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The Eternal Dawn
When 5,000 year old vampire Alisa discovers Teri, a long lost descendant of her human family, all she wants is to get closer to her. Knowing Teri ultimately leads to knowing Matt, Teri's boyfriend. And as much as Alisa wants to ignore the connection she feels with Matt, she can't stop thinking about him.
465 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2010
8 people are currently reading
523 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Pike
262 books5,471 followersChristopher Pike is the pseudonym of Kevin McFadden. He is a bestselling author of young adult and children's fiction who specializes in the thriller genre.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
McFadden was born in New York but grew up in California where he stills lives in today. A college drop-out, he did factory work, painted houses and programmed computers before becoming a recognized author. Initially unsuccessful when he set out to write science fiction and adult mystery, it was not until his work caught the attention of an editor who suggested he write a teen thriller that he became a hit. The result was Slumber Party (1985), a book about a group of teenagers who run into bizarre and violent events during a ski weekend. After that he wrote Weekend and Chain Letter. All three books went on to become bestsellers.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
McFadden was born in New York but grew up in California where he stills lives in today. A college drop-out, he did factory work, painted houses and programmed computers before becoming a recognized author. Initially unsuccessful when he set out to write science fiction and adult mystery, it was not until his work caught the attention of an editor who suggested he write a teen thriller that he became a hit. The result was Slumber Party (1985), a book about a group of teenagers who run into bizarre and violent events during a ski weekend. After that he wrote Weekend and Chain Letter. All three books went on to become bestsellers.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 7, 2010
hey, correct me if i'm wrong, but in book six, didn't the main character go back in time and stop herself from becoming a vampire?????????? or is it just me?
okay, NOW i get it, seymour dorsten is supposed to be like the author of te three books. he writes the story of Sita, Or rather Alisa Perne, through the psychic bond he has with her, unknowing tht his Sita is actually real. that is why she dies at the end, whereas in 'real life' she still lives. it's amazing the way Christopher Pike has played this out, although it took me a quarter of the book to figure it out, but maybe i'm just londe, lolz.
it's good and it ends on an amazing cliff hanger ^_^
okay, NOW i get it, seymour dorsten is supposed to be like the author of te three books. he writes the story of Sita, Or rather Alisa Perne, through the psychic bond he has with her, unknowing tht his Sita is actually real. that is why she dies at the end, whereas in 'real life' she still lives. it's amazing the way Christopher Pike has played this out, although it took me a quarter of the book to figure it out, but maybe i'm just londe, lolz.
it's good and it ends on an amazing cliff hanger ^_^
August 20, 2019
PLEASE DON'T LET THIS BLURB FOOL YOU. THIS IS NOT A PARANORMAL ROMANCE. THE REAL BLURB IS THIS ONE (from another version of the book):
"Alisa has spent the past five thousand years as a vampire, living alone and fighting for survival. In her loneliness, Alisa cannot resist bringing Teri—a descendant of her human family—into her life. But Alisa is surrounded by death and destruction, and just by knowing Alisa, Teri’s life is at risk.
Alisa’s guilt grows when she becomes involved in a dangerous conspiracy. A top-secret group knows Alisa’s secret and will stop at nothing to use her powers for their cause. As Alisa desperately tries to protect herself and Teri from the unknown enemy, she discovers a force more powerful and more lethal than anything she has ever seen. Alisa doesn’t know who to trust, who to challenge, or who she will become…."
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Original take on vampires. Plenty of kickass action and entertaining (if often bloody) moments. Blends urban fantasy with thriller, history (though not in this specific installment), and more than anything, Eastern spirituality. More sophisticated than the previous books in the series (also because 14 years have passed), Thirst No.3 has lots of action, conspiracies and high stakes, plus an old friend returning.
Cons: A few problematic assessments about women, in jest but still bad-tastey. The deus-ex-machina device is freely used. But the worst thing is, this particular installment sees Sita sidelined in its second half, when a male hero steps in.
WARNING! Abundance of blood, gore and violence.
Will appeal to: Those looking for a fresh approach to vampires, in what was probably the very first YA/NA series about them.
This series is not perfect. And I won't shun its faults in my review. But for some reason, I can't bear myself to rate it less than 5 stars (well, 4 this time). It's not author bias - there are a bunch of Pike books I rated 3 stars and even less. But if TLV/Thirst stills works its magic on me almost 20 years after I first read Book 1, and if I'm still peeling its layers after all this time, that should count for something...
