L'Impero dell'Alba: Empire of the Vampire, Vol. 3

Empire of the Vampire #3

by Jay Kristoff, Federico Vellani (Narrator)

Dal pluripremiato autore bestseller della trilogia Nevernight, l'epica conclusione di una saga grandiosa. Gabriel de León ha perso la famiglia, la fede e l'ultima speranza di veder finire la notte Dior, il Santo Graal. Gli rimane solo un vendicarsi. Così, assieme a un gruppo di fratelli leali, si avventura ad Augustin, cuore dell'impero dilaniato dalla guerra, per reclamare la vita del Re Sempiterno.

All'insaputa dell'ultimo Santo d'argento, però, Dior è ancora viva, e si sta dirigendo verso Augustin, la capitale assediata, nella fragile speranza di porre fine per sempre al sine die. Ma un tradimento mortale la attende nelle stanze del potere, e le legioni del Re Sempiterno marciano sempre più vicine. Gabriel e il Graal saranno trascinati nella battaglia finale che segnerà il destino stesso dell'impero. Mentre il sole tramonta per quella che potrebbe essere l'ultima volta, non potranno fidarsi di nessuno.

Nemmeno l'uno dell'altra.

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Horror, Fiction, Adult, Audiobook, Dark Fantasy

Audible Audio

First published November 4, 2025

About the author

Jay Kristoff is a #1 international, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction. He is the winner of eight Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, has over two million books in print and is published in over thirty five countries, most of which he has never visited. He is as surprised about all of this as you are. He is 6’7 and has approximately 12,000 days to live.

He does not believe in happy endings.

Reviews

[John Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read, full of heartbreak, horror and humour. Characters are just wonderful, they pull you in and break your heart. This book hitting the best-sellers is so well deserved. It's a fantastic book, I would highly recommend it and it's got one hell of a bite...

[Chance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading: Don't let the title fool you, all your favourite characters will die in this finale, or so Kristoff has warned.

After reading: This is the best book of 2025, I will die on this hill (alongside all of the horses featured in this trilogy). I said as much to my book buddy (we read this last instalment together); I love this series from the bottom of my heart, but is the pain and heartache worth it? yes yes yes it is!
This is some of the best writing I've ever read, crammed with sharp banter, suspense, tragedy, hubris, and STILL hope and found family - a deadly combination. The world building, plot, characters and battle scenes are all superb. I'm devastated this is the last of Silversaint Gabriel de Leon, and his incredibly sexy crew; I have not been more invested in a series in so long, and I don't know what to do with myself now it's over. I'm an emotional wreck, but fuck my face - so worth it.

Disclaimer: I have not received a free copy.

[Bailey Chadwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s 2am and I am weeping because this book was so good. This entire series was incredible. I’m going to stare at the wall for the next 7-10 business days while I process the ending to this trilogy.

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite reads. Absolutely fantastic in every way.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jay Kristoff likes to make us hurt.
Worst betrayal by an author ever. Five stars.

Non-spoiler series recommendation:

Kristoff’s writing is heart-wrenching description and evocative. You know that terror you get when you trip or drop on a rollercoaster? I got that reading this.

A vampire series where the protagonist is a worn-down, broken man bent upon vengeance for the murder of his family at the hands of the Forever King.
Then he meets a spunky Dior who manages to annoy (worm) their way into his cold heart.
The spawn of a vampire and the potential saviour of the realm band together to stop the blotting out of the sun.

There is a talking sword, a valiant horse, great friendships.
The language is crass, the humour dark, the horror gory and bloody.

Not to mention, it uses the story within a story framing narrative device. Gabriel is in the tower, prisoner of the vampire Queen relaying what happened before he is executed. Think Name of the Wind and Blood Song.

It isn’t going to be for everyone, but book one was my favourite book in the year of its release and I continue loving this series.

“His back. My blade.”


Okay, vague descriptions over.
If you haven’t read book one and two - turn away.
No spoilers for book three:

Well, after that disaster of an ending, we are dealing with broken, revenge-driven characters - very similar to where we started off in book one.

Gabriel is still as brash and abrasive as ever. He is the most prideful and arrogant bast*rd there is. If you aren’t into that style, it might grate on you. I personally love how unique Gabriel’s voice was and how this shaped the story.

As you may know, I’m a sucker for siblings in fantasy.
The Last Silversaint and Last Liathe are serpents, filled with the same rank venom. Their fondness for deceit is equaled only by their hatred for each other.

So, toxic siblings who both think they’re in the right who loathe each other and held prisoner in the same castle pitted against each other in their accounting. Both are different types of monsters.

I enjoy how Kristoff plays them off each other, adding to the unreliable narration. He took this even further in this book and I cannot wait for you all to experience it.

“It took a lot of love to hate her the way I do.”

The illustrations in this one might have some of my favourites. BEAUTIFUL. I need all books to have art that makes my heart hurt please.

