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The Oleander
The Until Equinox Trilogy Comes to a Close...
The civil unrest between Vampyres and humans finally erupts after a large-scale prison break. In response to the incident, the government deploys elite soldiers to detain Vampyres for Reconditioning or termination at various camps. Draven and his friends are forced into hiding to regroup while they adapt to newfound strengths, and he develops a side effect from the White Fang trials that proves to be worse than the vampiric Virus itself.
A complex web of corruption unravels when they take refuge with an elusive community and discover the government has harbored dark secrets since the Red Plague, and is willing to do whatever it takes to preserve them.
While Draven’s friends gear up to fight the next level of animosity circulating in the public, he must decide if the world he lives in is worth fighting for, or if it’s a lost cause.
The civil unrest between Vampyres and humans finally erupts after a large-scale prison break. In response to the incident, the government deploys elite soldiers to detain Vampyres for Reconditioning or termination at various camps. Draven and his friends are forced into hiding to regroup while they adapt to newfound strengths, and he develops a side effect from the White Fang trials that proves to be worse than the vampiric Virus itself.
A complex web of corruption unravels when they take refuge with an elusive community and discover the government has harbored dark secrets since the Red Plague, and is willing to do whatever it takes to preserve them.
While Draven’s friends gear up to fight the next level of animosity circulating in the public, he must decide if the world he lives in is worth fighting for, or if it’s a lost cause.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 25, 2025
About the author
Talia Wall
5 books10 followersTalia spent most of her life in North Carolina and had the lifelong dream of becoming an author since she was five. She not only loves to write but also to draw and paint. She has a loving husband and Persian cat named Thor who often interrupts her writing and painting sessions. She writes young and new adult, supernatural, fantasy, and dystopian genres with the intent to send powerful, relevant messages and warnings through fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 11, 2026
TALIA WALL. MA'AM. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!
Because WHAT DO YOU MEAN I just finished an entire trilogy about vampires and somehow walked away with a deeper appreciation for humanity?!
I came here for the vampires. THE VAMPIRES, PEOPLE.
And instead, I got some of the most fascinating supernatural world-building I've encountered, characters who have permanently taken up residence in my heart, an absolutely beautiful exploration of love and trauma, and enough emotional devastation to have me questioning whether I'll ever be normal again.
INFINITY STARS. THE RATING SYSTEM IS BROKEN. WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING IT. 😂
First, I need to appreciate what Talia has accomplished across this trilogy.
Nightshades made me fall in love with the scientific foundations of her vampire mythology. As someone who absolutely adores science AND vampires, I was immediately fascinated by how much thought went into explaining their existence.
Bleeding Hearts showed me just how deep and complicated the conflict between species truly was, while giving me some of my absolute favorite character interactions and romantic tension.
And The Oleander?
THIS BOOK MADE ME FALL HEAD OVER HEELS FOR CHARACTERS I NEVER THOUGHT I'D LOVE.
STERLING. I'M LOOKING AT YOU, SIR. 👀
I cannot adequately explain how impressive it is to take a character I once genuinely could not stand and make me feel PROUD of the person he's becoming. And not through some convenient little personality makeover, either. His growth involves accountability, confronting his own behavior, and recognizing that becoming better doesn't erase the mistakes you've already made.
THAT is how you write meaningful character development.
And he's far from the only one.
By this point, the cast feels less like a collection of supporting characters and more like an entire ensemble of people whose individual journeys matter. Caspian and Astoria?! EXCUSE ME?! Watching their relationship develop, seeing their priorities shift, and experiencing those quieter moments of vulnerability and affection was EVERYTHING.
And don't even get me started on Briar and Draven.
Actually, no. GET ME STARTED. 😂❤️
One of the things I appreciate most about their relationship is how their love evolves throughout these books.
It's no longer simply about romantic tension or the anticipation of what might happen between them. It's about two people who have experienced unimaginable things learning how to navigate those experiences together.
Briar's strength doesn't erase her trauma, and her trauma doesn't erase her strength.
