Customer Reviews

The Last Vampire: Collector's Edition, Vol. 1 (The Last Vampire 1/ The Last Vampire 2: Black Blood/ The Last Vampire 3: Red Dice)

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A long-time master of mystery, murder and mayhem, Christopher Pike has been publishing what most people think of as "teen thrillers" since 1985. However, to label Pike's haunting, ingenious stories as "teen thrillers" is to miss what makes his work so unusual, for his stories occupy a strange liminal space between adolescence and adulthood. It is, perhaps, more accurate to say, as Pike himself admits, that he tends to write about teens, not to teens. Either way, he was decades ahead of his time, anticipating the subject matter and themes of today's best-selling young adult writers, albeit with one crucial difference: He is not afraid of copious amounts of blood and gore, and he is not afraid to kill off his creations. Indeed, in Pike's twisted world the only thing rarer than a happy ending in is a middle-age narrator.

Luckily for me, Pike began publishing his famous vampire series when I was in high school in the mid nineties. During that gloomy, pre-Amazon technological Dark Age, I was already an avid Pike fan, weekly checking the local drugstore for my next literary fix. What made me spend my hard-earned waitressing tips on his slim volumes? Pike was unlike any other writer I'd encountered, perhaps because his stories of teens facing down vampires, demons, serial killers, bloodthirsty aliens, and horrific, supernatural creatures touched a deep psychological nerve. I have forgotten many books over the years, but I have never forgotten Pike's exhilarating, fiercely unsettling stories.

This is especially true of his "Last Vampire" series (there are six books in all), which tell the tale of Sita (aka Alisa Perne) who is the last vampire on earth, or so she believes when we first meet her. An extraordinary being with the experience and wisdom of five thousand years, Sita is neither entirely evil nor entirely good, and as such she sometimes recalls the haunted, melancholy Louis (from Rice's 1976 Interview with the Vampire). She also prefigures such creations as Angel (from Buffy The Vampire Slayer), although she has no problem killing innocents when she is threatened, and Buffy, in that she is appears to be a petite, young, gorgeous blond, but is actually a killing machine of enormous strength.

Pike is a terrific storyteller and his "Last Vampire" series is a page-turner full of bloody chases, gruesome killings, big explosions and elaborate fight sequences. People die. A lot of people. I especially like how unpredictable Pike's plot twists are; Sita's tale starts off at a dead run and doesn't let up until the last sentence. Good luck trying to figure out where it's going; I certainly couldn't when I was re-reading it last week.

However, I also like how he often weaves myth, science, and religion into his stories, and "The Last Vampire" is no exception. One of the best parts about this series are Sita's flashbacks as she remembers key moments from her amazingly long life, especially the day she met God, or, as he was known at that time, Krishna. The Hindu beliefs, legends, stories and myths anchor Sita's tale and make a nice contrast with her experiences in the modern world. In addition, they allow Pike to speculate on spiritual matters, such as the nature of good and evil.

As an adult reader, though, I must admit that some aspects of his writing leave much to be desired. It's true that he does do a good job quickly developing protagonists you care about. Sita is a well-rounded, complex character capable of generosity, compassion, and love, but also cruelty, torture and murder. She is, in the words of Pike, "A lover who hates, a saint who sins and an angel who kills." However, sometimes minor characters are incredibly stereotypical and he tends to rely on types: "the school nerd," "the FBI agent," "the donut-eating cop," "the snuff-film, frozen-corpse-loving homicidal maniac," etc.

After a while such stereotypes just get old.

Also, Pike's prose is, well, unsophisticated at best, and, at times, downright bad. (This is the reason I reluctantly gave him four stars instead of five). For example, his series is full of vile descriptions, such as the following sketch of a serial killer from the second vampire book: "But it is his eyes that are the scariest. The green centers look like cheap emeralds that have been dipped in sulfuric acid and left out to dry in a radioactive dust storm."

Um, what?

