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A review by sarahdm
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I have mixed feelings.
IWTV felt like it had direction and purpose, driven by its singular voice. While “The Vampire Lestat” feels like its all over the place. At one point Lestat is telling a story he heard from a vampire, who heard it from another vampire, who heard it from another vampire, and it’s like “What, who is talking right now?” Honestly some of these characters feel like they should have just had their own book (Marius, Magnus, Nicolas, Gabrielle, Armand) and Lestat is just tacked on so they have something tying them (loosely) together. Rice seems so much more interested in telling her own vampire lore and OCs backstories then anything else. I really liked IWTV because it used the lense of the vampire to muse on humanities great questions, that gothic, moody tone that Lestat attributes to “Oh that’s just Louis’s character/voice.” Which I guess is fine but tt kind of only makes me interested in books that are going to be in Louis’s “voice.” I liked the beginning and Lestat’s origins because it felt more like IWTV but after that (right around we get to the Children of Darkness) this book absolutely goes off the rails. I absolutely lost my shit when Marius was like “Yeah my good friend Jesus is a vampire. In fact, ALL GODS are actually vampires.” LMAO, I could not take anything serious after that, not to mention the rock star portions.
I am also absolutely devastated that Louis went back to Lestat in the end. It feels like the very faint theme of loneliness was just thrown out the door. I also feel like the ending should have us asking how reliable of a narrator are Lestat and Louis. I don't trust any of these queens.
Not sure if I will continue this series. I have read that Rice stopped using an editor after Queen of the Damned, so I might give this series one more chance with the next book.
IWTV felt like it had direction and purpose, driven by its singular voice. While “The Vampire Lestat” feels like its all over the place. At one point Lestat is telling a story he heard from a vampire, who heard it from another vampire, who heard it from another vampire, and it’s like “What, who is talking right now?” Honestly some of these characters feel like they should have just had their own book (Marius, Magnus, Nicolas, Gabrielle, Armand) and Lestat is just tacked on so they have something tying them (loosely) together. Rice seems so much more interested in telling her own vampire lore and OCs backstories then anything else. I really liked IWTV because it used the lense of the vampire to muse on humanities great questions, that gothic, moody tone that Lestat attributes to “Oh that’s just Louis’s character/voice.” Which I guess is fine but tt kind of only makes me interested in books that are going to be in Louis’s “voice.” I liked the beginning and Lestat’s origins because it felt more like IWTV but after that (right around we get to the Children of Darkness) this book absolutely goes off the rails. I absolutely lost my shit when Marius was like “Yeah my good friend Jesus is a vampire. In fact, ALL GODS are actually vampires.” LMAO, I could not take anything serious after that, not to mention the rock star portions.
I am also absolutely devastated that Louis went back to Lestat in the end. It feels like the very faint theme of loneliness was just thrown out the door. I also feel like the ending should have us asking how reliable of a narrator are Lestat and Louis. I don't trust any of these queens.
Not sure if I will continue this series. I have read that Rice stopped using an editor after Queen of the Damned, so I might give this series one more chance with the next book.