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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…
432 pages, Trade Paperback
First published December 30, 2025
13801 people are currently reading
152373 people want to read
About the author
Stacia Stark
22 books6,747 followersStacia Stark is a New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times, and Amazon bestselling author of fantasy romance. Her books have been translated into over 16 languages, and her Kingdom of Lies series was nominated twice for Goodreads Choice Awards.
Stacia loves writing romantasy filled with found families, female friendship, self-reliant heroines, and brooding, grumpy heroes. When she’s not writing or exploring the world, she 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
Stacia loves writing romantasy filled with found families, female friendship, self-reliant heroines, and brooding, grumpy heroes. When she’s not writing or exploring the world, she 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 9,766 reviews
Review of advance copy
⭐️ 2 ⭐️ 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 misleadingly high ratings.
First I want to begin by explaining my “presumed” expectations. When I think of gladiators, I think of decay, death, destruction and utter chaos. I think something along the lines of Spartacus, House of Ashur, Barbarians and Rome (all the amazing TV series). I want fade and crumble, I want the most bloodiest and horniest, most devoted and original. I didn’t want a replica of these famous series, I wanted a story with a strong lead, a hot and broody love interest and I wanted drama—the power, sex, political unrest…I wanted something maybe a little taboo because frankly gladiators come with unhinged characteristics. It kind of seemed that way from the book description. We are promised an epic installment with merciless vampires, and an arena with fastest, strongest and deadliest gladiators. We were promised a mission, a conspiracy and a possible love triangle with two vampires who are “deeply entwined with her destiny”.
Goddamn we were lied to. What we got was Arvelle Dacien. A gladiator entered to compete in Sundering, but tasked to kill the emperor. She is explained to get her powers from the sigilmarked and maginari. Whenever she kills, she’s said get the power of the fallen. What we were promised was never delivered. What we were promised was a fierce FMC with fast skills marked by her strength and speed and agility. What we got was a female character who did not put in the “work” when it came to her trials. We don’t see her grow as a warrior, we see her as someone with knee/ankle problems which is frequently mentioned through out the book. I don’t see her fitting the gladiator description, not one bit. She’s not meticulous, she’s not a thinker, she’s not a leader, she’s a follower. She’s making mistakes, never questioning her tasks or motives of others. She just follows what is ordered. She’s as boring and undeserving of the gladiator spotlight.
Then we have Tiernon. Our 6’4 (was he 6’4? I already forgot because he’s so bland and unmemorable) vampire who left her six years ago on a whim and never came back to her. He is the emperors son and Arvelles love interest. Now this man leaves her without a good bye, but when their paths cross, it’s as if nothing happened and they are kissing shortly afterwards. He gives her the most unwavering devotion, the most boring explanation as to why he left and plainest attention, and Arvelle just accepts. Easy peasy, no questions asked, no time for him to sulk and win her back. I am surprised more people are not finding this disappointing. I also wanted to point out that Tiernon is almost never present during the times she needs him, she’s looking for him but he comes “after” some action happens..every.single.time! That truly IRKED me. I have never came across an MMC that didn’t fight alongside or for his woman.
Now let’s talk about Rorrick. Here is where I thought the book is getting interesting. Rorrick started off simply delicious. He is a meticulous schemer. When he discovers that Arvelle is at the trials because she wants to kill his father, he jumps on that bandwagon; he proposes they work together. Arvelle just simply excepts—another reason she is a terrible gladiator. So Rorrick kept giving me dark vibes but in all honestly Stacia Stark screwed up here as well because she didn’t give us enough depth and something to hold on to, even at the very end. So he too, by the end, of the book was another bland supporting character that failed to impress me.
The romance? Zero emotion, cold, devastatingly boring and completely took me out of the story. I think this is one of those books that would have been better without it. If you’re giving us vanilla, don’t include any of bland sex scenes at all or at least do vanilla right with longing and more yearning.
There is absolutely no depth to the characters. We are thrown few side characters but they bring nothing to the story. The emperor who is meant to be a big bad vampire has zero development and for someone who is meant to be “killed off by Arvelle” had so little featured time in the book, I almost forgot about his character.
Truthfully the world building is sporadic, not consistent, I had so many questions about it that weren’t answered by the end of the book. I felt random stuff was slapped on here and there and presented to us in a very bland sort of way without making any sense. The big reveal of all the killings within the court was a big whatever moment for me.
