The Queen of the Damned (The Vampire Chronicles - No. 3)

The book arrived quickly and in the condition expected, however it does not have the cover art pictured. It turned out to be the movie cover art, and everyone hates those. I really would have liked the one pictured. Nitpicky, I know, but the movie one really sucks.

I've just finished reading Queen of the Damned for the sixth time, which probably says it all really. The Vampire Lestat and the Queen of the Damned are my favourites of the Vampire Chronicles – although I love them all with the exception of Memnoch the Devil, (even that has its saving graces). As wonderful as Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' is I still think that Lestat is the definitive vampire. He encompasses everything a vampire should be, and Ms Rice has created a character that will stand the test of time, just as Dracula has.

I wasn't too sure I'd like Queen of the Damned as much as the previous book when I first started reading it, because instead of being narrated by Lestat himself, we are told the story from the perspective of several other characters, most of whom were already familiar to us. However, after a few minutes I got into the narrative and found that it didn't bother me at all that we were viewing the events from other people's points of view – in fact I found it refreshing to see the world through the eyes of the others for a change.

It does seem that Ms Rice is more comfortable writing history than contemporary passages, because there were several places when you could almost see her squirming with modern terminology and dialogue, whereas when she is recounting events from history, she is totally comfortable and manages to bring those eras and places to life as well as anyone. The wealth of detail and atmosphere she manages to convey are breathtaking and they make it wonderfully real. The detail might perhaps be too much for some readers, but wheel it on. I love it.

We are told the story of the twins, and how Akasha came into existence and they are totally believable. It's easy to see how Lestat was completely consumed by Akasha to the point of losing his whole self in her. In the end though, Lestat is always Lestat and no matter how dreadful the things he does, we still love him. It's almost impossible to hate the Brat Prince, for all his failings.

The Queen of the Damned in in my top ten books and probably always will be.

So, my review is once again... really long. I can't help it! I have so many thoughts! I'm trying to at least divide these up as much as possible so that you all can choose which sections interest you and just read those if you don't want to read the whole thing :-)

Things I Disliked/Things I Didn't Mind but Others Might Dislike:

- A lot of the writing choices in this series are strange. For example, the book started off with Lestat breaking the fourth wall, explaining how he was going to tell us the story of what happened since the ending of the last book. He even explained how he was going to jump to other characters' perspectives (though that made more sense when I got to the end). And in every book so far, at least one character has explained their entire life story out loud to someone else.

- There's also a lot of fluff. The characters really like to wax lyrical and over-explain things. But I'm guessing this is just Anne Rice's style.

- There were a lot of POVs, not all of which seemed necessary. BUT while I didn't care for some of the POVs (Jesse's, Pandora's), I loved others (Daniel's, Khayman's), and I did enjoy getting such a well-rounded view of events and getting to know everyone better.

- The book was slow and meandering, and not a lot actually happened. We didn't even get to the concert until like halfway through. Then things got interesting at the concert. Then things slowed down again. This book seemed to be mostly backstory about various different vampires and how vampires came into existence.

Things I Liked:

- Not only are all the characters so complex, these vampires are so not-human. They masquerade as human, but they're not. The way they think and feel is so different.

- All the relationships are so complex too. I also find it so interesting the way all the vampires are psychically connected. That makes for interesting connections and interactions among them. And it's nice when they actually care about each other, like how Pandora and Santino both cared about Marius enough to trek through the frozen tundra to save him.

- It was cool getting to see the characters from other perspectives, to see the way other characters saw them. It helped me understand and get to know all of them better. Especially since every POV is so deep and biased that I sometimes don't even realize something about a character until another points it out. It's like every new POV causes me to reconsider my thoughts and feelings about things.

- This has got to be the most unique, complex, well thought-out explanation for vampirism, how it started, why it works the way it does, etc. that I have ever seen.

- I loved the ending. Well, part of it---[hidden spoiler can be found in my review on my blog or Goodreads.]

- This is more of a neutral thing than a like or dislike, but all these characters are so forgiving. I mean, I don't know that I'd have forgiven them for some of the things they've done to each other. But I guess, when you're immortal and have a limited choice of fellow immortal beings to befriend and keep away the loneliness and madness, it makes sense.

[My thoughts on the characters and other things in the story were super long and kind of spoilery, so I'm not including them here, but you can find them in my review on my blog or Goodreads.]

Overall Thoughts:

Yes, there were some negatives to this book, mostly that it was slow with a lot of fluff, but I still think it was worth it. I think all three books so far have been worth it because these are some of the most unique and complex characters I have ever read about!

This review for the e-reader version of The Queen of the Damned comes about in preparation for the upcoming Prince Lestat. I have read these first three Vampire Chronicles back to back, and it has been the most enchanting experience. I first read this book when it came out in the fall of 1988 when it reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller’s List and stayed there. In the mid-nineties I returned to it one October before a trip to New Orleans, and now this year, again, this October it has been my literary focus.

Many say that this book is their very favorite of The Vampire Chronicles, and I can see why. It’s a whole universe of vampires, each with their own take on events as they all begin to experience dreams of twins who have a horrible, horrible thing happen to them. As they all make their ways towards each other, we find our antihero, Lestat, in the hands of the Queen Mother herself, as he is drinking her most powerful blood to dire consequences. We find our beloved Louis, the angelic Armand, the boy interviewer from Interview with a Vampire, Daniel, and a whole host of new and fascinating creatures of the night. I had so much fun returning to this story. So much, in fact, with dealing with the many different personalities that I’m tempted to again begin reading it. I simply don’t tire of its premise, its style, or implications. And as a reader of all of Anne Rice’s cosmologies, this story is of particular importance. It is the source origin for her very important psychic investigators, the Talamasca.

