No. 8), Blackwood Farm (The Vampire Chronicles

I was delighted with this book. It was vintage "Rice". She is back! I was pleased to see some of our old friends again especially the Mayfair family and of course our old friend Lestat. This was so much better than her last couple of books. I am anxious to see where "Quinn and Rowan" go from here. I finished the book yesterday and hated that it was over.
Great book.

I must say I'm pleasantly surprised by this book. Anne Rice has brought another dimension to her Vampire Chronicles that makes it all the more interesting. Not done with the book yet; I'd say I'm about one third through it and I like it so far.

Sadly this is my least favorite of the Vampire Chronicles. I found very little that was deep and moving in this book. More often than not, it annoyed me and at times bored me. Very disappointed, and would often wonder while reading, "What happened, Anne Rice?" The way Quinn speaks is by far the most annoying aspect of this book. No teenager, hell - no ADULT - in modern times speaks this way. It's absurd. Also, Lestat is almost an afterthought here, which is disappointing. The way in which Quinn is made a vampire is downright disgusting - almost lost my lunch! And don't get me started on cameos! Cameos? Really? WTF? Who cares about cameos, what significance do they hold? Half the book is about cameos. And yet despite all of this I must say that the last hundred pages or so were awesome and have me looking forward to book 10. This is not Anne Rice's best work, unfortunately.

I loved this book. Its written in a lovely prose. If your not familiar with the characters I would start @ the beginning. I live the spin into the Mayfair witches. And Quinn Blackwood is one of her best characters. Ann Rice at her best. !

I LOVE the Vampire Chronicles series. Or at least I used to. I can still read Interview with the Vampire over and over again but lately the books in the series have just been lackluster. Especially after Tale of The Body Thief. I literally could not get through this book it was that boring and bad to me. I read the Mayfair witches books (hated them), Merrick and and the VC series up until this point. I can go no further. I had to look up what happens on Wikipedia. I don't recommended Anne Rice to people anymore, on the orignal VC novel. The series has just gotten bad to me and I had to force myself through quite a few of her books.

Very boring and unimaginative story! Actually, this is the worst book I've read by this author so far--and she's one of my favorites!! Horribly inconsistent writing too...pick a time period Anne, and stick to it! I'm sorry to be so blunt but I am so disappointed. This was a total waste of my time and money.

I don't know... book is written marvelous, all adventures, story of Quinn, action, not one boring sentence...but I simply didn't like how Quinn's life turn on. And Lestat's... but I don't like Quinn with Mona and Lestat with Rowan (which will happen in last book). Nein, Non, No, Ne, Nada. I will never accept these relationships. Besides... Lestat TWICE sad HE LOVES QUINN. And Quinn like a puppy runs to that Mona. Who needs mortal family when you are a vampire? Just go, hunt, visit countries, have money, do whatever you wish, but noooo... that silly boy sits with mortals. More pathetic than Louis.

Oh well. It is book. It is supposed to make you feel something and get opinion on it. I know because I'm a writer myself and I know I make same dramas, same revenges, same relationships that my readers gonna hate and love. But this is life, I know nobody would read a book where everybody would be happy and live forever same every day. So in story must be different characters, different life stories, different things to make book colorful and splendid. Well, if I read this book in A MONTH, it means it was ggood. Usually I read such thick books for half year because of damned many pages. But this one I just "ate". It simply had magic inside to call me home from work and make me read it. It had magic to make me live without food for hours because I simply couldn't put it down. Who needs food when you have more secrets to reveal? I think I need more such books to help me lose more weight.

So in conclusion, I was amazed by this book. I think it was best of all I read from this serie. It had enough action and secrets not to feel bored. It was enough interesting for me. I think it is first time in my life that I sit now and look on this closed book and think: "God, why you had to end so fast? Why you couldn't last forever?". And I am always glad to finifh book and take new, but this one... I said. It has magic inside that you cannot stop reading it. I really wouldn't mind if "Blackwood Farm" would be 700 pages more longer. I always get mad of books which have more than 400 pages, but not this one. No. I will miss it dearly... Oh well. I better should start "Blood Canticle". Maybe it will great too.

