If you’re searching for a vampire fantasy series that goes harder than most; gothic, grimdark, unapologetically violent, yet weirdly tender in the gaps between the bloodshed - Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire trilogy is built to ruin your sleep schedule.
Set in a world where daylight has failed and “Daysdeath” has fallen over the land, the series follows Gabriel de León, the infamous last silversaint, as he recounts his life story under captivity. The structure leans into an Interview-with-a-vampire-style confessional framing, but filtered through Kristoff’s penchant for barbed humour, bruised faith, and blockbuster-scale set pieces.
Across the trilogy; Empire of the Vampire, Empire of the Damned, and Empire of the Dawn- Kristoff delivers a sweeping dark fantasy saga that mixes holy orders, doomed romance, monster mythology, and the kind of cinematic action that makes “just one more chapter” a lie you’ll keep telling yourself.
Spoiler-free overview: what the trilogy is about
The world and the hook
The premise is instantly compelling: the sun has effectively stopped being a reliable thing, and vampire armies have used the endless night to wage open war on humanity. Civilisation clings on inside fortresses and fractured kingdoms, while old faiths and new monsters vie for control.
At the centre is Gabriel de León; warrior, heretic, legend; telling his story to “the Historian” while awaiting his fate. The series plays with truth, performance, confession, and what it costs to keep fighting when hope feels like a cruel joke.
Book 1: Empire of the Vampire (2021)
This is where the trilogy sinks its teeth in. You’ll get the series’ signature mix: brutal vampire horror, epic quest momentum, and an emotional through-line that’s far more heartfelt than the marketing copy might suggest. It’s also the volume that establishes the tone; sacrilege and saints, mud and miracles, and a lead character who’s equal parts swagger and self-loathing.
Book 2: Empire of the Damned (2024)
The sequel widens the lens. The conflict escalates, alliances fray, and the series leans even harder into the “empire-level” stakes promised by the title. The confessional frame remains a driving engine, keeping tension high even when the narrative roams across battlefields, courts, and shadowed sanctuaries.
Book 3: Empire of the Dawn (2025)
The finale goes for the throat: higher stakes, harder choices, and the sense of everything converging toward an endgame the story has been daring you to hope for. It’s the most “war-torn epic fantasy” of the three, with treachery, momentum, and final-battle inevitability; without losing the series’ signature ache.
(Reading order: Book 1 Empire of the Vampire, Book 2 Empire of the Damned, Book 3 Empire of the Dawn.)
What it feels like to read (the vibe, without spoilers)
Think gothic fantasy meets grimdark adventure, with a strong undercurrent of religious imagery: saints, vows, relics, sin, redemption, and the terrifying question of whether God has clocked out. The prose is lush when it wants to be; almost lyrical - then happily kicks down the door for a fight scene that reads like it’s been storyboarded.
It’s also very readable despite the size: the framing device gives the narrative a constant push-pull (what’s being said, what’s being withheld, what it’s costing the speaker to say any of it). If you like vampire fiction but want something that also scratches the epic fantasy itch; armies, orders, empires, mythic objects, and long-running grudges - this one’s a strong shout.
Main reasons to read the Empire of the Vampire series
A proper grimdark vampire epic (not paranormal romance in a trench coat)
This is full-blooded dark fantasy vampire warfare, with horror sensibilities and epic scope.The confessional / interrogation structure is addictive
The “tell me how it happened” framing adds tension, pace, and delicious dramatic irony.Gothic worldbuilding with teeth
Cathedral-scale imagery, night-soaked kingdoms, monster lore, and a constant sense of dread.A lead character you’ll root for even when he’s unbearable
Gabriel de León is messy, stubborn, funny, furious; and compelling in that “train you can’t stop watching” way.Action that’s cinematic and easy to picture
Swordplay, sieges, duels, hunts; big set pieces that still feel personal.Emotional stakes that actually land
Beneath the violence, the series is obsessed with devotion, loss, and what love costs in a dying world.A trilogy that’s built to be binged
Each book raises the pressure, expands the playing field, and pushes towards a decisive endpoint.
Who should read it?
Pick this up if you’re looking for:
a vampire fantasy series
a Jay Kristoff series similar in intensity to his darker work
grimdark fantasy books with gothic atmosphere
epic dark fantasy trilogy vibes (orders, empires, wars, prophecies, relics)
adult fantasy with violence, horror elements, and big emotions
Maybe skip (or save for later) if you want cosy fantasy, low-violence reads, or vampires that sparkle rather than devour.
Books Featured in This Article
Empire of the Vampire
by Jay Kristoff
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLERFrom New York Times bestselling author Jay Kristoff comes Empire of the Vampire, the first illustrated volume of an astonishing new dark fantasy saga.From holy cup comes holy light;The faithful hand sets world aright.And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,Mere man shall end this endless night.It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness.Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order could not stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains.Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope: The Holy Grail.
Empire of the Damned
by Jay Kristoff
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFrom the New York Times bestselling author of the Nevernight Chronicle, Jay Kristoff, comes the much-anticipated sequel to the international bestselling sensation EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE. From holy cup comes holy light;The faithful hands sets world aright.And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,Mere man shall end this endless night.Gabriel de León has saved the Holy Grail from death, but his chance to end the endless night is lost. Drawn into an uneasy alliance with the mysterious vampire Liathe, Gabriel must now deliver the Grail to ancients of the Blood Esani, and learn the truth of how Daysdeath might be finally undone.But the Last Silversaint faces peril, within and without. Pursued by terrors of the Blood Voss, drawn into warfare between the Blood Dyvok and duskdancers of the frozen Highlands, and ravaged by his own rising bloodlust, Gabriel may not survive to see the Grail learn her truth. And that truth may be too awful for any to imagine.
Empire of the Dawn
by Jay Kristoff
From New York Times bestselling author of the Empire of the Vampire and Empire of the Damned, Jay Kristoff, comes the epic conclusion to the #1 internationally bestselling series.From holy cup comes holy light;The faithful hand sets world aright.And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,Mere man shall end this endless night.Gabriel de León has lost his family, his faith, and his last hope of ending the endless night—the Holy Grail, Dior. With no desire left but vengeance, he and a band of loyal brothers journey into the war-torn heart of the Augustin Empire to claim the life of the Forever King.Unbeknownst to the Last Silversaint, the Grail still lives—speeding towards Augustin’s besieged capital in the frail hope of ending Daysdeath forever. But deadly treachery awaits within the halls of power, and the Forever King’s legions march ever closer. Gabriel and Dior will be drawn into a final battle that will shape the very fate of the Empire, but as the sun sets for what may be the last time, there will be no-one left for them to trust.Not even each other.