Blood Canticle (The Vampire Chronicles)

As always, Anne Rice does not disappoint her readers. After finding she had written more than the original Vampire Chronicles when I came across Blackwood Farm, of course I had to continue that story in Blood Canticle. I don't think there was a moment that I did not enjoy. I can sit with Anne's books in my lap for hours on end and forget the world around me.

Bought this and two others for a friend. Anne You are an amazing wonderful writer. Quinn Merrick, Mona and Lestat all amazing people. I love the writings you give to us. Keep it up! I miss Lestat so!

I love buying books, especially when they go for a small price like $4.00. This book was purchased used, I was hesitant at first but received it and was very pleased. Great condition. The cover has shelf wear but overall it's readable.

I have now concluded the entire group and enjoyed every book. Each vampire has told their story and without killing off anybody except for food. They don't sparkle like modern day vampires but they are a lot more enjoyable. Anne is the best.

This book is another written and narrate as if in Lastat's words. In the introduction Lastat refers to the critics of some of the previous books calling them the idiots who do not understand such things. Fans of those books (some of which are my favorites) will agree with his/those words. This book is a nice followup to Blackwood Farms and an interesting crossover book between the vampire and the Mayfair Witch series. Interesting characters, some old. some new. and some are ghosts (including a colorful Mayfair uncle you will remember). . Ann Rice fans who enjoined her previous books will not be disappointed!!!

I have now concluded the entire group and enjoyed every book. Each vampire has told their story and without killing off anybody except for food. They don't sparkle like modern day vampires but they are a lot more enjoyable. Anne is the best.

This book is another written and narrate as if in Lastat's words. In the introduction Lastat refers to the critics of some of the previous books calling them the idiots who do not understand such things. Fans of those books (some of which are my favorites) will agree with his/those words. This book is a nice followup to Blackwood Farms and an interesting crossover book between the vampire and the Mayfair Witch series. Interesting characters, some old. some new. and some are ghosts (including a colorful Mayfair uncle you will remember). . Ann Rice fans who enjoined her previous books will not be disappointed!!!

I've written many words in the marginal-notes for this book. Read it several times. The characters are fascinating and complex, as is ,Lestat, who is in the last stage (apparently) of his maturation. Having read the Vampire Chronicles up till the 2016 Atlantis book, this is a rare episode to cherish in that we follow Lestat during the last recorded incident before he emerges from his bi-centennial adolescent years.
This from the blurb says it best:
" who finds herself dangerously drawn to the all-powerful Lestat; her husband, Michael Curry, hero of the Mayfair Chronicles, who seeks Lestat’s help with the temporary madness of his wife; Ash Templeton, a 5,000-year-old Taltos who has taken Mona’s child; and Patsy, the country-western singer, who returns to avenge her death at the hands of her son, Quinn Blackwood. Delightfully, at the book’s centre is the Vampire Lestat, once the epitome of evil, now pursuing the transformation set in motion with Memnoch the Devil. He struggles with his vampirism and yearns for goodness, purity and love, as he saves Patsy’s ghost from the dark realm of the Earthbound, uncovers the mystery of the Taltos and unselfishly decides the fate of his beloved Rowan Mayfair.

A story of love and loyalty, of the search for passion and promise, Blood Canticle is Anne Rice at her finest."

Et Carter 021117

I swear, it isn't intentional. My recent reading of the Beauty trilogy coincidentally led up to picking up Blood Canticle on the bargain rack. I'm a long-time fan of The Vampire Chronicles as well as her tales of the Mayfair Witches, and my lust for this book, the one in which the two series merge, moved it to the top of my reading list.

Oh, the horror.

::: The Plot :::

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Anne Rice's novels, there are two major series: one about vampires starring the Vampire Lestat, and the other about a family of witches. The Vampire Lestat has always been the star of the Vampire Chronicles, creating new vampires, finding the original two vampires, losing his vampire body to a mortal, and journeying to Heaven and Hell.

The Mayfair Witches stories involve a rather inbred family of Louisiana witches, who, when certain family members meet, create what is known as the Taltos, a child who unfolds to a full adult upon its birth, knowing its name and the full history of the Taltos, also leaving its human mother unable to bear more children.

