For the ‘Twilight’ fan who grew up

I was a Twilight girl.

Not one of those teenagers who stalked poor Robert Pattinson to depression, but I had a vested interest in having a beautiful vampire fall in love with me, and then we'd live happily ever after, ideally not with CGI children. Unfortunately, the late 2000s passed and I grew up. Literature introduced me to newer, even shinier characters and I fell out of love with Edward Cullen. In modern language, I developed an "ick" for vampires, and never really explored that sub-genre again. Twilight became something of a joke for my generation, and I laughed and made fun of everyone who used to be a fan, myself included. But that tiny part of my mind, which retained my day-dreaming, 14-year-old self, still wished for one more vampire book, just to close the chapter meaningfully. However, as I'd grown and matured, teen romances did not really hold any attraction for me, so my dream languished.

That was until Jay Kristoff (author of The Lotus War and The Nevernight Chronicle) penned the stunning Empire of the Vampire in 2021, and followed it up with the equally brilliant Empire of the Damned in February of this year.

This grim setting combines the fact that Kristoff writes some of the most brilliant, no-holds-barred, all-out-gore, goth-centric prose I've read in the last 10 years. Make no mistake, this is not a series meant for the faint-hearted, the young, or the impressionable.

An Australian author, he is celebrated for his dark, goth-inspired worlds and twist-laden stories that blend fantasy, science fiction, and a good dash of horror. Kristoff's signature blend of gothic prose and moral ambiguity takes centre stage in Empire of the Vampire, and in my view, it may be his finest work yet. His books are known for their sharp humour, complex characters, and epic scope, drawing readers into worlds where the line between good and evil is rarely clear. However, in my sincerest opinion, The Empire of the Vampire series might simply be his best work published so far. A planned trilogy, the final volume is yet to be published, but I find my despair slightly lessened by the fact that his Instagram page recently posted that he has finished writing the book.

Empire of the Vampire, the first book in the series, begins with the premise of the sun having been inexplicably darkened, plunging the world into a state of semi-dusk during daylight hours. In response, various creatures of the night, previously extremely sun-sensitive, have emerged into this mediaeval fantasy-inspired world. The most dangerous of these are the immortal, bloodthirsty vampires who have all but taken over the world. The book has a fantastic frame narrative structure where the first layer consists of Gabriel de Leon, a legendary vampire-hunter and our protagonist, having been mysteriously imprisoned by vampires and forced to recount his life story. The second layer is Gabriel growing up, training to become who he is in the present, and his encounter and subsequent travels with Dior. A sulky but loveable teenager, Dior is believed to be the Holy Grail—the prophesied "chosen one" who will restore the sun to its former brilliance and vanquish the vampires.

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This grim setting combines the fact that Kristoff writes some of the most brilliant, no-holds-barred, all-out-gore, goth-centric prose I've read in the last 10 years. Make no mistake, this is not a series meant for the faint-hearted, the young, or the impressionable. This is mature, gory, horrifying, and downright nightmare-inducing in many cases. My beloved Edward Cullen would probably be reduced to ashes in moments in this universe. Kristoff's vampires are hungry, savage, alluring, and nightmare-inducing. With fangs, a fear of water, and even sleeping in coffins and dirt, they retain the classic Stoker flavour but with the added twist of being absolute beasts clothed in beautiful bodies.

The unhinged prose combines with incredibly believable worldbuilding to create a home for characters so compelling that I was reduced to a sobbing mess by the end of the second book. I languished in a vampire-induced bookish coma for days afterwards, and only rereading the series from the beginning helped jumpstart my broken heart. If the way Game of Thrones killed off beloved characters shocked you, Empire of the Vampire and Empire of the Damned are guaranteed to traumatise softer-hearted readers. The frame narrative style, which was one of the reasons I was attracted to the series in the first place, works brilliantly. Even though we, the audience, know the ending, the suspense is not diminished in the slightest. Every page increases your thirst—hah!—to know how and why the unstoppable, undefeated, world-famous Gabriel became the embittered and disillusioned prisoner he is today.

The words "immersive", "epic", and "unputdownable" have lost all meaning due to overuse when it comes to modern fantasy fiction, but there are no other words strong or evocative enough to describe just how captivating this book series truly is. Kristoff has crafted a true masterpiece, for Twi-hards and non-Twi-hards alike, and I am beyond thrilled to see the vampire sub-genre getting the refresh it justly deserves. I am eagerly awaiting the release of the third book to see this stunning tale come to a worthy conclusion, and Jay Kristoff has more than proven himself worthy of the awards and accolades he received.

As for this Twilight fangirl, her inner teen is finally at peace. Edward has been replaced with a worthy successor, and I am now free to fawn over Gabriel de Leon to my heart's content.

Sarazeen Saif Ahana is an adjunct member of the faculty at Independent University, Bangladesh where she teaches English and dreams of writing as well as some of her favourite authors someday.