I should probably start out by saying how huge of a fan I was of The Vampire Chronicles back in the day. I read all of them (and The Mayfair Witches). When I went to New Orleans, I made sure to check out Anne Rice’s home and the rest of the houses she talks about in the Garden District (there was a walking tour and the guide was saying stuff about Anne Rice’s books and I actually corrected him about something, yep I was that level of nerd).
When I finished reading Blackwood Farm & Blood Canticle, I was ready for the saga to be over. I felt that Rice had changed as an author and her vampires were very different than they were when she started (this is true, she rediscovered her Catholic faith at some point, maybe around the writing of Merrick).
A few years ago when I heard about a new Lestat book, I was not excited and figured that maybe it was time to be done with this series. I have enough other stuff to listen to or read. The other day I could not find anything to listen to and saw the newest Anne Rice book on Audible. I decided to give Prince Lestat a try. I am glad I did.
It was good. It was not great, there were definitely things I did not like, but there was enough that it reminded me why I loved her books in the beginning. Unlike most people, I actually enjoy when she gives long descriptions about cities and the different eras. My favorite parts of her books are when characters give their personal history. I know other Rice fans who tend to hate that part, they want the vampire stuff or the questions about evil and darkness.
This book seems to ignore the stuff that happened in the last two (no mention of Mona or Quinn, maybe they are sleeping somewhere?) and is basically a sequel to The Queen of the Damned. There is a threat out there and the ancient vampires of the world must come together to stop it. I definitely recommend reading this book if you enjoyed Anne Rice, you will be pleased hearing from Lestat again, especially a Lestat that seems more like himself.
Okay, here are more thoughts on the book, but now with spoilers!
-The plot was a bit of a letdown. I mean, the revelation that The Voice is Amel was not all that momentous. Also, Lestat ending up with Amel/Sacred Core was also not that shocking. However, the journey to that point was interesting.
-I wish Rice would have spent a little more time focusing on some of the younger vampires and the different factions (particularly ones that ended up being destroyed). One of my favorite characters was Killer.
-I always figured the reason Rice has her vampires go in the ground for long periods is because she is uninterested in certain time periods. It seems like she loves the Renaissance and the late 18th century. However, it also makes sense from a vampiric point of view. I remember in The Vampire Lestat when our hero decides to go into the ground, Marius comes to him because it is too soon. The events in that book cover like a decade of Lestat’s vampire life. He has all of these adventures (Nicholas, Gabrielle, meeting Armand and the Children of Satan, then trying to find Marius and eventually meeting him) before he goes to America and makes Louis. Time does not speed up just because you are immortal. Can you imagine spending over a thousand years doing the same stuff? Or just having crazy adventures all the time. Yeah, it would be much easier to just go to sleep. I am not even forty (nor an immortal vampire) and I want to just take a break from life for like twenty, thirty, or two hundred years.
-My favorite things are the histories and the different vampires. Unfortunately, Rice has troubles coming up with unique stories for different vampires. Maybe that is why Seth and Fareed were my favorite new characters. I loved the idea of a doctor/scientist becoming a vampire. I also thought the revelation about the Talamasca was cool, I hope we learn more about the spirit known as Gremt Stryker Knollys.
Yeah, I enjoyed the book and I think when I get some time that I will read the next one.
