Rating: 
Summary: An extremely easy read, but what happened to Anne Rice?
Review: I was really excited when I heard that this book was coming out. I have enjoyed all of the new Vampire Chronicles, but I was always vaguely dissatisfied with them because they didn't feature Lestat very heavily. "Blackwood Farm" features him of course, but the Lestat featured in "Blackwood Farm" doesn't seem very much like the Lestat of old. The Lestat in "Blood Canticle" wasn't very much like the Lestat of old either.I hestitate to say that I was disappointed in this book, but it didn't keep me as enthralled as the other Vampire Chronicles have. There wasn't a whole lot of suspense, and the style that the book was written in definitely didn't seem like the Anne Rice style that her fans have become accustomed to. It was very breezy, loose, and the language that was used made it seem like the book was written for an eighth grader instead of an adult. What has happened to the intelligence, the sophistication, the intricate plots, the suspense, the keen detail, and the character conflicts that Anne Rice used to write? I really hate to say it, but "Blood Canticle" is just a bit of fluff fiction that seems like it was written by a rookie writer just making her debut instead of the engaging, interesting, and mysterious writer that we all know Anne Rice can be. There is also no mention of what is going on with Louis, Armand, Marius, or any of the others in this book. Their names are mentioned only in connection to events that happened in Lestat's past, so you won't get to catch up with any of the other vampires in this book. I was especially disappointed by that because after I had read "Merrick" I really hoped that Louis would show up in this book and we would hear more about how he is coping with the stonger vampire powers that he received at the end of that book. You don't hear anything about what has happened to Louis lately at all. I'm not saying that you won't enjoy this book if you read it; it was nice to catch up with the Mayfair family and Lestat again, but you should prepare to be shocked at the drastic change in writing style that you will encounter when you read Blood Canticle. I know I was. Any fan of Anne Rice and the Vampire Chronicles/Mayfair Witches series should pick up this book and read it, but you should remember not to expect too much. This book won't really make you think, but it won't leave you with a ton of questions either (as most of her books do). 3 stars
Rating: 
Summary: A classic Anne Rice tale.
Review: The Vampire Chronicles continue with this tale of love, madness and redemption. In the first novel since Memnoch The Devil, Lestat is the central character on a quest to find love. Mona Mayfair has come to Blackwood Farm to die but instead she is given eternal life with the undead. As Mona is coming to terms with her new found life, Rowan Mayfair, neurosurgeon and witch, finds herself falling for Lestat. Rowan's husband, Michael Curry is seeking Lestat's help as he feels his wife is slipping further into madness, and Patsy, a country-western singer, returns to avenge her death at the hands of her son, Quinn Blackwood. 'Blood Canticle' is classic Anne Rice; dark, sexy, gothic and filled with rich descriptions. Once begun the book can't be put down as the seductive story holds you entranced. I have been a fan of The Vampire Chronicles for many years and this new entry is one of the better ones. Anne Rice is the premier author of vampire tales and the power of her storytelling genius is on full display in her masterful new novel. Longtime fans will be very pleased with the latest entry in the Vampire Chronicles. Nick Gonnella
Rating:
Summary: "A Quest For Redemption"
Review: Bestselling writer Anne Rice picks up the VAMPIRE CHRONICLES where BLACKWOOD FARM left off with this sensual, spine-tingling story of vampire Lestat's quest for redemption and surprisingly his own search for everlasting love. BLOOD CANTICLE had me excitedly glued to my cozy chair for several nights in a row as I eagerly read this terrific story...A story that you won't want to miss! (Highly Recommended Novel!)
Rating: 
Summary: A literary legend hits the bottom.