In Blood Canticle, the story begins with Lestat "saving" the dying Mayfair witch Mona, the most recent bearer of a Taltos. Mona has been dying in a hospital for two years. Of course, before we even get to the plot itself, we are subjected to an over-colloquialized raving from Lestat (who narrates the Chronicles) about his desire to be a saint. And visit the Pope. And be worshipped.

Once Mona is made a vampire, we meet Rowan Mayfair, the de facto head of the Mayfair witches and Mayfair Medical, a huge sprawling complex of medical services and research. Rowan bore her own Taltos, a child possessed by the spirit who haunted the Mayfair House, Lasher. For over 100 pages, the reader is held at bay to hear the story of Rowan and Mona and the Taltos, which any devoted reader of the Mayfair Witches stories already knows.

Of course, Lestat falls in love with the human Rowan, and in the course of helping Mona and Rowan find out what happened to the remaining Taltos (Mona's daughter Morrigan and the centuries-old "purebred" Taltos Ash who Rowan met in the Mayfair stories), he rids Mona's cousin Quinn's farm of Quinn's mother's ghost (Quinn killed her in the previous Chronicle, Blackwood Farm), contacts Maharet, know the "ruler" of the Vampires, kills druglords and finds out the fate of the Taltos.

::: There's Nothing Good Here (Why I Hated It) :::

The only good thing about this book is that it is supposed to be the last Vampire Chronicle. I mean that. This is the first book that Rice wrote after the death of her husband, the poet Stan Rice (to whom she dedicates this book) and sorry, Stan, but she dedicated one horrendous book to you.

Rice can never seem to find Lestat's voice in the course of this novel, and he goes back and forth from sounding like a ranting raving teenager to the cultured and demanding Lestat we know from Interview with the Vampire, to some crazy hormones-raging young adult. At points, Lestat, who has always been enamored with new things, acts like he's about to join the Society for Creative Anachronism and ignore all new technology by refusing to learn how to email.

Rice also can't seem to find the character of Mona anywhere in this book. The Mona we met in the Mayfair books was a child genius. She was sexually precocious, but at the same time, almost a small adult. In Blood Canticle, Mona is a vacuous slut, flitting about almost willy-nilly, crying at the drop of a hat, baiting Lestat, and wearing odd slutty clothes that belonged to Quinn's Aunt Queen. The Mona Mayfair that Mayfair Witches fans knew and loved is gone.

Worst of all is Rice's plot construction. The first half of the book drags on endlessly, making you wonder if the book is even going to have a conclusion or just end ambiguously, leaving the reader to find the fate of the Taltos in some forthcoming book. But much like an old rickety roller coaster, the climb is much longer than the descent. The plot contrivances that Rice uses to get Mona, Quinn, and Lestat to where they will find the fate of the Taltos are numerous, unbelievable, and far too convenient, and for good measure, Rice tosses in a gratuitous sex scene. I actually laughed out loud at the conclusion of this book.

::: Why You Should Thank Me :::

I wanted to quit reading this book by the end of Chapter 1. Really. I kept reading it only to find out how Rice would merge the series and so I could write this review. It has NEVER taken me a week to read a book this short, but I could only read it in small doses; sometimes a page or two were all I could manage in one sitting.

I'm not sure if Rice has lost her touch or I've simply outgrown her, but my disappointment in this book is crushing. As a long-time Rice fan, I have to say this book is best suited to use as toilet paper.

This review previously published at Epinions.

