“Thirst, No. 3: The Eternal Dawn” by Christopher Pike

When I found out Pike was adding more to the Alisa/Sita story...I about peed myself. Before this book came out, I knew the first six books (originally published in the 90's as "The Last Vampire" series) were re-released in two volumes called "Thirst: No. 1" and "Thirst: No. 2." With the vamp-papalooza lately, I wasn't surprised the publishers would try and get Christopher Pike's older, but still relevant, vampire stories noticed.

I have the original six books. They are short and small paperbacks that left you on the edge of your seat. The sixth book neatly tied up the series. I was happy with it. It was complete. It's one of the few sets of books I've read more than twice. I wished it would've been made into movies, etc.

Then, I realize that this latest title "Thirst No. 3: The Eternal Dawn" was a continuation of "The Last Vampire" from the 90's. I asked for it from Santa. Luckily, I got it and it took me two sit-downs to read the 478 pages (way longer than any of the "Last Vampire" books when they were originally published).

The voice of the character was still fairly similar, and I found it super easy to get back into the series after 15 years. Luckily, the book picks back up in "real time" and is 15 years later, as well.

(Here's the thing: In the last book, before it was all republished, Sita/Alisa had the chance to renig any of the vampire stuff that happened to her and because of that, she ended up being a human at the end of the sixth book...as if her life as a vampire never happened. This was how I ended the series 15 years ago, thinking nothing more would come to it.)

I thought this was a cool/sad way to end the story, so you find my surprise when, we, the reader, find out that Sita is alive and well.

The plot "twist" that allowed this was decent enough. Believable. I felt like Pike pounded it into our heads a few times too many, though.

That's OK. I love this series so much that, in my heart, Pike can do NO wrong with it. It can get absolutely crazy, and I will stand by it as brilliant.

It was one of the first vampire stories I ever read and since it's ingrained in my childhood, it will always be one of my favorites, especially since "No. 3" was left in a crazy cliffhanger (as I should've known) and "No. 4" will come out this summer, and by golly, it better.

Here's the thing, though. Pike cannot half-ass it. It's been known that he doesn't sometimes finish series/sequels (The "Alosha" trilogy was said to have a fourth book, but it's never come out, while "The Cold One" was supposed to have a sequel, and THAT never happened). If he goes through with more books with Sita, it will need to end, otherwise I'll be really unhappy with abysmal, cryptic no-answers.

I was burned with "Night World" by L.J. Smith when she NEVER released the last book in the 10-book series.

Tsk. Tsk.