Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark is a fantasy romance novel taking place in a Roman-inspired magical world. Arvelle Dacien, a sigilmarked with no powers, also known as voidborn, has to enter a magical tournament after swearing a magically binding vow to a vampire named Bran in order to secure medication for her younger brother. Arvelle finds herself in the Emperor’s court, stuck between two brothers who each have their own motives, while trying to get a better future for her younger brother in exchange for killing the Emperor.
Having never read vampire gladiators before, I truly enjoyed my first ever Stacia Stark read. Arvelle is a refreshing breath of air in a sea of insufferable FMCs, and I have to admit the Vampire Diaries girl inside of me truly enjoys the love triangle involving two brothers. The world is interesting and the characters are rootable, but I am getting a bit tired of romantasy books simplifying things for their readers because they think we are going to lose interest. The plot is fast-paced and opportunities to build the world are lost. Although very enjoyable, it feels brittle and shallow.
Read our full summary, review, explanation of the ending, and a list of spicy chapters of We Who Will Die, Book 1 of the Empire of Blood series.
This post contains spoilers.
We Who Will Die
Description
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…
Tropes
- Vampires
- Trials / Tournament
- Enemies to Lovers
- Mythical Creatures
- Love Triangle
Review
Overall Impressions 😊
Have you finished reading We Who Will Die?
Have you finished reading We Who Will Die?
Per usual, I went into We Who Will Die completely blind. The only thing I knew about it was that it was a gladiator and vampires combo with a deadly trials element. Having been frustrated by romantasy lately, due to romance taking over the plot too much, I was cautious going in.
We Who Will Die has good bones, a magic system that’s intriguing, combinations I haven’t seen before, and characters that are very rootable. However, I’m not sure if it’s just recency bias, but romantasy lately has been dumbing down its fantasy elements through heavy exposition and rushing through too many plot points.
The plot rushes quite a bit, with major events happening and the story immediately moving on to the next beat, which lessens the emotional impact of those moments. While I’m very intrigued by both the plot and the romance, I felt like the book could have ended about 200 pages sooner plot-wise, but instead extended for about 300 pages in order to dive deeper into the world.
If you enjoy love triangles and great magic systems that are more explained than mysterious, this is still a great read. That said, I’ll admit this may just be me being greedy for deeper worldbuilding.
Perfect For Fans Of… 🌟
First and foremost, this feels like a Vampire Diaries–style retelling. If you are reading this book for the romance elements, you have to enjoy love triangles. I am fairly confident this is not a reverse harem or why choose situation, so Arvelle is going to have to make a choice in order for the story to progress.
The Roman and Greek inspired elements, along with the multi-deity system, are phenomenal, and the magic system is unique. If you enjoy a magic system that is clearly explained, even if the worldbuilding feels a bit rushed, you will likely enjoy this book quite a bit.
It’s very approachable, with fantasy elements that are not as heavy, so if you enjoy lighter magic systems paired with a packed plot, this should be a good time.
Characters 👥
I’ve been really annoyed with fantasy leads lately, and I genuinely enjoyed the eldest daughter warrior depiction in this book. Arvelle doesn’t become strong overnight. Although she does go through a training sequence, she still felt grounded, and her motivations were believable.
Tiernon and Rorick are pretty much mirror depictions of Stefan and Damon. You have the good brother who would do anything for her and the bad brother who constantly challenges her, and I ate them both up.
Some people don’t like love triangles, but I am a fan of them up until the moment the main character has to choose, and then I’m devastated. For now, I’m pretty excited to see how this plays out, but check back when Arvelle actually has to make a decision.
The rest of the cast is pretty much what you would expect from the genre. Leon is the father figure who will almost certainly be lost traumatically at some point. Maeva is the loyal sidekick, and Carrick and Kaeso are solid comedic relief characters.
Overall, the characters do feel a bit too shallow, but I think that comes from the overall rushed pacing of the book rather than a lack of complexity.
Plot 🗺️
It’s really hard to come by a romantasy combination I haven’t seen before, and assimilating vampires, sigilmarked magic wielders, and gladiators was not a setting I’d read before. I’m the type of reader who enjoys discovering a magic system rather than being told everything upfront, and the story initially starts off similar to From Blood and Ash, where the author assumes the reader already knows the world, which I really liked. Throughout the book, though, it definitely steers more toward exposition, and I wasn’t the biggest fan of that shift.
