I started reading “Brothers to the Death” at random, and soon realized it belonged to a series. However, I was so drawn to the story that I did not pause to start with the first book of the series. The author has given simple, precise descriptions when each character or venue first appeared, so I had no problem following the plot.

The story in this final book of the series began as the vampire, Larten, who has already lived many years, having established unique relationships with different vampires, human beings and other creatures, was about to perform his duty as one of the Generals in the vampire world, along with his assistant, Gavner.

They were warned that Alicia and Sylva, whom they loved dearly, would be in danger, but Larten insisted on finishing his duty before heading for the rescue. Following the death of Alicia, everything was changed for the remaining three. Being torn, revenge became their common goal in the upcoming years despite their different perspectives.

It was heartbreaking to see Larten taking the killer down after years of hunting. At that point, I was already so fond of Larten that I could feel his pain and vulnerability, as well as understanding his choice of actions. I liked how honest and genuine Larten was, even when he was being put in difficult situations. He was understanding to the younger Gavner, for he had gone through reckless youth himself. It was clearly shown that Larten had, and would, make horrible mistakes, but he had the will and determination to learn from his mistakes and become his better self. He had true respect for those he loved and cared about, although he might not communicate his feelings very well at times. I wished he could give himself full permission to love Gavner as a son, instead of believing he did not deserve to be taken as a father by Gavner, and I felt sorry for Gavner for not being able to enjoy the desired father-and-son relationship, but it was understandable that it was too hard for Larten to digest the feeling of guilt.

I was relieved when Larten could finally be at peace after a long retreat. Life has made wicked ironic jokes against Larten, but he has also encountered and received great love. Alicia could not be brought back to life; what he could do was to keep her love and essence alive in his heart, and with acceptance of the truth, he could move on and refuse to be used by those who intended to take advantage of his resentment.

I enjoyed reading “Brothers to the Death” a lot, and planned to read the first three books in the same series “The Saga of Larten Crepsley”, as well as the sequel “Cirque Du Freak” series in the near future.