I won’t give anything away, but I went through so many emotions in that last 20%. If you want to chat (rant, sob, laugh), my Instagram DMs are open.

I just have to leave you with this one line:
“I was beginning to think it some morbid jest on your part. About the only occupation in Elidaen more dangerous than Horse With a Name is Woman Who Slept With Gabriel d—”

Arc gifted by St Martin Press.

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[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely don’t know whether to applaud Mister Kristoff for the balls it took to pull off that ending, or scream into the void. 😅 This man is an evil genius. I don’t know if I liked the ending or hated it, but what an incredible journey!



Huge thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced review sampler!

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m obsessed with this series, and after waiting what feels like forever for this book, a 15 chapter sampler isn’t enough. 😂 As always, I am captivated and devastated by Kristoff’s writing. It’s lush and evocative, and sometimes makes me sick from how terrifying the world is. In just 15 chapters I have already been through the wringer of human emotions. I can’t wait to get my greedy little hands on the rest of this story!



*Screaming because this just slid into my NetGalley shelf 😭 I’m so ready to get my heart ripped out!!!*

[Lauren Debres · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated the ending to this book with a passion the story was perfect and then it all just gets undone? Unrealistic for everyone within this world and story to come through unscathed and alive not to mention it leaves plot holes gallore.

If Patience wasnt really alive/dead and with the forever king why did Gabriel give up arms and go with him? What really happened when Gabriel snuck into San Maximille and confronted Reyne, if mother Maryn didnt kill her how did everything unfurl after that?

Two of the biggest questions im left with amongst many and no answers, we dont actually know what happened we dont know how Phoebe and Kestrels fight ended because Phoebe came away from it alive.. its infuriating and its ruined the whole series for me.. Why that god awful ai generated picture at the end of the book hinting at them all being together again when the story ends with Gabriel and Phoebe pretty much literally running off into the sunset together?

How you can like this ending is beyond me, how you can feel satisfied when the whole story is a lie.

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally published on Before We Go Blog

Fuck. My. Face. I can confidently say that I have never felt so betrayed by an author as I did while reading Empire of the Dawn, and I love Jay Kristoff all the more for it. This is a finale of bloody epic proportions that delivers all the heartache, tragedy, sacrifices, banter, betrayals, revelations, melodrama, and bittersweet pay-off you could wish for, and it all just hurts oh so damn good.

“This has never been a story about whether I won or lost, Historian. It’s about the price I paid for the lie of victory.”

Even though the start of Empire of the Dawn eases off the gas a tiny bit compared to the relentless rollercoaster that was Empire of the Damned, I was more enthralled than ever before because of the deadly levels of tension and addictive sense of anticipatory dread that drip off every single page. The unreliable dual POV narration from everyone’s favourite duo of toxic siblings that Kristoff introduced halfway through book 2 reaches its peak brilliance here, with two clashing narratives full of secrets, lies, and brutal betrayals culminating in what has to be the biggest “OH FUCKING SHIT” ending I have possibly ever read.

Seriously, if you thought a framed narrative or prophecy lowers the stakes or makes a story predictable, you better think again. The entire way throughout the first two books, we’ve been teased with hints about the tragic ending of Gabriel de León’s tale, and now it’s finally time for answers. We know he killed the Forever King, we know he is the Last Silversaint remaining, we know the Holy Grail is gone and their doomed quest to end Daysdeath ultimately failed, we know he got captured by the vampire Empress… but we also know he is an unreliable narrator, so how in the ever living fuck did it all really go down?!

“The Last Silversaint and Last Liathe are serpents, filled with the same rank venom. Their fondness for deceit is equaled only by their hatred for each other.”

In Empire of the Dawn, Kristoff delivers on every single promise that was made along the way, even the ones you might already have long forgotten about. Just like our dastardly Marquis Jean-François, I was frustrated, confused, and moved to tears more than once by Gabe and Celene’s retelling of their harrowing journeys that ended them where they are now. Seriously, after the infamous chapter “The Worst Day” all the way back in Empire of the Vampire and then the diabolical gutpunch of an ending of Empire of the Damned, I thought things possibly couldn’t get any worse, but I should have known that my heart and soul were not safe. Because let’s be real, when it comes to Kristoff, it can always get worse, and he will cruelly smile in your face while twisting the knife just a little deeper every time.

From the emotional torture of following Gabe’s tale while he is under the impression that Dior is dead and all hope is lost, to the painful inner turmoil while he fights against his increasing bloodlust, to the tragic revelations about Celene’s backstory with the Esani, to the crippling pressure on Dior as she carries the fate of the world on her shoulders, to the heart-pounding and bloody battles, to witnessing the loss of the most beloved companions, and to all the many more unimaginable horrors; there is truly no shortage of tragedy and misery in Empire of the Dawn, and each new emotional gutpunch had me more distraught than the last, especially with so many of the most devastating sequences being depicted in the drop-dead gorgeous illustrations that make this story even more immersive than it already is.

