Rant: I hate the “it’s wrong to sacrifice one for many” trope so much – Empire of the Vampire Jay Kristoff

This trope just potentially ruined another book for me that I was really enjoying, and I have to rant about it.

I just finished Empire of the Vampire, a dark fantasy book mostly seemed gritty and dark as advertised, until this dreaded trope ruined it for me.

Spoilers for the first book in the series below.

The dark, gritty antiheroes origin story is his sister's murder by vampires and swearing to do anything he can to save even one person from the pain he has felt. By the end, they have the opportunity to presumably end the rule of vampires and save millions of lives by sacrificing one girl. Rather than do it, he murders his former "brothers" to rescue her and "find another way".

I guess it's supposed to show growth in his character, and that he cares again, but it's cast as some heroic action. There's no hint that the sacrifice would not have worked or had other consequences, just he isn't willing to sacrifice the one girl he likes to save the entire fucking world.

It's entirely out of character and doesn't fit the dark fantasy, gritty, antihero vibe at all. I absolutely hate it when morale absolutism is cast as some heroic virtue. Anyone who's not a complete asshole would kill one person to save millions.

I am unsure if I'll continue with the series. I really want to, but this rubbed me so far the wrong way, I'm not sure I can enjoy the next books.