In this story we first meet Aaron Lightner of The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos, and David Talbot, who is featured prominently in The Tale of the Body Thief. These novels have taken on a huge life of their own, and it is within the pages of The Queen of the Damned that we first meet them. This alone is reason to read this novel.

But for me, it really comes down to my need for literature’s ability to reflect the human condition that draws me into a story. The Queen of the Damned is amazing in its analysis of the nature of abstract thought, its implications for the real world, and its involvement in the nature of religion, pagan or otherwise. I am fascinated in what this novel says about our reasoning and our justifications for right behavior. This novel is a gem of philosophical reasoning and wondering. It poses some solutions and ideas I have come back to repeatedly over the years in reference.

I highly recommend this novel, as a sequel or as a stand-alone novel for the beginning Anne Rice reader, or for seasoned readers of Rice who might have forgotten its depth and power to excite. The story is thrilling and fun, and simply magical; the ideas relevant and socially telling; and the structure and form multifaceted. And as an added bonus, Rice uses her late husband’s, Stan Rice, poetry throughout the novel to introduce chapters and sections with passages that amazingly fit with the story and major themes of the tale. You just can’t go wrong with reading or rereading this brilliant novel. It completely stands the test of time and ideas.

Book 3 of The Vampire Chronicles. I enjoyed this story more than the second one (The Vampire Lestat - TVL) and I like it just as much as I did the first book (Interview with the Vampire - IWTV). It picks right up where the second book left off. We learn about what happened before and after the concert to various vampires who has or will play a big part in Lestat’s life. The Legend of the Twins is very interesting, and we get snippets of it in the ‘dream’ from several points of views until the final explanation close to the end. Of all the characters, I would’ve liked to learn more about Khayman; Marius’s and Pandora’s romantic relationship as vampires (because, so far in the series, vampires are seen as nonsexual creatures so how did Marius and Pandora fall in love?); and I wanted Armand to feel regret for how he manipulated and terrified Daniel Malloy for over a decade but Armand never did.
As with the other books, the description is over-the-top and so vivid I skimmed the pages until I found quotation marks. I don’t understand why the author prefers to describe a couch or the shape of Lestat’s mouth for several paragraphs but she says very little about what’s actually important.
Though I’m interested in the characters and would like to know what will happen to them in the future, I will not read anymore books in this series. I just don’t like the style of writing, the format in which the chapters are laid out and the confusing timeline for each book. For example, in TVL, the concert starts in the spring but, in The Queen of the Damned, it starts on Halloween. Unless I misread something, this is a big timeline error.
I watched the movie, Queen of the Damned, after I read this book and now I no longer like the movie. They’re totally different from one another. The book is better and more detailed while the movie cuts major characters like Louis and Armand, and the movie gives Lestat a girlfriend. So wrong!
3 Stars

Disclaimer – I received this book as a gift from my grandmother-in-law. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.

I immensely enjoyed reading this book many years ago and have reread this book annually. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I found that the book just came together perfectly. I loved how the novel moved from the present day to ancient times so effortlessly it added amazing depth to the story and explained everything. Anne Rice is the queen of Gothic fiction and has an amazing ability in producing timeless work unlike most of the authors who in modern times write about vampires. Her Characters have are believable in that Anne Rice is obviously has a great knowledge of history and she puts it into great use weaving her characters into historical events in this case ancient Egypt. I personally have never been a huge fan of the character Lestat but Anne writes some many great supporting characters that I love every book he is in. My all time favorite character of her's is in this book Khayman a vampire so old he has forgotten who he is. This is such a rich and beautiful book that I would recommend it to everybody. It explains how her vampires came into being and answers so many of the questions that Louie had in Interview with the Vampire her first novel in this series.

At the end of The Vampire Lestat, Lestat, narrowly escaping an attack at his opening concert in San Francisco, was getting read to sleep during the day when a figure hovers over him. This book picks up immediately - Lestat narrates what happens in the days that follows. To do this, he backs out and we get third person POV from some sideline characters - Baby Jinx, a young vampire girl who is on her way to Lestat's concert; Khayman, a thousands-year old vampire just awakened; Daniel, the young interviewer from Interview with the Vampire; and Jessie, the young niece of a mysterious woman, Maharet, who gets involved in this paranormal agency, the Talamasca. Through these people, we see the rise of a dream of red-haired twins. Who are the twins and can they stop the destruction Akasha promises to enact - or will they help it?

Rice's Vampire Chronicles has been a surprise to me - I thought, based on my impression of other (Anita Blake) early vampire novels, that I would hate these books. I was ready to give up on trying to get through "Interview", but I gave it one last shot - a shot that gave great payout as I adored that book. Surprisingly, I found I liked the sequel, "Lestat", just as much, if not more.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised to stumble upon one of the books in the series that doesn't float my boat; nothing good lasts forever, right? But I really wanted to love this book. And unfortunately, I didn't.

Before I get too much further, I want to set the record straight: I did NOT hate this book. In fact, I rather enjoyed myself at parts - when Lestat was narrating, for example, the new character, Baby Jinx, Lestat's exchange with Akasha over who should rule and the destruction of society as we know it, and the story of the red-haired twins. Very fascinating stuff. My problem isn't over the content - it's how it was presented. And how it was presented just didn't jive with me.

