Creatures of Forever

The Last Vampire #6

by Christopher Pike

The Last Vampire stood at the end of the age.

Alisa has fought every battle, against evil, against hate, and even against death itself. Now she nears the end of her incredibly long life and another unexpected force emerges to destroy her, or perhaps save her. But this force... is unlike anything she has experienced before. It seems to emerge from another place, another world, where demons are potential saviors and the future of mankind is already wrapped in the ash of a forsaken hell. This force, these strange beings, present Alisa with hard choices. To save herself, or to save others and risk losing even her own soul. These beings push Alisa into a place where even the perfect fear to tread.



Cover art by Phil Schramm

Genres: Young Adult, Vampires, Horror, Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

181 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 1996

About the author

Christopher 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.

Reviews

[Neeks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this series ends up being weird and all kinds of fucked up, and I know that the ending of this book FEELS like a huge cop out (I seriously get it, I would be pissed off when I read these for the first time had I not known there were more books)
But I STILL HAVE SO MUCH FUN READING THESE

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so all of that Reincarnated Baby Jesus/Krishna stuff is done, Sita's daughter Kalika is dead, and we wonder, where do we go from here? Well, back in time apparently.

Hold up wait.

First Sita and Seymour (now a vampire! Fun, I want Vampire Seymour Adventures!), are tricked by a stupid lady that Seymour picked up in a bar that Sita didn't properly read the mind of. Ugh, Sita, tricked again. Lady from the Bar has a ray gun! Sita narrowly defeats her, then decides to get more info on her, discovering LftB was into UFOs. Ah-ha, a clue. Somehow we end up in the desert? I don't know, whatever. Sita learns from a Nice, Mysterious Lady that LftB is all powerful and ray-gun-y because long ago somebody stole Sita's blood. I don't even know what's going on anymore, but Sita maybe flies off into a spaceship to go back in the past to right this wrong and balance the world yet again. She meets up with her old pal, Dante the leper, and together they walk to the castle of the evil Landulf (the guy who stole her blood). Dante peaces out because Landulf is scary, Sita goes to have dinner with Landulf. She's poisoned (tricked again!)! But she overcomes this to get the maid to lead her to where Landulf is performing Satanic rituals. Sita is discovered when the maid stabs her in the back (tricked again!)! Oh, Sita, when will you learn?!

**and here's where the spoilers really come in**
Sita goes through several trials but eventually she beats Landulf...or does she? She meets up with her ol' pal Dante the leper again, and is about to give her blood in order to heal him, as she did before, when she realizes that Noooooooo, Dante is the real Landulf (that other one was just a minion, a pretty convincing one, though). Haha, can't fool her anymore. Sita doesn't give him blood, thus defeating him and his future ray gun peeps. And her reward? Sita goes waaaaay back in time, to before she was a vampire. She keeps Yaksha from being born (so no vampires ever), and lives happily ever after with her husband and baby girl.
And Seymour in our present time is sick with AIDS (Sita's blood is what cured him in the first book), and Sita is just a character he's been writing about, an imagined heroine. Oh, Seymour. Oh, Christopher Pike.

I kind of dig the ending (happy Sita!), but hate it too (sappy Sita, sad Seymour). A world without Sita? The most badass vampire lady around? Who saved the world multiple times? Meh. I just don't buy her being happy hanging out with her hubby and baby for the rest of her life. That's not who you are, Sita! And now Seymour won't have vampire adventures. :(

[PurplyCookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading "The Last Vampire" series when it first came out, and I remember checking the bookstore every time the next installment was going to be available. Although I'm an adult now (but I was a preteen when the series started), I've still re-read most of the installments. It's truly amazing how Pike manages to flesh out such a complete characterization.

Another amazing thing is how each installment ties in so fluidly with each other and yet they stand alone with their own plot, be it her story with Ray or Joel, or her daughter.