There is just so much going on. I couldn’t believe the tournament ends midway through the book. It could have easily stretched to the very end and allowed the world to build itself more naturally. I still think this is a good read, but it would have been an exceptional one if the book ended with the tournament’s conclusion, giving the story more time to establish tension and stakes.
Too many things are revealed too quickly for my taste. I love a slow burn and would have preferred Arvelle discovering the Primus’s identity at the end of this book, with the truth about Rorick saved for later.
It feels like romantasy authors have been trying to pack everything into a single book to keep readers engaged, and I personally don’t need that. If your plot has strong bones and clear stakes, I’ll happily commit to three to five books. There’s no need to rush and explain everything. For me, the story felt a bit too simplified and watered down, and that’s ultimately why I docked it about a star. When major events happen and we move on to the next plot beat within a paragraph, the story doesn’t sink its claws into me the way I want it to.
That said, I do think book two still has a real chance to be exceptional if it slows down and lets some of the plot elements unfold further down the line rather than rushing through them. Tighter editing would go a long way here.
Writing Style and Narration ✍️
We Who Will Die is written in a very accessible style, almost using modern language rather than the usual flowery prose common in romantasy. This makes it easier to jump into the world.
There are dual timeline elements, with Arvelle remembering her history with Tiernon through flashbacks, woven in and out of the current timeline.
The dialogue is cute, though occasionally a bit over the top. Rorick’s constant use of “darling”, and the boys having silent conversations every few pages, became a bit annoying for me.
I thought the book started out very show, then turned into tell fairly quickly, and I kind of wished it had stuck with its original tone. Overall, though, it was an enjoyable and easy read.
Synopsis
Thanks for checking out this post! What brings you here?
Thanks for checking out this post! What brings you here?
Arvelle Before the Sundering
In this Roman-esque vampire society, there are three classes: vampires, the sigilmarked, and mundanes. The sigilmarked are those with marks on their brows of bronze, silver, or gold, which indicate power levels. These sigils grow across their foreheads as their strength increases.
Arvelle has never known her father. Her mother is gold-crowned, but she is addicted to glister. Arvelle has a golden sigil that has never grown, and both of her younger brothers are also gold-crowned, though their sigils remain dormant.
While growing up, Arvelle meets a young boy named Tiernon, called Ti, who is a born vampire. He is the son of a nobleman. Arvelle and Ti grow up together and go from childhood friends to sweethearts, becoming best friends and eventually a couple. Tiernon is wholly devoted to her, and then one day, he vanishes without explanation.
The Emperor, a vampire, forces everyone under the age of fourteen to fight in a gladiator-style competition called the Sands. Arvelle trains with her best friend Kassia. Kassia’s father, Leon, trains them both to compete in the Sands, which is mostly a spectacle but is still dangerous and sometimes deadly. Winning the Sands comes with money and status, something Arvelle hopes to use to take her mother north and train as a healer.
While Arvelle is competing in the Sands, her brothers ask her to go to a mine where most kids play. Arvelle, knowing how dangerous the mines are and how reckless children can be, says no and asks their mother to watch them. Tiernon has disappeared at this point, and Arvelle has no one else to ask. Their mother, however, is under the influence of glister and cannot properly watch them.
While Arvelle competes in the Sands, the mine explodes. Evren, one of the twins, is much closer to the blast. He nearly dies and suffers permanent lung damage. Arvelle does not find out about this until the Sands are over. There is no guilt attached to this for her, only the reality of what she is left to deal with.
During the Sands, Arvelle breaks her ankle, and it never heals properly, worsened by everything happening around her at the time.
In the final challenge of the Sands, Arvelle and Kassia decide to work as a team. However, one of their opponents has a long-standing grudge against Kassia. Her boyfriend left her years earlier to be with Kassia, and she kills Kassia in the Sands. Kassia manages to land a final blow, taking her opponent down with her. Arvelle is the sole survivor and wins the Sands.
Leon is devastated by the loss of his daughter. Arvelle’s uncle, having heard about her winnings from the Sands, steals her money and runs away. Arvelle’s mother cannot handle the guilt of Evren being hurt and Arvelle’s winnings being stolen. She dies.
