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Prince Lestat

(The Vampire Chronicles #11)

Anne Rice

3.81 · Rating details · 20,679 ratings · 2,499 reviews

The vampire world is in crisis – their kind have been proliferating out of control and, thanks to technologies undreamed of in previous centuries, they can communicate as never before. Roused from their earth-bound slumber, ancient ones are in thrall to the Voice: which commands that they burn fledgling vampires in cities from Paris to Mumbai, Hong Kong to Kyoto and San Fr ...more

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Hardcover, 458 pages

Published October 28th 2014 by Alfred A. Knopf

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Oct 24, 2014 Jane rated it did not like it

Shelves: fiction, b3r

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

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Oct 21, 2014 Misfit rated it did not like it

Shelves: heroine-dumb-as-a-post, get-it-from-the-library, housework-is-better-than-this, get-thee-to-an-editor, snoozefest, endless-exposition, make-it-stop-now, what-the-hell-happened-here, zapped-to-kindle-oblivion, work-is-better-than-this

”But wasn’t it what they all wanted? And what a dashing and beautiful figure Lestat was. The James Bond of the Vampires indeed.”

Disclosures:

1)I haven't read any of the previous entries in this series, so I went into this book without the *warm and fuzzy* feelings that die-hard fans of these books would do.

2) No, this is not my typical go-to genre of choice, but after all the ~~publicity stunts~~ hoopla on the internet, I was curious and the library had a kindle copy available.

3) If Goodreads allowe ...more

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Mar 22, 2014 Voiceofmadness rated it it was amazing

The Vampire Lestat has returned along with the other children of night! I immediately ordered an autographed copy from the New Orleans Garden district the moment I could.

To those who waited and those who are just starting their journey!

I must say I've never taken as long to read a book I was so deeply in love with as this. I knew that with each word I was that much closer to the end.

All that being said, PL is not written in the same format as Anne's previous Vampire Chronicles. This is written ...more

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Nov 03, 2014 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it it was ok

A Voice has started invading the minds of vampires across the world – wheedling, threatening and begging, it is pushing them to do one thing – destroy their fellows

As the death toll mounts, Benji, vampire fledgling and podcaster, appeals to the elders of the vampire tribe to do something. Anything.

So do I. But then I’ve been begging for several books and they still haven’t done anything.

This book actually greatly exceeded my expectations. Of course, if you’ve read my previous reviews of the Vamp ...more

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Nov 03, 2014 Barb Nessinger rated it did not like it

SPOILER ALERT:

I haven't looked forward to a book as much as this one in a long, long time, but I had some trepidation. I did not like her Angel Time novels nor her Wolf series (couldn't even get through them all, truth be told).

Prince Lestat might as well be titled "Lestat for Dummies," because it is so simplistic and unimaginative and just...mediocre. How does such a great author and imaginative mind turn so boring? I literally found myself yelling at this book: "STOP repeating the same thing ...more

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Oct 20, 2014 Jennifer M. rated it it was ok

Shelves: o-youth-and-sometimes-folly, for-shame, vamp-tramping-and-other-diversions

As one who came of age whilst reading Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, I readily embraced Lestat who, in my girlish esteem, appeared a flawed and endearingly romantic fiend maundering as only such a wildly exaggerated aesthete ought be given to do throughout his many mad escapades – and, oh, that unabashed brattiness! It is therefore with regret that I confess my opinion as an adult, which holds that both the series and its prodigious cast have lately fallen to encroaching decadence, what with th ...more

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Nov 09, 2014 Nexus Redsnow rated it did not like it

(upd: book now finished, for final thoughts scoll down)

I'm currently somewhere in the middle, my kindle app says 47%, Lestat's chapter after Everard.
And I have to say that I've never been this disappointed in a book.
I'm currently struggling to actually make myself finish this thing, having skimmed several immensely oring chapters.

This book is not worth your money, seriously. Especially if you're a fan of the chronicles, especially if you adore Lestat such as I do... don't do this to yourself. ...more

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Dec 16, 2014 Mauoijenn rated it did not like it

Shelves: hell-no-never-again-nope, 2014-rc, vant-2suck-your-blood

Dear Ms. Rice,

Either you gambled all your money away on online casino games or someone whispered in your ear about writing another vampire chronicle book. Either way you have lost your touch. THIS WAS HORRIBLE! Now that you got this crap out of your system, QUIT while your ahead.