I haven't re-read this one, "The Last Vampire 6: Creatures of Forever", in awhile, but I was a bit disappointed at the end. Although it was a very well-written book I wished it wouldn't have ended the way it did. I don't want to give it away, but I did get the feeling of "she went through all of this then for what?" I wish the last paragraph was left out, basically. Pike probably ended it the way he did because it was the only way to end the series without being tempted to continue on. Still, it's great escapism. If you're a young woman, you will identify with Sita, and it's incredibly easy to imagine yourself in her situation.
I love the wit and humor Pike uses. He doesn't pander to the lowest (or youngest) common denominator plus the writing is every bit as good as any "adult" novel I've read.

You might be disappointed after reading this, if only because you'll wish there were more to the series. Although it was terribly sad story, I felt happiness for Sita at the end, for she got what she wanted. I think that its brilliant that in a way the ending is the beginning.


Book Details:

Title The Last Vampire 6: Creatures of Forever
Author Christopher Pike
Reviewed By Purplycookie

[Carrie (brightbeautifulthings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last novel in the original series and the Thirst 2 omnibus, and a continuation of a buddy read with Roberta from Offbeat YA. I’m sure it’s clear by now how much I love Christopher Pike in general and The Last Vampire in particular. I’m excited to get to the newer Thirst books later in the year. There are spoilers for The Last Vampire, Black Blood, Red Dice, Phantom, and Evil Thirst. Spoilers for Creatures of Forever will be clearly marked. Trigger warnings: death, violence, blood, gore, body horror, racism, ableism.

When a dark enemy reminiscent of the evil Setians approaches Sita and asks her to join them, she refuses. Yet they hint that she has already helped them in the past. Her history is long and bloody, but there are few moments she doesn’t remember with perfect clarity. Those moments fill her with terror though, and she learns she’ll have to revisit one of the most frightening periods of her long life to correct a mistake that had devastating consequences for the universe. Sita thought she defeated the wicked sorcerer, Landulf, the first time, but the evil may have been more insidious than she realized. She’ll face him a second time armed with her knowledge of the future, but Landulf isn’t quite as she remembered him either.

These last two books are as good as the first two. Pike has always been one to mix genres, but Creatures of Forever is more genre-bending than most. It has paranormal vampires and his typical brand of mysticism, but there’s also a heavy note of science fiction here. I don’t know that I would characterize the good and evil forces that gather in this book as aliens, but they’re certainly otherworldly. There’s also an element of time travel as Sita (or her mind, at least) travels back in time to correct a mistake she made a thousand years ago. Personally, I think it’s an excellent premise for a story, and her lingering fear of Landulf nicely sets up the tension.

Sita has come a long way in terms of development over the series. Her physical jump in powers thanks to Yaksha and Kalika’s blood is really cool (she can move things with her mind now!), but it’s kept under tight rein in this book. Since she’s in past Sita’s body, she doesn’t have access to her newer powers for most of the novel. On a character level though, Sita is much less willing to kill by the end of the series. She notes that after Ray dies, she’s lost her taste for bloodshed, but we don’t really see it in action until later. (She has no trouble piling up bodies when the police are chasing her and Joel, and after that, she’s human for most of Phantom.) Now, however, Sita rarely kills unless she’s attacked or protecting the innocent. There are even some instances where this newfound squeamishness stabs her in the back. (Ha, see what I did there?) She’s so convinced that she’s a monster, even when she’s constantly risking herself and losing her loved ones to save the world. That’s an inner conflict that can keep my interest for novel after novel.

The underlying philosophy of this book is fascinating, and it wasn’t until I took some philosophy courses in college that I realized that Pike was probably well-versed in the subject even outside of Eastern traditions. He sets up a basic soul-making theodicy where souls enter into lives or new incarnations in order to learn and grow; Sita just happened to experience hers all at once when she became immortal. It leaves me with some questions about the ending of the book that I’ll address after the spoilers. There’s a ton of foreshadowing that I never noticed in this novel. From Sita’s conversation with Paula earlier in the story, we should have the sense that all is not going to end well for our favorite vampire. There’s also the heavily stressed Perseus/Medusa story that Dante tells her, although I’m still not clear on who is Perseus and who is Medusa in the analogy. Pike is fond of telling stories within stories, but sometimes the connections aren’t all that obvious. As with much of Pike’s work, there’s a lot packed into a seemingly short and simple novel.

There are a few things I don’t care for. The first is that the characters, even Sita, depict the invading Moslems on Landulf’s shores as wicked heathens, and Pike never backtracks on that. (Although Landulf is basically a Satanist, so Christian theology isn’t looking too good here either. They’re also not marginalized in this country, so I don’t feel bad about picking on them.) It’s basically a side note, but I’d expect more open-mindedness from a five thousand year old vampire who believes in Krishna, Christ, and a Hispanic baby messiah. The second is that a character is depicted with a physical illness because he’s wicked, which is nonsense. People don’t get sick because they deserve it. These issues weren’t as heavily critiqued in the 90s as they are now, but they’re things to be aware of.

As usual, the plot is quick and brutal, with no skimping on the violence or body horror. Scenes of Sita being crucified are particularly harrowing. The final confrontation takes up nearly a quarter of the book, which gives Pike plenty of time to draw out the evil of Landulf and the sacrifices Sita has to make in order to defeat him (because she always has to sacrifice immensely to save the day). The suspense piles up again even after she supposedly wins, and there’s a grim twist that I don’t remember anticipating the first time I read it. I’ve never cared for the ending, but it’s smoothed over by the fact that Pike continues Sita’s story in the later Thirst books.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.

Sita doesn’t technically die at the end of this book, but since she erases all vampires from history, it feels like she does. I understand wanting to officially wrap up the series, and this is Sita’s version of a happily ever after: she gets to live out her human life with her husband and child. Seymour is both Pike and the reader in the epilogue, crying over the fictional death of our favorite heroine. However, it leaves me with a few questions. Based on Pike’s soul-making philosophy, it seems like Sita just undid five thousand years worth of spiritual lessons to get her human life back. She was that close to moving on, whatever moving on means for a more advanced being. Also, Yaksha states earlier in the series that he came to this world to escape hell and die with Krishna’s grace. Since he’s never allowed to live, does that mean he goes back to hell? As Roberta pointed out, he’s so wily that we’re sure he’d find another way out, but it seems unfair. It’s too bad Pike doesn’t have an avid legion of fanfiction writers; I’d absolutely be down to read that Yaksha AU.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 ½ Stars

Creatures of Forever is the sixth book in The Last Vampire series by Christopher Pike. Well… this story certainly took a turn I didn’t expect. The last couple of instalments lead up to this conclusion to the series…. and picks up where the last book left off. In this story Alisa/Sita travels back in time to fix a wrong. There is such a lot at stake- failure is not an option. We follow along as the story unfolds, witnessing historical events as all the adventure unfolds. All the threads are tied up as the series concludes. Definitely a bit of a twist to the series.
As the story continues from one book to another through the whole six books, I really recommend reading the entire series, in sequence, so you have all the important information and continuing story threads- in order to fully understand and appreciate what’s happening. I don’t think any of them would read as well as a standalone.
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, some sci-fi elements, 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!

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The weakest of the series. Everything gets wrapped up, but requires some pretty far-fetched plot twists to do so.

[Wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Review will be posted under the bindup edition (Thirst 2)

[Leeanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Vampire #6: Creatures of Forever, by Christopher Pike

In "Creatures of Forever," Pike's excellent The Last Vampire series goes a little wonky. More science fiction than vampire tale, Pike continues to mix New Age ideas with aliens and time travel.

Continuing with hints dropped in "Phantom (#4)" and "Evil Thirst (#5)," Pike concludes the story of Sita, the last vampire who has roamed the earth for 5,000 years. In "Creatures of Forever," she learns that in the 9th century actions of hers forever changed the future of humanity. Advanced beings from the future ask Sita if she will travel to the past and fix her wrong, so that humanity may be saved.