In anticipation of Anne Rice's new addition to The Vampire Chronicles due out this October, I decided to reread all the books in order, as it had been more than ten years since I finished Blood Canticle the first time, and more than 30 years since I had first picked up Interview With the Vampire. Though this is a big commitment of reading time, I would wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of this series. From that first excellent installment to the finish of Blood Canticle , I was enthralled. I remember after my initial reading of Blood Canticle, that I felt less than fulfilled. It was not the 'ending' I wanted and I was left feeling somewhat disappointed. But I now feel much differently. The series as a whole must be considered to fully understand the scope of Lestat's evolution through time. Each book adds a new layer to this most complicated character. And Blood Canticle opens those layers like the petals of a beautiful yet deadly flower. It picks up not only the themes of Lestat's early escapades as the 'Brat Prince', but ties in the torments of his questions of God and the Devil, as well as his quest for endurance, constancy, love, redemption and companionship. I think that I fully grasped this only because I reread all the books in back-to-back succession, and got a true feeling on continuity in the story. It is my belief that those who did not like this book were looking for another reckless and bloody romp, and that they were taken aback by the profound sensitivity of this story. Because this actually is a tale of love, commitment, and sacrifice. All creatures (whether they are mortal or immortal) have great difficulty when faced with making decisions for the right reasons as opposed to choices that might give them the most personal satisfaction. Lestat grows quite a lot in this book, and is perhaps more human and selfless here than at any other time we've seen him. Personally, I like this side of him - the human side. It's always been there, but has never been challenged to the extent as it is in Blood Canticle. This book is beautifully written and I was truly in tears when I reached the end. I anxiously await Prince Lestat in October!

Perhaps it is time for Anne to leave the vampires and move on to new subjects. I have enjoyed some of Anne's previous novels that had nothing to do with Vampires, particularly "A Cry to Heaven". Sometimes a writer just wears out a subject and I think Anne may have reached that point.

I vacillated between giving this 3 or 4 stars and settled on 4 just because it's Anne, because she lost Stan, and because I'd like to see her continue to write and hopefully produce novels like she used to.

The things that are right with the novel are many. Anne still can make you see what's happening with her prose. When I read this I can see New Orleans, I can see that graveyard and swamp behind the house, I'm there. She does try and bring many (but not all) of the threads from both the vampire chronicles and the Mayfair Witches to a conclusion. A nice gesture if you're really going to leave the subject. I did notice though that there is ample opportunity to write another one (or many) novels with the introduction of Lestat and Rowen's love. I felt Lestat blasting us about not liking previous works and telling us that he wants to be a saint is quite OK. That's Lestat!

The thing that did annoy me with this novel the most was Anne/Lestat's "new" narrative style. I suppose that it's supposed to be new and edgy and as one reader suggested Lestat is allowed to change, including his narrative style, but I miss the prose that I just gushed about in the proceeding paragraph. The "Pope is wonderful" rant was a little off-putting since I would think that Lestat would think himself above such matters, but you must remember he is a French Catholic. I must admit that after the first book on the Mayfair Witches they have not been my favorite subject that Anne has written about. And I guess I've always been a little irritated that she combined the Witches with the Vampires.

Yes, I'll read Anne's next book if it's about Vampires or about turnips. I have been disappointed in some of her efforts and enthralled by others. She's human (even if her alter ego isn't) and she's going to have good, bad and mediocre efforts. I won't give up because of a couple of stinkers.

My star ratings:

One star - couldn't finish the book
Two stars - read the book, but did a lot of skipping or scanning. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection or search out other books by the author
Three stars - enjoyable read. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection. Would judge other books by the author individually.
Four stars - Liked the book. Would keep the book or would look for others by the same author.
Five start - One of my all time favorites. Will get a copy in hardback to keep and will actively search out others by the same author.

In reading some of the earlier reviews of this book, as well as those of its predecessor, "Blackwood Farm," I agree that "Blood Canticle" has the look and feel of a first draft. If Anne Rice had put it away for a bit and then come back to it, I believe she could've corrected many of its flaws.
One subtle thing that bothered me right off the bat was the style of language used by Lestat's character. It is markedly different than his speech in the other books and his new style of speaking, saying things like "babe" and "cool," really doesn't work. He sounded more like Austin Powers than he did Lestat.
Something that could've been developed a lot more were the references to "Memnoch." For example, there's a reference made in either this book, or "Blackwood Farm," to Lestat's mind or consciousness being "stolen" by Memnoch or other angels. To what end, the reader isn't told. This seemed like an obvious point to follow up on and I was disappointed that it wasn't.
I was also disappointed to see the pages that were wasted by the appearance of Patsy's ghost. In my mind, that whole tangent added nothing to the book.
And finally, I had read a rumor that Anne Rice was going to use the Blackwood saga to delve into the origins of the Talamasca. I was quite disappointed to see that she didn't do so in either of the books. The organization's beginnings are discussed somewhat in the "Witching Hour" trilogy (it is hinted, by the Lasher character, that it was started to breed Taltos), but, I think, never fully fleshed out and explored.
In conclusion, I believe that this book is rife with missed literary opportunities.