One problem I think was that the story wasn't told from Lestat's first person POV. It's not a common thing to find first person done well, but Rice used it adeptly both in "Lestat" and "Interview", and when this book talks from Lestat in first person, it is again, superb. However, to show what is going on from people other than Lestat, Rice pulls out into a third person POV. It wasn't necessarily bad, it's just that most of the characters whose view we follow aren't particularly interesting or important to the story. As much as I liked Baby Jinx, for example, her story really didn't do much to further the plot. Same with Daniel, for the most part. And while Jessie does play a role in the story, did we really need to get into the details of her life? (OK, I'll be upfront: she was probably my least favorite character so I really got tired of reading about how awesome she was and how everything seemed to revolve around her.)

Telling so many stories in the first two sections really hampered the pace. The first 50% or so is painfully slow as we follow several relatively new characters and the events that lead them up to Lestat's concert. Like I said above, some of their stories are integral; others are dubious. Me? I had trouble switching back and forth between all of them and found myself wondering why we were bothering.

The second half is much, much better. We hear the story of the red-haired twins from one of the twins, Maharet. Her story also includes the origins of vampires and the eponymous "Queen of the Damned", Akasha. This portion was quite a bit more interesting - unfortunately, I found myself wandering at more than one point. I'm not sure why that is - was I getting bored of the Chronicles? Was I no longer in the mood for a slow, deliberate story? Part of me thinks that if this book had been 100% (or nearly) Maharet's story and POV, I would have liked it better.

Maharet's story switches with Lestat's POV as Akasha tries to convince him to join her and her new world order. Again, this was pretty interesting stuff - and yet, I found myself getting bored again!! What is my problem??? Why wasn't I enjoying this as much as "Interview" and "Lestat"?!

I don't quite know the answers to these questions; maybe the lack of enjoyment of this book is my fault. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind. Maybe I need a break from the Chronicles so I can fully enjoy the mythos and surroundings (which continue to be top-notch). I feel bad I can't pinpoint it and even worse about not enjoying this book.

Despite my feelings, I am not saying to avoid this book like the plague. I do think it has some great parts. If you do decide to read this, just take heed that there are a lot of new characters and new character POV along with a slower pace. Keep plugging until the second half, which gets much better.

No matter my feelings for this book, I will continue this series. It continues to have promise and be one of the best portrayals of vampires I've read. I'm just going to take a break so I can come back to this excited and interested in Lestat's mischievous schemes.

Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*

Anne Rice revamped vampire fiction in "Interview with the Vampire," the first volume of her bestselling Vampire Chronicles. But the highest point of the entire series was "Queen of the Damned," an epic vampire story full of sensuality, terror, and a haunting picture of greed and power's effect.

Not only are vampires everywhere having odd dreams, but they are getting peeved about Lestat's music videos, which reveal secrets about vampire history. Some even plan to kill him. But those same music videos wake Akasha, the mother of all vampires, who kills her sleeping husband and casts Marius into an icy prison.

Then she goes on a rampage, setting vampires on fire and finally escaping with the Brat Prince himself. The vampire cast thus far gather together, hoping to defeat the malignant Akasha; elsewhere, Lestat begins to think the same when he finds that Akasha is a mad megalomaniac. But Akasha cannot be destroyed without killing every vampire on earth...

Out of her entire bibliography, Anne Rice wrote only one epic story -- one that spans the world, time, and three novels' worth of characters (Armand, Gabrielle, Marius, Louis...). Lots of fictional memoirs, but no more epics. Perhaps she should write more, because this book remains not only her finest novel, but a stirring, creepy read on its own.

Rice's lush prose is well-suited to many characters, whether they're rogue Talamasca or biker vampires. She skips effortlessly from ancient Egypt to a hard-rock concert, with the same level of skill. And most importantly, she creates a stunning explanation for why the vampires exist, wrapped up in ancient Egyptian imperialism and malevolent spirits.

The plot twists and winds itself every which way, before finally smoothing out into a finale that makes perfect sense. And the present scenario is just as gripping, with Lestat realizing that Akasha plans to kill off 99% of the men in the world, and be a goddess. That's what happens when you run off with strange women, Lestat.

The large cast in this means that almost everybody gets a turn in the spotlight -- Armand, Marius, Louis, Pandora, the guy who recorded Louis's story in the first book, and Gabrielle. Not to mention a few new ones, like the ancient Maharet and Mael. And the Brat Prince shines the most brightly of all, in his nastiness, naivete, and delight in his own unlife.

"Queen of the Damned" is a remarkable epic novel, despite the spotty series it was a part of. This is Anne Rice at her peak: thrilling, chilling, and almost magical.

There are so many small things to complain about with this novel, but the reality remains that it is one of my favorite Anne Rice novels, and even one of my favorite novels overall. I really dislike the intro of the book; it just seems to drag. If this was the first of her books I ever picked up I might have ditched it right there. I also felt she introduced SO many new characters, some of which were totally superfluous (particularly Baby Jenks). Furthermore, there were SO many tangents in the beginning of the novel, although she did incorporate many of them later; I felt like much of the first half could be removed and the book would not really suffer much. Overall, as with most Anne Rice books, I wish there were more natural breaks - her narrative always flows longer than I seem to want to read in one chunk, and I hate putting down a book in the middle of a narrative. I also dislike the concert, that particular section just bores me to death.

All that being said, the book picks up a lot a third of the way in or so and becomes so much better (so those who have given up about 100 pages in, you really should read the rest!).... I find her books are often this way. Furthermore, while I felt too many new characters were introduced I really loved the Khayman character. He is so easy to love and feel sorry for. I am very sorry that he hasn't really reappeared in any of the later novels; in fact I don't understand why she introduced SO many one-off characters.

