What do you think?
Rate this book
The Last Vampire #2
Black Blood
Christopher Pike's terrifying sequel to The Last Vampire .
Alisa Perne is a 5,000-year-old vampire. She and her partner, Ray, thought they were the last of their breed, but suddenly they are confronted by a series of brutal murders that could only have been caused by others like them.
Alisa Perne is a 5,000-year-old vampire. She and her partner, Ray, thought they were the last of their breed, but suddenly they are confronted by a series of brutal murders that could only have been caused by others like them.
200 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1994
About the author
Christopher Pike
238 books5,305 followersChristopher Pike is the pseudonym of Kevin McFadden. He is a bestselling author of young adult and children's fiction who specializes in the thriller genre.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
McFadden was born in New York but grew up in California where he stills lives in today. A college drop-out, he did factory work, painted houses and programmed computers before becoming a recognized author. Initially unsuccessful when he set out to write science fiction and adult mystery, it was not until his work caught the attention of an editor who suggested he write a teen thriller that he became a hit. The result was Slumber Party (1985), a book about a group of teenagers who run into bizarre and violent events during a ski weekend. After that he wrote Weekend and Chain Letter. All three books went on to become bestsellers.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
McFadden was born in New York but grew up in California where he stills lives in today. A college drop-out, he did factory work, painted houses and programmed computers before becoming a recognized author. Initially unsuccessful when he set out to write science fiction and adult mystery, it was not until his work caught the attention of an editor who suggested he write a teen thriller that he became a hit. The result was Slumber Party (1985), a book about a group of teenagers who run into bizarre and violent events during a ski weekend. After that he wrote Weekend and Chain Letter. All three books went on to become bestsellers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
Read
October 20, 2018I liked thi less than the first book in the series. The religious angle was a bit too much at times. Ray was a wrong choice for a character- what's this thing with vampires and high school kids (with the emphasis on 'kids' even if they happen to be 18)? Sita might have been a teenager when she was turned but she was also a grown-up married woman and a mother.
Loved the ending and the last line.
Loved the ending and the last line.
May 22, 2011
OMG, I was reading this on a plane and had to keep it as hidden as possible because LOOK AT IT. It just LOOKS embarrassing (and I don't get embarrassed by much). If you open that first flap, wowzas, there's a sunset, a pretty blonde girl, a crazy demon hand, black roses, a graveyard, and an open coffin with ANOTHER crazy demon hand coming out of it. Hahaha, amazing.
Anyway, this is the second book in The Last Vampire series, and it's better in some ways...worse in a lot of ways. Okay, the bad-assness of Sita has worn off a little because a couple of times, I just think she's stupid. Hello, Sita? Is it really that hard to figure out Yaksha' story? Sigh. And Ray is such a drip; I actually felt happy when he died (sorry, I know, that sounds really mean). Basically, if Todd Wilkins from Sweet Valley High became a vampire, that would be Ray. Just snooze-ville.
Pike steps things up, though, by giving us a psycho vampire for Sita to fight against. And get this, he stole Yaksha's body from the morgue (Yaksha's Sita's maker, whom she thought she killed with that whole big chair bomb in book 1--how could that possibly have failed?, you ask. I know! It seemed like such a foolproof plan!). So psycho vampire Eddie has been driving Yaksha around in an old ice cream truck, but of course Yaksha's been pierced with a bunch of silver rods to keep him still and in agony, so Eddie can drink his evil, powerful blood any time he wants. Haha, that's about as amazing as the cover. Anyway, Sita ends Yaksha's suffering, then has a final showdown with Eddie in a giant freezer at his creepy mom's house. Oh, then she makes herself a new immortal boyfriend (a detective this time, not a high school drip, thank goodness). So yeah, crazy, but not as cheesy as book 1's big showdown.
I will obviously read book 3 and giggle to myself non-stop.
Anyway, this is the second book in The Last Vampire series, and it's better in some ways...worse in a lot of ways. Okay, the bad-assness of Sita has worn off a little because a couple of times, I just think she's stupid. Hello, Sita? Is it really that hard to figure out Yaksha' story? Sigh. And Ray is such a drip; I actually felt happy when he died (sorry, I know, that sounds really mean). Basically, if Todd Wilkins from Sweet Valley High became a vampire, that would be Ray. Just snooze-ville.
Pike steps things up, though, by giving us a psycho vampire for Sita to fight against. And get this, he stole Yaksha's body from the morgue (Yaksha's Sita's maker, whom she thought she killed with that whole big chair bomb in book 1--how could that possibly have failed?, you ask. I know! It seemed like such a foolproof plan!). So psycho vampire Eddie has been driving Yaksha around in an old ice cream truck, but of course Yaksha's been pierced with a bunch of silver rods to keep him still and in agony, so Eddie can drink his evil, powerful blood any time he wants. Haha, that's about as amazing as the cover. Anyway, Sita ends Yaksha's suffering, then has a final showdown with Eddie in a giant freezer at his creepy mom's house. Oh, then she makes herself a new immortal boyfriend (a detective this time, not a high school drip, thank goodness). So yeah, crazy, but not as cheesy as book 1's big showdown.
I will obviously read book 3 and giggle to myself non-stop.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2018
This is a continuation of a buddy read with Roberta from Offbeat YA and the second installment in the Thirst series. There are spoilers for The Last Vampire ahead. Trigger warnings: death, blood, gore, violence.
Weeks after Sita and her lover, Ray, survive the explosion that killed her creator, Sita is stalking a new supernatural predator. Something has been violently killing on the streets of L.A., something that hunts an awful lot like a newborn vampire, if Sita and Ray weren’t the last of their kind. This new evil isn’t content to conquer only a city, and if Sita can’t stop it, it may spread to the world.