Without spoiling too much of the plot, this is the first time Pike focuses a novel on Sita's past. Instead of just flashbacks, the action takes place in the past and I wish it's something he would have done more - shared more fascinating stories of her life interspaced with famous historical events, or even obscure ones.

If you enjoyed Sita's story, you will be sad when this book ends. But at least Pike doesn't leave his fans hanging and does conclude Sita's story. I feel it is best to read the last three books in the series as one, instead of as separate novels, to get the full effect.

4/5.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in 1999 when I was very much engrossed with vampire stories and loved the story although I remember writing in my journal that I loved books 4 and 5 more.

Some narratives from the book, which I loved:

• The friend she has loved and cherished happens to be her enemy
• Sometime back when she was still a mortal Indian girl, Lord Krishna came to her and asked her if she was happy, for it was her happiness that mattered to him. Sita said that she was; for this, Krishna, who had come from a long journey only to ask Sita this question, went on his way.
• I loved her conversations with Lord Krishna—she cherishes his wisdom, compassion, and goodness
• Sita believes in God as she’s actually met one

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Και κάπως έτσι πέφτει η αυλαία... Δεν είμαι βέβαιη για το κατά πόσο έμεινα απόλυτα ευχαριστημένη, αλλά δεν μπορώ να πω και πως απογοητεύτηκα. Ίσως να ήθελα, η ιστορία, να έχει λίγη περισσότερη δράση και αντίδραση, αλλά αυτό μπορεί να οφείλεται κιόλας στο γεγονός πως το 5ο βιβλίο ανέβασε πολύ υψηλά τον πήχη των προσδοκιών μου. Παρ' όλα ταύτα, απόλαυσα το ταξίδι της Σίλα αλλά και το τέλος αυτού, με τον Pike να καταφέρνει, ακόμα και μια αρκετά μεταγενέστερη εποχή αυτού, να διατηρήσει το ενδιαφέρον μου αμείωτο.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, glad to be back in Sita's world but this book was pretty out there. Better than Book 5, not as good as Book 4. Since this is the final book in the series, it's a must read if you are into the series

[Madam Claire of Whistley Woo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the last book in the series, and this where the series starts to get spacey and weird.

[Wendy · Rating 1 out of 5]

First reading attempt = 1996. Second reading = 2013. I specifically remember not finishing this book when I first had it. At the time I thought it was because I was getting to old for this young adult author, that I was outgrowing this reading stage. But now that I've read this book (and finished it)... I realize I didn't finish it at first because compared to his other books this one SUCKS! Out of 180 pages, the first 60 of them is just simple conversation... where's the ACTION of the Sita I remember from the first five books? Then there's some time travel and finally some action with one character. Overall, extremely disappointing... and THEN the ending? STUPID! No wonder fans were surprised when he revised and added to this series years later. I'm still going to try the next book out, I'm curious to see how he made it work, but I have little hope that this series was salvagable :(

[ExoDoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

After more than 10 years I have finally picked up this series. Back around in 2010, I found a copy of L'ultimo Vampiro (The last vampire) in my school library and at the time I was fascinated by it. I read the first 3 books in the series and thought that the story ended like that after Red Dice. You can imagine my surprise in finding I was only halfway through. One week of my life was well spent. I loved each and every book no matter if it was for young adults, it brought me back to the time when I was 13-14. My favourite characters are Sita and Yaksha. I cannot help but like Yaksha for some reason. I actually wanted him to be recurrent in all of the series! Another thing I must say is that the varieties of characters and locations of the books is so diverse and beautiful! These books could easily be a videogame, movies or even a series. Hopefully one day they do get a bit more out there and be explored by different mediums!

[Caktus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the end of my marathon of re-reading of this series by Christopher Pike.