Review: Fortunately, I was wise enough after struggling through the god-awful "Blackwood Farm" not to run out and purchase "Blood Canticle", choosing to get it from the library instead (surprise:
brand new book, no waiting list!). I didn't think anything could get as pathetic as "Blackwood", but boy was I wrong! This book is a bad joke. All of the spiritual conflict and superb characterization of her first ten-or-so novels is gone, and she seems to be doing a Saturday Night Live commercial for Catholicism. I'm not sure why I'm even bothering to write this, except maybe as a plea to Anne Rice herself. I often wondered how such an incredibly gifted author could have slid from masterpieces like "Interview With the Vampire" and "The Witching Hour" to the utter c#@p she's putting out now.
However, on her website, Anne gives a very good answer: she doesn't use an editor, or use any objective input other than her own! This may have worked for awhile, when her publisher was so pleased with her sales they allowed her carte blanche to submit any old thing she could type out, but I'll bet that's about to change with her ever-dwindling readership. I recently saw Anne on a talk show, and she appeared to be as sharp, brilliant, and charming as ever, but not a drop of that is spilling onto the page. Please, Anne, stop insulting your fans with these dreadful, laughable books. If "Blood Canticle" is the best you can do, it's time to retire.
Rating: 
Summary: What is that I smell?? Another piece of 1st draft drivel???
Review: I loved most of the "Vampire Chronicles". They established a rich and fascinating world full of wonderful characters and intricate storylines. The same can be said for The Witching Hour. And I have never had a problem with the combination of the two storylines. I thought that "Merrick" was a enough of a connection without it getting to "novel" like. But, unfortunately, Anne Rice does not feel the same way about her work. How else can you explain the horrendously boring "Armand"? Or the numbing stupor that "Blood and Gold" and "Blackwood Farm" induced? I thought that "Blackwood Farm" was as bad as novel's get, but I was wrong. "Blood Canticle" redefines the genre with what is undoubtedly, the worst novel that I have ever read. There are so many things that can be said about the "story", but why? Why should anyone take the time to dissect the "intricacies" of a novel, when the author can't even be bothered with putting forth any effort? Simply put, "Blood Canticle" is an insult to anyone who has ever read a "Vampire Chronicle" or "The Lives of the Mayfair Witches". Anne Rice should be ashamed of herself, and so should her publisher and her editor for peddling this drivel. Throughout "Blood Canticle", Lestat professes his desire to become saint. I suggest we do one better. Someone grab two pieces of wood and some nails.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent Vampire/Mayfair book
Review: This book is a wonderful treat. The joining of Vampire and Witch mythology that was suggested in 'Merrick' is finally, completely and irreversibly realized in 'Blood Canticle'. It's extremely fast-paced, with refreshingly few detours into tales of long ago. Rice finally reveals what happened after 'Taltos' and it's deliciously exciting. The Talamasca are respectable and seductive once again. Mona Mayfair makes a wonderful addition to the world of Vampires and the consequences of her transformation are superbly dramatic, rich and exciting. There were many points when the story could have drifted off into a two or three hundred page recounting of some series of events or character bio, but everything is kept racing along at a terrific pace; tight and relentless. This book captures everything that the chronicles once were and should be. The passing mentions of some vampire characters are tantalizing and I don't see how Rice can leave the series after this book - in fact, her interview on 'The View' suggested that this might not be the last Vampire novel, as she'd previously stated it was. My fingers are crossed because this novel demands further adventures for all the characters involved and makes the reader hungry for more from Anne Rice and the denizens of her world. Vampires, Witches, Ghosts, Angels, Devils, Criminals and Saints - all the ingredients come together perfectly in this one.
Rating:
Summary: This is SUPPOSED to be a CONCLUSION?
Review: Since May, I've counted down te days until this novel was released. Blackwood Farm looked like the series was improving in quality a little. Since Blood Canticle is supposed to be the FINAL book having to do with the vampires and the witches, I figured that I would have an understanding and closure of the destiny of a good number of the characters in the series accompanied by a DECENT story line. Is that to much to ask?.... Apparently, it is. The book itself is narrated by Lestat and appparently his ego of wanting to be good and a saint has taken up the ENTIRE book. The story line seemed ok, so I still had my hopes on it, which for its potential and for Lestat's intro which was really funny gets two stars. The following factors prevent this book from getting 5 stars. 1. There is NO way that anyone could include everything in the series in 304 pages of reading material. There were still TONS of questions that I was asking at the end. Which leads to....