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
I'm not sure why Pike decided to reprise this series after 14 years - it's kind of unprecedented - but I can speculate that 1) he never got over Sita, and was still haunted by all her unwritten stories, and 2) since vampires were in their heyday back in 2010, Simon & Schuster strongly encouraged him to write more. Now, don't get me wrong - I would very much like to read Sita stories until me or the author leave our earthly abode, and even beyond. But in doing that, Pike also tweaked canon a lot. In Thirst No.3, the very ending of the original series is dismissed, and a supposedly dead character is brought back. I mean...not literally - Pike came up with a clever way to do both things, and it didn't involve necromancy or resurrection 😉 - but he couldn't help creating plot holes/virtual impossibilities in the original books in the process. Even those MIGHT be explained away (and he does try to smooth a few creases, so to speak), but the most notable fact is, he rewrote the whole supposedly dead character's experience. I'm not really complaining, because I loved this particular return, but what I'm saying is, I probably wouldn't have put up with such a trick if I didn't love the concept of this series (and its characters) so much.
Speaking of friends, in this book Sita makes a few new ones too, which is an interesting new angle. She's become a social animal to an extent, and it's a pity that her interactions with Teri (her human descendant) don't get more screen time. Now, don't get fooled - she's still powerful and deadly, even more so. But it's nice to see her more human side for a change...though I'm not thrilled by her flirting with Teri's boyfriend Matt. I mean, there's a reason why the two of them feel a connection, and Sita swears she would never hurt Teri...but still, flirt she does. And Matt too 😒. [...]
Whole review here.
"Alisa has spent the past five thousand years as a vampire, living alone and fighting for survival. In her loneliness, Alisa cannot resist bringing Teri—a descendant of her human family—into her life. But Alisa is surrounded by death and destruction, and just by knowing Alisa, Teri’s life is at risk.
Alisa’s guilt grows when she becomes involved in a dangerous conspiracy. A top-secret group knows Alisa’s secret and will stop at nothing to use her powers for their cause. As Alisa desperately tries to protect herself and Teri from the unknown enemy, she discovers a force more powerful and more lethal than anything she has ever seen. Alisa doesn’t know who to trust, who to challenge, or who she will become…."
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Original take on vampires. Plenty of kickass action and entertaining (if often bloody) moments. Blends urban fantasy with thriller, history (though not in this specific installment), and more than anything, Eastern spirituality. More sophisticated than the previous books in the series (also because 14 years have passed), Thirst No.3 has lots of action, conspiracies and high stakes, plus an old friend returning.
Cons: A few problematic assessments about women, in jest but still bad-tastey. The deus-ex-machina device is freely used. But the worst thing is, this particular installment sees Sita sidelined in its second half, when a male hero steps in.
WARNING! Abundance of blood, gore and violence.
Will appeal to: Those looking for a fresh approach to vampires, in what was probably the very first YA/NA series about them.
This series is not perfect. And I won't shun its faults in my review. But for some reason, I can't bear myself to rate it less than 5 stars (well, 4 this time). It's not author bias - there are a bunch of Pike books I rated 3 stars and even less. But if TLV/Thirst stills works its magic on me almost 20 years after I first read Book 1, and if I'm still peeling its layers after all this time, that should count for something...
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
I'm not sure why Pike decided to reprise this series after 14 years - it's kind of unprecedented - but I can speculate that 1) he never got over Sita, and was still haunted by all her unwritten stories, and 2) since vampires were in their heyday back in 2010, Simon & Schuster strongly encouraged him to write more. Now, don't get me wrong - I would very much like to read Sita stories until me or the author leave our earthly abode, and even beyond. But in doing that, Pike also tweaked canon a lot. In Thirst No.3, the very ending of the original series is dismissed, and a supposedly dead character is brought back. I mean...not literally - Pike came up with a clever way to do both things, and it didn't involve necromancy or resurrection 😉 - but he couldn't help creating plot holes/virtual impossibilities in the original books in the process. Even those MIGHT be explained away (and he does try to smooth a few creases, so to speak), but the most notable fact is, he rewrote the whole supposedly dead character's experience. I'm not really complaining, because I loved this particular return, but what I'm saying is, I probably wouldn't have put up with such a trick if I didn't love the concept of this series (and its characters) so much.
Speaking of friends, in this book Sita makes a few new ones too, which is an interesting new angle. She's become a social animal to an extent, and it's a pity that her interactions with Teri (her human descendant) don't get more screen time. Now, don't get fooled - she's still powerful and deadly, even more so. But it's nice to see her more human side for a change...though I'm not thrilled by her flirting with Teri's boyfriend Matt. I mean, there's a reason why the two of them feel a connection, and Sita swears she would never hurt Teri...but still, flirt she does. And Matt too 😒. [...]
Whole review here.