Talia handles that distinction with so much compassion. Briar can be powerful, stubborn, vulnerable, frightened, and resilient all at once. And Draven doesn't need to become her strength for her. He helps her remember the strength she already possesses.
What makes their relationship beautiful is that the support goes both ways.
They recognize one another's struggles. They learn how to offer comfort in ways the other person actually needs. They don't magically become unaffected by everything they've survived simply because they're in love.
And THAT is what makes their devotion so meaningful.
Because love isn't just a feeling.
Love is a choice. And that devotion is beautiful.
Did I want more romantic moments between them? ABSOLUTELY. I could read another thousand pages of these two simply existing together. But I also understand why their interactions look the way they do given everything they're facing.
And while this installment has zero on-page spice, the emotional intimacy is absolutely there.
Now, if a spicier edition ever becomes a reality, WILL I BE SEATED?!
MA'AM. OBVIOUSLY.
But that's because there's so much vulnerability, trust, and tenderness in these relationships that I'd happily explore even more of it.
And can we PLEASE appreciate how Talia balances all this emotional depth with humor?!
Because one minute I'm giggling over unexpected character interactions, awkward romantic chaos, and the sheer SASS these people possess...
And the next?
I AM EMOTIONALLY FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE.
The pacing deserves its own appreciation, too. There's action, conflict, and danger throughout the story, but Talia builds the tension gradually until that final stretch absolutely EXPLODES.
THE LAST 20%?!
HELLO?!
I WOULD LIKE TO FILE AN EMOTIONAL COMPLAINT. 😭
There were moments when I had to put the book down just to process what I'd read. Moments that genuinely broke my heart. Moments that made me laugh through all the stress. And revelations I would NEVER have predicted in a million years.
Talia, apparently, looked at my little habit of theorizing about books and decided I needed to be humbled.
THANK YOU, I GUESS?!
But what makes those emotional moments so effective is how much time she's spent making us care about these characters.
Their pain matters because we've grown attached to them. Their happiness matters because we understand what they've endured. And those precious moments of reunion, relief, and affection?
I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO EXPERIENCE SOME OF THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME AGAIN.
And the world-building?!
THE CONNECTIONS?!
THE WAY EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER?!
I HAVE NO NOTES.
Seriously, one of the most impressive things about this finale is how Talia manages to make her world feel simultaneously bigger and more understandable.
The science remains relevant. The political conflict has depth. The characters' personal journeys connect to the larger narrative. And little details throughout the trilogy take on entirely new significance once you understand the bigger picture.
MY ADVICE TO NEW READERS? PAY ATTENTION.
Those seemingly insignificant details might not be so insignificant after all.
And I absolutely LOVE that kind of storytelling.
Watching Talia's writing evolve throughout these books has been beautiful, too. The emotional depth, the shifting perspectives, the character development, and the way she brings so many complicated storylines together all demonstrate an incredible amount of care.
And while Bleeding Hearts still holds a particularly special place in my heart, The Oleander made me appreciate the trilogy as a whole in an entirely new way.
But now I want to talk about something that means even more to me than the vampires, the romance, or the phenomenal storytelling.
THE HUMANITY OF IT ALL.
Because underneath everything supernatural about this series is a message I find genuinely profound:
Being a monster isn't about WHAT you are. It's about WHO you choose to be.
And THAT is what makes this trilogy so special.
Talia takes creatures traditionally portrayed as monsters and uses their experiences to explore some of the most painfully human things imaginable.
Prejudice. Fear. Love. Grief. Mistakes. Accountability. Growth.
The reality that learning sometimes means getting things wrong, picking yourself back up, and trying to do better next time.
And the idea that we cannot possibly understand someone simply by looking at them.
This part of the story hit particularly close to home for me.
I'm someone who knows what it's like to be looked at differently or judged because of my appearance and the things I enjoy. Sometimes people see someone who looks a little unconventional or intimidating and decide who that person must be without ever bothering to look beneath the surface.
But if they took the time to actually know me, they'd discover the heart of gold underneath.
And I think that's why Talia's message means so much to me.
