Angharad’s Reviews > Empire of the Vampire > Status Update

I think I'm just done, it feels like a world that doesn't deserve saving so I have no reason to root for the heroes. I'm pulling for the vampires here.

The constant homophobia and misogyny in this book makes me want to vomit profusely. The Silversaints are supposed to be the "good guys" in this book against the evil vampires, but their religious zealotry and bigotry disgusts me. It's not a spoiler that they all die because the book opens up with saying Gabriel is the last Silversaint. Good. screw all these guys

Little by little, the story starts to unfold. It's honestly better on a reread but lord it's like pulling teeth sometimes. There's no reason for this to be 800 pages, 600 at best

I don't want to give up even though I really don't like Gabriel because the story itself is interesting and the side characters are a good bunch. I would much rather read this book from a 3rd person perspective than Gabriel's because being in his head is just a miserable experience.

Gabriel is the most insufferable, unlikeable, edgy made for 15 year old Reddit Atheists protagonists I've ever read. He does things just to be an arsehole and make that demographic he appeals to puff up in arrogance when he just comes off as a prick to everybody else

It does get better after that one chapter

It was worth it to push past that weird part. The nonlinear timeline makes it a little difficult to keep up. I have struggled so many times to read this book and I want to read it beginning to end and finally be able to say that I finished it.

Pushing past that one part I got stuck on both times I’ve tried to finish this one in the past

The chariot pulled by violated teen girls had me staring at my copy of the Bhaghavad Gita on my bookshelf because I need God’s grace after that.

I hesitate to DNF because what if it gets good?? But bro the violence against women and girls is so much a part of this book that I’m wondering if this is parody or if Kristoff should be on a watchlist

I have officially passed the part where I put this down the first time and am really struggling to want to keep going. It’s interesting but at the same time…Last of Us/Name of the Wind/Castlevania/Interview with the Vampire= this. I’ve heard those stories before. The only thing new here is an intense amount of violence against women compared to the amount against men. Definitely gives me pause.