First of all, I absolutely love Anne Rice. I love the Vampire Chronicles, Mayfair Witches, and many of her other works, including The Wolf Gift. I've been reading her works since I was about 16 and started with Interview with a Vampire, which enthralled me. I have to say, however, that this book as an ending to the series left me with mixed feelings. As usual, Anne's style of writing kept me hooked through the whole thing. I love the way she tells a story. Unfortunately, much of the dialogue and character interactions frustrated me a bit, as well as continuity from previous books. What happened to Louis, David and Armand? I know they're not part of this particular story, but they were there when we left off. So what happened? There is no mention of them. And, while I know all well-developed characters change and grow, Lestat to me was hardly recognizable as the Brat Prince from Interview, The Vampire Lestat, and Queen of the Damned. I don't mind that his views of things have changed, but it's hard to even remember that he's actually a blood-sucking monster anymore. And I find the newer characters, like Quinn and Mona (as well as Reuben in Wolf Gift) much more difficult to relate to. And no, it has nothing to do with the fact that they're all very wealthy. I don't care about that. But as someone in her early twenties myself, I know that people in these characters' age ranges simply do not speak the way they do. They all seem very similar to each other and talk to each other in much the same way as the ancient vampires do and it is simply not believable. Let me just finish by saying that I definitely don't think that you should just skip this book if you have enjoyed the other books in the series. It is certainly worth reading. Just enjoy it for the imagery and story-telling rather than trying to compare it with the rest of the books. Anne has been mentioning Lestat, Armand and Louis a lot on her facebook page recently, and I can only hope that maybe sometime soon she will devote a new book to them with a new adventure that focuses on the characters we know and love rather than focusing on the younger newer vampires who simply don't measure up.

it was...horrid, really. a cheap Imitation of Rice. I skipped clean over the first chapter of Lestat bragging about himself. I should have stopped at page 256, which was my inclination, but i read on. I don't think i actually read the last 2 chapters...more like i scanned them in the faint hope something interesting would happen. nothing interesting happened. in fact, i was/am so disappointed, i went to get A Tale Of Two Cities just to wash the bad taste out of my brain. will i read another Anne Rice book? i cant say. maybe.

Having read Blood Canticle, as well as the many reviews posted on the store.com, I am disappointed in the reaction of most reviewers. Though, to be honest, the book was not one of Anne Rice's best works. My two favorite works by Anne Rice are Violin and Memnoch the Devil. Violin is the best example of purple prose Anne Rice ever authored. She created a rich and fascinating environment and wondrous characters. Memnoch was almost all philosophy but philosophical musings that are common to most thinking people and presented in an enjoyable tale.
Blood Canticle lacked the purple prose of Violin or even Blackwood Farm. It also lacked the scope that is characteristic of Ms. Rice's major works. As an independent story, the book did not work. Someone who was not familiar with the history of the Chronicles and the Mayfair family would be lost. However, it seems to me that the book is meant more as an epilogue to her earlier works, attempting to bring everything together. As a series epilogue, I think it worked reasonably well.
One of the goals of this epilogue appears to have been to explore the moral evolution of Lestat. I would be profoundly disappointed if Lestat had not evolved over the years of this series. Blood Canticle shows a Lestat who has grown up somewhat. He is no longer the Brat Prince of the earlier books but someone who has a conscience, a sense of responsibility, and the capacity for selfless love. While this is the first time we have had access to Lestat's inner musings since Memnoch, the process of evolution was apparent in Merrick and in Blackwood Farm. With access to Lestat's inner musings once more the extent of his inner struggles is center stage.
That the dream of the Taltos heading off into the sunset to live an idyllic life was shattered is a bit of healthy closure. There are good times in life and there are bad times but life goes on. The Taltos seemed to enjoy a good life for awhile but it is natural that the bad times came as well. In the end there is death but also hope for those who remain. Life goes on.
While the Mayfair characters are a bit thin, they are supporting characters in this book. That supporting characters are a bit thin can be forgiven. This is a book about Lestat.
It seems to me that Lestat is asking us how different is the human from the vampire. Obviously, the vampire lives off the blood of others. The vampire is a parasite on humanity. Yet, those who are killed, at least by Lestat and his children, live off the suffering of others. Though human are they morally different from vampires? They are probably more evil than the worst vampire because it is not inherent in their nature to live off the suffering of others. Lestat seems to be struggling with the knowledge of his fallen nature yet trying to make something noble of his existence as well. This is the classic human dilemma.
Lestat discovers that no matter what our nature we are capable of discipline and free choice. Within the context of our nature, our choices shape who we become. As the story makes plain, Lestat's desire to be loved is also a desire to love. By the end of the story we see that Lestat is capable of selfless love, The Brat Prince has grown up. I find that satisfying closure to the tale of the Vampire Lestat.