Having lost Tiernon, her mother, her best friend, and all the money she needed to move north with her family, Arvelle is left to figure out how to care for her brothers on her own at eighteen years old.
Arvelle Agrees to Compete in the Sundering
Six years later, Arvelle is still living in her old town. She picks up odd bodyguard jobs to put food on the table and care for her brothers. Evren has persistent lung issues and requires constant care. Smart and gentle, her brothers are kind children and Arvelle’s entire world.
She struggles to make ends meet so Evren can have his medication and so all of them can eat, but money is very tight. Arvelle’s sigil has never grown, and her ankle never healed properly. She lives in constant pain. Her goal is to make enough money to move her family north, where Evren can receive proper medical care.
She is being pursued by Carrick, the town’s golden boy, who wants to marry her. Arvelle, however, is still pining for Tiernon, who has been gone for six years without a word.
Arvelle begins noticing that the potion Evren needs is becoming scarce in town, which is unusual. One day, when she arrives home, she finds a noble vampire waiting for her. His name is Bran, and he wants Arvelle to compete in the Sundering, a prestigious gladiator competition where, after completing three challenges, the winners earn a place in the Emperor’s guard.
Bran also has a secondary mission in mind. He wants Arvelle to kill the Emperor in addition to joining the guard. Arvelle refuses.
Bran threatens Evren’s life and promises that he will secure a healer for him if Arvelle completes the challenge. Eventually, Arvelle agrees. They seal the deal with a blood vow, making it binding.
Each gladiant in the Sundering is entitled to a guardant, someone who cares for and trains them. Arvelle goes to see Leon, who has secluded himself in his home since his daughter’s death. Arvelle tells him about her bargain, but not about the Emperor. Leon agrees to travel with her.
The boys travel north with one of Bran’s companions, Elva, where they will receive medical care and education.
Arvelle makes her way to the Arena, where she will train as a gladiant.
Arvelle’s Time at the Sundering
The other gladiants have already spent weeks training at the Arena, many of them having trained their entire lives for this moment. Arvelle arrives late, slow, out of practice, and still injured. Despite this, she begins training.
They train daily, with Leon acting as a curmudgeonly guardant, clearly unwilling to be back in the Arena after losing his daughter. Arvelle is out of shape, and the training is brutal for her.
She meets sponsors and attends demonstrations, and slowly begins getting back into shape. She is constantly mocked for being behind and for having a sigil that has never grown. She befriends Maeva, the daughter of a nobleman, who bears a bronze crown, making her a disappointment to her father.
The first challenge arrives, a one on one combat, which Arvelle wins.
During her time in the Arena, the Primus, head of the Imperius, the Emperor’s guard, takes an interest in her. He is shocked to see her competing and tries to bully her into leaving. He always wears a mask around Arvelle, which she finds strange.
As days pass, Arvelle begins exploring the Arena. She discovers tunnels beneath it and hidden passageways. In one of them, she finds a garden housing a wyvern, a creature long thought eradicated by vampires. The wyvern belongs to Rorrik, the King’s eldest son and heir.
Rorrik does not like that Arvelle has discovered the creature. He threatens to ruin her life if she speaks of it.
The Primus demands that Arvelle train with him early in the mornings. Uneasy about the request, Arvelle agrees but remains on guard. During one of these sessions, the Primus keeps his mask on, but Arvelle has a growing suspicion. She demands he remove it, and the Primus is revealed to be Tiernon, Arvelle’s childhood friend and former lover.
Devastated by the fact that he has been only miles away this entire time, Arvelle attempts to cut off all contact with him. Tiernon refuses to explain why he disappeared, but insists on training her regardless.
The second challenge arrives. The gladiants are tasked with fighting a griffin. Arvelle does not want to harm such a majestic creature. During the fight, as her partner repeatedly wounds it, the griffin speaks to Arvelle telepathically and begs for mercy. Reluctantly, Arvelle agrees. As the creature dies, it looks at her ungrown sigil with surprise and tells her to use it well, though Arvelle does not understand what it means.
Weeks pass, and Arvelle regains her strength. As the challenges continue, she grows close to Tiernon again despite her resistance. They do not discuss the past, but settle into an uneasy peace.
When Arvelle injures herself and breaks her ankle again, Tiernon rushes her to a healer, and her ankle finally heals completely. They kiss and grow physically close, but continually stop themselves from going further.