I have really enjoyed the vampire books of Anne Rice. As a historian I have always appreciated her ability to recreate long ago ages with her words- an ability that equals any historical novelist. Though largely set in the present, I believed that "Blackwood Farm" would nevertheless be another one of Rice's grand vampire adventures that I have come to really enjoy. I was wrong. "Blackwood Farm" is not a bad book, necessarily. It is just a largely uninteresting one. By the time Rice wrote this work she had reached that point in her career where no one could tell her to trim her work. Consequently, we get a story that by rights should fill three hundred pages dragged out to cover over 600. If Rice had taken a cleaver to this book, hacked away all the slow, unnecessary bits, lost some of the forgettable characters, this could have been an enjoyable read. As it stands, I can't really recommend it except to the "Vampire Chronicles" completists. I'm sure at some point I'll read the final entry in the series, but after "Blackwood Farm" I need some time to prepare for it, lest it be another overly-long, dry read.

I don't know... book is written marvelous, all adventures, story of Quinn, action, not one boring sentence...but I simply didn't like how Quinn's life turn on. And Lestat's... but I don't like Quinn with Mona and Lestat with Rowan (which will happen in last book). Nein, Non, No, Ne, Nada. I will never accept these relationships. Besides... Lestat TWICE sad HE LOVES QUINN. And Quinn like a puppy runs to that Mona. Who needs mortal family when you are a vampire? Just go, hunt, visit countries, have money, do whatever you wish, but noooo... that silly boy sits with mortals. More pathetic than Louis.

Oh well. It is book. It is supposed to make you feel something and get opinion on it. I know because I'm a writer myself and I know I make same dramas, same revenges, same relationships that my readers gonna hate and love. But this is life, I know nobody would read a book where everybody would be happy and live forever same every day. So in story must be different characters, different life stories, different things to make book colorful and splendid. Well, if I read this book in A MONTH, it means it was ggood. Usually I read such thick books for half year because of damned many pages. But this one I just "ate". It simply had magic inside to call me home from work and make me read it. It had magic to make me live without food for hours because I simply couldn't put it down. Who needs food when you have more secrets to reveal? I think I need more such books to help me lose more weight.

So in conclusion, I was amazed by this book. I think it was best of all I read from this serie. It had enough action and secrets not to feel bored. It was enough interesting for me. I think it is first time in my life that I sit now and look on this closed book and think: "God, why you had to end so fast? Why you couldn't last forever?". And I am always glad to finifh book and take new, but this one... I said. It has magic inside that you cannot stop reading it. I really wouldn't mind if "Blackwood Farm" would be 700 pages more longer. I always get mad of books which have more than 400 pages, but not this one. No. I will miss it dearly... Oh well. I better should start "Blood Canticle". Maybe it will great too.

I have really enjoyed the vampire books of Anne Rice. As a historian I have always appreciated her ability to recreate long ago ages with her words- an ability that equals any historical novelist. Though largely set in the present, I believed that "Blackwood Farm" would nevertheless be another one of Rice's grand vampire adventures that I have come to really enjoy. I was wrong. "Blackwood Farm" is not a bad book, necessarily. It is just a largely uninteresting one. By the time Rice wrote this work she had reached that point in her career where no one could tell her to trim her work. Consequently, we get a story that by rights should fill three hundred pages dragged out to cover over 600. If Rice had taken a cleaver to this book, hacked away all the slow, unnecessary bits, lost some of the forgettable characters, this could have been an enjoyable read. As it stands, I can't really recommend it except to the "Vampire Chronicles" completists. I'm sure at some point I'll read the final entry in the series, but after "Blackwood Farm" I need some time to prepare for it, lest it be another overly-long, dry read.