I recently wrote a review more of other peoples' reviews of this book. Now, I figure it's time to review the actual book, but since we can only write one review per item, I'm writing this under the paperback listing.

I first read "Interview With the Vampire" twelve years ago, in the tenth grade. I have since read every Vampire Chronicle to be released. Just quickly, I'd like to say I felt the best volumes were "Interview With the Vampire," "The Vampire Lestat," "Queen of the Damned," "The Vampire Armand," and "Blood and Gold."

The other books were not quite what I've come to expect in this series, but that's not really for me to judge. Overall, it's been a wonderful series, and I truly am a little sad to see that she's closed the overall story.

"Blood Canticle" was a very quick read, yet still full of her usual attention to details that give you a very good image of the characters, places, objects and events in her stories. The character development, though rapid, was ample.

One of the things that has made Ms. Rice's Vampire Chronicles so interesting and engrossing has been her dealings with existence, spirituality, mortality, and other aspects of "human" life. Much of these dealings are missing from "Blood Canticle." Almost the only thing I saw throughout this book was a dealing with lust. However, lust has been explored, in depth, and at great length, many times throughout almost all her works.

The one thing I saw in this story that was unique to her dealings with Lestat was his refusal to give the "dark gift" to someone with whom he is deeply in love. This is the first time he has put his selfishness, loneliness, and lust second to his desire to see a generally good person continue to do good things with the abilities and resources available to her. He has seen the work she does, and he can comprehend just how vast and promising it is. He has deemed this far more important than his own needs and wants.

This ability to put the needs of others before one's own is an absolute must for anyone to be deemed a saint. Perhaps Lestat took the biggest step he could have toward reaching sainthood.

Ultimately, that's what this book was supposed to be about...Lestat's desire to become a saint. However, the story's dealing with this theme has been, until just this moment, as I write this review, seemingly nonexistent. It was never clear, as I read the story, that Lestat was doing anything in particular to achieve the goal he talked about, almost tiresomely, at the beginning of, and throughout, the book. However, I have to say that it makes me grin to think back on it now and realize that I didn't see the most saintly event in the book for what it actually was.

But, since the event was treated with no more importance than anything else that happened in the story, I have to wonder, also, if Ms. Rice understood that she was giving Lestat his first true taste of sainthood as she wrote about his turning Rowan down for the dark gift, especially for the reasons he did so.

This is the end of the Vampire Chronicles, as has been mentioned. Its ending, however, didn't feel at all like an actual farewell, let alone like an ending to a series that has now run nearly thirty years.

As books go, without considering the complete body of works in the Vampire Chronicles, it was, I feel, a decent work. Some of her works have been much better, but some have also been much worse. However, her books, in general, are still considerably better than many works several "renowned" authors have turned out over the years.

This book left me wondering what the next installment of the Vampire Chronicles will be like, but, as Ms. Rice has made unmistakably clear, she is finished with this series. So, I must admit there is a bit of disappointment in this last story, because I don't feel it fulfilled the role of ending the series. But, again, as a book in its own right, it's not bad.