Rorrik continues to torment Arvelle, toying with her openly, but Tiernon frequently interferes, clearly irritating the crown prince. The Emperor also begins to take notice of Arvelle, recognizing the small acts of rebellion she displays.
Arvelle spends more time with Tiernon. He still refuses to explain why he left, but Arvelle notices how easily he defies Rorrik despite his status, as well as how similar they look. She realizes Tiernon is the King’s second son. Shocked and betrayed, Arvelle no longer trusts him.
Tiernon asks what happened after he disappeared, and Arvelle tells him everything. She also reveals the bargain she made with Bran, but not the part involving the Emperor. Tiernon immediately decides he is getting Arvelle out of the Arena. However, when they leave the city walls, Arvelle nearly dies as a result of attempting to break the blood vow. They realize she must complete the third challenge.
The third challenge arrives, a galley-style battle. Arvelle and the others must fight one another while also battling kelpies in the water. She saves the life of one of the criminals forced by the Emperor to fight in the Sundering. Eventually, they complete the third challenge.
Afterward, the gladiants attend a ball. Arvelle dances with Tiernon. Unexpectedly, Rorrik also claims a dance. He reveals that he knows about her bargain and offers to help her complete it. He promises to sneak her into the Emperor’s chambers so she can finish her mission. Arvelle reluctantly agrees. She also realizes she is attracted to Rorrik as well as Tiernon, something she knows she cannot ignore forever.
Rorrik sneaks Arvelle into what he claims are the Emperor’s chambers. When the “Emperor” arrives, Arvelle slips inside and kills the figure lying in the bed. She escapes the palace, believing she has earned her freedom.
At the stables, she runs into Leon, who tells her the Emperor is still alive and that someone else was killed instead. He sneaks Arvelle out of the palace and promises to help her finish her mission.
When Arvelle later encounters Tiernon, he has seen her leave with Rorrik . He does not know where she went, only that he is jealous of his brother. Arvelle, realizing she has killed the wrong person, does not tell Tiernon what happened.
Tiernon later reveals that the man who was murdered was Tiberious Cotta, a council member known for supporting mundane and sigilmarked rights.
Arvelle realizes three things: she is now a novice in the Emperor’s guard, Rorrik has ulterior motives, and her mission is far from over.
Arvelle’s Time as a Novice
The next day, Arvelle ponders her next steps. She knows the only way to get close to the Emperor again is by joining the Imperius, the Emperor’s personal guard. She learns that the guards play a card game in which they trade favors, so she joins the game.
She plays against Tiernon and several other guards, only to be joined by Rorrik later. Rorrik mindpaths with her again and warns her that she cannot make it seem like Tiernon is favoring her. Instead, he advises her to bargain with him. Arvelle reluctantly agrees and finds herself accepted into the guard, much to Tiernon’s displeasure.
The next day, the guards are summoned to the Arena to watch the Emperor punish his enemies. They are alerted that a vampire rebel is hiding among the crowd. The guards split up to chase him down. When the rebel throws an aether grenade in an attempt to kill everyone nearby, Arvelle instinctively raises a shield glowing with blue sigil-light, drawing on the griffin’s power. The guards survive because of her.
Tiernon immediately swears everyone to secrecy, as no magical creature has ever bestowed power on a mortal before.
The Emperor is furious that a rebel managed to get so close to him. He orders Lucious, one of the guards known for his easygoing nature, to be executed and assigns Tiernon to carry out the sentence. Rorrik unexpectedly intervenes, saying that he enjoys doing these things, though it is clear he is trying to spare Tiernon from killing one of his own men.
Later, in the guards’ common room, everyone is grieving. Tiernon isolates himself, brooding, and Arvelle follows him. They finally confront the past. Tiernon tells her that his father discovered he was involved with a sigilmarked, voidborn woman. In the kingdom, vampires and sigilmarked are forbidden from being together, let alone having children.
Knowing Arvelle would never leave willingly, Tiernon allowed her to believe he had abandoned her. His father tortured him for months, but Tiernon never gave her name. Realizing how much he endured to protect her, Arvelle forgives him, and they sleep together.
The following day, the guards are once again summoned to the Arena. Arvelle begins to gain more control over the griffin’s power. Troubled by what she has discovered, she goes to the library to research it with Jonah’s help.
