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Vampirates #6
Immortal War
A bloody war is raging across the oceans, with the Pirate Federation and Nocturnals in alliance against the renegade Vampirates, led by Sidorio and Lola. Lola might be heavily pregnant with twins, but it doesn't stop her from remaining an active in battle! Connor and Grace Tempest each have important roles to play - he as a pirate warrior at the heart of the fight; she as a powerful healer working with the war-wounded. As the twins face their greatest challenges to date, old allies and foes return to play their part in the ultimate battle of Pirate versus Vampirate.
401 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
46 people are currently reading
2479 people want to read
About the author
Justin Somper
54 books514 followersJustin Somper is a bestselling UK author whose Vampirates books have been translated into over twenty languages. Justin trained in sword-fighting to help him write the fight scenes in the Vampirates series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
August 20, 2012
When this series began I absolutely loved it. The concept was fresh and exciting and the story itself was great with intriguing characters and plot twists. But as the series went on, it became evident that Justin Somper has talent in writing but not in planning. The first few books were so brilliant that I could not help feeling extremely disappointed by the twists in the fifth book (so uncharacteristic of Grace) and, finally, this concluding book.
Rant time: SPOILER WARNING!***
This book featured ten-too-many-characters coming back from the dead because of poor planning abilities. There was a bit of this in the fifth book but it became so far-fetched and so common in the last book that it started to annoy me.
The Cardinals are completely random and should have been mentioned or alluded to earlier in the series at least once. From the beginning I guessed who Obsidian Darke really was and it left no surprise. Also, I cannot help but think it is a stupid name.
Continuing with the idea of stupid names, I can tolerate the name Hunter for the son of an evil vampire, but the name Evil is so absurd and so ridiculous that I could not take it. I mean, the woman (Lola) already was decapitated once and now that she is back she has to name her son Evil, as if it were not apparent enough that if she were to raise him he would be evil.
And what ever happens to Evil? He is given to Grace and there seems to be no other conclusion to this problem.
Another problem was that one too many characters were turned into vampires for my liking. I understand that is a novel largely about vampires, but there comes a point when it starts to sound like the fanfiction of a morbid teenage girl.
The ending was not awful, but I felt that something else needed to happen with Connor. He did not get the girl, and he did not really get too much of a reward. He either needed to die (sadly enough) or receive something more, in my opinion.
I also noticed odd traits added to characters throughout the novel, seemingly for more character development. For example, Somper took a strong, harsh, independent woman, Cheng Li, and forced upon her a puppy-like crush on Lorcan. It really did not do much for the book and the only thing it did for me was annoy me. Another random event squeezed in at the last minute was Darcy meeting and marrying her "Jetsam". I would have loved to see her marry someone more developed who had been with us over a longer span of time (or pages).
The last cherry I must mention (because the fan-girl in me cannot let it go) is Lorcan getting his hair cut. All throughout the series he has been my favorite character and to see one of his trademarks go like that was upsetting to me. You might see this as a ridiculous statement, but I must argue: Enough people died already, so why not let the hair be?!
Overall this series had so much potential and began so brilliantly, and because of this the last book was just disappointing as a conclusion to this original series. I do not regret the journey I took through the world Justin Somper created, but I do regret the ending. Save yourself the disappointment and imagine your own ending.
Rant time: SPOILER WARNING!***
This book featured ten-too-many-characters coming back from the dead because of poor planning abilities. There was a bit of this in the fifth book but it became so far-fetched and so common in the last book that it started to annoy me.
The Cardinals are completely random and should have been mentioned or alluded to earlier in the series at least once. From the beginning I guessed who Obsidian Darke really was and it left no surprise. Also, I cannot help but think it is a stupid name.
Continuing with the idea of stupid names, I can tolerate the name Hunter for the son of an evil vampire, but the name Evil is so absurd and so ridiculous that I could not take it. I mean, the woman (Lola) already was decapitated once and now that she is back she has to name her son Evil, as if it were not apparent enough that if she were to raise him he would be evil.
And what ever happens to Evil? He is given to Grace and there seems to be no other conclusion to this problem.
Another problem was that one too many characters were turned into vampires for my liking. I understand that is a novel largely about vampires, but there comes a point when it starts to sound like the fanfiction of a morbid teenage girl.
The ending was not awful, but I felt that something else needed to happen with Connor. He did not get the girl, and he did not really get too much of a reward. He either needed to die (sadly enough) or receive something more, in my opinion.
I also noticed odd traits added to characters throughout the novel, seemingly for more character development. For example, Somper took a strong, harsh, independent woman, Cheng Li, and forced upon her a puppy-like crush on Lorcan. It really did not do much for the book and the only thing it did for me was annoy me. Another random event squeezed in at the last minute was Darcy meeting and marrying her "Jetsam". I would have loved to see her marry someone more developed who had been with us over a longer span of time (or pages).
The last cherry I must mention (because the fan-girl in me cannot let it go) is Lorcan getting his hair cut. All throughout the series he has been my favorite character and to see one of his trademarks go like that was upsetting to me. You might see this as a ridiculous statement, but I must argue: Enough people died already, so why not let the hair be?!
Overall this series had so much potential and began so brilliantly, and because of this the last book was just disappointing as a conclusion to this original series. I do not regret the journey I took through the world Justin Somper created, but I do regret the ending. Save yourself the disappointment and imagine your own ending.
January 27, 2013
3.5
According to the blurb, this book ends "this sequence" of the Vampirates. In other words, this arc is over, but there's a lot (well, at least a few) loose ends left open to possibly continue the series in another arc somewhere down the line.
I'm not entirely sure whether or not I'll be on board for that arc.
I do enjoy the series, overall, but it has some problems. One of them is that this arc has dragged a bit, and many of the books between 3 and now felt a bit bloated with filler. Conversely, this book moves too quickly, and while the pacing was nice in some places, I just felt like some things weren't developed enough.
I still don't really know how I feel about Connor at the end. Cheng Li was still a pretty interesting character, sometimes likable sometimes not, but I didn't really like the weird crush she had on . I was worried he was setting up some sort of weird triangle thing - but, luckily, it never went in that direction.
I think my biggest disappointment in this book is that there's not enough Grace and Lorcan, as they're separated for most of the book. And I don't just mean I want more of them together, since they're some of my favorite characters, even if I still find their relationship a little bit weird with the whole - but more I'd like their relationship to have more depth.
I'm also not sure how I feel about Grace's potentially putting people in danger .
Also, at one point, we get a big tease about Lorcan's past, and he's like "oh, I'll tell you all about it sometime". I guess that sometime will be the next arc, if it ever happens? Boo!
Oh and, overall, distances and stuff are weird. I mean, I get that they're just in the South quadrant of the ocean or whatever - but Connor can seriously sneak off with a dingy, get to the bar place, and be back in the same night, with no one noticing*? (*People did notice, over time, but I'm more questioning the spacial and time relationships to everything... )
On the plus side, though, it is, for the most part, a page-turner, and, as the last in the sequence, it does tie up a lot of things. The war comes to a spectacular, if slightly convoluted, ending and there're losses on both sides.
I did, ultimately, feel satisfied at the end that the arc was tied up - but I'm not sure how much of that is because of the way it was done, and how much was because I really felt like it needed to be wrapped up, and I was glad it wasn't more belabored filler.
Overall I think there could've been more character development all around, more time spent on certain things, such as said development, and less time on all the side melodrama and filler.
According to the blurb, this book ends "this sequence" of the Vampirates. In other words, this arc is over, but there's a lot (well, at least a few) loose ends left open to possibly continue the series in another arc somewhere down the line.
I'm not entirely sure whether or not I'll be on board for that arc.
I do enjoy the series, overall, but it has some problems. One of them is that this arc has dragged a bit, and many of the books between 3 and now felt a bit bloated with filler. Conversely, this book moves too quickly, and while the pacing was nice in some places, I just felt like some things weren't developed enough.
I still don't really know how I feel about Connor at the end. Cheng Li was still a pretty interesting character, sometimes likable sometimes not, but I didn't really like the weird crush she had on . I was worried he was setting up some sort of weird triangle thing - but, luckily, it never went in that direction.
I think my biggest disappointment in this book is that there's not enough Grace and Lorcan, as they're separated for most of the book. And I don't just mean I want more of them together, since they're some of my favorite characters, even if I still find their relationship a little bit weird with the whole - but more I'd like their relationship to have more depth.
I'm also not sure how I feel about Grace's potentially putting people in danger .
Also, at one point, we get a big tease about Lorcan's past, and he's like "oh, I'll tell you all about it sometime". I guess that sometime will be the next arc, if it ever happens? Boo!
Oh and, overall, distances and stuff are weird. I mean, I get that they're just in the South quadrant of the ocean or whatever - but Connor can seriously sneak off with a dingy, get to the bar place, and be back in the same night, with no one noticing*? (*People did notice, over time, but I'm more questioning the spacial and time relationships to everything... )
On the plus side, though, it is, for the most part, a page-turner, and, as the last in the sequence, it does tie up a lot of things. The war comes to a spectacular, if slightly convoluted, ending and there're losses on both sides.
I did, ultimately, feel satisfied at the end that the arc was tied up - but I'm not sure how much of that is because of the way it was done, and how much was because I really felt like it needed to be wrapped up, and I was glad it wasn't more belabored filler.
Overall I think there could've been more character development all around, more time spent on certain things, such as said development, and less time on all the side melodrama and filler.
February 12, 2013
I wanted to like this book. Sadly, there were too many reasons not to, and although I mostly enjoyed the other books in the series, this one was a real disappointment. In all fairness, maybe it's just because I picked this one up years after reading the previous one, so I was a little out of touch with the story. But if I'm honest, I think I would have disliked it whether that was the case or not.
