THE FOREVER SONG

Vampire Allie, one of the genre’s toughest heroines, returns with one last chance to save both vampire- and humankind in this conclusion to the Blood of Eden series.

The monstrous side of Allie’s vampire nature threatens to overwhelm her, numbing the pain she feels over losing Zeke to the mad vampire Sarren at the end of The Eternity Cure (2013). This disappoints her human sire, Kanin, although it delights Kanin’s other vampire spawn (and Allie’s blood brother), vicious, snarky Jackal. Bad-and-proud former villain Jackal brings needed laughs. The mismatched vampire family is in hot pursuit of Sarren, who created a mutated plague he calls Requiem to kill humans, vampires and the monstrous rabids alike. They must stop him before he reaches and destroys the human-only city of Eden, whose scientists have made the most progress toward a cure. While following Sarren is easy, finding food isn’t: Sarren’s slaughtering his way across the countryside, leaving no humans for them to feed from. Worse, he’s come up with a way to use Zeke to hurt Allie. But if the heroes allow Sarren’s diversions to slow them down, Eden could pay the price. And if Sarren’s virus escapes, all life (and unlife) is doomed. Stomach-churning gore and heart-pounding action balance the (occasionally repetitive) romantic angst and moral inquiries into the nature of monsters.

A bloody good way to end a trilogy.