Thirst No. 1: The Last Vampire, Black Blood, And Red Dice (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
"The Last Vampire""I am a vampire, and that is the truth. But the modern meaning of the word vampire, the stories that have been told about creatures such as I, are not precisely true. I do not turn to ash in the sun, nor do I cringe when I see a crucifix. I wear a tiny gold cross now around my neck, but only because I like it. As to blood--ah, blood, the whole subject fascinates me." I just finished reading "The Last Vampire" again after having read it about 17 years ago. I without a doubt enjoyed it even more this time as I was too young to appreciate it before. What I love most about the book is that Pike tells the story through the eyes of the vampire herself. Throughout the narration, Sita debunks many of the myths and stereotypes associated with vampires and reveals the true nature of this extraordinary being. And because she is as old as history itself, Sita recounts major historical events and points out some inaccuracies in the written tradition. Yaksha, the very first vampire and the embodiment of all that is evil, changed Sita and hundreds of others into vampires in India 5,000 years ago. But Krishna, who embodies all that is good, outwits Yaksha in combat (almost killing him) and makes Yaksha vow that all the vampires will be destroyed and no more will ever be created. Yaksha hunts down and kills all the other vampires as he vowed to do, and later is killed and burned in the witch trials of the Middle Ages. This leaves Sita as the sole remaining vampire.Now Sita is living in Mayfair, Oregon, calling herself Alisa Perne, secure in the knowledge that she is the last vampire. Yet, someone is hunting her...and only another vampire would be capable of hunting a creature as powerful, fast, and ruthless as Alisa. But there are no other vampires, so Alisa must find out who or what is after her.Sita/Alisa is a creature who has managed to witness firsthand 5,000 years of humanity's history, and has a lot to say about it. We understand what we always have: what it feels like to love, to lose, to fear, to hate. Sita/Alisa is delightfully human, in her capacity for all these things. Her pain is real, and her dilemma is an arduous one. As far as I am concerned, this is one of the best literary examples of the origin of vampires being explained in a fashion both comprehensible and believable.Pike's story flows like water--you can easily visualize what is happening--marvelously violent, and quite bloody. Not only does it manage to give you a compelling and gripping story with characters that are both real and complex--it's actually refreshing."The Last Vampire 2: Black Blood""Then you should never have been born."Sita had thought that she and her companion, Ray, were the last vampires on Earth. However, a murderer who favors dismembering and draining the blood of his victims is stalking Los Angeles, and Sita realizes that her assumption is incorrect. Only she has the power to stop this creature from his evil path but he's much stronger than she expected, and she finds herself in a life-and-death struggle. Occasionally the narrative digresses to discuss Sita's dreams and visions of her original life in India eons ago in an effort to lend spiritual purpose to her actions; this comes across as a somewhat obvious attempt to link the tale to legitimate mythology. I loved it with or without the digressions. The story is seen through not only her eyes, but her thoughts, her dream, and even her imagination. What I liked most about the sequel is of course Sita's slyly appealing humor. It never fails, whether she's dealing with the new characters introduced in this sequel or engaging in playful yet edgy banter with Ray or Simon. "The Last Vampire 3: Red Dice"Sita/Alisa and her male partner are vampires; but the FBI is on their trail, seeking their blood in order to study and duplicate it. One is captured, and it's up to the survivor to keep the FBI from learning their secret and turning the world into vampires.She attempts to keep her DNA from the hands of someone who would test it and use the results to gain immortality. Indeed she runs into an old "friend" who's involved in the series is more ways than you can imagine. Unfortunately, the reader does get the nagging thought that Sita throws away lovers like paper. It was sad how Joel wanted to die in peace but Sita made him into a vampire against his express wishes. She tried to make him take Ray's place.Like his other books, Pike goes into great depth, throws in romance, lots of violence, and some blow-'em-up scenes.More of Purplycookie’s Reviews @: http://www.goodreads.com/purplycookie Book Details: Title Thirst: Volume 1 (The Last Vampire; Black Blood; Red Dice)Author Christopher Pike Reviewed By Purplycookie
I love a good anti-hero. Unfortunately, the author forgot to make Alisa a sympathetic character...or even an interesting one. Literally every scene was an excuse for Alisa to explain how she was stronger/smarter/faster/better/hotter because she was more accomplished/more wealthy/more experienced/more badass than whatever was happening. But even her bullet-point lists o' awesomeness might've worked if not for the utterly dreadful writing. God knows I enjoy my fair share of campy authors (Dan Ross & VC Andrews come to mind), but the level of stilted unreality in Pike's style is truly epic. Behold:He throws aside the blankets and pulls on his pants. He comes and sits beside me and touches my arm. "I am not going to leave you.""You cannot protect me. You can only get yourself killed.""If I get killed, then I get killed. At least I will have tried.""Brave words, foolish words. I can make you leave. I can tell you things about myself that will make you run out of here cursing my name."He smiles. "I do not believe that."Or this:I leave the house and drive in my Ferrari to Seymour's place. It is not that late--ten o'clock. I do not want to meet his parents. They might suspect I have come to corrupt their beloved son. I go around the back and see Seymour through his bedroom window, writing on his computer. I scratch on his window with my hard nails and give him a scare. He comes over to investigate, however. He is delighted to see me. He opens the window and I climb inside. Contrary to popular opinion, I could have climbed in without being invited."It is so cool you are here," he says. "I have been writing about you all day."Seriously?2 stars, but only for Alisa's origin story. This is my second attempt at reading Pike; I thought one of his more famous books would show what I've been missing, but nope. If anything, the prose in Thirst is even worse than Witch World. Impressive. And uninspiring. I'm done with this author. Fool me once, etc.