2. Where have all of the vampires gone? The ONLY vampires present in the action of the story are Lestat, Mona, and Quinn (i really don't like him), and VERY LITTLE Maharet and Khayman. Well, others are mentioned but only like "ooohhh i wonder where someoneso is? or I remember someoneso and I did this together. It's kind of a lazy way to include characters like that. I was expecting something like Queen of the Damned, which was good at including everybody in.
3. Do we really need to rehash every bit of the Mayfair story? Rowan and Michael (some of the Mayfair Witches) meet Lestat and tell "a little" about themselves. It is a little expected that readers of this book are familiar with the basic plots of what hapened in the Mayfair series since this book CONCLUDES BOTH the vampire and the witches. I don't mind it that much except that it leaves VERY LITTLE time to explain and flesh out the subplots from the book and left me unsatisfied.
4. Why do a lot of the Mayfairs seem whiny, weak, or cruel? The way that ALL of them are portrayed in the book made me wonder whether some moody pod people kidnapped the characters from the original series. What was with Mona and Julien?
5. How if you're not sober do you come up with the concept of the mystical Taltos people being kidnapped by drug lords? I almost through the book against the wall at that.
6. Finally, do we really NEED that much description over trivial things. Instead of saying the beautiful jewelry box, it'd be like the beautiful, green, ornate, cool, awesome, ribbon strung....blah blah.....jewelry box. Really annoying, huh? Well, in conclusion, I really had false hopes with this book and for people who still think the next book will explain everything missing, think again. THIS IS THE LAST BOOK. No more. Both series started with sooooo much potential. Sad to say that this book does very little justice to both series or the anticipating fans. If you want to know how much potential the series had, read or reread in both series The Witching Hour (Mayfairs) and Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and Queen of the Damned (Vampires) Now that's good reading.
Rating:
Summary: Very useful book
Review: This book is so very useful, You can use it as a door stop, to perk up the fire in your fireplace, to keep the other books from falling over in the bookcase, a stand to set things on like drinks, or food when you're not eating in the dining room, or setting hot dishes on top without ruining your table. When you go camping you can use it as tissue when you run out. You can use it to kill bugs. A mini-mini stepper. Throw it at random people for sport. Or you can torture your "friends" by making them read it. So you see money is never lost buying this book, it brings out your imagination! Oh so many wonderful possiblities! So I give this book one star because it is number #1!!
Rating:
Summary: I miss Lestat... I miss OUR Lestat
Review: Of course I will always love Interview with The Vampire, The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the damned. But many Anne Rice fans agree they go down hill from there. There are certain circles that refer to my previously mentioned first three vampire chronicles as the ONLY vampire Chronicles. All the rest come off like fan fictions from some other person.
