REVIEW: We Who Will Die

By Denise @ Life With No Plot on June 20, 2026 • ( 0 )

About the Book

Title: We Who Will Die

Author: Stacia Stark

Series: Empire of Blood #1

Genre: Fantasy, Romantasy, Vampires

Pages: 423

Edition Read: Kindle Unlimited

Dates Read: March 21 – 25, 2026

Challenge: GoodReads Winter Challenge 2026, Swoony Stories

Blurb: 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 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…

Review

I really, really liked this one. A lot.

I’ve read several vampire themed books and series, or urban fantasy that contained vampires as side characters. Most of the time, the story is set in the regular world, there just happens to be vamps. But it’s still familiar – Dianne Sylvan’s Shadow World takes place in Austin, Texas; Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires takes place in (you guessed it) Chicago. This may be the first fantasy vampire story I’ve read that takes place in a fantasy world, and I absolutely loved that. Why make vampires conform to the real world when you can build a world and society specifically for them. It was so cool!

Arvelle is a great character. She gets into the predicament she’s in because she is trying to take care of her two younger brothers, one of which has a serious medical condition that she can barely afford to treat. She has already proven herself as a fierce warrior in the past and now is forced into doing so again, only this time as an older fighter with an injury. She is proud and stubborn, but also incredibly loyal to those she cares about.

The vampires themselves were interesting as a ruling class. They are by far the most powerful beings in this world, but they still can’t be in the sun, hence their need for humans to work for them. While a large percentage of them are happy about this arrangement and loyal to the emperor, there is a contingent who want things to change, by whatever means necessary.

If you like vampires with a rich fantasy setting with Roman gladiator vibes, this is the book for you. There is a sequel coming out next year – don’t know if this is just a duology or if there will be more – but either way, I can’t wait.

GoodReads rating: 5 stars