What do You think about Thirst No. 1: The Last Vampire, Black Blood, And Red Dice (2009)?
Hmmm.... this book kept reminding me of The Vampire Lestat, but for all the worst reasons.Alisa, the narrator, is a self-obsessed, self-congratulatory PITA. At least 50% of the book is given over to "I can leap tall buildings" "I can dodge speeding bullets" "I am smokin' hot" "I am awesome in bed" "I can seduce anyone" ... you get the point. Alisa, who falls in love in about 35 seconds ("I form relationships really fast"), and then gets her lovers in all kinds of trouble ("I am awesome and worth it"). After 5,000 years ("I am old and experienced and so sexy because of it"), the vampire who created her ("I had to be made his consort because he wanted me more than anyone in the whole wide world") is coming back for her and that means all kinds of complications for her cushy life ("I am the richest chick ever"). The action, when it finally comes in stops and starts, is pretty brutal and saves Thirst from being just another "vampire love story" knock off. The story is there - just buried under layers of "tell, don't show." A stronger editor could have cut the three "stories" into one decent-sized novel, and I think it would have been pretty darn good.
—Lisa
Even though I have my own YA novel in development, I'm not much for reading what the market has to offer in that category (98% aimed at teenaged girls). However, I found this repackaging of 3 Christopher Pike novels from 1994/95 for $3.99 on clearance at Borders and I must say the opening chapter was one of the best I've read in a while. Sets up character, mystery, intrigue, suspense and plot beautifully in about a dozen pages. It's a very well-rounded opening chapter with a great balance of backstory setup, character development and plot setup. I was hooked immediately. I told my wife who reads YA novels almost exclusively that "THIS is how you start off a novel!" I exclaimed. THIS is how you write in first-person! Put down the book you're reading now and give this first chapter a shot." She did and agreed.The lead character, though female (a 5000 yr old vampire masquerading dangerously as a teen girl) has a voice that is immediately magnetic and captivating. She's devious, yes, and certainly a badass to be reckoned with if what she narrates and does in the opening chapter is any indication. If more of the YA speculative fiction novels were less blatantly screaming "written exclusively for a (very big) niche and gender-specific audience", and more about just telling a good story with a general appeal, I would be reading a lot more of them.I'll expand this initial review after I've read more.
—Brandon Rucker
What Went Write: (+5) EverythingIt is not often that I run across a book I would give a perfect rating. That does not mean the book was perfect by any means, it just indicates that in my personal opinion things couldnt get much better. Sometimes it's just that rare magic feeling you get when you finish a book and have no thoughts except "Wow, that was amazing!" This is how I felt about Thirst, and I have a numbered list of my other, more tangible reasons below; because I like listing things, and because there are so many. 1. The protagonist, Alisa, (or Sita) is the most badass vampire. EVER. Or female character in general... She is not helpless, she does not need men, and is willing to use them when it suits her (or love them when it suits her as well.) No, Thirst is not a flaming feminist work, just conspicuously and deliciously damsel-in-distress free. Sita is very resourceful. 2. Pike was not afraid to get his hands (or Sita's) very dirty. Filthy actually. The blood and gore is very refreshing after reading so many versions of tame, cleaned up, non-lethal vampirism. 3. The historical references are highly enjoyable and entirely believable. They breathe life into Sita's past and make flawless connections to her present. The research is impeccable if not embellished upon a little (ok, a lot). 4. Religion, unlike other vampire novels, does not take the back seat in Thirst. In fact, questions of faith are so intricately woven into the fabric of the story that readers will no doubt finish it with questions of their own. 5. The book is written well. Pike's blunt, straightfoward first person prose propels both action and thought in an efficient, yet still interesting and detailed manner. 6. It is the kind of story you wish was your own, the kind you will never forget. Move over Anne Rice...
—MARYREDINGREADS
