We Who Will Die DEALS
Coming up on the end of 2025, I didn’t necessarily find myself expecting to be swept up by a new fantasy release with an epic plot, a vivid depiction of a magical universe, and a slow-burn romance that features a twist in its final pages. But apparently I’m having a particularly lucky end to the year, because that’s exactly what I got with Stacia Stark’s We Who Will Die, a dazzling first entry into a romantasy series set in a Roman-inspired world where a ruthless emperor kills for entertainment, and vampires rule at the top.
Stark – bestselling author of the Kingdom of Lies series – delivers an action-packed foray into arenas filled with gladiator-style tournaments, featuring a resilient heroine struggling to reconcile with her past, and the deal that will drop her right into the middle of a battle for political power…whether she wants to be there or not.
Massive thank you to HarperCollins for providing a copy of We Who Will Die for review. Spoilers ahead!
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We Who Will Die Synopsis
Life in the Thorn district is tough. Money is scarce, and opportunities are even scarcer for Arvelle and her younger brothers. When one of the emperor’s vampires appears on Arvelle’s doorstep, he offers her an opportunity that she desperately needs: the chance for her brother to be cured of the debilitating illness plaguing his lungs daily.
There’s no worse feeling than watching someone you love die. The helplessness slices you into pieces. And grief sets those pieces on fire. Until you’re nothing but ash.
But every favour from a vampire comes with a catch, and Arvelle’s is a perilous one. To save her brother, she’ll enter the Sundering, an arena tournament where only the strongest and most vicious survive. If you survive the tournament, you’re guaranteed a spot training on the emperor’s guard.
But surviving the Sundering is only the first part of Arvelle’s deal with the vampire. If she wins, she’ll be expected to pull off an even more dangerous act: killing the emperor. In the face of her desperation to see her brother healed, Arvelle sets off on a journey rife with peril and will be forced to face her past demons in the process. Caught between the man who abandoned her years earlier and the emperor’s vicious and calculating son, she’ll be thrust into a world of dark politics where not all is as it seems.
After stumbling onto a conspiracy plot that’s beyond her wildest imaginings, Arvelle will have no choice but to team up with two vampires who could break her in entirely different ways. She’ll discover the seedy underbelly of the empire, and aspects of her own power that are more than she ever could have imagined…
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What To Love About We Who Will Die
It’s difficult to know where to start. As mentioned, I went into this story expecting a quieter romantasy tale, but I got so, so much more than I bargained for.
A Truly Captivating Tale
I’ve always had a soft spot for vampire stories – blame the Buffy lover in me – so having the species so heavily featured in We Who Will Die was a big highlight for me as a reader. Vampires are such fascinating creatures to put on the page because their seeming imperviousness to harm always hides some pretty significant weaknesses hidden under the surface, immediately making them multi-faceted in a way that other supernatural beings aren’t.
The Roman-style setting also makes this an interesting read. Having gladiators (referred to as gladians) competing against one another makes for a story in which you’re never sure of whom Arvelle, the protagonist, can trust. The setting lends itself well to a feeling of epicness that isn’t always achieved in other stories.
You can picture the area, the heat, the sand spattered with blood. Think of a cross between the political corruptness and spectacle of Spartacus, combined with the viciousness of a high-ranking vampire in True Blood. It should be an odd combination, but it works seamlessly.
The Characters
We Who Will Die also provides readers with an introduction to great characters who, I believe, will have some very interesting room for development throughout the future books in the series. As a protagonist, Arvelle strikes a nuanced balance between her determination to save her brothers while also seeking any way that she can to remove herself from her obligation to assassinate the emperor.
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As a lover of a darker, more sinister vampire, Rorrick strikes the perfect balance for romantasy lovers. He’s seemingly cruel, but has much deeper layers that this first installment in the Empire of Blood series barely scratches the surface of.
Think Rhysand in ACOTAR, but more malicious – it’s difficult to tell whether or not there’s anything good about this character for a long while.
I’m so looking forward to seeing how his character develops, as well as his place in Arvelle’s life. For folks looking for the beginnings of what will surely be a complicated love triangle, you’ve found the right book.
His eyes light up with a kind of savage malice. “Kill you? Now where would the fun be in that? No”- he leans closer, his breath warm on my face – “I’m not going to kill you. That would be far too easy. Almost…boring. I’m going to take everything you love, everything you remotely care about, and I’m going to ruin it.“
The tertiary characters were also well fleshed out and engaging. I was particularly drawn to both Maya and Leon as they are both people who are struggling to overcome their pasts to varying degrees.
Weaknesses
I’ll admit I’m a little hard-pressed to find anything that I didn’t enjoy about We Who Will Die. It has a slower start in terms of its pacing, but once the action begins, it doesn’t stop for the entirety of the rest of the novel.
The only other aspect that threw me off may have been some of the use of Latin-style phrases to name some of the events in the tournament, which felt a little bit heavy-handed. That said, the staging of each of these events, the tension building, and the detailed setting more than make up for it.
Final Thoughts
A captivating world and likeable characters make We Who Will Die a great new entry into the romantasy genre. The story has properly high stakes for its characters, and there’s enough of a hint at the conspiracy within the empire to make the reader hungry for more.
While there’s currently no indication of when we’ll be getting a sequel, it’s safe to say that I’ll be at the front of the line to find out what happens next. If you’re looking for an exciting new release for the fantasy lover in your life this holiday season, look no further. We Who Will Die drops December 30th!
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The Review
We Who Will Die
A captivating world and likeable characters make We Who Will Die a great new entry into the romantasy genre.
PROS
- Setting
- Action
- Storyline
- Characters
CONS
- Pacing
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