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The Last Vampire #3
Red Dice
Alisa and her former FBI partner, Joel, learn of a government plan to capture them in order to steal and analyze their vampire blood for the purpose of duplicating it, and when Joel is caught, Alisa risks her life to free him. Original.
208 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1995
18 people are currently reading
1598 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Pike
261 books5,465 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
November 23, 2014
The body count had to have hit at least 20 within the first chapter. That's always a set-up for a win if I've ever read one. Pike doesn't pull any punches. If people need to die, then they're going to die. And do they die.
Alisa is still Alisa: a five thousand year old vampire just trying to survive and stay in her god's good graces while she's at it. The thing is, all of these human interactions are starting to wear on her and it shows. First Ray and then Joel. It's no surprise that as the series went on, Alisa has become less like a vampire and more like a human, grievous mistakes and all. Her barrier is breaking down. She's getting sloppy and it's getting people killed. And I love it. Well, not the people-killing thing but Alisa's vulnerabilities. It still reads like this slightly stilted, breath of old air type of vibe but her actions are breaking down. The words are becoming just a facade as the vampire dies and she leaves the grace she found protection under for so long.
I like the whole scientific/spiritual aspect of the story, how it started back in history and looped around to the present. I think it makes total sense that should a vampire get captured, the government would want to experiment on it. Imagine the cures! The undead armies! Kind of scary, though, don't you think? Alisa thought so.
Again, Pike doesn't spare anyone's feelings by the end of the book. Alisa was born to suffer, and suffer she will. But you care about her. She's not a floofy, sappy type of vampire. Yes, she feels love and compassion but when a job has to get done, she makes sure it gets done. Alisa is equal parts selfish and altruistic. She sure as hell doesn't want to die but if it means it'll save the greater good, she will. But she'll do everything she can to make sure that she doesn't have to make that kind of sacrifice before actually having to do it.
RED DICE is a great addition to THE LAST VAMPIRE series. I know there are three more books left that I must get my hands on. I need to see where the story goes, especially after the ending in this one. What a cliffhanger! Kind of cruel, really, since I don't have the next in the series to sate my interest. But I'll get it eventually. You can count on it! If you haven't started THE LAST VAMPIRE series yet, I'd highly recommend you do. There's a reason why it was re-released now. It's just that level of awesome.
Alisa is still Alisa: a five thousand year old vampire just trying to survive and stay in her god's good graces while she's at it. The thing is, all of these human interactions are starting to wear on her and it shows. First Ray and then Joel. It's no surprise that as the series went on, Alisa has become less like a vampire and more like a human, grievous mistakes and all. Her barrier is breaking down. She's getting sloppy and it's getting people killed. And I love it. Well, not the people-killing thing but Alisa's vulnerabilities. It still reads like this slightly stilted, breath of old air type of vibe but her actions are breaking down. The words are becoming just a facade as the vampire dies and she leaves the grace she found protection under for so long.
I like the whole scientific/spiritual aspect of the story, how it started back in history and looped around to the present. I think it makes total sense that should a vampire get captured, the government would want to experiment on it. Imagine the cures! The undead armies! Kind of scary, though, don't you think? Alisa thought so.
Again, Pike doesn't spare anyone's feelings by the end of the book. Alisa was born to suffer, and suffer she will. But you care about her. She's not a floofy, sappy type of vampire. Yes, she feels love and compassion but when a job has to get done, she makes sure it gets done. Alisa is equal parts selfish and altruistic. She sure as hell doesn't want to die but if it means it'll save the greater good, she will. But she'll do everything she can to make sure that she doesn't have to make that kind of sacrifice before actually having to do it.
RED DICE is a great addition to THE LAST VAMPIRE series. I know there are three more books left that I must get my hands on. I need to see where the story goes, especially after the ending in this one. What a cliffhanger! Kind of cruel, really, since I don't have the next in the series to sate my interest. But I'll get it eventually. You can count on it! If you haven't started THE LAST VAMPIRE series yet, I'd highly recommend you do. There's a reason why it was re-released now. It's just that level of awesome.
March 3, 2013
Η τριλογια Διψα ηταν το ιδιο συναρπαστικη απο το πρωτο βιβλιο μεχρι και το τριτο. Σασπενς, δραση κ το κυριοτερο απρόβλεπτα γυρίσματα απο την αρχη μέχρι κ το τελος. Ο συγγραφεας δεν λυποταν να κατσαδιασει, βασανισει ακομα κ να σκοτωσει τους κυριους ηρωες, κατι που με αφηνε απνοη καθως διαβαζα τις γραμμες. Η ατμοσφαιρα τρομακτικη, μαγικη και αιματοβαμεμη ταυτόχρονα. Αμα ηταν ταινια θα ηταν κατι αναμεσα στο Underworld, το Ramayanam και το Kill Bill Υπεροχο!