But there are worse sins a writer can commit then an over-reliance on clichés, mixed metaphors and over-the-top descriptions. In the end, Pike's imagination makes up for his prose, and most of the time I can ignore his flawed writing because I am so caught up in his exciting tales. Certainly, "The Last Vampire" is a wildly original, breathtakingly suspenseful ride that will appeal to sci-fi, fantasy, horror and thriller fans alike.

Last week I was going through an old box of books and I found my carefully preserved Pike stash. Sitting there in the dusty attic I began to re-read Sita's tale and, although it was early in the morning, I found myself reading into the wee hours of the night. I just couldn't put her story down until I had read the last page. If that's not a testament to Pike's power, then I don't know what is.

About three years after my first time reading this six book series I decided to see how others reviewed this fantastic piece of work. Undoubtably this is the best vampire series you could ever hope for. Entangling spiritual development of the main character Alisa, action packed battling, love & conquest. I must have read this series about three times (thats probably why my copy is becoming a bit tattered). The very first page engrosses you into her secret world. The flash backs of her time long ago are timed perfectly and written very well. This is defenently one of Pikes best works. The only thing I could ask for is a new sequel dwelling in her past. I couldn't put this book down. I wish I hadn't read this Vampire book first, all others pale in comparison. Great read!

This is an awesome book!! So far I'm Half-way through the second one and it is AWESOME! Deffinity a page turner. Everyone else is right, you do get attached to Sita after the first chapter! Wow, that's all I can say! WOW! It's the best vampire book that I've ever read!!! I HIGHLY reccomend this book, you'll NEVER put it down!!!

I've read all six of the Last Vampire books about 15 times each and they always have the same impact on me. Christopher Pike explored new grounds when he wrote these books. Sita, the main character, a 5,000 year old vampire is the most creative character I can think of. She is both merciless and humane. She loves deeply, but she must kill to survive. One thing that's very interesting about these books is the use of Krishna, who in Hinduism is god. Christopher Pike put a hint of religion and mysticism in these stories. If you don't read these you are truly missing a wonderful and moving group of stories. I recommend these to anyone and everyone who enjoys facscinating and moving books. A++++++. Go out and buy all 6!!!!!

I really liked this book. Christopher Pike did a really good job writing this. He put in a lot of detail, which brings this story to life. The characters are well formed and so are the events in this story. This story covers romance, horror, action, and mystery. I recomend this book to every one.

If you haven't read this book yet, then read it now! I fell into this series. If you read Anne Rice, then you will most likely like this series. I have always enjoyed vampire novels, but these stand out. I suggest that if you like the dark, decadent vampiric themes, then either start reading this series or read Anne Rice.

You know, I really wonder what my pre-teen and teenage years would have been without Christopher Pike's wonderful work.
The Last Vampire series is my absolute favorite of his many books, and has even hooked some of my non-reading friends. Now at the age of 20, I still long to read The Last Vampire over and over and over again.
A beautiful book by an outstanding author!

Contains all the first three of the Last Vampire series. A Great read that introduces us to Sita and all the mistakes and adventures she has. A born killer and true vampire Sita is not evil but not so good either. A must have for any Christopher Pike fan or anyone who loves a great story. This book is for anyone teen or adult!

I have read "The Last Vampire" series literally 100 times. My book is practically in shreads from reading it so much. I love this series so much, and it's impossible to put this book down. Pike is able to make a fictional character like a vampire and make her a real person. It is very easy to relate to Sita. She is virtually the last of her kind; alone. Everyone has felt different or lonely at some point in their life. But Sita makes us laugh; I especially love the metaphors that she uses to describe things. She can sound overly dramatic at times, but she also shares her tremendous wit with us. It is also very cool how Pike can make a person, a vampire, who has done some horrific things in her life, become an empathetic character. Truely, by the end of the first chapter, you will love Sita's character and will not be able to put the book down. "The Last Vampire" series is the best of Pike's page turning thrillers.

This Book is one of the best stores i have i heard in a long time. It tells of a vampire who thought she was the last. She has to save her love or die tring. a good romance story. Action and great detail. A good find for horror fans