Vampire Undone – Tamar Sloan

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Caleb and Madeline’s story continues in the third instalment of Sloan’s Keepers of the Chalice series; which is connected to her ever-growing Keeperverse.  At the end of the of Vampire Unveiled, Madeline jumped through the Grave – a portal to Purgatory, in chase of Quinn and the insidious Obsidian (a stone with dark powers which takes over whoever holds it).  Caleb, as a vampire, was not able to follow; entering Purgatory through the Grave would have proven fatal to him.  

Vampire Undone begins with Madeline falling through the veil before landing in Purgatory.  She is completely lost and unable to catch a hint of where Quinn might have disappeared to.  As she hunts desperately for the wily spirit, she comes across a character who exudes charm and darkness in equal measure.  He tries to convince her to bring Quinn to him, so that he might be able to take over the Obsidian and finally exit Purgatory.  Meanwhile, Caleb is frantically trying to search for a way to enter the realm of spirits without being annihilated; with the help of Galina and the Veritas Library, he finds he can enter through a secret entrance, situated on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. 

I felt as though Vampire Undone was much better than Vampire Unveiled.  The characters were much more established, and although it was jam packed full of action, it didn’t feel quite as chaotic as the previous book in the series.  We were also treated to some much-loved characters from the Keeperverse at large, which also may or may not provide some sneaky insights into what is coming in their own specific arcs.  

Madeline’s heritage is discussed at much more length and is less confusing than the info dump from the previous book.  We learn a lot about her as a young woman and about the life she wants to lead.  We quickly begin to realise her motivations aren’t as simple as others fear and that she has an almost pathological need to ensure that everyone around her is happy and content with their lot in life; even when she is desperate to return to some sort of semblance of a normal life.  

We also begin to understand Caleb and his role within the Vampire community more.  Although he was made Vampire King in the last novel, that doesn’t mean he has free reign to dictate how Vampires live their eternal lives.  His every movement is dogged by the Vampire Council, who of course, have their own agenda.  While Caleb’s first priority is ensuring Madeline’s safety, he realises that he also has to keep secrets from her which may place the woman he loves in mortal danger.  

With only one more book in the Keepers of the Chalice series planned, Sloan has set up a thrilling finale – and a fairly long wait.  The first three books in the series have been released in a relatively short space of time, whereas Vampire United is not due until April 2023.  With a long wait ahead, the excitement will only grow. 

S. A. 

Vampire Undone is available to buy and keep from Amazon.  It is also available to read for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.   

I was lucky enough to receive this as an ARC, sent directly from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
If you would like me to review your book in exchange for an honest review, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with me.