And I'm just as emotional now as I was when I first traveled this path. Don't mind me; I'm just going to go cry in a corner after writing this review. (I kid... kind of)

Sitais a great protagonist. The way her story ends here is a worthy ending.

Even knowing that the series did pick back up a few years ago didn't lessen how this book ended and how the series to this point ended.

I recommend this book if you can find it, either with this cover or as part of the omnibus that contains the second third of this 9 part series.

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh - but I'm glad that's over now

The series starts off fairly strong but I feel that it does get a little weird as it progresses.

The whole space plotline in this is just whack. I actually went back a few pages to make sure I was reading it correctly... unfortunately yes.

The ending... ugh. I will have to give it go Pike that I DID NOT see that coming. Which turns out everything we've read is just a story written by Seymour. I still find the weird obsession to constantly point out that Seymour has AIDS? Although in this final scene I guess it sort of makes sense but in the other books I fail to see the reason behind it.

[Marla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars.. I am so glad that I didn't DNF this book!!! It was a great ending to a mediocre series. So many clichés from a new messiah to aliens to amnesia to time travel to the legendary Spear of Longinus, but it was captivating and tied together well.

Written at 20% after 2 chapters: UGH. I would've DNF'ed this book, but it was the last book in the series and I needed a #6 book for 2 reading challenges and this is short. So even though I'm tired of this series and Alisa and the writing, I'm going to finish it or at least skim it.

It took 30% into the book, p. 56 to engage me, much longer than I would have read if I hadn't decided against the DNF. But if you've gotten this far in the series, keep reading. Though since I wasn't a fan of this series, maybe if you are a fan, you won't like this book.

Too many spoilers to talk about any specifics, so I will just leave it here.

[Noel McNiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

It actually addresses the "if you go back in time and kill your grandfather" concept in a really cool way. Too bad for Seymour but I think he sacrificed himself. By that I mean Sita actually existed and he chose to write about Sita stopping vampires from ever existing by killing Yaksha. He wrote his own cure out of the novel. Otherwise it was all just a dream and that's a cop out. I believe it's the former.

[Chantel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these two books with my entire heart omfs!!!
So many plot twists!
Takes you on so many different settings.
The timeline is easy to adjust to.
The writing style is absolutely amazing.
This book is literally just a 5 stars..
It took me a while to read this bcz I knew it was the last book and I didnt want it to end just yet and now that I have finished it I'm so hurt!
This series is absolutely worth while your time and money! I loved it!!!

[Joel Schwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book because it was fast-paced and suspenseful, with some twists. However, I found some flaws ... For example, some of the flashbacks and stories of Alisa’s past were repetitive and lackluster. I also felt that some of the characters were underdeveloped and lacked personality. Overall, I'd recommend it as a casual read.

[Judy Tarver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this last book of this series. The ending was quite a shocker for me and it will really leave you wondering. Fortunately, he picks back up the Sita stories with the Thirst series, which is equally good, if not better than this original series. Sita is indeed a very memorable character as are Seymour and a few others.

[Alli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just did a reread of this series. It's always been a favorite since I was a kid. And nothing has changed. I love this story more than words could explain. It introduced me to so much and shaped the way I looked at the world even. I know I'll reread this many times in my life.

[Hazeanni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave 5stars because i salute the way Pike ending this series. It was brilliantly unexpected, and original. So Mr Pike, you had been success in making me buy this series by saving my meager student allowance that time. Definitely worth it and no regret.

[Wolfie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story finishes (but now there's a new one!)

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh now I remember why I was so angry at this book the first time.

[Nick Milinazzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this series when I was in junior high.

[Christopher Lira · Rating 3 out of 5]

What? Like really... Wtf? Well written, sure, but... what?

[Joey · Rating 1 out of 5]

What in the shitty vampire sci-fi fuckery did I just read?

[Kristie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly forgot I was supposed to be reading it. Just can’t be bothered to finish. I really think it would have been best left at three books.

[Lauren Ching · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fav series of all time