Plot summary
The story begins with Bree and Diego hunting for human blood in Seattle, Washington. Bree has been a vampire for three months, and Diego has been one for eleven months. Together they kill and drink a pimp, two prostitutes and two homeless people. Bree and Diego talk about "her" (Victoria) and ask why she is turning so many people into vampires. Diego thinks something is coming, and that "she" is using them as protection. They hide in a cave and discuss their human lives, and how Riley came to offer them a second life as a vampire. Together they decide that Riley is using them as pawns for protection, and that he might be lying to them. They also discover that sunlight does not kill a vampire, but makes their skin sparkle. They become friends and decide to form a "club," spending the day "playing ninja," looking for Riley and the other vampires they live with. They find that Riley had relocated everyone to a log cabin and Diego gets into a fight with Raoul, an arrogant newborn, but another newborn, "Freaky Fred," uses his repelling power to stop Raoul from killing them. That night Bree and Diego stalk Riley, suspicious that he is meeting with "her." They eavesdrop on Riley's conversation with Victoria. Eventually the Volturi show up, threatening to punish Victoria for amassing a vampire army but willing to give her army a chance to destroy the Cullens. The Volturi say that if Victoria does not attack within five days, they will kill her.Bree returns to the log cabin and resolves to run away, while Diego stays behind to talk to Riley. Riley returns to the cabin alone and tells his vampire army that there are older vampires in Seattle (the Cullens) who want to kill them, and if they want to survive, they will have to work together and learn how to fight. Riley tells Bree that Diego is doing surveillance work with "her" and will return to join them in the fight. After three nights of training, Bree and the vampires hunt a ferry boat to drink the passengers' blood and regain their strength for the battle against the elder vampires. Riley then tells everyone that the vampires they will be fighting have yellow eyes and keep a human (Bella) as a pet, giving them Bella's scent to hunt. They head off to fight the Cullens. Fred decides to run away to Vancouver before the battle, and Riley retreats, telling Bree that Diego has already started fighting with the group. Bree arrives at the battle to find the newborn vampires being killed by the Cullens, and thinks that Diego is already dead because she cannot see or smell him anywhere. She deduces that Victoria and Riley killed Diego for being disobedient the night he went missing. Bree surrenders to the Cullens. They debate whether or not to kill her and decide to restrain her until the Volturi arrive. Bree has trouble resisting the urge to drink Bella's blood. The Volturi show up and interrogate Bree for information. She explains that Riley lied to her and everyone else, and if they did not do as they were told they would be killed. She uses her thoughts to tell Edward that the Volturi had allowed the army to attack the Cullens. The book ends with the Volturi deciding to kill Bree, and Edward tells Bella to close her eyes. Bree thinks that Edward is talking to her. She closes her eyes, and is instantly killed.
Characters
- Bree Tanner: The narrator of the story. She was 15, almost 16, when she became a vampire. Bree was introduced as a three month old newborn in Eclipse. Bree's father had been hitting her after her mother left them. She ran away from home and was living in the streets of Seattle when Riley found her. She was starving, and either ate out of garbage cans, or attempted to steal food. Riley asked, "Want a burger, kid?" and then took her to Victoria who turned her into a vampire. Bree, like other newborn vampires, believed in the urban vampire stories and was afraid of the sun and wooden stakes. Later when Diego showed her they weren't true, she was relieved, but wasn't sure if they should tell Riley. She didn't trust Riley that much. Bree is confused in Riley's true plans and tries to figure out the truth with Diego. She also doesn't know all the rules of the vampire world because Riley never explained to any of the newborns. She likes to read and develops a crush on Diego during the book. Bree could have run away from the fight and left with Fred but she went back to look for her Diego. Bree surrenders to the Cullens, but in the end the Volturi destroy her.
- Diego: Bree's friend, who eventually falls in love with her and is alluded to be her "mate." He was 18 when he was turned into a vampire. He was trapped in an alley when he killed the leader of a gang who killed his brother. He was rescued by Riley, who offered him a new life. Diego considers Riley, besides Bree, one of his best friends and trusts him, but he still doubts Riley's motives. Diego confronts Riley on the urban vampire stories about the sun burning them telling Riley it wasn't true. It is suggested that Riley and Victoria brutally killed Diego.
- Riley: The leader of the newborns. He gets his orders from Victoria. He is responsible for finding troubled children and bringing them to Victoria so she can change them into vampires. He is described by Bree as beautiful, just like all vampires are. At first she likes him, but after she has been changed into a vampire, she becomes distrustful and suspicious of him. Riley is said to be very fond of Diego and in love with Victoria.
- 'Freaky' Fred: Develops friendship with Bree. Fred has the power to repel others. He uses this to keep other newborns away from him. Because of this they call him Freaky Fred. Bree has a habit of hiding behind him to keep herself away from the attention of Raoul and Kristie and their gangs. Fred is also described as handsome, has blond hair, and looked like his age is of a college student. Among all the vampires who have decided to fight, he is the only one who decides to run away. He asks Bree to join him but she decides to first go back to find Diego.
- Raoul: One of the leaders of a gang of newborns. Bree strongly dislikes him. He seems to have the power to attract people, although this power only seems to work on people who are dimwitted. He is very competitive and definitely not the smartest. He and his gang has a rivalry with Kristie and her gang until Riley forces everyone to work together against the Cullens.
- Victoria: Victoria gives Riley orders to create an army to battle Bella and the Cullen clan. She gives directions which includes telling lies to the newborns but she also lies to Riley which is exposed in Eclipse: Victoria pretends to love Riley when she truly loved James (the reason for creating the vampire army). During the battle, both she and Riley are destroyed by Edward Cullen and Seth Clearwater. Bree and the rest of the newborns have never met Victoria, their creator. Riley tells the newborns it is to protect themselves and that their minds were not safe but it was not totally true. Though the newborns' thoughts were not safe, the newborns could not see Victoria for her safety, not theirs, due to Alice's ability to read the future. She (Alice) was focused on Victoria's choices but was not 'tuned in' to the newborns.