P.S. I just came across this bullshit...you don't want people who hide their identities from reviewing your books. FINE. Be a BITCH! Shit, I don't need your crap ass books. Trust me I read this book, I checked it out at ...more

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Oct 28, 2014 planetkimi rated it it was ok

Shelves: vampires, fiction

Having just finished Prince Lestat, I want now want to go back and reread The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned. When people ask about “favorite books,” “books that influenced your life,” “top 10 books you’d have on a desert island,” etc, The Vampire Lestat tops my list. But while my memory of it remains strongly positive, it’s been some time since I’ve actually read it. After finishing Prince Lestat, I wonder if my tastes have changed, or if Rice’s writing has changed. Unfortunately Pr Having just finished Prince Lestat, I want now want to go back and reread The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned. When people ask about “favorite books,” “books that influenced your life,” “top 10 books you’d have on a desert island,” etc, The Vampire Lestat tops my list. But while my memory of it remains strongly positive, it’s been some time since I’ve actually read it. After finishing Prince Lestat, I wonder if my tastes have changed, or if Rice’s writing has changed. Unfortunately Prince Lestat didn’t line up with my expectations - or my memory.

In the 400+ page book, there’s a lot of talking. And weeping. Vampires apparently cry a lot for reasons that are frequently not fully explained. I feel like the novel is really a series of verbal paintings strung together - Rice wants to carefully construct visually emotional scenes, but doesn’t flesh out the motivations and history that leads the reader to feel the impact of the scene. We’re just told that so-and-so was sad. Or anciently inscrutable. Or just sitting there being beautiful.

I didn’t find much to sympathize with in most of the characters. More of a refresher of their distinct personalities and motivations would have been welcome. For example, we’re told that Armand is dangerous and menacing, but not reminded why. Several vampires are resurrected from the pages of prior Vampire Chronicles for the apparent reason of just being present and seen - they don’t materially add to the story. Given the history some characters have together, it seems that the inevitable vampire reunion would have been ripe for thrilling drama. It isn’t.

I also think I miss the sense of struggle. One of the aspects of Lestat that I enjoy the most is that he’s an outsider fighting to make sense of things on his own terms. There is a threat in this book, sure, but he figures out what’s going on soon enough without the relentless pursuit and conflict that characterize Lestat’s earlier adventures. It’s also pretty clear that he can no longer be considered an outsider.

I think that Rice’s greatest strengths are her myth-making and existential conflicts. Her origin story for vampires is iconic. Her presentation of other supernatural beings (witches, spirits, djinn, mummies) is fantastically original. The novels that explore the morality of preying on humans and the nature of evil are thoughtful and captivating. Prince Lestat does not capitalize on those strengths and I regrettably find it to be a shadow of its predecessors. ...more

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Mar 22, 2014 Darcy rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, vampires, 2014, uf, listened-to-at-work, did-not-finish

When I saw that Rice was writing more in this series my first instinct was excitement, I so loved this series. My copies are so worn, spines cracked, to the point pages are close to falling out, pages yellowed and corners dog eared from being read so many times. My second thought on seeing an addition to this series was, it's been a long time, Rice found God and eschewed all of this, plus I had been dnf'ing her latest books, so I was leery, very leery.

After listening to 40% of the book I'm throw ...more

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Oct 30, 2014 Krystal rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2014

I'm proud to say that I made it to a healthy half way point of 175 pages before giving up.

The final nail in this coffin (heh) comes from the realization that:

1. Nothing is happening.
2. All the vampires act the same, including speech patterns and overall demeanor, regardless if they are 3,000 or 50 years old. You know what would make an old vampire more believable to me? Really, really obscure knowledge. Quoting Shakespeare doesn't give me confidence that said dude has been around for thousands ...more

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Nov 22, 2015 Sammy Loves Books rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: vampires-bite, violence-torture-gore, he-owns-my-heart, library-audio, abducted, horror, lukewarm-love-scenes

Prince Lestat is a love it or hate it read!!
I hated myself for not making this a DNF!!

This book droned on and on. It was slow and tedious. Each chapter focused on a different vampire and their personal story. I had to endure these boring tales, one right after the other. Boring tales of a voice talking to them in their minds. This voice was encouraging older vampires to kill off the younger ones.