Rorrik arrives shortly afterward. Arvelle hides among the stacks and watches him search fruitlessly through the texts before throwing a frustrated tantrum. He realizes she is there and begins taunting her. Tiernon walks in, and the two brothers immediately antagonize one another.
When Rorrik attacks Arvelle with fire, something he should not be capable of as a vampire, she instinctively retaliates with water, a power she should not possess, one she gained when Tiberius Cotta died.
They realize several things at once. The griffin’s words, “use it well,” meant that Arvelle can absorb the powers of those whose lives she takes. Tiernon realizes she was responsible for Tiberius Cotta’s death and understands the true nature of Bran’s task, as Bran is descending into sun madness.
Rorrik warns them that Arvelle needs someone to train her powers immediately. If their father discovers her ability, he will either kill her for being too dangerous or force her to murder his enemies so he can use her as a living weapon. Arvelle refuses Rorrik’s offer to train her.
As she storms out, she finds Jonah at the door, horrified by what he has overheard.
Later, Jonah tells Leon that Bran has given Arvelle two days and that he has been purchasing sun potions from sigilmarked who are descending into addiction and madness. Leon gives Arvelle a letter from Kassia, written before her death, urging her to live fully instead of merely surviving. He admits he had no right to blame her and apologizes for shutting her out.
When Arvelle tells Leon what she must do, he insists he will handle it himself and storms off.
Maeva arrives and offers Arvelle comfort, but fearing she will drag Maeva down with her, Arvelle pushes her away.
Meeting the Maginari
Maeva takes Arvelle’s rejection to heart, leaving Arvelle consumed with guilt. She sleeps with Tiernon again.
Arvelle begins hearing voices in her head, pleading to be freed and returned. Following the sound, she discovers a morgue. Inside, she finds bodies that were killed with their hearts torn out. Realizing their souls are trapped within their corpses, Arvelle uses her powers to free them, allowing them to find peace in the afterlife.
Bran descends further into sun madness, continuing to consume sun tonics. Through their bond, she pressures Arvelle to kill the Emperor at an upcoming dinner party and threatens her siblings if she refuses.
At the dinner, with Rorrik and Tiernon present, Arvelle witnesses vampires committing atrocities against mundanes. When Bran asserts control through the bond and forces Arvelle to attack the Emperor, Rorrik intervenes and forces Arvelle to stab herself instead. Tiernon rushes her to a healer.
Tiernon is later forced to leave on duty and asks Rorrik to stay with Arvelle in his place. Rorrik realizes how little control Arvelle has while bonded to Bran and offers to help her break the bond. Arvelle refuses. Despite this, they share a quiet moment of comfort.
Rorrik reveals that it was Tiberius Cotta who had been killing sigilmarked in the Thorn, sacrificing them to Mortuus, the god of ruin.
Arvelle experiences another flashback in which Tiernon confesses he has done something Rorrik could never forgive, though he refuses to say what it is.
Leon is attacked by the mysterious murderer but survives. Strangely, he is able to resist the poison used in the attack. This makes no sense, as Tiberius Cotta is dead and should no longer be killing. Arvelle realizes there must be a larger group attempting to sacrifice people to Mortuus. Leon survives, but his condition is critical.
Realizing there is no more time to waste when it comes to the people she loves, Arvelle decides to apologize to Maeva and finally let her in. When she arrives at the Arena, Baldric and Hester taunt her, telling her it is too late for Maeva.
They have drugged Maeva and forced her to fight in one of the Emperor’s entertainment matches. Arvelle immediately jumps into the Arena to save her. Together, they kill Baldric, but the Emperor is enraged that Arvelle has interrupted the spectacle.
When Arvelle points out that Maeva has been poisoned, something strictly forbidden, Rorrik intervenes. He attacks Arvelle to publicly punish her for entering the Arena without permission.
They fight and exchange sharp banter. Rorrik defeats her and drinks her blood. Tiernon, furious that Rorrik has done so, throws a knife into Rorrik’s back. Rorrik offers to heal Arvelle’s wound and kneels before her, the two sharing a charged moment.
Rorrik reveals that he is sigilmarked in addition to a vampire. The Emperor outlawed sigilmarked and vampires having offspring because of Rorrik. His son is stronger than him having both p
Tiernon interrupts and insists Arvelle come with him. Thanks to a distraction, he has managed to bring Evren and Gerith (correct spelling) back to the city. Arvelle reunites with her brothers, and Bran finally loses her leverage over Arvelle.
