Interesting origin story of vampires. I like that Christopher Pike tries to inject some history in his books and they're not just quick vapid reads. ( )

This is just about perfect for a fresh take on the vampire legend. This was an excellent choice for my Halloween read-along nostalgia fest with Impy.

Sita believes herself to be The Last Vampire, so she's alarmed - and intrigued - when she learns that someone is hunting for her. Having lived for 5000 years, she's pretty much seen it all, and she has Win-like confidence in her abilities. There's only one being she can think of that wants her gone, and that is the vampire that 'made' her - the original vampire, Yaksha. This is the story of their final confrontation.

Pike incorporates a lot of Hindu mythology in this story, which is certainly different from the norm (especially in the early 90s). He packs a lot of it in a few pages, but in such a way that it practically builds his world for him. I certainly understand why the original series ran 6 books, and why he's written at least 1 sequel series: there is a lot of world to explore that is only hinted at in this book.

The story is adorably dated (they correspond by fax! Sita uses 3 1/2 inch "floppy" disks to erase the files that have been kept about her!), but it takes nothing away from the suspense of the Big Meeting, or the consequences of the abrupt ending. As a nostalgia read, these little details hit it out of the park.

I could easily see this being made into a mini-series, based on the events in this book alone (Sita recalls her birth as a vampire and all of the history she has personally witnessed). I hope the other books in the series hold up, because I can definitely see us reading them in the years to come! ( )

Don't you judge me. ( )

Christopher Pike is an author I have loved since I was in high school. I have continued to love rereading his books during my adult years as well. I had never read any of his "Last Vampire" series though for some reason. I obviously decided to start to read them.

This book did not disappoint me because it had the usual Pike moments littered throughout it. There are moments that feel too big to be true, but that is what makes these books interesting to read. This book primarily focuses on Sita, who believes she is the last vampire on earth. It is told in the first person through SIta's eyes. This makes the book pretty easy and straightforward to read because you understand the vampire's emotions throughout the story. It also makes the moments where there is violence, somewhat gruesome at times, easier to swallow down.

The book doesn't feel like a twilight saga story, which made it interesting to be reading in our current age of people obsessed with vampires in literature. This book felt like it was about a girl who had a very different life than we, as humans, have had. It made it more realistic and poignant to me than it could have been for others that have read the story. It was interesting to here the story through her voice because there always seemed to be a bit of sadness when she remembered her past.

The moments of Sita's past are probably the best moments of the book because it is where you start to feel that the character is fully being fleshed out. You start to understand her better, but during the present day scenes you get that all this past has defined why she is able to do what she does. This book is written shockingly well since it was geared towards the young adult market of a different time period. I have to say overall I was pleased with the book and I liked it. It doesn't rank up there in my favorite books, but for a more fun guilty pleasure type of read this was perfect. I will be continuing this series! ( )

This is so incredibly the best vampire book ever.

Sita (Alisa or Lara, whatever you want to call her) is a 5,000 year old vampire who is incredibly rich, incredibly beautiful, and yes, she likes blood.

Turns out, someone is trying to hunt her down. Even for someone 5,000 years old, she's got no desire to stop living!

I hearted this book when I was younger (how young, I don't quite remember...), and re-read it to see if I still thought it was worth my reminiscent praise. It is. ( )