In conclusion, proceed with caution. ⚠️
First I want to begin by explaining my “presumed” expectations. When I think of gladiators, I think of decay, death, destruction and utter chaos. I think something along the lines of Spartacus, House of Ashur, Barbarians and Rome (all the amazing TV series). I want fade and crumble, I want the most bloodiest and horniest, most devoted and original. I didn’t want a replica of these famous series, I wanted a story with a strong lead, a hot and broody love interest and I wanted drama—the power, sex, political unrest…I wanted something maybe a little taboo because frankly gladiators come with unhinged characteristics. It kind of seemed that way from the book description. We are promised an epic installment with merciless vampires, and an arena with fastest, strongest and deadliest gladiators. We were promised a mission, a conspiracy and a possible love triangle with two vampires who are “deeply entwined with her destiny”.
Goddamn we were lied to. What we got was Arvelle Dacien. A gladiator entered to compete in Sundering, but tasked to kill the emperor. She is explained to get her powers from the sigilmarked and maginari. Whenever she kills, she’s said get the power of the fallen. What we were promised was never delivered. What we were promised was a fierce FMC with fast skills marked by her strength and speed and agility. What we got was a female character who did not put in the “work” when it came to her trials. We don’t see her grow as a warrior, we see her as someone with knee/ankle problems which is frequently mentioned through out the book. I don’t see her fitting the gladiator description, not one bit. She’s not meticulous, she’s not a thinker, she’s not a leader, she’s a follower. She’s making mistakes, never questioning her tasks or motives of others. She just follows what is ordered. She’s as boring and undeserving of the gladiator spotlight.
Then we have Tiernon. Our 6’4 (was he 6’4? I already forgot because he’s so bland and unmemorable) vampire who left her six years ago on a whim and never came back to her. He is the emperors son and Arvelles love interest. Now this man leaves her without a good bye, but when their paths cross, it’s as if nothing happened and they are kissing shortly afterwards. He gives her the most unwavering devotion, the most boring explanation as to why he left and plainest attention, and Arvelle just accepts. Easy peasy, no questions asked, no time for him to sulk and win her back. I am surprised more people are not finding this disappointing. I also wanted to point out that Tiernon is almost never present during the times she needs him, she’s looking for him but he comes “after” some action happens..every.single.time! That truly IRKED me. I have never came across an MMC that didn’t fight alongside or for his woman.
Now let’s talk about Rorrick. Here is where I thought the book is getting interesting. Rorrick started off simply delicious. He is a meticulous schemer. When he discovers that Arvelle is at the trials because she wants to kill his father, he jumps on that bandwagon; he proposes they work together. Arvelle just simply excepts—another reason she is a terrible gladiator. So Rorrick kept giving me dark vibes but in all honestly Stacia Stark screwed up here as well because she didn’t give us enough depth and something to hold on to, even at the very end. So he too, by the end, of the book was another bland supporting character that failed to impress me.
The romance? Zero emotion, cold, devastatingly boring and completely took me out of the story. I think this is one of those books that would have been better without it. If you’re giving us vanilla, don’t include any of bland sex scenes at all or at least do vanilla right with longing and more yearning.
There is absolutely no depth to the characters. We are thrown few side characters but they bring nothing to the story. The emperor who is meant to be a big bad vampire has zero development and for someone who is meant to be “killed off by Arvelle” had so little featured time in the book, I almost forgot about his character.
Truthfully the world building is sporadic, not consistent, I had so many questions about it that weren’t answered by the end of the book. I felt random stuff was slapped on here and there and presented to us in a very bland sort of way without making any sense. The big reveal of all the killings within the court was a big whatever moment for me.
In conclusion, proceed with caution. ⚠️
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. [Content warnings here, bottom of the page].
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. [Content warnings here, bottom of the page].
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Australia for the ARC!
January 8, 2026
Gladiator II with Paul Mescal completely changed me as a woman back when it came out in 2024. i never thought i would witness anything even remotely close to the euphoria i felt watching that film… that was until this book.
gladiator meets the vampire diaries in a 80% plot driven and 20% romance, among other things, book!! what a ride let me tell you. 😁
ok so our main character Arvelle, oldest daughter, parental figure to her 2 younger brothers, overly independent, head strong warrior is drafted (forced) into this olosseum gladiator like fighting battle arena thing. She’s actually there to kill the emperor in order to stay her brothers. There’s vampires. There’s two brothers. Who are vampires. If you were team Damon during the vampire diaries era. You know where this is going. 🫣
my favorite scene was when vampire/love interest number 2 is thrust into the arena with our main character and there’s this blood sucking exchange and healing moment between the two. yes he’s on his knees for her making direct eye contact, mind you. i completely faltered. 😛
i can’t wait to see how the rest of the story will unfold. with the way things ended, i needed book 2 on my desk ages ago
gladiator meets the vampire diaries in a 80% plot driven and 20% romance, among other things, book!! what a ride let me tell you. 😁
ok so our main character Arvelle, oldest daughter, parental figure to her 2 younger brothers, overly independent, head strong warrior is drafted (forced) into this olosseum gladiator like fighting battle arena thing. She’s actually there to kill the emperor in order to stay her brothers. There’s vampires. There’s two brothers. Who are vampires. If you were team Damon during the vampire diaries era. You know where this is going. 🫣
my favorite scene was when vampire/love interest number 2 is thrust into the arena with our main character and there’s this blood sucking exchange and healing moment between the two. yes he’s on his knees for her making direct eye contact, mind you. i completely faltered. 😛
i can’t wait to see how the rest of the story will unfold. with the way things ended, i needed book 2 on my desk ages ago
January 7, 2026
Honestly i was a little scared to read this with all the hype surrounding it, but i ended up really enjoying it! I found myself not itching to pick it up, and it was a bit slow in the beginning, but once it picked up i was funny invested! I will say the parallels to something (not going to say exactly what because i don’t want to spoil anything) are a bit on the nose, but I’m not necessarily mad about it. I loved the gladiator style games, and the fact that Arvelle had some great character growth. Overall, a fun read!