Maeva awakens, and Arvelle rushes to her side. She finally tells Maeva everything. Maeva is supportive, and they choose to remain friends.
Later, Arvelle sneaks into Leon’s room and finds a maginari feather. With instructions from Maeva, she follows the trail beneath the Arena. She learns the killer has been using gorgon poison.
Because Arvelle once bonded with the griffin, the gorgon reveals the truth to her. The true killer is Albion, Leon’s close friend, a man who lost his son beneath the Arena. Albion is responsible for part of the murders.
We Who Will Die Ending Explained
Arvelle rushes back to Leon’s side, where Albion is currently visiting. Albion needs to finish the sacrifice he has begun for Mortuus, the god who seeks to break free from his cage and return to the land in ruin. Arvelle finds Albion standing over Leon’s body, a dagger in his hand.
Albion flees, and Arvelle gives chase. He is delirious, ranting that those they killed will return, as Mortuus wills it. He reveals that Tiberius Cotta wanted to resurrect Mortuus so sigilmarked and mundanes could stand on equal ground with vampires. Tiberius used Albion’s grief over his son to manipulate him into carrying out the murders.
They fight. Jonah is able to sneak up behind Albion and stab him, allowing Arvelle to finish him off. Tiernon arrives and takes Arvelle back to her quarters.
Arvelle chooses honesty with her brothers, telling them everything. Evren is especially worried about the attempts to resurrect Mortuus, while Gerith believes Arvelle will never be able to kill the Emperor.
The novices are summoned back to the Arena for another spectacle when vampire rebels attack. Chaos erupts as a massive fight breaks out, and the Arena begins to collapse.
Using the disorder, Arvelle sneaks down to the dungeons and frees all of the maginari.
Amid the chaos, Arvelle again feels the pull to attack the Emperor, but she resists. Bran corners her.
Bran reveals that he is the Emperor’s bastard son. By framing Arvelle, Tiernon, and Rorrik for the Emperor’s death, Bran plans to claim the throne. He intends to bring the vampires the sun, solidifying his rule.
Bran admits he has been watching Arvelle since she was a child. He tells her it was Rorrik who noticed her first, not Tiernon. As possessive creatures by nature, Bran claims Tiernon pursuing Arvelle is what fractured their relationship. Arvelle was meant to be a tool to control both brothers.
Bran attempts to kill Arvelle, hoping to take credit for stopping the Emperor’s would be assassin. Rorrik arrives riding his wyvern. He reveals that he was the one who created the distraction that allowed Tiernon to save Arvelle’s brothers.
Bran carries a book Rorrik desperately wants, one that only Arvelle can read using her blood. Rorrik takes the book and kills Bran, breaking the bond between Bran and Arvelle.
A vampire immediately attacks Rorrik . Arvelle is faced with a choice, save Rorrik or let him die. She steps between them and kills the vampire, saving Rorrik’s life.
Rorrik is furious. He had planned for that vampire to translate the book for his research. Now, with the vampire dead, Arvelle is the only one capable of reading it.
Tiernon arrives and reunites with Arvelle. Rorrik acknowledges that Arvelle can read the book after all.
Rorrik reveals that Mortuus truly is attempting to return and that he has been working to stop it. The book contains the knowledge they need to prevent Mortuus’s resurrection.
Rorrik offers Arvelle a deal. He will protect her and teach her how to use her abilities if she helps translate the book and stop Mortuus.
Arvelle agrees.
Spicy Chapters
Who do you think Arvelle should end up with?
Who do you think Arvelle should end up with?
How Spicy is We Who Will Die (Empire of Blood #1): 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Whether you want to get to the heat or want closed-door modifications here’s the list of spicy chapters below.
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 27
For the girlies who never moved on from Stefan and Damon… 🩸🔥
Overall, I enjoyed We Who Will Die. It was my first ever read from Stacia Stark, and I liked the world she is setting up. I will definitely be reading book two. I think my affinity for this book comes from the Vampire Diaries inspiration it carries, and I need to know what Arvelle is going to do next. I am also very curious about where the deity plotline goes and what is happening with Arvelle’s sigil.
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