I have just finished reading Blackwood Farm, by Anne Rice. Has any of you ever read her vampire books? I hadn't until now. Funnily enough, I didn't start with the first one in the series ("Interview with the Vampire"), but with the last-but-one (Blackwood Farm). The reason is that I wanted to read it in e-book format (on the store's Kindle) and Blackwood Farm was available but not the first one in the series. Rice's vampire novels are epics which take us into a world of their own. I didn't know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. The writing is great. Rice is able to paint vivid, colourful pictures in her readers' minds. The setting for Blackwood Farm is Louisiana, and after reading the book, I find I want to go there! Blackwood Farm tells the story of the Blackwood family, from the initial ancestor Manfred Blackwood and his first, beloved wife Virginia Lee, to Tarquin Blackwood (Quinn), the last one in the family, who also happens to be the narrator and the vampire. What I really liked is that there is very little blood drinking. It is in fact a subtle mix of supernatural characters (the vampires, the witches, the spirits and the ghosts) and totally ordinary citizens leading ordinary (or not always so ordinary) lives. You can't help falling in love with the Blackwood family and its unusual fate, and in particular sweet Aunt Queen. The plot is solid and you find you have to turn the pages until all is revealed - and there is a lot to reveal, trust me. I found myself so drawn into the story that I have already purchased the sequel (and last one in the series), Blood Canticle.

This is the most compelling entry in the series since "The Vampire Lestat", and if the ending wasn't entirely satisfying, it wasn't bad enough to negate the enjoyment provided by the vast majority of the 600+ pages of story. A fascinating read, in spite of the fact that it's told in the first-person as a flashback, so we know from the very beginning that the main character will A) survive and B) become a vampire. Yet it is an "autobiography" of said character that spends 500+ pages detailing his life BEFORE he becomes a vampire, and that life is actually quite riveting.

In typical "Rice" style we are introduced to a story full of skilfully described detail. The setting is naturally Gothic, in fact our main character lives in a mansion called Blackwood Manor in an hermitage on Sugar Devil Island, part of the Blackwood Estate. The main character is Tarquin, a young vampire who was able to see spirits as an ordinary mortal, he is heir and owner of Blackwood.

In this story we see how Anne Rice tries to develop a connection between The Vampire Tales and The Mayfair Saga, presenting us with a young boy, who from a baby is accompanied by his double that only he can see. A spirit or a ghost that once Tarquin becomes a vampire attacks him every time he drinks blood and that pushes him to contact Lestat to free himself.

My first impression, once I got into the story was that somehow Goblin the spirit could be a transformation of, or heir to, Lasher from The Mayfair Saga, an element that made me wonder about the quality of this story. However I was relieved to see that Anne Rice evolved the tale in a most unexpected way and I was surprised by who the Goblin really turned out to be.

Tarquin's meeting with Lestat is well described and even though Lestat is not the main protagonist I was intrigued by him as I am very attached to this character. He reminds me of a famous actor who once he is on stage takes everything over. I love the way he is brought to life throuh Anne Rice's words.

Quin, as he is often called in the story, is overcome with remorse at having done terrible things, he is almost too human even after his transformation and needs to be with the people that are dear to him, despite knowing that he is a monster. He doesn't like being with the vampires he wants to be alone like Lestat.

As in Blood & Gold, the narration is made by the main character to, in this case, Lestat. There is little dialogue and we learn about Tarquin's difficult relationship with his mother and of the hatred between Patsy the mother and Tarquin the favoured son, loved by all except her, in hard hitting terms of notable impact.

The discomfort of the mortal Quin, his difficulties, because he is different to others of his age, the fact that he grew up with adults with only his friend Goblin for company, all this is well described. The doubts and fears that go through the adolescent's mind when he is in a world full of spirits, his search for his sexuality and the admission that he is bi-sexual makes the character more real. The angst of all adolescents is in the narration. All Anne Rice's characters from Lestat to Pandora have characteristics of all human kind and it is easy to identify with them.

As in every good novel the reader is in the action, even the facial expressions described are familiar to us they are so accurate, we as readers are catapulted into that dimension. A real page turner.

Petronia is another fascinating invention in this novel and Mona Mayfair also. I would have liked to have seen their characters looked into more in depth.