June 14, 2025
DNF. Would give 0 stars if possible. As someone who owns almost everything Christopher Pike has ever written, anyone with similar experience with his works over the years saw the shift in his craft after 2000. Granted, his writings always present problems in his portrayals of females, but I was beyond done with the references to rape in this series. Some words cannot be thrown around, especially not for entertainment purposes. This book was the last straw, with a publishing date of 2010, where such an observant character who has lived for centuries claims that a rich, young, white man with a full future ahead of him doesn't fit the profile of a rapist . . . . out of fucking touch, dense, and outright stupid to even think those words, let alone pass them off in print. Anyone who okayed this book anywhere in the publishing process is also part of the problem. I cannot, and will not, add this or any other following Last Vampire books to my personal library.
May 10, 2022
Well I didn't expect that to happen at the end 🤨
August 8, 2012
I was halfway through the book when I felt it started getting exciting. To be honest, the ending of the previous book in the series (the part where it says the whole thing was a story written by Seymour) doesn't feel planned to me. It's like the decision of continuing the story was taken at the end of the previous book. I thought it had a wonderful ending (with Sita going back in time and staying there). And if a sequel was necessary then he could have written about someone else... a descendant of Sita maybe, who ended up being a vampire... somehow.
A lot of things in this book felt different from the previous once. Alisa, Seymour, Paula... they're all different somehow. And I don't know if I like that. But if I see this book as a separate entity, I can't say it was bad.
Another thing that bothers me is how Sita/Seymour never mentioned earlier that she's been following her descendants. Pike has been able to cover a lot of the new stuff in this book by making Seymour the author of the previous ones...
I am glad that the whole thing wasn't simply a story written by Seymour, as one would think at the end of the previous book, but it still seems weird to me that he accepts his story to come true so fast and then right before you know it they're on an adventure together again. Regardless of how adventurous and exciting "The Eternal Dawn" is, I don't like it as a sequel to the previous books in the series.
However, Sita says life is a paradox. I don't know about that, but my feelings towards this book surely are. Because I really enjoyed the twist in the end.
A lot of things in this book felt different from the previous once. Alisa, Seymour, Paula... they're all different somehow. And I don't know if I like that. But if I see this book as a separate entity, I can't say it was bad.
Another thing that bothers me is how Sita/Seymour never mentioned earlier that she's been following her descendants. Pike has been able to cover a lot of the new stuff in this book by making Seymour the author of the previous ones...
I am glad that the whole thing wasn't simply a story written by Seymour, as one would think at the end of the previous book, but it still seems weird to me that he accepts his story to come true so fast and then right before you know it they're on an adventure together again. Regardless of how adventurous and exciting "The Eternal Dawn" is, I don't like it as a sequel to the previous books in the series.
However, Sita says life is a paradox. I don't know about that, but my feelings towards this book surely are. Because I really enjoyed the twist in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2011
Christopher Pike was the author of my teens but I haven't revisited any in years. I was a little afraid to in case they didn't hold up to my memories or his writing was actually terrible. But when I saw he was releasing a new book in the Last Vampire series I had to have a look. Mostly I was curious since the last book wrapped up Alisa's life quite neatly; I wanted to see how he would get around that.
Thankfully his writing isn't atrocious. It's not amazing literature or anything, but it's very readable with a decent enough plot to keep you hooked. His undoing of the last book and getting Alisa to where she is now was a little convenient but if you don't think about it too much it's fine. My main problem with the book was that I didn't particularly like Alisa, though I'm not sure if you're supposed to. I also can't remember my reactions to her in the previous books, but she's such a know-all it can be annoying. I know she's 5000+ years old, but her knowing things mostly came across as smug. It also didn't stop her from acting in stupid ways from time to time, and endangering her friends.
The 'twist' ending wasn't that shocking and I'm assuming he'll write another since so much was left in the air and we know little about the point of her two adversaries and their weapons. I'll probably read it if there is. It's an ok way to pass the time.
Thankfully his writing isn't atrocious. It's not amazing literature or anything, but it's very readable with a decent enough plot to keep you hooked. His undoing of the last book and getting Alisa to where she is now was a little convenient but if you don't think about it too much it's fine. My main problem with the book was that I didn't particularly like Alisa, though I'm not sure if you're supposed to. I also can't remember my reactions to her in the previous books, but she's such a know-all it can be annoying. I know she's 5000+ years old, but her knowing things mostly came across as smug. It also didn't stop her from acting in stupid ways from time to time, and endangering her friends.
The 'twist' ending wasn't that shocking and I'm assuming he'll write another since so much was left in the air and we know little about the point of her two adversaries and their weapons. I'll probably read it if there is. It's an ok way to pass the time.
