Things that look at people with the same dispassion that you look at the steak you’re about to eat for dinner with. But more, I wanted to make them frightening. I wanted to make vampires feel old school. Salem’s Lot and interview with the Vampire and Fright Night. I suppose my main goal was to make vampires monstrous again. There’s so much to choose from among that lore that everyone’s take on them is going to be a little different. I wanted the illustrations to serve a purpose beyond pure aesthetics.ĥ) What vampire lore inspired you – and what elements of the mythology did want to you stay away from or change? I wanted readers to feel like they’re in that cell with Gabe and Jean-Fran§ois. So they also give a little insight into that chronicler himself, a reminder of his presence in story.

In text, the illustrations are being drawn by the vampiric chronicler recording Gabriel’s story. And Bonnie has done the best work she’s ever done here. So the illustrations are the cherry on top of the book that is EMPIRE. But I love books, I love the thought of making something beautiful, something with permanence. I didn’t want EMPIRE to rely on the illustrations, since some people will get it in audiobook form. In terms of writing, I didn’t change up the game much. Bizarrely, she’s Aussie too, which I had no idea about when I proposed we work together.Ĥ) What felt different about producing a novel with illustrations? Her style feel almost like post-modern medieval illumination it reminds me of art you’d find in manuscripts and scriptures from the Middle Ages. You can look at her work and instantly tell it’s a Monolime piece. On the back of fanart, she started getting professional work, and her fame blew up from there. She came to my attention when she began drawing NEVERNIGHT fanart in the book community I have a bunch of fanart in my study, and her original NN piece is still hanging up there.

Maybe funny? I used to think it was funny, but I’ve read it so many times now that I laugh in all the wrong places.ģ) Who is the illustrator and why did you choose to work with her? Can you tell us a bit about her style? You could beat a burglar to death with this thing.Ģ) Can you sum up EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE in 5 words or less?īloody, sweary, smutty, angsty. If NEVERNIGHT was my Hobbit, EMPIRE is my Lord of the Rings. It has the same goth aesthetic, the same black humor, the same snark. In terms of style, EMPIRE is totally a spiritual successor to NEVERNIGHT. Here, Jay Kristoff answers some questions about writing the new book.ġ) Has your writing changed since the Nevernight Chronicle? Anything new that fans should look out for? From the Sunday Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Nevernight Chronicle, comes Empire of the Vampire, a masterful new series.

Empire of the vampire jay kristoff