I'll start with the one bit of the book I actually liked; Johnny's trip to sancutary, and Stukeley's visit to retrieve him. It highlighted the complicated relationship between Grace and Johnny, and later, between Stukeley and Darcy - I took it, in hindsight rather foolishly, as a sign that maybe they'd come to their senses and become good again. I really liked Johnny and Stukeley; their betrayal was something of a sore point for me during this series, but I'll admit it made things a whole lot more interesting. Still, I think they had the potential to turn good again. I think that's what Somper SHOULD have done, to be honest. But by the end of this book, they were like completely different characters. Stukeley especially - I mean, yeah, he's a Vampirate now, but I don't honestly think someone who was THAT good in life, would become so evil in death. He actually fought against his old friends! That's not the Jez Stukeley I came to know.
Anyway, back to the review. Johnny's trip ton sanctuary was, unfortunately, the one and only bit of the book I remember with any kind of fondness. For it being the last installment in the series, it created a lot more questions than it answered. Like what was the deal with Olivier? I know he let Johnny kidnap Evil in exchange for the dhampir book, but Johnny didn't get the book, did he? So what did he do afterward? Somehow, I can't see an egomaniac like Olivier letting Johnny off the hook that easily. And speaking of Evil, what happened with him? He was given to Grace and Lorcan, yes, but he's not even mentioned in the last chapter. Does he grow up good? Did they change his name? Does he learn about his past? Lola and her crew are going to look for him, that much is clear, but do they ever find him? And if they do, what happens? But, perhaps the biggest question of all is what happens to Connor? Okay, he's going on a 7 year voyage that will somehow rid him of his dhampir gene. But how? I know this book is hardly realistic - it's about vampire pirates for goodness sake - but that one was a huge leap. It seemed to me that by this point, the author was just so tired of writing the series that he couldn't be bothered to end it properly. So we readers are now left with tonnes of unanswered questions, and not just little ones either. I could have lived with Connor sailing off into the sunset, but leaving Lola, Stukeley and Johnny alive (and still evil) was just plain lazy. Because it's not really over if the majority of the bad guys are still able to cause trouble.
Another thing I disliked about the book, aside from all the questions left hanging, was how things just seemed to happen, with no prior warning or explanation. Although it led to the one scene in the book I liked, Johnny just happened to be picked out of the ocean and mistaken for a Nocturnal? The attack was during the day! Obviously any Nocturnals were safely aboard the Alliance ship out of the day light - they hadn't participated in the raid! And that aside, he was in the ocean, burning to a crisp! The ambulance crews would have to be supremely stupid to mistake him for a Nocturnal. Then there was Jacoby flying at Connor on the ship with no warning - yeah, it was implied Jasmine told him about their little fling, but one, Jacoby didn't seem the type to be THAT upset about it, and two, he never gets a chance to explain himself. It's just assumed that's the reason. The one that irritated me most was in the final battle though, when Bart appeared and challenged Stukeley. Later we get to see Stukeley with Lola, so obviously he survived the fight, but come on! That was a battle I'd been waiting most of the series to see! Admittedly I thought it would be Connor VS Stukeley, but still! They were best friends - are you trying to tell me there was NOTHING interesting said during that battle? No understanding reached, no sorries, no nothing? I felt, and continue to feel, cheated!
So to summarise, I didn't like this final Vampirate book. The story still feels unfinished, the interesting scenes - the bits that would have redeemed the story, like Stukeley's fight with Bart - were never written, and to top it all off Cheng Li died. So disappointing.
I'll start with the one bit of the book I actually liked; Johnny's trip to sancutary, and Stukeley's visit to retrieve him. It highlighted the complicated relationship between Grace and Johnny, and later, between Stukeley and Darcy - I took it, in hindsight rather foolishly, as a sign that maybe they'd come to their senses and become good again. I really liked Johnny and Stukeley; their betrayal was something of a sore point for me during this series, but I'll admit it made things a whole lot more interesting. Still, I think they had the potential to turn good again. I think that's what Somper SHOULD have done, to be honest. But by the end of this book, they were like completely different characters. Stukeley especially - I mean, yeah, he's a Vampirate now, but I don't honestly think someone who was THAT good in life, would become so evil in death. He actually fought against his old friends! That's not the Jez Stukeley I came to know.
Anyway, back to the review. Johnny's trip ton sanctuary was, unfortunately, the one and only bit of the book I remember with any kind of fondness. For it being the last installment in the series, it created a lot more questions than it answered. Like what was the deal with Olivier? I know he let Johnny kidnap Evil in exchange for the dhampir book, but Johnny didn't get the book, did he? So what did he do afterward? Somehow, I can't see an egomaniac like Olivier letting Johnny off the hook that easily. And speaking of Evil, what happened with him? He was given to Grace and Lorcan, yes, but he's not even mentioned in the last chapter. Does he grow up good? Did they change his name? Does he learn about his past? Lola and her crew are going to look for him, that much is clear, but do they ever find him? And if they do, what happens? But, perhaps the biggest question of all is what happens to Connor? Okay, he's going on a 7 year voyage that will somehow rid him of his dhampir gene. But how? I know this book is hardly realistic - it's about vampire pirates for goodness sake - but that one was a huge leap. It seemed to me that by this point, the author was just so tired of writing the series that he couldn't be bothered to end it properly. So we readers are now left with tonnes of unanswered questions, and not just little ones either. I could have lived with Connor sailing off into the sunset, but leaving Lola, Stukeley and Johnny alive (and still evil) was just plain lazy. Because it's not really over if the majority of the bad guys are still able to cause trouble.
Another thing I disliked about the book, aside from all the questions left hanging, was how things just seemed to happen, with no prior warning or explanation. Although it led to the one scene in the book I liked, Johnny just happened to be picked out of the ocean and mistaken for a Nocturnal? The attack was during the day! Obviously any Nocturnals were safely aboard the Alliance ship out of the day light - they hadn't participated in the raid! And that aside, he was in the ocean, burning to a crisp! The ambulance crews would have to be supremely stupid to mistake him for a Nocturnal. Then there was Jacoby flying at Connor on the ship with no warning - yeah, it was implied Jasmine told him about their little fling, but one, Jacoby didn't seem the type to be THAT upset about it, and two, he never gets a chance to explain himself. It's just assumed that's the reason. The one that irritated me most was in the final battle though, when Bart appeared and challenged Stukeley. Later we get to see Stukeley with Lola, so obviously he survived the fight, but come on! That was a battle I'd been waiting most of the series to see! Admittedly I thought it would be Connor VS Stukeley, but still! They were best friends - are you trying to tell me there was NOTHING interesting said during that battle? No understanding reached, no sorries, no nothing? I felt, and continue to feel, cheated!
So to summarise, I didn't like this final Vampirate book. The story still feels unfinished, the interesting scenes - the bits that would have redeemed the story, like Stukeley's fight with Bart - were never written, and to top it all off Cheng Li died. So disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2020
La historia tiene lugar en el año 2505 (sí, en el futuro), esta época próxima tiene algunas características interesantes, puesto que pese a ser el futuro, parece ser que las maquinarias como los aviones, los ordenadores, etc. son cosa del pasado. Ahora, quien domina los mares domina el mundo, igual que en la antigüedad, por lo que es una época óptima para la piratería. Sin embargo, hay constantes alusiones a nuestros tiempos e invenciones como la energía eléctrica (de hecho, incluso recuerdo a un personaje hablando de Scooby Doo). Existen sistemas de gobierno similares y espacios de ocio parecidos (gimnasios, bares... aunque siguen primando las tabernas).
En este singular futuro viven los gemelos Connor y Grace Tempest. Tras la muerte de su padre (a su madre no la conocieron) tienen que huir de su pueblo natal, pues no quieren acabar en un hospicio separados el uno del otro. Así que cogen un bote y se echan a la mar. Sin embargo, naufragan por culpa de una tormenta y cada uno es encontrado y rescatado por un barco diferente... Connor irá a parar al barco pirata de Molucco y Cheng Li, quienes le aceptarán en su tripulación. Grace... tendrá un destino más incierto. Se despertará prisionera en el barco de los Vampiratas, el cual creía que era solo una leyenda de terror que escuchó de niña. Ahí, poco a poco, irá haciendo algunas amistades como Lorcan Furey o Darcy Pecios. Los vampiratas son demonios sedientos de sangre, inmortales e incapaces de tolerar la luz del sol, pero el Capitán del barco vampirata obliga a sus tripulantes a no matar a los humanos de los que se alimentan... Pero pronto aparecen algunos vampiratas descontentos con esta normativa que dan rienda suelta a sus más crueles instintos.
Los libros se irán centrando, primero, en la forma en la que Connor y Grace se buscan mutuamente aún creyendo que el otro podría estar muerto. Luego, se hablará un poco más del pasado de los gemelos y de su relación con este extraño barco. Los últimos libros se centrarán en el conflicto que hay entre piratas, vampiratas y los vampiratas amotinados más feroces.
Cuando antes he dicho que el libro ha crecido conmigo me refería también al argumento. Si bien los dos primeros libros son más suaves y se recrean más en las aventuras, conforme la saga avanza los temas son más profundos y hay un poco más de gore.
Son libros muy fáciles de leer con muchas lecciones morales y con muchísima acción. ¡Una lectura perfecta para el Halloween!
