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Stacia Stark Teases Vampire Romantasy ‘We Who Will Die’: Exclusive Excerpt

Kingdom of Lies author Stacia Stark is no stranger to romantasy, but We Who Will Die stands apart from anything she’s written before. While her latest project still explores themes of corruption and female friendship — and, of course, offers high-stakes action — its love triangle and second chance romance are new territory for the author.

Stark, who sat down with Swooon ahead of the book’s December 30 release, describes We Who Will Die as an “ancient Rome-inspired romantasy.” Set in a vampiric empire, the story is centered around Arvelle, who lost everything that was important to her six years ago. When a vampire turns up and threatens her younger brothers’ lives, Arvelle vows to kill the emperor. First, though, she has to fight in gladiator-style games in order to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard. (It’s a “book that has trials, but it’s not a trials book,” the author said.)

Since studying classics in school, Stark has been fascinated by the brutality of the Roman Empire, but she needed to find the right characters to place in the world that she started building in her head. Arvelle came to her out of her interest in “how people who lose the people they love in their lives keep going.” Stark also wanted to write a second chance romance, in particular, since she’s drawn to the idea of how people grow and change while they’re apart and whether they can reconnect.

That’s where Tiernon comes in. The vampire abandoned Arvelle in the past, but she has to join forces with him to achieve her goal. On the other hand is the villain-coded Rorrik, aka the Primus, who’s charged with protecting the emperor.

“I think with Tiernon, everyone has reasons for doing the things that they do, and whether or not she can accept and forgive those reasons is kind of TBD,” Stark said. “With Rorrik, it’s different because [Arvelle] has a very strong moral code, and she’s lived this life where the only thing that’s mattered to her is keeping her brothers alive. And so she sees things in this black-and-white way, and I think Rorrik really challenges her in that.”

Though readers may pick a side in the first book, We Who Will Die is a slow burn, and Stark wants readers to be torn between them as she is. When she first pitched the trilogy, Tiernon was Arvelle’s only love interest, but the triangle came about organically as the story progressed. Further, don’t expect the closed-off, grief-hardened Arvelle to let either of them in (or back in, in Tiernon’s case) too easily.

“I think at the start, Arvelle is just in such a terrible place,” Stark said. “She’s forced to rejoin life again and care about things other than just her brothers, even though that’s the main through line in that plot. And I think I really want people to sort of take away the hope of like you can get through anything, and it to lean on the people around you in the hardest times.”

Get your first taste of We Who Will Die, which is available for preorder now, below.

Read the exclusive We Who Will Die excerpt below:

Baldric gives me a wide smile, revealing surprisingly straight, white teeth. Given the state of his nose, I would’ve expected a few gaps.

“We’re choosing to fight to the death too. Enjoy your last few days, because one of us will kill you in that arena.”

I suppress an eye roll. I’ve never understood why people give advance warning of their plans. As a bodyguard, I was mostly hired by people who’d been given very specific threats by very angry people. They knew something was coming for them, so they spent their money on protection.

The smart strategy would be to skip the threats and stay silent. To watch, to wait, and to strike when the moment is right.

But people are rarely smart.

Several gladians have moved closer, abandoning their meals to hear the drama. Two choices unfurl before me. I either let Baldric push me around, ensuring none of the gladians here see me as a threat—and decreasing the chance I’m targeted outside of the arena. Or I wrap defiance around me like a cloak and make it clear I’m not prey.

The more targets on my back, the less likely I am to survive the Sundering. And yet, paradoxically, I can shake off a few of those targets with a show of strength.

Maeva’s eyes are still dark and wounded. That, more than anything, helps me make my choice.

“I will meet you in the arena.” I smile wide, showing them my teeth. “And I’m looking forward to it.”

Something flickers in Baldric’s eyes before he turns and stomps away. The woman sneers at me and follows him. Holding my head high, I turn and scan the room.

Just like in the Thorn, predators wait to strike. And just like in the Thorn, my survival depends on me making it clear I’m not a victim.

It’s a delicate balance. I can’t be seen as enough of a challenge that taking me down would earn someone respect—although given my lack of training, that’s not going to be a problem—and I also can’t be seen as easy prey.

Most people have returned to their conversations. But down the other end of the room, at a table set for ten or more, a group of people are wearing the same strange black armor as the vampire who dropped my knife on the floor.

Despite their identical armor, I recognize that particular vampire immediately by the intent way he holds himself as he watches me.

His friends are watching me too. Several of them aren’t wearing their helmets, and only around half of them are vampires. From here, I can see a bronze sigil, a half-crowned silver, and two gold sigils.

It’s the only table in the dining hall where sigilmarked and vampires sit side by side.

“You’ll need to watch your back,” Maeva murmurs beside me. “I watched Baldric fight in the Sands. We’re from the same town. Nothing pleases him more than hurting people. And his sister, Hester, is just as bad.”

I shrug. Now that I know Baldric and Hester will be targeting me, I’ll be careful. But I’m more interested in the table at the end of the hall. “Who are they?” I ask Maeva.

She casts a wary glance at the intimidating group and gestures for me to follow her to one of the two-person tables. “They’re the imperius.”

I swallow, asking my next question even though I know the answer. “And the huge one who seems to be continually seething?”

Her lips twitch at my description. “He’s the Primus.”

I close my eyes. Of course he is.

“He takes orders from the emperor himself,” Maeva continues.

Which makes the Primus the biggest threat to my plans.

“Don’t worry about the imperius.” Maeva is still speaking, her eyes holding both curiosity and concern. “They may be terrifying, but it’s not as if they talk to any of us. They choose one novice to join their ranks after each Sundering, but the rest of us are as insignificant to

them as specks of dust.”

We sit, and I force the stew into my mouth, the huge chunks of meat filling my stomach.

But I can barely taste it.

Now that I’m sitting here, it’s sinking in.

I’m supposed to kill the emperor. But first, I’ll have to get through that huge vampire. The one who just disarmed me in the corridor outside and dropped my knife in front of me like it was nothing.

The Primus.

I really did this.

Evren is alive. He’s going to be cured.

My eye twitches and I lurch to my feet, suddenly nauseous.

“Are you . . .”

“I’m fine.” I give Maeva a smile that makes concern flicker through her eyes. “Thanks for the tour.”

She nods, opening her mouth as if she might say something, but I’m already striding away, dumping my bowl on the tray by the door, and attempting to ignore the numerous gazes I can feel on my back.

“You’re dead, voidborn,” Baldric calls, and his table bursts out laughing.

I turn my head, but it’s not Baldric I look at. It’s the Primus, who still sits, arms folded, his head canted. I don’t need him to remove his helmet to know that he’s watching me.

From We Who Will Die, published by arrangement with Avon Books. Copyright © 2025 by Stacia Stark.