So, I'll end in saying that, considering the fact that you can pick up hardcover copies for pretty cheap at bookstores, you wouldn't be remiss to add it to your library. If you read it and find that you didn't like the story, well, put it on a shelf anyway. You may come to a point in your life when the story will make perfect sense to you, and you will come to love it. You just can't know until it happens, but if you never buy the book and read it, you'll never have the chance to know, either. I can think of far worse risks to take than giving this book a try.

In the first pages of Blood Canticle, Anne Rice's beloved Vampire Lestat tells us not to fret, that this story will pick up where Blackwood Farm left off and that the story will have a beginning, a middle and an end (in other words, a plot). Well, Rice has just made a liar out of Lestat, because there is very little plot to be found in Blood Canticle. As a matter of fact, there is very little to appreciate in this self-loathing, overrought novel.
The novel more or less does pick up the loose ends of Blackwood Farm. This time, it is the young, sickly Mona who is made into one of the undead, upon Quinn's demand. But Mona proves to be Lestat's female counterpart; mean, always complaining, unrespectful and with very little love left in her. The one thing she does wants most, however, is to find the daughter who was stolen from her so many years ago.
Her daughter was one of the Taltos, a strange kind of creature that grows tall in just a few days and who nearly kills the mother that gives birth to them. She asks Lestat to help her find this people so that she can be with her daughter once again.
And that's it. Lestat will moan about a ghost that will not leave him alone and Quinn, the great, carismatic protagonist of Blackwood Farm, is nearly forogtten and completely underused. And the melding of Rice's vampire and witches series doesn't go as smoothly this time around.
Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles had taken a hard blow in the last few years, only to be given life again with Blackwood Farm. But now, it almost seems as though Blackwood Farm was a fluke, because Blood Canticle has very, very little to offer fans of the series. Even Letat has changed, and for the worst. Maybe it's time for Anne Rice to put the Chronicles to rest for a while to concentrate on something new and fresh.

I enjoyed Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, and I really liked the Lives Of The Mayfair Witches series, so I was greatly looking forward to reading Rice's newest effort. "Blood Canticle" is one of those books where you can't quite decide if you love it or hate it. There isn't really one coherent plot, instead we get several mini-plots; Lestat's continuing search for redemption, Mona Mayfair's rebirth into the vampire life and search for her missing Taltos daughter, Julien and Stella Mayfair's haunting of Lestat, the supernatural chaos at Blackwood Farm and more. The problem is that there are so many things going on that none of them are fully delineated or explained. Why did Mona, who bore a Taltos, develop this bizarre wasting disease while Rowan, who bore two, did not? Why does Lestat become so passionately obsessed with Rowan Mayfair? What has happened to Rowan to make her so mentally unstable that she would throw herself at Lestat the way she does? How did the Taltos get to their "secret island" and take it over, and how were they in turn overrun by druglords? Why is Mona such a brat (and who really uses words like "egregious" in everyday conversation anyway?)? What is Oncle Julien's PROBLEM?
Another problem I had with "Blood Canticle" is Rice's prose. While I normally enjoy her lush, descriptive language, this book descends from word one into shameless melodrama and stays there. It's written from Lestat's P.O.V., so the whole thig is one dramatic, overdone, rambling stream of consciousness with words after words, so many words, oh my goodness the thoughts and feelings and emotions and...well, you get the idea. Wonder if Valium works on vampires? "Blood Canticle" is the literary version of an oversized fancy dessert; luscious and sugary but you can get surfeited pretty quickly.

