We Who Will Die By Stacia Stark

Rating: 5 stars

Adult - Spice: Forbidden Romance, Second Chance, Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn

Genre: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, Romance

Tags: Vampires, Sigilmarked, Reimagined Ancient Rome, Rome, Magic, Book Review

Empire of Blood Book 1

Arvelle is just trying to save her sickly brother and his twin from a life of poverty. She has been working as a body guard to support her family. But a vampire who knows her weakness, blackmails her into a suicide mission. Now she must compete for the Emperor’s entertainment and then kill him. But nothing is going according to plan and she’s having to deal with the ghosts of her past. Will she be able to survive the competition or will she die and lose her brother’s lives as well?

This is the first book in the Empire of Blood. Arvelle has PTSD from the loss of her best friend. She is doing everything for her brothers, with no thought for herself. Tiernon & Rorrik are two different vampires of the same coin. There is much more at play than we know at this time. The story keeps you on your toes, which will keep you turning the page. This reminded me a little of Gladiator meets vampires as the ruling class. There is so much intrigue and political dancing that keeps the story moving. I loved reading this book and I can’t wait to see where this series will go from here.

Tell me if this has helped in your choice to add this book to your TBR.

To see what I am reading next, you can find me on Goodreads or on The Story Graph. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook.

Until next time, enjoy what you’re reading.

Pages: 432

Read: Digital/Physical

From: Kindle Unlimited, but I did buy a physical copy too

Click on the image above to buy the book.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Product description and Images are from amazon.com:

“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…”