“He was reminded of her words again— that no man was whole alone. That we are not made broken, but born broken. Yet if we’re blessed, if we’re brave, we might find those few whose edges fit against our own. Like pieces of the same puzzle, or shards of the same shattered blade. Those people who, in their own broken way, made our broken edge complete.”

And yet, in some miraculous way, the darkness never felt ‘too much’ to me because Kristoff never loses sight of the characters and relationships that lie at the heart of this story, with the father/daughter dynamic between Gabe and Dior obviously being the most heartwarming and heartwrenching of all. Like, Gabe is not just a daddy, he is the Best Dad Ever, and he proves it more than ever in Empire of the Dawn as we see him tearing his soul to pieces to protect the ones that make his life worth living. And then add to that all the heartfelt friendships, complicated sibling bonds, and various romances ranging from wholesome to twisted to tragic and to sinfully sexy, all of which made me feel so much more than I thought my cold dead heart could ever feel.

It also definitely helps that Celene and especially Gabe both have a strong flair for the dramatic that makes both the lows feel so low but the highs feel even higher, with all of their emotions just bleeding off the page. But the true magic for me? That’s the fact that Kristoff is just a damn funny man, and he knows it. The dark humour, searing sarcasm, knife-sharp banter, and iconic one-liners shine brighter than ever before, and for each tear there was also a chuckle, grin or full-out snort-laugh. Especially Jean-François’ constant witty remarks, dry observations, and delicious yearning (because holy shit, is the sexual chemistry between Gabe and JF at an all-time high here) had me cackling, and I loved how all the recurring inside jokes made me feel like I was truly part of this story myself. Thank all that is holy I am not though, because I would be so dead.

“I was beginning to think it some morbid jest on your part. About the only occupation in Elidaen more dangerous than Horse With a Name is Woman Who Slept With Gabriel d—”

Now, I feel like I have been incoherently gushing without actually saying much of substance, but I just don’t know how I can adequately put into words how much I adored this reading experience, especially without spoiling the entire thing. I constantly found myself torn between the urge to suck this book up like a bloodthirsty vampire and the desire to savour every single second of this enthralling emotional rollercoaster. Okay and maybe I also slowed down because I was terrified Empire of the Dawn would be the end of me before I could reach its end, which it very nearly did.

Eventually my self-restraint just completely failed and I literally could not stop myself from devouring the last 200 pages in one single frenzied reading session, but I honestly have zero regrets. I mean, initially I wasn’t even totally sure if I was fully on-board with every aspect of the ending, but I am ultimately just so deeply in awe of how Kristoff took the concept of the unreliable narrator to a whole new level and pulled off all the bold twists and turns that I can’t give this masterpiece anything less than the 5 stars it so deserves. This is one of those series that is breathtakingly brilliant on first read, but I just feel in my bones that it is going to be even more satisfying on re-read when you can pick up on all the masterfully planted pieces of foreshadowing, misdirection, and scheming that I foolishly missed along the way.

“Sometimes life changes us for the better. Sometimes the worse. But everything under the sky is in the process of becoming something else. Something new. This is a world of butterflies.”

Empire of the Dawn will undoubtedly be a divisive finale, but I love it in all its bold, brutal, and messy glory. I laughed, I cried, I gasped, and I cursed Kristoff more times than I can count, and I truly don’t know what to do with myself now that I have finished this new all-time favourite trilogy (or did it finish me?). This wasn’t just another reading experience, it was a journey that I lived and breathed right along with these characters, and they will all live rent-free in my soul until eternity. So yes, invite this story into your home and let it sink its teeth in you, I promise it’s worth the pain.

[Krell75 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Non ha importanza in cosa credi, ma devi credere in qualcosa"

Con L'Impero dell'Alba, mi sono trovato di fronte a un finale monumentale, brutale e intriso di una malinconia profonda, che conferma l'anima "dark" e senza sconti di questa saga.

Chi ha seguito il mio percorso con questi libri sa bene come il mio entusiasmo sia stato un crescendo costante: ho imparato ad accettare, e infine ad amare, lo stile così peculiare di Kristoff. Se all'inizio le sue frasi forti e quel gusto per l'eccesso potevano spiazzare, alla fine mi sono reso conto che sono proprio quegli elementi a rendere la trilogia un punto di riferimento memorabile, capace di distinguersi.

La vera magia, per me, è stata vedere le diverse linee temporali convergere con una precisione magistrale, svelando finalmente quei misteri che mi hanno tenuto col fiato sospeso per centinaia di pagine. Ho adorato ritrovare in queste righe l'eco di "Intervista con il Vampiro" della Rice: dalla cornice narrativa all'eroe tragico così dolorosamente umano, fino a quell'estetica barocca e decadente che rende tutto più vivido. Kristoff è riuscito in un'impresa difficile: farmi sentire a casa in un universo familiare, eppure sorprendentemente originale.