Much as I love the original book, Black Blood might be my favorite in the series. It’s gruesome fun from beginning to end and shows what Pike can do with a plot when he really puts his mind to it. The novel opens on a delightful action scene of Sita stalking the human predators of L.A. and rarely slows down for breath from there. Sita is in fine form, hunting bad little vampires, taunting her enemies, and occasionally getting her ass kicked when her over-confidence lands her in trouble. The action scenes are frequent and well-described, and I was reluctant to put it down even when I already know what happens. On a writing level, some of my favorite lines are in this book.
Eddie might be my favorite villain of the series, since I don’t count Yaksha as a true villain (complicated anti-hero, certainly). He’s straightforwardly wicked, and I feel like Pike really tapped into the twisted entitlement of certain kinds of white men who think they’re owed women and power just for existing. The details he throws in are alternately grotesque and hilarious (his Popsicle fetish kills me). The minor characters are equally good. Eddie’s mother is almost as twisted as her son, but probably the most terrifying thing about them is that they’re just people–maybe even people you know.
Sita’s relationship with Ray grows more complicated, since he struggles with being a vampire and forgiving her for the trail of bodies she inevitably leaves behind. The character development moves in unexpected directions, but it’s solid throughout the book. I also like Joel, the FBI agent who balances a weird line between love interest and friend for Sita. He’s the straightforward good to counter Eddie’s evil, but unlike Ray, his morals never keep Sita from doing what she needs to. The end confrontation is screechingly tense, Sita’s despair so potent that it’s difficult to see whether she’ll manage to defeat him or not. Eddie’s brand of villainy forces her to use her cunning rather than her strength, but Sita’s triumphs often have a streak of luck (or would that be grace) to them as well. It’s a wild ride. Highly recommend.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
Weeks after Sita and her lover, Ray, survive the explosion that killed her creator, Sita is stalking a new supernatural predator. Something has been violently killing on the streets of L.A., something that hunts an awful lot like a newborn vampire, if Sita and Ray weren’t the last of their kind. This new evil isn’t content to conquer only a city, and if Sita can’t stop it, it may spread to the world.
Much as I love the original book, Black Blood might be my favorite in the series. It’s gruesome fun from beginning to end and shows what Pike can do with a plot when he really puts his mind to it. The novel opens on a delightful action scene of Sita stalking the human predators of L.A. and rarely slows down for breath from there. Sita is in fine form, hunting bad little vampires, taunting her enemies, and occasionally getting her ass kicked when her over-confidence lands her in trouble. The action scenes are frequent and well-described, and I was reluctant to put it down even when I already know what happens. On a writing level, some of my favorite lines are in this book.
Eddie might be my favorite villain of the series, since I don’t count Yaksha as a true villain (complicated anti-hero, certainly). He’s straightforwardly wicked, and I feel like Pike really tapped into the twisted entitlement of certain kinds of white men who think they’re owed women and power just for existing. The details he throws in are alternately grotesque and hilarious (his Popsicle fetish kills me). The minor characters are equally good. Eddie’s mother is almost as twisted as her son, but probably the most terrifying thing about them is that they’re just people–maybe even people you know.
Sita’s relationship with Ray grows more complicated, since he struggles with being a vampire and forgiving her for the trail of bodies she inevitably leaves behind. The character development moves in unexpected directions, but it’s solid throughout the book. I also like Joel, the FBI agent who balances a weird line between love interest and friend for Sita. He’s the straightforward good to counter Eddie’s evil, but unlike Ray, his morals never keep Sita from doing what she needs to. The end confrontation is screechingly tense, Sita’s despair so potent that it’s difficult to see whether she’ll manage to defeat him or not. Eddie’s brand of villainy forces her to use her cunning rather than her strength, but Sita’s triumphs often have a streak of luck (or would that be grace) to them as well. It’s a wild ride. Highly recommend.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
November 23, 2014
Another fantastic book where Pike doesn't pull any punches.
Sure, Alisa has Ray, but they aren't alone in the world anymore and this creep creating vampires at will has world domination on his mind. Trust Alisa to point out to him how a world of vampires would ultimately fail. One of the reasons why I love her: her logic. You can't beat that.
Pike is absolutely ruthless with his characters and drives it home with Alisa. I don't want to spoil but I will say that she gets her heart ripped open in a few different ways. It's sad to read because you want something good for her but it's constantly down one alley of horrors after another. Still, it makes for an exciting read.
Pike doesn't spare details when it comes to gore and maiming his characters so when you set out to read BLACK BLOOD, make sure you're not really squeamish. But again, I think it makes it all the more real and even horrifying. It makes Alisa feel real. All of the loss and gain stands out more on the pages because she truly has to fight for it. Nothing comes easy for her.
The books, though, BLACK BLOOD included, ends with a spattering of hope which I think ropes you in for the next one. I'm anxious to read it. I want to know what sludge Pike is going to drag his characters through next.
While not really YA (Alisa is 5,000 years old and definitely doesn't have a YA voice, even for the 90s), the appeal is still there. It's vampires and love ripped through the shredder. I'm not surprised that it was marketed to the YA audience. If you like REAL vampires with horror and blood and loss, you'll love these books. Just don't forget the hope. There's still hope.
Sure, Alisa has Ray, but they aren't alone in the world anymore and this creep creating vampires at will has world domination on his mind. Trust Alisa to point out to him how a world of vampires would ultimately fail. One of the reasons why I love her: her logic. You can't beat that.
Pike is absolutely ruthless with his characters and drives it home with Alisa. I don't want to spoil but I will say that she gets her heart ripped open in a few different ways. It's sad to read because you want something good for her but it's constantly down one alley of horrors after another. Still, it makes for an exciting read.
Pike doesn't spare details when it comes to gore and maiming his characters so when you set out to read BLACK BLOOD, make sure you're not really squeamish. But again, I think it makes it all the more real and even horrifying. It makes Alisa feel real. All of the loss and gain stands out more on the pages because she truly has to fight for it. Nothing comes easy for her.
The books, though, BLACK BLOOD included, ends with a spattering of hope which I think ropes you in for the next one. I'm anxious to read it. I want to know what sludge Pike is going to drag his characters through next.