Nothing done now can change what had been. The Interview with the vampire is still the interview with the vampire. The Vampire Lestat is still The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the damned is still The Queen of the damned. I just pretend it's 1989 and the others were not published yet. They did not happen. Lestat, in my mind, is still a rebel, still a brat, still mischievous, still questions things, still fearless, still angst driven, still a fighter, and still perseverent. He's still riding around on his Harley, hunting down his killers and falling in love with the world. He's still an optimist (He has a pessimistic view of humanity in Blood Canticle.) He still views society today as an age of innocence and he's still my Lestat. All the rest... to me.. They're just fan fictions. I wish Anne Rice had done a book that she once hinted about years ago. The idea of the vampires being found out by some mortals and possibly captured and studies and then the escape... Lestat talks about this idea in The Vampire Lestat. That could have been a great novel, especially with our proud and defiant Lestat. This conformist, prude, depthless, two-dimensional Lestat would fold under that pressure but the Lestat I know would not. The first three vampire chronicles- that's my Lestat. That will always be my Lestat and no one can take that away from me. Lestat in this book is whining, conformist, a hard-core Catholic who questions nothing, a cold hypocrite, a misogynist, a prude, and pessimist. This is not our Lestat! Our Lestat was a brat. Our Lestat questioned things. Our Lestat was always a rebel. Changing his personality this abruptly is like saying he now has blue hair and orange eyes. The angst is gone. The fearless soul that could never be oppressed is gone. I did not love the fangs or the blonde hair. I loved his personality. I related to Lestat, not the vampire! She's forgotten who Lestat was. Lestat used to see this world as an age of secular innocence where evil doers were scarce. And now he says there are many in the cities who deserve the vampire's kiss. He's become depthless (if he had much depth to begin with.) He's two dimensional. He's hunting down rogues and rule breaker vampires! He is a rogue and rule breaker! I want Lestat, I don't want Angel from Buffy The Vampire Slayer! I want Lestat the way he was meant to be. If Anne Rice needed a new character to express her obsession and new-found conformist mentality she should have used ANYONE but The Brat Prince to express it! I think this book disappointed every Anne Rice fan, everywhere, one way or another. I know I'm being harsh but Anne calls this maturing for Lestat. Being mature does not mean clinging desperately to something without question. Being mature does not mean becoming sexist with fashion, and seeing evil everywhere where he once was in love with the goodness in society. Lestat was a brat but he had faith in goodness. Now he doesn't seem to have that faith. His real and pure faith has been replaced by something superficial, something dark. And the restless spirit, the angst driven rebel, the one who could not be dominated... Our beloved antagonist, he's gone.... I don't know who this creature is narrating the story but it's not our Lestat.
Rating:
Summary: It's worse than your worst nightmare
Review: I have never given a book a one-star rating before. However, if Blood Canticle is to be compared against Anne Rice's earlier works, such as The Vampire Lestat, Queen of the Damned, and even Blackwood Farm, it deserves a low rating. If you liked Memnoch the Devil, you will probably like this one; the religious ranting, lack of description, abundance of trivial dialogue, and lst draft feel are all there for you to enjoy all over again. Quite frankly, I don't remember Memnoch the Devil; I just remember that I felt this way after I finished it (bored, annoyed, disappointed). FYI, Anne Rice admits on her website that she essentially has full creative control over her books now; her editor doesn't really edit anything. That's clearly demonstrated here; I felt as though I was reading her personal journal. Lestat (she) rambles on and on about Catholicism, sainthood, and the like, and the book is only 300 pages long. It felt to me as though Blood Canticle was written over a long weekend. Mona is annoying, Quinn is a non-entity, and Lestat was a whiny bore. And then, to make matters worse, her prose is horrible! Lestat (Anne) enjoys using words such as gotcha, betcha, baby, yeah, and BOOGIE.
Quote from the first page (Lestat writing to the reader): "I know damned well how to be a full-fledged, post-Renaissance, post-nineteenth century, post-modern, post-popular writer. I don't deconstruct nothin'."
Quote from page 7: (Lestat writing to the reader): "All right, okay, yeah, forget about it, so what, stop the hand wringing, sure sure, knock it off, cool it, shove it, eh?" Really charming, Anne. Every few sentences, Lestat (she) halts the story by inserting lame, pointless thoughts to remind us that this is his story. He even uses parentheses to comment about the previous sentence. I was constantly reminded that I was reading a bad book written in Lestat's annoying point of view. Very jarring and unpleasant read. I don't think I've ever winced so much while reading a book in my life. I don't know if A. Rice thought that this style was interesting or brilliant or what, but it's really, really bad. If you're a fan, you'll read it anyway, but please, don't buy it. Get it at the library. Borrow it. Be patient. Just don't pay for it. Looking for a new author with beautiful prose, excellent character development, and a book worth savoring? Try Tigana, by Guy Gavriel Kay. It's long and has a slow build, but it's so, so worth it.
|