Ma ciò che mi ha colpito dritto al cuore è stato il legame tra Gabriel e Dior. Vedere il loro rapporto raggiungere un apice fatto di sacrificio e disperata tenerezza è stato il vero fulcro emotivo del viaggio.

Nonostante la mole del volume, il ritmo non mi ha mai abbandonato, trascinandomi in scene di battaglia così epiche da sembrare quasi cinematografiche.

Chiudere l'ultima pagina è stato un addio sofferto. Mi ha lasciato addosso quella sensazione di vuoto che solo i grandi libri sanno regalare, ma anche la profonda soddisfazione di aver assistito a un arco narrativo perfetto e coerente fino all'ultimo respiro.

"Non rimpiangere nemmeno un giorno. I peggiori ci insegnano lezioni. I migliori ci donano ricordi. Ma tutti quanti sono sacri."

------------------------
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"It doesn't matter what you believe in, but you have to believe in something."

With Empire of the Dawn, I found myself faced with a monumental, brutal finale steeped in profound melancholy, confirming the dark, uncompromising soul of this saga.

Those who have followed my journey with these books know well that my enthusiasm has been a constant crescendo: I have learned to accept, and ultimately love, Kristoff's distinctive style. While his strong sentences and taste for excess might initially be disconcerting, I eventually realized that it is precisely those elements that make the trilogy a memorable, stand-out reference.

The real magic, for me, was seeing the different timelines converge with masterful precision, finally unraveling the mysteries that had kept me in suspense for hundreds of pages. I loved finding echoes of Rice's "Interview with the Vampire" in these lines: from the narrative framework to the tragic hero so painfully human, to that baroque and decadent aesthetic that makes everything more vivid. Kristoff achieved a difficult feat: making me feel at home in a familiar, yet surprisingly original, universe.

But what struck me straight to the heart was the bond between Gabriel and Dior. Watching their relationship reach a pinnacle of sacrifice and desperate tenderness was the true emotional crux of the journey.

Despite the volume's size, the pace never faltered, drawing me into battle scenes so epic they almost seemed cinematic.

Closing the last page was a painful farewell. It left me with that feeling of emptiness that only great books can give, but also the profound satisfaction of having witnessed a narrative arc that was perfect and coherent until the very last breath.


"Don't regret a single day. The worst teach us lessons. The best give us memories. But all are sacred."

[Dr Sayuti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finally understand what bromantasy meant by the ending the story needed lol. I do get it icl. Works for the story within it just not outside it for the reader... at least not my kind. This level of overhaul isn't one I can stomach.

It makes sense really: The omniscient narrator giving it an overall outer border whilst the tales within it by Gabe and Celene can be whatever bullshit but there also lays the Catch: what's the through-line of this for everything we've read? Is it right off book 1? beyond it? Some were clarified by the end sure and I appreciate that the focal drive for Gabe himself: his family were kept solid and this is the only reason I'm giving it any rating... well along with the author's audacity to go through with it, I gotta commend the balls on him fr.

But I'll add that this is the first time a framed narrative ends the story trivialising it so much any reread value (their greatest appeal for me mind you) is lost for me.. in fact rereading would feel insulting icl. Done with this author for good with this one. Had my fill 🤞🏾

Edit: With more thoughts I'm taking this down to a 1 ⭐️. Absolutely no through-line for me to fall back on and appreciate any of the story when I don't even know who the protagonist is beyond being a terrible fucking liar that could only swindle deadbrained vamps with maximum IQs of 10. 1 ⭐️ is series rating too. Sorry #notsorry.

[Sandra Bruxvoort]

Don’t mind me adding this to my wishlist before book 2 has even finished! Srlsly tho, Jay, if you need an early reader, I’m your gal! 🙋🏻‍♀️

[Toribetweenpages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every book in the series is 6/5 stars. No notes. Off to heal my aching heart.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

well, f*ck my face.

6 Stars

I need to curl up in a ball and cry now.

[John Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Update: upon further thought I have to lower this 1 star.

Man I’m so disappointed in this book. The first book was one of the best books I’ve ever read, book 2 was a slight step down but still great, and this went further down from that. Yes 4 stars is still good but it wouldn’t make the pimple on the ass of book 1.

This took what I hated about book 2 and put it on steroids. I didn’t like how the story went away from Gabriel for a long period of time and I feel like Gabriel had less than half the page count on this one.

The first half draggeddd and I was just kind of bored through a lot of it then it started getting fun. Then the ending felt so discombobulating with everyone doing everything and then things that happened Kristoff would play a “gotcha” moment and pull the rug out from under you. You find out everything you knew is a lie.

