Vlad Tod #5

The final book in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series picks up where #4 left off; Vlad thinks he's seen his dead father after battling his friend Joss, who happens to be a Slayer sworn to kill Vlad. Vlad's also still going to be put on trial by Elysia for his "crimes" against other vampires and his life is on the line. All in all, things aren't looking too good for our favorite high school vampire senior. Will Vlad be able to recover his father's lost diary in time to use its secret code to exonerate himself? Will Joss find a way not to kill Vlad? Will Vlad ever graduate?


Okay, that last question was a bit silly, given all the action packed into #5, but amid everything going on, Vlad still attends school, even if he never expects to graduate. Vlad spends much of this book searching for answers to whether or not he's the Pravus and whether or not his father is indeed still alive (and what that means if he is). It's not a pretty tale, and Vlad's losses are huge. In addition to girlfriend Snow, Vlad's uncle Otis and aunt Nelly are in constant danger, and Vlad's frustration at not being able to stop events fuels much of the action.

Recounting the plot would give away too much, so I will say that this is a fitting ending to the quintet, if a disturbing one on many levels. Vlad's got to solve some big problems and he's unsure of where to even begin. While all this is going on, Vlad's dealing with the normal angsts of being a teenager--old loves, new loves, friends, and oh, yeah, a blackmailer. Well, all right, that's not typical, but still...Vlad's got problems. Ms. Brewer does a terrific job of capturing a teen's emotions as she explores his vampiric issues.

Rant time: You know how I feel about editors these days, and this book has a few items that should have been caught. Right off the bat (pun intended) on page six, there are two instances of "had drank". Once I could overlook; twice and it's a problem for this reader. It also occurs later in the book so someone should have been paying closer attention. Also, there's an instance where Vlad "slunked" down the hall. Slunk is past tense itself. And yes, I know this is picky, but I care. Someone should.

This final book is well written and engaging, if a little rushed toward the end. There are no pretty little bows to tie up everything (and I'd have been disappointed had there been). And that ending? Let's just say I don't think we've seen the last of Vlad. I'll be looking forward to it.

~taminator40