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 😩
December 29, 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🤞🏻🤸🏻♀️
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.
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
🩵
Review of advance copy
This book did not know what it wanted to be. Let's do a checklist of everything in this book.
- Roman empire inspired gladiators, emperor, guards
- A competition setting
- Aether magic that powers lamps and gadgets (including a two-way mirror to allow users to communicate)
- Ley lines travel system
- Sigil magic users (controlling elements etc)
- Vampires
- Wyverns
- Multiple Gods (and a baddie god trapped in a cage)
- Griffons
- Gorgon
Did the author blend every trending Booktok trope into one book? The worldbuilding was all over the place. The setting was often muddy and confusing, borrowing elements from every fantasy setting to have ever existed. The competition aspect was lengthy but barely needed. You could jump from 25% of the book to 80% of the book and you can understand the gist of the story. Was the middle part just filler? The editors should have sent another round of revisions before publication.
To make things worse, the story itself was super predictable and generic. It was as if the author didn't trust the reader. There really are in a literacy crisis. Every single chapter had to have a sentence about the FMC's motivation ("I have to save my brothers." "I couldn't do XYZ because I was too busy trying to keep my brothers alive"). GIRL WE GET IT. Boohoo you are in a pickle and they forced your hand. Please don't use this in every chapter to justify your actions. The same goes for Leon and Albion. They could not exist on the page without their dead kids being brought up. We also spend waaay too long with hints being dished up every chapter. For example, the revelation about Primus. As if his identity was really mysterious? It is so hard to read about a character who is so slow. In 2026, let's bring subtlety back.
Unfortunately, the million side characters in this book did not add anything of value. The constant barrage of name dropping in the book felt like the author wanted every character to matter. In the end, none of them got proper development, and were used as crutches to advance the plot. Do we really need to have so many insignificant people? Back to the editing table please.
The state of fantasy is in dire need of a revamp. I really hope we see higher quality work published in the new year.
- Roman empire inspired gladiators, emperor, guards
- A competition setting
- Aether magic that powers lamps and gadgets (including a two-way mirror to allow users to communicate)
- Ley lines travel system
- Sigil magic users (controlling elements etc)
- Vampires
- Wyverns
- Multiple Gods (and a baddie god trapped in a cage)
- Griffons
- Gorgon
Did the author blend every trending Booktok trope into one book? The worldbuilding was all over the place. The setting was often muddy and confusing, borrowing elements from every fantasy setting to have ever existed. The competition aspect was lengthy but barely needed. You could jump from 25% of the book to 80% of the book and you can understand the gist of the story. Was the middle part just filler? The editors should have sent another round of revisions before publication.
To make things worse, the story itself was super predictable and generic. It was as if the author didn't trust the reader. There really are in a literacy crisis. Every single chapter had to have a sentence about the FMC's motivation ("I have to save my brothers." "I couldn't do XYZ because I was too busy trying to keep my brothers alive"). GIRL WE GET IT. Boohoo you are in a pickle and they forced your hand. Please don't use this in every chapter to justify your actions. The same goes for Leon and Albion. They could not exist on the page without their dead kids being brought up. We also spend waaay too long with hints being dished up every chapter. For example, the revelation about Primus. As if his identity was really mysterious? It is so hard to read about a character who is so slow. In 2026, let's bring subtlety back.
Unfortunately, the million side characters in this book did not add anything of value. The constant barrage of name dropping in the book felt like the author wanted every character to matter. In the end, none of them got proper development, and were used as crutches to advance the plot. Do we really need to have so many insignificant people? Back to the editing table please.
The state of fantasy is in dire need of a revamp. I really hope we see higher quality work published in the new year.