I enjoyed the book but I’m just disappointed in what it could have been and I was prepared to make this my favorite series ever.

[Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Empire of the Dawn out in November!

Did anyone else expect anything but for the title to sound almost...positive?

[Kaven Hirning · Rating 5 out of 5]

NO ONE SPEAK TO ME FOR 11 YEARS.
I need at least that much time to process.

This book broke and reshaped me a thousand times over.

[Brian Heckman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Edit - Vampires don’t like stakes, apparently neither does Jay Kristoff

Let down by an unreliable narrator (or two) which totally takes the emotional wind out of the entire stories tale. Disappointing finish/finale which felt very dues ex machina while also entirely predictable. I saw it there and just didn’t want to believe the author would take the easy way out. Boo. Give me Empire of the damned back.

[Librukie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

“Your kind lose something when you turn. Not at first. It fades with time. With every night. Every murder. You forget what it is to love. You forget what it is to trust. You forget what it is to close your eyes and let yourself fall and believe those who care for you will catch you.”

No voy a mentir: esta no va a ser una reseña fácil. Por un lado, cuesta soltar una saga que te pegó fuerte, más cuando es uno de tus autores favoritos. Por otra parte, tengo algún que otro "pero", y no me ha parecido un libro perfecto, más cuando veníamos de una segunda parte que me pareció una absoluta obra maestra. Pero es que, aún con esos "peros" y cosas mejorables, mentiría si os dijera que no ha sido el libro que más disfruté este año, el que más tensión me produjo, el que peor (y mejor) me lo hizo pasar. Siempre digo que aquí valoramos más la experiencia de lectura que el libro en sí, y qué mejor experiencia hay que una lectura te haga SENTIR TANTAS COSAS.

Vamos a empezar con esa pregunta que todo el mundo se hace: ¿Está este libro a la altura de sus predecesores? Yo diría que sí, pero como ya he dicho, con algún que otro "pero". Creo que después de venir de "El imperio de los condenados", que me parece uno de los libros con mejor ritmo que he leído últimamente, es inevitable sentir en este algún que otro altibajo en cuanto a la narración, habiendo partes bastante más potentes que otras. Además, creo que el final es muy POCO arriesgado y choca con el tono de la trilogía, llegando incluso a colisionar con algunos elementos de la trama, al punto de dejar algunas preguntas en el aire que me gustaría que se hubiesen resuelto mejor. Creo que podría resumirlo un poco en: Yo venía a este libro a que me destrozase, y ni siquiera me hizo llorar. En ese sentido, esperaba más. Ahora... La verdad es que el final tampoco me disgustó, incluso me dejó satisfecha. Es difícil explicarme mejor sin dar pistas sobre por dónde van los tiros, así que vamos a dejarlo aquí: está bien, es satisfactorio, pero no es perfecto.
Otro punto flaco para mi (aunque ya venía con predisposición a que esto me pasase) son las ilustraciones. Esto es totalmente gusto personal, pero dejar atrás el estilo inconfundible y lleno de personalidad de Bon Orthwick, el cual yo ya relacionaba con la saga... Creo que le ha hecho un flaco favor. Sí, las ilustraciones al final son complementarias, pero es que en los dos primeros libros aportaban muchísimo. En este último... No tanto. Y no solo por el estilo en sí, es que creo que no están tan bien escogidas. Rara vez leía un momento en los anteriores libros en el que no pensase "ojalá esto esté ilustrado" y no estaba en la siguiente página. Sin embargo en este me ha pasado muchísimas veces. Hay momentazos que no entiendo como es posible que no hayan sido ilustrados, y sobran retratos y faltan escenarios. Esto es solo un detalle, pero un detalle que no quería dejar de mencionar. Me ha sido inevitable durante toda la novela no dejar de pensar en que ojalá se hubiese tenido más paciencia y se hubiese mantenido a la ilustradora original.

Pero bueno, me quise quitar los detallitos "feos" al principio para terminar la reseña como merece. Con lo bueno, que es TODO lo demás. "Empire of the Dawn" mantiene el ritmo y la esencia de sus predecesores. Batallas épicas, momentos que se te clavan en la memoria y personajes que consiguen importante realmente. Tener que pausar un momento la lectura para RESPIRAR Y RECOMPONERTE es algo que solo consiguen esos libros que realmente te llenan. Y este lo consigue. Es dramático, es intenso, es épico y es magnífico. Tiene sus cositas mejorables, sí, pero brilla tanto en sus momentos álgidos que es difícil que esas cosas te ensombrezcan el conjunto.
Para mi siempre ha sido y siempre será un gustazo leer a Jay Kristoff. Sus personajes, sus historias y su forma de narrar consiguen conectar conmigo de una forma extraordinaria, y esta me parece hasta el momento su mejor obra. Quién sabe qué nos va a ofrecer a continuación, solo sé que estos personajes se van a quedar conmigo durante mucho tiempo.