En este singular futuro viven los gemelos Connor y Grace Tempest. Tras la muerte de su padre (a su madre no la conocieron) tienen que huir de su pueblo natal, pues no quieren acabar en un hospicio separados el uno del otro. Así que cogen un bote y se echan a la mar. Sin embargo, naufragan por culpa de una tormenta y cada uno es encontrado y rescatado por un barco diferente... Connor irá a parar al barco pirata de Molucco y Cheng Li, quienes le aceptarán en su tripulación. Grace... tendrá un destino más incierto. Se despertará prisionera en el barco de los Vampiratas, el cual creía que era solo una leyenda de terror que escuchó de niña. Ahí, poco a poco, irá haciendo algunas amistades como Lorcan Furey o Darcy Pecios. Los vampiratas son demonios sedientos de sangre, inmortales e incapaces de tolerar la luz del sol, pero el Capitán del barco vampirata obliga a sus tripulantes a no matar a los humanos de los que se alimentan... Pero pronto aparecen algunos vampiratas descontentos con esta normativa que dan rienda suelta a sus más crueles instintos.
Los libros se irán centrando, primero, en la forma en la que Connor y Grace se buscan mutuamente aún creyendo que el otro podría estar muerto. Luego, se hablará un poco más del pasado de los gemelos y de su relación con este extraño barco. Los últimos libros se centrarán en el conflicto que hay entre piratas, vampiratas y los vampiratas amotinados más feroces.
Cuando antes he dicho que el libro ha crecido conmigo me refería también al argumento. Si bien los dos primeros libros son más suaves y se recrean más en las aventuras, conforme la saga avanza los temas son más profundos y hay un poco más de gore.
Son libros muy fáciles de leer con muchas lecciones morales y con muchísima acción. ¡Una lectura perfecta para el Halloween!
March 14, 2013
Holy shit. These books are awful. The only reason I kept reading to book six was because I just could not believe that a series could get that bad.
I was wrong. So very, very wrong.
I actually liked the first two books. They were alright. Twins Connor and Grace set out in a ship and get lost in a storm. Grace is saved by the Vampirates, a group of peaceful Vampires that live on a boat, and Connor becomes a Pirate. Later they find out that they themselves are Vampirates, and the inner turmoil begins. Okay, cool. I'm fine with that. But by the third book, thing start to go downhill.
These books have a lot of problems. The biggest one, in my opinion, is their idea of a Pirate.
In this book, a Pirate is a person who goes to the Federation's Pirate academy, stays there for ten years to learn the way of Piracy through books and lessons and power-point presentations, and then they are given a license and go about Pirating on their designated sea-lanes, following rules and being a good, law-abiding Pirate.
This is such utter bullshit. The Federation is one of the most foolish things I have ever heard of. Piracy is not something that can be learned from sitting behind a desk with organized little lessons. It must be lived, breathed, discovered like uncharted territory and mapped out with experience. The idea of placing rules and regulations on Piracy itself is a complete and utter farce. It’s akin to placing a leash on a wild animal and calling it a pet. You cannot control Piracy. Piracy controls you. And all Pirates embark to the seas for one thing.
Romance.
The romance of exploring the vast high seas, sailing through booming thunder and lightning storms, drenched with stinging rain and laughing at the heavens, discovering fascinating new lands and people, acquiring mountains of glittering gold and sparkling jewels, battling with bitter enemies and rivals, all the while backed up by your faithful crew who stick with you through thick and thin.
That, people, is Piracy. Not the cruel mockery that is the Federation. Do not speak to me of the definition of Piracy. Go read One Piece and learn it for yourself.
The only true Pirate in the entire series is Molucco, the Pirate that saves Connor from the storm and takes him under his wing. He doesn’t listen to anyone's rules, Federation or otherwise, he shatters the chains attempting to hold him back and does whatever the fuck he wants. He attacks who he wants, takes what he wants, and parties when he wants, all with a merry laugh and mischievous gleam in his eye.
THAT is a Pirate, and THAT is what a Pirate does.
Another huge, glaring problem with the series is the setting. The date set for these books - about year 2500 - makes absolutely no sense and doesn’t seem to fit at all. 2500 is centuries in the future, yet where is all the technology, all the cities, all the people? Why does it seem like the book should be set a thousand years in the PAST? There are no cell-phones, no computers, NOTHING electronic to suggest this is anywhere in the second millennium. The weaponry is primitive at best, only swords and muskets, no actual 9mm or bazooka’s or bombs or anything. Perhaps this is after a great war or devastation or something and there is no such thing as technology now, but it is never mentioned or explained at all, which just serves to confuse me even more. IT MAKES NO SENSE!!
Another problem is the characters themselves. They start out fine, morally-responsible people with good intentions. But by the third or fourth book, EVERYONE IS AN ASSHOLE. There are NO good role-models in this series. Everyone is horrible, treats others horribly, and have no qualms about any of the bad things they do. These characters have no soul, and therefore, are not characters at all. I lost all respect for them with every action they took.
Let's start with Connor. Connor, to be blunt, is an asshole. He is supposed to be 14, nothing more than a meer child, and yet most of the time he acts more like he is 18. He lies and cheats. He goes behind his BEST friend’s back and makes a move on his girlfriend, stealing her away behind his back and doesn’t even have the balls to TELL the poor boy, hiding everything. He lies to his companions about his blood-drinking habit and continues to suck poor victims dry, feeling no remorse for his actions. A 14 year old should be more interested in farts and yanking on his dick than doing such despicable things. I could not believe some of the things that Connor did, and found myself incredibly disgusted by this loathsome boy.
Grace's descent into being a horrible character takes a bit longer than her twin brother. 14 as well, she too acts many years older. She quickly falls in love with Lorcan, a Vampirate, but is in no means loyal to him. When she goes to visit her evil father and stepmother, she immediately leaps upon Johnny, another Vampirate, and has quite a romp with him. Even when she returns to her senses and goes back to Lorcan's side, she then HEALS JOHNNY’S WOUNDS when he’s found, about to die, and HELPS HIM ESCAPE. Doesn’t this girl realize that he is a Vampirate MURDERER who is going to KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE, most importantly HER FRIENDS? They are at war with these fiends, and she HELPS HIM! The moment I lost all respect for her is when she did the most horrible thing ever to her best friend, Darcy. Darcy is wonderful, a Vampirate flapper-girl who is strong, smart, and sweet. Grace traps her in a room with Stukeley, one of the bad Vampirates who once loved her and who has been absolutely terrible to her, which is just plain CRUEL. Luckily Darcy has some actual pluck and brushes him off. Darcy is the only person I respect in this series.
Another disgusting character is Cheng Li. Again, to put it bluntly, Cheng Li is a conniving bitch. I think I despised her the most out of everyone. Not only does she sign up on Molluco’s crew in order to SPY on him for the Federation, but she later rubs his shortcomings in his face and uses this fact to convince Connor into leaving his crew and joining her own, thereby stealing him away. She then immediately chooses the lamest name possible (The Tiger) for her ship and sails away, laughing evilly. I seriously don’t understand how Connor has any loyalty toward her, seeing as she almost got him killed by having his best friend, Jacoby, try and kill him in a public demonstration of sword fighting, as well as keep the secret of his birth from him until the last minute to better manipulate the boy. She also convinces Grace that the only way to return to the Vampirate vessel is to try and KILL herself. Then, when the attempt is botched and Grace questioned, Cheng Li totally denies any involvement and acts like she is completely innocent. NOT ONLY THAT, but she also goes out of her way to flirt and try to get with Grace’s KNOWN boyfriend, Lorcan, simply because he makes her triangle tingle. I have absolutely no respect for this horrible woman and cheered like crazy when she finally died.
Another problem with the series is that I find everything with the Vampirates and their ‘donors’ extremely sexual. They sit down, have dinner with each other, then retire to their bedrooms where they fu- I mean…SHARE, as they call it. I found all this incredibly sexual and quite weird, especially with Lorcan and Oskar, considering they’re both male. Very homo-erotic. It just makes it that much weirder when Oskar tries to get Grace to ‘share’ along with Lorcan, forming a sort of three-way between them. Also, how on earth are the Vampirates supposed to feed from the thorax instead of the neck? I mean, physically, how is it possible? You can’t open your mouth that wide, can you? What are they, snakes? Do they unhinge their jaws? How do they bite something that is nearly flat? A neck just seems so much more convenient to bite, no matter how cliché.
Yet another thing that bothers me is that almost every single female in the series is stunningly beautiful. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Can’t we have at least one average-looking girl in the series, please? I’m getting real tired of each girl being praised for her looks and described down to the barest detail of her eyelashes.
These books seem to not take themselves seriously. At all. I mean, Sidorio’s evil army of Vampirates is raging up the coast, destroying entire villages every single night, sucking dry hundreds of people, and what does anyone do about it? NOTHING. They let him be for weeks, months, before even TRYING to mount an attack. There is also the fact that Connor and friends perform cruel experiments on the Vampirates to figure out how to kill them, which no-one really questions or feels any guilt for. Where is the confliction, the inner turmoil?? Everyone is a paper-thin, two-dimensional persons with no feelings. It’s ridiculous.
Don't waste your time of these books. Though the first few seem quite promising, it quickly dissolves into brackish salt water, leaving a terrible taste in your mouth. You want a merry Pirate tale to dazzle your imagination and warm your heart? Go read One Piece, and discover what a true Pirate is.
I was wrong. So very, very wrong.
I actually liked the first two books. They were alright. Twins Connor and Grace set out in a ship and get lost in a storm. Grace is saved by the Vampirates, a group of peaceful Vampires that live on a boat, and Connor becomes a Pirate. Later they find out that they themselves are Vampirates, and the inner turmoil begins. Okay, cool. I'm fine with that. But by the third book, thing start to go downhill.
These books have a lot of problems. The biggest one, in my opinion, is their idea of a Pirate.
In this book, a Pirate is a person who goes to the Federation's Pirate academy, stays there for ten years to learn the way of Piracy through books and lessons and power-point presentations, and then they are given a license and go about Pirating on their designated sea-lanes, following rules and being a good, law-abiding Pirate.