While not really YA (Alisa is 5,000 years old and definitely doesn't have a YA voice, even for the 90s), the appeal is still there. It's vampires and love ripped through the shredder. I'm not surprised that it was marketed to the YA audience. If you like REAL vampires with horror and blood and loss, you'll love these books. Just don't forget the hope. There's still hope.
September 5, 2009
I first read this as a pre-teen. Not much has changed as far as my mental capabilities is concerned--if anything, I've regressed. I decided to read it again today, and it was as I remembered. The second volume didn't quite have the same intrigue as the first, but it has more of a cliffhanger ending.
This series has none of that sissy-Twilight BS.
Lots of skull-crushing and no glitter.
This series has none of that sissy-Twilight BS.
Lots of skull-crushing and no glitter.
November 10, 2018
Still good, but how the heck did I ever find Ray interesting and cute?! He’s such a downer.
May 15, 2019
Super suite ! Beaucoup d'actions de retour dans le passé. L'héroïne devient plus sensible et des personnages meurt. Ça m'a affecté aussi. L'intrigue est plutôt sympas et c'est encore mieux de voir Alisa en difficulté et de doute. J'ai aimé le dénouement qui à été bien construit. L'histoire n'est jamais bâclé. Hâte de lire la suite !
October 30, 2023
Seconda avventura della vampira di 5000 anni Sita. Il tono è sempre hardboiled-action, almeno fino a metà. A differenza del primo volume, questo non contiene una seconda linea temporale di flashback. La parte mitologica quindi è ridotta, ma è presente verso la fine, quando viene rievocata la figura di Krishna. Si capisce che ci deve essere un ulteriore sviluppo nella storia dei poteri della vampira nei vari sequel che seguiranno.
November 1, 2022
He clenches his eyes shut and cries, "I have a girlfriend!"
I pause. "Gary," I say patiently. "The line is, 'I have a wife and two children.'"
The Last Vampire 2: Black Blood is the final book in my read-along with EuroHackie and it's definitely the one to go out on. We read The Last Vampire last year and I should probably scrounge up #3 for next year, just in case.
Last Vampire 2 decides to go Halloween 2 and just pick up where the previous book left off and offers very little in the way of flashbacks or explanations. This is one of the things I liked about Pike when I was younger: dude knew you'd either read the other book or you'd pick up the important shit as the story went along and since his YA books were always pretty short, which I assume was standard for the genre, there wasn't time to waste on recapping a book most of the audience already read.
Sita's catchphrase is on full display this book (someone says they don't want to die, she replies they never should have been born. I cannot tell you how often that was quoted back in the day) and so is her angst. I honestly didn't remember that Ray only survived for 6 weeks after she turned him and I'd kinda forgotten about Joel. What I didn't forget was Yaksha being stored in a frickin' ice-cream truck. After reading that the first time, I admit that that the 2am ice-cream trucks always struck me a little bit different. Like sure, they're up to no good, but are they up to the oldest vampire being impaled and frozen in the back of the truck no good? I think not.
Basically the book hits the ground running and only slows down for Sita to prove that the stake she took through the heart in the previous book seems to have addled her brains as NONE of her plots work and it takes her until the last five or so pages to work out something that I think would've been obvious to her in the first book. We check in with Seymour so Sita can beg him to tell her what to do and yet I still like the dude.
There are some flashbacks to previous parts of Sita's long life and they remain interesting (and sometimes will be very important to future plot developments) and some of my favorite bits, though I feel like Pike's definitely working out some kinks here. Flipside, I do love the early "no kink shaming" running gag with regards to Eddie because well, hindsight is fun. Truly, I'd forgotten just how fucked up Eddie was (the dogs, his mom) and it adds to the tension. You can't reason with a madman is a lesson a lot of people will have to relearn numerous times in their lives, though hopefully not in regards to a newborn vampire.
I enjoyed it but I didn't love it, though I do love Sita's sass.
I pause. "Gary," I say patiently. "The line is, 'I have a wife and two children.'"
The Last Vampire 2: Black Blood is the final book in my read-along with EuroHackie and it's definitely the one to go out on. We read The Last Vampire last year and I should probably scrounge up #3 for next year, just in case.
Last Vampire 2 decides to go Halloween 2 and just pick up where the previous book left off and offers very little in the way of flashbacks or explanations. This is one of the things I liked about Pike when I was younger: dude knew you'd either read the other book or you'd pick up the important shit as the story went along and since his YA books were always pretty short, which I assume was standard for the genre, there wasn't time to waste on recapping a book most of the audience already read.
Sita's catchphrase is on full display this book (someone says they don't want to die, she replies they never should have been born. I cannot tell you how often that was quoted back in the day) and so is her angst. I honestly didn't remember that Ray only survived for 6 weeks after she turned him and I'd kinda forgotten about Joel. What I didn't forget was Yaksha being stored in a frickin' ice-cream truck. After reading that the first time, I admit that that the 2am ice-cream trucks always struck me a little bit different. Like sure, they're up to no good, but are they up to the oldest vampire being impaled and frozen in the back of the truck no good? I think not.
Basically the book hits the ground running and only slows down for Sita to prove that the stake she took through the heart in the previous book seems to have addled her brains as NONE of her plots work and it takes her until the last five or so pages to work out something that I think would've been obvious to her in the first book. We check in with Seymour so Sita can beg him to tell her what to do and yet I still like the dude.
There are some flashbacks to previous parts of Sita's long life and they remain interesting (and sometimes will be very important to future plot developments) and some of my favorite bits, though I feel like Pike's definitely working out some kinks here. Flipside, I do love the early "no kink shaming" running gag with regards to Eddie because well, hindsight is fun. Truly, I'd forgotten just how fucked up Eddie was (the dogs, his mom) and it adds to the tension. You can't reason with a madman is a lesson a lot of people will have to relearn numerous times in their lives, though hopefully not in regards to a newborn vampire.