The central chapters of the novel seem a bit slow but I was very involved in the beginning and indeed the end though I had the impression that the finale was written in haste without much of the
detail seen in the rest of the book. There are lots of things that are left suspended and for me this cut into the fluidity of the story.

In conclusion, this was not one of my favourite novels but I do love Anne Rice's style. Her writing gives life to her characters and I will never tire of reading her work.

In the ninth book in "The Vampire Chronicles" (though the books are self-contained and can be read out of order) we meet Tarquin "Quinn" Blackwood, a fledgling vampire with a serious problem. The book opens with a letter he has written to the famous Lestat, begging him for advice in how to deal with the continued presence of Goblin, a spirit that has dwelt with Quinn for his entire life but is now taking on frightening new characteristics and powers after Quinn's conversion to vampirism.

To Quinn's surprise, Lestat agrees to help him, and joins him at his grand home of Blackwood Farm where Quinn begins to tell his story. Beginning in childhood and ending with his transformation into a vampire, Quinn's autobiographical account takes up 90% of the book, with only a few chapters front and back that deal with events in the present time. This account is equal parts intrigue and dullness; interesting when it deals with Goblin and the mysterious Sugar Devil Island, but sluggish when it provides endless detail on Quinn's relationships, personal growth and interests. To put it bluntly, Quinn is likeable enough, but not particularly interesting.

But his supernatural experiences keep the reader involved. His love/hate relationship with Goblin is the central storyline of the novel, and though it often reminded me of Lasher and the Mayfair Witches, it is ultimately revealed to be quite different. Quinn also shares his lineage, starting with his ancestor Manfred Blackwood and the story that emerges that eventually leads him to a mysterious hermitage on Sugar Devil Island out in the swamp. Quinn immediately adores the secluded island, but it seems that the house and the odd mausoleum are already inhabited by some sinister being...

Also included in the story is Quinn's experiences with an evil spirit named Rebecca who was the mistress of Manfred and came to an unfortunate end, and his introductions to both the Talamasca and the Mayfair family (who readers will have already met in other books). Of especial note is Mona Mayfair whom Quinn falls madly in love with. As well as this, there are a range of family members and devoted servants at work in Blackwood Farm - especially his beloved Aunt Queen - and illegitimate children, ghostly inhabitants, vampire visitors, secret lovers and other friends and tutors who influence Quinn's life.

It's all melded together into a complex, detailed narrative that's filled with trivia and occult lore that harks back to previous Rice books, (I especially liked the fact that Quinn notices the word "Lasher" carved into the oak tree on the First Street property, something that will mean nothing to someone that hasn't read "The Witching Hour"). We get updates on several characters and concepts, such as Lestat, Rowan and Michael, Merrick, Mayfair Medical and the Talamasca, with a cameo appearance from Oncle Julien and an ending that opens up a brand new world for a reoccurring character.

As always, Rice's settings, language, atmosphere and imagery are second to none. Every swath of velvet, every shimmering cameo, every strand of Spanish moss is described in loving detail - Rice doesn't just write a book, she creates a world. Blackwood Farm is meticulously planned and described, from the house's interior, to the outdoor cemetery to the treacherous passages of the swamp. I loved the idea of the secret Sugar Devil Island, and found as much pleasure in its restoration as Quinn did. Many are frustrated at Rice's meandering pace when it comes to such detail; on this particular occasion however, I was in no hurry and simply enjoyed the story as it unfolded. However, there are a few problems that stilted my enjoyment of "Blackwood Farm".

First of all, is the fact that Quinn falls in love quite a lot, seemingly with anyone and everyone around him. Seconds after meeting Mona he is declaring that he intends to marry her. He abruptly loves Petronia after spending most of the book despising and fearing her. He has an affair with a woman who rocked him in his cradle, wooing her in the most unromantic way possible. Even Lestat gets in on the act - after hearing Quinn's story, the first thing he tells him is: "I've fallen in love with you." At this stage I let out a hearty: "Huh?!" Love is cheapened when it's thrown around so haphazardously and after a while it gets both ridiculous and tedious. There is neither intrigue, realism nor passion when characters so suddenly declare their eternal love.