This is such utter bullshit. The Federation is one of the most foolish things I have ever heard of. Piracy is not something that can be learned from sitting behind a desk with organized little lessons. It must be lived, breathed, discovered like uncharted territory and mapped out with experience. The idea of placing rules and regulations on Piracy itself is a complete and utter farce. It’s akin to placing a leash on a wild animal and calling it a pet. You cannot control Piracy. Piracy controls you. And all Pirates embark to the seas for one thing.
Romance.
The romance of exploring the vast high seas, sailing through booming thunder and lightning storms, drenched with stinging rain and laughing at the heavens, discovering fascinating new lands and people, acquiring mountains of glittering gold and sparkling jewels, battling with bitter enemies and rivals, all the while backed up by your faithful crew who stick with you through thick and thin.
That, people, is Piracy. Not the cruel mockery that is the Federation. Do not speak to me of the definition of Piracy. Go read One Piece and learn it for yourself.
The only true Pirate in the entire series is Molucco, the Pirate that saves Connor from the storm and takes him under his wing. He doesn’t listen to anyone's rules, Federation or otherwise, he shatters the chains attempting to hold him back and does whatever the fuck he wants. He attacks who he wants, takes what he wants, and parties when he wants, all with a merry laugh and mischievous gleam in his eye.
THAT is a Pirate, and THAT is what a Pirate does.
Another huge, glaring problem with the series is the setting. The date set for these books - about year 2500 - makes absolutely no sense and doesn’t seem to fit at all. 2500 is centuries in the future, yet where is all the technology, all the cities, all the people? Why does it seem like the book should be set a thousand years in the PAST? There are no cell-phones, no computers, NOTHING electronic to suggest this is anywhere in the second millennium. The weaponry is primitive at best, only swords and muskets, no actual 9mm or bazooka’s or bombs or anything. Perhaps this is after a great war or devastation or something and there is no such thing as technology now, but it is never mentioned or explained at all, which just serves to confuse me even more. IT MAKES NO SENSE!!
Another problem is the characters themselves. They start out fine, morally-responsible people with good intentions. But by the third or fourth book, EVERYONE IS AN ASSHOLE. There are NO good role-models in this series. Everyone is horrible, treats others horribly, and have no qualms about any of the bad things they do. These characters have no soul, and therefore, are not characters at all. I lost all respect for them with every action they took.
Let's start with Connor. Connor, to be blunt, is an asshole. He is supposed to be 14, nothing more than a meer child, and yet most of the time he acts more like he is 18. He lies and cheats. He goes behind his BEST friend’s back and makes a move on his girlfriend, stealing her away behind his back and doesn’t even have the balls to TELL the poor boy, hiding everything. He lies to his companions about his blood-drinking habit and continues to suck poor victims dry, feeling no remorse for his actions. A 14 year old should be more interested in farts and yanking on his dick than doing such despicable things. I could not believe some of the things that Connor did, and found myself incredibly disgusted by this loathsome boy.
Grace's descent into being a horrible character takes a bit longer than her twin brother. 14 as well, she too acts many years older. She quickly falls in love with Lorcan, a Vampirate, but is in no means loyal to him. When she goes to visit her evil father and stepmother, she immediately leaps upon Johnny, another Vampirate, and has quite a romp with him. Even when she returns to her senses and goes back to Lorcan's side, she then HEALS JOHNNY’S WOUNDS when he’s found, about to die, and HELPS HIM ESCAPE. Doesn’t this girl realize that he is a Vampirate MURDERER who is going to KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE, most importantly HER FRIENDS? They are at war with these fiends, and she HELPS HIM! The moment I lost all respect for her is when she did the most horrible thing ever to her best friend, Darcy. Darcy is wonderful, a Vampirate flapper-girl who is strong, smart, and sweet. Grace traps her in a room with Stukeley, one of the bad Vampirates who once loved her and who has been absolutely terrible to her, which is just plain CRUEL. Luckily Darcy has some actual pluck and brushes him off. Darcy is the only person I respect in this series.
Another disgusting character is Cheng Li. Again, to put it bluntly, Cheng Li is a conniving bitch. I think I despised her the most out of everyone. Not only does she sign up on Molluco’s crew in order to SPY on him for the Federation, but she later rubs his shortcomings in his face and uses this fact to convince Connor into leaving his crew and joining her own, thereby stealing him away. She then immediately chooses the lamest name possible (The Tiger) for her ship and sails away, laughing evilly. I seriously don’t understand how Connor has any loyalty toward her, seeing as she almost got him killed by having his best friend, Jacoby, try and kill him in a public demonstration of sword fighting, as well as keep the secret of his birth from him until the last minute to better manipulate the boy. She also convinces Grace that the only way to return to the Vampirate vessel is to try and KILL herself. Then, when the attempt is botched and Grace questioned, Cheng Li totally denies any involvement and acts like she is completely innocent. NOT ONLY THAT, but she also goes out of her way to flirt and try to get with Grace’s KNOWN boyfriend, Lorcan, simply because he makes her triangle tingle. I have absolutely no respect for this horrible woman and cheered like crazy when she finally died.
Another problem with the series is that I find everything with the Vampirates and their ‘donors’ extremely sexual. They sit down, have dinner with each other, then retire to their bedrooms where they fu- I mean…SHARE, as they call it. I found all this incredibly sexual and quite weird, especially with Lorcan and Oskar, considering they’re both male. Very homo-erotic. It just makes it that much weirder when Oskar tries to get Grace to ‘share’ along with Lorcan, forming a sort of three-way between them. Also, how on earth are the Vampirates supposed to feed from the thorax instead of the neck? I mean, physically, how is it possible? You can’t open your mouth that wide, can you? What are they, snakes? Do they unhinge their jaws? How do they bite something that is nearly flat? A neck just seems so much more convenient to bite, no matter how cliché.
Yet another thing that bothers me is that almost every single female in the series is stunningly beautiful. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Can’t we have at least one average-looking girl in the series, please? I’m getting real tired of each girl being praised for her looks and described down to the barest detail of her eyelashes.
These books seem to not take themselves seriously. At all. I mean, Sidorio’s evil army of Vampirates is raging up the coast, destroying entire villages every single night, sucking dry hundreds of people, and what does anyone do about it? NOTHING. They let him be for weeks, months, before even TRYING to mount an attack. There is also the fact that Connor and friends perform cruel experiments on the Vampirates to figure out how to kill them, which no-one really questions or feels any guilt for. Where is the confliction, the inner turmoil?? Everyone is a paper-thin, two-dimensional persons with no feelings. It’s ridiculous.
Don't waste your time of these books. Though the first few seem quite promising, it quickly dissolves into brackish salt water, leaving a terrible taste in your mouth. You want a merry Pirate tale to dazzle your imagination and warm your heart? Go read One Piece, and discover what a true Pirate is.
May 3, 2021
I'm pretty pissed. And I will unleash my pissiness with honest words about this finale and the series as a whole.
1) Conceptually, it's got an epic finale. I'll give it that. Large battle sequences, prophecies come to pass, deaths upon deaths and the return of familiar characters to help in the end.
2) INCOMPLETE STORY ARCS!!! With such a stretched-out narrative, Somper has the nerve to do this after five whole books of waiting for closure on story developments.
Lorcan: what exactly is his story? Other than broodingly looking at people with his ocean blue eyes and being in love with Grace? I understand that middle-grade stories heavily base their characters on archetypes, but I really wanted to know Lorcan as more than just a protector that's never really around that much.
Lorcan & Cheng Li: It was pushed in every single scene with them together that Cheng Li was romantically infatuated with Lorcan. Nothing came from this. No confrontations, confessions or any real evidence of trust and bonding. If anything, their supposed friendship could even have been used to gain more insight into Lorcan's severely underdeveloped character.
Connor's Blood Addiction: This might be the thing I'm most pissed about. Such injustice was done to Connor's character; it made a part of my brain liquidate. This teenage boy has developed an addiction to a frowned-upon substance while juggling multiple compounded traumas. He's depressed, keeping to himself on most occasions, and hasn't hurt anyone. And what do his peers call him for his trouble? "A monster." We never see Connor try to remedy this addiction, nor does he receive help in releasing his traumas. Instead, it's completely brushed under the rug as the book ends with Connor practically faking his death and going into isolation to be rid of a part of himself rather than come to terms with it. He doesn't talk to the closest people in his life: Cheng Li, Jasmine, Cate, or even his own sister. And when Jasmine overhears just a snippet of a long-awaited breakdown, she wrongfully shames him. I'll say it once and once only: this could have been so much more.
Connor's Love Triangle(?): In truth, I have no idea what this was. But it is never resolved. We never know if Jasmine actually told Jacoby of her relationship with Connor. Or if Jasmine and Connor continued to even be in a relationship? Or if Jacoby is still holding on to his feelings for Jasmine? Or if Connor ever reconciles with the two of them? ...This was a mess.
Graces Love Triangle(?): So, she chose Lorcan... How they got past Grace's cheating in Book 5, overlooked her admittance to having feelings for Johnny and figured out a way for their relationship to work, I couldn't tell you. It never says. And they barely even talk to one another in the final book. Opening their mouths to one another is only to insist to the audience that they love one another. ...okay.
Dhampir Powers!: So...dhampirs have super-super powers and apparently it's different for them all. However, we're never exactly clear on what these powers are or if they're limited in any way. They sort of just appear randomly, then disappear at the author's will.
Oliver: That's just it. He randomly appears in the story again, reveals that he's a dhampir, then does nothing during the rest of the story. We don't even know the direction he's trying to take at the much too open ending.
Jacoby: Same deal. Appears with the reveal that he's been turned into a vampire, then does nothing for the rest of the story. I simply don't think that this reveal was enough. There should at least have been some mention of his experience of being a new vampire with a donor (don't even get me started on this point alone) when in his life, his objective was to assassinate the very thing he became. How does he view the experience? How do his peers? Being the first good vampire after turning, I think it deserved some page time.
