RogerBW's Blog

Outbreak, Melissa F. Olson 12 July 2019

2018 modern fantasy novella, third and last in its series. The big bad vampire has broken the others out of prison, and is setting up for the big battle.

Where books one and two felt like a TV pilot and a series episode, this feels more like a season ender with speculation about renewal. The story arc is completed, the season's villain is dealt with, and if the show doesn't get renewed there's a conclusion to the story… but if it does, there's plenty of room to go on.

It's a while since I read the first two, but it's easy enough to pick up where we left off, and I suppose that if for some reason you wanted to start here you probably could… but there really wouldn't be any point. This is mostly payoff, with only brief reminders of the setup, and if you haven't read the previous volumes there's less emotional weight on the characters.

The pace is usually high, so it's noticeable when it sags a little during the preparation for the big battle. The fate of the main villain is entirely satisfying, if a bit close to cop-show cliché. Perhaps things are wrapped up and tidied away a little quickly; perhaps it's just me.

Overall, I'd say start at the beginning of the series, and continue if you like it, rather than jumping in here.

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Previous in series: Switchback | Series: Nightshades

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