques, one thing that stopped me from giving the book five stars. I did really enjoy the character development in the novel, but nevertheless, at moments, the characters in this book were a bit lackluster. Arvelle often made reckless decisions that didn’t reflect her personality, her motives, or her situation, seeing as she could not afford to make stupid mistakes. In addition, her backstory is very intriguing, but regrettably, We Who Will Die immediately jumps into the plot without context, and without exploring Arvelle’s past, which is central to the development of her current character and motives. I kept reading the chapters, waiting for one of the characters to hint or allude to Arvelle’s tragic backstory, but it was only ever mentioned a couple times, each time so briefly that I, as a reader, had a hard time piecing together what exactly happened to Arvelle in the years before the main events of the novel.
Furthermore, something that interrupted my reading flow was the amount of subplots in the novel. I mean, I love it when authors add layered plotlines into their stories, but this time, the separate, tiny plots weren’t explored that much, and were simply just loose ends that didn’t contribute to the main events or plot. I’m really hoping that the second book will go more into depth with the smaller subplot lines.
Overall though, I loved this book and had a wonderful time reading it; I genuinely think that it will become the next big BookTok romantasy, and I can't wait for the next book to come out! The release date is December 30 <3
🩸 :: 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭⌢⌢
⌗ brutal gladiator arena fights
⌗ sizzling hot vampire love triangles
⌗ second chance and enemies to lovers
⌗ fast paced action
⌗ interesting magic system
⌗ ancient roman inspired world
╰┈➤Biggest thanks to Netgalley, Avon and Harper, and Stacia Stark for the ARC of this book! All thoughts are my own <3
💌 ⤷{𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞...𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠}
---------------------------------------------
⋮ ⌗ ┆꒰𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙‧₊ ᵎᵎ꒱
omg the scream I scrumpt when I got the approval email for this arc...I can't wait to dive right in because this actually sounds sooo good- like slow burn romantasy with vampire love triangle and gladiator style tournament?? Say less. No one speak to me, because I'm just going to sit down and binge this book for the entire day (jk ofc i love yapping about my reading).
꒰ ꕤ finished: dec. 10, 2025 «
4.5 stars!
minnie's journal ᯓ⟢ review #24
💌 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 [1] 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞..
⤷ {now opening message}
⋮ ⌗ ⚔️┆꒰𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝‧₊ ᵎᵎ🩸꒱
I don't really see myself finishing another book before next year, so I'm glad I ended 2025 with an almost 5 star read! Everyone go pre order this book because I actually lovedddddd it so much!!
«content warnings»
⟡ injury detail
⟡ gore and bloody violence
⟡ sexual content
⟡ murder and death
⟡ animal cruelty
⟡ grief, minor mentions of suicide
publishing date: december 30th, 2025
🩸 :: 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐲𝐩𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬⌢⌢
In We Who Will Die, an enthralling romance fantasy novel that explores the importance of family, forgiveness, and fighting against all odds for your future and the future of your loved ones, Stacia Stark spins a tale of survival, grief, and sacrifice, forcing readers to face the haunting question of what it truly means to fight for those you love.
In an Ancient Roman inspired world where the upper class consists of vampires, and the color of the magic sigil on your brow–if you were born with one at all–determines your strength and your social standing, Arvelle Dacien’s life should have been easy. She was born with a gold sigil, the most powerful color, and six years ago, she won the Sands, a brutal gladiator tournament that all eighteen year olds are required to participate in. But nothing in life is that easy; Arvelle’s sigil never developed, leaving her powers dormant, and winning the Sands cost her everything, including her best friend’s life. Years later, she is still grappling with grief and a bad ankle that never fully healed from the fighting, and struggles to provide for her two younger brothers, Evran and Gerith–not to mention Evran’s life threatening lung condition that requires expensive elixirs.
Then Evran’s condition worsens, and Arvelle is blackmailed by Bran, a powerful vampire, into a magical vow to save her brother’s life. With no other choice, she agrees, but the price is steep–she now must kill Emperor Vallius Corvus, a cruel and ancient vampire conqueror known for his viciousness. To do this, she must enter the Sundering, a gladiator arena where only the deadliest and strongest survive long enough to enter the emperor’s elite guard, the imperius. It’s there that Arvelle catches the attention of the Primus, the head of the imperius—and the one who once held her heart. While old sparks start to reignite, a new danger emerges in the form of Rorrik, the emperor’s sadistic son, whose motives are as dangerous as they are unknown. As Arvelle is forced to fight for her survival, she must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice for family, love, and the future she’s desperate to protect.
⚔️ :: 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬⌢⌢
I absolutely loved this book. It has so many elements of fantasy and romantasy that I love, and everything was executed spectacularly, from the character development to the love triangle–and that’s coming from someone who dislikes love triangles. Reading this novel felt like I was in this fantasy world with Arvelle, navigating through a complicated web of politics, bloodshed, treachery, and secrets, all while fighting for my life. The writing was fast paced but still immersive, and I found the world building to be really interesting and descriptive. I’ve never read any book with a Roman inspired world, and I loved that vampires were an important part of the world, since the ruthlessness of the species really weaved seamlessly with a world that revolved around violence and fights to the death. In addition, the magic system of We Who Will Die was very fascinating, with powerless mundanes, magic wielding sigilmarked, powerful vampires, and mythical creatures. The novel had plot twists that I did not see coming at all, and I think there are many tropes and elements in the book that most readers would enjoy reading.
And now...the romance. OMFG THE ROMANCE IN THIS AAAAAHHHHHH okay I'm actually eating up the love triangle so much. Coming from a person who actually dislikes love triangles
As much as I loved this book, I have a couple critiques, one thing that stopped me from giving the book five stars. I did really enjoy the character development in the novel, but nevertheless, at moments, the characters in this book were a bit lackluster. Arvelle often made reckless decisions that didn’t reflect her personality, her motives, or her situation, seeing as she could not afford to make stupid mistakes. In addition, her backstory is very intriguing, but regrettably, We Who Will Die immediately jumps into the plot without context, and without exploring Arvelle’s past, which is central to the development of her current character and motives. I kept reading the chapters, waiting for one of the characters to hint or allude to Arvelle’s tragic backstory, but it was only ever mentioned a couple times, each time so briefly that I, as a reader, had a hard time piecing together what exactly happened to Arvelle in the years before the main events of the novel.
Furthermore, something that interrupted my reading flow was the amount of subplots in the novel. I mean, I love it when authors add layered plotlines into their stories, but this time, the separate, tiny plots weren’t explored that much, and were simply just loose ends that didn’t contribute to the main events or plot. I’m really hoping that the second book will go more into depth with the smaller subplot lines.
Overall though, I loved this book and had a wonderful time reading it; I genuinely think that it will become the next big BookTok romantasy, and I can't wait for the next book to come out! The release date is December 30 <3
🩸 :: 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭⌢⌢
⌗ brutal gladiator arena fights
⌗ sizzling hot vampire love triangles
⌗ second chance and enemies to lovers
⌗ fast paced action
⌗ interesting magic system
⌗ ancient roman inspired world
╰┈➤Biggest thanks to Netgalley, Avon and Harper, and Stacia Stark for the ARC of this book! All thoughts are my own <3
💌 ⤷{𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞...𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠}
---------------------------------------------
⋮ ⌗ ┆꒰𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙‧₊ ᵎᵎ꒱
omg the scream I scrumpt when I got the approval email for this arc...I can't wait to dive right in because this actually sounds sooo good- like slow burn romantasy with vampire love triangle and gladiator style tournament?? Say less. No one speak to me, because I'm just going to sit down and binge this book for the entire day (jk ofc i love yapping about my reading).