May 31, 2024
2.5⭐️
113/200
Ummmm
113/200
Ummmm
September 10, 2018
I’m continuing my buddy read with Roberta from Offbeat YA, and we’ll likely be reading through the rest of the series over the next several months. Red Dice marks the end of the first installment of Thirst. There are spoilers ahead for The Last Vampire and Black Blood.
When Sita and her newly turned vampire friend, Joel, wake up after defeating Eddie, they find themselves surrounded by police who suspect that they’re more than human. When Joel is captured, Sita is forced to plan a rescue from a military base in the desert. If the secret of vampire blood gets out, it could mean the end of the world. Breaking into the compound won’t be easy though, and if necessary, Sita and Joel may have to go down in flames with it.
Red Dice isn’t exactly the sophomore slump I was expecting with Black Blood, but it’s not one of my favorite books in the series. Once again, the books jumps straight into the action scenes, which have more explosions and a higher body count than ever. We’ve seen Sita go up against single opponents that were stronger than she is; now, we get to see how she does against an entire human police force. It drifts into improbable in places, but it’s still highly entertaining. Sita might lose her life, but never her wit.
Unfortunately, the middle lags a bit while she attempts to seduce a down-on-his luck scientist into helping her break into a compound. If not for the flashback scenes of Sita during the Inquisition, it wouldn’t be very interesting, since Andy is not an altogether compelling character. Like Ray, it seems like Joel is going to be a major character, but he barely features in the novel once he’s captured. Other than Sita acquiring some new powers from drinking Yaksha’s blood, the character development is almost nonexistent because there just aren’t that many characters around.
Things pick up again once Sita forces her way inside, and one of my favorite scenes is her tormenting the guards who have the audacity to try to lock her up. It’s gleeful, wicked fun as always. By the end of the novel, the stakes are so high that it’s hard to see how even Sita will get out of it, and Pike has to introduce a bit of a deus ex machina to pull it off. It’s far from my favorite ending, but I suppose the series must go on. Then again, it’s a rare series where every book hits five stars.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
When Sita and her newly turned vampire friend, Joel, wake up after defeating Eddie, they find themselves surrounded by police who suspect that they’re more than human. When Joel is captured, Sita is forced to plan a rescue from a military base in the desert. If the secret of vampire blood gets out, it could mean the end of the world. Breaking into the compound won’t be easy though, and if necessary, Sita and Joel may have to go down in flames with it.
Red Dice isn’t exactly the sophomore slump I was expecting with Black Blood, but it’s not one of my favorite books in the series. Once again, the books jumps straight into the action scenes, which have more explosions and a higher body count than ever. We’ve seen Sita go up against single opponents that were stronger than she is; now, we get to see how she does against an entire human police force. It drifts into improbable in places, but it’s still highly entertaining. Sita might lose her life, but never her wit.
Unfortunately, the middle lags a bit while she attempts to seduce a down-on-his luck scientist into helping her break into a compound. If not for the flashback scenes of Sita during the Inquisition, it wouldn’t be very interesting, since Andy is not an altogether compelling character. Like Ray, it seems like Joel is going to be a major character, but he barely features in the novel once he’s captured. Other than Sita acquiring some new powers from drinking Yaksha’s blood, the character development is almost nonexistent because there just aren’t that many characters around.
Things pick up again once Sita forces her way inside, and one of my favorite scenes is her tormenting the guards who have the audacity to try to lock her up. It’s gleeful, wicked fun as always. By the end of the novel, the stakes are so high that it’s hard to see how even Sita will get out of it, and Pike has to introduce a bit of a deus ex machina to pull it off. It’s far from my favorite ending, but I suppose the series must go on. Then again, it’s a rare series where every book hits five stars.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
November 23, 2018
This might be my favourite so far. Still kind of ridiculous, but so fun. Sita is a full on Terminator (and not only because she talks like a robot).
November 1, 2023
3.5 stars. Sita is back, with the newly-created vampire Joel, the FBI agent who was hunting down the serial killer in the previous book. This one opens immediately at the end of the last one, with Sita and Joel needing to escape a very tightly wound dragnet that has closed around them. Joel tries to speak to his colleagues, but he is immediately taken into custody, and Sita has to escape on her own. The first chapter is forty pages long and extremely action packed, so be prepared!
Joel is taken to an underground bunker to be studied, and Sita is trying to figure out how to rescue him. Once she gets in, she realizes that she has been betrayed by a person from her past, and it becomes a struggle of wills as to who will escape - and survive.
I enjoyed this a lot more than book #2, perhaps because it adds to the mythos surrounding Sita and her five thousand year life. Here, Sita recalls a time in medieval Italy when she met a young priest aspiring to recreate the blood of Jesus via alchemy. She fell in love with him (Arturo) and allowed him to experiment with her blood, until things went pear-shaped. She thought she'd disposed of Arturo via the Inquisition, but unfortunately she didn't. I liked the addition of the Catholic mythology to the Hindu-inspired spirituality of Sita, and the alchemy twist was pretty ingenious. It didn't hold up quite as well in present day, but it was an interesting path nonetheless. There is a deux es machina ending to allow Sita to escape, which is also more WTF than sensible, but hey! At least the explanation is somewhat plausible: it seems that final infusion of Yaksha's blood from the last book has given Sita a lot of new powers.
Arturo knows one of Sita's weak points: the loss of her child. In exchange for her blood, he offers her the chance to become a mother again, which is something she finds very tempting. At the end of this book, she tries again to transform herself into a mortal being. Was she successful? We'll find out in Book #4!
One final note: time is flying by at warp speed; apparently only two months have elapsed since the start of Book #1. Maybe it seems longer to me because we're reading only one book a year? IDK; I find as I get older, I've lost all sense of time passing.
Joel is taken to an underground bunker to be studied, and Sita is trying to figure out how to rescue him. Once she gets in, she realizes that she has been betrayed by a person from her past, and it becomes a struggle of wills as to who will escape - and survive.
I enjoyed this a lot more than book #2, perhaps because it adds to the mythos surrounding Sita and her five thousand year life. Here, Sita recalls a time in medieval Italy when she met a young priest aspiring to recreate the blood of Jesus via alchemy. She fell in love with him (Arturo) and allowed him to experiment with her blood, until things went pear-shaped. She thought she'd disposed of Arturo via the Inquisition, but unfortunately she didn't. I liked the addition of the Catholic mythology to the Hindu-inspired spirituality of Sita, and the alchemy twist was pretty ingenious. It didn't hold up quite as well in present day, but it was an interesting path nonetheless. There is a deux es machina ending to allow Sita to escape, which is also more WTF than sensible, but hey! At least the explanation is somewhat plausible: it seems that final infusion of Yaksha's blood from the last book has given Sita a lot of new powers.
Arturo knows one of Sita's weak points: the loss of her child. In exchange for her blood, he offers her the chance to become a mother again, which is something she finds very tempting. At the end of this book, she tries again to transform herself into a mortal being. Was she successful? We'll find out in Book #4!
One final note: time is flying by at warp speed; apparently only two months have elapsed since the start of Book #1. Maybe it seems longer to me because we're reading only one book a year? IDK; I find as I get older, I've lost all sense of time passing.
July 29, 2019
3 ½ Stars
Red Dice is the third book in The Last Vampire series by Christopher Pike. In this book Alisa/Sita and her former FBI partner uncover a government plot to capture them in order to use the vampire blood in their experiments. So, when Joel goes missing, Alisa/Sita will risk everything in order to rescue him. What does the government want with vampire blood? Will she be able to rescue Joel without being captured herself? What happens next makes for an intriguing read….
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 plenty of 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!
Red Dice is the third book in The Last Vampire series by Christopher Pike. In this book Alisa/Sita and her former FBI partner uncover a government plot to capture them in order to use the vampire blood in their experiments. So, when Joel goes missing, Alisa/Sita will risk everything in order to rescue him. What does the government want with vampire blood? Will she be able to rescue Joel without being captured herself? What happens next makes for an intriguing read….
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 plenty of 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!
January 22, 2022
The continuation in this book of the story of Sita started in the first 2 books in the series was decent and did keep me reading to the end.
Sita and her narcissism still seriously annoyed me. Or again, maybe it was the author’s writing style, but whichever it was, I won’t read any more of the Thirst series.
An example of what I didn’t enjoy about Sita, and how she continuously describes herself. I quote:
“But I can not force my way inside. Therefore, I must sneak in. How do I do that? Make friends with the guards? Seduce Mr. Machine Gun Mike? The idea may not be as farfetched as it seems with my magnetic personality and hypnotic eyes.”
Gag.
Sita and her narcissism still seriously annoyed me. Or again, maybe it was the author’s writing style, but whichever it was, I won’t read any more of the Thirst series.
An example of what I didn’t enjoy about Sita, and how she continuously describes herself. I quote:
“But I can not force my way inside. Therefore, I must sneak in. How do I do that? Make friends with the guards? Seduce Mr. Machine Gun Mike? The idea may not be as farfetched as it seems with my magnetic personality and hypnotic eyes.”
Gag.
June 12, 2024
Είναι από τις λίγες φορές που δεν χρειάζεται να περιμένω 'αιώνες' προκειμένου να διαβάσω την συνέχεια μια ιστορίας. Ευτυχώς ο Πατάκης, φρόντισε η σειρά "Δίψα" να κυκλοφορήσει τα τρία πρώτα της βιβλία με διαφορά ενός μόλις μήνα, γεγονός που ως αναγνώστη, κάνει την ζωή μου πιο εύκολη. Μην ξεχνάμε άλλωστε πως μιλάμε για μια σειρά τα γεγονότα της οποίας τρέχουν με πολύ γρήγορους ρυθμούς και το να μεσολαβούσε μεγάλο διάστημα ανάμεσα στις εκδόσεις απλά θα κατέστρεφε την μαγεία. Η Σίτα λοιπόν επιστρέφει, από το σημείο ακριβώς όπου την αφήσαμε στο τέλος του δεύτερου βιβλίου, με σκοπό να κλείσει τις εκκρεμότητες που έμειναν ανοιχτές και πάνω απ' όλα, έτοιμη να παλέψει για να ξεφύγει από μια μοίρα που μπορεί να αποδειχτεί τραγική, όχι μόνο για την ίδια της την ύπαρξη αλλά, για την ύπαρξη ολόκληρου του ανθρωπίνου γένους.
Η Σίτα έχει καταφέρει να σκοτώσει μέχρι και το τελευταίο βαμπίρ που δημιούργησε ο ψυχασθενής Έντι, δίνοντας έτσι τέλος σε μια μάστιγα η οποία πολύ εύκολα θα μπορούσε να εξελιχθεί σε έναν φονικό στρατό που θα εξαφάνιζε την ανθρωπότητα. Παράλληλα, καταπάτησε για δεύτερη φορά τον όρκο της στο θεό Κρίσνα, μεταμορφώνοντας σε βαμπίρ τον ετοιμοθάνατο Τζόελ καθώς δεν μπορούσε να τον αφήσει έρμαιο της μοίρας του. Όμως τα πράγματα κάθε άλλο παρά ομαλά εξελίσσονται για την πρωταγωνίστριά μας καθώς, μπορεί ο Τζόελ να κατανοεί την απόφασή της να τον αλλάξει ωστόσο, το FBI βρίσκεται σύντομα στον 'τόπο του εγκλήματος' και όπως όλα δείχνουν, γνωρίζουν πολύ περισσότερα απ' όσα θα έπρεπε. Είναι αποφασισμένοι να συλλάβουν την Σίτα και όποιον άλλον βρίσκεται μαζί της και να τους μεταφέρουν σε μια τοποθεσία, ειδικά διαμορφωμένη για να τους 'φιλοξενήσει' με σκοπό, όχι μόνο να ανακαλύψουν την πραγματική της φύση αλλά, να την χρησιμοποιήσουν.
Όπως αντιλαμβάνεστε, η Σίτα δεν είναι από τους χαρακτήρες εκείνους που παραδίδουν εύκολα τα όπλα και έτσι, κάνει ότι είναι δυνατόν προκειμένου να ξεφύγει, έστω κι αν αυτό σημαίνει ότι θα οδηγηθεί στον θάνατο. Παρακολουθούμε λοιπόν μια ξέφρενη προσπάθεια απόδρασης η οποία όμως, δεν έχει την κατάληξη που επιθυμούσε. Ο Τζόελ βρίσκεται στα χέρια του FBI και εκείνη είναι αποφασισμένη να τον πάρει πίσω. Φυσικά τα πράγματα δεν είναι καθόλου εύκολα και ένας άνθρωπος από το μακρινό παρελθόν της θα κάνει την κατάσταση ακόμα πιο δύσκολη. Την ίδια ώρα, ανακαλύπτει τις νέες δυνάμεις της, τις οποίες και απέκτησε χάρη στο αίμα του νεκρού πια δημιουργού της. Χωρίς να μπορεί να τις κατανοήσει απόλυτα και έχοντας την ανασφάλεια που της γεννά η πεποίθηση ότι ο θεός της την έχει εγκαταλείψει, πρέπει να παλέψει όπως ποτέ άλλοτε στη ζωή της. Οι τραγικές αποφάσεις του παρελθόντος της ξυπνάνε και είναι αυτές που την καθοδηγούν γνωρίζοντας πολύ καλά πως η ιδιαίτερη φύση της δεν είναι ευλογία αλλά, μια κατάρα που δεν μπορεί να αφήσει να πάρει παγκόσμιες διαστάσεις.
Ο Pike χειρίζεται την ιστορία του με μαεστρία και δυναμισμό ανεβάζοντας πολύ ψηλά τον πήχη. Για άλλη μια φορά, η ιστορία του είναι ευέλικτη, γρήγορη, γεμάτη δράση και ανατροπές, καθιστώντας αδύνατο το να πάρεις ανάσα, πόσο μάλλον το να αφήσεις το βιβλίο από τα χέρια σου. Πραγματικά, ο τρόπος με τον οποίο αφηγείται την ιστορία του είναι μοναδικός, συνδυάζοντας αρχέγονες δοξασίες, θρύλους και θρησκευτικά δρώμενα, δίνοντας στην ιστορία του έναν αέρα εξωτικής και μαγικής ρεαλιστικότητας. Τα βαμπίρ του προέρχονται από έναν αρχαίο και άγριο κόσμο ο οποίος είναι ολότελα δικός του και κατά συνέπεια, πολύ ξεχωριστός και ιδιαίτερος. Το να καταφεύγει σε αναδρομές του παρελθόντος είναι κάτι που μας έχει συνηθίσει όμως, το κάνει με τέτοιον τρόπο ώστε ο αναγνώστης να μην κουράζεται και να δέχεται, όχι άχρηστες πληροφορίες αλλά, μόνον όσες είναι πραγματικά σημαντικές και ζωτικής σημασίας ώστε να κατανοήσουμε τα κίνητρα αλλά και τα βαθύτερα ψυχολογικά τραύματα και τις ανάγκες των πρωταγωνιστών του. Πιο σκληρό και βίαιο, με περισσότερες απώλειες, είναι το βιβλίο του εκείνο που μέχρι στιγμής, αποτελεί την κορύφωση του δράματος.
Απ' ότι φαίνεται οι εκδόσεις Πατάκη αποφάσισαν να εκδώσουν και τα υπόλοιπα βιβλία της σειράς ή τουλάχιστον, αυτό προκύπτει φτάνοντας στο τέλος της ανάγνωσης του συγκεκριμένου βιβλίου που φαντάζει στα μάτια μας ως το τέλος ενός κύκλου και ως η αφετηρία ενός νέου, γεμάτου νέες ανατροπές κι εκπλήξεις. Εικασίες μπορούμε να κάνουμε πολλές όμως τίποτα δεν είναι σίγουρο. Το σίγουρο είναι πως η ιστορία στα βάθη της μιλάει για την αγάπη και πως αυτή μπορεί να μας καθοδηγήσει φτάνοντας στην ολοκλήρωση ή την απόλυτη καταστροφή. Ταυτόχρονα, παρουσιάζει το σκληρό πρόσωπο του ανθρώπου που μπορεί να γίνει το πιο επικίνδυνο πλάσμα στον κόσμο, ξεπερνώντας ακόμα και τα αιμοσταγή βαμπίρ. Γιατί τίποτα δεν είναι πιο επικίνδυνο από την μισαλλοδοξία, την ανάγκη για αναγνώριση και την απόκτηση μιας υπέρτατης δύναμης που θα προσφέρει εξουσία. Ο Pike χρησιμοποιεί την αλχημεία ως σημείο τερματισμού και έναρξης, ως το πέρασμα σε μια νέα ζωή και μια νέα τάξη πραγμάτων που πραγματικά αγωνιώ να ανακαλύψω και να εξερευνήσω.
Η Σίτα έχει καταφέρει να σκοτώσει μέχρι και το τελευταίο βαμπίρ που δημιούργησε ο ψυχασθενής Έντι, δίνοντας έτσι τέλος σε μια μάστιγα η οποία πολύ εύκολα θα μπορούσε να εξελιχθεί σε έναν φονικό στρατό που θα εξαφάνιζε την ανθρωπότητα. Παράλληλα, καταπάτησε για δεύτερη φορά τον όρκο της στο θεό Κρίσνα, μεταμορφώνοντας σε βαμπίρ τον ετοιμοθάνατο Τζόελ καθώς δεν μπορούσε να τον αφήσει έρμαιο της μοίρας του. Όμως τα πράγματα κάθε άλλο παρά ομαλά εξελίσσονται για την πρωταγωνίστριά μας καθώς, μπορεί ο Τζόελ να κατανοεί την απόφασή της να τον αλλάξει ωστόσο, το FBI βρίσκεται σύντομα στον 'τόπο του εγκλήματος' και όπως όλα δείχνουν, γνωρίζουν πολύ περισσότερα απ' όσα θα έπρεπε. Είναι αποφασισμένοι να συλλάβουν την Σίτα και όποιον άλλον βρίσκεται μαζί της και να τους μεταφέρουν σε μια τοποθεσία, ειδικά διαμορφωμένη για να τους 'φιλοξενήσει' με σκοπό, όχι μόνο να ανακαλύψουν την πραγματική της φύση αλλά, να την χρησιμοποιήσουν.
Όπως αντιλαμβάνεστε, η Σίτα δεν είναι από τους χαρακτήρες εκείνους που παραδίδουν εύκολα τα όπλα και έτσι, κάνει ότι είναι δυνατόν προκειμένου να ξεφύγει, έστω κι αν αυτό σημαίνει ότι θα οδηγηθεί στον θάνατο. Παρακολουθούμε λοιπόν μια ξέφρενη προσπάθεια απόδρασης η οποία όμως, δεν έχει την κατάληξη που επιθυμούσε. Ο Τζόελ βρίσκεται στα χέρια του FBI και εκείνη είναι αποφασισμένη να τον πάρει πίσω. Φυσικά τα πράγματα δεν είναι καθόλου εύκολα και ένας άνθρωπος από το μακρινό παρελθόν της θα κάνει την κατάσταση ακόμα πιο δύσκολη. Την ίδια ώρα, ανακαλύπτει τις νέες δυνάμεις της, τις οποίες και απέκτησε χάρη στο αίμα του νεκρού πια δημιουργού της. Χωρίς να μπορεί να τις κατανοήσει απόλυτα και έχοντας την ανασφάλεια που της γεννά η πεποίθηση ότι ο θεός της την έχει εγκαταλείψει, πρέπει να παλέψει όπως ποτέ άλλοτε στη ζωή της. Οι τραγικές αποφάσεις του παρελθόντος της ξυπνάνε και είναι αυτές που την καθοδηγούν γνωρίζοντας πολύ καλά πως η ιδιαίτερη φύση της δεν είναι ευλογία αλλά, μια κατάρα που δεν μπορεί να αφήσει να πάρει παγκόσμιες διαστάσεις.
Ο Pike χειρίζεται την ιστορία του με μαεστρία και δυναμισμό ανεβάζοντας πολύ ψηλά τον πήχη. Για άλλη μια φορά, η ιστορία του είναι ευέλικτη, γρήγορη, γεμάτη δράση και ανατροπές, καθιστώντας αδύνατο το να πάρεις ανάσα, πόσο μάλλον το να αφήσεις το βιβλίο από τα χέρια σου. Πραγματικά, ο τρόπος με τον οποίο αφηγείται την ιστορία του είναι μοναδικός, συνδυάζοντας αρχέγονες δοξασίες, θρύλους και θρησκευτικά δρώμενα, δίνοντας στην ιστορία του έναν αέρα εξωτικής και μαγικής ρεαλιστικότητας. Τα βαμπίρ του προέρχονται από έναν αρχαίο και άγριο κόσμο ο οποίος είναι ολότελα δικός του και κατά συνέπεια, πολύ ξεχωριστός και ιδιαίτερος. Το να καταφεύγει σε αναδρομές του παρελθόντος είναι κάτι που μας έχει συνηθίσει όμως, το κάνει με τέτοιον τρόπο ώστε ο αναγνώστης να μην κουράζεται και να δέχεται, όχι άχρηστες πληροφορίες αλλά, μόνον όσες είναι πραγματικά σημαντικές και ζωτικής σημασίας ώστε να κατανοήσουμε τα κίνητρα αλλά και τα βαθύτερα ψυχολογικά τραύματα και τις ανάγκες των πρωταγωνιστών του. Πιο σκληρό και βίαιο, με περισσότερες απώλειες, είναι το βιβλίο του εκείνο που μέχρι στιγμής, αποτελεί την κορύφωση του δράματος.
Απ' ότι φαίνεται οι εκδόσεις Πατάκη αποφάσισαν να εκδώσουν και τα υπόλοιπα βιβλία της σειράς ή τουλάχιστον, αυτό προκύπτει φτάνοντας στο τέλος της ανάγνωσης του συγκεκριμένου βιβλίου που φαντάζει στα μάτια μας ως το τέλος ενός κύκλου και ως η αφετηρία ενός νέου, γεμάτου νέες ανατροπές κι εκπλήξεις. Εικασίες μπορούμε να κάνουμε πολλές όμως τίποτα δεν είναι σίγουρο. Το σίγουρο είναι πως η ιστορία στα βάθη της μιλάει για την αγάπη και πως αυτή μπορεί να μας καθοδηγήσει φτάνοντας στην ολοκλήρωση ή την απόλυτη καταστροφή. Ταυτόχρονα, παρουσιάζει το σκληρό πρόσωπο του ανθρώπου που μπορεί να γίνει το πιο επικίνδυνο πλάσμα στον κόσμο, ξεπερνώντας ακόμα και τα αιμοσταγή βαμπίρ. Γιατί τίποτα δεν είναι πιο επικίνδυνο από την μισαλλοδοξία, την ανάγκη για αναγνώριση και την απόκτηση μιας υπέρτατης δύναμης που θα προσφέρει εξουσία. Ο Pike χρησιμοποιεί την αλχημεία ως σημείο τερματισμού και έναρξης, ως το πέρασμα σε μια νέα ζωή και μια νέα τάξη πραγμάτων που πραγματικά αγωνιώ να ανακαλύψω και να εξερευνήσω.
July 9, 2020
YA vampire noir. Sita seems to have stepped right out of a hardboiled novel or one of the great noir films of the 40s and 50s, but she's not the femme fatale - she's the lead. Pike really hit his stride with the last book, and this one is just as good. Pulpy and at times near ridiculous, but entertaining and satisfying nonetheless.
September 5, 2021
Conclusion is a bit underwhelming and the trend of Sita falling in love with every man she meets even though she only got her husband from 5000 years ago back a few months ago continues. Also there isn't a sex scene between her and Arturo and only a few days have passed since she killed Yaksha but she claims to have been sleeping with Arturo for months. I remember this leads into the next 2 books with Sita's daughter but she never had sex with Arturo and I think 3 days passed in the book not 3 months. Sita gets new power whenever she needs them, it's all a bit dumb from an adult's perspective but still somehow fun.
October 27, 2022
The Last Vampire 3: Red Dice opens with some of the wildest action in the series so far. It cemented my feeling that these books could adapt really well in the right hands. Christopher Pike once again does a good job of raising the stakes so it never feels like a complete retread of the past. We get glimpses of different parts of Sita’s past, which I felt was well-balanced. It gave us just the right amount of information while keeping the story going. Unlike the last book, I didn’t care for the big villain of this story. I don’t like when villains are cartoonishly evil; I prefer the complex and nuanced types Pike excels at creating. In this same vein, I was a little disappointed with the treatment of Joel in this book. He had a really interesting set, but any sort of promising arc he might have had ultimately got lost in the desert. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the overreliance on massive explosions in this series. Sure, they’re lots of fun. But there has been precisely one in each book so far. I think this may speak to the challenge of writing an all-powerful character like Sita. One has to go to such ridiculous lengths to kill or even challenge her that you run out of options quickly. The ending set things up for an interesting Book 4. I’ll be taking a break on these until next year, but I look forward to picking them back up. All in all, The Last Vampire 3 was another solid edition of the series.
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
October 16, 2025
I’m attempting to read the original six Last Vampire novels by Christopher Pike in October! Book Three: Red Dice. 🔴🎲
Alisa says sayonara to the Pacific Northwest and heads to Vegas by way of a stolen helicopter where she takes up gambling, cavorts with a mad scientist, and practices levitating in the desert moonlight. The novel concludes with a blazing Die Hard-inspired finale—think machine guns, bloodbaths, and detonated nuclear warheads. (I’m not even joking.)
This books reads like the most ridiculous, melodramatic action movie you can imagine, and I’m totally here for it. This is by far by favourite entry in the series so far. (It also features a healthy dose of Seymour, so consider me satiated.)
This challenge has been great to me so far. I’m having a great time over here. 😂
Onto the next!
Alisa says sayonara to the Pacific Northwest and heads to Vegas by way of a stolen helicopter where she takes up gambling, cavorts with a mad scientist, and practices levitating in the desert moonlight. The novel concludes with a blazing Die Hard-inspired finale—think machine guns, bloodbaths, and detonated nuclear warheads. (I’m not even joking.)
This books reads like the most ridiculous, melodramatic action movie you can imagine, and I’m totally here for it. This is by far by favourite entry in the series so far. (It also features a healthy dose of Seymour, so consider me satiated.)
This challenge has been great to me so far. I’m having a great time over here. 😂
Onto the next!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2021
Sita loves Ray and blows up her vampire ex boyfriend with a bomb to save him (Ray).
Ray misses his human life and ex girlfriend and so Sita gets close to Detective Joel. When vampire Ray is blown up, she turns Joel into her new vampire boyfriend against his will. Of course, she’s already gotten close to Arturo so when vampire Joel blows up, it’s no biggie. But she really loves them all, right?
Yikes this book was bad. I skimmed a lot. Wouldn’t have read it if 3 weren’t included in one volume. The excerpt from book 4 says now she’s human and hooking up with her human friend Seymour. Guessing he becomes a vampire and blows up eventually.
Anyway, don’t recommend this series at all. It’s going back in the leave a book/take a book library I found it in.
Ray misses his human life and ex girlfriend and so Sita gets close to Detective Joel. When vampire Ray is blown up, she turns Joel into her new vampire boyfriend against his will. Of course, she’s already gotten close to Arturo so when vampire Joel blows up, it’s no biggie. But she really loves them all, right?
Yikes this book was bad. I skimmed a lot. Wouldn’t have read it if 3 weren’t included in one volume. The excerpt from book 4 says now she’s human and hooking up with her human friend Seymour. Guessing he becomes a vampire and blows up eventually.
Anyway, don’t recommend this series at all. It’s going back in the leave a book/take a book library I found it in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2021
Loved this! The thing I love most about these books is that they're so fast paced. Never a dull moment. And the story of this one is probably my favorite so far.
My favorite chapter was when Arturo was experimenting on ppl with Sita's blood.
The only negative thing I have to say about this is whenever Sita brings up Krishna to any random character they automatically know who he is. I had never ever heard that name until I read these books. And if I hadn't I never would've heard it. Maybe in other countries ppl have heard of it, but these books r set in America and nobody here knows about that. Just saying.
My favorite chapter was when Arturo was experimenting on ppl with Sita's blood.
The only negative thing I have to say about this is whenever Sita brings up Krishna to any random character they automatically know who he is. I had never ever heard that name until I read these books. And if I hadn't I never would've heard it. Maybe in other countries ppl have heard of it, but these books r set in America and nobody here knows about that. Just saying.
April 3, 2025
I feel like these books get wilder each time.
The first book started off with someone after Alisa and she enrols into high school, there's a slight love triangle and all that. Then this book, she's captured by the FBI and they're doing experiments on her partner (wild).
These are enjoyable books and each book is only about 190 pages so it pretty much just gets to the point. However, I find it a little unneccessary to constantly bring up that Seymour had AIDS, which he has already been cured in the first book due to Alisa giving him her vampiric blood. So why is it still mentioned in the third book?
The first book started off with someone after Alisa and she enrols into high school, there's a slight love triangle and all that. Then this book, she's captured by the FBI and they're doing experiments on her partner (wild).
These are enjoyable books and each book is only about 190 pages so it pretty much just gets to the point. However, I find it a little unneccessary to constantly bring up that Seymour had AIDS, which he has already been cured in the first book due to Alisa giving him her vampiric blood. So why is it still mentioned in the third book?
July 14, 2019
Of the first three this book seems to be the strangest and less connected to the rest of the story. It's a lot more tied up in Sita's past which is interesting although I wish Pike would have teased more of her past in other books more to make characters less obvious. Even just a mention in the book prior would have helped tie this together more.
That said - these are still ultra enjoyable to read. Good summer fun.
Technically, I'm reading Thirst vol 1 which is the first three books, but I demand credit for every book I read.
That said - these are still ultra enjoyable to read. Good summer fun.
Technically, I'm reading Thirst vol 1 which is the first three books, but I demand credit for every book I read.
August 5, 2023
⭐️⭐️
Critical Score: C
Personal Score: D-
This one isn’t worse than the first, but I liked it even less. It switches into the military action genre, with alchemy and Vegas vibes thrown in. None of that appeals to me whatsoever, and I’ve completely lost interest in basically everything about this series. I skimmed the second half.
I have no intention of continuing Sita’s journey, but I am no less interested in seeking out other Christopher Pike books.
Critical Score: C
Personal Score: D-
This one isn’t worse than the first, but I liked it even less. It switches into the military action genre, with alchemy and Vegas vibes thrown in. None of that appeals to me whatsoever, and I’ve completely lost interest in basically everything about this series. I skimmed the second half.
I have no intention of continuing Sita’s journey, but I am no less interested in seeking out other Christopher Pike books.
June 14, 2022
And she's baaaaack! Sita goes to Las Vegas to stop a mad scientist, but the story is much deeper than this slim volume would have you believe. Themes of faith, science, ethics, and war come to mind reading this. Just as enjoyable as it was when I read it almost 20 years ago with an action packed opening sequence.
Read
November 1, 2023It's funny what you remember and what you forget. I remember just about everything about Arturo and yet I forgot how little Joel had to do here beyond be bait. Sita's changelings are never long for this world, are they?
As a standalone, this isn't great. But if you want Inquisition backstory and pre-Twilight sparkle!vamps, boy do I have the book for you.
As a standalone, this isn't great. But if you want Inquisition backstory and pre-Twilight sparkle!vamps, boy do I have the book for you.
October 6, 2021
Not the best in the series, but still worth a read. I enjoyed how Pike mixed alchemy into this story. It added some new interesting elements to the book series. It ended on a cliff hanger as per usual; hooked in I'll have to read book 4.
February 18, 2023
My least favorite of the series so far, but still interesting. This had the most action scenes to date which were pretty fun to read. I am getting a little over the turn a boyfriend into a vampire and then they die in an explosion trope....but I enjoyed reading it a lot and will finish the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2017
Apparently I didn't have this in my reading journal! But the copy I'm reading is from my 20-year-old saved box of Pike books. So first read is estimated as 1995. Second read = January 2013.
September 10, 2017
Some interesting plotlines that I don't remember from first reading
March 23, 2021
I love this series but can't believe they killed Ray, I cant get over it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2022
2.7
All the characters are expendable/I don't care for them :/ it was a fun read if you dont have anything else to do
All the characters are expendable/I don't care for them :/ it was a fun read if you dont have anything else to do
February 3, 2023
Eh fast-paced and good but all three have had the same story formula
July 17, 2025
Rating: 3.75
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