Santé.

“Never regret a single day. The worst give us lessons. The best gift us memories. But all of them are sacred"

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up.

Overall a solid finale to the trilogy about vampires, the holy grail and the end of days. I was a bit let down by the ending, which is becoming a bit of a theme for Jay Kristoff, and it didn't quite pack the emotional punch I think it was aiming for but this was solid. I'd reread. Maybe.

[Yuliia · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve loved this series so much that I was genuinely considering getting it tattooed on my skin—that’s the level of emotional investment I had. The first two books built an incredible world of blood, tragedy, and unforgettable characters, and for most of this third installment, I was completely immersed and convinced it would cement this trilogy as an all-time favorite.

And then came the ending.

Without spoiling anything, I can only say that the resolution left me feeling deeply unsatisfied. After nearly 2,800 pages of heartbreak, tension, and sacrifice, the final act undercut much of what made the journey so powerful. The tone of the series has always promised consequences and lasting scars, and the last chapters chose instead to undo that hard-won gravity.

I know some readers may appreciate the choice, but for me, it felt like a betrayal of everything the story had been building toward. Instead of leaving me devastated in the best way—like only great dark fantasy can—I was left hollow, like my emotions had been toyed with for no real payoff.

This doesn’t erase the beauty of the earlier volumes or the author’s undeniable talent for world-building and atmosphere, but unfortunately, the ending keeps me from being able to call this series a favorite, and that breaks my heart.

[Alex W · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little torn on the very ending, but I think I just need more time to sit with it. Overall, though, this was an exciting conclusion to a fantastic trilogy.

[read with kath ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2★'s fck me, this finale felt anemic, and the twilight: breaking dawn ending was the final straw. it’s been days since i finished this book, and the disappointment keeps growing.

the first book was phenomenal—easily one of my best reads of 2025. they also changed the art in this book, and i think it's way better. unfortunately, the second book suffered from middle-book syndrome, and this finale ended up being the most disappointing of the three.

in my opinion, Gabriel de León’s best moments have always been the ones he shares with his brothers—aaron, baptiste, and the silversaints. their camaraderie was one of the strongest elements of the first book, and something i sorely missed in the sequel. that’s why i was relieved to see that brotherhood return in the first act of this finale.

but that relief faded quickly once the story shifted toward celene and wulfric’s backstory (does it have to be so long? i think this should’ve been in book 2) and dior’s role as the grail, while gabriel, the main character, was pushed further and further into the background...

it felt like kristoff forgot his own protagonist—gabriel is absent for about 60% of the book. because of that, the middle part felt like a slog without him. it was incredibly frustrating that he didn’t get any epic moments like in the first book. he is the heart and anchor of this story, the very reason i fell in love with it. i wanted the finale to focus on him, to see his arc come full circle, yet the plot kept wandering away from him.

when gabriel finally reunited with dior after so long apart, i felt nothing. the emotional impact just wasn’t there—nowhere near the devastating moments he shared with aaron and baptiste. honestly, i’ve never bought the father-daughter dynamic. they barely connected in book one and in the next books they’re separated or arguing nonstop, they didn't had enough moments to bond, to grow, so their relationship always felt surface-level to me.

another major gripe is that most of the battle scenes are full of deus ex machina. even the characters are dumbfounded when something miracle happens to swoop in and save them from their own poor decisions.

there are a lot of battle scenes, but very few are epic and felt unrewarding to read with gabriel constantly beaten down, helpless while his loved ones are killed or in danger, not once he took control of his fights, making his “legendary” status as a vampire hunter so hard to believe. the battle at the city of leon was great though!! but after that everything felt flat.

but the biggest disappointment of all? we never even got to see gabriel explore or master sanguimancy, the special abilities about his esani bloodline that was teased in the first book. the 16 year old gabriel who could boil blood literally hasn’t evolved at all (well he can use his blood as a tracking device but that's it???) such a bummer that he had little character development BUT no power progression.

and this may be a small thing, but i was so disappointed that gabriel’s aegis light never returns after book one. other than his esani ability, the silverclad was one of the coolest, most original ideas i’ve seen in fantasy or vampire stories—hunters tattooing silver onto their skin to shine against vampires. it's literally what protected him during the battle of the twins, (the 3 vs. 10,000 vampires) in book one, yet in the sequel and this finale, that concept is all but forgotten. losing that element stripped away a major part of what made him and the series feel fresh and exciting.

the side characters are just as frustrating as in book two, constantly making dumb choices that make you want to pull your hair out. at times, i even found myself rooting for their deaths, even though they weren’t villains.