I enjoyed it but I didn't love it, though I do love Sita's sass.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2019
3 ½ Stars
Black Blood is the second book in The Last Vampire series by Christopher Pike. In this book Alisa/Sita thought she was the last of her kind, but along with her partner Ray, begin to wonder if that is the case when a series of brutal murders seems to point to them being vampire killings? What do they discover?
These books have been in my bookcase ever since my daughter was a teenager, and I came across them again while rearranging my bookcases recently. I had read the first few books many years ago now, and couldn’t really remember them- and since I wanted to finish the series I decided to read all 6 books back to back.
The book/series has quite an original premise, with interesting and somewhat quirky characters, and a well-crafted storyline. This has a fast, action-packed plot- which makes it quite a quick and easy read. There is some mystery, a little suspense, drama, and intrigue.
So, if you love paranormal, fantasy, vampires, young adult stories, with action and adventure, then this is definitely the story/series for you!
Thank you, Christopher Pike!
Black Blood is the second book in The Last Vampire series by Christopher Pike. In this book Alisa/Sita thought she was the last of her kind, but along with her partner Ray, begin to wonder if that is the case when a series of brutal murders seems to point to them being vampire killings? What do they discover?
These books have been in my bookcase ever since my daughter was a teenager, and I came across them again while rearranging my bookcases recently. I had read the first few books many years ago now, and couldn’t really remember them- and since I wanted to finish the series I decided to read all 6 books back to back.
The book/series has quite an original premise, with interesting and somewhat quirky characters, and a well-crafted storyline. This has a fast, action-packed plot- which makes it quite a quick and easy read. There is some mystery, a little suspense, drama, and intrigue.
So, if you love paranormal, fantasy, vampires, young adult stories, with action and adventure, then this is definitely the story/series for you!
Thank you, Christopher Pike!
October 21, 2022
The Last Vampire 2: Black Blood picks up about six weeks after the events of the first book and brings Alana/Sita to a dangerous neighborhood in Los Angeles. The depictions of Black characters in the opening chapter are very problematic and have not aged well. That said, it was nowhere near as egregious as the depictions in Remember Me 2. Beyond that, I think the book did a good job of expanding the story and raising the stakes from the first book. Sita finds herself newly vulnerable, which was a refreshing change. It also gave us a new villain that could make almost anyone’s skin crawl. I usually like a more nuanced villain, but if you’re gonna go full evil you may as make him a sociopathic scumbag. The book also featured some more explosions and kept the plot moving at a steady pace. I can honestly say I never knew where the story was going to go. That’s always a plus. I liked the addition of the FBI agent Joel as a character, but Ray became a real drag. I almost got the sense that Pike himself lost interest in the very thin love story between Ray and Sita. Overall, I have to say that been liking The Last Vampire books more than I expected to. I’m not the biggest fan of vampires, but The Last Vampire 2 continues Pike’s trend of bringing something fresh to familiar tropes.
Score: 3
For my snark-filled, spoiler-laced, deep-dive review; check out my blog:
Blog Review I Instagram I Twitter
Score: 3
For my snark-filled, spoiler-laced, deep-dive review; check out my blog:
Blog Review I Instagram I Twitter
August 4, 2023
⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
Critical Score: C
Personal Score: C+
This is an improvement on the first book, but it’s still lackluster. I don’t like how heavy the spiritualism is, and the plot is too similar to the first book’s. The first half was pretty strong, but the second half got bogged down in the mythology and an unoriginal series of showdowns.
Critical Score: C
Personal Score: C+
This is an improvement on the first book, but it’s still lackluster. I don’t like how heavy the spiritualism is, and the plot is too similar to the first book’s. The first half was pretty strong, but the second half got bogged down in the mythology and an unoriginal series of showdowns.
October 15, 2020
Onvan : Black Blood (The Last Vampire, #2) - Nevisande : Christopher Pike - ISBN : 0671872664 - ISBN13 : 9780671872663 - Dar 200 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 1994
May 31, 2024
2.75⭐️
112/200
What the heck. I can’t with this series. I don’t know what I’m reading anymore.
112/200
What the heck. I can’t with this series. I don’t know what I’m reading anymore.
October 21, 2023
The last of this year's Halloween readalongs with Marian. Unfortunately, I found it to be a bit of a low note on which to end our annual trip down memory lane, though Pike definitely writes better vampires (even dumb vampires) than the SVH ghosties ever could.
2.5 stars rounded up. My main issue with this book was the antagonist, Eddie. He's way too powerful, but doesn't have the personality or background to match it. At least in the first book, Yaksha was an interesting rival for Sita. Eddie is just gross. The first half of the book is very violent, and Sita spends most of her time wondering how the hell she's supposed to defeat this guy. The story picked up for me about halfway through, when Sita rescues what remains of Yaksha and delves back into the spiritual themes of the novel in her pursuit of how to kill this new foe.
I read The Last Vampire over a year ago and unfortunately lost quite a bit of the backstory, so it was nice to have a refresher and a resurfacing of Krishna (and some of Sita's past) in this story. I enjoyed her history far more than her current battles with Eddie, the police, and Joel the FBI agent.
Unfortunately, Sita goes back to being unsure of herself and her tactics and basically gives up during the Final Battle here, which made for a majorly anticlimactic ending.
I think Pike is at his best in this series when he is worldbuilding and exploring the nooks and crannies of a 50-century-long life. The sequel series turns more fantasy, and for good reason: the idea of basically having the same fight over and over again gets really old, really fast. I don't have high hopes for Book #3 at this point.
2.5 stars rounded up. My main issue with this book was the antagonist, Eddie. He's way too powerful, but doesn't have the personality or background to match it. At least in the first book, Yaksha was an interesting rival for Sita. Eddie is just gross. The first half of the book is very violent, and Sita spends most of her time wondering how the hell she's supposed to defeat this guy. The story picked up for me about halfway through, when Sita rescues what remains of Yaksha and delves back into the spiritual themes of the novel in her pursuit of how to kill this new foe.
I read The Last Vampire over a year ago and unfortunately lost quite a bit of the backstory, so it was nice to have a refresher and a resurfacing of Krishna (and some of Sita's past) in this story. I enjoyed her history far more than her current battles with Eddie, the police, and Joel the FBI agent.