A lot of time and effort is spent in introducing the evil spirit of Rebecca, the mistress of Quinn's ancestor, but toward the end of the novel she is dropped and not picked up again. As interesting as her situation and tragedy is, I had to wonder: was there a point to her at all? Other characters that I became intrigued with are also neglected; namely Arion and Manfred who seem to have fascinating stories of their own which are only vaguely hinted at. And as always, (at the risk of sounding prudish) the sex-capades of various characters are a little too graphic for my liking, especially as here most of it is between humans and spirits - which gets a little weird.

But all in all, I liked "Blackwood Farm", perhaps because it reminded me of my favourite Rice novel "The Witching Hour," with its regressions into a mysterious family and its dealings with the supernatural. Whether it's read as a continuation of "The Vampire Chronicles" or a stand-alone novel may impact one's enjoyment of it, but as one who reads Rice's books sporadically and without any regard for chronology (oops, I know) I give it a healthy three stars.

Refreshingly, a new story set almost entirely in the recent past, a new (well, slightly related) family with paranormal secrets to explore, and a new lovable vampire hero. Tarquin Blackwood seeks out Lestat to tell his story and ask for help in banishing his lifelong companion, the spirit Goblin. Tarquin's narrative meanders with Rice's usual rapt attention to the details of architecture, clothing, and decor, which stretches the book to more than six hundred pages. Truthfully, my hand hurt from holding the book, but that's because I really couldn't put it down. I was fascinated, and really pleased, particularly since I just read Blood and Gold and Pandora which were basically the same story for the third and fourth time, from a slightly different perspective with slightly more detail. I am excited to finish out this series by reading Blood Canticle next.

Quinn Blackwood has had an unusual life. Born into the well known Blackwood Family of Louisiana, he grew up with the legends and lore of Blackwood Farm. Built in the swamp by an ancestor, the estate has a reputation of being haunted, and so has been a tourist attraction and a bed and breakfast for generations.

Quinn also grew up with an unusual friend, a spirit named Goblin. Quinn has recently been made a vampire, and his old friend, Goblin is now gaining power and a taste for human blood. Quinn searches out Lestat in hopes of finding some assistance and answers to this problem.

Finally, after several not so good Vampire Chronicles, this book is a return to the magic of the deep, dark swamps of Louisiana and the images and feelings Anne Rice is capable of invoking. In atmosphere, this novel reminded me of Interview With the Vampire and was very dark. Quinn Blackwood is an intensely likeable and interesting character, unlike Marius or Merrick in some of the more recent Chronicles. Lestat is back to his previous charming self, as the Brat Prince of New Orleans. Moving right on to Blood Canticle!

Blackwood Farm revisits the South that Anne Rice loves so well, and treated us to a view of in past novels such as The Witching Hour and The Feast of All Saints. She dishes out to us a giant helping of deep southern lore and hospitality, exploring the perils and disgraces of the Blackwood family from its beginnings.
Quinn Blackwood, the narrator of this chronicle, reveals all of the Blackwood family history to the Vampire Lestat, whose aid he has enlisted to help rid himself of his doppelganger, Goblin, who has plagued him since birth. First a simple, laughing child along with Quinn, then teenaged seducer and lover, now something darker; more demonic and vengeful since Quinn was given the Dark Blood. Goblin has become a threat to Quinn and all those he loves, and perhaps the most lethal ghost that this wealthy Louisiana family has ever known.
From patriarch "Mad" Manfred Blackwood, to "Aunt Queen" the family sage and 'childless Mother to all', to "Pops" and "Sweetheart", the only real 'parental figures' Quinn ever really had, to his mother Patsy, the wandering country music queen wanna-be whom he despises, Anne Rice paints a full and complete picture of a Southern Family replete with ghosts, secrets, and shames through many decades, as Quinn reveals to Lestat his long history with Goblin, as well as the family's own history with spirits, and how long buried corpses have risen to haunt the family, and him, anew.
The Mayfair Witches are interwoven into this tale, with an older and wiser Michael Curray and Rowan Mayfair seen as guardians of Mona Mayfair, the newly apointed designee of the Mayfair billions, who captures Quinn's young heart. Merrick Mayfair also visits this tale, and a new member of the Talamasca, Stirling Oliver, is present as well, as all play a part in Quinn's desire to rid himself of Goblin forever.
The story, while only briefly touching upon ancient times and civilizations, as Rice has done in past Vampire tales, reads like a dark tabloid tell-all about the Blackwoods, and the secrets they hide in the swamps of Louisiana. Anne Rice does not need to wander far from her own backyard to provide an enthralling story of a vampire's history. For that I give her four stars, and a fond thank you for reinvigorating my waning interest in the vampires.
I take one star away from Anne Rice for a rushed ending. While the rest of the book plays out well and adequately paints a portrait of the Blackwoods, the last several chapters seem to pass up many opportunities with the storyline. And while I enjoyed this book tremendously, I question the focus in certain places, as the story seems to stray too far from its original premise, Quinn seeking out Lestat to help rid him of Goblin.
However, this is a fine addition to the Chronicles of the Vampires overall, is a very entertaining read, and captured my attention from page one until the end. I am happy to see Anne Rice breath new life into her cast of undead, and see hope for the damned, as it were, that they will live on in novels for years to come.

Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles have been less than stellar as of late. It seems that her novels lacked the most crucial thing of all: plot. Merrick aside, most of her books have been long-winded and very repetitive. So it's great to finally see her back on top again. With Blackwood Farm, not only does Anne introduces a new character, but she also brings forth one of her most entertaining and fast-paced efforts ever.
Blackwood Farm is much more than a vampire novel. As a matter of fact, the vampire component seems to be secondary. Instead, what we do have is a great ghost story and a great haunted house story. Tarquin is a young man in his late teens who has seen ghosts all of his life. His best friend is a ghost he calls Goblin. Goblin looks exactly like Tarquin and also acts like him. But many around Tarquin thinks he is crazy for seeing all these ghosts.
Tarquin is made into a vampire, something that does not sit well with Goblin. Goblin also wants the same eternal power, and so he begins attacking Tarquin every time he makes a kill so that he, too, can have some of the eternal blood and become stronger. Tarquin wants to rid himself of Goblin. He goes to none other than Lestat for help. And it is to Lestat that Tarquin will tell his amazing story.
This time around, Anne Rice found a way to instate a new life in her series. This story isn't repetitive at all. The biggest problem with books like Blood and Gold were that we already knew so much about these vampires that their stories no longer felt fresh. But here, we have something that is completely new and different.
I have to admit that I loved the book's central character. Tarquin is a one-of-a-kind that stays embedded in your mind for quite some time. And I have to admit that I preferred the ghost story parts over the vampire parts (maybe Anne could write a full-fledge ghost story next time around).
The book's strongest point is the way in which Anne brings the whole Blackwood clan to life. They live in an old New Orleans mansion that holds too many secrets, and too many residents. The way in which all of these characters are fleshed out was just perfect. The place where Rice falters is in the romance department. Her idea of romance is a little too flowery and blissful for my taste, and Tarquin falls way too easily in and out of love (like most of Anne Rice's characters).
Blackwood Farm is Rice's best work since Memnoch The Devil. It is a fast-paced, exhilarating read that very rare falters. Anne Rice fans will be glad to see that the queen of vamps is finally back on top!

