We Who Will Die: An Epic Romantasy of Forbidden Love, Deadly Secrets, and Vampires in a High-Stakes Arena, Discover a Vividly Reimagined Ancient Rome (Empire of Blood, 1)
Instant New York Times Bestseller!
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…
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Community Reviews
4/5
Creative take on Vampires that I haven't seen in recent years.
I actually did really love this book. The vampires were amazing and really hit on the vampirism is a curse with many draw backs. This fresh addition in a world of OP Vampires is one that had me cheering throughout the story. The world building was base level, but very solid and enjoyable. We run into Arvelle a 24 year-old sigil marked doing what she can to keep the home running while affording medicinal tonic for one of her brothers. Low and behold she is forced by a Vampire to head back to the Gladiatorial arena to compete for a spot amongst the ranks of the Emperors most trusted elite guards. The reason? To kill the paranoid Emperor! "Is it really paranoia if people are actually trying to kill you?"
The story is one filled with murder, betrayal, and fantastical creatures. Arvelle is a headstrong FMC that puts her brothers safety and well-being before anything. The story kept me going and interested to the last page and I can not wait for the next one. The FMC doesn't portray herself to be the smartest or the best. She acknowledges that she isn't as good as she once was and that her age and injuries have slowed her down. Honestly, I did enjoy her. Her choices can be irritating at times, but it was done in a way that shows her character and who she is. Some might groan at her dialogue but the follow up after is normal something that had me going "you were saying?" with a little cackle.
This book does have detailed intimate scenes near the 60 or 70 % mark, but I would argue that they aren't the focus or drive of the story. They are a sweet and nice side addition that adds to the humanity and gives us moments between the brutal bloodshed and political plotting. The narrators did a good job making the book feel more immersive than I anticipated. However, I did get a bit annoyed about half way through when all the male characters started to sound the same and all of the female characters outside of Arvelle sounded like Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlett Witch.
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