December 10, 2025
firstly thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!
3.5 stars — i’m very surprised at how quickly i tore through this, and how much i enjoyed it despite some quirks, in addition to considering this is a conglomeration of current popular dystopian tropes as well as inspired by the hunger games… just with vampires. and greek mythical creatures. anddd gods.
our fmc arvelle makes an unbreakable bond with a vampire to kill the vampire emperor to protect her brothers, and to get close to the emperor, she must reenter and survive the sundering to be selected as a member of the emperor’s elite guard.
that plot was easy enough to follow, but there were wayyyy to many subplots for me to care about or remember.
a lof of the twists and reveals i guessed (or had guessed close enough) to not necessarily be shocked, but that comes with reading so many similar books…
as for the alc, i loved that this was a duet!
overall, this entertained me — it wasn’t mind blowing storytelling, but i still ate it up!
i’m excited to see the fairyloot edition as well.
3.5 stars — i’m very surprised at how quickly i tore through this, and how much i enjoyed it despite some quirks, in addition to considering this is a conglomeration of current popular dystopian tropes as well as inspired by the hunger games… just with vampires. and greek mythical creatures. anddd gods.
our fmc arvelle makes an unbreakable bond with a vampire to kill the vampire emperor to protect her brothers, and to get close to the emperor, she must reenter and survive the sundering to be selected as a member of the emperor’s elite guard.
that plot was easy enough to follow, but there were wayyyy to many subplots for me to care about or remember.
a lof of the twists and reveals i guessed (or had guessed close enough) to not necessarily be shocked, but that comes with reading so many similar books…
as for the alc, i loved that this was a duet!
overall, this entertained me — it wasn’t mind blowing storytelling, but i still ate it up!
i’m excited to see the fairyloot edition as well.
December 24, 2025
Huge thank you to Avon | Harper Voyager, HarperAudio, and NetGalley for the advance readers and listeners copies!
We Who Will Die is a fast paced and action filled romantasy with vampires, gladiators, and even some vampire gladiators. There’s magic and drama, along with scheming and underhanded political dealings!
This book was very fun, and I definitely understand the hype around it. I think the world building is a bit patchy, but I’m hopeful that the next book could fill in some holes. The characters were, for the most part, well fleshed out.
Arvelle made some questionable decisions, but she is a fiercely protective and admirable protagonist. I do fear that the ‘villain’ is so compelling and swoony compared to the love interest that I’m actively forgetting Tiernon’s same when Rorrik steps onto the page. Hints at a tortured past and he’s a moody bastard? What’s-his-face doesn’t stand a chance! 😌👏🏻
The messy sibling and relationship dramas are definitely intriguing, and I’m excited to see more from the blood bonds/scheming side of the story. I hope we get some more POVs in the next book, because I think there is just a bit too much going on for Arvelle to capture it all.
Overall this was enjoyable once it hit its stride, and I was so lucky to be able to have the audio as well! Meg Sylvan and Troy Duran are such a powerful team when narrating in duet. The story was brought to life with their voices and I can’t recommend the audio enough!
We Who Will Die is a fast paced and action filled romantasy with vampires, gladiators, and even some vampire gladiators. There’s magic and drama, along with scheming and underhanded political dealings!
This book was very fun, and I definitely understand the hype around it. I think the world building is a bit patchy, but I’m hopeful that the next book could fill in some holes. The characters were, for the most part, well fleshed out.
Arvelle made some questionable decisions, but she is a fiercely protective and admirable protagonist. I do fear that the ‘villain’ is so compelling and swoony compared to the love interest that I’m actively forgetting Tiernon’s same when Rorrik steps onto the page. Hints at a tortured past and he’s a moody bastard? What’s-his-face doesn’t stand a chance! 😌👏🏻
The messy sibling and relationship dramas are definitely intriguing, and I’m excited to see more from the blood bonds/scheming side of the story. I hope we get some more POVs in the next book, because I think there is just a bit too much going on for Arvelle to capture it all.
Overall this was enjoyable once it hit its stride, and I was so lucky to be able to have the audio as well! Meg Sylvan and Troy Duran are such a powerful team when narrating in duet. The story was brought to life with their voices and I can’t recommend the audio enough!
October 11, 2025
⋆⁺₊✧ 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 - 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 ✩₊˚.⋆
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon or Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
╰⪼And thank you to Stacia Stark for this deliciously good book that took me out of a 5 star reading slump!
I'm calling it right now, "We Who Will Die" will become 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒃𝒊𝒈 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒚 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 🥀🖤
Okay but.. the scream that I screamt when I saw the approval email for this ARC!! I have been dying to read this as soon as I heard about it. I mean, Vampire Diaries meets Gladiator.. with a touch of Fourth Wing sprinkled in? Immediate yes for me.
We follow Arvelle who was champion of the Sands tournament six years ago. Although she may have won the tournament, she lost everything that day. Since then, she vowed to never step foot in an arena again. Until one day a vampire was waiting on her doorstep with a deal she could not refuse. In order to save her brother from a deathly illness, she agrees to return to the arena. The catch? She will need to win the tournament and kill the emperor. But Arvelle has been out of practice for years and is going to be facing opponents that have trained their lives for this. She's basically signed up for a death sentence.
We Who Will Die is captivating, enthralling, action-packed - it kept me on my toes the entire time! There was never a dull moment in this book. I had absolutely no idea where the plot was taking me and I love that in a book. Take me on a fantasy ride! To be honest around the 50% mark it looked like everything was wrapping up and I was a little confused. But HOLY CURVEBALL. It was just getting started!
We have not one, but TWO MMC's. Ummm Vampire Diaries love triangle situation? I was totally getting some Stefan and Damon vibes. And obviously my vote will always go to the dark, brooding, morally grey, Damon-esque type. 🤭 The romance was more of a side plot imo but it was definitely scrumptious nonetheless. Slow-burn, yearning, forbidden love, friends to lovers turned enemies to lovers type deal.
The worldbuilding was seamless and the magic system was distinctive. There are mundanes, vampires and sigilmarked. Sigilmarked individuals have different markings that correlate with their power. The more markings you have and the colour of your markings indicate how much strength you posess. The vampire species described in the book honestly reminds me exactly of TVD. We also see multiple different kinds of mythical creatures (maginari) as well. Scheming, political intrigue.. there are honestly so many different elements to the book that I believe will appeal to a wide variety of tastes and interests.
Overall, We Who Will Die was an exceptional read and one of my favourites of 2025! ࣪ ִֶָ☾. And it’s ME who will die waiting for the next book in the series 🥺 This was my first Stacia Stark book and it will absolutely not be the last.
Do yourself a favour and preorder this now! It releases on December 30th and it’s one you won’t want to miss!! 🖤
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon or Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
╰⪼And thank you to Stacia Stark for this deliciously good book that took me out of a 5 star reading slump!