Whenever a new vampire chronicles book comes out; I run out, get it, and read it right away. The classics like Vampire Lestat, Queen of the Damned....and even the individual focus books on Pandora and Marius were mystical and exotic. Those books took the reader on a journey through time with the tortured central character. Lestat was always the brat prince in all of us; and in his adventures we found our thrills.
This new novel by Anne Rice is the finale of the series. As a finale, it is very much a let down. I couldn't believe that the story had no driving plotline....and seemed so meandering. Lestat seemed like a shadow of himself.
I found myself bored with the text. Usually Anne Rice is so descriptive of the world that these Vampires live in, but in this book descriptive text is thrown around like an afterthought.
I have read every book in this series; and this was a very disappointing finale. Instead of going out with as Lestat would say, "A bang, baby!". The story ends with a whimper, leaving the reader not caring about what happens to Lestat or all the other characters....and what a shame that is. I think that the author needs to get away from these characters for awhile and come back once she is fully recharged and has a story worth telling.
My final point is that the novel seems almost rushed to conclusion. The new one came out about a year after the last one (Blackwood Farm), and seems like it was put out just to fulfill a contractual obligation to the publisher. Go to the library and read it if you must, but otherwise just skip it and reread the prior novels. They are more satisfying to reread than this novel.

I love Anne Rice. Everytime she had a book coming out, I would be the first to check it out online. My sister loved her, too, but I think I loved her more. The Vampire Chronicles were and still are some of the best books I have ever read.
That is, until Blood Canticle came out. I can't express the sadness that swept over me when I discovered that this would be the last of my beloved Vampire Chronicles. Then I actually read it.
What happened? Part of the allure of the Vampire Chronicles was that it breathed poetry and life into a subject that had been previously ignored by all other authors. Anne Rice wove a tapestry, a true world filled with the the undead that varried so greatly that you couldn't help but loved each and every single one of them. You could go on for pages without someone saying a word, just a calm peaceful time that could be used to describe the way the moonlight looked on the Mississippi River. Now you can't.
It seemes every page is perferated with some trite meaningless diaglouge with some lame character. Lestat says, "Dude"? and, "Yo"? I'm sure I know some fifth graders that wouldn't even consider using such immature language in thier writting. Why does Anne Rice, one of the most sophisticated authors in the world, use such stupid words?
And where are the other vampires? Louis, Armand, Daniel, David, Pandora, Marius, Santino, and every other vampire that ever showed his or her face in the novel? I love the Coven. Where are they? How could Lestat abandon those he had once loved so much?
Lestat needs to be fixed. First he rants at us in a ridicules way, then he falls head over heels in love with a mortal he would have killed had he been in the right state of mind, and he abondoned the greatest vampire that ever came into being. Lestat! What's wrong with you? Where's the vampire that authored the best of the Vampire Chronicles? I understand that you went through HEaven and Hell, but surly that could hardly tarnish the vampire we all loved!
In conclusion, all I have to say is WHY?!? If Anne is reading this by some divine miricale, please write another book! Make us believe in Vampires like you made us do with all the other novels. Bring back all the other vampires, including Lestat (ther real one that is), and delve back into that world of the living dead that we all adored so much.

In the Blood Canticle, Anne Rice decided to take all of her characters: vampires from the Vampire Chronicles, witches from the Mayfair Witches and Taltos, and throw them all together and see what happens. The end result is sometimes good, sometimes bad, but often times messy. The new Lestat, using new yet not quite updated language, narrates the novel. It brings in Rowan Mayfair, who he has a thing for, and Mona Mayfair, who he recently made into a vampire. They congregate in Blackwood Farms and after a very long-winded and tedious narrative, wind up in Haiti, where the Taltos were at.

As with many of Anne Rice’s later works, this novel is entirely too long with entirely too much fluff and useless information. Sometimes I get the impression that Anne Rice writes in order to impress herself with the beauty of her prose, which doesn’t exactly make for great reading. The novel isn’t all bad. Lestat is an enjoyable character and there was some decent action in this novel. It doesn’t stack up to her early Vampire Chronicle novels, but isn’t as bad as some of her recent work.

