The Last Vampire Series by Christopher Pike – A Review

So first I’d like to say that this is an oldie, in fact this series got renamed and republished under different covers. But I know it as The Last Vampire, a six book series that I got in two volumes. I loved it so much that when I lost one, I look on eBay for a replacement. It’s an amazing story and this review will also be me listing all the reasons why this is hands down my favorite series.

I bought this a long time ago, at a Barnes & Noble because two things. Christopher Pike and Vampires. I can distinctly remember, each time I pick these books up, sixteen me sitting or laying on my bed reading this with a my CD player going. I can remember the songs on certain chapters because I played the same like three CD’s. This was a book that stayed with me and I don’t want it to ever go. Some spoilers ahead, mainly of the first book, but I’ll try and keep the big plot points to myself but I’ve noted before and after the paragraphs with spoilers in case you don’t wish to read.

Review:

Death never comes at the right time, despite what mortals believe. Death always comes like a thief.

Christopher Pike – The Last Vampire

Spoilers start here!

This is the story of a 5000 year old vampire, Sita or Alisa as she goes by for most of the books, who after a blackmail attempt, enters high school in an attempt to get information from one of the students. We learn that she’s from India, when she was young many in her village died from disease, and a priest called forth a demon in an attempt to drive away the disease by using the corpse of her pregnant friend. Of course, like when anyone calls forth a demon, it didn’t work out and the demon inhabited the baby that was still inside her friend.

Sita’s father attempted to save the child and when she told him that she believed the demon to be in the child he told her she had to decide if the child lived or died. A heavy choice to be placed on a young girl. She couldn’t keep the child and that choice changed her life forever. She named him Yaksha, he grew fast seeing as he’s a demon and all. She grew up, married, had a child. She was happy. Yaksha disappeared. Only to come back and steal her away from her family.

Sita meets a couple of young people in the first book that she grows to care for. Ray, who she falls in love with mainly because he reminds her of her husband of old and Seymour, a nerdy kid with AIDS with whom she cures by giving him some of her blood. The relationships she makes here really effect a lot of the future books.

The main plot of the first book is her belief that she is the Last Vampire thinking that Yaksha, after killing the other vampires was gone himself. The climax of the first book is that Yaksha finds her and she fights to protect the friends she’s made in this book.

Spoilers End Here!

This is a series that progresses into some crazy stuff. All coming to an end that left me like what the hell did I just read but so emotional as well. This series is one that I always come back to because it makes me feel a bevy of emotions. It reminds me of a different time in my life because of how much and how many times I’ve read it.

I feel for Sita. I feel for Ray. I feel for Seymour. These characters aren’t perfect and they make mistakes. They don’t always do the right thing. Sometimes you want to yell at Sita for the choices that she makes. Even from the very first one in whether to let Yaksha live or die. This series has so many layers to it as well. Her village would pray to Krishna, a hindu god, but she speaks of him as he is someone that she met.

Yaksha is the perfect bad guy that you love to hate him. He’s different and clearly obsessed with Sita but also you can see that there is this darkness that even if he wanted to have a life with her, he couldn’t. To her, he is just a demon that made her life the way it was. She doesn’t care for him, not in any way that would amount to anything.

Ray is a lovable dummy, you feel bad for circumstances that lead him to the life with Sita, but he also is just very naive. Trusting. He tries to stay true to himself and he’s stronger than you’d expect that you just root for him the whole way though.

When you are in love you know no fear or hatred. when you are fearful there is no possibility of love or hatred. And when there is hate, there is only hate.

Christopher Pike – The Last Vampire

I’ve read other Christopher Pike books, he’s the more adult R.L. Stine without being full on adult but this is definitely not a book for young kids. I’d say this is a sixteen and up book but also times are different so maybe fourteen? There is sex though it’s not overly detailed but the violence is heavy. The two volumes I have are old, the series now the Thirst series, and consist of six of The Last Vampire books.

In doing research for this post, making sure I got my information straight, I found that good old Mr. Pike wrote three more books to continue this series. I don’t know if I’ll want to read them, I feel like this six ended perfectly, giving you an ending that you weren’t expecting. I remember crying when I got to the end of the last book. If you have read it, or choose to read it, you’ll understand why it’s a moment to cry for.

Bottom line. Read this series. Read it and savor it. Don’t rush, take your time. It’s a good series to listen to music to. I played three soundtracks while reading this book: I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Faculty, and Disturbing Behavior. If I could give all the stars to this series I would! It’s just that good.

Have you read it? I want to know if you all liked it as much as I did. Comment your experiences with the book or if you’d ever read it after this review!