It seems that Anne Rice's current intention is to combine the characters in her vampire novels with those in her series about the Mayfairs, a powerful family of powerful witches. She began her integration in "Merrick", and now continues it with "Blackwood Farm", a worthy addition to her canon.
The main characters she's introduced in both series - Lestat in the first; and Rowan Mayfair and her husband Michael Curry in the second - are just incidental players here, but they figure importantly in the story being told. That is the story of one Tarquin (Quinn) Blackwood, the young master of Blackwood Manor, an estate just outside of New Orleans. Quinn's tale has three major points - how he met and became involved with the Mayfairs; how he became a vampire; and most importantly, his "relationship" with a spirit he calls Goblin, who is both less and more than just an ordinary ghost. It is because of Goblin that Quinn meets the Mayfairs, and also why he seeks out Lestat.
Rice gives Quinn an intelligence and voice that is more than worthy of the tale he tells. Lestat is, as always, a powerful presence, despite the comparatively minor role he plays here. And many of the characters Rice introduces us to here are also extremely three-dimensional, incredibly - dare I use the word in describing an Anne Rice character? - human.
But there are some disappointments, which is why I can only give "Blackwood Farm" four stars. I couldn't help feeling that Rice was somehow suppressing Rowan and Michael - they should have had more to do, bigger roles to play. The character of Petronia, the hermaphroditic vampire, seemed flat and one-dimensional - more of a joke than anything else. And the character of Stirling Oliver, the only representative of the Talamasca in this book, didn't have much of a role at all - as little, in fact, as the entire Talamasca itself. That was a disappointment - Rice has built up the mythology and character of the Talamasca throughout most of her novels, and to suddenly see them relegated to bit players comes as something of a shock.
With all of that, however, this book is definitely worth your time.

"Blackwood Farm" seems to be quite derivative of Anne Rice's earlier work. There were shades of the Lasher character from "The Witching Hour" in the spirit character of Goblin. And the ending steered towards making someone a vampire, which seems to have become a very stock conclusion for Rice's vampire books. While it was new in "The Queen of the Damned," using it again in "Tales of the Body Thief" and "Armand" AND "Merrick" is a bit tired. To say it's formulaic is an understatement.
Another thing this book had in common with "Merrick" is the revelation that Julien Mayfair is an ancestor of the main character. I thought Rice had done a good job of building up the history of the Blackwood family as a separate and distinct entity prior this revelation. I don't think it's necessary to pull out this "Julien factor" every time a character with witch-like powers appears.
If Rice is looking for new ground to cover, I think she should look at exploring the history of the Talamasca a bit more. She made a good start of it in some of her earlier books, but its exact origins would be interesting to hear about. Another topic, which Rice has curiously ignored, is what happened to Lestat's mother, Gabrielle. That is another character we would all be curious to discover more about.

Ann Rice manages to escape from some of the creative malaise that has tarnished much of her more recent work with this richly detailed merger of the Vampire Chronicles and the Tales of the Mayfair Witches. Blackwood Farm is not without it's flaws however, as she seems stuck in a narrative theme that basically involves a vampire relating a personal and familial history that culminates with his acquisition of dark immortality.
The narrator of this tale is Quinn Blackwood, scion of a wealthy Louisiana family with a gothic past of its own, as well as some tenuous ties to the Mayfair family of New Orleans. Quinn has lived his entire life (mortal and otherwise) with the companionship of a twin-like spirit he calls Goblin. During his eccentric childhood, Quinn welcomed the love and friendship of his doppelganger, however as the years pass and he matures into a (much) more worldly young adult, Goblin evolves into a more jealous and malevolent presence. Quinn's transformation into a vampire only increases the evil of Goblin, sending Quinn on a desperate search for help from the famed Lestat.
There are enough twists and surprises to satisfy most fans of the Chronicles, certainly more than some of the more recent tales. But what makes this book more enjoyable is Ms. Rice's vivid and eclectic group of personalities. Characterizations have always been one of her strong suits and Blackwood Farm reinforces that reputation. Quinn Blackwood along with his ancestral and extended family are fascinating in their own right; and his interaction with various vampires, the Talamasca and the Mayfairs makes for a most enjoyable read. It's particularly enjoyable to reencounter the precocious designee of the Mayfair Legacy, Mona, both for the post-Taltos update as well as her Lolita-ish vitality and potential for scandal. Lastly, it's good to see Lestat growing away from his role as a self promoting rogue into a more complex and influential immortal, a vampire whose accomplishments are beginning to reflect a maturity worthy of his abilities and power.
Just when I was beginning to tire of Ms. Rice's vampires, she pulls me back in. I am once again looking forward to her next effort.