I'm calling it right now, "We Who Will Die" will become 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒃𝒊𝒈 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒚 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 🥀🖤
Okay but.. the scream that I screamt when I saw the approval email for this ARC!! I have been dying to read this as soon as I heard about it. I mean, Vampire Diaries meets Gladiator.. with a touch of Fourth Wing sprinkled in? Immediate yes for me.
We follow Arvelle who was champion of the Sands tournament six years ago. Although she may have won the tournament, she lost everything that day. Since then, she vowed to never step foot in an arena again. Until one day a vampire was waiting on her doorstep with a deal she could not refuse. In order to save her brother from a deathly illness, she agrees to return to the arena. The catch? She will need to win the tournament and kill the emperor. But Arvelle has been out of practice for years and is going to be facing opponents that have trained their lives for this. She's basically signed up for a death sentence.
We Who Will Die is captivating, enthralling, action-packed - it kept me on my toes the entire time! There was never a dull moment in this book. I had absolutely no idea where the plot was taking me and I love that in a book. Take me on a fantasy ride! To be honest around the 50% mark it looked like everything was wrapping up and I was a little confused. But HOLY CURVEBALL. It was just getting started!
We have not one, but TWO MMC's. Ummm Vampire Diaries love triangle situation? I was totally getting some Stefan and Damon vibes. And obviously my vote will always go to the dark, brooding, morally grey, Damon-esque type. 🤭 The romance was more of a side plot imo but it was definitely scrumptious nonetheless. Slow-burn, yearning, forbidden love, friends to lovers turned enemies to lovers type deal.
The worldbuilding was seamless and the magic system was distinctive. There are mundanes, vampires and sigilmarked. Sigilmarked individuals have different markings that correlate with their power. The more markings you have and the colour of your markings indicate how much strength you posess. The vampire species described in the book honestly reminds me exactly of TVD. We also see multiple different kinds of mythical creatures (maginari) as well. Scheming, political intrigue.. there are honestly so many different elements to the book that I believe will appeal to a wide variety of tastes and interests.
Overall, We Who Will Die was an exceptional read and one of my favourites of 2025! ࣪ ִֶָ☾. And it’s ME who will die waiting for the next book in the series 🥺 This was my first Stacia Stark book and it will absolutely not be the last.
Do yourself a favour and preorder this now! It releases on December 30th and it’s one you won’t want to miss!! 🖤
December 23, 2025
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley (thank you, Harper Audio Adult, and Avon Books). All thoughts and opinions are my own.
✅ Plot
✅ Lies and betrayal
✅ Vampire x Roman Empire vibe
✅ Kind of gladiator competition
✅ Characters
✅ Childhood love / second chance romance
✅ Strong family bonds
✅(🆗) Pace (starts a little slow)
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: mentions of suicide and addiction (past), death of loved ones (past), murder, blood, and mild gore
To save her younger brother’s life, Arvelle is forced into a blood vow with a vampire who wants her to kill the vampire Emperor, Vallius Corvus. To do so, Arvelle must compete in a gladiator-like competition to earn a spot with the Emperor’s close guard, even if it’s the last thing she wants to do, and even though the Primus and the Emperor’s son both seem to hate her, and while one wants to see her gone, the other is intent on using her for his gain.
Arvelle feels so real and raw. She is full of grief and guilt over what happened to her best friend years ago, and she feels the pressure of having to take care of her brothers and find ways to make enough money to buy medicine for Evren. Arvelle is tired and hopeless at times, but also so determined to help her brothers and driven to do anything it takes to keep them safe. In the middle of the competitions and scheming, we can also see her healing journey starting. It is slow, but it is there, and her emotions felt so real, even more so since we saw how she struggled with everything happening to her, and how hard it was for her to let go of her anger and bring down her shields and allow herself to feel something other than anger, and to welcome new people into her life.
Arvelle’s relationship with her brothers is heartwarming. From the first chapter, we can see how much she loves them and how she would do anything and everything for them. Derith and Evren are good secondary characters, and I hope to see more of them in the next book, because they are so central to Arvelle’s character and every decision she makes.
The Roman Empire world-building with vampires is a great combination. The empire is ruled by the vampire Emperor, Vallius Corvus, and around him is a council of powerful vampires and sigilmarked. The sigilmarked are the magic users of the empire. They have a sigil on their forehead that is either bronze (less powerful), silver, or gold (most powerful). The sigil can also grow as the powers develop, and I found this simple way of identifying the magic users and their abilities original. Many magical creatures are mentioned or briefly seen, and I hope to see more of this aspect of the world-building in the next book. The Gods are also present in the world-building, but not as characters, yet. There are hints that they might become more involved in the next books, though, which will be interesting.
While the first 30% or so felt a little slow at times, when the story picks up, the action and intrigue do not stop until the end. There are gladiator-style competitions in the arena, politics and scheming among the powerful vampire and sigil-marked magic users, and also a serial killer sub-plot. Arvelle needs to survive the sands of the arena, find a way to get close to the Emperor and kill him, while also figuring out who she can trust, and who is using her, and with the serial killer on the loose on top of it, she can’t catch a break.
The flashbacks were short and helpful. They were often at the beginning of chapters, and were just long enough to show us how Evrelle and Ti met, and what happened to them over the year. It allowed us to understand their past romance, without giving us too many useless details.
The romance is cute, but I don’t care that much about Ti. Don’t get me wrong, he is kind, protective, nice, and everything you would want. I get how and why he and Evrelle fell in love when they were younger, but I am not 100% sold on their romance. I do not feel their emotional connection as much as I should, I think. That being said, I would still be sad for Arvelle if she has to let go of Ti, because he is her childhood best friend, and first love… So, can we make this a “why-choose” and have her keep both brothers, please?
Rorrik is much more interesting, despite being a “villain”. He is mysterious and has his own agenda; he projects the image of the cruel and shallow vampire, but it is clear that he is dangerously cunning and manipulative. He also seems to become possessive of Arvelle, and I can’t help but hope that there will be an “enemies-to-lovers” romance between Arvelle and him. They have this intense chemistry, even though Arvelle hated him at first and still doesn’t trust him. She admitted that she does not want him to die. It’s hard to explain, really, the thing they have, because it’s not love, it’s not even friendship, or caring, but something is happening there. I feel that every moment they have alone is full of tension, things unsaid on Rorrik’s part, and the potential for something more.
This is a very good book that will be loved by fantasy and romantasy lovers. There is romance, but the plot and politics take up more room in the book than the romance. The writing is engaging, the characters are well developed, and it’s so easy to relate to Arvelle. The ending is very promising, especially since it hints that Arvelle will be spending more time with Rorrik in the next book, and I can’t wait to read it!
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✅ Plot
✅ Lies and betrayal
✅ Vampire x Roman Empire vibe
✅ Kind of gladiator competition
✅ Characters
✅ Childhood love / second chance romance
✅ Strong family bonds
✅(🆗) Pace (starts a little slow)
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: mentions of suicide and addiction (past), death of loved ones (past), murder, blood, and mild gore
To save her younger brother’s life, Arvelle is forced into a blood vow with a vampire who wants her to kill the vampire Emperor, Vallius Corvus. To do so, Arvelle must compete in a gladiator-like competition to earn a spot with the Emperor’s close guard, even if it’s the last thing she wants to do, and even though the Primus and the Emperor’s son both seem to hate her, and while one wants to see her gone, the other is intent on using her for his gain.
