We Who Will Die

by Stacia Stark

Review

Once again, I picked up a book purely because the title and cover called to me—and honestly, I have zero regrets. We Who Will Die is an absolute ride: equal parts tragic and electrifying. While it’s loosely inspired by the Roman Empire and the Colosseum Games, the world is also deeply rooted in vampire lore, giving it a darker and more haunting edge that goes far beyond arena battles alone. Because my Roman Empire knowledge basically peaked in high school over twenty years ago, the competition aspect leaned more Hunger Games for me—with high-stakes challenges, emotional upheaval, and secrets waiting to explode. But what truly hooked me was following Aravelle, a character driven by love and loyalty, through a world where power, immortality, and bloodline politics shape everything.

Aravelle willingly steps into the arena to protect her brothers, and the mentor she turns to does the same out of love for the daughter he lost—who was also Aravelle’s best friend. That emotional history hits hard and adds so much depth to their dynamic. Beyond that, the story is packed with hidden identities (not hers, but swirling around her), multiple agendas, a layered vampire-based magical system, and the kind of character deaths that linger. The overarching plot threads are clearly setting us up for something massive as the series continues, and I’m already planning to reread before book two arrives. I enjoyed A Court This Cruel and Lovely and honestly don’t know why I never finished the Kingdom of Lies series—this book reminded me how much I like Stacia Stark’s writing, so I’ll be backtracking this year to complete that series before the next Empire of Blood installment releases.