Bastards - by Jay Kristoff (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The gates to the hells have been sealed. The doors to the heavens shut. Humanity has been liberated from the schemes of gods above and below, and the Age of Enlightenment has begun.

Liandra d'Helene is a captain of the Empress's Hand; a cadre of halfblooded angels safeguarding the Imperium from infernal magics and monsters. But a mission gone wrong sees her comrades slaughtered, her command stripped, and her reputation shattered. Now she has but one path back to grace - leadership of a motley crew of villains, killers and half-demons, tasked with a quest too perilous for soldiers of the Imperium to risk their lives on.

A murderer cursed with eternal life, a corpse animated by the abyss, a summoner of horrors from the hells, an incubus with appetites to make a harlot blush, an infamous pyromancer of the cult infernal, and a hellhound trapped in the body of a pug - these are the soldiers Liandra is given to fight her battles. And few expect her to win.

Yet evil does not die, but only waits, and the Everwar can never truly end. When Lia and her company uncover a plot to unleash the powers of hell upon the world once more, the Enlightenment teeters on the edge of a knife.

But can the fate of the world be entrusted to a pack of complete bastards?

Bastards is book one of a dark illustrated epic fantasy trilogy; the drunk, punchy and slightly randy stepchild of Suicide Squad and Game of Thrones.

Review Quotes

Praise for Empire of the Vampire:

"Brilliant and unputdownable, with tenderness and light bound into the bitterdark of a grim and fascinating world." --Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer

"This book is bloody brilliant." --V. E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

"Kristoff's Empire of the Vampire is a wonderfully crafted tale, the pieces as meticulously interlocked as fine woodwork." --Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author

"Jay Kristoff's latest dark fantasy, Empire of the Vampire, is a gothic bloodbath that will leave any reader--including this one--breathless. The story is a vast apocalyptic canvas, reminiscent of Justin Cronin's The Passage, even Stephen King's The Stand, yet Kristoff's work stands on its own ruthless merit as the opening gambit of a richer tale yet to unfold. I can't wait to return again to this rich, lush, and bloody world. Until then, read this book now!" --James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Odyssey and The Starless Crown

"With Empire of the Vampire, Jay Kristoff has once again shown why he is a master storyteller. Gabriel de León is a complex and complicated new hero for Jay's legion of fans, and soon-to-be fans... I absolutely cannot wait to share this book with my friends and fellow book lovers." --Sarah Danforth, Towne Book Center (Collegeville, PA)

"Empire of the Vampire is an epic marvel! ...This is the best book that Jay Kristoff has written. He is a master storyteller ...This is a story of vampires and heroes, of love and sorrow, of friendship and loss, of joy and devastation. It is a story of death and darkness, but if you look closely you will find a thread of hope that shines brighter than the sun." --Meghan Vanderlee, Schuler Books (Grand Rapids, MI)

"Kristoff's multifaceted exploration of morality is enticing and complex." --Publishers Weekly

"Simply put, Empire of the Vampire is an impressively built beast, bursting with supernatural lore and promise. With plenty of detail and twists to keep the reader intrigued, we're predicting this to be a new favorite of the genre." --The Nerd Daily

"Empire of the Vampire is not for the faint of heart.... this is a book bursting with darkness of both the literal and the figurative variety....Empire of the Vampire is also genuinely compelling, a rich, layered story that embraces real stakes and wrestles with complex questions about faith, belief, and family, both found and otherwise." --Den of Geek

"...the most I've enjoyed a fantasy novel for a long time...Empire of the Vampire is packed with many stand-out scenes, and knowing that this is only a portion of de Leon's legendary tale, I'll be picking up a copy of the sequel as soon as I can." --Grimdark Magazine

"Beautiful, brutal, and breathtaking, Jay Kristoff's world violently crashes into a reader's soul and leaves them gasping for air." --Independent Voice

About the Author

JAY KRISTOFF is a #1 international, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction. He is the winner of eight Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, has over one and a half a million books in print and is published in over thirty five countries, most of which he has never visited. He is as surprised about all of this as you are. He is 6'7 and has approximately 11,500 days to live.

He does not believe in happy endings.