Unfortunately, Sita goes back to being unsure of herself and her tactics and basically gives up during the Final Battle here, which made for a majorly anticlimactic ending.
I think Pike is at his best in this series when he is worldbuilding and exploring the nooks and crannies of a 50-century-long life. The sequel series turns more fantasy, and for good reason: the idea of basically having the same fight over and over again gets really old, really fast. I don't have high hopes for Book #3 at this point.
March 14, 2015
Στις 12 Μαΐου διάβασα το πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς, με τον τίτλο Έρωτας βαμπίρ, το οποίο είχε κάποια ενδιαφέρονται στοιχεία αλλά σαν γενικό αποτέλεσμα μου άφησε μέτριες εντυπώσεις. Το ίδιο έγινε και με το δεύτερο βιβλίο, αν και οφείλω να πω ότι μου άρεσε λίγο περισσότερο, γι'αυτό θα είμαι λιγότερο αυστηρός και θα του βάλω μισή μονάδα παραπάνω απ'ότι έβαλα στο πρώτο.
Η ιστορία αρχίζει έξι βδομάδες μετά τα γεγονότα του πρώτου βιβλίου, με την Σίτα, ή αλλιώς Αλίσα Περν, να αναζητά ένα νεαρό βαμπίρ που σκοτώνει με φρικιαστικούς τρόπους ανθρώπους, δημιουργώντας παράλληλα βαμπίρ, χωρίς σταματημό. Η Σίτα λοιπόν ορκίζεται στον Κρίσνα να σκοτώσει αυτό το βαμπίρ και φυσικά όσα άλλα έχει δημιουργήσει, πριν να είναι αργά για την ανθρωπότητα. Όμως αυτό το νεαρό βαμπίρ έχει απίστευτες δυνάμεις και πολύ μεγάλη κακία (που τον κάνει και λίγο ηλίθιο με τις εμμονές του) και θα προσπαθήσει να σκοτώσει όλους όσους έχουν σημασία για την Σίτα. Όμως αυτό θα δώσει μια έξτρα δύναμη και θέληση στην Σίτα για να τον εξαφανίσει δια παντός από την γη.
Η ιστορία κινείται γρήγορα, τρέχει σε αγώνα των εκατό μέτρων θα έλεγα, και δεν σου αφήνει χρόνο να σκεφτείς. Σίγουρα πολλά πράγματα μου φάνηκαν μη ρεαλιστικά, μερικοί διάλογοι, κάποιες σκηνές, αλλά οπωσδήποτε η ώρα πέρασε συμπαθητικά χωρίς να το καταλάβω.
Η γραφή έχει τα καλά της και τις ατέλειές της, αλλά σαν σύνολο δεν είναι άσχημη. Οι σκηνές δράσης είναι πολλές και στην πλειοψηφία τους καλά δοσμένες. Βέβαια οι χαρακτήρες είναι μάλλον μονοδιάστατοι και μες στα κλισέ, αλλά έτσι και αλλιώς σε διακόσιες σελίδες με ακατάπαυστη δράση πόση εμβάθυνση στους χαρακτήρες μπορεί να γίνει;
Έχει μεταφραστεί και το τρίτο βιβλίο της σειράς, με τον τίτλο Μετά το τέλος, που εννοείται πως αν το βρω σε κάποιο βιβλιοπωλείο με 3-4 ευρώ θα το τιμήσω, αλλιώς δεν θα κάτσω να σκάσω ούτε θα δώσω κοντά 10 ευρώ για το ��γοράσω.
Η ιστορία αρχίζει έξι βδομάδες μετά τα γεγονότα του πρώτου βιβλίου, με την Σίτα, ή αλλιώς Αλίσα Περν, να αναζητά ένα νεαρό βαμπίρ που σκοτώνει με φρικιαστικούς τρόπους ανθρώπους, δημιουργώντας παράλληλα βαμπίρ, χωρίς σταματημό. Η Σίτα λοιπόν ορκίζεται στον Κρίσνα να σκοτώσει αυτό το βαμπίρ και φυσικά όσα άλλα έχει δημιουργήσει, πριν να είναι αργά για την ανθρωπότητα. Όμως αυτό το νεαρό βαμπίρ έχει απίστευτες δυνάμεις και πολύ μεγάλη κακία (που τον κάνει και λίγο ηλίθιο με τις εμμονές του) και θα προσπαθήσει να σκοτώσει όλους όσους έχουν σημασία για την Σίτα. Όμως αυτό θα δώσει μια έξτρα δύναμη και θέληση στην Σίτα για να τον εξαφανίσει δια παντός από την γη.
Η ιστορία κινείται γρήγορα, τρέχει σε αγώνα των εκατό μέτρων θα έλεγα, και δεν σου αφήνει χρόνο να σκεφτείς. Σίγουρα πολλά πράγματα μου φάνηκαν μη ρεαλιστικά, μερικοί διάλογοι, κάποιες σκηνές, αλλά οπωσδήποτε η ώρα πέρασε συμπαθητικά χωρίς να το καταλάβω.
Η γραφή έχει τα καλά της και τις ατέλειές της, αλλά σαν σύνολο δεν είναι άσχημη. Οι σκηνές δράσης είναι πολλές και στην πλειοψηφία τους καλά δοσμένες. Βέβαια οι χαρακτήρες είναι μάλλον μονοδιάστατοι και μες στα κλισέ, αλλά έτσι και αλλιώς σε διακόσιες σελίδες με ακατάπαυστη δράση πόση εμβάθυνση στους χαρακτήρες μπορεί να γίνει;
Έχει μεταφραστεί και το τρίτο βιβλίο της σειράς, με τον τίτλο Μετά το τέλος, που εννοείται πως αν το βρω σε κάποιο βιβλιοπωλείο με 3-4 ευρώ θα το τιμήσω, αλλιώς δεν θα κάτσω να σκάσω ούτε θα δώσω κοντά 10 ευρώ για το ��γοράσω.
