Epidemic (Vampire Plague/Dusk) by Sebastian Rook Book Review

Genre: Horror and Historical Fiction

Age: 10+

Pages: 220

Gender: Male (Females might like it)

Publication Year: 2005

Plot: 5/5

Description: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Developed: 4/5

Fast Paced: 5/5

Cover: 1/3

Memorable: +1

Total: 25/28
Percent: 89%
Grade: B+

   This is one of my absolute favorite series. It is very simple, doesn't make you think much. But yet it is very enjoyable. Also, the series was originally called Vampire Plagues, but I ordered this book from England and recently England rereleased this series, most likely since the vampire craze that is currently happening. So for some silly reason they changed the title to Vampire Dusk which I think was a really dumb idea.

   Well, off that topic, the plot was pretty good, even though I think all the plots are good in this series. Ok, since at the end of the third book they defeated the original types of vampires, created by Camazotz. In the fourth book a new vampire is created by the ring of a bell, the vampires are called Lampirs, (they are Polish, unlike in the first part of the series when they were Mayan). So now it is after the Lampirs are supposedly gone, Benedict gets the plague. After an examining from his sister, Emily and his friend, Jack, they find a thin scratch on him made from the Lampir hand that jumped out of the box on Christmas in the last book. So they go to a friend of theirs from Poland who helped them defeat the Lampirs in the last book. So then they go with him to Poland to get help from their friend's brother who is created a medicine to cure the plague, even though he thinks the plague is something scientific, not supernatural, but when they get to Poland they realize the Lampir plague has become an epidemic. Some parts seem a little cheesy, but in all the book and the book series it is really just very entertaining.

   The description was good, well at most parts. I loved how they describe the sick people and the Lampirs, at the end I like how Emily described the Dhampir Bell.

   The characters were good, of course. They didn't really develop them much, but they did that in the previous in the books, so it is ok. One character I don't like is Emily, never did. I just don't know why, maybe it is because I like Benedict and Jack way too much, so she just seems boring. Well, I just don't like her. Another character I have a slight problem with is Roman, the doctor, he is just not open minded to the possibilities, that maybe the supernatural exists, even though he does come around when the supernatural grips him, but it just took too long. I gave characters a 4/5, I probably could of gave it a 3/5 but I just love the characters Jack and Ben so much I couldn't.

   I can't really say much for development, I usually can't. There were some parts where I thought the author could of described more, but I think they didn't do that bad of a job either, for a childrens book.

   This book is very fast paced. It took me two days to read it. In all about 2 hours. If you are looking for a quick book to read in between other books you are reading, choose this book series, they are very short and good.

   I absolutely hate the cover, it is hideous. First thing both people on the front cover don't match any of the main character's appearence. First glance you would think the guy on the cover was Jack, but his eyes are red. Where did they get that from? The girl looks nothing like how they described Emily, and none of them look anything like Benedict. So what the heck? There models are obviously not even standing together when the shot was taken. The guy has big pupils so he is in a room with little light and the girl has little pupils so she is in a room with a lot of light. The little yellow smoke thing looks like a cheesy rip off of the Soulstice smoke on the cover. The only reason I gave it a 1/3 is because the font they used to write Vampire Dusk is wicked cool.

   The book wasn't really memorable out of all the books in the series, but becuase the series itself is memorable I gave it a +1.

  In all this was a good edition to a great series. I recommend this books to people who like children's horror that has a lot of traveling in it and someone who likes books based in the Victorian Era.