Lola Lockwood This woman's always given me strong Lady Macbeth vibes and I'm here for it! Though at the end of the book, she's still very much at large and we have no idea what will occur with her, her children (don't get me started about this either) and the remainder of her forces.
3) Ngl, Sidario's death was disappointing. This dude was ignited with fire in the second book! Engulfed in flames! And he died by a stab to the chest but, you know, also coupled with a tiny bit of sunlight? Come. On.
4) Speaking of deaths, what determines a vampire's ability to survive against their poisons? Because the plot armour of frequently bringing back characters with no particular reason was annoying. Why methods of killing some vampires affect all but the main villains, I would still really like to know.
5) Johnny, my dear, poor, misguided, and complicated boy, I wish I saw more of you. (More for my sake than the story's.)
6) Grace, a 15-year-old girl, is given a baby to take care of with her 300-year-old vampire boyfriend. He gifted her with an engagement ring and at her best friend's wedding, he said that he hoped that she would catch the bouquet😳. DOES ANYONE SEE HOW WEIRD THAT IS?!?!?!
7) As the series went on, the characterization started to blend and everybody began sounding exactly the same...big nono.
8) This series was about TWINS!! And yet, in the final book, there was almost zero twin interaction. That was probably the most disappointing part of the final book. With all the time separated during the previous books, you'd think that it was time for them to come back together as a stronger pair in the end. But, nah.
I grew up obsessed with the uncanniness of this story. Even now, I can't help but admire the oddness of it and how it just simply works. The world, the characters and the story are all there. It is just in my simple opinion that if it were developed further, it would have worked better. It was a great introduction for me to the darker contents of the fantasy genre growing up and honestly, if they developed it into a tv show, I'd give it a watch. It never hurts to reminisce.🤷
1) Conceptually, it's got an epic finale. I'll give it that. Large battle sequences, prophecies come to pass, deaths upon deaths and the return of familiar characters to help in the end.
2) INCOMPLETE STORY ARCS!!! With such a stretched-out narrative, Somper has the nerve to do this after five whole books of waiting for closure on story developments.
Lorcan: what exactly is his story? Other than broodingly looking at people with his ocean blue eyes and being in love with Grace? I understand that middle-grade stories heavily base their characters on archetypes, but I really wanted to know Lorcan as more than just a protector that's never really around that much.
Lorcan & Cheng Li: It was pushed in every single scene with them together that Cheng Li was romantically infatuated with Lorcan. Nothing came from this. No confrontations, confessions or any real evidence of trust and bonding. If anything, their supposed friendship could even have been used to gain more insight into Lorcan's severely underdeveloped character.
Connor's Blood Addiction: This might be the thing I'm most pissed about. Such injustice was done to Connor's character; it made a part of my brain liquidate. This teenage boy has developed an addiction to a frowned-upon substance while juggling multiple compounded traumas. He's depressed, keeping to himself on most occasions, and hasn't hurt anyone. And what do his peers call him for his trouble? "A monster." We never see Connor try to remedy this addiction, nor does he receive help in releasing his traumas. Instead, it's completely brushed under the rug as the book ends with Connor practically faking his death and going into isolation to be rid of a part of himself rather than come to terms with it. He doesn't talk to the closest people in his life: Cheng Li, Jasmine, Cate, or even his own sister. And when Jasmine overhears just a snippet of a long-awaited breakdown, she wrongfully shames him. I'll say it once and once only: this could have been so much more.
Connor's Love Triangle(?): In truth, I have no idea what this was. But it is never resolved. We never know if Jasmine actually told Jacoby of her relationship with Connor. Or if Jasmine and Connor continued to even be in a relationship? Or if Jacoby is still holding on to his feelings for Jasmine? Or if Connor ever reconciles with the two of them? ...This was a mess.
Graces Love Triangle(?): So, she chose Lorcan... How they got past Grace's cheating in Book 5, overlooked her admittance to having feelings for Johnny and figured out a way for their relationship to work, I couldn't tell you. It never says. And they barely even talk to one another in the final book. Opening their mouths to one another is only to insist to the audience that they love one another. ...okay.
Dhampir Powers!: So...dhampirs have super-super powers and apparently it's different for them all. However, we're never exactly clear on what these powers are or if they're limited in any way. They sort of just appear randomly, then disappear at the author's will.
Oliver: That's just it. He randomly appears in the story again, reveals that he's a dhampir, then does nothing during the rest of the story. We don't even know the direction he's trying to take at the much too open ending.
Jacoby: Same deal. Appears with the reveal that he's been turned into a vampire, then does nothing for the rest of the story. I simply don't think that this reveal was enough. There should at least have been some mention of his experience of being a new vampire with a donor (don't even get me started on this point alone) when in his life, his objective was to assassinate the very thing he became. How does he view the experience? How do his peers? Being the first good vampire after turning, I think it deserved some page time.
Lola Lockwood This woman's always given me strong Lady Macbeth vibes and I'm here for it! Though at the end of the book, she's still very much at large and we have no idea what will occur with her, her children (don't get me started about this either) and the remainder of her forces.
3) Ngl, Sidario's death was disappointing. This dude was ignited with fire in the second book! Engulfed in flames! And he died by a stab to the chest but, you know, also coupled with a tiny bit of sunlight? Come. On.
4) Speaking of deaths, what determines a vampire's ability to survive against their poisons? Because the plot armour of frequently bringing back characters with no particular reason was annoying. Why methods of killing some vampires affect all but the main villains, I would still really like to know.
5) Johnny, my dear, poor, misguided, and complicated boy, I wish I saw more of you. (More for my sake than the story's.)
6) Grace, a 15-year-old girl, is given a baby to take care of with her 300-year-old vampire boyfriend. He gifted her with an engagement ring and at her best friend's wedding, he said that he hoped that she would catch the bouquet😳. DOES ANYONE SEE HOW WEIRD THAT IS?!?!?!
7) As the series went on, the characterization started to blend and everybody began sounding exactly the same...big nono.
8) This series was about TWINS!! And yet, in the final book, there was almost zero twin interaction. That was probably the most disappointing part of the final book. With all the time separated during the previous books, you'd think that it was time for them to come back together as a stronger pair in the end. But, nah.
I grew up obsessed with the uncanniness of this story. Even now, I can't help but admire the oddness of it and how it just simply works. The world, the characters and the story are all there. It is just in my simple opinion that if it were developed further, it would have worked better. It was a great introduction for me to the darker contents of the fantasy genre growing up and honestly, if they developed it into a tv show, I'd give it a watch. It never hurts to reminisce.🤷
April 19, 2024
Definitely one of my favorite book series. I wish more people knew about Vampirates and appreciated the series more
June 7, 2011
Immortal War is the final book in the Vampirates series. I must admit I felt strange picking up this book having not read any of the other books in the series but it was neither as challenging or as mindboggling an experience as I expected. In fact, reading the last book in this series has opened my eyes as to why it is so popular – it is full of action, entertaining characterisation, deep moral questions and has a writing style which is as comfy as my favourite woolly jumper. I will go on to review this book as a story in itself so Vampirates beware, I may cast you a spoiler without intention.
There is one obvious problem starting a book in which other readers have lived with the characters through an epic journey. How do we relate to them when they have already experienced a huge back story? Does the author have to retell everything to help new readers follow? No, of course not. The author must just simply make you feel a connection with the heroes and repulsion for the villains. Somper did this with expert skill. In the first few chapters I wasn’t entirely sure who the main character was but I knew I was late joining the nocturnal party so I just went with him. I felt like a mighty warrior in doing so as the viewpoint switched frequently. But it was smooth sailing, I had an overriding sense that I was in safe hands. That is Somper’s particular skill, I was confident that everything would make sense in the fullness of time even when I was being introduced to perhaps the eleventh, twelfth or thirteenth character.
There are two main characters in this novel as well as a galleon full of supporting characters. There is Grace and there is Connor. They are twins and they are the children of a great prophecy. (I really hope that’s not an epic spoiler for the earlier books). Immortal War is a story of two sides in a great and bloody war. The Vampirates and the Pirate/ Nocturnal Alliance. As a new reader, it didn’t take me long to realise that we are meant to be on the side of the Alliance. They are trying to prevent the Vampirates drinking the mortals’ dry of their blood and they are ready to strike the very heart of the enemy’s empire. I also think it is fair to say that neither side is innocent in this war. In my own mind war is never the answer and it can never be justified. I really liked that the author raised the moral question about murder in the name of war. We do want the Alliance to win but we also recognise that war is not a perfect solution.
Luckily this is fantasy at its best and we can accept that there is the personification of pure evil. For me this was the role of Lola Lockwood. She is the wife of the legendary, ruthless, self-styled King of the Vampirates - Sidorio. Lola was every part Lady Macbeth. Sidorio was a blood-thirsty villain too but there are moments in the book where we see his humanity through his relationship with his children, so he never quite reached the level of evil that Lola did for me. I wonder if he was an even darker character in the earlier books and that this was part of his character arc. I’d be interested to know.
Overall, I found Immortal War to be a thoroughly enjoyable read. Being thrown into the middle of a war got me off to a cracking start and when you added that to the quirky characterisation and very comfy author voice, I couldn’t put it down. I’m sure fans of the series will find the conclusion immensely satisfying. For those considering giving the series a go, I think if you like The Spooks series by Joseph Delaney or Time Riders by Alex Scarrow, then you’ll love Vampirates.
There is one obvious problem starting a book in which other readers have lived with the characters through an epic journey. How do we relate to them when they have already experienced a huge back story? Does the author have to retell everything to help new readers follow? No, of course not. The author must just simply make you feel a connection with the heroes and repulsion for the villains. Somper did this with expert skill. In the first few chapters I wasn’t entirely sure who the main character was but I knew I was late joining the nocturnal party so I just went with him. I felt like a mighty warrior in doing so as the viewpoint switched frequently. But it was smooth sailing, I had an overriding sense that I was in safe hands. That is Somper’s particular skill, I was confident that everything would make sense in the fullness of time even when I was being introduced to perhaps the eleventh, twelfth or thirteenth character.
There are two main characters in this novel as well as a galleon full of supporting characters. There is Grace and there is Connor. They are twins and they are the children of a great prophecy. (I really hope that’s not an epic spoiler for the earlier books). Immortal War is a story of two sides in a great and bloody war. The Vampirates and the Pirate/ Nocturnal Alliance. As a new reader, it didn’t take me long to realise that we are meant to be on the side of the Alliance. They are trying to prevent the Vampirates drinking the mortals’ dry of their blood and they are ready to strike the very heart of the enemy’s empire. I also think it is fair to say that neither side is innocent in this war. In my own mind war is never the answer and it can never be justified. I really liked that the author raised the moral question about murder in the name of war. We do want the Alliance to win but we also recognise that war is not a perfect solution.
Luckily this is fantasy at its best and we can accept that there is the personification of pure evil. For me this was the role of Lola Lockwood. She is the wife of the legendary, ruthless, self-styled King of the Vampirates - Sidorio. Lola was every part Lady Macbeth. Sidorio was a blood-thirsty villain too but there are moments in the book where we see his humanity through his relationship with his children, so he never quite reached the level of evil that Lola did for me. I wonder if he was an even darker character in the earlier books and that this was part of his character arc. I’d be interested to know.
Overall, I found Immortal War to be a thoroughly enjoyable read. Being thrown into the middle of a war got me off to a cracking start and when you added that to the quirky characterisation and very comfy author voice, I couldn’t put it down. I’m sure fans of the series will find the conclusion immensely satisfying. For those considering giving the series a go, I think if you like The Spooks series by Joseph Delaney or Time Riders by Alex Scarrow, then you’ll love Vampirates.
September 27, 2019
Conner is a lot like me because he has a twin, and I've always wanted a twin. he's also the youngest like me. Connor and Grace (the elder twin) are in a ship and get lost in a storm. Grace is saved by the Vampirates. Connor becomes a Pirate. They find out that they are Vampirates. When I started reading it, I thought grace was more like me. as I got further in the book, I realized I was more like Connor.
September 8, 2011
I first decided to read the 1st book in this series on a whim, or probably because at the time I was currently reading an Anthony Horowitz (Alex Rider) novel and spotted his review "I which I had this idea" ridden across the cover or I probably even noticed the book on Amazon BUT for whatever reason I decided to read this fantastic series, and I'm thanking my instinctive impulses.
If you're gonna read this book, DO IT properly start from the BEGINNING
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/72... - HERE...
Now for a proper review of Immortal War:
With this being the 6th book in the series (not counting the WBD release DEAD DEEP).... Mr Somper has refined and improve his storytelling skills immeasurably and does not disappoint with this the SERIES FINALe, if you did the thing properly and when through the series, then i'm sure you'll agree with me that this is a very fitting ending to what's been for me one hell of a vampires vs pirates 50 years from now rollercoaster ride.
Majority of the open plots are brought to a close, although abit too "efficiently" in some instances e.g one Ms Darcy Flotsam, there are quite a few more of these "instances" but there nice touches, as the story would NOT have felt complete without them.
Ladies and Gents alike, keep a wad of Kleexen at hand, and sit back and "read" as one of the best YA Series of the decade is (it took 8 years to get to this point, 1st novel was published 2001, do the math :D) brought to a close...
Grace, Connor, Bart, Cheng Li, Mr Somper.... thank you for ...(oh yeah and you Sugar Pie)... taking me of whirlwind of a ride...and I'll glad queue up again
SPOILER: In the words of Johnny D tattoo: the ride is far from over!
If you're gonna read this book, DO IT properly start from the BEGINNING
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/72... - HERE...
Now for a proper review of Immortal War:
With this being the 6th book in the series (not counting the WBD release DEAD DEEP).... Mr Somper has refined and improve his storytelling skills immeasurably and does not disappoint with this the SERIES FINALe, if you did the thing properly and when through the series, then i'm sure you'll agree with me that this is a very fitting ending to what's been for me one hell of a vampires vs pirates 50 years from now rollercoaster ride.
Majority of the open plots are brought to a close, although abit too "efficiently" in some instances e.g one Ms Darcy Flotsam, there are quite a few more of these "instances" but there nice touches, as the story would NOT have felt complete without them.
Ladies and Gents alike, keep a wad of Kleexen at hand, and sit back and "read" as one of the best YA Series of the decade is (it took 8 years to get to this point, 1st novel was published 2001, do the math :D) brought to a close...
Grace, Connor, Bart, Cheng Li, Mr Somper.... thank you for ...(oh yeah and you Sugar Pie)... taking me of whirlwind of a ride...and I'll glad queue up again
SPOILER: In the words of Johnny D tattoo: the ride is far from over!
September 9, 2011
This fantasy, futuristic series by Justin Somper truly surprised me. Students in my Grade 6 LA class begged me to read it last year, and I cringed internally, as neither vampires nor pirates have ever interested me. However, I tried the first book, since it was enjoyed so much by some of my readers. I was amazed at the cleverness of this author, and at the seamless way in which he moved the characters through their complex development during the series of six books. At the end of the first novel I had to get my hands on the next, and so on, until I found myself parcing out the pages of Immortal War, knowing it was the last of the series. As silly as the concept of Vampirates sounds, it is a solid tale of two siblings who did not know their mother, were raised by their father, and in their early teens, were on their own. How and why they come to be on the ocean with such a motley crew of characters is interesting in itself, but how the adventure evolves continually left me a bit surprised, and feeling satisfied as a reader of intelligent, complex novels.
April 21, 2025
It was good, I feel like I have a few unanswered questions so can't give 5 stars. Seems a shame considering Justin Somper said he was planning to give each character a goodbye, but I still want more.
I need more information on The Cardinals - there didn't seem to be any reason to bring them in apart from winning a battle, Grace and Lorcan were talking about marriage at 15, and I feel like we needed a better, more conclusive ending for Lola especially considering there aren't any more books written.
Also after Lorcan's story (& the Crossing Stories book!) was promised, it feels so empty that we no longer get it.
I love this series so much, but really wish it had a stronger ending. Really loved the addition of Jack Tar's cavern and Connor's endings.
I need more information on The Cardinals - there didn't seem to be any reason to bring them in apart from winning a battle, Grace and Lorcan were talking about marriage at 15, and I feel like we needed a better, more conclusive ending for Lola especially considering there aren't any more books written.
Also after Lorcan's story (& the Crossing Stories book!) was promised, it feels so empty that we no longer get it.
I love this series so much, but really wish it had a stronger ending. Really loved the addition of Jack Tar's cavern and Connor's endings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2017
I like how the Pirate Federation and the Nocturnals are working together and how they have a great plan. I hate how Lola is pregnant and how she is going to have twins. I hate how Connor refuses to leave the Pirates, and how Grace refuses to leave the Vampirates. I like how when all hope seems lost, the Nocturnals come in and practically wipe out all the rest of the Vampirates.
October 8, 2022
Gdy zaczęłam czytać wampiratów, miałam może z 16 lat, gdy skończyłam ostatni tom, już stuknęła mi 30 i wiecie co? W każdym wieku bawiłam się tak samo dobrze. Ba! Tym razem czytałam od początku, a trzy pierwsze tomy znam niemal na pamięć. Mimo to chcę jeszcze raz przeczytać wszystko i wiem, że ja do tej serii jeszcze wrócę. Kocham każdy tom, każdą przygodę i jestem zachwycona i usatysfakcjonowana tym tomem.
No wieczna miłość po prostu <3
No wieczna miłość po prostu <3
June 8, 2011
There is nothing more satisfying (or scary!) as picking up the final book in a series you've come to love. You've invested so much time reading the earlier books and the characters are like friends, you need to know what happens to them but you're worried that the book won't live up to your expectations and you're not ready to reach the end of your journey. I'll admit I was nervous picking up Immortal War, how was Justin Somper going to top Empire of Night? I shouldn't have been worried though, each book in the series has been consistantly better than it's predesessor and Immortal War was no exception to that - it was a fitting end to a fantastic series and I'm sure it will satisfy the fans.
I don't really want to go into much detail on the plot because I want other fans to be able to savour the experience of reading this for themselves. As the title suggests the war to end all wars is on and the characters we know and love are all in the thick of things. Grace has grown into a powerful healer and is kept busy as the war casualties begin to mount up. Connor on the other hand is right in the middle of the action working alongside Cheng Li, the pirates and Nocturnals to put a stop to the threat by Sidorio and the Vampirates. The battle will be hard and as fans will already know Justin Somper isn't afraid of putting major characters in harms way - all I'm going to say is keep tissues to hand when you're reading!
I was on the edge of my seat from the prologue and the action just doesn't stop until the very last page - you're in for another rollercoaster ride with Immortal War so prepare to be left breathless! Connor and Grace both develop new and interesting abilities that are a major asset to the Alliance, Connor is still struggling to come to terms with what he is and even Moonshine does some growing up. The alliance between the Pirate Federation and the Nocturnals has made great progress but there is still a very real risk that the Vampirates could win the war. Allies both old and new are set to make an appearance and I'm sure some will come as quite a surprise.
I loved the way we get to see so many loose ends tied up but there are still a couple of new developments that are left open and I really hope we get to see more of this series at some point in the future. Although you could probably pick up Immortal War and read it as a stand alone story I would highly recommend reading the series in order. Whatever your preference just make sure you don't miss out, start your Vampirates journey today!
