Empire of Blood Series by Stacia Stark

This stunning limited deluxe edition hardcover features stenciled edges, colored endpapers, and jacket effects—available on the first printing only. Order while supplies last! From the bestselling author of the Kingdom of Lies series comes a slow-burn romantasy set in a Roman-inspired world ruled by merciless vampires... moreThis stunning limited deluxe edition hardcover features stenciled edges, colored endpapers, and jacket effects—available on the first printing only. Order while supplies last! From the bestselling author of the Kingdom of Lies series comes a slow-burn romantasy set in a Roman-inspired world ruled by merciless vampires. Filled with breathtaking combat, vengeful gods, and magical creatures, We Who Will Die is the epic first installment in an enthralling new series perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent, Jasmine Mas, and Rebecca Yarros. 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…. less

Surviving the emperor’s sundering was just the beginning. In this hotly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling hit, We Who Will Die, Arvelle is forced into an alliance with two vampire brothers: one her lover, one her enemy. This thrilling follow-up delivers nonstop twists and a sizzling slow-burn romance. Arvelle never expected to survive the emperor’s arena. She never expected to make a dangerous deal with his vampire sons Tiernon and Rorrik... moreSurviving the emperor’s sundering was just the beginning. In this hotly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling hit, We Who Will Die, Arvelle is forced into an alliance with two vampire brothers: one her lover, one her enemy. This thrilling follow-up delivers nonstop twists and a sizzling slow-burn romance. Arvelle never expected to survive the emperor’s arena. She never expected to make a dangerous deal with his vampire sons Tiernon and Rorrik. And she certainly never expected to become a point of contention in the brothers’ already hostile relationship. With Mortuus stirring in his prison, Arvelle is forced to work with Rorrik to translate a long-lost journal that may hold the key to containing the god of ruin. As Mortuus’s power grows, her only hope is to confront the truth about her own power, and ally with the gods who caged him so long ago. But the gods are fractured, and their grudges are older than the empire. When old wounds begin to reopen, Arvelle reaches a tentative alliance with the last person she could have expected. But this connection demands she cross an unthinkable boundary to reveal a new version of herself—someone powerful enough to save an empire. Pursuing that power could cost her everything. And survival will hinge on who—if anyone—she can trust. less