(The Last Vampire + Black Blood)
Author: Christopher Pike
ISBN: 978-144-490-0507
RRP: $18.99
Here I am still entrenched in my genre of choice and what a fabulous trip back to the realm of the undead I’m having. The Last Vampire is a 6 book series first published in individual volumes in the mid-90’s. It has been re-released in a 3 volume bind-up to be discovered by a new generation of fang fans while the genre is finding such extensive popularity.
In volume 1: The Last Vampire we meet Alisa Perne, gorgeous blonde and, to the casual observer, approximately 20 years old. We learn a lot of Alisa’s history as we move through her present, be it from dreams or memories we are allowed a glimpse at her 5000 year journey through history.
Alisa introduces herself to us with a bit of information about vampires and how the reality differs from the myths we have grown up with. It seems to me that all of the modern vampire stories tell us about how the myths are wrong. Modern vampire tales use the ancient myths only so far as they can while still allowing the vampires to live seemingly human lives for the most part. Sunlight seems to be the biggest difference throughout the modern genre, yet it is addressed and incorporated. Alisa is weakened when the sun is at its highest, but she is still able to function and move around in the sun. Newborn vampires are sensitive to the sun but not forced to slumber unconsciously in a coffin.
Someone has become interested in Alisa and hired a private investigator to find out all there is to know about Alisa and her background. So we meet her in his office, wondering who could possibly know about her when she is sure that she is the last surviving vampire.
In The Last Vampire we see the birth of the very first vampire and follow the winding trails of Alisa’s memories throughout history to the present day where vampires have been wiped out leaving only her. This is a tale of love, loss and compassion but not told in the same way as most of the modern vampire tales.
The Last Vampire series holds much of the darkness, savagery, passion and seduction of the early vampire tales. But in this series these elements of the early vampire tales are mixed with the love and romanticism ever present in the modern vampire genre.
At the close of The Last Vampire we are left unsure of whether our heroine will live to see another night.
Black Blood opens 6 weeks later with our heroine bearing the scars of her last encounter but alive to fight another day. She has been alerted to alarming behaviour in the ghettos of L.A. and gone in to investigate. It seems that there are more vampires out there and they don’t have the same respect for life and secrecy as our heroine. Black Blood gives us more insight into the world and history of Alisa as she fights to rid the world of the vampire scourge that will threaten humanity as a whole if left unchecked.
Again we leave Alisa with her life in the balance as we wait, impatiently, for volume 2.
This is a series that will pull you in and involve you as you get to know Alisa’s past and hopes for her future. There is a little of everything so you see how a 5000 year existence can make you cold and ruthless but also allow you to feel strongly and find the bonds of love and friendship in unlikely places. If you live long enough can you really survive to see those you love reborn into new incarnations?
About Michelle
this review has got me interested enough to actually start reading a series, I’m not the biggest reader in the world… coz i’, not that good at it but having just read my first book from cover to cover in about 10 years i’ve got the bug to keep reading. This may well be my next reading challange.