Carl Alves – author of Blood Street

I cant agree more with all other disappointed fans out there. When i read The Vampire Lestat i knew Anne Rice was going to be my favourite writer. I loved queen of the damned, tale of the body theif and then mamnoch came out and i was like, what was that all about. Still the chronicles that followed kept me interested. Blackwood farm and Blood Canticle had nothing to do with the series and what we had been reading earlier. A BIG BIG disappointment this one. When Merrick ended i thought the story will take a new turn secially with the unexpected threat from the Talamasca.The chronicles had so much potential Rice could've continued with them forever, but this was really low. Yes like other readers i also want to know what became of Louis who really started it all. And why was Lestat without companions in this book so pathetic when he managed to bring everyone together so long ago. He has both his fledglings David and Louis both faithful to him but oh.. they were forgotten in the last book werent they???. I didnt like the Mayfairs or the Taltos crap.This is not how it should end and for most readers it didnt end at all. What can be worse.. this book wasnt even scary. Why did Lestat fall so stupidly in love with Rowan. Suddenly Lestat the magnificent has developed so many weak points in his personality. No he was not like Louis, Louis has a reason to mourne or whine, Lestat was whining for no obvious reason. Really Rice should consider writing another one to end it decently. Her fans deserve this much!!!

There is something I feel is "off" about this boook. I started with Blackwood Farm, then worked my way through Armand, Memnoch, Blood & Gold, Tale of The Body Thief, Queen of the Damned,The Vampire Lestat..I am not sure what it is, but something tells me it's our hero, LeStat. He seems petty, trite, and comical. I dont know. I feel a bit wishy about this so far. Mona doesnt seem right either, more like a trashy teen gone wild, which she always sorta was, but at least she had a better vocabulary ! Will revise this when I finish. I guess the other books held more mystery & history.
12/1/03...okay I have been finsihed this book for a couple weeks now. I will say, to quote the author from Pandora: " If you so cling to reason,then in the passage of time reason may fail you,and when it does you may find yourself taking refuge in madness" I think Ms. Rice has done exactly this. Why ? She has totally destroyed the characters that we, her readers have loved. Sorry, this book was a disappointment.

Witches and vampires and ghosts oh my! Anne Rice has done it again. She's created another episode in the life of Lestat the world's greatest vampire (at least in his mind). Blood Canticle is the tenth novel in The Vampire Chronicles although you do not have to read them in order to enjoy them or know what is going on.

The first chapter is all Lestat. Conceded, whiny and all about his me, me, me attitude. Frankly you can skip this chapter as it really has nothing to do with the story. He did a wonderful job of annoying me the whole way through. The real story begins with chapter two. Quinn Blackwood (the focus of book nine Blackwood Farm) a newly anointed vampire by non-other than Lestat is the focus of Lestat's affection this time around. Rice really loves her triangles though and shortly the love of Quinn's life shows up on his doorstep sick and on the verge of her death. Lestat being the wonderful and loyal friend that he is gives Mona the dark gift as a favour for Quinn. She is magically transformed into this lithe of beauty with long curly red hair that is captivating to one and all. Her one flaw is she's extremely emotional and tends toward fits of crying and tantrums. These two characters remind me a lot of Louis and Claudia from Interview with a Vampire.

Now we have a dashing trio of vampires. The dilemma put before them is Mona wants to find her child taken away at birth. Her child has the unique gift of being a Taltos, a group of secret people seven feet tall with no bone structure that grow to adult size within a few hours. It was this birth that put Mona (who's also a witch) on her deathbed.

As with any good search there are obstacles along the way. The ghost of Quinn's dead mother whom he goes around telling everyone he killed by snapping her neck and throwing her in the swamp. Everyone thinks he's kidding but he's not. There's also the ghost of scary Uncle Julian and the adorable Stella. Uncle Julian is one of the finest characters in this story and is sure to make the hair on your arms stand up. Other obstacles include the Secret People themselves and whether or not they can or want to be found and a band of drug lords, a family of witches and of course the prince of darkness himself.

One of the things I love about Anne Rice's books is her attention to detail especially when it comes to scenery. When reading it's obvious she loves New Orleans. Like an artist she paints its beauty, mystery and hidden darkness of the streets, architecture, natural surroundings and residents.

Although Lestat is the narrator of this story he's not necessarily mainstream. He's sharing the stage with the other characters, his loves, although I think reluctantly. Lestat is not the gruesome killer he used to be. He's trying to be a reformed vampire. His personal goal is to become a saint and be adored by everyone but his internal demons seem to always get the better of him. If you pick up Blood Canticle you'll be able to witness another Lestat adventure. Most enjoyable.

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