August 31, 2013
Although the first book in the series mostly held up to my memory this one was not as good... on the plus side .
Sita was, in the first book quite moral - at least to her own sense of right and wrong, but the events at the end of this book (and by this I mean her seem to go against the events of the first - even she herself thinks she has lost Krishnas grace (though that is more looked into in Red Dice, the third book in the series).
Eddie isn't as interesting a villain as Yaksha was - he seems more like a henchman as opposed to a 'big bad'... I also don't understand how he is able to cope with the changes his vampiric powers bring in such a short period of time.
This never was my favourite book but it didn't 'age' as well as the first...
Sita was, in the first book quite moral - at least to her own sense of right and wrong, but the events at the end of this book (and by this I mean her seem to go against the events of the first - even she herself thinks she has lost Krishnas grace (though that is more looked into in Red Dice, the third book in the series).
Eddie isn't as interesting a villain as Yaksha was - he seems more like a henchman as opposed to a 'big bad'... I also don't understand how he is able to cope with the changes his vampiric powers bring in such a short period of time.
This never was my favourite book but it didn't 'age' as well as the first...
March 24, 2017
Better than the first one but it still felt a little rushed. Also, the thing with Seymour and his girlfriend story thread seemed to be left quite unfinished. This book seemed to go quite similarly to it's predecessor with the whole - meets guy, likes guy, ends up having to change guy into vampire to save his life.
One more note: Right near the end after she decapitated Eddie she described his head as an 'amputated coconut'... Now I'm not sure if that was meant to funny but that made me laugh out loud - not and easy feat.
One more note: Right near the end after she decapitated Eddie she described his head as an 'amputated coconut'... Now I'm not sure if that was meant to funny but that made me laugh out loud - not and easy feat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2015
━━━━★2.5★━━━━
December 28, 2015
It would have been a good book without all the religious content. Didn't like it going through out the whole book!
January 24, 2019
Overall a decent sequel to the first one.
July 1, 2017
*spoilers*
Hmm... not bad.
I read Christopher Pike once a few years ago and very much enjoyed it. The same goes for this one too. Though Black Blood may not have the creepiness of Whisper of Death, it certainly aroused emotions in me such as sadness. Yes, Goodness me, I was sad when Ray died. It was the worst. I was fearing his death all along and yet I knew deep down it would come. It always does, doesn't it? I really liked the protagonist Alisa Perne aka Sita. She was a badass and I liked her self-confidence, her knowledge for who she was= a monster, and the fact that even after everything she was and everything she did, she loved. Though she loved a bit too many people but who am I to compain? Gotta give the woman credit for her struggles.
The ending bugged me a little. After all the weapons and tricks gone wasted, she kills Eddie by seducing him with a sex tune that her god Krishna had taught her. Pike, you need to start making endings less of a joke. I still remember what happened at the end of Whisper of Death, tsk tsk!
Overall, I liked the book. It was fast-paced, and gripped my attention from the very first page.
Hmm... not bad.
I read Christopher Pike once a few years ago and very much enjoyed it. The same goes for this one too. Though Black Blood may not have the creepiness of Whisper of Death, it certainly aroused emotions in me such as sadness. Yes, Goodness me, I was sad when Ray died. It was the worst. I was fearing his death all along and yet I knew deep down it would come. It always does, doesn't it? I really liked the protagonist Alisa Perne aka Sita. She was a badass and I liked her self-confidence, her knowledge for who she was= a monster, and the fact that even after everything she was and everything she did, she loved. Though she loved a bit too many people but who am I to compain? Gotta give the woman credit for her struggles.
The ending bugged me a little. After all the weapons and tricks gone wasted, she kills Eddie by seducing him with a sex tune that her god Krishna had taught her. Pike, you need to start making endings less of a joke. I still remember what happened at the end of Whisper of Death, tsk tsk!
Overall, I liked the book. It was fast-paced, and gripped my attention from the very first page.
October 19, 2019
I really tried to finish this book. I really dragged myself through it, and for what? No one except myself was making me read this. The plot is okay, not the best but that wasn't the reason I couldn't finish this piece of literature. It's just so BORING to read. I don't have any reason to care about any of the characters. Actually let me correct that, the only character I DID care about was the receptionist at the morgue because at least she had some individuality outside of being "super hot". WHY do I need to know on every page that Alisa/Sita is super hot and BLONDE? Also, never figured out how she went from a brown skinned human girl to a white blonde vampire.
I really wanted to know how this book ended (since I did buy it). Honestly though, I can find the summary of the series on Wikipedia.
I really wanted to know how this book ended (since I did buy it). Honestly though, I can find the summary of the series on Wikipedia.
January 7, 2023
I happen to like this book far better than the first.
The Last Vampire sets us up for what is to come as an introduction of sorts to what we will be dealing with...Black Blood pushes the envelope.
Since it is part of a series, expect spoilers that I can in no subtle way keep secret in reviewing this book.
It has been six weeks since the ending of the first book. The vampire who made Sita aka Alisa tracked her down. She thought that Yakasha was dead but no...well now he is.
Alisa rigged her place to explode. In order to try and get her to break her vow to Krishna about creating any more vampires, Yakasha arranged it so that Ray had a fatal tumble out the window before it blew. In breaking her vow, he would have been free to kill her...that was Yakasha's promise to Krishna.
To destroy all vampires.
Since Alisa believed that Ray was the reincarnation of her husband, Rama, turning him out of love seems to still keep Sita in Krishna's grace for protection.
In L.A. there have been many murders that can only be committed by vampires. Blood drained, bodies dismembered so Alisa has gone there to find out if what she has read in the newspapers are true.
She comes upon normal humans who are ready to attack her but Alisa can sense other vampires.
Going after one, she encounters four of them where one is clearly the leader. He isn't that old in appearance but he gives off an aura of a very unsettling person. He is the only one to survive, even as both he and Alisa are able to injure each other, and leaves without killing her.