Looking different doesn't make someone bad. Being unfamiliar doesn't make someone dangerous. And looking like a monster doesn't mean you have the heart of one.
Sometimes the people who appear the most frightening have the greatest capacity for compassion, while those who appear perfectly ordinary are capable of causing unimaginable harm.
And I love that this trilogy doesn't simply tell us to look beyond appearances.
It builds an entire story around the importance of doing exactly that.
Even more meaningful to me was the philosophy behind how Talia ultimately approached resolving the larger conflict.
After everything these characters endure, the message that stayed with me wasn't that fighting harder or becoming more powerful is the only way forward.
It was the possibility of creating change through understanding, speaking up, challenging prejudice, and showing people that a better future could exist.
And goodness, I wish we had more of that energy in the real world.
That is the kind of message that stays with you long after you close a book.
Because sometimes the most meaningful part of a vampire story isn't the immortality.
It's what makes that eternity worth living.
So, Talia, if I could tell you one thing, I'd probably start by giving you the biggest hug and thanking you for writing this story.
Thank you for creating characters who feel so wonderfully imperfect and real.
Thank you for exploring difficult subjects with compassion.
Thank you for reminding readers that growth is possible, that love requires choice, and that understanding someone means being willing to look beyond what you see at first glance.
And thank you for giving this vampire-loving, science-obsessed little nerd a trilogy that managed to be everything I adore about supernatural fiction while challenging me to think about the world a little differently.
If you love vampires but feel like you've encountered the same stories over and over again, PLEASE give Until Equinox a chance.
If you love complicated characters, meaningful romance, fascinating supernatural science, carefully constructed mysteries, and stories with genuine philosophical depth?
READ. THESE. BOOKS.
Because this isn't just another fun vampire fantasy.
It's VAMPIRES WITH LAYERS, BABYYYY. 🦇🩸
And apparently those layers include making me laugh, cry, scream, rethink my assumptions, fall in love with characters I once wanted to throw into the sun, and become so emotionally attached to a fictional world that I genuinely don't know what to do with myself now.
Which brings me to one final question...
TALIA WALL, AFTER ALL OF THIS, DO YOU REALLY EXPECT US TO JUST MOVE ON WITH OUR LIVES LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE?!
BECAUSE I CERTAINLY WILL NOT BE DOING THAT. 😭🖤🥀
INFINITY STARS. FOREVER AND ALWAYS.
Because WHAT DO YOU MEAN I just finished an entire trilogy about vampires and somehow walked away with a deeper appreciation for humanity?!
I came here for the vampires. THE VAMPIRES, PEOPLE.
And instead, I got some of the most fascinating supernatural world-building I've encountered, characters who have permanently taken up residence in my heart, an absolutely beautiful exploration of love and trauma, and enough emotional devastation to have me questioning whether I'll ever be normal again.
INFINITY STARS. THE RATING SYSTEM IS BROKEN. WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING IT. 😂
First, I need to appreciate what Talia has accomplished across this trilogy.
Nightshades made me fall in love with the scientific foundations of her vampire mythology. As someone who absolutely adores science AND vampires, I was immediately fascinated by how much thought went into explaining their existence.
Bleeding Hearts showed me just how deep and complicated the conflict between species truly was, while giving me some of my absolute favorite character interactions and romantic tension.
And The Oleander?
THIS BOOK MADE ME FALL HEAD OVER HEELS FOR CHARACTERS I NEVER THOUGHT I'D LOVE.
STERLING. I'M LOOKING AT YOU, SIR. 👀
I cannot adequately explain how impressive it is to take a character I once genuinely could not stand and make me feel PROUD of the person he's becoming. And not through some convenient little personality makeover, either. His growth involves accountability, confronting his own behavior, and recognizing that becoming better doesn't erase the mistakes you've already made.
THAT is how you write meaningful character development.
And he's far from the only one.
By this point, the cast feels less like a collection of supporting characters and more like an entire ensemble of people whose individual journeys matter. Caspian and Astoria?! EXCUSE ME?! Watching their relationship develop, seeing their priorities shift, and experiencing those quieter moments of vulnerability and affection was EVERYTHING.
And don't even get me started on Briar and Draven.
Actually, no. GET ME STARTED. 😂❤️
One of the things I appreciate most about their relationship is how their love evolves throughout these books.
It's no longer simply about romantic tension or the anticipation of what might happen between them. It's about two people who have experienced unimaginable things learning how to navigate those experiences together.
Briar's strength doesn't erase her trauma, and her trauma doesn't erase her strength.
Talia handles that distinction with so much compassion. Briar can be powerful, stubborn, vulnerable, frightened, and resilient all at once. And Draven doesn't need to become her strength for her. He helps her remember the strength she already possesses.
What makes their relationship beautiful is that the support goes both ways.
They recognize one another's struggles. They learn how to offer comfort in ways the other person actually needs. They don't magically become unaffected by everything they've survived simply because they're in love.
And THAT is what makes their devotion so meaningful.
Because love isn't just a feeling.
Love is a choice. And that devotion is beautiful.
Did I want more romantic moments between them? ABSOLUTELY. I could read another thousand pages of these two simply existing together. But I also understand why their interactions look the way they do given everything they're facing.
And while this installment has zero on-page spice, the emotional intimacy is absolutely there.
Now, if a spicier edition ever becomes a reality, WILL I BE SEATED?!
MA'AM. OBVIOUSLY.
But that's because there's so much vulnerability, trust, and tenderness in these relationships that I'd happily explore even more of it.
And can we PLEASE appreciate how Talia balances all this emotional depth with humor?!
Because one minute I'm giggling over unexpected character interactions, awkward romantic chaos, and the sheer SASS these people possess...
And the next?
I AM EMOTIONALLY FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE.
The pacing deserves its own appreciation, too. There's action, conflict, and danger throughout the story, but Talia builds the tension gradually until that final stretch absolutely EXPLODES.
THE LAST 20%?!
HELLO?!
I WOULD LIKE TO FILE AN EMOTIONAL COMPLAINT. 😭
There were moments when I had to put the book down just to process what I'd read. Moments that genuinely broke my heart. Moments that made me laugh through all the stress. And revelations I would NEVER have predicted in a million years.
Talia, apparently, looked at my little habit of theorizing about books and decided I needed to be humbled.
THANK YOU, I GUESS?!
But what makes those emotional moments so effective is how much time she's spent making us care about these characters.
Their pain matters because we've grown attached to them. Their happiness matters because we understand what they've endured. And those precious moments of reunion, relief, and affection?
I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO EXPERIENCE SOME OF THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME AGAIN.
And the world-building?!
THE CONNECTIONS?!
THE WAY EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER?!
I HAVE NO NOTES.
Seriously, one of the most impressive things about this finale is how Talia manages to make her world feel simultaneously bigger and more understandable.
The science remains relevant. The political conflict has depth. The characters' personal journeys connect to the larger narrative. And little details throughout the trilogy take on entirely new significance once you understand the bigger picture.
MY ADVICE TO NEW READERS? PAY ATTENTION.
Those seemingly insignificant details might not be so insignificant after all.
And I absolutely LOVE that kind of storytelling.
Watching Talia's writing evolve throughout these books has been beautiful, too. The emotional depth, the shifting perspectives, the character development, and the way she brings so many complicated storylines together all demonstrate an incredible amount of care.
And while Bleeding Hearts still holds a particularly special place in my heart, The Oleander made me appreciate the trilogy as a whole in an entirely new way.
But now I want to talk about something that means even more to me than the vampires, the romance, or the phenomenal storytelling.
THE HUMANITY OF IT ALL.
Because underneath everything supernatural about this series is a message I find genuinely profound:
Being a monster isn't about WHAT you are. It's about WHO you choose to be.
And THAT is what makes this trilogy so special.
Talia takes creatures traditionally portrayed as monsters and uses their experiences to explore some of the most painfully human things imaginable.
Prejudice. Fear. Love. Grief. Mistakes. Accountability. Growth.