celene was insufferable, and i’m sorry, but i’ll never be a fan of reyne, dior, or phoebe. i still find their constant cursing off-putting, unnatural, and rude. dior is only 17, yet she swears like gabriel or phoebe, who are nearly twice her age. it ends up feeling the characters have the same age, same personality, same humor, they talk the same way, and share the same snarky and prideful attitude. which makes them feel so one-dimensional. their ages don’t feel believable at all (especially dior)

tbh, kristoff’s female characters didn’t fully work for me with many of them falling into that “not like the other girls” archetype.

as for the romance...personally, i found it gross, unnecessary, and completely unbelievable.
pls skip because the rant below contains more spoilers about the romance and the ending.
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but even after dior discovers her lover is her half-sister, she still wants to make out with her. YUCK. honestly, i appreciated the twist because there was hardly any chemistry between them.

the same goes for gabriel and phoebe. there’s barely any chemistry. at most, they feel like casual fuck buddies. i love romance, but this was the first time i actually wished there was none at all. i ended up skimming their intimate scenes because the dialogues were cringy—the constant “bite me”, “harder” and “hurt me” screams during sex made it feel far from romantic and more like porn.

on top of that, gabriel and phoebe were separated for roughly 80% of the book, so how are you going to convince me they're in-love? they only get together near the end of book two, and let’s not forget phoebe spent most of that book hating him and cursing him out. she saved his life and gave him a bl*wj*b, sure, but that alone doesn’t equal love.

and the constant exchange of “i still don't love you, gabriel de leon” and “i still don't love you too.” in mid battle scenes was so unnecessary. i hope it's true that they don't love each other.

sometimes i think it's best for some main characters to remain single, at least it's realistic for him to stay devoted to his deceased wife, than falling in love in less than a week with your fuck buddy. in the first two books, he dreams, yearns, talks about his beloved deceased wife—his queen. he couldn’t move on from astrid, because he was deeply in love with her, and have been married for 11 years. but the moment kristoff gives gabriel a fuck buddy so he can get laid, he suddenly stops thinking and talking about astrid in book three. even worse, he calls this new woman “his queen” too...hmm. idk, but astrid is the only queen to me. at this point, i’d rather Gabriel had died and reunited with the family he loved than end up in a romance with his fling.

the only romance that feels genuine and well-written is the queer relationship between aaron and baptiste.

what frustrated me most was the ending. it felt very “twilight”, a happy finale with no real consequences, where everything was a lie. i understand gabriel is an unreliable narrator, but the reveals still felt cheap after all the battles with supposedly powerful vampires. if the forever king couldn’t kill a single character, then the threat never felt real. after the brutal stakes of empire of the vampire, this was incredibly underwhelming and less impressive. it's the first time i felt disappointed that the characters that i was happy to be dead, are not dead...it's better when they stayed dead.

and because of that ending, i'm not sure i'd want to reread this series knowing everything is a one big lie. everything i’ve read feels meaningless because of that revelation. perhaps, i’m also a little okay knowing the things that hurt and grates me were also just lies…but as readers, we’ll never know the truth. we were left with too many plot holes. and you’ll never find the answers to those plot holes no matter how many times you reread the series because everything is a lie.

and to add but the story also felt predictable. gabriel insisting that dior is dead never fully works—especially when the white moth keeps appearing, like a red exclamation point screaming that she isn’t!! it was so obvious that they are just stalling, since something is clearly being set up for the end, likely an invasion, especially with all the vampire houses conveniently gathered in one place. so i find it weird how this was called master of storytelling when everything was pretty obvious from the start???

in the end, i still recommend empire of the vampire, it’s my favorite in the series, but end it there.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuck my face

[Shanna (shannasaurus_rex_reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Update 1/10/26: I regret to inform that I am dropping my rating to 3 stars. The further I get from it, the more disappointed I am with how he decided to do the ending.

And that's a wrap on this trilogy!
Empire of the Dawn was my most anticipated book of the year, and I am so thankful that @stmartinspress sent me an early copy!
I can't fully review this without spoilers, so I'll just say that if you loved the first two books, you'll love this one, too. It's action-packed and bloody, with the sharp Kristoff humor to cut through the darkness when things start feeling like it's too much. I love Gabriel and he remains one of my very favorite characters!

Honestly though, it took me a week to decide on a rating for this book. I just knew that it wasn't 5 stars. Don't get me wrong, I loved it and had a great and terrible time (as expected), but there is one element to the story that I can't decide if I loved or hated. Initially I gave the book 4.5 stars, but I think I have finally landed on 4.25 stars. Again, I can't say why without spoilers, but I do think the book has the potential to be a little divisive among readers.

Overall, though, love this story and love these characters! The dark, bloody vibe is immaculate, and I stand by my opinior that it is the perfect series to read in October!

[Pete Reviews Books Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece finale from one of the most talented authors out. This series will end up on the Mt Rushmore of fantasy, each book is incredible and this conclusion is no different. I think the ending may throw some readers off actually, but for me, it was perfect.

Thank you St Martins Press for the ARC!