I don't really want to go into much detail on the plot because I want other fans to be able to savour the experience of reading this for themselves. As the title suggests the war to end all wars is on and the characters we know and love are all in the thick of things. Grace has grown into a powerful healer and is kept busy as the war casualties begin to mount up. Connor on the other hand is right in the middle of the action working alongside Cheng Li, the pirates and Nocturnals to put a stop to the threat by Sidorio and the Vampirates. The battle will be hard and as fans will already know Justin Somper isn't afraid of putting major characters in harms way - all I'm going to say is keep tissues to hand when you're reading!
I was on the edge of my seat from the prologue and the action just doesn't stop until the very last page - you're in for another rollercoaster ride with Immortal War so prepare to be left breathless! Connor and Grace both develop new and interesting abilities that are a major asset to the Alliance, Connor is still struggling to come to terms with what he is and even Moonshine does some growing up. The alliance between the Pirate Federation and the Nocturnals has made great progress but there is still a very real risk that the Vampirates could win the war. Allies both old and new are set to make an appearance and I'm sure some will come as quite a surprise.
I loved the way we get to see so many loose ends tied up but there are still a couple of new developments that are left open and I really hope we get to see more of this series at some point in the future. Although you could probably pick up Immortal War and read it as a stand alone story I would highly recommend reading the series in order. Whatever your preference just make sure you don't miss out, start your Vampirates journey today!
May 8, 2013
I can remember being absolutely enthralled by these books in the beginning. The set up seemed quite delicious.
I am trying to read 'as a writer' and this series and especially the book itself has definitely taught me how not to write.
I have to agree with some of the other reviews on here - the characters were quite flat and also not much of role models.
Immortal War was full of deus ex machinas...and stupid clichés and phrases. The Four Cardinals suddenly announcing a prophecy? Connor can conveniently split into two and thus avoid his death?
But the thing that was most glaring to me was the fact that the book didn't have a secure setting. or context. It's meant to be about the year 2500 yet we aren't given any obvious clues to how the world developed - except that there was a huge flood that must have written out technology and all ideas of nautical knowledge. Mosh Zu spoke about his prophecy 500 years before the books are set, meaning that it was our present time in which it happened - yet there is nothing recognisable from this. Somper: read Mortal Engines. Reeve quite convincingly builds a world we know is absolutely ravaged by warfare and makes it obvious yet subtle of its context and awareness.
Also: do your research. It's all very well to have hundreds of ships sailing the oceans but apart from the fact they have sails they are very hard to imagine. Are they ships similar to those in the time of Nelson? Get some nautical terminology in there, some decent research. It seems crazy that these pirates are concerned with sword play when things like cannon and guns decided the Battle of Trafalgar. Refer to CS Forester or Naomi Novik, who successfully builds a fantasy world on top of one we recognise.
In all fairness, this book is aimed for middle school readers and so I suppose it satisfies their needs. But it could be much more exciting. I can think of dozens of books written for this age that are infinitely better. Mortal Engines is one.
I did used to like this series. But then it stretched on and on and began to feel strained.
Maybe it would have been more exciting if it was written for young adults.
Also, the Captain was a fantastic character, but as soon as he was revealed as Darke, I was disappointed. Boo!
And where's the sea shanty?
Immortal War feels considerably different from the others.
I am trying to read 'as a writer' and this series and especially the book itself has definitely taught me how not to write.
I have to agree with some of the other reviews on here - the characters were quite flat and also not much of role models.
Immortal War was full of deus ex machinas...and stupid clichés and phrases. The Four Cardinals suddenly announcing a prophecy? Connor can conveniently split into two and thus avoid his death?
But the thing that was most glaring to me was the fact that the book didn't have a secure setting. or context. It's meant to be about the year 2500 yet we aren't given any obvious clues to how the world developed - except that there was a huge flood that must have written out technology and all ideas of nautical knowledge. Mosh Zu spoke about his prophecy 500 years before the books are set, meaning that it was our present time in which it happened - yet there is nothing recognisable from this. Somper: read Mortal Engines. Reeve quite convincingly builds a world we know is absolutely ravaged by warfare and makes it obvious yet subtle of its context and awareness.
Also: do your research. It's all very well to have hundreds of ships sailing the oceans but apart from the fact they have sails they are very hard to imagine. Are they ships similar to those in the time of Nelson? Get some nautical terminology in there, some decent research. It seems crazy that these pirates are concerned with sword play when things like cannon and guns decided the Battle of Trafalgar. Refer to CS Forester or Naomi Novik, who successfully builds a fantasy world on top of one we recognise.
In all fairness, this book is aimed for middle school readers and so I suppose it satisfies their needs. But it could be much more exciting. I can think of dozens of books written for this age that are infinitely better. Mortal Engines is one.
I did used to like this series. But then it stretched on and on and began to feel strained.
Maybe it would have been more exciting if it was written for young adults.
Also, the Captain was a fantastic character, but as soon as he was revealed as Darke, I was disappointed. Boo!
And where's the sea shanty?
Immortal War feels considerably different from the others.
January 6, 2015
Nie wierzę, że to już koniec przygód Connora i Grace. Przez te sześć tomów tyle się wydarzyło. To niesamowite ile razy historia dwóch bliźniąt diametralnie się zmieniała w ciągu jednego roku.
Nie potrafię opisać tego, jak wspaniałą powieścią jest seria "Wampiraci". Mogę powiedzieć tylko, że polecam każdemu kto lubi tajemnice, czasem szokujące zwroty akcji, przygody, no i sympatycznych bohaterów.
Wiem na pewno, że jeszcze powrócę do tego cyklu i to nie raz i nie dwa.!
PS. Boże, tak mi smutno, że to już koniec ;(
Nie potrafię opisać tego, jak wspaniałą powieścią jest seria "Wampiraci". Mogę powiedzieć tylko, że polecam każdemu kto lubi tajemnice, czasem szokujące zwroty akcji, przygody, no i sympatycznych bohaterów.
Wiem na pewno, że jeszcze powrócę do tego cyklu i to nie raz i nie dwa.!
PS. Boże, tak mi smutno, że to już koniec ;(
March 1, 2016
When Conner and Grace get back to their boats they help out their side. Conner helps the pirate federation and Grace helps out on the nocturnals as a healer. They both deal with being a dhampir a different way Grace drinks tea like blood and Conner still drinks blood. Conner ends up losing his girlfriend and a friend. Grace gets married to Lorcan. They both have powers Conner can split into two and Grace has a couple they don't really say what kind she has. There's also a prophecy of Sidorio twins will die which are Conner and Grace.
January 6, 2012
The favorite characters are back and they all show strengths and flaws. My only problem was the ending. I can actually sense there is another book out of it...even though the author claims this is the final book.
I would prefer to give it 3 1/2 stars but I don't know how to do that. Very engaging novel. Couldn't put it down.
I would prefer to give it 3 1/2 stars but I don't know how to do that. Very engaging novel. Couldn't put it down.
October 21, 2025
Ta część jest chyba jedna z najsłabszych z całej sagi. Nie che być zanadto krytyczna bo jednak dążę ją dużym sentymentem jednak jest dużo elementów, które mi osobiście nie przypadły do gustu.
W ostatniej części pojawiło się wiele wątków, które były naprędce kończone, jakby autor nie do końca wiedział co z nimi zrobić.
• Grace - wcześniej wolałam ją z dwójki bliźniaków, ta część zupełnie mi ją obrzydziła. Jej wybory były po prostu głupie, rozmowy ckliwe, a sam fakt usprawiedliwienia ZDRADY Locrkana - żałosny…
• Connor - serio?! Po takim czasie nic mu nie zostało, po tak wielu zasługach dla świata piractwa… ehh
• Sidorio - zamienił się w jakiegoś ckliwego słodziaka. Autor chyba w końcu nie wiedział ile statków licz sobie jego flota bo w pewnym momencie Mimma dostaje 100- tny a do ostatecznej walki staje coś pomiędzy 3 a 5… no błagam…
Imiona dzieci Sidoria i Loli są po prostu śmieszne. Panna Flotsam zakochuje się w zupełnie nie rozbudowanej, przypadkowej postaci - z mojej perspektywy zasługuje na znacznie więcej. Kapitan - Dlaczego nagle stał się gnuśnym chamem? Tego mi chyba nikt nie jest w stanie wyjaśnić…
Po 6-ciu częściach żegnam się z tą serią, z radością że ją domknęłam i już więcej do niej nie wrócę 😅
W ostatniej części pojawiło się wiele wątków, które były naprędce kończone, jakby autor nie do końca wiedział co z nimi zrobić.
• Grace - wcześniej wolałam ją z dwójki bliźniaków, ta część zupełnie mi ją obrzydziła. Jej wybory były po prostu głupie, rozmowy ckliwe, a sam fakt usprawiedliwienia ZDRADY Locrkana - żałosny…
• Connor - serio?! Po takim czasie nic mu nie zostało, po tak wielu zasługach dla świata piractwa… ehh
• Sidorio - zamienił się w jakiegoś ckliwego słodziaka. Autor chyba w końcu nie wiedział ile statków licz sobie jego flota bo w pewnym momencie Mimma dostaje 100- tny a do ostatecznej walki staje coś pomiędzy 3 a 5… no błagam…
Imiona dzieci Sidoria i Loli są po prostu śmieszne. Panna Flotsam zakochuje się w zupełnie nie rozbudowanej, przypadkowej postaci - z mojej perspektywy zasługuje na znacznie więcej. Kapitan - Dlaczego nagle stał się gnuśnym chamem? Tego mi chyba nikt nie jest w stanie wyjaśnić…
Po 6-ciu częściach żegnam się z tą serią, z radością że ją domknęłam i już więcej do niej nie wrócę 😅
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2018
When I saw a title like Vampirates, I really wasn't sure what I was getting in a book from Dollar Tree. I thought to myself, this could be decent, or extremely cheesey. It wasn't either, it was actually pretty good once I got into it.
It's the sixth book in a series, and while I think I would have benefited from reading a previous novel in this series, I wasn't completely out of the loop with the plot. It's set in a world of ocean going pirates, nocturnals (vampires), and vampirates (vampire pirates). Once I had it figured out who was who, the plot became much more interesting.
It was much more sophisticated than just vampires riding the oceans in search of their next meal, it was vampires riding the oceans to control the oceans and secure the future of their kind. Toss in a 500 year old prophecy, two sets of twins, and romantic rivalries and this book is far from cheesey.
Even though it seems I read the last book first, it would be interesting to read previous books in this series to see how it all led up to this book.
It's the sixth book in a series, and while I think I would have benefited from reading a previous novel in this series, I wasn't completely out of the loop with the plot. It's set in a world of ocean going pirates, nocturnals (vampires), and vampirates (vampire pirates). Once I had it figured out who was who, the plot became much more interesting.
It was much more sophisticated than just vampires riding the oceans in search of their next meal, it was vampires riding the oceans to control the oceans and secure the future of their kind. Toss in a 500 year old prophecy, two sets of twins, and romantic rivalries and this book is far from cheesey.
Even though it seems I read the last book first, it would be interesting to read previous books in this series to see how it all led up to this book.
September 16, 2019
3.5 but I didn't wanna round down. I feel really frustrated, I loved this series and this was the last book that the whole series was building up to so I was expecting a bonanza of emotion, shocks, battle and drama. Nope majority of the book was feeling and more build up. Then the actual final battle which should have been awesome only lasted around 20 pages. The grudge fights I was hoping for let me down. I also don't know why wrathe brothers didn't just kill lola rather than letting her go to kill cheng li. It was quite obvious what was gonna happen. And I feel allot of plots have not been tapped into. Grace and baby evil what's gonna happen to them? Lola and Stukeley (possible fling) why did Oliver want that book. How did lorcan cross . What made the vampirates captain the way he is. Lol as backstory they kept hinting at There are tons and tons more that could have been written this book didn't feel like the end and that's why it lost a star and a half.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2023
Estoy entre dos estrellas y media o tres. Tirando más para las dos estrellas.
En comparación con el anterior este libro a mejorado mucho, pero, aún así, no lo considero un buen libro.
Si le pongo tanto es porque, al menos, les pone un final feliz a todos, pero en muchas ocasiones hay cosas que no tenían lógica o que se notaba que estaba creado para que terminase como quería Somper, con la victoria de los piratas. Por que sino ganaban los vampiratas.
Me ha enfadado como ha acabado Sidorio. Ha sido muy patético para lo que es. Y sigo considerándolo el único buen personaje que existía en toda la trama.
Lola podría simplemente no haber existido porque no aportaba nada a la trama.
Por último, hay cosas que no explican, eso o no me he enterado.
Me habría gustado que hubieran explicado algo más, solo un poco al menos.
Pero bueno, por fin terminé esta saga y estoy ilusionada de alejarme de esta historia y empezar otra, espero, mejor
En comparación con el anterior este libro a mejorado mucho, pero, aún así, no lo considero un buen libro.
Si le pongo tanto es porque, al menos, les pone un final feliz a todos, pero en muchas ocasiones hay cosas que no tenían lógica o que se notaba que estaba creado para que terminase como quería Somper, con la victoria de los piratas. Por que sino ganaban los vampiratas.
Me ha enfadado como ha acabado Sidorio. Ha sido muy patético para lo que es. Y sigo considerándolo el único buen personaje que existía en toda la trama.
Lola podría simplemente no haber existido porque no aportaba nada a la trama.
Por último, hay cosas que no explican, eso o no me he enterado.
Me habría gustado que hubieran explicado algo más, solo un poco al menos.
Pero bueno, por fin terminé esta saga y estoy ilusionada de alejarme de esta historia y empezar otra, espero, mejor
November 8, 2017
Maybe it is my age.. But i felt I needed to finish reading that series. Which I thought I had but evidently not..
I am clearly out of the aimed audience age range, but that also just made me think about the age of the characters in it and the life they live. And however much I like adolescent fantasy fiction, there should be a minimum age at which love life should be imposed on the characters. Which should be more than 15, in my opinion. And much more at the talk of a marriage. Or raising a foster child.
The manner of writing as well made it less enjoyable for me. Very far fetched from reality just based on mannerisms not the entire fictional story line.
So potentially much more interesting read for 14-15 year olds, but some pretty dodgy characters borderline perverse actions.
I am clearly out of the aimed audience age range, but that also just made me think about the age of the characters in it and the life they live. And however much I like adolescent fantasy fiction, there should be a minimum age at which love life should be imposed on the characters. Which should be more than 15, in my opinion. And much more at the talk of a marriage. Or raising a foster child.
The manner of writing as well made it less enjoyable for me. Very far fetched from reality just based on mannerisms not the entire fictional story line.
So potentially much more interesting read for 14-15 year olds, but some pretty dodgy characters borderline perverse actions.
August 25, 2022
Posledná časť série za mnou. Splnila som prianie malej Adriky - prečítať celých Vampirátov, ale, úprimne, som rada, že už mám konečne po tom. Z Vampirátov a záhadnej hmly v prvej časti sa zrazu stali astrálne návštevy, rybochvostky, liečenie cez stužky, zázračná kniha a podobne. Všetko nie tak úplne domyslené a presýtenosť fantazijnými prvkami sa tam už moc nehodila.
Keby mám sériu súdiť v mojom veku, s aktuálnou už odčítanou literatúrou a bez veľkej dávky nostalgie, ktorá ma čítaním sprevádzala, povedala by som, že je to čitateľský brak. Postavy však boli sympatické, dej dynamický, mladšiemu čitateľovi má séria ešte stále čo ponúknuť :)
Keby mám sériu súdiť v mojom veku, s aktuálnou už odčítanou literatúrou a bez veľkej dávky nostalgie, ktorá ma čítaním sprevádzala, povedala by som, že je to čitateľský brak. Postavy však boli sympatické, dej dynamický, mladšiemu čitateľovi má séria ešte stále čo ponúknuť :)
January 9, 2025
I’m giving this book a 4-star because it’s what introduced me to reading fantasy at a young age when I had otherwise detested reading. Seriously, nothing and nobody could interest me in picking up a book until I happened upon the Vampirates front cover in my middle school’s library. I saw the skull and crossbones and nervously checked it out. I fell in love with it. It kept my young mind engaged and interested in turning the next page. Looking back as an adult, was it as wonderful as I originally believed it to be? Not quite. But I would read it again for the nostalgia…for remembering the feeling of “hey reading might not be so bad.” I love reading now, and I owe it to this series.
February 9, 2021
*sigh*
I didn’t expect this one to be better than the previous one, and I was not disappointed. Everything just became a mess (like that pool of blood in Lola’s cellar. That was so random, I laughed).
There’s so much to complain about, to be perfectly honest, but I won’t. I’m so intent on getting over this series and moving on that I finished this one as quickly as I could.
Vampirates started off really well. I even considered adding it to my favorite series list. But it just went downhill from what? book 4? Sadly, I won’t be missing it.
I didn’t expect this one to be better than the previous one, and I was not disappointed. Everything just became a mess (like that pool of blood in Lola’s cellar. That was so random, I laughed).
There’s so much to complain about, to be perfectly honest, but I won’t. I’m so intent on getting over this series and moving on that I finished this one as quickly as I could.
Vampirates started off really well. I even considered adding it to my favorite series list. But it just went downhill from what? book 4? Sadly, I won’t be missing it.
July 21, 2022
¡Ay! Qué sensación agridulce después de estar tan encantada con esta historia.
Aunque tiene momentos de tensión y un par de batallas muy épicas, siento que se han querido resumir tantas cosas al mismo tiempo que, al final, se han dejado muchas cosas en el aire, elementos sacados de forma muy extraña y que resultaban demasiado convenientes para la trama, y ciertos cambios en el protagonismo y actitud de varios personajes que me han desconcertado mucho.
Creo que es una saga que merece la pena a nivel general, pese a que a mí este final no me haya convencido mucho.
Aunque tiene momentos de tensión y un par de batallas muy épicas, siento que se han querido resumir tantas cosas al mismo tiempo que, al final, se han dejado muchas cosas en el aire, elementos sacados de forma muy extraña y que resultaban demasiado convenientes para la trama, y ciertos cambios en el protagonismo y actitud de varios personajes que me han desconcertado mucho.
Creo que es una saga que merece la pena a nivel general, pese a que a mí este final no me haya convencido mucho.
April 8, 2023
Was an interesting conclusion to an underrated series of books. I found this ended all the love triangles in a logical way and yet still was shocking at times such as when Jacoby's confrontation with Connor and how Johnny's final moment with Grace. I also found that on both sides there was strong character development especially when Lola gave birth to her twins. Yet I did not find it full satisfying as I did feel that there were more stories that Me Somper wanted to tell but decided against it. Also the open end of the book only solidified these beliefs but it was a good and fun series!
October 6, 2024
“So it ends, so it begins.” This book focusses more on Grace, I feel. Her powers are immense now. She’s surpassed Mosh Zu and even possibly Obsidian Darke. Connor is still full of self hatred, but by the end he has his own life mission. I wasn’t too happy with the ending. I feel like it’s been left open for future books. This is definitely a great series for middle schoolers to read all the way through. There’s a ton of fighting in this one but it’s not as intense or graphic as a few others in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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