Stacia Stark

By all accounts, WE WHO WILL DIE by Stacia Stark should be a book that I adore. Vampires, angry heroines, epic battles, romance, magic - there is nothing there I don't like. But therein lies my issue. I liked WE WHO WILL DIE, but I didn't love it.

My issue isn't with Arvelle. I find her to be everything I love in my female characters: angry, capable, loyal, and determined, with a tender heart she protects at all costs, and a love for her family that overrides everything else. Ms. Stark does show more an excellent job of allowing us into her head and heart, so that we can better understand her motivations. Her confusion at all of the information that comes her way is our confusion. Her anger is our anger. Her grief becomes our grief. Arvelle is definitely not my issue with WE WHO WILL DIE.

I think my problems with WE WHO WILL DIE stem from the brothers. I do not believe Ms. Stark intends for there to be a romantic triangle, but exactly what she does intend between Arvelle and the brothers remains cloudy. While I know that is the point for a series opener, the lack of clarity around the relationships of all three doesn't sit well with me. At this point, I don't want Arvelle to end up with either one and would rather she go live her life with her brothers without either brother there to bother her.

At the same time, I struggle to understand what overthrowing the emperor would accomplish. When there are such differences in power and influence among vampires, the magically inclined, and those without magic, overthrowing one bad leader accomplishes very little. Which leads me to question what the point is here. We know Arvelle fights solely for her brothers, but something about the bigger picture and the brothers' involvement doesn't make sense, given the little information we have.

I liked WE WHO WILL DIE enough to want answers and to hope that the second book provides more than the first. I like Arvelle too much and want more of her anger and impressive fighting skills. I want to see her enact her revenge on someone, and I want to know the fate of Leon. Plus, I have hope that Ms. Stark will convince me that one of the brothers is worthy of Arvelle, and the romance is worth the emotional torture. show less

This captivating prequel sets the stage for the "Deals with Demons" series. Danica, driven by the need to avenge her mother’s death, targets an ancient fae artifact. The catch? It belongs to Samael, the powerful demon who rules the country. Despite the risks, Danica is determined to steal it, hoping the reward justifies the danger. This short story introduces the complex relationship between Danica and Samael, building anticipation for what's to come. The novella hooked me with its show more engaging plot, strong character dynamics, and the promise of an exciting urban fantasy series. This is a must-read introduction if you enjoy stories with demons, dragons, and high-stakes adventures. show less

I really enjoyed this story both as a book and as an audiobook. This romantasy pulled me in with its brutal, Roman-inspired world where vampires rule, and survival is never guaranteed. Arvelle is a compelling heroine, fierce, flawed, and driven by her love for her brothers, and I was immediately invested in her impossible mission to kill the vampire emperor. The deadly arena trials, political intrigue, and slow-burn romance kept the tension high throughout. The audiobook elevated the show more experience even more: Meg Sylvan delivers Arvelle’s strength and vulnerability beautifully, while Troy Duran adds depth and menace to the male characters. Together, their performances made the emotional moments and action scenes even more immersive. This was a gripping, addictive listen and read. show less

It's not often I get surprised by the twists and turns, and while I did guess the big one at the end, there was enough of them that this wasn't a predictable plot! Yes, it followed some typical tropes (which I don't hate), but it was a blast to read and I really enjoyed myself. If you like found family, enemies to lovers, and morally grey grumpy men x badass female heroines, then add this one to your TBR.

We start off in a small village where Prisca lives with secret magic. I have to admit, show more this first part was a little predictable but once she left the village things started getting interesting. I loved how hard she fought to survive yet still doubted herself. It made her feel relatable. She was never too cocky but also not obnoxiously humble and I found it inspiring how all she wanted to do was help the people who didn't deserve to die. I also really loved the interesting characters Prisca befriended during this book. I'm exciting to see more of them!

The romance was a good pace. Not fast but not agonizingly slow either. Their banter was hilarious and I loved how they still messed with each other until the very end. (And will hopefully continue to do so in the next books). We knew they were keeping secrets from each other but we were never sure what until closer to the end.

It's compared to ACOTAR a lot, and I get the comparison but I enjoyed this story A LOT more. show less