There were so many vampires and stories, that I wondered of I would ever see Lestat again. He eventu ...more

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Oct 29, 2014 Gabriel36 rated it did not like it

Knowing when to stop can a blessing. A concept that seems to elude Anne Rice for many years now. Horrible novel, very poorly written. 80% is wasted on back stories that (to any Vampire Chronicle aficionado) reveal nothing new. The plot matches the writing. The portrayal of Lestat is just as alien as it has been in Blackwood farm and Blood canticle. I suggest to get a free copy off the internet if you want to subject yourself to yet another disappointment ala Rice.
Do not waste good money on this ...more

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Nov 08, 2014 Joshua rated it it was amazing

What a lovely book. It's perhaps not as deep and thoughtful as Interview or Memnoch, but it's solid. Anne Rice has still got it.

It's been a while since I last read Queen of the Damned, but I never felt lost at any point in this book. It's like no time had passed and every character was just as familiar as they had been years and years ago when I had first gotten into this series.

I like the multiple voices. This book has the same structure as Queen of the Damned, which is nice because not only d What a lovely book. It's perhaps not as deep and thoughtful as Interview or Memnoch, but it's solid. Anne Rice has still got it.

It's been a while since I last read Queen of the Damned, but I never felt lost at any point in this book. It's like no time had passed and every character was just as familiar as they had been years and years ago when I had first gotten into this series.

I like the multiple voices. This book has the same structure as Queen of the Damned, which is nice because not only do we get to see how all these vampires have been getting along in the new millennium, but it's a way to refresh everyone's memory.

The plot is very simple. A mysterious Voice has been speaking to vampires the world over, inciting confusion and violence among vampires young and old, and Lestat, the famous Brat Prince, is thrust into a position where he must uncover what the Voice is.

This novel doesn't have the grand scope of more historical Vampire Chronicles entries like The Vampire Armand or Blood and Gold, but it definitely deals with big huge concepts, especially regarding the nature of vampires. Since the world is now one of scientific discovery, Rice has her vampires begin to move away from superstition and thoughts of religious damnation and begin to figure out what science can reveal about what makes them what they are. It's fascinating to see the blend of the supernatural and the scientific and how it's handled by the characters.

In terms of action, this book is more concerned with characters struggling with ideas. There are moments of dramatic conflict, of course, but the main conflict is between Lestat and the Voice, which is mostly internal, so don't expect a knock down drag out explosive superhero-style climax.

Mostly, it's just nice to see all these characters again, and see how they've adapted to a world that is now 40 years removed from that moment in the late 70's when Daniel sat down with Louis in San Francisco with a tape recorder to interview a vampire. I especially enjoyed Lestat's complaints about email and smartphones.

Also, if you're coming to this book after a long hiatus, Anne Rice includes an appendix of names and overviews of the 10 other Vampire Chronicles books in the back to refresh your memory. The prologue, also, brings readers up to speed very well, so don't feel like you'll be completely lost if you just jump right into this one. ...more

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Oct 28, 2014 thePromoParrot rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviews

Lestat, the blood-sucking anti-hero who made his first appearance in Interview with the Vampire almost 40 years ago and was played by Tom Cruise in the 1994 blockbuster film, returns in a frighteningly spellbinding mystery-thriller from the iconic author of over thirty novels, including the ground-breaking The Vampire Chronicles, Anne Rice.

Though Prince Lestat is a stand-alone book, it may well be worth re-reading Anne’s earlier books like The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned in order ...more

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Oct 23, 2014 Chern Ning Xin rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I thought I would give the book 5 stars. This book was, after all, a treat. I think all of us had accepted that Blood Canticle was the end of The Vampire Chronicles - the author herself certainly thought so at one point in time. But then the publication of Prince Lestat was announced and we all waited in anticipation for the book that would revive Lestat, and with him, the old cast of characters.

But the book was disappointing. After all the hype about the characters coming together again, the a I thought I would give the book 5 stars. This book was, after all, a treat. I think all of us had accepted that Blood Canticle was the end of The Vampire Chronicles - the author herself certainly thought so at one point in time. But then the publication of Prince Lestat was announced and we all waited in anticipation for the book that would revive Lestat, and with him, the old cast of characters.

But the book was disappointing. After all the hype about the characters coming together again, the actual execution was lacklustre and mechanical. They were there, but they felt like a collection of faceless individuals to form the backdrop of the book and provide the necessary numbers in support of Lestat. When they were in the same room, they rarely interacted with each other, as though the history between them was inconsequential. I'm not sure if Armand even spoke a word to Marius.

