This was A Lot

 Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

This book is the reason why I don't borrow physical books from the library during the school year. It took me two whole entire months to read this book. And I'm not sure how I feel about it now that I'm done. This book was A LOT. Like a lot a lot. It was dark and intense and there were times I had to put it down and turn on something light and happy to clear my mind. Gabriel is a half-vampire (his mother is human and his father was a vampire). He is inducted into the order of the Silver Saints and his job is to kill vampires. He falls in love with Astrid, the bastard daughter of the king who was sent to the same holy church as him, only she is to be a nun. She eventually becomes Prioress of the abbey there, but they are also in a relationship and when it is discovered that she is pregnant they are kicked out and excommunicated from the church. Gabriel is the best fighter the Order has ever seen and the most prolific killer. So, when they excommunicate him he loses faith in the order but not in God. Then, one of the sons of the five lines of the vampires shows up to get revenge on Gabriel because he killed his sister and he gets his revenge by killing Gabe's wife and daughter, but not killing them killing them; he turns them into vampires (potentially). So Gabe has to kill them and bury them. He sets out on a quest for vengeance, and he has no more faith in God so his silver tattoos no longer protect him. Along the way he runs into his old friend Chloe, a priest, a bard, a huntress and her lion, and a thief. One by one they are killed until it's just Gabe and the thief, Dior. Turns out, Dior is the key to killing the vampires because her blood can heal, but it can also kill the vampires. Chloe didn't die, we just thought she did when she fell into a river, but really she just got separated and they get reunited. They end up back where it all started, the church. Gabe's old mentor tries to kill him when Gabe finds out that they are going to sacrifice Dior and he won't let them. But Gabe is saved by a vampire and he rescues Dior; that vampire is his baby sister who he thought was dead this whole time. The book ends with Gabe trying to kill the vampire that he has been recounting this story to, but being unsuccessful and getting locked in the cell. The story was compelling and engaging. But so long. I think I'm interested in what happens next, but I don't know if I actually enjoyed the book.