February 27, 2011
I don't know what all the big fuss is about! Yes Mr Pike used a flimsy excuse to explain Sita's (Alisa) reappearance but I couldn't be happier! I've always loved Sita, her sarcasm, cyncism, wit and occasional compassion. But more than anything, I loved reading her adventures, her struggle with eternal life and quest for spirituality. Christopher Pike manages to draw you in to another Sita adventure without losing any of the flaws she's had in the past.
The appearance of Matt, Teri, Shanti & Seymour are a welcome addition and the action is well paced and more brutal than the previous books. My favourite bits in the book are when Sita is attacked in her home by a Telar and is forced to heal herself by performing some DIY surgery followed by some fantastic one liners when she visits a hired assassin on a quest to uncover her enemies and their motives.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next especially after the explosive and unexpected ending - which I shant ruin.
The appearance of Matt, Teri, Shanti & Seymour are a welcome addition and the action is well paced and more brutal than the previous books. My favourite bits in the book are when Sita is attacked in her home by a Telar and is forced to heal herself by performing some DIY surgery followed by some fantastic one liners when she visits a hired assassin on a quest to uncover her enemies and their motives.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next especially after the explosive and unexpected ending - which I shant ruin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2022
I read this book in the volume: Thirst No. 3. See my review for it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2011
I want to say this series is one of his best, but that may be just because I like a good vampire story. What I did not like about this seventh book however is that Pike completely ignores the end of the sixth installment, AND he then claims that a major character from the first six had never even met the main character. Plot holes like that really irritate. It is similar to the others though, so if you liked them and are not completely put off by the way he effectively rewrites the sixth ending, I highly recommend this one.
June 11, 2011
It's been 15 years since I read the 6 previous Last Vampire books and I had forgotten how much I loved Alisa/Sita, this book reminded me of how great a character she was! A very good addition to the series. Wasn't sure how Pike was going to continue the series, with what happens at the end of Book 6 Creatures of Forever, but he pulled it off quite cleverly I think. I love how much Eastern Theology Pike puts into this series and in particular this book. In true Pike style the book is fast paced and has many twists and turns and keeps you guessing right until the last line! Brilliant!
June 14, 2013
This book wasn't too bad. It has ever so slightly lost the magic of the first six in the series that Pike wrote years ago but it is worth a read for those who are fans of the series.
I was expecting this book to be shorter in length as well but it is the same size as the Thirst editions of The Last Vampire with two books combined. Because of that there seemed to be a bit of lag in the story where not much was happening but then the action picks up again. On to Book VIII: The Shadow of Death for me :)
I was expecting this book to be shorter in length as well but it is the same size as the Thirst editions of The Last Vampire with two books combined. Because of that there seemed to be a bit of lag in the story where not much was happening but then the action picks up again. On to Book VIII: The Shadow of Death for me :)
October 9, 2011
First off, I absolutely love the fight scenes. Second, I was a little confused at first how Sita had turned human in the last book yet she here she is now, clearly a vampire. I freaked the fuck out when I read that she had a psychic bond with Seymour. I have mixed feelings about this Matt kid, because I love Seymour so much. And although I have just started it, I know that she switches bodies with Teri. I have to wonder, does she get her body back?
May 16, 2011
This story just keeps getting better. I love the twist in the end of this book.
At the begining of this book I was a little confused because it did not seem to fit with the previous stories in the series, but as I kept reading it was all explained.
Anxiously waiting nest book in series.
At the begining of this book I was a little confused because it did not seem to fit with the previous stories in the series, but as I kept reading it was all explained.
Anxiously waiting nest book in series.
January 30, 2013
Too much deus ex machina, too many unbelievable and ridiculous situations and reactions, too much wankerish internal dialogue...... But for all that, it does keep you reading it. You can't really expect too much more from a series you enjoyed as a 10 year old, can you?
February 10, 2011
I really wish I hadnt
April 7, 2011
A good story, with a twist i the tail. Has the story ended?????
Want to read
March 21, 2012Currently reading this, Christopher Pike is an unbelievable writer and my love for his work is unbelievable.
January 1, 2012
Just loved it can't wait for the next one x
June 25, 2014
Really liked it. I love this series, though I don't have any particular reason why I do. It's just that I love these books, although I must admit that the first ones were better...
Read
May 14, 2015matt <3
October 9, 2015
Oh my god it took me so long to get this one and when I got it and read it I couldn't put it down it was a thrilling adventure to behold and I loved every minute of it.
May 4, 2011
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! What the hell was that! Make it right, makle it right, make it right!!!!!
June 28, 2011
Excellent stories and a great way to finish!!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews