My thoughts
This was my first book by this author. I will read more by her but have to admit that I was disappointed in this one. It just let me down. I know most others loved it though.
This is a hard review to write. The story started out slow for me and only picked up at almost the end. Like at the seventy percent mark if not later. I liked the main character Arvelle. I did find her a bit tedious though. She took some chances that were kind of dumb. She was fighting to save her brother/brothers from a vampire. Yes this is about vampires. And other things. Arvelle has raised her brothers since the death of their mother. Seems their mother was a loser who put her addictions ahead of her children. Arvelle doesn't trust many at all. Who can blame her after all she's been through. She lost her best friends a few years prior and now needs that friends father's help. And of course he will help her. Why shouldn't he. Only she blames herself from her best friends death.
This book was a bit long and very detailed. I really got sick of hearing about Arvelle's bones, knees, back, you name it, screaming. It was just a bit over done for my taste. Maybe used as a filler? That and she just caves when she sees her old best friend/lover again, after he had left her. Not a word why or a goodbye or anything. Just gone. She has a right to be angry but she just seems to forget that and melts when she is alone with him. He sounds achingly gorgeous though. Arvelle is there to fight and her old flame is going to train her.
No one except Leon, her best friends dad, knows that Arvelle is there to murder someone in order to save her brothers. She can't say a word. Literally she can't tell. She's a loner of sorts and pushes people away. She does however make a couple of good friends. It's a whole complex story that reminds me of maybe hunger games. Not the same but the same. If that makes sense.
I enjoyed parts of this story don't get me wrong. It's ok but not in my top reads. It was just not a heart stopping story that pulled me in and kept me hooked. I had no problem putting it down. I was also happy when it ended but see that it is book one. I may read the next book when available because I did invest time in this one and want to know what happens to Arvelle and her family and friends. This one is filled with a lot of brutal death. It has some magic going on. A fantasy, romantasy, historical. It has a lot.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC and it was my BOTM choice. I also listened to the audio. It was well done. Two very good narrators. They did a great job of bringing this book to life.
3.5 stars from me.
About
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…
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…
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