January 31, 2026
╰┈➤ 𝟹.𝟽𝟻 ✰ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
📚⋮ 𝐖𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐤
📱⋮ 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎
🏷️⋮ 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢
📆⋮ 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 𝟷/𝟸𝟽/𝟸𝟼-𝟷/𝟸𝟿/𝟸𝟼
📃⋮ 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
「 ”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. 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.”」
── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──
ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★★.75/5
ɢᴏᴏᴅʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟺.𝟸𝟷 ☆ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️
ᴘᴀɪʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ: ᴍᴇᴀᴛ & ʙʀᴇᴀᴅ 🥩
ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ?: 🤷🏼♀️
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴄʜɪʜɪʀᴏ — ʙɪʟʟɪᴇ ᴇɪʟɪꜱʜ
0:02 ———♡——— 5:03
╭───
┆
╰⪼ 🎶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥, 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺? 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸. 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯’ 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸.
⊱ ────── {⋆ ‧₊˚♪𝄞 ⋆} ────── ⊰
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
🛡️ ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇꜱ
⚔️ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ ꜰᴍᴄꜱ
🛡️ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴍᴍᴄꜱ
⚔️ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀɴɢʟᴇꜱ
🛡️ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇ ᴅɪᴀʀɪᴇꜱ
⚔️ ɢʟᴀᴅɪᴀᴛᴏʀ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇꜱ
⚠️TW: violence, gore, sexual content
── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──
⚠️ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ⚠️
💬⋮ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
• When I saw this was based on Ancient Rome & Gladiator style games, I was instantly intrigued. Even though I didn’t love We Who Will Die, I still ending up having a fun time with it. Think of this book as Serpents of the Wings of Night / The Vampire Diaries crossover with a sprinkle of Hunger Games. Aka: there was a lot going on. From vampires to Gods to wyverns to centaurs. My head was spinning with all the mythical creatures I had to keep up with. It was an entertaining read, but I didn’t feel fully satisfied when I was done.
♥︎ What I Liked:
↬ The FMC, Arvelle. She was strong, just discovering how powerful she is, stubborn, & didn’t take no shit. Everything I like in my FMC.
↬ The magic system. I loved the idea of the different sigils & power that went along with them.
↬ The Ancient Rome setting & gladiator vibes.
↬ Rorrick. 🙂↕️ picture Damon Salvatore.
↬ The love triangle slowly building.
✘ What I Didn’t Like:
↬ The main MMC, Tiernon. He was so bland & didn’t do anything for me. Only thing attractive about him was the helmet he wore as Primus.
↬ Some important parts of the story were glazed over. For example, when Tiernon found out Arvelle was supposed to kill his father, we didn’t get much of a reaction from him & quickly moved on. It was just swept under the rug. No big deal.
↬ I kept waiting for more of the world to be explained. I wanted to learn more about the sigilmarked, the mundanes, the lore of the gods, more background on the magic system.
Will I read the next book? Sure why not. Mostly because I’m curious about where this love triangle is going to lead.
── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──
❝ “𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒 𝐼 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝓈𝓂𝒶𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹 𝓂𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝓅𝒾𝑒𝒸𝑒𝓈, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼’𝒹 𝒷𝑒 𝓅𝒾𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹𝓈 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓂𝓎 𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝓊𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝐼 𝒹𝒾𝑒𝒹. 𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓈𝓃’𝓉 𝓈𝓂𝒶𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹. 𝐼 𝓁𝑒𝒻𝓉 𝒾𝓉 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓋𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝒹 𝒾𝓉 𝒽𝑜𝓈𝓉𝒶𝑔𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒.” ❞
📚⋮ 𝐖𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐤
📱⋮ 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎
🏷️⋮ 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢
📆⋮ 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 𝟷/𝟸𝟽/𝟸𝟼-𝟷/𝟸𝟿/𝟸𝟼
📃⋮ 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
「 ”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. 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.”」
── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──
❝ “𝐿𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒶𝓉 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓋𝑒 𝒶𝒸𝒽𝒾𝑒𝓋𝑒𝒹 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝓁𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶 𝓈𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑜𝓃. 𝐼𝓂𝒶𝑔𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒹𝑜 𝒾𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝑒𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓁.” ❞
ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★★.75/5
ɢᴏᴏᴅʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟺.𝟸𝟷 ☆ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️
ᴘᴀɪʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ: ᴍᴇᴀᴛ & ʙʀᴇᴀᴅ 🥩
ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ?: 🤷🏼♀️
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴄʜɪʜɪʀᴏ — ʙɪʟʟɪᴇ ᴇɪʟɪꜱʜ
0:02 ———♡——— 5:03
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
╭───
┆
╰⪼ 🎶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥, 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺? 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸. 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯’ 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸.
