Honest Book Review of We Who Will Die
A candid 1-star DNF review of We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark, discussing weak worldbuilding, choppy pacing, and why the story didn’t come together.
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Okay, I tapped out of We Who Will Die at 33%. And honestly, I felt a little betrayed by how strongly this romantasy had been recommended in the BookTok space. This book reminded me of my bitter disappointment of Metal Slinger. Same BookTok hype but did not land for me.
Like many readers leaving low ratings, I went in expecting a gripping dark fantasy gladiator novel with strong worldbuilding and cohesive storytelling. Instead, I found myself confused, disconnected, and struggling to understand how this vampire fantasy story was supposed to come together.
If you still want to try out this book, you can read this on Kindle Unlimited.
The gladiator premise mixed with vampires sounded incredible on paper. That combination should have been a slam dunk for a dark fantasy romance audience. But the execution never grounded me in the world. The book drops you into a setting with surface-level explanations of the magic system and politics, then just keeps moving. I never felt oriented. It was all “need-to-know” information without the depth that makes a fantasy world immersive and believable. Instead of sinking into the story, I felt like I was constantly chasing context.
Character overload was another major issue. Too many names were introduced too quickly, and I couldn’t tell who mattered. Some characters appeared with importance, only for the narrative to abandon them without explanation. I kept waiting for the story to anchor me—to clarify motivations, stakes, and roles—but that clarity never arrived before I DNF’d. For a fantasy novel that relies on complex character dynamics, that lack of grounding was fatal.
The pacing and structure felt choppy throughout. Scenes would build tension and then abruptly cut away, killing momentum. It didn’t feel like rising stakes; it felt like channel flipping. The vampires especially felt disconnected from the gladiator storyline. I liked the idea of blending gladiator fantasy with vampire politics, but the two elements never fully integrated. The vampires felt unnecessary, like they belonged to a separate book. Crave is a better vampire book than this.
The flashbacks of Tiernon didn’t help. Instead of enriching the narrative, they disrupted the flow. A concise explanation or short synopsis would have been more effective than repeatedly pulling readers away from the main plot. Each shift weakened my investment instead of deepening it, which is the opposite of what a character-driven fantasy novel should do.
To be fair, I can only judge the first third. Maybe the book improves later. But at 33%, I still didn’t feel grounded in the world, connected to the characters, or confident in the direction of the plot. That’s too long to wait for clarity in a dark fantasy book that asks readers to commit to a layered setting.
If you’re looking for fantasy romance books that balance plot and tension better, check out my 15 Spicy Fantasy Romance Books That Have a Plot for stronger recommendations.
For me, this lands as a 1-star DNF. The ideas were strong, but the execution didn’t deliver. I wanted richer worldbuilding, smoother pacing, and clearer character focus. Instead, I felt lost the entire time—and not in the immersive way a fantasy novel should make you feel.
Add to TBR: We Who Will Die
Arvelle makes a desperate magical vow to assassinate the vampire emperor and is forced into a brutal arena where only the deadliest survive. Caught between two dangerous vampires and powers she barely understands, she must navigate betrayal, survival, and destiny to protect her brothers. But uncovering the truth may cost her everything.
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