[J P · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Kristoff's work and have been hyped for literally every release he's had. He is an incredible writer that is truly elite when it comes to character development, aesthetic, and world building. The simple truth I've come to realise is that Kristoff writes beautiful, painful, dark stories that he is too scared to finish.

It was an issue in Nevernight to a degree, but the way he ends EOD is a travesty. It appears many readers have enjoyed the ending of EOD which makes me happy, we all need good books to love these days, but I think it was a terrible option.

The twist that the entire story over the three books was littered with falsehoods that Gabe and Celene told to buy time for their army to arrive was not only unnecessary, but it means the entire journey itself is invalidated.

We were told a story of tragedy of a man constantly fighting despite losing so much. We were told a story of a world truly crippled by a devastation few stories have ever dared to tell. We were told the odds against the characters were close to impossible. We were told that one by one characters threw themselves into near certain or certain death just to try and buy one more second for their loved ones and they paid a price they were willing to pay. But what was the actual story that took place for the characters in Empire of the Dawn?

We.
Don't.
Know.

We didn't get told. We don't really know what was real and what was fake. We don't know how Pheobe went up against Kestrel and survived. We don't know how Reyne discovered Gabe and survived Marion's assault. My god we don't even know if any of that even happened. And for what? What did this ending give us? Some nice happy ending where every character turns up completely unarmed? Why is that worth completely destroying the beautiful story we had spent 1,500+ pages experiencing?

The characters in these books took on a terrible foe, in a crumbling word. Why wouldn't some of them die? Why wouldn't they pay terrible prices for their resistance?

It was painful to read of those great characters dying, but at least it made sense. At least it felt real. Instead, all we now have is 1500 pages of something that basically amounts to "and then they woke up".

It's probably a 3/5 given how incredible the world and characters are, but for a man that writes so much about characters taking on fear and doing what needs to be done, Kristoff sure did take the cowards way out with this one.

[Zahra · Rating 2 out of 5]

این چی بود من خوندم؟؟ چرا اینجوری شد این مجموعه؟ این چه پایان بندی‌ای بود آخه؟ استفاده از unreliable narrator هم یه حدی داره!! الان چی درسته چی غلطه؟ چرا همه چی اینقدر الکی و هپروتی و چرت و پرت شد؟ چرا آخه؟
کتاب قشنگ دویست صفحه زیادی کش اومد و مجموعش نیاز به حداقل یه کتاب دیگه هم داشت که اینقدر آب بسته نشه بهش!

[Elizabeth Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHO TF RATED THIS ONE STAR 🤣 It's not even out yet ya silly chicken 🍗

[ir · Rating 4 out of 5]

insane. i don’t have a lot of non-spoilery thoughts to share - this was just like a really wild rollercoaster and so much happened.

a lot of highs with this trilogy that touched on a range of emotions. some of the characters and character dynamics are very neat as well. the author definitely cooked with the found family dynamic between the main character and his eventually-adoptive daughter. my favourite character in this defo moved me a lot as well - especially his character arc in this book.

my biggest issues would be that it’s too.. written by a male in the way that there’s a lot of sex and cursing as well as another issue being the overally flowery prose. (reading the sooo flowery sex was so tiring especially when there was so much sex shit.) i learnt to get used to them though and overall, really enjoyed this trilogy and might reread it.

also, the art in this instalment was… very ai-looking. EXTREMELY. it was so bad that it felt like a joke. please… i don’t know why this artist was chosen and why everything looked like something chatgpt would make???

this would be the weakest instalment of the three books for me - it was honestly going well and then a lull in the middle, good again and then… the ending. i have issues with you.

TELL ME WHY I WAS BEING GUTTED WITH CHARACTER DEATH AFTER CHARACTER DEATH FOR IT ALL TO BE A LIE AT THE END. this is giving “it was just a dream” but, in a random way? like, it’s cool they played with the idea of an unreliable narrator like this, but, what. i was crippled, broken, dead as everyone kept on dying and then my favourite character and his husband died together after they proclaimed their love for each other and felt an empty void in my heart but IT WAS SAD. BUT IT WAS REALLY GOOD. and then, everything is a joke?? what the fuck, don’t piss me off. it just cheapened everything.

that’s probably my main issue like that really pissed me off. other than that for spoiler stuff i didn’t like, probably the romances… the straight one and the wlw one didn’t move me at all. and the the mlm one was written beautifully but, i didn’t like all the conflicts they went through and it seemed a tad unrealistic for all they’ve already been through together. but, still they were sooooo good. wow.

enjoyed this book so much and then that fuckass ending. i’m annoyed. maybe my thoughts would change when i reread or have more time to think but, UGH. i would prefer a sad one where everyone died or just the main character and his adoptive daughter lived or just don’t make them “die” and then, make it be a lie??

[L'encre de la magie · Rating 5 out of 5]

série coup de cœur et donc surprise ? encore 5⭐