⊱ ────── {⋆ ‧₊˚♪𝄞 ⋆} ────── ⊰
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
🛡️ ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇꜱ
⚔️ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ ꜰᴍᴄꜱ
🛡️ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴍᴍᴄꜱ
⚔️ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀɴɢʟᴇꜱ
🛡️ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇ ᴅɪᴀʀɪᴇꜱ
⚔️ ɢʟᴀᴅɪᴀᴛᴏʀ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇꜱ
⚠️TW: violence, gore, sexual content
❝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?” ❞
── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──
⚠️ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ⚠️
💬⋮ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
• When I saw this was based on Ancient Rome & Gladiator style games, I was instantly intrigued. Even though I didn’t love We Who Will Die, I still ending up having a fun time with it. Think of this book as Serpents of the Wings of Night / The Vampire Diaries crossover with a sprinkle of Hunger Games. Aka: there was a lot going on. From vampires to Gods to wyverns to centaurs. My head was spinning with all the mythical creatures I had to keep up with. It was an entertaining read, but I didn’t feel fully satisfied when I was done.
♥︎ What I Liked:
↬ The FMC, Arvelle. She was strong, just discovering how powerful she is, stubborn, & didn’t take no shit. Everything I like in my FMC.
↬ The magic system. I loved the idea of the different sigils & power that went along with them.
↬ The Ancient Rome setting & gladiator vibes.
↬ Rorrick. 🙂↕️ picture Damon Salvatore.
↬ The love triangle slowly building.
✘ What I Didn’t Like:
↬ The main MMC, Tiernon. He was so bland & didn’t do anything for me. Only thing attractive about him was the helmet he wore as Primus.
↬ Some important parts of the story were glazed over. For example, when Tiernon found out Arvelle was supposed to kill his father, we didn’t get much of a reaction from him & quickly moved on. It was just swept under the rug. No big deal.
↬ I kept waiting for more of the world to be explained. I wanted to learn more about the sigilmarked, the mundanes, the lore of the gods, more background on the magic system.
Will I read the next book? Sure why not. Mostly because I’m curious about where this love triangle is going to lead.
── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──
❝𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽: 𝒞𝒶𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝓂𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝒶𝓁𝓉-𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝒾𝓇? 𝒞𝒶𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒻𝑒𝑒𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓊𝓃? 𝒜𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑔, 𝒜𝓇𝓋𝑒𝓁𝓁𝑒? 𝒜𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑔?❞
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!
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.
January 3, 2026
5☆ ⚔️ 🩸 🐉 🏛️ 🃏 🖤 “𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒 ℐ 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝓈𝓂𝒶𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹 𝓂𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝓅𝒾𝑒𝒸𝑒𝓈, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 ℐ’𝒹 𝒷𝑒 𝓅𝒾𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹𝓈 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓂𝓎 𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝓊𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓎 ℐ 𝒹𝒾𝑒𝒹. ℬ𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓈𝓃’𝓉 𝓈𝓂𝒶𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹. ℐ 𝓁𝑒𝒻𝓉 𝒾𝓉 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓋𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝒹 𝒾𝓉 𝒽𝑜𝓈𝓉𝒶𝑔𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒”
˖ ݁𖥔.⊹˚₊ ─────༺༻───── ₊˚⊹.𖥔 ݁ ˖
gladiator vibes + vampires abso - fucking - lutely 🤏🏻🙂↕️
i ate this plot up and left zero crumbs. it had me gripped from start to finish
from the roman inspired world, the unique magic system, mythical creatures, the arena like trails?? ugh all sooo good!!
𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚 our fmc is honestly so funny. her inner monologue😭🤣 love her. everything she does for her brothers my heart. she’s honestly such a baddie and her powers are so cool!
the love interests 🤭 all im going to say is 𝓀𝒾𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝓎 𝒻𝑒𝑒𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑔𝒾𝑔𝑔𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔
the tension + yearning in this is insanely good
also i really enjoyed some of the side characters and hope we get more of them in the next book!!
the last 25% had me stressed + that ending was criminal starring at the fucking wall jaw on the floor
┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ “𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒷𝑒𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓇𝓊𝓃, 𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓻𝓪𝓫𝓫𝓲𝓽, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒 ℐ 𝒹𝑜𝓃’𝓉 𝒸𝒶𝓉𝒸𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊” ✧. ┊🫣🥵
┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ 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?” ✧. ┊🤪🤏🏻
┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ “ℐ 𝓂𝒾𝓈𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝓘 𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓷” ✧. ┊🌞😩
˖ ݁𖥔.⊹˚₊ ─────༺༻───── ₊˚⊹.𖥔 ݁ ˖
gladiator vibes + vampires abso - fucking - lutely 🤏🏻🙂↕️
i ate this plot up and left zero crumbs. it had me gripped from start to finish
from the roman inspired world, the unique magic system, mythical creatures, the arena like trails?? ugh all sooo good!!
𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚 our fmc is honestly so funny. her inner monologue😭🤣 love her. everything she does for her brothers my heart. she’s honestly such a baddie and her powers are so cool!
the love interests 🤭 all im going to say is 𝓀𝒾𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝓎 𝒻𝑒𝑒𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑔𝒾𝑔𝑔𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔
the tension + yearning in this is insanely good
also i really enjoyed some of the side characters and hope we get more of them in the next book!!
the last 25% had me stressed + that ending was criminal starring at the fucking wall jaw on the floor
┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ “𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒷𝑒𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓇𝓊𝓃, 𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓻𝓪𝓫𝓫𝓲𝓽, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒 ℐ 𝒹𝑜𝓃’𝓉 𝒸𝒶𝓉𝒸𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊” ✧. ┊🫣🥵
┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ 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?” ✧. ┊🤪🤏🏻
┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ “ℐ 𝓂𝒾𝓈𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝓘 𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓷” ✧. ┊🌞😩
![Profile Image for minnie. [school hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1767121182i%2F190542410.jpg&w=128&q=75)
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 loved it soooo 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 loved it soooo 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).
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. »
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.
February 3, 2026
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
🔥 Spice level: 🌶️🌶️.5 / 5
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
🔥 Spice level: 🌶️🌶️.5 / 5
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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February 23, 2026
I went into We Who Will Die expecting the BookTok hype to match the experience… and it just didn’t.
Read My Honest Book Review on My Blog:
We Who Will Die
This one was a huge miss for me. I struggled to connect with the story, the pacing felt off, and the characters never gave me a reason to emotionally invest. I kept waiting for the moment where it would click for me. The twist, the tension, the spark everyone talks about, just never came. By the end, I felt more frustrated than satisfied.
It’s not that the book is unreadable, but it didn’t live up to the expectations built around it. When a story is this hyped, you want to feel something big, and instead I just felt disconnected the entire time.
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BLOG ⟫ INSTAGRAM ⟫ NEWSLETTER ⟫
Read My Honest Book Review on My Blog:
We Who Will Die
This one was a huge miss for me. I struggled to connect with the story, the pacing felt off, and the characters never gave me a reason to emotionally invest. I kept waiting for the moment where it would click for me. The twist, the tension, the spark everyone talks about, just never came. By the end, I felt more frustrated than satisfied.
It’s not that the book is unreadable, but it didn’t live up to the expectations built around it. When a story is this hyped, you want to feel something big, and instead I just felt disconnected the entire time.
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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!
January 19, 2026
what an absolute fucking mess this was. the editors should be ashamed, and these publishing houses really need to start focusing on quality storytelling over ugly sprayed edges if they want to get away with charging $32.
i’m also a little bit disappointed in how many of my most trusted bookish influencers sang this novels praises, which is what ultimately inspired me to pick it up. with the ridiculous amount of continuity errors, spelling mistakes, horrible world building, uninspired plot, and trope-y characters, i’m wondering how some of these influencers can so confidently say this was their favorite book of the year. respectfully, did you all read the book? did you not notice the glaring issues or simply not care? i just can’t fathom why this book is being touted as one of the best romantasy books when it is, on a technical level, one of the messiest traditionally published books i’ve read in recent memory.
i have explicit examples of the continuity errors in my reading updates, so feel free to check those out, i don’t feel like rewriting/rehashing them again, lol.
this book was trying to include way too much that it became a total clusterfuck—why is this a vampire romance set in a “fantasy” ancient rome with a magic system consisting of mind tricks and elemental magic that are barely explained or used? why are there magical creatures from various pantheons here? why are is this a poorly veiled retelling of the ACOTAR romance dynamic with the same character archetypes? why were the empire, the competing religions, and murder plots so haphazardly described? why were all the twists at the end so out of left field but also so boring?
respectfully, why was this book even written? this is the problem i have with a lot of recently published romantasy. i really struggle to find the true magic in these pages. i feel like these authors are writing these stories to tropes and marketing efforts rather than an inspired passion for a story they feel compelled to write. i don’t doubt they enjoy writing these books and feel excited by them, but this book is just another entry in a long list of romantasy novels that lack the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent that brought me to love this genre in the first place. this book ultimately feels uninspired and like the author was trying to cover a lot of bases that would interest a lot of readers. and clearly, the team who worked on this book didn’t have their heart in it, either. there were too many issues to make this novel feel like a labor of love, and as the reader, it reflected in my experience.
the only redeeming part of this book was Rorrick—who is, of course, a thinly veiled Rhysand—but he was interesting enough that i would consider maybe picking up the sequel on audiobook (the audiobook was performed really well). i highly doubt i will spend another $32 on the physical copy of the sequel with another ugly sprayed edges design.
romantasy authors & publishing houses — please do better. please. as someone who’s been reading this genre for over 10 years, you are slowly killing everything that makes this genre great by shadow daddy enemies-to-lovers vampire faerie only-one-bedding these books into the ground.