The explosion of the weeks before caused a bit of shrapnel to pass through Alisa's body like a stake.
Ray was able to pull it out and she healed but after the fight with the mortal who was prepared to kill and rape her as well as this new vampire getting his own blows in...Alisa is very weak.
She doesn't get away from the scene of the crime unnoticed completely an the local officers are almost ready to let her be when a voice on the radio says to keep Alisa detained. A man arrives and we are introduced to FBI Special Agent Joel Drake, who takes Alisa into custody but not under arrest.
He and his associates have been working on the killings about the city, the LAPD a little busy with other crimes and cases, and he is curious to ask her questions. The mortal gangbuster she abandoned to pursue the newborn vampire was found dead and his associates say the last person he was with matches her description.
Alisa tells Joel she had nothing to do with that or the carnage where she fought off the vampires...just a young woman checking out L.A. to maybe go there for college and getting lost and separated from her car.
Joel doesn't seem to buy it and says he will get in touch with Alisa. She finds herself attracted and intrigued by Joel but she realizes she may just have to kill him but for now...she could use his help in trying to find out why there are vampires running around.
She and Ray are supposed to be the last.
Speaking of Ray, he's not taking to immortality very well. He misses his human life that he had and isn't too keen on having to hunt down humans. Alisa has been giving him her blood to survive.
Alisa and Ray are believed to be dead but only one person knows they both are alive and that they are vampires: Seymour Dorsten. He is the secret keeper and the chronicler of Sita's story out of both his admiration of her and gratitude.
Using her blood, she has not turned Seymour but Sita's powerful blood took away the AIDS virus which had him marked for death. She visits her friend to get his advice on what she should do and Seymour tells Sita that perhaps...Yakasha survived the explosion.
Far fetched but not out of the realm of possibility, Alisa/Sita realizes she is going to need Joel Drake's FBI clout to try and find out what the police found that night.
With Joel Drake at her side, still keeping her beloved Ray out of the loop for now, Alisa soon comes across information that could point her to the new vampire she encountered in L.A.
What she discovers is an evil far more wicked than anything she has witnessed in over five thousand years. With the help of Seymour, Ray and Joel...can they be enough to keep a plague of death at bay?
Or will it seep and spread and stain the whole world in a tide of venom...of the vampire's tainted, black blood?
There is more at stake (ha ha) than the first entry and we come across an antagonist who is far worse. I get such creepy vibes and the only thing I can say is that sometimes monsters aren't just made or born...they are just both.
I still like Alisa and Seymour's relationship. The rapport she develops with Special Agent Joel Drake is also thrilling to watch. I'm still not big on Alisa and Ray...he's such a milksop.
You thought Louis was a drag compared to Lestat, Ray has him beat. Doesn't seem too grateful that Alisa saved his life but the one thing that keeps me from hating Ray and only being annoyed at his constant moping is that a part of him does seem to love Alisa.
Could be reincarnation at work but maybe it's more and it doesn't go without loyalty. Kind of like an arranged marriage if you will...
We still get some backstory of the very long life Sita has lived and it's still intriguing. All of the Hindu mysticism and religion is present and we are still getting more than just a thrilling vampire story...it's just the way Pike works.
I think I shed a few more tears with this entry and I still have four books to go. Been a long time since I read this one and re-reading it was a pleasure so I highly recommend The Last Vampire and Black Blood as companion piece reading.
The Last Vampire sets us up for what is to come as an introduction of sorts to what we will be dealing with...Black Blood pushes the envelope.
Since it is part of a series, expect spoilers that I can in no subtle way keep secret in reviewing this book.
It has been six weeks since the ending of the first book. The vampire who made Sita aka Alisa tracked her down. She thought that Yakasha was dead but no...well now he is.
Alisa rigged her place to explode. In order to try and get her to break her vow to Krishna about creating any more vampires, Yakasha arranged it so that Ray had a fatal tumble out the window before it blew. In breaking her vow, he would have been free to kill her...that was Yakasha's promise to Krishna.
To destroy all vampires.
Since Alisa believed that Ray was the reincarnation of her husband, Rama, turning him out of love seems to still keep Sita in Krishna's grace for protection.
In L.A. there have been many murders that can only be committed by vampires. Blood drained, bodies dismembered so Alisa has gone there to find out if what she has read in the newspapers are true.
She comes upon normal humans who are ready to attack her but Alisa can sense other vampires.
Going after one, she encounters four of them where one is clearly the leader. He isn't that old in appearance but he gives off an aura of a very unsettling person. He is the only one to survive, even as both he and Alisa are able to injure each other, and leaves without killing her.
The explosion of the weeks before caused a bit of shrapnel to pass through Alisa's body like a stake.
Ray was able to pull it out and she healed but after the fight with the mortal who was prepared to kill and rape her as well as this new vampire getting his own blows in...Alisa is very weak.
She doesn't get away from the scene of the crime unnoticed completely an the local officers are almost ready to let her be when a voice on the radio says to keep Alisa detained. A man arrives and we are introduced to FBI Special Agent Joel Drake, who takes Alisa into custody but not under arrest.
He and his associates have been working on the killings about the city, the LAPD a little busy with other crimes and cases, and he is curious to ask her questions. The mortal gangbuster she abandoned to pursue the newborn vampire was found dead and his associates say the last person he was with matches her description.
Alisa tells Joel she had nothing to do with that or the carnage where she fought off the vampires...just a young woman checking out L.A. to maybe go there for college and getting lost and separated from her car.
Joel doesn't seem to buy it and says he will get in touch with Alisa. She finds herself attracted and intrigued by Joel but she realizes she may just have to kill him but for now...she could use his help in trying to find out why there are vampires running around.
She and Ray are supposed to be the last.
Speaking of Ray, he's not taking to immortality very well. He misses his human life that he had and isn't too keen on having to hunt down humans. Alisa has been giving him her blood to survive.