The reality that learning sometimes means getting things wrong, picking yourself back up, and trying to do better next time.
And the idea that we cannot possibly understand someone simply by looking at them.
This part of the story hit particularly close to home for me.
I'm someone who knows what it's like to be looked at differently or judged because of my appearance and the things I enjoy. Sometimes people see someone who looks a little unconventional or intimidating and decide who that person must be without ever bothering to look beneath the surface.
But if they took the time to actually know me, they'd discover the heart of gold underneath.
And I think that's why Talia's message means so much to me.
Looking different doesn't make someone bad. Being unfamiliar doesn't make someone dangerous. And looking like a monster doesn't mean you have the heart of one.
Sometimes the people who appear the most frightening have the greatest capacity for compassion, while those who appear perfectly ordinary are capable of causing unimaginable harm.
And I love that this trilogy doesn't simply tell us to look beyond appearances.
It builds an entire story around the importance of doing exactly that.
Even more meaningful to me was the philosophy behind how Talia ultimately approached resolving the larger conflict.
After everything these characters endure, the message that stayed with me wasn't that fighting harder or becoming more powerful is the only way forward.
It was the possibility of creating change through understanding, speaking up, challenging prejudice, and showing people that a better future could exist.
And goodness, I wish we had more of that energy in the real world.
That is the kind of message that stays with you long after you close a book.
Because sometimes the most meaningful part of a vampire story isn't the immortality.
It's what makes that eternity worth living.
So, Talia, if I could tell you one thing, I'd probably start by giving you the biggest hug and thanking you for writing this story.
Thank you for creating characters who feel so wonderfully imperfect and real.
Thank you for exploring difficult subjects with compassion.
Thank you for reminding readers that growth is possible, that love requires choice, and that understanding someone means being willing to look beyond what you see at first glance.
And thank you for giving this vampire-loving, science-obsessed little nerd a trilogy that managed to be everything I adore about supernatural fiction while challenging me to think about the world a little differently.
If you love vampires but feel like you've encountered the same stories over and over again, PLEASE give Until Equinox a chance.
If you love complicated characters, meaningful romance, fascinating supernatural science, carefully constructed mysteries, and stories with genuine philosophical depth?
READ. THESE. BOOKS.
Because this isn't just another fun vampire fantasy.
It's VAMPIRES WITH LAYERS, BABYYYY. 🦇🩸
And apparently those layers include making me laugh, cry, scream, rethink my assumptions, fall in love with characters I once wanted to throw into the sun, and become so emotionally attached to a fictional world that I genuinely don't know what to do with myself now.
Which brings me to one final question...
TALIA WALL, AFTER ALL OF THIS, DO YOU REALLY EXPECT US TO JUST MOVE ON WITH OUR LIVES LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE?!
BECAUSE I CERTAINLY WILL NOT BE DOING THAT. 😭🖤🥀
INFINITY STARS. FOREVER AND ALWAYS.
December 23, 2025
Dystopian… check... Vampyres… check… What a combination! The Oleander is everything you would expect it to be, as the last book in the Until Equinox Trilogy does not disappoint! Bri learns how to live her new life as a vampire and her rash decision to turn Sterling, along with owning the amazing powers she acquired with her change! Astoria and Caspian join Bri and Draven to find the Revolutionaries that everyone thought were a myth and join forces to go against the government and Uriah in a big showdown to conclude this trilogy. If you liked Caspian before, you will love him now. The growth and development of the characters is so well done that you feel like you grew with them. If you have not started this series yet, you need to. You will not regret it!!
May 31, 2026
What an ending to this trilogy. I loved everything about this. I think what I enjoyed most was the fact that was written as a dystopian world with vampires. First time I’ve ever read anything like this. The world building was phenomenal. And the way this story was written held such an amazing depth. So vivid. So intriguing. It held danger and chaos. A learning curve for Bri as she learned to navigate her new life as a vampire. But seeing everything come together was amazing. A definite must read.
November 11, 2025
This book is well written and enjoyable. I enjoyed the characters and the plot is overall really well written.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews