We Who Will Die: Characters, spice level, triggers, review + more
Intro
We Who Will Die synopsis.
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…
We Who Will Die characters.
We Who Will Die is narrated from a first person point of view, from Arvelle’s perspective.
Here is a breakdown of our main characters, followed by a list of all We Who Will Die characters we meet in the book one of the Empire of Blood series, by Stacia Stark.
Main characters.
Art shared by author @staciastarkauthor and artist @samaiya.art via Instagram.
Arvelle Dacien.
Arvelle Dacien is our female main character and she has been through it! She’s mid twenties, guarded, traumatised, has a bung ankle and her backstory is heartbreaking. As the eldest daughter, she’s had to bear a load to raise her younger brothers and provide for the family. She’s strong, soft, fierce and empathetic.
Tiernon.
Tiernon is Arvelle’s first love, and the one who disappeared without a trace, leaving Arvelle bewildered, hurt and confused. Did he die? Where did he go?
Rorrik.
Rorrik is the son of the emperor and he’s an enigma, mysterious and very brutal.
Supporting characters.
Art shared by author @staciastarkauthor and artist @sweetacreeart via Instagram.
Here’s a list of all the rest of the characters in We Who Will Die including on-page characters, off-page mentions and flashback memories, as well as the gods and their affiliations.
Leon
Maeva Virnia
Evren Dacien (Arvelle’s younger brother)
Gerith Dacien (Arvelle’s younger brother)
Bran
Elva
Tiernon
Rorrik
Vallius Corvus (the emperor)
Tiberius Cotta
Baldric Volker
Hester Volker
Titus
Micah
Neris
Nyrant
Jorah
Albion
Leira
Axia (healer)
Roisin (healer)
Antigrus (griffon)
Linaros (griffon)
Pholus (griffon)
Lucius
Orna
Deitra
Briona
Kaeso
Calena
Maximus
Cassius Ruso
Garet
Norin
Tolva
Sochal
Sisenna
Gradon
Darius Melus
Silikeeper Drugov Nistor
Sigilkeeper Alaric Virnia
Sigilkeeper Melus
Julius Pirvu
Turran Pinarius
Rionan
Brenin
Placus
Carrick
Magnus
Gaius Panthen
Yorick
Perrin
Golinth
Orson Norcross
Sarai
Fallon
Cargyn
Emala
Darinth
Etaina
Dolen
Mentioned characters, flashbacks and retrospective mentions.
Galia Volker (retrospective)
Loyd Gatlin (retrospective)
Rosella (Kassia’s mother/retrospective)
Neara (retrospective)
Kassia (Arvelle’s best friend/retrospective)
Gods mentioned in We Who Will Die.
| God name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Mortuus | God of ruin, embodying despair, decay, and chaos |
| Staleia | Goddess of wisdom and the arts |
| Serehaina | Goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility, and dreams |
| Anoxian | God of battle |
| Thalunia | Goddess of the hunt |
| Viderux | God of the afterlife |
| Nilos | God of secrets |
| Ignicarus | Unknown |
| Ghaleros | God of travel and trade |
| Kelindra | Goddess of forgiveness, mercy, leniency, and redemption; matron of Unity and Birth |
| Umbros | The vampire god |
| Tharwyn | The maginari god |
Review: We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark.
View my We Who Will DieBrimstone review and follow me on GoodReads here.
Spice level: 🌶🌶
2/5, mild to medium open door spice
A legally binding blood vow to overthrow a fictional tyrannical government after a fight to the death in a magical murder arena.
I don’t think it’s a reach that readers are pretty into the idea of escaping into fantasy worlds where people overthrow oppressive dictatorships, tyrants and monarchies right now.
That’s part of the reason why I ate up We Who Will Die, set in a gladiator inspired fantasy world with political rebellion. Another part is hot people with magic powers, yearning and many of our favourite romance tropes.
Even though some aspects of the premise could feel familiar to fantasy and romantasy regulars, I still think We Who Will Die adds originality with its innovation and twists. What innovation and which twists? That’s for you to find out, let’s not spoil the fun. But for real, I highly suggest just jumping in without even reading the synopsis which may give too much away. I kinda went in without knowing too much besides the bare basics and even though I can't scientifically compare, I'm pretty sure it made the experience more rewarding.
Anyway, I think a few things lifted this from a "I had a fun time” four star to a “I had a really really fun time” five star rating for me:
Firstly, for people who side eye extreme age gap romances (immortal beings included)… there is NO thousand year ancient-age-gap à la Edward Cullen, Kingfisher or Leonardo DiCaprio. In this world, vampires can be “born” as well as “made,” and the ones we’re dealing with are roughly MC Arvelle’s age. Revolutionary! Bonus points to the author.
That said, I know everyone probably wants the tea on the romance plot line, but I don’t want to give too much away because I think it’s best discovered for yourself, especially the evolution. What I will reveal is that there are hot immortal vampires and there is a particular… angle I was more intrigued about and drawn to than another. Make of that what you will. And come back to me after you’ve read this so we can talk about it.
Secondly, Arvelle felt authentic to me in the sense that she wasn't some doe-eyed teen who hadn’t had any life experience. (No shade to doe eyed teens, y’all are cool, and we’ve all been you at some point). But yes, our gal has been through it! She’s mid twenties, guarded, traumatised, has a bung ankle and her backstory is heartbreaking: Parental neglect due to addiction, chronically ill brother, dead BFF, mysteriously vanished first love. She’s the eldest daughter who became the parent, protector and provider and my heart broke for her and everything she has been through. Her and her struggles felt real and I truly felt her pain. [I’m not an eldest daughter but I see y’all 🫂].
Besides all of that, I ended up really caring for many side characters, such as Maeva and Leon. I wanna see what other people think, but Leon gave me a little bit of Haymitch mixed with Vincent, from Serpent and the Wings of Night in characterisation. Both of whom I (/we) love.
Finally, I also appreciated the portrayal of the oppressing ruling class, the vampires, as the author took care to not portray them as a monolith. Some are kind. Some fight for the oppressed. Some are violent bigots. Pretty accurate to the nuances of people in real life, I would say. And I also would say the social commentary on classism, privilege and oppression was very on point too.
Anyway, I closed this book realising I would literally be the first one to perish in a gladiator arena. Highly recommend!
Quick note that this does get dark and has some trigger warnings to be mindful of, so please check them. [will add soon].
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Australia for the ARC!
View my review and follow me on GoodReads here. I chat about books a lot.
We Who Will Die book FAQs.
SPOILER ALERT:
Some answers WILL spoil the book if you haven’t read it already. Proceed with caution.
Is We Who Will Die part of a series?
Yes, We Who Will Die is the first instalment in the Empire of Blood series, which is projected to be a trilogy.
What are the content and trigger warnings?
War
Blood
Blood drinking
Death
Death of parent
Injury and injury details
Fantasy drug addiction (off-page)
Explicit sexual content
Violence
Murder
Classism
Gore
Alcohol use
Torture
Grief
Cursing
Genocide
Toxic family dynamics
Confinement
Coercion
Fantasy animal death
Is We Who Will Die a love triangle or why choose?
Yes, We Who Will Die does look like it’s either panning out to be a love triangle, although we can;t rul out for certain that it could also be a why choose. We will have to wait for the second book for confirmation on where the author is taking this!
But in all reality, I’m team Rorrik all the way... 🥵
How old is Arvelle in We Who Will Die?
Arvelle is aged 24 in We Who Will Die.
Is We Who Will Die spicy?
Yes We Who Will Die is spicy!
What is the We Who Will Die spice level?
Spice level: 🌶🌶
2/5, mild to medium open door spice, but the focus is on the fantasy and plot.
What are the We Who Will Die spicy chapters?
Whether you’re spice-averse, spice-curious, or fully committed to reading with a fire extinguisher nearby, I’ve mapped out We Who Will Die spicy chapters for you.
We’re talking a highly subjective spice scale, ranging from capsicum for mild, more capsicum for non explicit but mild and chilli for hot and more explicit. Here’s where all the steamy kissing and spice action lives.
Chapter 25: 🌶🌶
Chapter 27: 🌶🌶
What are the We Who Will Die tropes?
Enemies to lovers
Second chance romance
Love triangle OR Why choose (to be confirmed in book two or three)
Deadly tournaments and trials
Political intrigue
Mythical creatures
Enjoyed reading We Who Will Die? You may also enjoy reading:
Our Vicious Oaths by N. E. Davenport
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
Quicksilver | Brimstone by Callie Hart
A Fate Inked in Blood | A Curse Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen
The Serpent & the Wings of Night | Six Scorched Roses | The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King | The Songbird & the Heart of Stone | Slaying the Vampire Conqueror
A Court of Thorns & Roses | A Court of Mist & Fury | A Court of Wings & Ruin | A Court of Frost & Starlight | A Court of Silver Flames
Fourth Wing | Iron Flame | Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