But even their role as supporting characters was threatened with the (to no one's surprise) introduction of several new characters, adding to the already fantastically large class of characters. It was painful to read so many pages devoted to explaining them in depth, while the established characters were continually sidelined and accounted for with a brief, cursory remark. It was particularly aggravating: it was the old cast that had me anticipating the book, after all. Instead, reading the book, now I know all about Rose and Fareed and Viktor, but what do I know of Armand? Simply where he lives, and how he fends off the young vampires who attempt to invade his home. And believe me, that's about the extent of his role in Prince Lestat. And what of Benji? That he has an internet radio show; this was actually a pretty interesting idea that was unfortunately restricted to Benji repeating the same thing over and over. And Sybelle is playing her piano. Sybelle is always playing her piano.

That said, we do have minor (very minor; minor as in previously unnamed) characters from the old books fleshed out, like Antoine. But he was also unfortunately reduced to becoming part of the backdrop once he has served his purpose. He now joins Sybelle in playing music. :)

And Lestat... where do I begin? He calls himself Lestat, alright. But reading The Vampire Lestat and Prince Lestat side by side, it is apparent that the revived Lestat is a pale shadow of his former self. I'm not even sure how to explain this. But I walked away without feeling as amused as I had been previously, no longer charmed by his antics. This new Lestat feels foreign, like a clever imitation, but ingenuine nonetheless. Are you really Lestat?

There are many other things I could say about the book: its brave but superficial attempt at reconciling the supernatural with science (which also resulted in the (literal) production of a new character in a WTF moment) and the number of times a reference to the wonderful and holy iPhone was made. (Do all vampires use iPhone? I certainly didn't see a Nokia or a Samsung.)

Do I regret reading this book? Probably not. At the very least, it erases the tragic and disastrous ending that was Blood Canticle. But do I feel let down after eagerly awaiting it all through promos? I have to admit, yes. ...more

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Nov 01, 2014 Branwen Sedai *of the Brown Ajah* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: vampires

"For this you were born. And you are with us and one of us, and we are the people of the moon and the stars. We are not damned. We never were. Who under the sun had the right to damn any living breathing creature?"

After the death of Akasha, the vampire Queen, vampires old and young fled and became scattered across the planet. Leaderless, divided, they are like lost children. Lestat, the brat prince and rebel vampire has been avoiding others of his kind. Until he begins to hear a disembodied voic "For this you were born. And you are with us and one of us, and we are the people of the moon and the stars. We are not damned. We never were. Who under the sun had the right to damn any living breathing creature?"

After the death of Akasha, the vampire Queen, vampires old and young fled and became scattered across the planet. Leaderless, divided, they are like lost children. Lestat, the brat prince and rebel vampire has been avoiding others of his kind. Until he begins to hear a disembodied voice inside his head. When he meets with other vampires he learns to his dismay and surprise that others are hearing this 'Voice' as well. And the Voice is urging the vampires to rise up and destroy each other. Who is this Voice and what does it want?

I once despaired of ever reading a new book featuring Lestat, Louis, Armand, Marius, Pandora, and all the other characters I have grown to love during the Vampire Chronicles series. Anne Rice hasn't written in this world in so very long. First she went through that terrifying Bible-thumper phase, and then after that she wrote the Wolf Gift books. Which I absolutely adore, don't get me wrong. But I had assumed that never again would I read something new and fresh from this series. So I was over the moon excited when I heard she was writing this book. But at the same time, I worried. Would it hold up to my expectations? Would I find the characters drastically changed since the last time I read about them? Would they even still BE the same characters, in any way shape or form? But as I slowly and languorously made my way through this book I let out a sigh of gratitude and joy. The Queen was back. It was like she had never been gone. Anne Rice's writing is just as fluid, descriptive, and beautiful as I remember. Maybe even more so. Take this passage for example:

The café was beautiful with tables draped in blue linen that was almost the color of the night sky with the endless illumination of the great sprawling metropolis bouncing off the layer of moist cloud. And there was a thin, sweet sitar music playing with melodic threads lacing in and out of my thoughts as we sat there, each of us not playing with our food and now and then lifting a forkful of curry to savor the aroma. And the wine was bright and glistening in the sheer glass goblets...

See? Even just a simple passage like that holds such exquisite and beautiful description! This book was pure heaven to read! Aside from the writing itself the book was amazing because it was told from the point of view of various characters, ones I have loved for a long time and brand new ones.

But perhaps the BEST part of this book, at least for me, was the ending. I won't spoil anything, but if you are a fan of the Vampire Chronicles you already know what an introspective and melancholy character Louis is. Well, his point of view is the one that ends it, and to see this character FINALLTY get closure, after ALL this time. It made me cry. It really did. Louis finally found his joy and his peace.

I absolutely loved this book to pieces and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Anne Rice, particularly her Vampire Chronicles series.

"This is a magnificent world. And we are blessed with the gift of life in it. Let the moon and the stars always remind you of this-that though we are tiny creatures in this universe, we are filled with life." ...more

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Nov 04, 2014 Yvonne Ho rated it liked it

If you're picking up this book hoping to meet the old characters you loved, spare yourself the trouble and put it back down. All the vampires I grew to care about as a teenager are only a shadow of themselves. The "crisis" is a slightly tweaked regurgitation of the plot in Queen of the Damned, and resolves somewhat lamely at the end. The switching perspectives between major and minor characters renders the narrative random and choppy. I guess if nothing else, this story serves as ample warning t ...more

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Nov 04, 2014 Jon rated it did not like it

This was dreadfully boring to read. Anne Rice loves to over describe the most mundane things. I did not notice it as much in her earlier novels, but in later novels, it is more apparent. This book is not an exception. I don't mind description, but Jesus Christ, can she allow a little wiggle room for my own imagination, please?

Prince Lestat features characters that I do not care about and some are given their own narratives. I am not a fan of jumping back and forth between narratives. Also, most ...more

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Nov 03, 2014 Andromeda M31 rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Well, where to start. Anne Rice abandoned her Vampire Chronicles about a decade ago after her conversion to the Catholic Faith. She ended her saga with Blood Canticle, a bizarre wrap up of plot threads from her two heathen series, the Vampire Chronicles and the Lives of the Mayfair Witches. Many of her popular vampire characters were set aside or unmentioned while Lestat, her Brat Prince, declared his desire for Sainthood. Blood Canticle ended with Rowen Mayfair begging Lestat to perform the Dar Well, where to start. Anne Rice abandoned her Vampire Chronicles about a decade ago after her conversion to the Catholic Faith. She ended her saga with Blood Canticle, a bizarre wrap up of plot threads from her two heathen series, the Vampire Chronicles and the Lives of the Mayfair Witches. Many of her popular vampire characters were set aside or unmentioned while Lestat, her Brat Prince, declared his desire for Sainthood. Blood Canticle ended with Rowen Mayfair begging Lestat to perform the Dark Trick and allow her entry into the world of eternal darkness. As proof to his improved nature, Lestat refused and abandoned his beloved to life and mortality. Mic drop.

Fans of the series were incredibly disappointed with that novel. Rice responded to her detractors with the line they were "interrogating the text from the wrong perspective."

In Prince Lestat, we return to our beloved and insufferable blond hero who is once again isolated and suicidal, but as always immaculately dressed. We are introduced to a mysterious Voice that keeps him company in one of his dark rages. This telepathic Voice has been whispering to all Vampire-kind, urging the them to destroy other Blood Drinkers.

It takes about two pages for anyone who has read the Chronicles to realize this Voice is Amel, the spirit force that fused with Akasha in the Queen of the Damned to create the Blood Drinking Race. He hasn't been mentioned, let me check, in the nine books that followed.

And Amel isn't the only character to be brought forth from the pages of earlier books, almost every vampire Anne Rice ever wrote into undead life makes an appearance. All your favorites will get cameos, such as Armand, Pandora, Louis, Marius, David Talbot, and Jesse, but also characters that were only footnotes in the earlier Chronicles will reappear. The vampire hag that gave Lestat the metaphor the "Devil's Road" is back and alive. Turns out Marius' nameless Celtic Maker also survived to found the Talamasca. Oh, and Magnus, Lestat's dead maker, will shake hands with his fledgling as a ghost. Other ancient vampires are introduced, none of whom are interesting or different from the current caste. Their stories and chapters take up far too much space in the book. Thank God that Lestat's dear mother, Gabrielle, makes an appearance as the one vampire with a distinct personality. She slaps some sense into her son. Literally. Rice takes a brave step and adds a vampire doctor/mad scientist to her undead populace. He performs all sorts of morally ambiguous tasks in the name of science, such as making a living clone of Lestat. But there you go. Anne Rice and science.

It's unfortunate Rice opens this book with quotes from her previous work. It showcases how far her prose has fallen. The Chronicles are mentioned several times within Prince Lestat, as they are in universe publications, and it gives her the chance to awkwardly praise her own work from a character's perspective.

The characters that get the shortest shrift in this story are surprisingly the matriarchs Maharet and Mekare. I have always had a soft spot for the red-headed witch twins, the only female characters of definite power in Rice's endless crowd of Bryonic male heroes. Alas, the great Maharet is easily slaughtered by the weak willed villain of this story while Mekare is revealed as a mindless machine.

It turns out the events of the Queen of the Damned are directly responsible for the current Blood Drinker Genocide. Having been placed into the barely sentient Mekare, Amel is awakened and miserable, confined in Mekare's tomb of a human body. The beautiful symmetry of Mekare taking the mantle and brain of the Queen in the earlier tales is destroyed.

This is climaxes, of course, when Lestat sucks Mekare's brain from her eye socket and merges with the red Lovecraftian monster that is Amel and becomes Prince of Vampires. As Amel lovingly tells Lestat: he'll never be alone again. Rice writes this as a joyous union but it's a disturbing end for a character who so valued his independence and freedom. Lestat now bears the yoke of leader and sets down laws for Vampire-kind. He will rule from his restored chateau in France. Never again will Blood Drinkers separate and isolate themselves from each other; they will stand united under their Prince.

Where Blood Canticle ended with Lestat sparing his love interest an immortal lifetime of blood sucking, Prince Lestat ends with the ceremonious vampire birth of his clone son Victor and his adopted daughter Rose. Vampires are no longer to be damned creatures of the night, but merely another tribe of beings in Rice's Savage Garden. Even Louis, the vampire most distraught at his undead existence, re-awakens to life and meaning, and no longer sees himself as damned.

I don't particularly know where Rice will go from here with her Vampires. Prince Lestat truly feels like a grand send off, unlike Blood Canticle. Well, as grand as one can expect from a vampire series that began in the 70's written by an author who could never keep her characters straight. I've always been frustrated with the moral loop hole of the "I only kill bad people so it's okay" vampire. One of Rice's themes throughout her work is redemption, but it's apparently only allowed for beautiful and wealthy immortals who appreciate aesthetics, not for the ugly, poor, and badly dressed evildoers those vampires always seem to feed on.

This book is only recommended for long time fans of the series. They know what to expect and will be thrilled at the reappearance of each vampire All-Star. No one else will be interested in this story. There was a time when Rice was a brilliant author. Interview with a Vampire is a fantastic and disturbing historical tale. The Vampire Lestat is a wonderful pop culture book that brought the Vampire to the Rock and Roll stage. Queen of the Damned is weird supernatural tale that brings to mind H.R. Haggard, with all his racist connotations. But for the Vampire Chronicles, trust me, stop reading there. ...more

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Sep 04, 2014 Ms. Nikki rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: just-an-alright-okay-read, audiobook, vampire, horror-after-dark

2 1/2 Stars
This read has had over a week to marinate and while Rice's writing style has remained eloquent and descriptive, her brand still visible, the story itself was just not enough.

Lestat has calmed to the point where he now reminisces and is finding he is quite lonely.

I was dismayed when other characters from previous books made their unwelcome appearance and, to my ultimate displeasure, decided to stick around a bit and tell their stories.

This story talks a lot about Akasha, the queen, he ...more

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Oct 26, 2015 Miquel Reina rated it liked it

Shelves: mistery, fantasy, vampires, adventure, horror, crime, thriller

I said several times that I'm a big fan of Anne Rice and all her Vampire Chronicles but to be totally honest, with after her return to the vampires I felt a bit disappointed. I think this novel is very entertaining but for my taste, the genre has too much of "thriller" and too little of "terror" and I've hardly seen any trace of the decadent romanticism of Anne Rice earlier works.

Spanish version:
En varias ocasiones he dicho que Soy gran fan de Anne Rice y en especial de sus cónicas vampíricas, p ...more

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Mar 13, 2014 Tammy Cordeiro (devadasi7) marked it as to-read

YES!!!!!!!!!!! ANOTHER VAMPIRE CHRONICLES NOVEL!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Dec 02, 2014 Mizuki rated it it was ok

Shelves: it-is-a-bad-descison, nothing-special, supernatural-stuff, lost-interest, it-is-okay, i-guess-not, read-only-when-running-out-of-book, vampires-related, it-is-not-the-book-it-is-me

I love Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches, the first three books of The Vampire Chronicles, together with books such as The Vampire Armand and Blood and Gold, and the first two books of the Mayfair Witches have always been my all time favorite, but this one...this Prince Lestat is just a big no-no.

But at first, I was okay with this book, we get a brief reminder of the history of the vampires, we get the mysteries of The Voice and the young vampires around the wor ...more

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Nov 04, 2014 Susana marked it as hell-to-the-no-begone

Can I just say how much I love sparkly vampires?
Because I do! :)
Oh, and unicorns...unicorns are cool...

I KNEW IT!!

Also:

I was trying to make a point with this....*tries to remember*
I KNOW:
I will read almost anything, but I won't ever, ever read Anne Rice. ...more

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Nov 03, 2014 Nathan rated it liked it

Let's start by saying that I was torn between rating 2-3 stars.

I love The Vampire Chronicles as a whole, yes there are a few books in the series that aren't as strong as the others but as a whole Anne Rice has created a world and feel that redefined vampire fiction.

Unfortunately this book doesn't feel part like it's part of that world (much like Blood Canticle and Blackwood Farm). The vampires in this book, Lestat included, feel neutered and a bit flat.

The introduction of many new and secondary ...more

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Jul 11, 2014 Garrick Merriweather rated it it was amazing

FINALLY!!! The master storyteller returns! OMG! When I saw this, I nearly fainted. Anne Rice SINGLE-HANDEDLY changed the scope of vampire fiction. I for one am so sick of the virus-vampire/zombie-vampire stories, I don't know what to do. This has been one of the best days. Saw Dawn of the Planet of the Apes earlier and then I come home to find this out. Great Day. The ONLY thing that could make it better is if the Rapture was to occur. ...more

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Sep 22, 2020 Lady Mayfair rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, horror

Still a better love story than Twilight...

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Jan 25, 2016 Thomas Edmund rated it liked it

Man I used to love the Vampire Chronicles. Bought almost everything single book, and truth be told desperately wanted to be a child of the night myself (and this was well before Twilight came out, please). Although I felt the series petered off towards the end I remember them fondly and honestly thought they were to be no more.

So yeah, imagine my reaction when I saw this book on a shelf. Another one? I couldn't wait to get my hands on it!

At first it seems pretty darn good. Lestat's voice was cle ...more

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Oct 30, 2014 Carmen Taxer rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Fourteen years ago, Anne Rice released what fans were told was to be the final instalment in The Vampire Chronicles. It was sweet, charming, brutal, and then, wholly saturated with feeling. The average reader could not strike through the last chapter without crying, Lestat, the brave hero, the intrepid companion, through centuries of his life, through pain, and loss, and deep aching upheaval, was leaving, and as a whole, as a forum, the fans, were powerless to stop him.
But it was not just the lo Fourteen years ago, Anne Rice released what fans were told was to be the final instalment in The Vampire Chronicles. It was sweet, charming, brutal, and then, wholly saturated with feeling. The average reader could not strike through the last chapter without crying, Lestat, the brave hero, the intrepid companion, through centuries of his life, through pain, and loss, and deep aching upheaval, was leaving, and as a whole, as a forum, the fans, were powerless to stop him.
But it was not just the loss of Lestat that stung so blindingly. Every character that had walked those pages, every character shining in their moments, or glimmering in the moonlight, or being forgotten as the novels, as the tale, progressed, they were all to go with him. No more dreams of vampires saving the reader in the dark of night, flying one away from mundanity, or heartache, or desperate obsessive love. The fantasy of the vampire legend, the anti-hero in the dark hours of uncertainty and fear, the terrifying figure of romance, lust, and simple, comforting desire, was left to other authors. Authors who, try as they might, could not hope to shine with the grace of Ms Rice, and her infamous hero, Lestat de Lioncourt.
It began with the whispers, the subtle suggestions, and hinting questions, the slow coaxing of these old fans, the truly devoted readers of The Vampire Chronicles, who answered her brashly, honestly, longingly. The People of Anne Rice’s Fan Page rose to the occasion and described every nuance of how, and why they missed Lestat, how badly they have dreamed of reading his words again, and how they desired the return of his companions, the Coven of the Articulate. And the author responded in kind, until the internet was ablaze with hints of a new Chronicle before the news was ever officially released. But… This in no way diminished the shock and awe when it did.
Prince Lestat is a wild escape into a world that readers had almost forgotten, shelved, and locked away, for fear of clinging too tightly to those old lovers, friends, dark companions. The novel delves into a vampire world in chaos, a fine reflection of the readers’ reality. Vampires all over this world cry for Lestat, as fans have done, for over a decade, but the hero is inexplicably absent, hiding from their voices. And the louder the wails become, the deeper into shadow and obscurity, this beloved lionhearted hero and others of his ilk move. Key characters have become pivotal in this new vampire world, characters than understand and whisk technology in ways the old ones cannot conceive. Benji broadcasts his specific message to young vampires globally, and he speaks of a “parentless tribe” in the midst of anarchy and a Burning. Another Voice, and insidious Voice, whispers to the young and old alike, and tells them to destroy, to claim dominion, and weed out the young, the numerous, the riffraff of vampire kind.
In the ilk of Queen of the Damned, Rice’s previous confederacy-esque novel, Prince Lestat spreads its tale between all characters, all experiences are documented, with the third person voice, Lestat, of course, carrying the mantel of the first person voice. And in this manner, she shines a light on the dark grottos where beloved protagonists lurk, as well as introducing a veritable realm of new players that weave themselves into the tales of what the reader already knows, and what has yet to be revealed. Numerous ancients, Teshkamen, Seth, Nebamun, and others, surface to assist their brethren, to “re-parent” the tribe, as it were. And then younger vampires, some familiar, some entirely not so, such as Fareed, exemplify ideals towards a furthering in the collective vampire understanding of technology and science. In order to better understand themselves. The intention being to eradicate the old perspective that being of the Blood, means to be evil. Defaulted. Done and dusted. This novel carries a new message, that indeed, no, evil can be found in anything, as can good, but it is only through better understanding of oneself, and one’s kind, that one can come to love, and acknowledge both the good and the evil at the core.
There is commentary apparent in this novel, which beautifully weaves a reflection of the author’s own writing of this piece, her interaction with fans, answers to fan inquisition, and even a personal joke that the People of the Page, as Ms Rice affectionately calls her following, will have a good chuckle at. The story of Rose and her Uncle Lestan is of particular intrigue as well, given the human nature (of those who devote themselves to vampire literature), that the vampire is a monster, yes, but also, often, a benevolent guardian, whose keen interest in the mortal subject could end in heartache, or in new, altered perspectives. And, in answer to modern vampire literature, the author has taken a step into science, to allow her vampires who (as far as lore states), could never feel fleshy intimacy the way mortals do, to experience that pleasure, and ever create some semblance of life from it.
Through the progression of the tale, it becomes clear that the Voice is none other than Amel. This is not a difficult concept to derive from the start of the piece, however, it is to be expected by any reader of intellect, and it plays so beautifully into the mythos of the author’s universe, that its obvious nature is a charm, rather than a hindrance. Amel is distraught at his imprisonment in the wounded Mekare, and is fighting for release, to find a blood drinker of equal power, but more driven, unique.
The character of this enlivening spirit, is also a matter of interest on the novel as a whole. It must always be remembered, though sometimes it is not so simple, that Amel loved the twins, that he would do anything for them, in fact, did do what he could to avenge them, and that, in a way, he was punished for it, by six thousand near-silent years as a prisoner to those who never quite understood him. As said, it is difficult to try and think of him as anything other than a monster. And even more so when he has an ancient, Roshamandes, brutally kill Maharet, and Khayman. Sweet, gentle Khayman, who he also victimised with the power of his maddening demands.
Prince Lestat also reveals some ground-breaking details about the most intrepid Order of psychic investigators, the Talamasca. Their origins, their intent, and their present designs upon the world of vampires.
At the close, Prince Lestat seeks to revolutionise vampire literature, once again, as Interview with the Vampire sought to and succeeded nearly thirty years ago. The novel is more than successful in this regard, it bursts with life, opportunity, it raises the character of Lestat to heights that one might never expect of a bombastic young nobleman from the French countryside, and it explores the nature of vampirism in a new, enduring light, offering such characters even as the ever self-depreciating Louis, to try and view his own nature through an outside glance, and not through the dark glass of his own self-loathing. The only question the reader can truly ask now, after the deep breaths of revelation and teeming discovery, is, what’s next for Lestat?
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About Anne Rice

Anne Rice

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Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien) is a best-selling American author of gothic, supernatural, historical, erotica, and later religious themed books. Best known for The 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 near ...more

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The Vampire Chronicles (1 - 10 of 13 books)

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Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1)

The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles, #2)

The Queen of the Damned (The Vampire Chronicles, #3)

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

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

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“Remember always,” he said, “that nothing is as precious to us as the magnificent gift of life. Let the moon and the stars always remind you of this—that though we are tiny creatures in this universe, we are filled with life.” — 13 likes

“We are not damned. We never were. Who under the sun has the right to damn any living breathing creature?” — 12 likes

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(The Vampire Chronicles #11)

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