Can you smell the salt-tinged air? Can you feel the heat of the sun? Are you living, Arvelle? Are you loving?
Arvelle feels so real and raw. She is full of grief and guilt over what happened to her best friend years ago, and she feels the pressure of having to take care of her brothers and find ways to make enough money to buy medicine for Evren. Arvelle is tired and hopeless at times, but also so determined to help her brothers and driven to do anything it takes to keep them safe. In the middle of the competitions and scheming, we can also see her healing journey starting. It is slow, but it is there, and her emotions felt so real, even more so since we saw how she struggled with everything happening to her, and how hard it was for her to let go of her anger and bring down her shields and allow herself to feel something other than anger, and to welcome new people into her life.
They’re the best and brightest things in my life. I would do anything for them. There are no limits.
Arvelle’s relationship with her brothers is heartwarming. From the first chapter, we can see how much she loves them and how she would do anything and everything for them. Derith and Evren are good secondary characters, and I hope to see more of them in the next book, because they are so central to Arvelle’s character and every decision she makes.
The Roman Empire world-building with vampires is a great combination. The empire is ruled by the vampire Emperor, Vallius Corvus, and around him is a council of powerful vampires and sigilmarked. The sigilmarked are the magic users of the empire. They have a sigil on their forehead that is either bronze (less powerful), silver, or gold (most powerful). The sigil can also grow as the powers develop, and I found this simple way of identifying the magic users and their abilities original. Many magical creatures are mentioned or briefly seen, and I hope to see more of this aspect of the world-building in the next book. The Gods are also present in the world-building, but not as characters, yet. There are hints that they might become more involved in the next books, though, which will be interesting.
While the first 30% or so felt a little slow at times, when the story picks up, the action and intrigue do not stop until the end. There are gladiator-style competitions in the arena, politics and scheming among the powerful vampire and sigil-marked magic users, and also a serial killer sub-plot. Arvelle needs to survive the sands of the arena, find a way to get close to the Emperor and kill him, while also figuring out who she can trust, and who is using her, and with the serial killer on the loose on top of it, she can’t catch a break.
The flashbacks were short and helpful. They were often at the beginning of chapters, and were just long enough to show us how Evrelle and Ti met, and what happened to them over the year. It allowed us to understand their past romance, without giving us too many useless details.
The romance is cute, but I don’t care that much about Ti. Don’t get me wrong, he is kind, protective, nice, and everything you would want. I get how and why he and Evrelle fell in love when they were younger, but I am not 100% sold on their romance. I do not feel their emotional connection as much as I should, I think. That being said, I would still be sad for Arvelle if she has to let go of Ti, because he is her childhood best friend, and first love… So, can we make this a “why-choose” and have her keep both brothers, please?
Rorrik is much more interesting, despite being a “villain”. He is mysterious and has his own agenda; he projects the image of the cruel and shallow vampire, but it is clear that he is dangerously cunning and manipulative. He also seems to become possessive of Arvelle, and I can’t help but hope that there will be an “enemies-to-lovers” romance between Arvelle and him. They have this intense chemistry, even though Arvelle hated him at first and still doesn’t trust him. She admitted that she does not want him to die. It’s hard to explain, really, the thing they have, because it’s not love, it’s not even friendship, or caring, but something is happening there. I feel that every moment they have alone is full of tension, things unsaid on Rorrik’s part, and the potential for something more.
“Look at everything you’ve achieved while being a shell of a person. Imagine what you could do if you let yourself heal.”
This is a very good book that will be loved by fantasy and romantasy lovers. There is romance, but the plot and politics take up more room in the book than the romance. The writing is engaging, the characters are well developed, and it’s so easy to relate to Arvelle. The ending is very promising, especially since it hints that Arvelle will be spending more time with Rorrik in the next book, and I can’t wait to read it!
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December 12, 2025
6 stars. showstopping. never been done before (okay, it has, but mind ya business). PERFECTION!
The action in this book was so good, due to the gladiator essence the Roman setting brings to this book. The trials were so intense and fast paced, wowie.
The characters were executed so well, too! The FMC is cold, and angry and you feel it right along side her. There are definitely times I didn’t even agree with her but still saw her side.
With the MMC, you don’t really know who tf it’s supposed to be, and I LOVE THAT. At the end of this book I really still don’t fully know, but I have my fav. That’s for sure.
I am dying for book 2, this had me completely hooked! Need everyone I know to read ASAP as possible, thanks.
The action in this book was so good, due to the gladiator essence the Roman setting brings to this book. The trials were so intense and fast paced, wowie.
The characters were executed so well, too! The FMC is cold, and angry and you feel it right along side her. There are definitely times I didn’t even agree with her but still saw her side.
With the MMC, you don’t really know who tf it’s supposed to be, and I LOVE THAT. At the end of this book I really still don’t fully know, but I have my fav. That’s for sure.
I am dying for book 2, this had me completely hooked! Need everyone I know to read ASAP as possible, thanks.
June 5, 2025
Thanks to HarperCollins Publishing and NetGalley for an early review copy.
If this book doesn't go viral at the beginning of next year, I'm gonna crash out. 😅 I want the next book, so freaking badly.
This was right up my alley. Vampires, sigil marked individuals with powers, and, of course, the mundanes. Without being spoilery, there are government rebellions going on, gladiator style games, a murderer on the loose, Gods attempting to come back to life, a lost lover found. Possibly a new lover found? Because lets face it, she wants both of them. 😏 One man wants her without restraint; the other keeps telling himself he doesn't, but it's glaringly obvious to everyone except him.
There were also some really great plot twists. People that I thought were good turned out to be bad and vise versa!
If this book doesn't go viral at the beginning of next year, I'm gonna crash out. 😅 I want the next book, so freaking badly.
This was right up my alley. Vampires, sigil marked individuals with powers, and, of course, the mundanes. Without being spoilery, there are government rebellions going on, gladiator style games, a murderer on the loose, Gods attempting to come back to life, a lost lover found. Possibly a new lover found? Because lets face it, she wants both of them. 😏 One man wants her without restraint; the other keeps telling himself he doesn't, but it's glaringly obvious to everyone except him.
There were also some really great plot twists. People that I thought were good turned out to be bad and vise versa!
November 17, 2025
3.5 ★— And sometimes you just need to disassociate from the world with a romantasy story that lets you shut your brain off and just enjoy vampire drama in quasi-ancient Rome.
This book isn’t doing anything particularly unique, and the worldbuilding never becomes its strongest point, but I still had fun. Roman-inspired settings always grab me, and I genuinely enjoyed the way the story incorporated pieces of the political system and city life of Ancient Rome.
I did think it took a while to find its stride, with the first 50% feeling a bit arduous. I felt like the vampires, the mundanes, and the sigil-bearers and their place in this world weren’t fleshed out well in the beginning, and it almost felt like the book just dropped the concept of vampires into the world without really developing the lore around them, but the story did pick up once the FMC settled more firmly into her place at the trial.