I am fascinated by the Queen. There are many theories in political science about female rulers and the personality types they tend to embody, and the idea that a world ruled by women would be more peaceful is an actual theory, so I was interested to see it embodied here. I do wish she had done a bit more to actually refute the idea, though.

All in all this is really one of my favorite Vampire novels. I particularly enjoy the origin story; I love anything historical so it really holds my attention. I also like some of the new characters, even if I do feel there were too many of them. I definitely recommend to anyone who enjoyed Interview.

P.S. The movie does not do the book justice; if you disliked the movie still try the book. I cannot believe Anne Rice allowed her name to be attached to such an awful movie!

Anne Rice revamped vampire fiction in "Interview with the Vampire," the first volume of her bestselling Vampire Chronicles. But the highest point of the entire series was "Queen of the Damned," an epic vampire story full of sensuality, terror, and a haunting picture of greed and power's effect.

Not only are vampires everywhere having odd dreams, but they are getting peeved about Lestat's music videos, which reveal secrets about vampire history. Some even plan to kill him. But those same music videos wake Akasha, the mother of all vampires, who kills her sleeping husband and casts Marius into an icy prison.

Then she goes on a rampage, setting vampires on fire and finally escaping with the Brat Prince himself. The vampire cast thus far gather together, hoping to defeat the malignant Akasha; elsewhere, Lestat begins to think the same when he finds that Akasha is a mad megalomaniac. But Akasha cannot be destroyed without killing every vampire on earth...

Out of her entire bibliography, Anne Rice wrote only one epic story -- one that spans the world, time, and three novels' worth of characters (Armand, Gabrielle, Marius, Louis...). Lots of fictional memoirs, but no more epics. Perhaps she should write more, because this book remains not only her finest novel, but a stirring, creepy read on its own.

Rice's lush prose is well-suited to many characters, whether they're rogue Talamasca or biker vampires. She skips effortlessly from ancient Egypt to a hard-rock concert, with the same level of skill. And most importantly, she creates a stunning explanation for why the vampires exist, wrapped up in ancient Egyptian imperialism and malevolent spirits.

The plot twists and winds itself every which way, before finally smoothing out into a finale that makes perfect sense. And the present scenario is just as gripping, with Lestat realizing that Akasha plans to kill off 99% of the men in the world, and be a goddess. That's what happens when you run off with strange women, Lestat.

The large cast in this means that almost everybody gets a turn in the spotlight -- Armand, Marius, Louis, Pandora, the guy who recorded Louis's story in the first book, and Gabrielle. Not to mention a few new ones, like the ancient Maharet and Mael. And the Brat Prince shines the most brightly of all, in his nastiness, naivete, and delight in his own unlife.

"Queen of the Damned" is a remarkable epic novel, despite the spotty series it was a part of. This is Anne Rice at her peak: thrilling, chilling, and almost magical.

The Queen of The Damned wraps up where The Vampire Lestat left off, telling what happened to ol' Lestat after the rock concert when someone sneaked into his crypt, or whatever it is that a vampire sleeps in (his "house", I guess...).
What follows is a veritable vampire holocaust! Vampires all over the planet are exploding into flames in acts of immolation that would make a Buddhist monk proud! What is happening? Only a few are left to ask this question and they gather together to try to figure it out with only this clue to go on, a common thread betwixt them: they are all people (vampires, actually) that Lestat holds dear to him...
This book lays plain the entire history of vampirism; and it's ancient origins will completely surprise you! It explains everything and adds on to the bits and pieces that Lestat picked up in the preceeding book, including an explanation of the old "kill the lead vampire" legend and how and why it "frees" all the other vampires down the chain. It actually doesn't "free" them, you'll have to read to find out what really happens when you do this. And you'll also have to read to find out how the world is delivered from the bloodthirsty clutches of Earth's most powerful vampire gone insane.
Anne Rice masterfully communicated the madness of the novel's archvillain and her perverted philosophies. The atrocities committed in the name of "help" were delivered in such a way that I could feel myself going crazy with the desire to jump into the book and throttle the antagonist whose primary personality trait seemed to be best described by a word commonly associated with Joan Collins.
There is one sad note about this book, however. Being that the myth-shrouded beginnings of vampirism is laid bare, the entire romantic enchantment of the vampire is reduced to scientific formulas and laws of nature and spirituality, the mystery of it all stripped away. Some legends are best left unfounded... (Imagine if the entire legendry of dragons was PROVEN to have just been early man's interpretation of dinosaurs. How disappointing!) On the other hand, this is not to say that Anne Rice's vampire dissertaion was disappointing, I for one am glad to know about all this, as the typical "prince of darkness" stuff is just a little too far-fetched to have found it's way into the Chronicles comfortably. But there definitely is a sadness in knowing, much like the sadness of losing an old, dear friend, or the sadness of "growing up": life hasn't neccessarily come to an end, but something is gone that can never be replaced.
Read this book. It will astonish you.

I know that Rice has written many more novels about the vampires since this one, but I truly see this as the ending to the first cycle at least. Most of the points were resolved and tied up, and had she never written another book on the vampires, we would still have had a lot of questions, but at least there would have been some resolution. In my opinion, this book falters slightly from the first two books of the Vampire Chronicles. Part of that reason is that Rice splits this novel into several different narrative points of view, whereas in the first 2 books, we had one consistent narrator. Another reason is that this book has a more "cartoonish" feel than the first two books. All the vampires gathered around together reminded me too much of the "Super Friends" Saturday morning cartoon when I was a kid. There, as in "Queen of the Damned", we had all our favorite characters assembled under one roof to face a common foe. And then I felt that the climax of the book was just a bit too rushed. You spend an entire novel waiting for a cataclysmic event, and when it occurs, I thought, "That's it?"
However, this book is still an enjoyable read. There is the usual amount of mystery and terror that the reader wants to see, and Rice keeps us involved even when the plot starts to go off into strange areas... vampire bars anyone? Rice delves once more into the ancient Egyptian mythology that made the previous book, "The Vampire Lestat", so intriguing. Most of this novel is set in the present day (or at least what was the present day... mid-1980's). This book also introduces the reader to new characters who become more involved in the Vampire Chronicles later on.
Rice also creates one of her most fascinating villains with the character of Akasha, the Queen of the Damned. It is she who controls the fate of the vampires, and my only regret is that we didn't get to see enough of her thoughts and her story. Rice really outdid herself with the Queen, and in doing so, makes for another great read.

The third installment of the Vampire Chronicles starts off just about where the last left us. Lestat is preparing for his big moment, the first concert of his band The Vampire Lestat. It is at this concert that all Vampire hell is going to break loose as Lestat has awakened the oldest of them all...the Queen of the Damned.

Anne Rice again provides us readers with lavish descriptions and immense action. The one problem I have with this novel is the amount of characters she has all wrapped up in this one text. It starts off from the point of Lestat, but soon you find yourself in the world from the point of view of at least seven other characters. This is one time where Rice seems to have taken on a bit more than she can handle. Because of the fact that there are indeed so many characters, one can get lost and find themselves not even caring what really happens to them. The only saving grace is that they do all link up somehow in the end.

The only other complaint I have is the fact that, after all the years (6000 to be exact) that the Queen was dormant, the plan she comes up with is pretty weak. In a sense, its almost downright unbelievable (something most of Rice's characters are not).

Overall this is a good novel and is well worth reading; especially if you're already into The Vampire Chronicles. It may seem rushed at times, as well as there being to much information for you to try and take in, but stay with it because it all comes together in the end.

ok, I admit it, I have not completely finished this book, so I am sure that I have not quite yet discovered the genius that Anne Rice has employed in this 3rd book of the Vampire Chronicles. But, I am almost done, and it is the most capitvating book I have ever read. Interview with the Vampire was a slow-moving book, with overly detailed descriptions and exagerated feelings from the vampire Louis, who seemed to have not been able to make the transition from human to vampire. The book itself revolutionized the way that vampires were looked at in such an ingenius way that I could forgive all these mild annoyances.
It seems that the next book was just the opposite extremity. It gave way to great mysteries, old vampires, and answers to human questions in a way that only Anne Rice could do. But it seemed to still be preparing for something.
It was preparing for this very book. The Queen of the Damned is the ultimate book of a series. It introduces everyone in short amounts of time, and gives them all the same goal: to somehow get to the upcoming concert of The Vampire Lesat. In the 2nd book of the series, it is described by none other than Lestat, but he has no idea what elements were at play while he was yelling his satanic chants. He had no idea that Akasha, the mother of all vampires, was closer than he could imagine. This book reveals anything and everything that you need to know about this series. It emphasizes just how special and monumental this concert of Lestat's is, and it gives way to a revolution in vampires like never seen before...
This is truly the most important, most exciting, and best book of the series so far, and should be read by any fan of Anne Rice.

"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." -Anne Rice
Third in the Vampire Chronicles, and the darkest and least compelling, this is still well written and contains the quintessential Rice characteristics: Set in magical places, with Lestat and company to people the pages, and bound together with just the right words to weave its spell. The darkness in this chronicle is balanced by more romance and love stories than has been seen before, and that is the saving grace of the work. Gone is the breathtaking descriptions of Paris in the 1700s, and the magic of being taken to another time and place and being kept under Rice's spell as she weaves her magical tale. The interactions of the supernatural beings have taken on a mighty mission, and the story weaves its own web of tension and intrigue. There are some very interesting things to think about in this work. What would the world be like if one took away the men, leaving only a few around for reproduction purposes? Recommended.

I have read all the books in the vampire chronicles and currently reading into "Merrick", Anne's latest book. Of all the books in the vampire chronicles "Queen of the Damned" is my personal favorite. I got glimpses into other vampires other than the brat prince Lestat and his companion Louis. And in this book, the reader is introduced to David Talbot but I won't give away his role that he plays in the books following "Queen of the Damned" in case people reading my review haven't read "Queen of the Damned". I love going back and reading this book over again. I am eager to see the film adaptation of this book and if the storyline of this book was hacked to pieces by Hollywood, not to mention see any one miscast in the roles like Antonio Banderas as Armand in the film adaptation of "Interview with the Vampire".
In "Queen of the Damned" the readers are also introduced to other vampire characters that are mentioned in the following books; Maharet, Mael, and Pandora. I really enjoyed Anne's idea of how vampires came into existence which you really don't read in other vampire novels. I also enjoyed how the entire book was coming from one perspective like in the first two books (not as if there was anything wrong with that). My only part of this book was the inclusion of the chapter talking about Baby Jenks. That could have easily been edited out in my humble opinion. Overall enjoyable book. One of the best in the series.