Alisa and Ray are believed to be dead but only one person knows they both are alive and that they are vampires: Seymour Dorsten. He is the secret keeper and the chronicler of Sita's story out of both his admiration of her and gratitude.
Using her blood, she has not turned Seymour but Sita's powerful blood took away the AIDS virus which had him marked for death. She visits her friend to get his advice on what she should do and Seymour tells Sita that perhaps...Yakasha survived the explosion.
Far fetched but not out of the realm of possibility, Alisa/Sita realizes she is going to need Joel Drake's FBI clout to try and find out what the police found that night.
With Joel Drake at her side, still keeping her beloved Ray out of the loop for now, Alisa soon comes across information that could point her to the new vampire she encountered in L.A.
What she discovers is an evil far more wicked than anything she has witnessed in over five thousand years. With the help of Seymour, Ray and Joel...can they be enough to keep a plague of death at bay?
Or will it seep and spread and stain the whole world in a tide of venom...of the vampire's tainted, black blood?
There is more at stake (ha ha) than the first entry and we come across an antagonist who is far worse. I get such creepy vibes and the only thing I can say is that sometimes monsters aren't just made or born...they are just both.
I still like Alisa and Seymour's relationship. The rapport she develops with Special Agent Joel Drake is also thrilling to watch. I'm still not big on Alisa and Ray...he's such a milksop.
You thought Louis was a drag compared to Lestat, Ray has him beat. Doesn't seem too grateful that Alisa saved his life but the one thing that keeps me from hating Ray and only being annoyed at his constant moping is that a part of him does seem to love Alisa.
Could be reincarnation at work but maybe it's more and it doesn't go without loyalty. Kind of like an arranged marriage if you will...
We still get some backstory of the very long life Sita has lived and it's still intriguing. All of the Hindu mysticism and religion is present and we are still getting more than just a thrilling vampire story...it's just the way Pike works.
I think I shed a few more tears with this entry and I still have four books to go. Been a long time since I read this one and re-reading it was a pleasure so I highly recommend The Last Vampire and Black Blood as companion piece reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2021
Sita changes Ray out of love, believing he might be a reincarnation of her husband from like, 5000 years ago. Big downer is, she killed his dad, he doesn’t want to be a vampire, he misses the sun, and worse - he misses his ex girlfriend from high school. So, yeah.
Sita battles a newborn vampire driving her demonic ex boyfriend around in an ice cream truck. Ray, of course, doesn’t make it. You’d think she’d be heartbroken because she was all - I’d rather die than lose him - like, a hundred pages ago (in book 1), but instead she’s just like - hold my beer while I make this FBI agent my new undead boyfriend. Why not?
So anyways, this book was a huge downer for me. I’m not even going to lie - I skimmed a good portion of it. It’s definitely, easily, the worst vamp book I’ve ever read.
Sita battles a newborn vampire driving her demonic ex boyfriend around in an ice cream truck. Ray, of course, doesn’t make it. You’d think she’d be heartbroken because she was all - I’d rather die than lose him - like, a hundred pages ago (in book 1), but instead she’s just like - hold my beer while I make this FBI agent my new undead boyfriend. Why not?
So anyways, this book was a huge downer for me. I’m not even going to lie - I skimmed a good portion of it. It’s definitely, easily, the worst vamp book I’ve ever read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2019
I first read this about 20+ years ago and really enjoyed it. Once again, I couldn't put it down. It was a quick read. There were sections about visions which I'm sure my teen self tuned out years ago because I didn't recall them very clearly from the first time I read it. They add some mystique to the read. Interestingly enough, some of the things shared from these visions and Sita's musings about them remind me of Anne Rice's Prince Lestat and the City of Atlantis, though they're not connected.
July 14, 2019
It's hard to review these individuals even when reading them slowly one at a time, the books do continue where the previous left off each time so it feels like part of a larger book that was broken up into smaller books so that it wasn't "too long". Which might be why they're combined today.
I will say the books aren't nearly as different as they seemed back in the 90s. But then I've read a lot of vampire books since then and they probably copied Pike.
Technically, I'm reading Thirst vol 1 which is the first three books, but I demand credit for every book I read.
I will say the books aren't nearly as different as they seemed back in the 90s. But then I've read a lot of vampire books since then and they probably copied Pike.
Technically, I'm reading Thirst vol 1 which is the first three books, but I demand credit for every book I read.
January 22, 2022
The story is not bad but OMG did the main character, Sita, irritate me. “I am so beautiful”. “ I am so strong “ etc etc. forever saying how great she was. Then it seems she did things in the story to completely contradict how how she was because she kept missing clues that even I could see. I found the way story was written very frustrating, though I managed to finish it. The 3rd story in this book “Thirst” I will read because the book was given to me by my grandson for Christmas, but I won’t be looking for more books written by Christopher Pike.
May 31, 2023
2.díl byl stejně dobrý jako 1., ne-li lepší. Což jsem teda vůbec neočekávala. Byla jsem ráda za novou mužskou postavu Joela, protože Raye jsem opravdu, ale opravdu neměla vůbec ráda. Nový záporák byl rozhodně děsivý a také velmi zvrhlý, což tomu jen dodalo štávu a hrůzu. Tento díl byl pro mě průměr, tak jako 1., dobře se četl a byla to původní upířina ještě před vegetariánskými upíry. Mrzí mě jen, že v ČR vyšly jen 3 díly.
December 11, 2023
Amazing Read!
This is an amazing book. It starts out with Alisa fighting a group of vampires. One of which is faster and stronger. How is this possible? I thought she was the last. This is a nonstop action packed book filled with plenty of deception to keep the reader guessing. Parts of the book made me feel like I was watching "Underworld." I loved the ending. It was perfect! Five Stars! I highly recommend.
This is an amazing book. It starts out with Alisa fighting a group of vampires. One of which is faster and stronger. How is this possible? I thought she was the last. This is a nonstop action packed book filled with plenty of deception to keep the reader guessing. Parts of the book made me feel like I was watching "Underworld." I loved the ending. It was perfect! Five Stars! I highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews