La Reina de los Condenados (The Vampire Chronicles, #3)

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La Reina de los Condenados (The Vampire Chronicles #3)

by Anne Rice

3.71 · rating details · 41,472 ratings · 878 reviews

Lestat, convertido en una famosa estrella del rock, despierta con su musica a Akasha, la Reina de los Condenados. La que una vez fuera la reina del Nilo, toma a Lestat como amante y mano derecha, y vuelca todas sus fuerzas en la destruccion de vampiros y varones con el fin de que las hembras creen un nuevo orden. Pese a las suplicas de Lestat, los deseos de la Reina son ir...more

Paperback, 656 pages

Published March 1st 2009 by Ediciones B (first published September 12th 1988)

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Aug 09, 2007

Darcie rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Rice/Lestat enthusiasts

Shelves: fiction

This was the book that pretty much killed my desire to read anything more by Rice. Only 3 books into the Chronicles and I was already weary of her style. As it was, the book was so dull that it took me ages to finish it.

I despised a great deal of the new characters and their stories, but as usual, I enjoyed the history (particularly Egypt) where certain stories took place. I could not stand the inclusion of the whole Talamasca thing and found myself rolling my eyes whenever that mes...more

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Jul 10, 2007

Kelly rated it

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Recommends it for: Vampire Chronicles fans

Shelves: fiction, goth-goth-baby, owned

I think she takes on too much in this one. That, and I hate the character of Akasha and what she does to Lestat's character in this novel. I get that it needed to be done on some level, and there are some beautiful scenes along the way as he searches for her. The idea of her does great things, the reality of her sucks in the novel. Which is obviously a statement Anne Rice was making, I just didn't like where it took the novel. The scene of her awakening and the violin playing of the "brat p...more

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Sep 13, 2007

Nicola O. rated it

· review of another edition

I kept waiting for it to get interesting but it never did. It got stupider and stupider until I thought my brains were leaking out. If I were on a desert island with nothing to read but this book, I would scratch out old 80's pop lyrics with a twig in the sand before trying to read this dreck again.

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Apr 16, 2008

patxi rated it

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Shelves: novela

Tercera parte de las Crónicas Vampíricas. Agotada totalmente la creatividad, se suman vampiros y vísceras hasta llenar un montón de páginas innecesarias. Superflua.

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Sep 09, 2011

Matthew Leeth rated it

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Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 10, 2008

Beckie Shotwell rated it

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This was the best one of them all. It fills in all the holes and makes for a fascinating read. The only character who didn't seem to fit in with the story was the Baby character who killed her mother and father. The only thing I could figure out was that she gave us Anne Rice's ideas of the afterlife. That you just go up into a wonderful loving place with all the people in your life even if you were a horrible person. The rest was sheer creativeness. That a vampire could be so ancient and ...more

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Dec 07, 2008

Danielle Sepulveda rated it

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Recommends it for: vampire lovers

Of all of the vampire chronicles this is by far my favorite. If you have seen the movie and were not impressed. It's ok because neither was I. The movie is nothing like the book in any way. The book goes into detail and answers a lot questions. Goes into detail of the family tree and tells you how Akasha and Enkil became to be. I love every single part of this book and it really was a page turner for me. I love everything from the twins, to Armand and Daniel. Everything! All of these characters ...more

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Nov 04, 2011

Debra rated it

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After listening to The Vampire Lestat, which I enjoyed well enough, I couldn't very well stop there. I needed to know what happened to Lestat after his concert. So of course I picked up Queen of the Damned immediately after finishing that one.
My god, there were a lot of characters in this novel. Thank god for a good narrator of this audiobook (the wonderful Simon Vance). He helped keep up with all the various characters with an impressive array of voices.
The story itself was interes...more

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May 26, 2011

Heather rated it

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I liked it well enough.

There was a lot of skipping around. There was a lot of poetry in the beginnings of chapters written by "Stan Rice" who I assume is Anne's husband? I just skipped over all of that.

There was a lot in the book that I thought was superfluous. Such as the story of Baby Jenks. It was merely an obstacle in my path to finding out about Akasha and the truth to the beginnings of all of Anne Rice's vampires.

I liked the stories that invo...moreI liked it well enough.

There was a lot of skipping around. There was a lot of poetry in the beginnings of chapters written by "Stan Rice" who I assume is Anne's husband? I just skipped over all of that.

There was a lot in the book that I thought was superfluous. Such as the story of Baby Jenks. It was merely an obstacle in my path to finding out about Akasha and the truth to the beginnings of all of Anne Rice's vampires.

I liked the stories that involved Jesse and I liked the stories that involved Khayman. Khayman's story actually made me laugh as he sought to entertain himself by dressing up in the stereotypical outfits and such.

The best part of the whole book was The Legend of the Twins. Anne Rice provoked my interest with the dreams. At first I had no idea what they meant, but I knew they had to be about the beginning. She teased me with these dreams being shared by all of the vampires whose stories we read in Queen of the Damned. And finally she gave them to me. But she gave them to me in parts.

She interrupted the story of the Twins with Lestat and Akasha's adventures which were boring. Although I quite like how Akasha thinks. I like her grand design for the future and the reason she awoke. I was sad to see about her end, but I knew it was coming.

Overall it was enjoyable. I put it down several times and picked it back up within only a matter of days. It was by no means as good as the previous two books -- Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat... but it did give us more insight into the character of Lestat which was a driving force for me. I quite like the character of Lestat.

Do I recommend the book? If you like the series, if you liked the characters from the previous books... yes. It is an integral piece of the story and is an insight further into the minds of each of the vampires of Anne Rice's world. It is the story of how all vampires from this universe came to be and is therefore an important read if you loved this universe. But be aware that it has some serious downtime. (less)

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Sep 24, 2009

Shelbielou rated it

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In this book you go on an adventure with the vampire Lestat, while he is lost in finding the meaning of immortality. He wakes from a 200 year sleep to find the world he knew so much more develop from what it was. He finds a liking to rock music and from it creates the biggest rock band in history. in the music he is open about being a vampire, this goes against all codes from being a vampire and angers all others. This created a whole new meaning of Lestats life, and opens doors for the amazing ...more

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Jul 24, 2011

dragonhelmuk rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Kindled for £4.67. Amazing book. The age, the minds and the personalities of all of the characters are among the best thought out I've ever read of. And there is definitely something compelling and likeable, even fascinating about each of them. Sadly though, there are some problems the vampires frequently get completely distracted, and even faint from the power of their own thoughts all the time, and they are all as queasy and fashion conscious as Victorians. Also either Anne Rice's own logic is...moreKindled for £4.67. Amazing book. The age, the minds and the personalities of all of the characters are among the best thought out I've ever read of. And there is definitely something compelling and likeable, even fascinating about each of them. Sadly though, there are some problems the vampires frequently get completely distracted, and even faint from the power of their own thoughts all the time, and they are all as queasy and fashion conscious as Victorians. Also either Anne Rice's own logic is childish, or all her characters are as easily bedazzled by pretty arguments and sparkly things as Greeks. Witness their complete acceptance of the misandric queen's argument that, essentially, the world would be a better place with no men. Two quotes...

(Meeting of the undead)
“How many?” … Armand again had the lost expression, the expression that belonged to deep concentration, as if what he saw before him meant nothing at all. “Thirty perhaps,” he whispered in Daniel’s ear, “no more than that, and one or two so old they could destroy the rest of us in an instant.”
…
The name had done it, as names so often do. The creature had felt himself known, recognized. And Khayman had recognized the name at once, connecting it with the Mael of Lestat’s pages. Undoubtedly they were one and the same—this was the Druid priest who had lured Marius into the sacred grove where the blood god had made him one of its own, and sent him off to Egypt to find the Mother and the Father. Yes, this was the same Mael. And the creature felt himself recognized and hated it. After the initial spasm of rage, all thought and emotion vanished. A rather dizzying display of strength, Khayman conceded. He relaxed in the chair. But the creature couldn’t find him. Two dozen other white faces he picked out of the crowd, but not Khayman.
…
Khayman spied another intriguing figure, much younger, yet almost as powerful in his own fashion as the Gaul, Mael. Khayman sought for the name, but the creature’s mind was a perfect blank; not so much as a glimmer of personality escaped from it. A boy he’d been when he died, with straight dark auburn hair, and eyes a little too big for his face. But it was easy, suddenly to filch the being’s name from his newborn fledgling who stood beside him. Armand… And this meant the he was no more than five hundred years old, yet he veiled himself completely. Shrewd, cold he seemed, yet without flair—a stance that required no room in which to display itself. And now, sensing infallibly that he was watched, he turned his large soft brown eyes upward and fixed instantly upon the remote figure of Khayman.

(About the Talamasca)
“Talamasca.” The word struck Daniel suddenly as beautiful. Talamasca. He broke it down from the Latin, understood its parts. Somewhere out of his memory bank it came: animal mask. Old word for witch or shaman.
…
there were museums beneath the building, rooms crammed with mysterious objects connected with paranormal occurrences. There were vaults to which no one was admitted except the senior members of the order. Delicious, the prospect of secrets revealed only over a period of time.
…
the dignified furnishings, the stone fireplaces, the gleaming oak floors. Even the quiet civil members of the order appealed to her, as they greeted her cheerfully, then returned to their discussions or the reading of the evening papers, as they sat about the vast, warmly lighted public rooms. The sheer wealth of the place was startling. It lent substance to Lightner’s claims. And the place felt good. Psychically good. People here were what they said they were.
…
Then the history of the Talamasca itself proved powerfully attractive. Was this man telling the truth? A secret order, which traced its existence back to the year 758, an order with records of witches, sorcerers, mediums, and seers of spirits going back to that remote period?
…
“That painting of yours, The Temptation of Amadeo, the one in the Talamasca crypt...” “Yes?” “Wouldn’t you like to have it back?” “Ye gods, no. It’s a dreary thing, really. My black period, you might say. But I do wish they’d take it out of the damned cellar. You know, hang it in the front hall? Some decent place.” I laughed. Suddenly he became serious. Suspicious. “Lestat!” he said sharply. “Yes, Marius.” “You leave the Talamasca alone!”

(Sadly none of Anne Rice’s characters are yet old or wise enough to argue against her own biases.)
“What if the women divide along principles of masculine/feminine, the way men so often divide if there are no females there?” “You know that’s a foolish objection. Such distinctions are never more than superficial. Women are women! Can you conceive of war made by women? Truly, answer me. Can you? Can you conceive of bands of roving women intent only on destruction? Or rape? Such a thing is preposterous. For the aberrant few justice will be immediate. But overall, something utterly unforeseen will take place. Don’t you see? The possibility of peace on earth has always existed, and there have always been people who could realize it, and preserve it, and those people are women. If one takes away the men.”
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Sep 17, 2009

Lisa rated it

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Recommended to Lisa by: Jade Brelsford

Shelves: 2009

...or why Lestat should have been careful what he'd wished for.

Another excellent book in the series, the world of the vampires is expanded once again (and then significantly decreased - spoiler!), and the mythology traced back into ancient history. I love how Rice mixes the historical and fantastical, and the story of how vampires were created gave me oodles of pleasure. The Queen is a fantastic character, and the mix of her absolute power along with her, at times, all too human thou...more

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Jan 14, 2011

Austin James rated it

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Shelves: horror

"The Queen of the Damned" is the third book in Anne Rice's vampire chronicles. Out of the three I read this was probably my least favorite. Don't get me wrong. It's not a bad book. It's just not as good as the previous two books.

The story starts off where the last book (The Vampire Lestat) ends. I find Rice's books to be the best when they are narrated from the first person. Much of this book isn't done in first person. The story jumps around from character to characte...more

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Aug 04, 2011

Daniel McGill rated it

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Much better then "Interview With the Vampire" This combined with "The Vampire Lestat" forms the best part of the Vampire Chronicles series and details the core mythos of Anne Rice’s vampires. In this book unlike the others in this series there are several narrators all with very interesting view points who each tell their own part of the story until the plot lines converge. If you intend to read any of Anne Rice’s Vampire novels (except possibly "Interview") make ...more

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Jan 23, 2010

Chipper rated it

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After thoroughly enjoying Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire and finding her follow-up The Vampire Lestat absolutely magical, I anxiously began Queen of the Damned. While the two former books subtly introduced and explored - through the lives and first-person storytelling of Louis Point du Lac and Lestat de Lioncourt - ideas that I found fascinating, e.g., the pain and loneliness of immortality, Queen of the Damned failed, for me, to ignite the same types of wonder and internalized question...more

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Dec 17, 2011

Lauren rated it

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The Queen of the Damned is strikingly different in both form and substance from the first two books of The Vampire Chronicles. Several new characters are introduced, a number of truly old vampires we have only heard of up until now become part of the action, and the story is woven together into a mosaic much wider in scope from what has come before. This is essentially Lestat's book, but he is not really the focus of the tale; while he narrates his own role in events, much of the book is written...moreThe Queen of the Damned is strikingly different in both form and substance from the first two books of The Vampire Chronicles. Several new characters are introduced, a number of truly old vampires we have only heard of up until now become part of the action, and the story is woven together into a mosaic much wider in scope from what has come before. This is essentially Lestat's book, but he is not really the focus of the tale; while he narrates his own role in events, much of the book is written in third person. This, plus the addition of so many new characters and the truly elaborate span that is covered, makes this novel much less cohesive than the first-person narratives of the first two books. The action is spread out over six thousand years from one end of the world to the other, with a lot of mythology and pondering taking the place of the thrilling energetic action of earlier novels.

The book begins a week or two before Lestat's legendary rock concert and the ensuing mayhem that erupted outside the auditorium that night. We follow the paths of other vampires in the days prior to this, including Armand and Daniel, the young man from Interview With the Vampire. We also learn that the immolation of vampires that Lestat, Louis, and Gabrielle saw that night had actually begun several days earlier, as a number of covens were destroyed by Akasha, the newly awakened Queen of the Damned. After the story of her awakening is told, the book takes a somewhat mystical air. Almost all vampires are dreaming of two red-haired young women preparing to feast upon their dead mother, only to be taken prisoner by soldiers while their village is being destroyed around them. The true significance of the red-haired twins does not become clear until the final hundred pages of the book, for their tale is an integral part of the story behind vampirism's very existence. We already knew that Enkil and Akasha, ancient rulers of Egypt, were the first vampires. Now, the whole history of the King and Queen is revealed, including the curse that accompanied their transformation. Anne Rice goes out of her way to explain the beginning of vampires in a unique way, although the facts of the matter seem a little too elaborate and far-fetched to me.

The only real weakness I find in the novel is Akasha's agenda. She is not exactly the altruistic type, and her mission to save mankind sounds ingenuous at best. It is also a rather laughable plan; having spent the past six thousand years in contemplative thought, I would have thought to expect a character of her strength and moxie to have come up with a plan much better than this one. The final conflict, one prefigured for hundreds of pages in the slow unveiling of The Legend of the Twins, ends so quickly I was forced to stop and make sure I hadn't somehow skipped a paragraph or two. Basically it's all over in one sentence. Even Lestat is not himself her; I actually enjoyed the stories of the other vampires and the history of the accidental birth of vampirism in Akash more than I enjoyed the action related first hand by Lestat. Certainly, Rice is to be commended for vastly expanding her vampire universe and having her characters deeply examine their lives and their purpose on earth, but I just could not fully connect with this novel. Still, it is an essential book for Anne Rice fans, as if offers up loads of information about the vampires who roam the world of her creation and explains the very origins of vampirism itself.(less)

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Aug 09, 2011

Wendie Collins added it · review of another edition

This is my favorite Anne Rice book! Akasha, the goddess- my goddess! :) How can you not love a vampire queen gone mad and taken to killing all the men in the world??... ah yes save for one the brat prince! Sounds like a great plan to me! That was left out of the movie! Among many many other things! Speaking of the movie, although I thought it was a pretty good vampire flick and Aaliyah is perfect for Akasha, besides the names, there wasn't much resemblance to the book. I was disappointed w...more

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Feb 01, 2012

Stefan rated it

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When I started this book, I really had problems getting into it. I think that the problem for me was that it skipped around quite a bit between characters in the beginning and tried to introduce several new ones only to kill off some of them immediatly. In essence, I guess it took me out of my comfort zone and I wasn't too sure that I liked it.

But, perseverance paid off and after 150 pages or so, I found myself drawn deeply into this robust story. The book is well written, taking us be...more

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Aug 22, 2011

M.J. Heiser rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. If Ayn Rand had written her capitalist manifesto, "Atlas Shrugged," half this well, we'd have several second-world countries STILL trying to prove that she was a visionary, and that her system could work -- because never doubt that "The Queen of the Damned" is a philosophical screed, and the best of its kind.

For me, this is still the ultimate vampire novel. Anne Rice doesn't just have creepy-crawlies in her stories. She doesn't just animate corpses. She doesn't j...moreIf Ayn Rand had written her capitalist manifesto, "Atlas Shrugged," half this well, we'd have several second-world countries STILL trying to prove that she was a visionary, and that her system could work -- because never doubt that "The Queen of the Damned" is a philosophical screed, and the best of its kind.

For me, this is still the ultimate vampire novel. Anne Rice doesn't just have creepy-crawlies in her stories. She doesn't just animate corpses. She doesn't just give them heartbroken souls and immortal, wealthy flair. She doesn't just have a huge cast of characters, and flip between points of view with seeming ease and grace. No, Anne Rice has a MESSAGE, and she means to tell it here.

Through the prism of vampire magic, we're given a view of the vastness of time and the evolving role of Man in the world. We see through the veil all the way to ancient times, and we meet the representative of all ancient rulers in the person of Akasha, the so-called "Queen of the Damned." Akasha is cruel and self-serving; she strives always to find meaning in the world and despairs that there is none, so she takes it upon herself to become that meaning. She did it in old Egypt (called Kemet in this tale) by constantly rationalizing herself as blessed among mortals, all the while doubting that anything supernatural existed that could bestow such a blessing. When, through a misadventure in manipulation of Earth spirits, she becomes the world's first vampire (and subsequently makes her husband one as well), she spins the tale of Osiris and Iris to justify her existence as a goddess.

Fast forward to nearly-modern day, and the awakening of Akasha from her centuries-long slumber. After draining her ancient mate, she slays nearly all of the vampires on the planet, then abducts Lestat, the charming vampire rake who woke her, and unleashes her plan for vampires to rescue mankind by death to 90% of all males. After all, she blames the male sex for all the wars and rapes and subjugation in the world, and she takes it upon herself and her overwhelming strength to fix it. Lestat is employed as her death angel, but eventually she is forced to confront the vampires she spared from the fury that began the book. They try to reason with her, but as they observed, every vampire bears the mark of the time that produced them; she is ancient, and she is bound to ancient instincts and her ancient megalomania. She won't be turned. Fortunately, an old curse rises and she is killed, but the book left its mark.

Does mankind deserve a chance to get it all right on its own, or would it indeed be better if a supernatural force of some kind (any kind) intervened to show us the way? Would the world be a paradise if governed solely by women? Does violence justify the results?

It is for the sake of this book's ability to make me think, and to give me the room to decide for myself, that I love it so much. Yes, Rice offers her own opinion, sprinkled through the tale and especially weighty in the outcome, but that doesn't lessen the underlying message that in the end, we are ALL masters of our own fate and sovereigns over our own reality. Even if you decide to forfeit your right to decide for yourself, you're the one who turned over the control to another.(less)

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Dec 05, 2011

Anna rated it

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Shelves: supernatural

To this day still my favorite Vampire fiction book. I may be biased as the Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles novels were my introduction the genre. But it has stood the test of time for me. First off this is a long book, but I still couldn't put it down, despite my usual dislike of novels over about 200-300 pages. It just covers so much ground in Vampire Mythos and I think it was well worth the length. Anne Rice's crowning achievement in my estimation, it really gave life to the vampire fiction genre...more

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Nov 28, 2009

pinknantucket rated it

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Shelves: ms-readathon-2006

I’m always a bit suspicious of books that contain the word “frisson”. It turned up relatively early in this book, but at least I didn’t notice a repeat offence. This book all seemed a bit silly at first, but I got sucked in (Ha!) by all those eternally youthful beautifully beautiful dark and mysterious and sexy vampires. Really, it did start to bother me after a while that they were all so attractive. Rice even muses, through the voice of her hero vampire Lestat, are there any ugly vampires? Wel...moreI’m always a bit suspicious of books that contain the word “frisson”. It turned up relatively early in this book, but at least I didn’t notice a repeat offence. This book all seemed a bit silly at first, but I got sucked in (Ha!) by all those eternally youthful beautifully beautiful dark and mysterious and sexy vampires. Really, it did start to bother me after a while that they were all so attractive. Rice even muses, through the voice of her hero vampire Lestat, are there any ugly vampires? Well I think I spotted one, but he didn’t last very long.

This book is the third in Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, following "Interview with the Vampire" (the one made into a film with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt; not bad, from memory, surprisingly…) and "The Vampire Lestat". To sum up, Lestat has gone and woken up the Mother of All Vampires (I’m not kidding), the titular (that’s for you, Ian) Queen of the Damned, Akasha, who has been dormant for thousands of years, but now she’s awake again and this time she’s a lot crosser.

For some reason, the Queen seems to be killing off all the vampires, except for our favourites of course. What is she up to?? We find out along the way how vampires came to exist and what the Queen’s badass dealio is anyway. I got a bit addicted to the whole story, if a little impatient with all the descriptions of how gorgeous and tortured everbody was.

Rice even manages to weave in some serious topics, a la "Cocoon". For example, if someone offered you a smoothie that would make you immortal, would you drink? (Ha!). If someone dangled a tempting tidbit in front of you that would make your loved ones immortal, would you bite? (Ha! Ha!). Also, more to the point, would you ask them first?? Would a world run by women really be any less violent than one that’s still pretty much ruled by men? (You’ll have to read the book to see how that one fits in). She also offers some interesting alternative theories as to how embalming and mummification came to be the dominant way of honouring the dead – as opposed to eating their corpses, of course. (I must confess I began to be persuaded of the merits of this option – eww!! Boy, I was really sucked in).

This book was written in 1988 and I’m wondering if that was the same era as Virginia Andrews and Flowers in the Attic and so forth – it has that same kind of outrageous gothic scandalous mixed up relationships thing going. Hmmm…must re-read some good old Virginia Andrews sometime…
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Nov 26, 2010

Ellie rated it

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I've missed the second book in this series, I noticed after I had bought this one, but I figured I would be able to read it nonetheless. And I was able to do so which was nice. Anne Rice's writing style is very interesting and it draws my attention for sure. It's a bit different from the first one in it's places, due to the change of PoV's throughout the book.