i’m also a little bit disappointed in how many of my most trusted bookish influencers sang this novels praises, which is what ultimately inspired me to pick it up. with the ridiculous amount of continuity errors, spelling mistakes, horrible world building, uninspired plot, and trope-y characters, i’m wondering how some of these influencers can so confidently say this was their favorite book of the year. respectfully, did you all read the book? did you not notice the glaring issues or simply not care? i just can’t fathom why this book is being touted as one of the best romantasy books when it is, on a technical level, one of the messiest traditionally published books i’ve read in recent memory.
i have explicit examples of the continuity errors in my reading updates, so feel free to check those out, i don’t feel like rewriting/rehashing them again, lol.
this book was trying to include way too much that it became a total clusterfuck—why is this a vampire romance set in a “fantasy” ancient rome with a magic system consisting of mind tricks and elemental magic that are barely explained or used? why are there magical creatures from various pantheons here? why are is this a poorly veiled retelling of the ACOTAR romance dynamic with the same character archetypes? why were the empire, the competing religions, and murder plots so haphazardly described? why were all the twists at the end so out of left field but also so boring?
respectfully, why was this book even written? this is the problem i have with a lot of recently published romantasy. i really struggle to find the true magic in these pages. i feel like these authors are writing these stories to tropes and marketing efforts rather than an inspired passion for a story they feel compelled to write. i don’t doubt they enjoy writing these books and feel excited by them, but this book is just another entry in a long list of romantasy novels that lack the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent that brought me to love this genre in the first place. this book ultimately feels uninspired and like the author was trying to cover a lot of bases that would interest a lot of readers. and clearly, the team who worked on this book didn’t have their heart in it, either. there were too many issues to make this novel feel like a labor of love, and as the reader, it reflected in my experience.
the only redeeming part of this book was Rorrick—who is, of course, a thinly veiled Rhysand—but he was interesting enough that i would consider maybe picking up the sequel on audiobook (the audiobook was performed really well). i highly doubt i will spend another $32 on the physical copy of the sequel with another ugly sprayed edges design.
romantasy authors & publishing houses — please do better. please. as someone who’s been reading this genre for over 10 years, you are slowly killing everything that makes this genre great by shadow daddy enemies-to-lovers vampire faerie only-one-bedding these books into the ground.
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.
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!! 🖤
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!
January 5, 2026
Hmm I see BookTok decided to start 2026 off by LYING!!!! Girl I knew nothing about shit while reading this… all I know is that there was sand and Arevlle’s brother has whack ass lungs.
The magic system?? Bronze, silver, and gold? Are we in the Olympics like what are you talking about??? Literally nothing was explained, not even how their world works. World building was none existent. I already got low budget imagination this book gave me nothing to work with. Why were the characters taking an elevator up to the arena hunger games style was this not supposed to be like gladiator times??? There was so much going on and everything was so rushed. Didn’t even have a chance to let things cook. One page their fighting, next page were at a ball, next page were at the circus, next page were playing poker???
The characters are supposed to be competing in these deadly trials… but can’t use their magic… and 2/3 trials is a team bonding exercise… yeah okay.
Arvelle girl…. Dumb as fuck, zero survival instincts, mopin over her childhood situationship and dead bestie (rip). Constantly saying she needs to protect her brothers and needs to keep her head down but then goes and puts herself in a situation that literally results in the complete opposite. She was giving “how can I be the victim today.” Her inner monologue… girl get a grip like I’m begging you.
The two MMC’s were giving Temu Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Tiernan was sooooo bland and cringe with his “you’re being so brave” headass YUCK GET OUT OF MY FACE. Him and Arvelle had zero chemistry and the conversations between them were actually so painful. The “little rabbit” nickname from the other one… yeah that was disgusting.
To make matters worse, all these random ass never before mentioned characters would be mentioned like we’re supposed to know exactly who they are. And then no description about the characters are given like who are you people????
All these “plot twists”… predictable as fuck. Lame ass ending attempting to give cliff hanger… but like… it literally set up exactly what’s gonna happen in the next book… no suspense no nothin…
The magic system?? Bronze, silver, and gold? Are we in the Olympics like what are you talking about??? Literally nothing was explained, not even how their world works. World building was none existent. I already got low budget imagination this book gave me nothing to work with. Why were the characters taking an elevator up to the arena hunger games style was this not supposed to be like gladiator times??? There was so much going on and everything was so rushed. Didn’t even have a chance to let things cook. One page their fighting, next page were at a ball, next page were at the circus, next page were playing poker???
The characters are supposed to be competing in these deadly trials… but can’t use their magic… and 2/3 trials is a team bonding exercise… yeah okay.
Arvelle girl…. Dumb as fuck, zero survival instincts, mopin over her childhood situationship and dead bestie (rip). Constantly saying she needs to protect her brothers and needs to keep her head down but then goes and puts herself in a situation that literally results in the complete opposite. She was giving “how can I be the victim today.” Her inner monologue… girl get a grip like I’m begging you.
