Review: Excellent ending to trilogy!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 4, 2011
Beware! This review contains spoilers from the first two books!Cameo and the Vampire is the third and final installment in Dawn McCullough-White's dark fantasy following Cameo and her not-so-merry band of men as she travels with a severely injured Opal and Haffef's new thrall, Jules, to find Kyrian. It is her hope - and Black Opal's - that Kyrian the acolyte can heal Opal's injuries and now that Haffef has her sister Ivy's bones Cameo can be free of him.Cameo has come very far by now. She's realized she's not just a thrall that can be ordered about. She still thinks, feels and knows she is capable of love, even as one of the undead. As this motley crew treks through the cold to find Kyrian, Jules and Cameo come to the realization that they may not hate each other as much as they thought.Opal is still the finest dandy in all the land...and he doesn't let anyone forget it, although his role in this story is greatly diminished compared to the first two. I attribute that to his injuries and Cameo having to travel without him several times.In Cameo and the Highwayman, Cameo is bitten by Edel the Vampire (who was also created by the Vampire Haffef), so in this sequel, she begins to experience the changes that go along with that. I loved the initial internal struggle she had with these changes, and the details the author gives us each time Cameo feels the urge to consume...things. ;)I also fell even more in love with Jules, if that is even possible.  [SPOILER!!!] I thought he was just awesome from the beginning, but as this story progressed, he got even better and I was sorely disappointed that after he and Cameo shared that kiss, they didn't end up together. I know most people love Opal the best, but I'm a die hard Team Jules fan and you ain't gonna sway my mind! So I was REALLY sad when he died. However I guess she gets to keep him as a thrall so it works out. [/SPOILER]Anyone who has read books 1 and 2 also knows by now that Haffef wants Ivy's bones and can probably deduce that he was in love with her. What he tries to do with those bones and why he ever turned Cameo (aka Gwen) is so very interesting and goes to show just how much a vampire can truly love.Overall, the plot felt more tightly woven together than the previous two and I think that is a by-product of the coming-together of the conclusion of the story of Cameo. The entire series is just done very well and I would recommend it to everyone who enjoys dark fantasy. It's witty and well-written, the characters are charming and the world is beautifully dark.My full review can be found at thebawdybookblog dot com