The Mother of all vampires, literally has been asleep for nearly 6,000 years, give or take a thousand. Akasha, Queen of the Damned and former Queen of the Nile in Ancient Egypt has woken from her slumber mysteriously after hearing the music from another vampire singing in a rock group calling themselves The Vampire Lestat.
Lestat, or known among the vampire circle as 'the brat prince' has made it his mission to wake Akasha from her sleep and take on the world's vampires. Lestat is tired of this life and his neverending quest for good and redemption. What he doesn't know is that Akasha was better off asleep.
What Lestat dreams of her being and what she truly is are two very different things.
Evil in the purest word is what she is.
Kept asleep with her husband and fellow vampire Enkil, King and Queen, or as all seem to know them as, Those Who Must Be Kept, the vampire Marius tells us how he came to get them and how he kept watch for nearly 2,000 years until Akasha awakens.
Going back 6,000 years the story of Akasha and Enkil and how vampires began is told in detail. Along with the Legend of the Twins and how they seem to be forgotten after all these years.
Fascinating work here. More fasinating than the previous books.
Creepy and truly frightening at times, this one is a keeper.
Will Lestat find Louis after nearly a hundred years? Will the older ones seek to destroy him? What does Akasha intend to do now that she is awake?
I was torn at times on who I felt sorry for and in the end I was shocked. Unbelievable read.
Tracy Talley~@

"The Queen of the Damned" continues as the third novel in "The Vampire Chronicles" following the cast of characters introduced in the previous two novels. The poetic prose entertains, peaking higher than the prior volumes. The characterization and environmental descriptions are very engaging, bringing more depth to known and unknown areas of the series and follows a similar path as encountered before, a post event driven tale.

Queen Akasha has arisen from her statuesque state, stirred by Lestat's rock band, and wishes to exert her will while others in the vampire community attempt to determine her ultimate goal for reanimation. Her powers are tremendous, few can rival her abilities, and Lestat is at the center of all attention. As opposed to the previous novels in the chronicles where the topic dealt with an individual's battle with maintaining humanity, this is a struggle with destiny and survival as told from a third person view. Once again, Lestat purely benefits from his relations throughout the novel to the point of outrageousness. He utterly lacks discipline and no one wishes to enforce any, hence his appeal as a character.

I disagree about the author's handling in the creation of the fledgling vampire. I've felt a person with physical damage from a vehicle accident or scars from surgery would remain after the transformation yet a person ravaged by disease would no longer feel the affects such as pain since the body is dead (as in the case with Gabrielle). Obviously the author fashioned her own vampire mythos but having broken bones mend and loss of flesh restored to form a flawless body is inconsistent when others have lost body parts and those didn't regenerate.

The author forgoes some of the traditional limitations found in the vampire genre such as the crucifix, holy water, and garlic, creating her own world where images on reflective surfaces are allowed and being welcomed into the household has no leverage for the residents. The outrageously powerful vampires have telepathy and the eldest can perform telekinesis and spontaneous combustion on the younger vampires, abilities I've not encountered in other works. The creation of the original vampires is a distinctive tale, reinforcing the deviation from the customary vampire genre. I believe having certain restrictions on the undead brings some balance to the victims. As with about every film-based novel, I would suggest at least not watching the movie prior to reading the book if not forgoing the movies thereby leaving the series entirely to the imagination.

I recommend this book in the series to any fan of the romantic vampire genre.

Thank you.

Obviously one would be foolish to downgrade the affects of Anne Rice's, "Vampire Chronicles," on this genre of literature. Still, the final book of the series fell short of the others. In my estimation, there were simply so many characters and superimposed themes that I simply didn't bond with any of them. Yes, I suppose she tied the loose ends together in the end, but during the compilation of the story there were times I simply didn't care what was happening to whom. New characters were introduced. Old characters were brought forth. Unlike many timeless classics, I unfortunately feel as if Ms. Rice didn't weave the story in such a way as to maintain my interest. I finished because I didn't want to say I hadn't finished the series. Still, I feel as if it was weak compared to the preceding novels.

When I first began reading Queen of the Damned, I was rather disappointed and almost gave up on it. That is usually how Rice's beginnings make me feel. I felt that way with the first, and even with the second book. The idea of having Lestat write the book in third person using all the devices and techniques of a writer seemed somehow unpleasant to me, but that was much easier to swallow because of Lestat's special psychic powers which enabled him to act like a truly omniscient narrator who is also a part of the story, as a character.

After the somewhat unsavoury beginning, the book unfolds an original structure. The first part consists indeed if many short stories, literally, where everything seems to converge towards Lestat's impending concert. I was a bit confused at first, because of the many characters of subplots, but all of this eventually comes together in a more single-lined story.

The story itself will please you if you are interested in the origins of the vampires. I think that part was that part I enjoyed most in the whole book. The romance between Lestat and the Queen didn't move me at all, and it's not entirely impossible that some power is lost due to the scattered attention the narrator is forced to share between the many characters in the novel.

Some have criticised Akasha's plan for the world as stupid, and it is. But it's important to keep in mind that this fits perfectly with everything else Akasha has done and thought. That type of Darth Vader/Hitler plan to "save" the world always ended in disaster. A solution that is too simple is never a good solution; Rice makes it very clear in the book and so I find it very unfair to criticise her negatively on that point.

Now I will comment on Rice's style. This is something you find in the previous two books, and somehow it still irritates me. In short, she's very descriptive and lavishly rich about it. I do keep in mind the idea that vampires like Lestat or Louis are keen on beautiful people and things, and that this esthetic moral shows through the very narrative, but in the long run it can become tedious. I mean, there's not always a point in knowing exactly what the furniture looks like, how it was made, what fancy colours it's made of, and so on. It does give the text this classy elitistic esthetic touch, but personally I get quickly tired of it. It annoyed me in the previous two books, and it annoyed me again here.

The other thing that annoyed me even more was the kind of fake oralism Rice abuses. The question tag, for one thing, is most irritating. "After all, I was a vampire, weren't I?" That's a made up example, but that type of question tag comes back so often that every time you see it it's like one of those nervous gestures people make without realising. And naturally, once you've realised it, you can never not see it. The other thing was the "they were nice, those houses" and other such doubling of the subject. That comes back often too, and it gets annoying for the same reason mentioned above. However, if you didn't mind it up to now, you probably won't mind it one more time.

That is why I give it 4 stars only. The beginning was hard, and I had to adopt a sturdy attitude to keep reading. Then I was intrigued by the whole dream thing. But it wasn't before somewhere in the middle that I really became interested in the actual story. I wasn't crazy about Stan Rice's poetry quoted at the beginning of each chapter, and most often I didn't get the point of quoting his poems (though this most likely is blameable on me alone, I didn't spend time reading the quotations back or anything).

The intricate set of stories can be a bit confusing at first but eventually it turns out fine, and together. I appreciate Rice's take on how vampirism was born and spread; in an interesting way, this echoes the spreading of the Holy Ghost, especially when you remember that Christ was the spirit made flesh, and all that.

I had been warned that this was the worst of the first three books, but I must say I found out otherwise. I'm still not insane about Rice's prose style, but that third book in the chronicles is very readable. In fact, I think I will soon indulge in another book of hers, so that must be a good sign, because I wouldn't go for another 400 pages and more of her richly descriptive prose if there wasn't some good stuff in her work.

If you wondered what on earth vampires where anyway, than here is the asnswer, all wrapped up in a fine new volume in the Vampire Chronicles.
I'll admitt, I dont like this book as much as I like the first two ones (which are nothing short of amazing), but it is still a good read.
Some of the mystery goes out the window off course, and it lacks the delightfull darkness of Louis, and the fast-pased "here-I-am"-Lestatian tone from "the Vampire Lestat".
But what is really great about this book is the many little stories intertwined with the large one. I particularly enjoyed "the story of Jessie, the great family, and the Talamasca", "the short happy life of Baby Jenks and the Fang Gang", and "Khayman, my Khayman".
As a bonus, we finaly find out what happened to Daniel, the interviewer from "Interview with the Vampire".
And we see Armand, finaly emerging into the modern world. A rare treat, and many gloríous moments.
Another thing is the inventive chapter titles, amusing and beautiful.
In short, If you love the Vampire Chronicles, you will love this one as well, but dont begin here.

This book presents the back story for the whole vampire race, with the story of the demon that gave them their abilities, and the introduction of the few ancient vampires other than the royal pair, and the amazing abilities they gain as they get older and older.

A new human character is introduced, Jesse, of the bloodline of one of these ancients, and also David Talbot, a researcher with a society devoted to investigating the supernatural. Jesse is turned when she is injured severely at the concert.

Lestat's rock concert antics have drawn the Queen out, and there will be conflict. This Queen is not just a she who must be obeyed type, but a she who must be obeyed or there will piles of thousands of bloody corpses everywhere at my bare hands type.

The Queen takes Lestat on a tour of the world, showing her plans. No-one else agrees with them, and conflict ensues, with the oldest vampire other than the Queen eventually taking her out, and taking her place.

The rock star known as the Vampire Lestat, a symbol of evil, playing the devil on the painted stage ("I even figured I'd do some good in that fashion"), prepares for a concert in San Francisco. Among his spellbound fans in the audience--pilgrims in a blind swoon of adoration--are hundreds of vampires, creatures who see Lestat as a "greedy fiend risking the secret prosperity of all his kind just to be loved and seen by mortals," fiends themselves who hate Lestat's power and who are determined to destroy him...
The sleep of certain men and women--vampires and mortals scattered around the world-- is haunted by a vivid, mysterious dream: of twins with fiery red hair and piercing green eyes who suffer an unspeakable tragedy. It is a dream that slowly, tauntingly reveals its meaning to the dreamers as they make their way toward each other--some to be destroyed on the journey, some to face an even more terrifying fate at journey's end...
Akasha--Queen of the Damned, mother of all vampires--has been awaken from her 6,000 year sleep by Lestat and puts into motion a heinous plan to "save" mankind from itself and to make "all the myths of the world real" by elevating herself and her chosen son/lover to the level of the gods: "I am the fulfillment and I shall from this moment on be the cause..."
The narrative threads wind sinuously across a vast, richly detailed tapestry of the violent and sensual world of vampirism, taking us back 6,000 years to its beginnings. As the stories from the "first brood" of blood drinkers are revealed, we are swept across the ages from Egypt to South America to the Himalayas and to all the shrouded corners of the globe where vampires have left their mark. Vampires are created --mortals succumbing to the sensation of "being emptied, of being devoured, of being nothing". Vampires are destroyed. Dark rituals are performed--the rituals of ancient creatures prowling the modern world. And, finally, we are brought to a moment in the twentieth century when, in an astonishing climax, the fate of the living dead--and perhaps of the living, all the living--will be decided.

A powerful and chilling tale from the master Anne Rice.

In this book we get to meet the mother and father of all vampires. This is a unique tale of vampire genealogy that Anne Rice fans don't want to miss!

Akasha has been sleeping for 6,000 years when one of her disciples awakens her from her slumber. Lestat wonders at seeing the Akasha alive and moving in the modern world. He fumbled upon her before and has tasted her blood before but now she has chosen him as her new companion and the earth will pay the price with the terror she unleashes.

Has Lestat gone too far? Can he stop Akasha from being queen of the world through violence and terror?

Anne Rice's classic, THE VAMPIRE LESTAT, left us ravenously thirsting for this, the 3rd Vampire Chronicle. Therein our hero, Lestat, had been snatched from his smug slumber underground by the ancient Vampire Queen, Akasha, whom he'd awakened from a sleep of thousands of years. Ah, Lestat, the unquenchable soul.....one can always count on his lustful spirit to stir up all manner of mischief!
Rescuing Lestat from Akasha's clutches, not to mention saving the delicate order of the vampire world, proves no easy endeavor to those still in existence after Akasha's sweeping annihilation of vampires throughout the world. There is a momentous gathering of vampires we know from the previous books and introduced as well are a precious few ancient and most powerful entities. THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED is a fast-paced, dark adventure through the passages of time and space. One would needs have a fantastical flow-through from the masterful first two Chronicles - and this pumps it forth most wholeheartedly!

In comparison to the previous chapters in the Vampire Chronicles, the Queen of the Damned is composed of a lot more fantastical elements--particularly in relation to the vampires' powers--which provide the story with a much more "fictional" feel. Nevertheless, Anne Rice's poetic prose deftly guides the subject matter to a satisfactory conclusion, never pushing the story's credulity to a dangerous level.
However, the book does suffer from a major flaw: varying points of perspective coming from far too many different characters. The charm of the previous books was that with the first-person redaction, it was easy to become attached and relate to the main character. Yet when roughly half of the book is spent describing the experiences of minor characters to progress the plot and nothing more, with hardly any worthwhile introspective commentary, it becomes strenuous to retain interest.
Thankfully, the latter half of the book, where Lestat returns, more than makes up for this deficiency; by the end of the novel it's incredibly difficult to not wish that the story kept going.
If there were one point I would like to emphasize, it is the following: the story of the twins is sheer brilliance. Read the book solely for this; then mourn the fact that Anne Rice makes it impossible to enjoy anyone else's vampire stories. They seem so puerile afterwards, it's unbelievable!

Reading an Anne Rice novel is like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle, you may not understand all the story's pieces, but you know that they will all come together by the end. And they do! (Beautifully!!) Picking up the story (and filling in the history) where The Vampire Lestat left off. What a rich and imaginative history it is too! The Red Haired Twins' story is well worth the cost of the book. I wonder what feminst separtists think of Akasha plan to "remedy" mankind? Bravo Anne, you characterizations and plot never falter. Although the pace may slow so the reader can be fully immensed themselves in the wonderful world you create. I can't wait to read the next one. (Greatly behind the times I know, but everyone discovers a masterpiece in their own time.) While the critics may not be the kindnest to you work, you have a "A Great Family" of fans that will rise up time and time again. And I'm vey happy to be related to the family.

Following the curse of Frank Herbert and Dune, Anne Rice doesn't know when to let sleeping vampires lie and keeps churning out sequels to her initial monster hit. And each one is just a little less than the one that preceded it.
Vampire Queen Akasha, first of the immortals, awakens by the secret-revealing rock music of Lestat from her eons of slumber, to initiate the vampire-human apocalypse and implement a New World Order. The pearls of immortality have for too long been cast before swine, and she wants to clean house. Cleaving her Chosen Few to her bosom, her plan is to eliminate all lesser immortals and men, and rule over a carefully controlled and bred human world. Needless to say, those not Chosen - from either species - have something to say about that, and even her own favorites rebel against her. "How sharper than a serpent's tooth..."
It's a great plot, but the devil is in the details, and Rice dwells on unimportant details at the expense of the plot. The climax is terribly anticlimactic for such an inordinate buildup, and the novel's structure is more than usually loose. Her historical accuracy is hit-and-miss, though nothing to be concerned about.
The book's greatest problem is simply its length. It actually climaxes halfway through - which is when the plot truly begins - leaving a long, long stretch of exposition to what the story is really all about. And by the time it gets to where it's going, the reader's interest is drastically diminished. The vampires are a loquacious lot, and keep repeating their points in a talky finale that then concludes all too abruptly. The epilogue is actually better than the rest of the novel.
Rice's fans will certainly embrace Queen of the Damned, but her new readers will want to start with her stronger work - namely, the original Interview with the Vampire.
The movie really wasn't bad, considering this is an all but unfilmable novel as written.

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 more wide 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 the third person. This, plus the addition of so many new characters and the truly elaborate scope 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 the earlier novels.
The book begins a week or two before Lestat's legendary rock concert and the ensuing mayhem that erupted outside the auditorium on 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 on a somewhat mystical air. Almost all vampires are dreaming of two red-headed young women preparing to feast upon their dead mother, only to be taken prisoner by soldiers while their village is destroyed around them. The true significance of the red-headed 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. Rice goes out of her way to explain the beginning of vampirism in a unique way, although the facts of the matter seem a little too elaborate and far-fetched to me.
The one 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 expected 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 here; I actually enjoyed the stories of the other vampires and the history of the accidental birth of vampirism in Akasha 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 purposes on earth, but I just could not fully connect with this novel. Still, it is an essential book for Anne Rice fans, as it offers up loads of information about the vampires who roam the world of her creation and explains the very origins of vampirism itself.