The story is a very complicated but well executed and you get to learn pieces here and there until the final reveal. The story a...more

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Dec 30, 2009

Melissa rated it

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The first half of this book was amazing bcz Rice introduced so many ancient vampires and how over thousands of years the powers they had come to have. The ancient vampires had the ability to merely look at another vampire and cause the blood inside of them to ignite engulfing their whole being. They could also fly over great distances, like an ocean or several countries. I was most intrigued by the vampire Kayman, he was the 3rd vampire ever created, 6000 yrs ago, and his knowledge and gifting w...more

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Aug 11, 2011

Jason Gusman rated it

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This is pretty much an extension of The Vampire Lestat in several ways. As a result I ranked it the same. It is finishing the second book and almost like a subseries within the series. We get to learn about the Queen and King which is an integral aspect of the series and a huge set up for Blood and Gold when Marius tells his story. And again, Lestat is rebelling like he was in the last book. But he is becoming powerful and some elements of Rice's world of vampires that are pretty neat come ...more

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Sep 22, 2011

Jennifer rated it

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Honestly, I didn't want to read Queen after having seen (and fortunately forgotten) the movie years ago. But dammit if Anne Rice can't use some type of literary voodoo to pull me in. This has happened several times with her books: I read one and swear I won't read the next one. Then, the next one sits on the book shelf, beckoning me to indulge in its sensual story. After I crack the cover, I can't put it down.
All the regular characters make appearances throughout the book (I won't spoil it)...more

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Jul 04, 2010

Debbie rated it

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Shelves: vampires

I really enjoyed the Vampire Lestat in book 2 and couldnt wait to read more but I think this book went down too many avenues and left me confused. I found there were too may charactors to keep track on. The story of the red haired twins and how the first vampire was created 6000 years ago in Eygpt is the backbone of this book. You learn how the mother and father got their powers and what they did to get them. This was very interesting and a must read. The big question from book 2 is during the...more

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Mar 31, 2010

Sophie Elizabeth rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. (I warn you, this review contains spoilers, though it doesn't really ruin the storyline, I don't think!)

The introduction to this book is, as in all the other books with Lestat as a narrator, fantastic. I love the way he always introduces himself, the vain bastard that he is. And of course (because I'm a sad little girl with no life who develops attractions for literary creatures) I hang on each line, wondering "Oh, what did you do THIS TIME?!"

To be very honest,...more(I warn you, this review contains spoilers, though it doesn't really ruin the storyline, I don't think!)

The introduction to this book is, as in all the other books with Lestat as a narrator, fantastic. I love the way he always introduces himself, the vain bastard that he is. And of course (because I'm a sad little girl with no life who develops attractions for literary creatures) I hang on each line, wondering "Oh, what did you do THIS TIME?!"

To be very honest, when I started the book, I wasn't entirely enamored with it. The multiple view-point aspect of if confused me just a little (perhaps because for months and months before I had been reading countless first-person narratives). Although, from the moment that Jesse walks into the story I was drawn in, hook, line and sinker. Maybe it was the idea of this mysterious Maharet lady, or perhaps it was the idea of a supernatural investigations group (any "X-Files" fan would fall for the idea of the Talamasca, surely)that fetched me and I was utterly involved with the story. I was INSIDE the novel. You couldn't get me out. I read it from breakfast until dinner time one Saturday when I had leave to get away with it.

Jesse seems to be key in a lot of my favourite scenes in this book - we get this fantastic piece of insight into the mind of Claudia when Jesse finds her diary (the diary calls out for another novel entirely - only Claudia would have told the truth about what actually happened between those two bitter men who like to spite each other in their respective autobiographies). Claudia loved Lestat as much as she hated him, and I think that her love for him was a little bit more desire-based than her love for Louis which was need-based... Anyway, the fact that she wanted him in a very non-childish way is perhaps a good reason for her to hate him...

Jesse is also the key character in my very favourite scene in all of fiction - (save perhaps the "Midsummer's Day" passages of "I Capture The Castle" by Dodie Smith) - the scene where the Brat Prince is onstage, a 1980's rock star to put Jon Bon Jovi and Axl Rose to shame, and she jumps up to him. I swear, no character in any novel has ever come across sexier than the vampire rockstar. It's a superficial enough reason to love that passage of a book, but what can I say, I love fiction, I love music! (The song I have soundtracked for that scene is "March Of The Black Queen" by the band Queen - it sounds exactly like the band The Vampire Lestat sounds in my head... Just by-the-by).

Anyway, after the concert scene the story takes on a whirlwind life of its own.
Several plotlines string together seamlessly - which makes this novel perhaps one of the deftest pieces of complex storytelling that I have ever read. Suddenly Armand, Daniel, Marius, Louis, Gabrielle, Mael, Khaymen, Eric, Santino, Maharet and Jesse are all in a room together. The sheer idea of it amused me - it was like the Teddy Bears' Picnic for vampires. Meanwhile Lestat is whisked away on a killing spree with an ancient and evil vampire!

In alternate pieces we are given what basically translates as to being the Book Of Genesis for vampires and the tale of a stupid blond idiot who runs away with a strange woman and finds that she's not quite what she seems.

We also get to meet my favourite female character in all of the Chronicles: Maharet. A vampire who was made after she had a child. A vampire who has spent her eternity watching over each of her direct descendants. I'm from rural Ireland and I always make the analogy that "If she wasn't a blood-drinker, Maharet would invite you in for a cup of tea!" She's truly a wonderful character - perhaps the only character that Rice has ever created that was truly kind and without a malevolent streak.

The history of the vampires, set in ancient Egypt is truly compelling - but then again, ever since childhood, I've loved the idea of Ancient Egypt. Akasha is an interesting character, though she bears some similarities with our fateful storyteller: Lestat. She is essentially his personality except of a different time: bratty, with an idea that she is entitled to all that she desires. Although, he is not a megalomaniac.

Eventually the two storylines collide containing one of my favourite quotes of late (said by Lestat as he looks upon all the vampires who are gathered together): "Finally, those you love are simply... Those you love." It kind of describes my own mismatched family.

And the ending is hilarious. Marius makes up the "new rules" and promptly Lestat decides to go out and break them, tossing his hair and asking Louis to tell him that he's bad, just because he loves to hear it. Classic!(less)

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Feb 19, 2010

Kate rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

I definitely enjoyed this one! I like how things are pared down to the core "coven" now all of those other vampires were distracting. Well done Akasha! I really liked Khayman as a character. I guess I like tortured souls who do horrible things and then atone for their sins. The Twins were an interesting storyline and i found myself wishing the chapters about Akasha and Lestat would end so I could read more on the story of the twins. Overall I felt bad for Akasha, she seemed to be...more

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Apr 04, 2011

Connor Sherman rated it

· review of another edition

SPOILER ALERT.

I loved this book, a lot actually. Interview with a Vampire and The Vampire Lestat were also good, but in my opinion this one was the best of the three. I loved the twist on the end, the fact that Akasha died and none of the others died. The way Anne Rice set the Funeral Feast as a foreshadowing of what was to happen with Akasha. I also liked the story of the twins, I half wanted to know more. I wouldn't mind reading a book by Anne Rice of the twins lives or more detail...more

· see review

Sep 02, 2011

Alberto Kennedy rated it

· review of another edition

I loved this book. It did prove challenging for me to read because their was so many sub plots and the establishing of them through certain characters made it a bit labryinth like as the author tried to tie all the sub plots in to one complete mosaic. But she did and It was worth the confusion to see that after all the twists and turns the book took you on a journey through time and over the world. I loved it! I loved that Maharet and her twin sister Mekare had red hair and yet lived in The Vall...more

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About Anne Rice

Anne Rice is a best-selling American author of gothic, supernatural, historical, erotica, and later religious themed books. Best known for her Vampire Chronicles, her prevailing thematical focus is on love, death, immortality, existentialism, and the human condition. She was married to poet Stan Rice for 41 years until his death in 2002. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her on...more

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Books by Anne Rice

Interview with the Vampire (Vampire Chronicles, #1)

The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles, #2)

The Witching Hour (Lives of the Mayfair Witches, #1)

The Tale of the Body Thief (The Vampire Chronicles, #4)

Memnoch the Devil (The Vampire Chronicles, #5)

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