The two MMC’s were giving Temu Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Tiernan was sooooo bland and cringe with his “you’re being so brave” headass YUCK GET OUT OF MY FACE. Him and Arvelle had zero chemistry and the conversations between them were actually so painful. The “little rabbit” nickname from the other one… yeah that was disgusting.
To make matters worse, all these random ass never before mentioned characters would be mentioned like we’re supposed to know exactly who they are. And then no description about the characters are given like who are you people????
All these “plot twists”… predictable as fuck. Lame ass ending attempting to give cliff hanger… but like… it literally set up exactly what’s gonna happen in the next book… no suspense no nothin…
February 14, 2026
DNF 28%, just couldn't get into it 😢
dnf
January 4, 2026DNF page 92
If you start making fun of a book as you’re reading it, that’s a red flag and I noticed pretty quickly that this read like a bad dramatic soap opera. With vampires, forehead magic, and gladiator arenas. I just did not care about anything and I think that’s because nothing is ever explained. I had to look up to make sure this wasn’t a sequel series to an already established world.
I didn’t even make it to the romance part which is what I thought would be my undoing lol
If you start making fun of a book as you’re reading it, that’s a red flag and I noticed pretty quickly that this read like a bad dramatic soap opera. With vampires, forehead magic, and gladiator arenas. I just did not care about anything and I think that’s because nothing is ever explained. I had to look up to make sure this wasn’t a sequel series to an already established world.
I didn’t even make it to the romance part which is what I thought would be my undoing lol
January 10, 2026
“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 come 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 come 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 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.
February 2, 2026
IM OBSESSED. I haven’t felt this way about a book since I read Fourth Wing right as it came out. Usually after I finished a fantasy book I have some kind of critique but this one…NO NOTES. Definitely in my top 5 books of all time and hoping the second one comes out just as good!
January 5, 2026
Oh my Goddess! This one is making waves right now and was exactly the kind of read I wanted to kick off my year. It’s spellbinding, engaging, and an exciting pick for romantasy readers, and judging by the buzz, it’s clearly finding its audience.
Potion perfect and gripping from page one. Gladiator-style Roman trials with vampires and a tension-filled love triangle had me fully invested and spellbound by that one-more-chapter high.
It hexed my soul. Altered my TBR. Set a new bar I can’t unsee.
Magic Level:
High magic, brutal trials, and magical creatures with emotionally charged tension that sinks its teeth in and doesn’t let go.
What Lit My Mood:
The slow-burn love triangle brewing. A forbidden romance with a past lover, a dark morally grey, dangerously compelling character who had me questioning his hidden motivates. One relationship beautiful and aching, the other unpredictable, and thrilling. Forced proximity, found family, and simmering tension added layers I couldn’t get enough of.
Hexed Me:
The only minor challenge was keeping track of a few secondary characters, but that isn’t anything new for me.
Spicy Level:
Light spice, just enough to keep things interesting and add to the love triangle brewing.
Audiobook vs Eyeball Reading:
I received a copy of the audiobook through NetGalley, and while I loved both narrators and their wonderful performances, I found I preferred reading it to fully immerse myself in the story.
Witchy Mood Meter:
OH. MY. GODDESS Right Book, Right Energy, Spellbound, chasing the chapter high
Completely emotionally charged, I can’t wait for the next book to land.
I also received a copy from the publisher through Edelweiss
Potion perfect and gripping from page one. Gladiator-style Roman trials with vampires and a tension-filled love triangle had me fully invested and spellbound by that one-more-chapter high.
It hexed my soul. Altered my TBR. Set a new bar I can’t unsee.
Magic Level:
High magic, brutal trials, and magical creatures with emotionally charged tension that sinks its teeth in and doesn’t let go.
What Lit My Mood:
The slow-burn love triangle brewing. A forbidden romance with a past lover, a dark morally grey, dangerously compelling character who had me questioning his hidden motivates. One relationship beautiful and aching, the other unpredictable, and thrilling. Forced proximity, found family, and simmering tension added layers I couldn’t get enough of.
Hexed Me:
The only minor challenge was keeping track of a few secondary characters, but that isn’t anything new for me.
Spicy Level:
Light spice, just enough to keep things interesting and add to the love triangle brewing.
Audiobook vs Eyeball Reading:
I received a copy of the audiobook through NetGalley, and while I loved both narrators and their wonderful performances, I found I preferred reading it to fully immerse myself in the story.
Witchy Mood Meter:
OH. MY. GODDESS Right Book, Right Energy, Spellbound, chasing the chapter high
Completely emotionally charged, I can’t wait for the next book to land.
I also received a copy from the publisher through Edelweiss
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