Now, the important part: the romance. Did it hit? Not perfectly, but I did think it set the seeds for further development well. The book markets itself as partially Vampire Diaries–inspired, and you definitely feel that. We get the two-vampire-brothers dynamic, with Tiernon as the childhood-friends-to-lovers MMC who has always loved the heroine and puts her first, and Rorrick as the icy, seemingly irredeemable one whose deal you only really start to understand toward the end.
There is some spice, though it really wasn't anything to rave about. Still, the relationship with Tiernon felt sufficiently established and had enough backstory for me to care for them.
This is a perfect popcorn read for anyone wanting some fun action, a take on vampires that slots them into gladiator-style situations and a gritty heroine that knows how to defend herself.
🎧 Audiobook Note
🎙️ Narration Style: Duet
The narrators for this were genuinely great! The female narrator fit the heroine perfectly, and her delivery made the audiobook a lovely listen. The male narrator did a good job distinguishing the different male characters, and while the gravelly tone for one character took a bit of getting used to, there was a solid narrative reason for it that made me appreciate it later on.
__________
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC, and to HarperAudio for the ALC, both in exchange for my honest review.
This book isn’t doing anything particularly unique, and the worldbuilding never becomes its strongest point, but I still had fun. Roman-inspired settings always grab me, and I genuinely enjoyed the way the story incorporated pieces of the political system and city life of Ancient Rome.
I did think it took a while to find its stride, with the first 50% feeling a bit arduous. I felt like the vampires, the mundanes, and the sigil-bearers and their place in this world weren’t fleshed out well in the beginning, and it almost felt like the book just dropped the concept of vampires into the world without really developing the lore around them, but the story did pick up once the FMC settled more firmly into her place at the trial.
Now, the important part: the romance. Did it hit? Not perfectly, but I did think it set the seeds for further development well. The book markets itself as partially Vampire Diaries–inspired, and you definitely feel that. We get the two-vampire-brothers dynamic, with Tiernon as the childhood-friends-to-lovers MMC who has always loved the heroine and puts her first, and Rorrick as the icy, seemingly irredeemable one whose deal you only really start to understand toward the end.
There is some spice, though it really wasn't anything to rave about. Still, the relationship with Tiernon felt sufficiently established and had enough backstory for me to care for them.
This is a perfect popcorn read for anyone wanting some fun action, a take on vampires that slots them into gladiator-style situations and a gritty heroine that knows how to defend herself.
🎧 Audiobook Note
🎙️ Narration Style: Duet
The narrators for this were genuinely great! The female narrator fit the heroine perfectly, and her delivery made the audiobook a lovely listen. The male narrator did a good job distinguishing the different male characters, and while the gravelly tone for one character took a bit of getting used to, there was a solid narrative reason for it that made me appreciate it later on.
__________
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC, and to HarperAudio for the ALC, both in exchange for my honest review.
August 31, 2025
4.75/5
Very minor out of context spoilers ahead!
Oh Stacia Stark you did your thing here. I am so reading more of your stuff now!
This book is adult fantasy excellence. I personally would categorize this as romantic fantasy and not romantasy (I think it’s more plot heavy for sure).
BUT ON THE TOPIC OF ROMANCE - put a gun to my head and I’d refuse to pick between the two guys. Please do not make me choose 😭😭😭 I need them both with Arvelle. PLEASEEEEE. I will be devastated if she actually has to choose only one of them 😩
Tiernon is just such a good person and his possessiveness is chef’s kiss and the way he has been there for arvelle her whole life….please don’t make them break up I will sob
And Rorrik?? Secretive and batshit crazy king!!!! Oh I knew I’d like him. His possessiveness?? Yes. His entire personality? Yes. ALSO THE THING AT THE END - I KNEW HE SAW HER FIRST. I GUESSED IT!!!!!! And yeah I need him to be with arvelle as well. Why choose please Stacia I am begging you 🥲🥲🥲🥲
But onto our main girl Arvelle…aka baddest bitch on the block. She is one of the most human feeling characters I’ve read in a while in fantasy. She feels so real. She makes mistakes and tries to learn and has trauma and is haunted by the past and her beloved dead and I just adored her courage and determination and dedication to her brothers. Her love for Kas had me tearing up. She’s such a strong person and I love her <3
THE WORLD. So so cool. Ancient Rome inspired but we have so many cool creatures and I’m so intrigued by how the world is like outside of the city we’re in for most of this book.
I loved all the gods and the religious systems, I was intrigued by the vampires and sigilmarked, the politics, and just all of it. And speaking of a certain god of ruin oh I have a theory about him…..
The plot is chef’s kiss. It keeps you on your toes and I truly could never guess where it was going because something was always going wrong for Arvelle. The end was perfect in my eyes and omg the idea of training scenes with Rorrik GIVE THEM TO ME!!!
I was just in love with this story and all of the side characters. Especially my girl Kas. The way her memory lived on in Arvelle was so touching and the flashbacks to Arvelle’s childhood were perfect. I usually don’t love flashbacks in fantasy but these ones came in at the perfect moments and I was genuinely devastated over some of them (I HOPE I GET TO MEET HIS BROTHER AND TELL HIM HOW MUCH HE LOVES HIM??? SEDATE ME NOW).
I have so many other thoughts but I just adored this world. The mystery sub plot is twisty, no one is truly as they seems, people sacrifice themselves for each other because at the core of this book; we have a story about a girl who cares so much and how that care for others and the world will ultimately save the empire. Arvelle 🥹
I am on the edge of my seat waiting for book 2. I need you all to pre order this beauty NOW and I need a why choose ending 🙏🏻
Thank you endlessly to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc!!! I love you guys!!
Very minor out of context spoilers ahead!
Oh Stacia Stark you did your thing here. I am so reading more of your stuff now!
This book is adult fantasy excellence. I personally would categorize this as romantic fantasy and not romantasy (I think it’s more plot heavy for sure).
BUT ON THE TOPIC OF ROMANCE - put a gun to my head and I’d refuse to pick between the two guys. Please do not make me choose 😭😭😭 I need them both with Arvelle. PLEASEEEEE. I will be devastated if she actually has to choose only one of them 😩
Tiernon is just such a good person and his possessiveness is chef’s kiss and the way he has been there for arvelle her whole life….please don’t make them break up I will sob
And Rorrik?? Secretive and batshit crazy king!!!! Oh I knew I’d like him. His possessiveness?? Yes. His entire personality? Yes. ALSO THE THING AT THE END - I KNEW HE SAW HER FIRST. I GUESSED IT!!!!!! And yeah I need him to be with arvelle as well. Why choose please Stacia I am begging you 🥲🥲🥲🥲
But onto our main girl Arvelle…aka baddest bitch on the block. She is one of the most human feeling characters I’ve read in a while in fantasy. She feels so real. She makes mistakes and tries to learn and has trauma and is haunted by the past and her beloved dead and I just adored her courage and determination and dedication to her brothers. Her love for Kas had me tearing up. She’s such a strong person and I love her <3
THE WORLD. So so cool. Ancient Rome inspired but we have so many cool creatures and I’m so intrigued by how the world is like outside of the city we’re in for most of this book.
I loved all the gods and the religious systems, I was intrigued by the vampires and sigilmarked, the politics, and just all of it. And speaking of a certain god of ruin oh I have a theory about him…..
The plot is chef’s kiss. It keeps you on your toes and I truly could never guess where it was going because something was always going wrong for Arvelle. The end was perfect in my eyes and omg the idea of training scenes with Rorrik GIVE THEM TO ME!!!
I was just in love with this story and all of the side characters. Especially my girl Kas. The way her memory lived on in Arvelle was so touching and the flashbacks to Arvelle’s childhood were perfect. I usually don’t love flashbacks in fantasy but these ones came in at the perfect moments and I was genuinely devastated over some of them (I HOPE I GET TO MEET HIS BROTHER AND TELL HIM HOW MUCH HE LOVES HIM??? SEDATE ME NOW).
I have so many other thoughts but I just adored this world. The mystery sub plot is twisty, no one is truly as they seems, people sacrifice themselves for each other because at the core of this book; we have a story about a girl who cares so much and how that care for others and the world will ultimately save the empire. Arvelle 🥹
I am on the edge of my seat waiting for book 2. I need you all to pre order this beauty NOW and I need a why choose ending 🙏🏻
Thank you endlessly to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc!!! I love you guys!!
December 27, 2025
“ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴘʀɪᴠᴀᴛᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ꜱᴏᴜʟ, ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɪ’ᴠᴇ ᴛᴜᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀꜱᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ʜᴀꜱ ᴏꜰꜰᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ, ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴄᴀʀʀᴇᴅ ʙᴇɢɪɴꜱ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇᴀʟ.”
I went into We Who Will Die the way I go into most books that end up changing me — blind, curious, and already halfway in love. I saw the promise of deadly trials, vampires, and a Vampire Diaries meets Gladiators energy, and something in me simply knew…I needed this story. What I didn’t know was how completely it would consume me.
From the first chapter, Stacia Stark pulls you into a world that is sharp with danger and heavy with consequence. This is a story about survival and sacrifice, about family as both anchor and wound, about the impossible choices we make when love demands more than we think we can give. Vampires, magic, conspiracies, and ruthless political power swirl together to create a world that feels alive — and unforgiving.
At the center of it all stands Arvelle — and I loved her instantly. There is a quiet, devastating power in an eldest daughter who has learned to carry the weight of the world without complaint. Arvelle has known loss, responsibility, and grief, and yet she does not harden — she endures. She bleeds, she breaks, and still she rises. She finds strength not in forgetting her pain, but in honoring it, shaping it into something that can no longer be used against her. Watching her fight for her family, for herself, felt both heartbreaking and deeply affirming.
And then there is the love — complicated, tangled, impossible love. This book offers a love triangle that aches rather than distracts. One connection feels steeped in enemies-to-lovers tension — sharp glances, unspoken conflict, a pull that exists even when it shouldn’t. Whether that dynamic is intentional or simply the product of my overimaginative heart gathering crumbs and turning them into hope, I couldn’t stop feeling it. The other carries the unmistakable weight of second-chance romance — history that lingers, tenderness threaded with regret, and the haunting question of whether love can survive what has already been lost. Both men are layered with secrets and shadows, and both love Arvelle in ways that feel distinct, sincere, and painfully human.
The trials themselves are relentless — violent, high-stakes, and merciless. Each one tightens the noose, daring the characters (and the reader) to look away. I never did. And then the ending arrives — not gently, but like a blade.
That cliffhanger left me breathless. The revelations fall one after another, stripping away certainty and leaving only need — for answers, for resolution, for more. I am counting down the days until book two, already braced for whatever heartbreak and beauty awaits.
Thank you to NetGalley & Avon Books for the eARC 🤍
I went into We Who Will Die the way I go into most books that end up changing me — blind, curious, and already halfway in love. I saw the promise of deadly trials, vampires, and a Vampire Diaries meets Gladiators energy, and something in me simply knew…I needed this story. What I didn’t know was how completely it would consume me.
From the first chapter, Stacia Stark pulls you into a world that is sharp with danger and heavy with consequence. This is a story about survival and sacrifice, about family as both anchor and wound, about the impossible choices we make when love demands more than we think we can give. Vampires, magic, conspiracies, and ruthless political power swirl together to create a world that feels alive — and unforgiving.
At the center of it all stands Arvelle — and I loved her instantly. There is a quiet, devastating power in an eldest daughter who has learned to carry the weight of the world without complaint. Arvelle has known loss, responsibility, and grief, and yet she does not harden — she endures. She bleeds, she breaks, and still she rises. She finds strength not in forgetting her pain, but in honoring it, shaping it into something that can no longer be used against her. Watching her fight for her family, for herself, felt both heartbreaking and deeply affirming.
And then there is the love — complicated, tangled, impossible love. This book offers a love triangle that aches rather than distracts. One connection feels steeped in enemies-to-lovers tension — sharp glances, unspoken conflict, a pull that exists even when it shouldn’t. Whether that dynamic is intentional or simply the product of my overimaginative heart gathering crumbs and turning them into hope, I couldn’t stop feeling it. The other carries the unmistakable weight of second-chance romance — history that lingers, tenderness threaded with regret, and the haunting question of whether love can survive what has already been lost. Both men are layered with secrets and shadows, and both love Arvelle in ways that feel distinct, sincere, and painfully human.
The trials themselves are relentless — violent, high-stakes, and merciless. Each one tightens the noose, daring the characters (and the reader) to look away. I never did. And then the ending arrives — not gently, but like a blade.
That cliffhanger left me breathless. The revelations fall one after another, stripping away certainty and leaving only need — for answers, for resolution, for more. I am counting down the days until book two, already braced for whatever heartbreak and beauty awaits.
Thank you to NetGalley & Avon Books for the eARC 🤍
November 29, 2025
Stacia Stark built a whole new obsession for me to dive into. The double crosses, the history between the characters that hum with tension, the regicide planning, the fight for your life trials…I was SUNK. Add vampires and the Roman-style society, oh and don’t forget magic! This audiobook packs a lot into 17 hours and none of it drags. I was so enraptured I didn’t want to hit pause the entire time. (Like for real, I woke up at 6:30am on a SATURDAY so I could keep listening! That is the level of addiction I had to this book, my friends.)
Meg Sylvan and Troy Duran dual narrate and their acting is impeccable. I was RIGHT there. Troy’s voice just slides right down your spine, sending shivers the whole way down. Meg has incredible range, pitching her voice so differently for each character, I had to check that she was the only female narrator several times! How does she do that!?!
I devoured this audiobook in 2 days. 17 hours disappeared in a flash and all I want is MORE. That ending…. Come ON! I’m dying over here!!! Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go buy a zillion copies of this book so I can make everyone I know read it.
We Who Will Die hits shelves Dec 30. Trust me, you want to add this to the 2026 TBR!
Huge, huge thank you to HarperAudio Adult | Avon and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ALC. All opinions are my own. (And my opinion is YOU NEED THIS BOOK!)
Meg Sylvan and Troy Duran dual narrate and their acting is impeccable. I was RIGHT there. Troy’s voice just slides right down your spine, sending shivers the whole way down. Meg has incredible range, pitching her voice so differently for each character, I had to check that she was the only female narrator several times! How does she do that!?!
I devoured this audiobook in 2 days. 17 hours disappeared in a flash and all I want is MORE. That ending…. Come ON! I’m dying over here!!! Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go buy a zillion copies of this book so I can make everyone I know read it.
We Who Will Die hits shelves Dec 30. Trust me, you want to add this to the 2026 TBR!
Huge, huge thank you to HarperAudio Adult | Avon and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ALC. All opinions are my own. (And my opinion is YOU NEED THIS BOOK!)
November 30, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
This was quite good!!!
It has a perfect blend of plot and romance. I appreciate that delicate balance being met, and this one succeeded!
The plot is both familiar and unique. It's gladiator meets vampire stories and it's really fun. The side characters and politics of the world matter greatly to the story, and it overall felt like a well-rounded plot and world.
I started and finished the whole thing in one sitting. I'd HIGHLY recommend picking it up when it releases in late December, especially if you're gearing for a fast-paced fantasy with a good romance subplot.
**thank you to Avon and Stacia Stark for the ARC copy**
This was quite good!!!
It has a perfect blend of plot and romance. I appreciate that delicate balance being met, and this one succeeded!
The plot is both familiar and unique. It's gladiator meets vampire stories and it's really fun. The side characters and politics of the world matter greatly to the story, and it overall felt like a well-rounded plot and world.
I started and finished the whole thing in one sitting. I'd HIGHLY recommend picking it up when it releases in late December, especially if you're gearing for a fast-paced fantasy with a good romance subplot.
**thank you to Avon and Stacia Stark for the ARC copy**
December 27, 2025
4.5⭐️!!!! This book was absolutely action packed & had twists & turns that made me truly hooked! The ending was WILD and I cannot wait for book 2 !! 👀
The romance is more subtle which I actually love! We don’t even fully know the MMC yet, but I have a feeling & I think it’s going to be awesome!!!
An amazing book 1 & set up for an EPIC series!
The romance is more subtle which I actually love! We don’t even fully know the MMC yet, but I have a feeling & I think it’s going to be awesome!!!
An amazing book 1 & set up for an EPIC series!
Currently reading
December 8, 2025⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: It’s time to start this and see what the hype’s all about! I’ve heard so many great things about this and I can’t wait to read it! It seems like the perfect book to read next after having a slight Fallen City book hangover from last month and not wanting to leave a Greco-Roman-inspired world yet.
We Who Will Die will be officially published on December 30th, 2025, or it’s available to read now if you have a Book of the Month subscription or its romantasy subscription, Allurial! It’s featured as a main pick for both subscription boxes, but the alternate cover is only available through Allurial.
We Who Will Die will be officially published on December 30th, 2025, or it’s available to read now if you have a Book of the Month subscription or its romantasy subscription, Allurial! It’s featured as a main pick for both subscription boxes, but the alternate cover is only available through Allurial.
August 21, 2025
I really REALLY enjoyed this book. This is a book that immediately sucks you in and that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time because you never know what is going to happen next.
I loved the magic aspect of the book; it was something so completely different from any other fantasy I have read. The Roman Empire inspired world that included vampires is something that really pulled me in from the beginning as well, it was just so dark. This is definitely a book you have to have all your attention on or you will miss crucial details. Everything didn’t click for me until about 40% through. There are also A LOT of characters that you are introduced to. I definitely recommend taking notes so you know who is who. This is definitely a book I will have to read again when the next one comes out so you not only remember everything that happened l, but I also feel like you will pick up so much more that you may have missed the first time.
I honestly cannot wait for the next book and to see how everything plays out with the little love triangle that was going on. You get hit with a few bombshells at the end of the book that I did not see coming at all. Also…I am secretly in love with Rorrik because, who doesn’t love the misunderstood villain?😏
*Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and the incredible author, Stacia Stark for the ARC!*
I loved the magic aspect of the book; it was something so completely different from any other fantasy I have read. The Roman Empire inspired world that included vampires is something that really pulled me in from the beginning as well, it was just so dark. This is definitely a book you have to have all your attention on or you will miss crucial details. Everything didn’t click for me until about 40% through. There are also A LOT of characters that you are introduced to. I definitely recommend taking notes so you know who is who. This is definitely a book I will have to read again when the next one comes out so you not only remember everything that happened l, but I also feel like you will pick up so much more that you may have missed the first time.
I honestly cannot wait for the next book and to see how everything plays out with the little love triangle that was going on. You get hit with a few bombshells at the end of the book that I did not see coming at all. Also…I am secretly in love with Rorrik because, who doesn’t love the misunderstood villain?😏
*Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and the incredible author, Stacia Stark for the ARC!*
November 6, 2025
I knew this one was going to be 5 stars from the first chapter! It was giving Hunger Games but with magic, vampires, and way more twists. The trials were wild, the characters had me obsessed, and I couldn’t put it down. It’s dark, intense, and totally addicting — I am so excited to see where this series goes!
they-told-me-to-read-it
April 8, 2025
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.75 / 5 Stars
You know that Dance Mom’s pyramid audio where she goes “you were good, I’m waiting for you to be great.” That sums up this book. It was good and hit a lot of the classic tropes that I love and yet I wanted more. Basic summary: Arvelle won a tournament six years ago but her best friend was killed, her uncle stole her winnings, her brother got a horrible lung infection, and her love abandoned her. MAJOR OOF. So when a vampire shows up at her door step six years later with a bargain: kill the emperor in exchange for healing her brother, Arvelle takes it. She just has to win another deadly trial, join the emperor’s guard and kill him (an ancient vampire with lots of powers). No big. While there she catches the eye of The Primus, the powerful guard of the emperor, as if there weren’t enough obstacles in her way. How will Arvelle survive and make sure her brothers do too?
You will probably like this book if you like:
🗡️ Romantic fantasy set in an Ancient Rome type world with vampire and other magical creatures
🗡️ Best friends to enemies to lovers
🗡️ Second chance romance
🗡️ Forbidden love
🗡️ Deadly tournaments
🗡️ Political drama
🗡️ Discussions of grief and addiction
I love deadly trials. And I can’t help but compare them to Hunger Games. This one had similarities with sponsors, a Haymitch type mentor (he hates her but he will train her), friendships, the powers that be throwing crazy obstacles in their way. I enjoyed this part of the book and felt like the scenes were well written and easy to follow.
But I felt like the magic system was underdeveloped. I am not someone who loves high fantasy and wants tons of information but I feel like I shouldn’t walk away with basic questions. This world was both vast (there were folks who could use magic, magical creatures, different gods, vampires, different territories) and sometimes lacked details. I wanted to know more about the aether (the magical substance) and how it worked. I wanted to understand more about magical creatures and who exists in this world. I think because the magic was layered on top of the politics, not enough attention was paid to both. I learned some basics but I wanted more to feel like I was fully immersed in the world.
And yet, the book felt long. There were times that I felt like the twists were not satisfying enough to have taken but that much space in the books. Maybe it was the pacing? It felt like we got through the deadly trials quickly (three challenges) and then had half the book to focus on one plot line. I can’t 100% put my finger on it (and I know I asked for more details) but things felt like they dragged at times.
The romance was solid. They did feel fated in a sense and I loved the tenderness in their relationship. I think I like where it might be headed in future books too. I was excited for the enemies to lovers trope because I felt like they could be TRUE enemies but she forgave him too quickly for my liking (I am in my era where I want men to GROVEL and grovel hard). I loved Arvelle’s relationship with her brothers, with Maeva, and with Leon. Those were satisfying.
Overall, it was solid but not life changing. I feel like I invested so much time that I will read the sequel.
Thank you Avon and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: December 30, 2025
___________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: Jumping on the bandwagon here. Gladiator x The Vampire Diaries and ya'll know I love a deadly trial. Gimme now please.
You know that Dance Mom’s pyramid audio where she goes “you were good, I’m waiting for you to be great.” That sums up this book. It was good and hit a lot of the classic tropes that I love and yet I wanted more. Basic summary: Arvelle won a tournament six years ago but her best friend was killed, her uncle stole her winnings, her brother got a horrible lung infection, and her love abandoned her. MAJOR OOF. So when a vampire shows up at her door step six years later with a bargain: kill the emperor in exchange for healing her brother, Arvelle takes it. She just has to win another deadly trial, join the emperor’s guard and kill him (an ancient vampire with lots of powers). No big. While there she catches the eye of The Primus, the powerful guard of the emperor, as if there weren’t enough obstacles in her way. How will Arvelle survive and make sure her brothers do too?
You will probably like this book if you like:
🗡️ Romantic fantasy set in an Ancient Rome type world with vampire and other magical creatures
🗡️ Best friends to enemies to lovers
🗡️ Second chance romance
🗡️ Forbidden love
🗡️ Deadly tournaments
🗡️ Political drama
🗡️ Discussions of grief and addiction
I love deadly trials. And I can’t help but compare them to Hunger Games. This one had similarities with sponsors, a Haymitch type mentor (he hates her but he will train her), friendships, the powers that be throwing crazy obstacles in their way. I enjoyed this part of the book and felt like the scenes were well written and easy to follow.
But I felt like the magic system was underdeveloped. I am not someone who loves high fantasy and wants tons of information but I feel like I shouldn’t walk away with basic questions. This world was both vast (there were folks who could use magic, magical creatures, different gods, vampires, different territories) and sometimes lacked details. I wanted to know more about the aether (the magical substance) and how it worked. I wanted to understand more about magical creatures and who exists in this world. I think because the magic was layered on top of the politics, not enough attention was paid to both. I learned some basics but I wanted more to feel like I was fully immersed in the world.
And yet, the book felt long. There were times that I felt like the twists were not satisfying enough to have taken but that much space in the books. Maybe it was the pacing? It felt like we got through the deadly trials quickly (three challenges) and then had half the book to focus on one plot line. I can’t 100% put my finger on it (and I know I asked for more details) but things felt like they dragged at times.
The romance was solid. They did feel fated in a sense and I loved the tenderness in their relationship. I think I like where it might be headed in future books too. I was excited for the enemies to lovers trope because I felt like they could be TRUE enemies but she forgave him too quickly for my liking (I am in my era where I want men to GROVEL and grovel hard). I loved Arvelle’s relationship with her brothers, with Maeva, and with Leon. Those were satisfying.
Overall, it was solid but not life changing. I feel like I invested so much time that I will read the sequel.
Thank you Avon and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: December 30, 2025
___________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: Jumping on the bandwagon here. Gladiator x The Vampire Diaries and ya'll know I love a deadly trial. Gimme now please.
December 3, 2025
If you want classic booktok romantasy with a warrior-ish FMC, forbidden magic, vampires, high-stakes, and a love triangle, you will LOVE this book.
Around 100 pages in I couldn’t put it down.
One of the MMCs gives me the ick but I’m guessing it’s a facade he’s putting on :’)
Around 100 pages in I couldn’t put it down.
One of the MMCs gives me the ick but I’m guessing it’s a facade he’s putting on :’)
November 26, 2025
“Vampires are nothing if not possessive. And sometimes we break our toys so no one else can have them.”
I am a big Stacia Stark fan, so when I got the email for this ARC I gasped like a kid on Christmas!
Arvelle is raising her younger brothers, struggling day-to-day to keep them all fed and to provide the life saving medicine one of her brothers needs daily to live. When a mysterious vampire shows up at her door with an impossible choice - complete a deadly tournament and kill the Emperor, and then he will cure her brother - Arvelle finds herself backed into a corner and agrees a blood deal with the vampire.
The vampire takes her brothers into his care while she sets off to compete her mission. Once she arrives, she begins to draw the attention of not one, but two powerful vampires. With her brothers' lives on the line - as well as her own if she fails her mission or gets caught - she must navigate staying alive and saving her family before anyone discovers what she is up to.
Then, when the man that broke her heart comes barreling back into her life, Arvelle finds herself surrounded by difficult choices, conspiracies, mysterious murders and a vampire prince with dubious motives. Can she stay alive and save her brothers or will everything coming crashing down around her?
If you like tough and witty characters, battles, second chance romance, plot twists, betrayal and suspense then this is a book you need to read! I tore this up in less than 24 hours and now I am just dying for the next book. I have a feeling this will be a big hit once it releases, so I would add this to TBR if your havent already.
Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins & Avon Books and Stacia Stark for this eARC.
I am a big Stacia Stark fan, so when I got the email for this ARC I gasped like a kid on Christmas!
Arvelle is raising her younger brothers, struggling day-to-day to keep them all fed and to provide the life saving medicine one of her brothers needs daily to live. When a mysterious vampire shows up at her door with an impossible choice - complete a deadly tournament and kill the Emperor, and then he will cure her brother - Arvelle finds herself backed into a corner and agrees a blood deal with the vampire.
The vampire takes her brothers into his care while she sets off to compete her mission. Once she arrives, she begins to draw the attention of not one, but two powerful vampires. With her brothers' lives on the line - as well as her own if she fails her mission or gets caught - she must navigate staying alive and saving her family before anyone discovers what she is up to.
Then, when the man that broke her heart comes barreling back into her life, Arvelle finds herself surrounded by difficult choices, conspiracies, mysterious murders and a vampire prince with dubious motives. Can she stay alive and save her brothers or will everything coming crashing down around her?
If you like tough and witty characters, battles, second chance romance, plot twists, betrayal and suspense then this is a book you need to read! I tore this up in less than 24 hours and now I am just dying for the next book. I have a feeling this will be a big hit once it releases, so I would add this to TBR if your havent already.
Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins & Avon Books and Stacia Stark for this eARC.
September 25, 2025
I absolutely ate this up. I’ve read and loved other Stacia Stark books, but this one was such a big step up for me. The writing style was interesting, and the plot was much more developed than in other books. This made it more of a difficult read and I really had to pay attention to all the different names, etc., but it was worth it.
Arvelle was such a good FMC. She has the perfect balance of flaws and strong morals. It made her such a believable character. This is a love triangle situation, which I normally hate, BUT this one was tolerable because I am a thousand percent team Rorrik. Tiernon is sweet, but he was so bland. Rorrik is dark, intense, and possessive.
I can’t wait for the next book!
—Thank you to NetGalley, Stacia Stark, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of We Who Will Die—
Arvelle was such a good FMC. She has the perfect balance of flaws and strong morals. It made her such a believable character. This is a love triangle situation, which I normally hate, BUT this one was tolerable because I am a thousand percent team Rorrik. Tiernon is sweet, but he was so bland. Rorrik is dark, intense, and possessive.
I can’t wait for the next book!
—Thank you to NetGalley, Stacia Stark, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of We Who Will Die—
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